Taking a page from Hollywood science fiction, the Pentagon said Thursday it will try to shoot down a dying, bus-sized U.S. spy satellite [named USA 193] loaded with toxic fuel on a collision course with the Earth. The military hopes to smash the satellite as soon as next week - just before it enters Earth's atmosphere - with a single missile fired from a Navy cruiser in the northern Pacific Ocean.[You might need a hard-hat]
That, is a 'real' human body
Authorities in China and New York have opened investigations into allegations that a black market in Chinese bodies, which may include executed prisoners, is sending corpses to the United States for public display. ... Some of the bodies were given to Chinese companies that supply corpses preserved in plastic for display in the United States. More Photos -- Brian Ross [And no, it's not Dennis Rodman]
Justice - 63 years later
ROME - An 83-year-old former SS prison guard, known as the "Beast of Bolzano" for his cruelty to inmates in a northern Italian camp, was being extradited Friday from Canada to Italy to begin serving a life sentence for war crimes, officials said. The return of Michael Seifert — who, witnesses testified, gouged out eyes and starved and beat prisoners ...The art of stealing
'Glass and Pitcher' by Pablo Picasso was stolen from an exhibition near Zurich 10 days agoThe Wounded
Recent Suicide Reports Casts Harsh Light On Prescription Drug Use In Treating The Wounded
There have been at least three accidental drug overdoses and four suicides among soldiers in special units the Army set up last summer to help war-wounded troops, officials said late Thursday.
The Quagmire
WASHINGTON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - The United States will probably have more troops in Iraq this summer than it did before pouring in forces last year -- even after a planned drawdown, a U.S. general said on Friday.
How would you feel if one was yours?
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hundreds of U.S. Marines have been killed or injured by roadside bombs in Iraq because Marine Corps bureaucrats refused an urgent request in 2005 from battlefield commanders for blast-resistant vehicles, an internal military study concludes. Cost was a driving factor in the decision to turn down the request for the so-called MRAPs, according to the study.
[The only time 'cost' is a 'factor' is when they talk about body armor, hazardous duty pay, or MRAP's for our troops. With the Bush administration, 'cost' is never a 'factor' when it comes to paying Blackwater or Halliburton]
Nice deputy
Florida police dump a quadriplegic man from his wheelchair on the ground in Hillsborough County. "Caught On Tape".
Today a long time ago
On February 17, 1801, after an electoral tie and thirty-six ballots, the Presidential election of 1800 was resolved by the House, when Thomas Jefferson was elected President and Aaron Burr Vice President. Burr's refusal to remove himself from consideration created ill will with Jefferson, who dropped Burr from the ticket in 1804 after Burr killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel.
Fool's bounty
The "Ocean Breeze," built in 1981 for former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, is docked in Nice, France pending a hearing to determine who owns the floating palace.
PARIS - A palatial pleasure yacht fitted with swimming pools, salons and, should the winds of war blow, a secret passage and a rocket launching system is up for sale — unless Iraq can prove the vessel built for Saddam Hussein still belongs to the toppled dictator's entourage. ... The sale price is officially unannounced but reportedly set at 24 million euro (about $35 million U.S.). - A desert fox more than a sailor, Saddam never used the boat he had built in 1981 ...
It's not the Democrats George
Dear Mr. President:
If our nation is left vulnerable in the coming months, it will not be because we don't have enough domestic spying powers. It will be because your Administration has not done enough to defeat terrorist organizations – including al Qaeda -- that have gained strength since 9/11. We do not have nearly enough linguists to translate the reams of information we currently collect. We do not have enough intelligence officers who can penetrate the hardest targets, such as al Qaeda. We have surged so many intelligence resources into Iraq that we have taken our eye off the ball in Afghanistan and Pakistan. As a result, you have allowed al Qaeda to reconstitute itself on your watch.
Sincerely, Silvestre Reyes, Chairman, House Select Committee on Intelligence
Ride it out Cowboy
AlterNet
What's wrong with this picture?
- h/t crooks and liars
The Exploding Whale
'One of the web's most legendary videos'
Every little bit helps
Judge: Vick Can Keep $20M Signing Bonus
Jailed quarterback Michael Vick can keep nearly $20 million in bonus money he received from the Atlanta Falcons following a ruling Monday by a federal judge. The Falcons sought to recover the bonuses after Vick pleaded guilty to federal charges in a dogfighting operation. The bonuses were paid from 2004-2007.
So John McCain is a veteran?
Then why does he have such a miserable record of supporting them?
[h/t to disabled veteran Michael Bailey and OpEdNews.]
The Limbaugh Award
It only seems fitting that on this milestone 50th presentation of the prestigious, but infamous, Limbaugh Award, there would be another historical first; A repeat winner in consecutive weeks. Granted, there was a 'bye week' in between, but with the way Mr. Straight Talk has been going lately, he would have won three weeks in a row.
In October John McCain jumped all over Rudy Giuliani when Giuliani questioned whether waterboarding was torture. In fact, here's what 'Maverick' fired off at old Rudy;
"All I can say is that it was used in the Spanish Inquisition, it was used in Pol Pot’s genocide in Cambodia, and there are reports that it is being used against Buddhist monks today. ... They should know what it is. It is not a complicated procedure. It is torture."Pretty tough words ... a lot of 'straight talk' --- Not much doubt McCain knew four months ago that waterboarding was 'torture'.
So how did McCain vote this past Wednesday when the Senate voted to ban waterboarding? He voted 'no'.
John McCain is a pandering jelly fish. And he's also the commemorative 50th winner of the award given here weekly - almost - at 'done that'.
Congratulations, McNut, you're #50!
Past winners of the prestigious, but infamous,
Limbaugh Award
Bye Week - 2/10/08
Mr Straight Talk - John McCain - 2/3/08
935 of them - Bush & the Gang of 7 - 1/27/08
Fox News Co-Liars - Hannity & O'Reilly - 1/20/08
Sheep's Favorite Liar - Rush Limbaugh - 1/13/08
Longtime Lobbyist - Trent Lott - 1/6/08
2007 Co-Champions - Dick Bush - 12/30/07
Lying Piece of - Mitt Romney - 12/23/07
Psycho Pervert - Michael Savage - 12/16/07
Sheepherder-in-Chief - George W. Bush - 12/9/07
Turd Blossom - Karl Rove - 12/2/07
Cowardly Welsher - T. Boone Pickens - 11/25/07
Republican Tool - Matt Drudge - 11/18/07
Their Favored Liar - Rudy Giuliani - 11/11/07
Fox News Liar - Chris Wallace - 11/4/07
Uncultured Wussy - Bill O'Reilly - 10/28/07
Phony Patriot Liar - Rush Limbaugh - 10/21/07
Old Kentucky Homo - Mitch McConnell - 10/14/07
Liar-In-Chief - George W. Bush - 10/7/07
Phony Patriot Pig - Rush Limbaugh - 9/30/07
Big Stretch 'the truth' - Bill Sammon - 9/23/07
Mr. Straight Talk - John McCain - 9/16/07
Sycophant - Gen. David Petraeus - 9/9/07
His own Idaho - Sen. Craig R-Idaho - 9/2/07
Turd Blossom - Karl Rove - 8/26/07
The Exterminator - Tom Delay - 8/19/07
Big 'Rooster' - Mitt Romney - 8/12/07
Total Suck Up - Glenn Beck - 8/5/07
General Gonzo - Alberto Gonzales - 7/29/07
Pro Liar - Tony 'Snowjob' Snow - 7/22/07
Bush bin Lyin - George W. Bush - 7/15/07
Freed Felon - Scooter Libby - 7/8/07
Mr. Overrated - Rudy Giuliani - 7/1/07
Crazy Lying Okie - James Inhofe - 6/24/07
Pro Liar - Tony 'Snowjob' Snow - 6/17/07
Mormon Moron - Mitt Romney - 6/10/07
Bye Week - 6/3/07
Commander Guy - George W. Bush - 5/27/07
Pat's Brother - Bay Buchanan - 5/20/07
Used Car Salesman - John Boehner - 5/13/07
Uncultured Wussy - Bill O'Reilly - 5/6/07
Mr. Overrated - Rudy Giuliani - 4/29/07
Turd Blossom - Karl Rove - 4/22/07
The Decider - George W. Bush - 4/15/07
Lying Chickenhawk VP - Dick Cheney - 4/8/07
Mr. Straight Talk - John McCain - 4/1/07
Attorney General - Alberto Gonzales - 3/25/07
Fox mouthpieces Sean Hannity and
Victoria Toensing - 3/18/07
Fox News guy - Brit Hume - 3/11/07
VA Secretary - Jim Nicholson - 3/4/07
Rep. Michele Bachmann - (R-MN) - 2/25/07
