Cheney Ordered CIA To Withhold Info From Congress

"WASHINGTON (CNN) -- CIA Director Leon Panetta testified to a congressional committee that he was told former Vice President Dick Cheney ordered the intelligence agency to withhold information about a secret counterterrorism program from Congress, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said Sunday."

"Panetta briefed lawmakers on June 24 on an unspecified counterterrorism program, according to a letter from seven House Democrats to Panetta made public Wednesday. The June 26 letter characterized Panetta as testifying that the CIA "concealed significant actions from all members of Congress, and misled members for a number of years from 2001 to this week."

It does not surprise me at all that Dick Cheney would order the CIA to conduct illegal, covert, surveillance on American citizens and then order them to not disclose it to the congressional oversight committees whose job it is to make sure the CIA is operating within the law.

Just to make this crystal clear, this means that Dick Cheney committed criminal acts while in office and ordered others to commit criminal acts.

I hope Eric Holder has the balls to prosecute him. Dick Cheney spent 8 years shitting all over the concept of co-equal branches of government, pissing all over the idea of checks and balances, and wiping his ass with the constitution.

He belongs in a federal prison.

Ban on tobacco urged in military??? WTF?

"By Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Pentagon health experts are urging Defense Secretary Robert Gates to ban the use of tobacco by troops and end its sale on military property, a change that could dramatically alter a culture intertwined with smoking.

Jack Smith, head of the Pentagon's office of clinical and program policy, says he will recommend that Gates adopt proposals by a federal study that cites rising tobacco use and higher costs for the Pentagon and Department of Veterans Affairs as reasons for the ban."

You have GOT to be fucking kidding me! We make up bullshit reasons to go to war with Iraq and send our soldiers into a meat grinder, we get over 4,000 of them killed dead, tens of thousands of others maimed and wounded and these fucktards want to take their cigarettes away from them?

These soldiers, regardless of why they were sent into harms way, are risking their fucking lives 24/7, being ripped away from their families, being forced to stay in the military past the end of their enlistment, being re-deployed over and over again and we're going to take that as an opportunity to help them quit smoking? Really?

That's beyond shenanigans and bullshit. That's just fucking stupid and it's spitting in the faces of our troops.

Look, I quit smoking almost 3 years ago. In fact, on July 31st it will be exactly 3 years. I'm glad I did it. Smartest thing I ever did and I've never had the urge to start smoking again. But unlike some folks, I did not become a born-again anti-smoking Nazi. I don't give a flying fuck at a rolling donut whether other people smoke or not. I'm not a smoke free zealot and I think businesses should be able to choose whether they want to allow smoking or not. I let my smoking friends smoke in my house. I even keep an ash tray around for them. Because I'm a tolerant person and a good host.

But I'll tell you what. If you were to pick me up, strap 90 pounds of armor and equipment on me, send me into a live firefight in 110 degree heat with bullets whizzing by me, explosions going off, people around me being ripped apart and killed, after it was over and I realized I was still alive, I bet a cigarette would taste pretty fucking good! After a couple of good smokes I'd worry about shovelling the shit out of my pants and puking up everything I'd eaten in the past 12 years.

Taking cigarettes away from fighting soldiers is the sort of thing that could only be conceived of by fat-assed academics sitting in air conditioned offices who think they are being protected by the 70 year old security guard at the front desk of their building.

"One in three service members use tobacco, the report says, compared with one in five adult Americans. The heaviest smokers are soldiers and Marines, who have done most of the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, the study says. About 37% of soldiers use tobacco and 36% of Marines. Combat veterans are 50% more likely to use tobacco than troops who haven't seen combat."

GEE! Ya fucking think? Who saw that coming? Jesus Fucking Christ, people.

"The military complicates attempts to curb tobacco use by subsidizing tobacco products for troops who buy them at base exchanges and commissaries, says Kenneth Kizer, a committee member and architect of California's anti-tobacco program.

Seventy percent of profits from tobacco sales — $88 million in 2005 — pays for recreation and family support programs, the study stays."

So by banning tobacco, not only are we depriving the fighting soldiers who are protecting OUR FREEDOM of one of the extremely few ways they have to deal with the stress we thrust them into, but we are also harming their families back home by cutting funding for their support.

You know what? Not only should tobacco NOT be banned, not only should the military continue to subsidize tobacco products at the BX/PXs, but any soldier who chooses to smoke should receive gift wrapped cartons at regular intervals with a card hand-signed by the president.

Anytime a soldier pulls out a cigarette, their commanding officer (or the nearest U.S. citizen) should rush to their side like a tip-hungry bartender, whip out a solid gold lighter and light that soldiers cigarette while reminding them that the American people appreciate their sacrifice.

If our soldiers want to smoke, let them smoke. I think they've earned the right to do as they please.

Ryan Reynolds is The Green Lantern

I first heard it on Twitter from my friend @betizuka who's husband @logtar is a Green Lantern fan.



Then I saw that it was confirmed at other news sources.



I think Reynolds will make a great Hal Jordan.

Welcome, Senator Al Franken

Conservatives have their panties in a twist over the fact that former SNL Comedian and author Al Franken managed to win a senate race in the same state that elected former professional wrestler and actor Jesse Ventura governor!



Let us not forget that the people criticizing Al Franken are the same folks who think that a B-movie actor who played 2nd fiddle to a trained chimp...






...who appeared in the most gay-cowboy-fetish (not that there's anything wrong with that) costume EVER...



...was the GREATEST PRESIDENT in the history of America!

If Ronald Reagan can be President of the United States...



...and The Terminator can be Governor of California,...



then Al Franken can be the junior Senator from Minnesota.

So shut the fuck up.

Power-Famished Republicans Eat Their Young!

Computer Moniter Question

How do I get a monitor with a cable like this...

to hook up to a netbook with an input like this?

Or to a normal computer monitor port?

Waiting For The Other Palin Boot To Drop

Nothing about Sarah Palin's resignation as Governor makes any sense. Something is very fishy here. Something else is coming.

The blogs in Alaska are abuzz with all sorts of rumors. Among the possible bombshells are:

An alleged affair with her husband's former business partner.

Another teen pregnancy.

One of the ethics investigations hit pay dirt.

Some possible shenanigans involving the sudden resignation of a couple of Dr.s from the health department.

Federal Indictment for embezzlement over the Wasilla sports complex / her house.

IRS indictment for failure to declare the Arctic Cat income.

I don't know if it will be any of the above or something else, but I absolutely guarantee you there is a BIG scandal coming.

None of the other reasons for her sudden resignation and rambling, incoherent announcement make any sense at all.

The most common explanation is that she is stepping down to focus on a 2012 presidential bid.

Bullshit.

One of the criticisms of her as McCain's VP pick was that she lacked experience! Why step away from being governor with a year and a half remaining in her 1st Term?! She didn't step down when and McCain were running for the White House. Why now. Makes no political sense.

Plus, how does it help her with a 2012 presidential campaign to prove to everyone she's a quitter and can't take the criticism and the pressure? It doesn't.

Look at the timing of the announcement too. The Friday before The 4th of July and on the heel of a string of celebrity deaths that have been chewing up the news cycles. That was no accident.

There is something else going on here. Something big enough to make walk away from being governor and walk away from any shot at the White House.

She even dropped some hints of a coming kerfuffle in her speech. Some of the things she said and the words she chose were borderline bizarre.

"Let me go back to a comfortable analogy for me – sports… basketball. I use it because you’re naïve if you don’t see the national full-court press picking away right now: A good point guard drives through a full court press, protecting the ball, keeping her eye on the basket… and she knows exactly when to pass the ball so that the team can WIN. And I’m doing that – keeping our eye on the ball that represents sound priorities – smaller government, energy independence, national security, freedom! And I know when it’s time to pass the ball – for victory."

Um, okay.

"In fact, this decision comes after much consideration, and finally polling the most important people in my life - my children (where the count was unanimous... well, in response to asking: "Want me to make a positive difference and fight for ALL our children's future from OUTSIDE the Governor's office?" It was four "yes's" and one "hell yeah!" The "hell yeah" sealed it - and someday I'll talk about the details of that... I think much of it had to do with the kids seeing their baby brother Trig mocked by some pretty mean-spirited adults recently.)"

This is clearly not something she wants to do.

"First things first: as Governor, I love my job and I love Alaska. It hurts to make this choice but I am doing what’s best for Alaska. I’ve explained why… though I think of the saying on my parents’ refrigerator that says “Don’t explain: your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe you anyway.”

"In the words of General MacArthur said, “We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”"

Something is coming folks. Something BIG. I can smell it and it stinks.

Windows Genuine Advantage Suckage

My latest tale of Microsoft woe began in late summer/early fall of 2008 with the premature death of my beloved Dell XPS gaming computer.

At first, I blamed an aborted attempt to download Microsoft's Windows XP SP3. But based on the results of a detailed post-mortem by my awesome friend Logtar, The Borg Collective appears to be blameless. I just let the ventilation system get clogged up and I fried the motherboard through sheer lack of basic maintenance.

But while I had direct access to the highest levels of Microsoft technical support, I took advantage of it. I got nightly calls from India from very knowledgeable techs who spent HOURS on the phone showering me with curry-scented personal attention.

One of the attempts they made to fix the problem was to send me a new Windows XP Professional installation disk which includes Service Pack 2, since I couldn't find my disks.

Bottom line, long story short, we never revived my XPS and through an act of unbelievable kindness (scratch that..if you know these people, the kindness is TOTALLY believable. Awesome peeps!), I now have a new/used computer. When we were setting it up, we used the Windows XP Professional disks that MS sent me.

Now, I'm starting to get annoying messages from Windows Genuine Advantage wanting me to verify that I have a legitimate copy of Windows. I've been ignoring the annoying messages because although I have the product key, the disk itself has a label that says "UNLICENSED SOFTWARE - Illegal without separate license from Microsoft".

I don't know what that means. I can't believe Microsoft would send me an illegal copy of their own software.

I've been ignoring them long enough that I can no longer play any videos that require Windows Media Player 11 because Microsoft is blocking it. This is severely, I repeat SEVERELY limiting my access to The Good Porn.

Now, I have recently discovered my original Dell XPS supplied Windows XPS Re installation disk, still in it's shrink wrap.

So here is my question to you, my loyal reader.

Do I try to go through the Genuine Windows Advantage validation using the Windows XP Professional CD that Microsoft sent me during my "servicing" that is currently installed on my new/used Dell Optiplex?

Or do I cut open the shrink wrap and install my Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 from the old Dell XPS over the top of the older Windows XP Professional from 2002 supplied by Microsoft?

Which path will present the least pain and the most porn?

This is very important.

Discuss.

Meat Locker People

In a recent twitter exchange, @m_toast declared a humid, muggy, 95 degree day to be "gorgeous"!

I responded that I would rather be "thisclose" to frostbite than break a single bead of sweat.

She responded by lumping me in with a group she refers to as "meat locker" people.

I want to go on record as EMBRACING the Meat Locker People label!

Let me explain something.

Meat lockers are really, really cold!

Know why? I'll tell ya why.

The cold temperature PRESERVES THE MEAT and keeps it from ROTTING!

I'll let you in on another little secret. You? Me? All those people around you? We're made out of meat!

Cold temperatures are kind to humans! Hot, muggy, swampy conditions are hostile to humans.

This weather FUCKING SUCKS and KILLS PEOPLE!

I'm not going anywhere or doing anything until October when the planet is once again hospitable to humans.

Until then, I will be the most un-environmentally friendly, un-green, and nipply comfortable bastard on the planet. Ima have a carbon footprint that will dwarf Alaska if that's what it takes to keep me comfortable.

Predatory Lending

My credit is crap, and I'm OK with that. I prefer living in the now on a cash available basis.

It's crap because of choices and decisions I made in the past that don't need to be delved into here. Perhaps another time.

Since my financial reboot, I have been getting lots of offers for credit cards.

Like this one.

"XAVIER ONASSIS,

You have been Pre-Approved for a Platinum Visa card with a credit line up to $1500."

They go on to tell you how fabulous this offer is, how easy it is to apply, all of the additional features they offer, blah, blah, blah.

The average consumer might think "This is my opportunity to rebuild my credit! Here is a company willing to give me a second chance! They've looked at my credit history and pre-approved me! They like me! They really, really like me!"

Umm, no, Sparky. That's not what is going on here.

The very first important piece of information listed is your Annual Percentage Rate.

23.90%

Yeah. You read that right. Seem excessive? Ever wonder why most credit card companies, including this one, have their HQ in Delaware?

It's because Republican Delaware Governor Pierre DuPont led an effort to redraft Delaware's tax laws to allow credit card companies to charge whatever interest rate they wanted to. No caps, no limits, no regulations. Go for it.

They can stick their predatory dicks as far up your ass as they want and you can't even scream for more lube.

So there's that.

Other prominent disclosures at the top are

Cash Advance Transaction Fee - $5.00 or 3% of the advance, whichever is greater

Minimum Finance Charge - $1.00 for any billing cycle in which a billing charge is due

Late Payment Fee - $32

Over Limit Fee - $30

Closed Account Maintenance Fee - $3 per month after account closure until paid in full.

The fine print in reduced font size and conveniently grayed out (as though it's not important) tells the informed consumer (like me) just how badly they can be butt fucked.

First of all, the Minimum Credit Line available is $200. Which is the credit line that people like me will get. People on this mailing list will NOT be getting the $1500 maximum. Don't kid yourself.

Immediately after that is the disclosure for ENROLLMENT AND ANNUAL FEES:

"A one time-only Enrolment Fee of $69 will be billed to your account when it's opened. The Annual Membership Fee of $69 will be billed to your account in monthly installments of $5.75 per month. These fees are not refundable unless you cancel your account within 30 days of the date your account is opened and if you have not used your credit account during this 30-day period."

But wait! It gets better!

"AVAILABLE CREDIT INFORMATION: The above Enrollment Fee and he first installment of he Annual Fee will be billed to your account when it is opened and will reduce the amount of your initial available credit. If your account is established with a $200 credit line, your initial available credit will be $125.25. If you select any optional feature for which a fee is charged, your initial credit will be further reduced."

One of the most prominent "optional features" is the Credit Protection Program.

I'll save you the legalese, but the bottom line is it's a program which, for a small monthly fee, it promises to allow you to cancel the "Payment Due for the Current Month" for up to 6 months and up to a maximum of $10,000.

Sounds good, right! Especially in this economy! You hit some hard times, you can just evoke your Credit Protection Program and not have to make any credit card payments for up to 6 months! Let you get back on your feet! AWESOME CREDIT CARD COMPANY!

Yuh huh.

Lets look at

AMOUNT OF PROGRAM CHARGE: The monthly Program Charge is based on your Account balance each month multiplied by the unit-cost, which is $0.96 (96 cents) per $100, or part thereof.

Alrighty then. Let's recap.

You're an average (stupid) consumer. You get an offer in the mail telling you you are pre-approved for a Visa card with a $1500 credit limit with a Credit Protection Program that will keep you from getting in the sort of problem you had before. They are willing to give you a second chance! Awesome!

You apply for the card and, of course, you get one.

You tuck it away in your wallet, not wanting to get back into debt again, but saving it for future emergency use.

Except.

It comes to you with a $69.00 balance and a guaranteed monthly charge of $5.75. This invokes the minimum finance charge of $1.00 a month in addition to the 23.90% finance charge.

If you went for the Credit Protection Program, there's another $0.96 per month per $100 of balance.

So even if you never swipe the card for a purchase and it just sits in your wallet, charges and interest rates increase without any action on your part.

Your initial $125.25 available credit is quickly overcome by automatic monthly charges and associated interest rates.

This will push you over your $200 credit limit and kick in the $30 Over Limit Fee.

If this gets hard to manage and you get behind, the $32 late payment fee starts to accumulate, adding to your balance to which the 23.90% interest rate is applied.

Get far enough behind that they close your account, and that triggers the $3 per month Closed Account Maintenance Fee.

So, bottom line.

You can optimistically apply for a seemingly generous credit card offer, never charge a dime on it, and immediately find yourself in debt over your head and very, very quickly get yourself in a downward spiral of fees and interest from which you can't escape.

This, my friends, is why unfettered Free Enterprise does not work.

Federal regulations are needed to call Shenanigans and say "No. I don't give a fuck what state you are in. You can't do shit like that in The United States of America, because we don't play that shit."