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Well, this is only a partial picture, otherwise I'd have to show you a picture of the entire city of Boston. Then there's this horseshit...
Really, should Boston be getting money for displaying their inneptitude to the entire world. The ONLY city to respond in such a way to LIGHT BRIGHTS?
Personally the best part is, we get to see a Mooninite flipping everyone off everytime we look at the news now. If that isn't poetic irony, I don't know what is.
Oh, by the way, fuck you Boston!
McCain blames Clinton policies for N. Korea woes
I used to kinda like this guy, but time and time again he just proves he's nothing more than a career politician that will say and do anything to get your vote, short of torture... Now that he's joined this ignorant republican trend to blame all their shortcomings and corruption on "the other guy", I just can't stomach him anymore. It's pathetic. I love how today you have Speaker of the House Hastert saying he'll fire anyone involved in covering up the scandal that he's been covering up... hm... But the best part is when he says something like, its the democrats fault for leaking the scandal right before the elections. First, it was a republican aid that leaked the emails to begin with; second, "damn you for exposing the truth! Its all a conspiracy! The public has no right to know the truth! Especially right before an election!"
Top conservatives have fanned out on television to defend House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s role in the Foley scandal.
A key talking point: when ABC made Foley’s sexually explicit communications public, Hastert “dealt with it immediately” by going to Foley and telling him, “Resign or be expelled.” Both Ken Mehlman and Ed Gillespie said Hastert’s bold ultimatum to Foley was something not seen “in thirty years in this town.”
In fact, their entire story is a fabrication. Hastert could not have issued an ultimatum to Foley after the sexually explicit instant messages were made public, because by that time, Foley had already resigned. ABC did not make Foley’s sexually explicit communications public until Friday, September 29, at 6pm ET. Foley had already resigned three hours earlier, at around 3pm ET.
As ABC producer Maddy Sauer has described, Foley decided to resign not after an ultimatum from Speaker Hastert, but after ABC called his office on Friday morning and read Foley staffers the instant messages they had obtained. According to Sauer, Foley’s office called ABC an hour later and said the congressman would be resigning.
Speaker Hastert himself acknowledged that he had no role in Foley’s resignation in his first statement on the issue on Monday:
When [the instant messages] were released, Congressman Foley resigned. And I’m glad he did. If he had not, I would have demanded his expusion from the House of Representatives.
Full transcript video:
HASTERT: When Congress found out about the explicit messages, Republicans dealt with it immediately and the culprit was gone. [10/5/06]
HASTERT: I, first of all, learned of this last Friday, when we were about to leave Congress for the break, to go out and campaign. And that’s the first time that I heard of the explicit language. When it happened, Republicans acted. And the guy’s gone. [10/5/06]
HOEKSTRA: I mean, we were all disgusted by what we found out last week Friday. But we also need to remember that what we did do on Friday is the speaker, the leadership and the House Republican conference, we spoke with clarity. It was a defining moment for us. We said, Resign or be expelled. Mark Foley left the House of Representatives within hours of this information becoming public. [10/6/06]
MEHLMAN: The fact is, what Denny Hastert did is something that we haven’t seen done in thirty years in this town in Washington DC, and that is he said to a member of congress, either you go or we’re going to make you go. That happened the moment that Denny Hastert found out about this. [10/6/06]
GILLESPIE: In fact, voters are starting to understand that speaker Hastert reacted very strongly. As the father of a 16-year-old son, I appreciate him going to Mark Foley and saying, “You either resign or you’re going to be expelled.” That would be the first time in thirty years. [10/6/06]
President asserts power to edit privacy reports
In the law Bush signed Wednesday, Congress stated no one but the privacy officer could alter, delay or prohibit the mandatory annual report on Homeland Security department activities that affect privacy, including complaints.
But Bush, in a signing statement attached to the agency’s 2007 spending bill, said he will interpret that section “in a manner consistent with the President’s constitutional authority to supervise the unitary executive branch.”
...
Bush’s signing statement Wednesday challenges several other provisions in the Homeland Security spending bill.
Bush, for example, said he’d disregard a requirement that the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency must have at least five years experience and “demonstrated ability in and knowledge of emergency management and homeland security.”
Principal shot at school dies from wounds
Kids with guns are pussies. That's right you little fucking unpopular puke, you are a pussy. No one likes you because you are a pussy. So what do you do to prove you're not a pussy, you pussy it out by grabbing a pussified gun and shoting someone. You are a pussy. I seriously hope you get the death penalty you pussy fuck!
“The Democrats’ irrational opposition to strong national security policies that help keep our nation secure should be of great concern to the American people,”
If I was a Republican lawmaker I would probably kill myself right now for the greater good of humanity.
THE PRESIDENT: I just had a really constructive and interesting session with Republican members of the United States Senate. I'm impressed by the leadership here in the Senate. I'm impressed by the caliber of people that serve our country.
I want to congratulate the House for passing a very vital piece of legislation that will give us the tools necessary to protect the American people, and that's the Hamdan legislation. That's the legislation that will give us the capacity to be able to interrogate high-valued detainees, and at the same time, give us the capacity to try people who -- in our military tribunals.
In speaking to the Senate, I urged them to get this legislation to my desk as soon as possible. Senator Frist and Senator McConnell committed to that end. The American people need to know we're working together to win this war on terror. Our most important responsibility is to protect the American people from further attack. And we cannot be able to tell the American people we're doing our full job unless we have the tools necessary to do so. And this legislation passed in the House yesterday is a part of making sure that we do have the capacity to protect you.
Our most solemn job is the security of this country. People shouldn't forget there's still an enemy out there that wants to do harm to the United States. And therefore a lot of my discussion with the members of the Senate was to remind them of this solemn responsibility. And so I look forward to you passing good legislation, Senators. Thank you for having me. Appreciate your time.
House OKs Bill on Terrorism Detainees
House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, all but dared Democrats to vote against the legislation.
"Will my Democrat friends work with Republicans to give the president the tools he needs to continue to stop terrorist attacks before they happen, or will they vote to force him to fight the terrorists with one arm tied behind his back?" he asked just before members cast their ballots.
By Tony Czuczka Sep 22, 2006, 18:35 GMT
Washington - An attempt by rebel US lawmakers to rein in aggressive CIA questioning of terror suspects has failed to silence US President George W Bush's critics, who view the programme as a ticket to possible abuse.
Denounced around the world when it was revealed in a US newspaper late last year, the network of secret CIA prisons was acknowledged by Bush only two weeks ago. He then went to Congress asking lawmakers to provide 'clarity' on what interrogation methods are allowed.
A legislative deal Thursday between the White House and key senators - one of them a former prisoner tortured in the Vietnam War - blocked Bush's bid to use US law to redefine the Geneva Conventions on the treatment of prisoners.
But it left the CIA programme intact and would let Bush define what methods might break the Geneva Conventions in the grey area below war crimes such as torture, 'cruel and inhuman treatment' or 'intentionally causing serious bodily injury.'
'This provision would give him unilateral authority to declare certain torture and abuse legal and sound,' said Caroline Fredrickson of the American Civil Liberties Union, a US human rights group.
'These are tactics expected of repressive regimes, not the American government,' she said.
Bush's national security adviser Stephen Hadley refused to say whether the emerging legal standard would ban 'water-boarding,' a notorious kind of simulated drowning reportedly used by terror interrogators.
If Bush issues guidance on interrogation methods in future, 'you will not see specific discussion of techniques,' Hadley told reporters.
Much of the bargaining between Bush aides and the three rebel senators reportedly turned on fine points of wording - what kind of physical or mental pain is cruel or inhuman, and how long a detainee can endure harsh treatment before suffering a war crime.
The White House wanted to define cruel or inhuman treatment as techniques resulting in 'severe' physical or mental pain, but the senators insisted on 'serious,' the Washington Post reported.
The White House said it achieved another key goal by keeping CIA interrogators immune from criminal prosecution for past practices.
Senator John McCain, the former Vietnam War prisoner, said Thursday's accord preserves 'the integrity and letter and spirit of the Geneva Conventions.'
Leading commentators raised serious doubts.
'In effect, the agreement means that US violations of international law can continue as long as Mr Bush is president, with Congress's tacit assent,' said a Washington Post editorial Friday.
Bush insists the CIA programme has been essential to fighting terrorism since the September 11, 2001 al-Qaeda attacks on New York and Washington, which killed nearly 3,000 people.
Since the attacks, the CIA had held dozens of suspects at secret locations around the world. Among them are Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the plot's alleged mastermind, and suspected top al-Qaeda operatives Ramzi Binalshibh and Abu Zubaydah.
Bush announced this month that the three men along with 11 other detainees held for years in CIA custody had been transferred to the US military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to face prosecution. The US says the Geneva Conventions apply at Guantanamo.
Bush said the CIA prisons are now empty, but it's the prospect of future detainees that worries his critics.
'The deal does next to nothing to stop the president from reinterpreting the Geneva Conventions,' the New York Times commented.
Recently Marvel Girl was kind enough to acquire for my birthday an X-Box 360. Now that's my kind of gal! So far I've only played two games on it, but they are both great games and both deserve the SoylentX review treatment. So in case any of you are thinking of buying one of these game consels; which I highly recommend, especially compared to the bank breaking, beta technology using answer from Sony, then maybe one of these games is for you, maybe both...
Dead Rising
Like the disclaimer on the box says, this is not in anyway related to George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead, but it might as well be. Photograph journalist Frank West has been privy to classified information concerning "something going on" in a small suburban town. Quick to beat the press Frank hops a helicopter to the epicenter of this mystery. When he arrives he is greeted by massive scenes of carnage. People killing people. A man fights for his life on top of his car only to pulled off and pulled apart. A woman and her child are food for foder canned inside their car like sardines for the feast. Frank, is at first, clueless. Cries of "What's going on around here," and the like are dialogue gold. All the while your first job is to photograph cannibalistic shots of sensationalism, the worse the better. See that woman being thrown off the roof of that building? If you catch the Pollock boom of her body turning a normal sidewalk into a tapestry you get more points. Later on, a zombie's cleavage, will get you even more. Like any good zombie story worth its weight in dead flesh, irreverent satire abounds.
You convince the pilot to land on the roof of the local mega mall complex. Mall of America eat your heart out, a small country could inhabit this place, a small dead country. Once you're dropped off you have 72 hours to get the scoop and return to the roof for pick-up.
It's hell in here.
Inside the mall you are greeted by a small band of survivors holed up in one corner of the mall. But all it takes is that one crazy lady, you know the one she or he is in every zombie film, and the whole net of safety comes crashing down. The doors of perception are broken and its fight for life time. Again, and again, and again... There is literally a never ending supply of undead shoppers everywhere. The cool part, you can use any and everything at your disposal to stay alive, park benches, knives, baseball bats, chainsaws. Some things work better at killing than others. See that Voltron sword hanging in the toy store? Its big, its red, and it looks as cool in your hand as it does in your imagination. Now, trying using it for combat, plastic doesn't kill so well. But don't worry because that lawn mower sitting in the park will bring back fond memories of the last half hour of Dead Alive.
The game is designed to take place in real-time so there's no space for open ended exploring. In fact the game is desinged much like the original concepts for arcade games, detect the pattern and repeat until perfection. There are only two types of places you can save and only one slot per game so you have to make it count. The plus side is, if you die you have the option of restarting the game from the beginning with all your current stats, that coupled with the your excellent memory of what needs to be done makes for easier play each go round.
My grade is a solid A, the repetitive play can get irksome at times but all one needs do to remedy ill feelings is head on down to your local hardware store, pick up that chainsaw, and go split dead life from limb. Just remember, this is NOT Dawn of the Dead...
Prey
Cherokee garage mechanic Tommy, is tired of living on the reservation. His go nowhere life is depressing him and worst of all the woman he loves refuses to leave town for the big city. To compound on it all Tommy's medicine man Grandfather keeps spitting Cherokee "vodoo" at him, which Tommy refuses to hear of, choosing to not believe in that "rubbish". As if these problems weren't enough, the lights just went out and some crazy noises are coming from outside. Two guys sitting in Tommy's girlfriend's bar start to wig, some David Lynch shit goes down and suddenly everything goes black.
You awake to the sound of screams. Blood curdling, horrible death screams. Someone's shouting for help. Your vision comes to reveal your girlfriend and Grandfather along with yourself strapped to a moving wall. The wall rotates then splits, you each are attached to your own slab. The slabs begin to move, up and down a conveyor belt. It's difficult to see what is going on, but pretty soon other people in the same situation travel by. One guy's praying the Lord's Prayer, frantically. Screams continue. Eventually you trip down the conveyor belt reveals the ultimate horror. Alien have invaded Earth. They need food. Before your inevitable demise, your traveling slab crashes, freeing you to commence the ass kicking these assholes have coming to them.
The fight for survival is on. You have a monkey wrench, that's all you need. Bashing aliens is fun and necessary. But don't worry because its not before long that you stumble on your full potential, the power of the Cherokee. Through the guidance of your grandfather you begin to learn to fight with the power of your ancestors, if you don't want to. In the end you'll do anything to save the ones you love, and the rest of the world.
Built upon the Doom 3 engine, this game has a very similar feel and look. The textures of all things nasty are designed to creep and gross you out, the infastructure moves, alive. Not like most first person shooters to hit the shelves these days Prey is constantly moving forward, puzzles are few and far between. When you do find one its only a matter of a couple moves before you're off to the killing fields again. Mixed with Cherokee mythology, this game is not your typical alien invasion. The story is front and center instead of a means to an end, because of this emotions are designed to run high involving you directly to the character's motivations. The only game that even comes remotely close in story and feel would be Beyond Good and Evil.
My final grade would be again, a solid A. Overall dark scenes can sometimes lead to confusing gameplay. Also a trend I'm noticing with the 360 games is the desingers seem to think anyone who can afford one of these things is playing it on a giant big screen HD TV. Therefore they design all fonts to be of the utmost tiniest letters. For both games reviewed I can not read any text and am left at guessing what characters are saying to each other. At least with Prey the characters speak aloud as well spew subtitles.
Kungfugazi's Full Profile
What's this then? Is it edible?
Undeclared, Beverly Hills 90210, Godzilla flicks, Django, Bronx Warriors 2.
Batman: Knightfall, The World is Flat by Thomas Freidman, Dune: The Butlerian Jihad.
Bioshock, Splinter Cell: D.A.
Boris, Under Byen, Dungen, Akimbo, Pinback
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