Saturday, June 17, 2006

Images: Combat Camera, Sat. 17 June

U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft perform maneuvers over Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, June 14, 2006, during exercise Northern Edge 2006. The joint exercise is one of a series of U.S. Pacific Command exercises that prepare joint forces to respond to crises in the Asian Pacific region. The aircraft are from 112th Fighter Squadron, Ohio Air National Guard. DoD photo by Master Sgt. Rob Wieland, U.S. Air Force. (Released) U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft perform maneuvers over Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, June 14, 2006, during exercise Northern Edge 2006. The joint exercise is one of a series of U.S. Pacific Command exercises that prepare joint forces to respond to crises in the Asian Pacific region. The aircraft are from 112th Fighter Squadron, Ohio Air National Guard. DoD photo by Master Sgt. Rob Wieland, U.S. Air Force. (Released)

U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Brian Lust fires at insurgents probing U.S. and Iraqi army positions while on patrol in Ramadi, Iraq, June 6, 2006. Lust is a Navy combat diver attached to 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company deployed with I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward). DoD photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Samuel C. Peterson, U.S. Navy. (Released) U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Brian Lust fires at insurgents probing U.S. and Iraqi army positions while on patrol in Ramadi, Iraq, June 6, 2006. Lust is a Navy combat diver attached to 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company deployed with I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward). DoD photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Samuel C. Peterson, U.S. Navy. (Released)

A U.S. Marine from Marine Wing Support Squadron 373 directs a CH-53 Super Stallion helicopter as it takes off after refueling at Landing Zone Bull in Yuma, Ariz., June 15, 2006, during exercise Desert Talon 2-06. The exercise is designed to prepare Marines for upcoming deployments. DoD photo by Lance Cpl. Kelly R. Chase, U.S. Marine Corps. (Released) A U.S. Marine from Marine Wing Support Squadron 373 directs a CH-53 Super Stallion helicopter as it takes off after refueling at Landing Zone Bull in Yuma, Ariz., June 15, 2006, during exercise Desert Talon 2-06. The exercise is designed to prepare Marines for upcoming deployments. DoD photo by Lance Cpl. Kelly R. Chase, U.S. Marine Corps. (Released)

U.S. Army Soldiers board a CH-47D Chinook helicopter near Bayji, Iraq, after completing a mission June 6, 2006. The Soldiers are with 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment. The helicopter is attached to 6th Battalion, 101st General Support Aviation Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade. DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Alfred Johnson, U.S. Army. (Released) U.S. Army Soldiers board a CH-47D Chinook helicopter near Bayji, Iraq, after completing a mission June 6, 2006. The Soldiers are with 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment. The helicopter is attached to 6th Battalion, 101st General Support Aviation Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade. DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Alfred Johnson, U.S. Army. (Released)

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Friday, June 16, 2006

The Daily Tension for Fri. 16 June

TENSION NEWSMAKERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney speaks during a Town Hall Meeting at her district offices in Decatur, Ga., Friday, June 2, 2006. A grand jury declined to indict McKinney in connection with a confrontation with a Capitol police officer. Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney speaks during a Town Hall Meeting at her district offices in Decatur, Ga., Friday, June 2, 2006. A grand jury declined to indict McKinney in connection with a confrontation with a Capitol police officer.

DC METRO
No charges against Rep. McKinney in scuffle with Capitol Police
(USA Today) -- A grand jury declined to indict Rep. Cynthia McKinney on Friday in connection with a confrontation in which she admitted hitting a police officer who tried to stop her from entering a House office building.

Grand Jury Declines to Indict McKinney
(ABC News) -- Grand Jury Declines to Indict Cynthia McKinney in Connection With Capitol Police Confrontation

HEALTH
Taking Pain to the MAT
DALLAS (nbc5i.com) -- A new treatment in muscle therapy is spelling relief for North Texans’ pain and tension. MAT--short for muscle activation technique is all about restoring people's range of motion.

FINANCIAL
Crude Prices Rise Ahead of Weekend
NEW YORK (AP) -- Crude oil prices rose for the third straight day ahead of the weekend, but lingering worries about weakening demand kept prices from closing above $70 a barrel.

EADS struggles with swirling controversy sparked by Airbus delays
PARIS (AFP) -- EADS is grappling with a burgeoning controversy at its aircraft unit Airbus that has exposed communications lapses and threatens to revive Franco-German friction at the heart of the European aerospace group.

NATIONAL
A Tribute To CBS News' Paul Douglas
(CBS News) -- CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips remembered Paul Douglas in a eulogy delivered at his funeral on June 12. Douglas, killed in Iraq on May 29, was remembered as someone with skill and savvy to spare.

CANADA
'I'm nobody's puppet,' Harper says
(cbc.ca) -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper has rejected suggestions that he's a "puppet" of George W. Bush because he supports the U.S. president's positions on some international matters.

IRAQ
House Rejects Timetable for Iraq Pullout
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House on Friday rejected a timetable for pulling U.S. forces out of Iraq after a ferociously partisan debate, forcing lawmakers in both parties to go on record on a major issue in re-election campaigns nationwide. A day after the Senate took the same position against troop...

Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii, left, shows his tied hands during a Capitol Hill news conference, Wednesday, June 14, 2006, to discuss the House Leadership's unwillingness to hold a full debate on Iraq war. Rep. Martin Meehan, D-Mass., is at right. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii, left, shows his tied hands during a Capitol Hill news conference, Wednesday, June 14, 2006, to discuss the House Leadership's unwillingness to hold a full debate on Iraq war. Rep. Martin Meehan, D-Mass., is at right.

House approves election-year Iraq resolution
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- In a vote charged with election-year politics, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a symbolic resolution on Friday that wrapped the Iraq conflict into the war on terrorism and rejected a deadline for U.S. troop withdrawal.

Papers Show 'Gloomy' State of Insurgency
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- A blueprint for trying to start a war between the United States and Iran was among a "huge treasure" of documents found in the hideout of terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Iraqi officials said Thursday. The document, purporting to reflect al-Qaida policy and its cooperation with groups loyal to ousted President Saddam Hussein, also appear to show that the insurgency in Iraq was weakening.

IRAN
Iran: Incentive Package a 'Step Forward'
SHANGHAI, China (AP) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Friday a U.S.-endorsed incentive package was a positive step toward resolving the standoff over Tehran's nuclear program. Ahmadinejad's remarks were the highest-level sign that Iran was preparing to negotiate over the package, which...

ILLEGAL ALIENS
IDs Stolen for Work a Growing Problem
DUBLIN, Calif. (AP) -- Audra Schmierer's Social Security number really gets around. It has been used by at least 81 people in 17 states, most of them probably illegal immigrants trying to get work.

MIDDLE EAST
Hamas, Fatah, Jockey in Gaza and West Bank
(NPR) -- Tension is mounting between Hamas and Fatah in the West Bank and Gaza. Palestinians fear there is no way to stop the slide toward civil war.

Palestinian Demonstrators Storm Parliament
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) -- Dozens of Palestinian civil servants stormed a parliamentary session on Wednesday to demand long-overdue salaries, attacking Hamas lawmakers and forcing the parliament speaker to flee the building.

AFRICA
Liberia: Info. Minister Shows Concern For Journalists
(AllAfrica.com) -- Information Minister Johnny McClain has appealed to the leadership of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) to help calm rising tension within the media in the wake of reports of attacks against journalists by state security personnel.

ASIA
Taiwanese investment in China seen at US$ 150 B
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) -- Despite political tension, Taiwan's cumulative investment in rival China has grown as high as US$ 150 billion, three times higher than previously estimated, the island's government said Friday.

Bashir release heightens tension between Australia and Indonesia
(Australian Broadcasting Corporation) -- ELEANOR HALL: As anger builds in Australia over the release from prison of Indonesian cleric, Abu Bakar Bashir, Prime Minister John Howard today described the relationship between Australia and Indonesia as "very difficult".

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Images: Combat Camera, Fri. 16 June

An F/A-18C Hornet aircraft assigned to the Sidewinders of Strike Fighter Squadron Eight Six launches from the flight deck of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) June 13, 2006, which is deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of the war on terror. DoD photo by Photographer's Mate Airman Marshall James, U.S. Navy. (Released) An F/A-18C Hornet aircraft assigned to the Sidewinders of Strike Fighter Squadron Eight Six launches from the flight deck of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) June 13, 2006, which is deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of the war on terror. DoD photo by Photographer's Mate Airman Marshall James, U.S. Navy. (Released)

U.S. Army Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 321st Field Artillery Regiment fire an M198 155mm Howitzer during a live-fire exercise at Contingency Operating Base Speicher in Iraq June 10, 2006. DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Alfred Johnson, U.S. Army. (Released) U.S. Army Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 321st Field Artillery Regiment fire an M198 155mm Howitzer during a live-fire exercise at Contingency Operating Base Speicher in Iraq June 10, 2006. DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Alfred Johnson, U.S. Army. (Released)

From left, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace; Jim Laychak, president of the Pentagon Memorial Fund; Rosemary Dillard, vice president of the Pentagon Memorial Fund; Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld and Pentagon Memorial concept designers Julie Beckman and Keith Kaseman unveil the memorial stone during a ground-breaking ceremony to mark the beginning of work on the Pentagon Memorial at the Pentagon June 15, 2006. The memorial will stand at the site where 184 lives were lost Sept. 11, 2001, and is scheduled to be completed in Sept. 2008. DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Gary Hilliard, U.S. Army (Released) From left, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace; Jim Laychak, president of the Pentagon Memorial Fund; Rosemary Dillard, vice president of the Pentagon Memorial Fund; Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld and Pentagon Memorial concept designers Julie Beckman and Keith Kaseman unveil the memorial stone during a ground-breaking ceremony to mark the beginning of work on the Pentagon Memorial at the Pentagon June 15, 2006. The memorial will stand at the site where 184 lives were lost Sept. 11, 2001, and is scheduled to be completed in Sept. 2008. DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Gary Hilliard, U.S. Army (Released)

Yuma Border Patrol Chief Ronald Colbore addresses the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Security Paul McHale and other government officials about Arizona/Mexico border security issues June 13, 2006, on Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz. DoD photo by Sgt. Jemssy Alvarez Jr., U.S. Marine Corps. (Released) Yuma Border Patrol Chief Ronald Colbore addresses the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Security Paul McHale and other government officials about Arizona/Mexico border security issues June 13, 2006, on Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz. DoD photo by Sgt. Jemssy Alvarez Jr., U.S. Marine Corps. (Released)

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Counterbalance: Thu. 15 June

THE BUZZ OUTSIDE THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA

Abu Musab al-ZarqawiCOMMENTLINES
On Iraq and the war on terror:
Rather than talk about the successes in the war on terror today, the mainstream media pounded home the fact that the number of U.S. military deaths in Iraq has reached 2,500.

To put this number in perspective, for all of 2005 there were about 2.9 million injury cases and 42,636 car accident deaths in the US, according to Car Accidents.com. That number is higher than the total combined Iraqi and Coalition casualties since the start of the invasion.

It should be easy to pick which is more noble: dying in voluntary service of your country, or dying while driving to the Lil' Champ for smokes and a beer ... although I'm sure some folks would argue the merit of the latter.

Many Democrats and liberals scoff at the idea of global war on terror; they would rather believe that America's foreign policies are to blame for provoking violence. Imported terrorism in Iraq and homegrown terrorism in places like Canada, Thailand and Somalia fly in the face of denial.

Instead of riding the momentum to crush the terrorists following the death of Zarqawi, Democrats and liberals alike continue to call for the administration to pull America forces from the battle in Iraq.

The Zarqawi intelligence has led to 452 raids across Iraq, and violence has suddenly dipped in Baghdad.

The Zarqawi Safe-House Document shows that everything the Democrats have said about the war on terror is wrong. No doubt some Dems will say the document is a forgery or use what it says to argue that the successes are further proof it is time to leave Iraq.

Many Democrats would rather blame Republicans for election year stunts when called upon to define their position; all the anti-war talk is on record.

Today, at least 40 bombs exploded in Thailand where the government has been battling a Muslim insurgency where more than 1,300 people have died since early 2004.

On illegal aliens:
I hope the protesting illegals are happy now; they wanted Americans to hear their voices: we received the message loud and clear.

When ICE agents arrest 2,179 illegals, who really needs to waste effort on any new legislation? There's proof the laws already on the books actually work.

Members of a team from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency attempt to gain entrance to an apartment building in search of a suspect during a sweep to capture illegal aliens with a criminal record in the Boston area, early Wednesday morning, June 14, 2006, in Everett, Mass. More than 2,100 illegal immigrants have been arrested since the nationwide raid began May 26. Members of a team from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency attempt to gain entrance to an apartment building in search of a suspect during a sweep to capture illegal aliens with a criminal record in the Boston area, early Wednesday morning, June 14, 2006, in Everett, Mass. More than 2,100 illegal immigrants have been arrested since the nationwide raid began May 26.

NEWSBYTES
IRAQ AND WAR ON TERROR

Text of al-Zarqawi Safe-House Document
Read more.

Post-al-Zarqawi Raids Kill 104 Insurgents
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- American and Iraqi forces have carried out 452 raids since last week's killing of terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and 104 insurgents were killed during those actions, the U.S. military said Thursday. Read more.

Violence Dips in Baghdad Amid Security Crackdown
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Government forces fanned out across Baghdad on Wednesday, setting up checkpoints, frisking motorists and causing huge traffic jams on the first day of the largest security operation in Iraq's capital since Saddam Hussein's ouster three years ago

Documents: Al-Qaida Sought U.S.-Iran War
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- A blueprint for trying to start a war between the United States and Iran was among a "huge treasure" of documents found in the hideout of terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Iraqi officials said Thursday.

Congress Launches Into New Iraq Debate
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House erupted in impassioned, election year debate over the Iraq war on Thursday, Republicans defending the conflict as key to winning the global struggle against terrorism while Democrats excoriated President Bush and his policies.

Series of bombings hit Thai south
(BBC) -- At least 40 bombs have exploded in the south of Thailand, killing at least two person and injuring many others.

Somalia Islamic militia target new town
MOGADISHU (Reuters) -- Islamic militia, who have seized control of the Somali capital and other key towns, advanced on the town of Baladwayne near Ethiopia in a bid to expand their authority, residents said. Read more from The Washington Post.

U.S., Afghan Forces Begin Large 'Thrust' Against Taliban Fighters
MUSA QALA, Afghanistan (AP) -- More than 10,000 Afghan and U.S.-led coalition forces began a massive anti-Taliban operation across southern Afghanistan on Thursday, while a bomb killed seven people riding a bus to a coalition base for work.

ILLEGAL ALIENS
ICE agents arrest 2,179 illegals
(washingtontimes.com) -- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have arrested 2,179 illegal aliens, including gang members and sexual predators, as part of a three-week nationwide interior immigration enforcement operation.

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Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Images: Combat Camera, Wed. 14 June 2006

USS IWO JIMA STRIKE GROUP DEPLOYS

U.S. Navy sailors man a .50-caliber gun mount as the amphibious transport dock USS Nashville, an element of the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group, departs Naval Station Norfolk, Va., June 6, 2006. The strike group will deploy for six months to conduct maritime security operations in support of the global war on terrorism. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Apprentice Matthew BookwalterU.S. Navy sailors man a .50-caliber gun mount as the amphibious transport dock USS Nashville, an element of the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group, departs Naval Station Norfolk, Va., June 6, 2006. The strike group will deploy for six months to conduct maritime security operations in support of the global war on terrorism. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Apprentice Matthew Bookwalter

U.S. Navy sailors man the rails as the amphibious transport dock USS Nashville, an element of the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group, departs Naval Station Norfolk, Va., June 6, 2006. The strike group will deploy for six months to conduct maritime security operations in support of the global war on terrorism. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Apprentice Matthew Bookwalter U.S. Navy sailors man the rails as the amphibious transport dock USS Nashville, an element of the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group, departs Naval Station Norfolk, Va., June 6, 2006. The strike group will deploy for six months to conduct maritime security operations in support of the global war on terrorism. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Apprentice Matthew Bookwalter

U.S. Navy sailors aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima man the rails as they depart from Naval Station Norfolk, Va., June 6, 2006. The Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group will deploy for six months to conduct maritime security operations in support of the global war on terrorism. U.S. Navy photo by Lithographer Shanika L. FutrellU.S. Navy sailors aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima man the rails as they depart from Naval Station Norfolk, Va., June 6, 2006. The Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group will deploy for six months to conduct maritime security operations in support of the global war on terrorism. U.S. Navy photo by Lithographer Shanika L. Futrell

Family and friends wave good-bye to U.S. Navy sailors aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima as it departs from Naval Station Norfolk, Va., June 6, 2006. The Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group will deploy for six months to conduct maritime security operations in support of the global war on terrorism. U.S. Navy photo by Airman Kenneth R. Hendrix Family and friends wave good-bye to U.S. Navy sailors aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima as it departs from Naval Station Norfolk, Va., June 6, 2006. The Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group will deploy for six months to conduct maritime security operations in support of the global war on terrorism. U.S. Navy photo by Airman Kenneth R. Hendrix

Families wave good-bye as U.S. Navy sailors aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima gets underway from Naval Station Norfolk, Va., June 6, 2006. The USS Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group will deploy for six months to conduct maritime security operations in support of the global war on terrorism. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Moises MedelFamilies wave good-bye as U.S. Navy sailors aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima gets underway from Naval Station Norfolk, Va., June 6, 2006. The USS Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group will deploy for six months to conduct maritime security operations in support of the global war on terrorism. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Moises Medel

Tug boats assist the amphibious transport dock USS Nashville, an element of the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group, as it departs Naval Station Norfolk, Va., June 6, 2006. The strike group will deploy for six months to conduct maritime security operations in support of the global war on terrorism. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Apprentice Matthew Bookwalter Tug boats assist the amphibious transport dock USS Nashville, an element of the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group, as it departs Naval Station Norfolk, Va., June 6, 2006. The strike group will deploy for six months to conduct maritime security operations in support of the global war on terrorism. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Apprentice Matthew Bookwalter

U.S. Navy sailors aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima man the rails as they depart from Naval Station Norfolk, Va., June 6, 2006. The Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group will deploy for six months to conduct maritime security operations in support of the global war on terrorism. U.S. Navy photo by Lithographer Shanika L. FutrellU.S. Navy sailors aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima man the rails as they depart from Naval Station Norfolk, Va., June 6, 2006. The Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group will deploy for six months to conduct maritime security operations in support of the global war on terrorism. U.S. Navy photo by Lithographer Shanika L. Futrell

More Combat Camera Imagery on THE TENSION

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Counterbalance: Wed. 14 June

THE BUZZ OUTSIDE THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA

America

COMMENTLINES
Readers of my blog, the ones who actually read my posts rather than just drive-by for the pictures, will notice that the blog has been gradually becoming more conservative.

And there’s a reason for that.

It’s because in order to have a voice, you have to take a position; I have taken a positive position.

If optimism is the canon of conservatism, then pessimism is the dogma of liberalism.

While it’s true, I was once a liberal, I tend to think of that kind of liberalism more as idealism. When I was younger, I was an idealist; my journalism degree was my field commission in the politics of liberalism.

So, what happened?

In simple terms, I grew weary of always seeing my glass half empty as opposed to half filled. In idealistic terms, I simply grew out of the limited frame of reference to which liberalism constricts the mind.

With that, and no good segue to offer, I want to share my observations about something interesting that happened today.

I often listen to Laura Ingram and Rush Limbaugh as I fritter away my otherwise preoccupied day.

Today, fresh from the Yearly Kos convention in Las Vegas, after attending seminars in the finer aspects of calling conservative talk radio, liberals phoned in to match wits with Laura and Rush.

The results were pretty bloody ... for the liberal callers, that is.

I don’t know what they charged folks to attend the Kos convention. Clearly the callers I heard today came away from their seminars shortchanged. When they phoned in, it was if the callers showed up at a gunfight armed with a bat. The results were quick, brutal and smartly decisive.

Hey caller folks, it’s like the ad says, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

In media and politics:
Today, Markos Moulitsas, writing in his blog, Daily Kos, summed the whole liberal attitude up quite sussinctly. In his post, It's all about me, we find the elitist cannot escape from the pessimistic elitism that has come to define the left.

On the environment:
Politicians aren’t scientists. That little fact, however, doesn’t keep politicians from trying to make scientific arguments about things they know verry little about.

NEWSBYTES

MEDIA AND POLITICS
It's all about me
by kos
(dailykos.com) -- So the bad side-effect of the YearlyKos convention is dealing with the media hordes who can't understand that this movement truly is leaderless. It doesn't fit any of their pre-existing biases and frames, so I have to be the "leader" of this "cult". Or something like that.

ENVIRONEMT/GLOBAL WARMING
Scientists respond to Gore's warnings of climate catastrophe
"The Inconvenient Truth" is indeed inconvenient to alarmists
By Tom Harris

(canadafreepress.com) -- "Scientists have an independent obligation to respect and present the truth as they see it," Al Gore sensibly asserts in his film "An Inconvenient Truth", showing at Cumberland 4 Cinemas in Toronto since Jun 2. With that outlook in mind, what do world climate experts actually think about the science of his movie?

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Happy Flag Day

OLD GLORY

This 2006 photograph provided by the State of Tennessee shows the flag known as Old Glory. More than 140 years after the flag became a legend when it was flown to celebrate the capture of Nashville from Confederate forces in 1862, Old Glory will spend Flag Day resting safely under glass at the Tennessee State Museum. (Photo/State of Tennessee) This 2006 photograph provided by the State of Tennessee shows the flag known as Old Glory. More than 140 years after the flag became a legend when it was flown to celebrate the capture of Nashville from Confederate forces in 1862, Old Glory will spend Flag Day resting safely under glass at the Tennessee State Museum.

The Pledge of Allegiance

I pledge allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America,
and to the Republic for which it stands,
one Nation under God, indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all.

NEWSBYTES
The History Of Flag Day
(usflag.org) -- The Fourth of July was traditionally celebrated as America's birthday, but the idea of an annual day specifically celebrating the Flag is believed to have first originated in 1885. BJ Cigrand, a schoolteacher, arranged for the pupils in the Fredonia, Wisconsin Public School, District 6, to observe June 14 (the 108th anniversary of the official adoption of The Stars and Stripes) as 'Flag Birthday'. In numerous magazines and newspaper articles and public addresses over the following years, Cigrand continued to enthusiastically advocate the observance of June 14 as 'Flag Birthday', or 'Flag Day'.

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Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Images: Combat Camera, Tue. 13 June

BOMB WORKSHOP RAID

An assault team from B Company, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, prepare to enter a possible suicide vehicle bomb workshop in Fallujah, Iraq, May 28, 2006. The Marines are searching the vacant garage after receiving intelligence that the owner might be supporting insurgents that will harm Coalition forces and innocent civilians. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Brain ReimersAn assault team from B Company, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, prepare to enter a possible suicide vehicle bomb workshop in Fallujah, Iraq, May 28, 2006. The Marines are searching the vacant garage after receiving intelligence that the owner might be supporting insurgents that will harm Coalition forces and innocent civilians. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Brain Reimers

An assault team from B Company, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, prepare to enter a possible suicide vehicle bomb workshop in Fallujah, Iraq, May 28, 2006. The Marines are searching the vacant garage after receiving intelligence that the owner might be supporting insurgents that will harm Coalition forces and innocent civilians. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Brain ReimersAn assault team from B Company, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, prepare to enter a possible suicide vehicle bomb workshop in Fallujah, Iraq, May 28, 2006. The Marines are searching the vacant garage after receiving intelligence that the owner might be supporting insurgents that will harm Coalition forces and innocent civilians. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Brain Reimers

Marines from B Company, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, search a possible suicide vehicle bomb workshop in Fallujah, Iraq, May 28, 2006. The Marines are searching the vacant garage after receiving intelligence that the owner might be supporting insurgents that will harm Coalition forces and innocent civilians. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Brain ReimersMarines from B Company, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, search a possible suicide vehicle bomb workshop in Fallujah, Iraq, May 28, 2006. The Marines are searching the vacant garage after receiving intelligence that the owner might be supporting insurgents that will harm Coalition forces and innocent civilians. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Brain Reimers

Marines from B Company, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, gather evidence in a possible suicide vehicle bomb workshop in Fallujah, Iraq, May 28, 2006. The Marines are searching the vacant garage in central Fallujah after receiving intelligence that the owner might be supporting insurgents. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Brain ReimersMarines from B Company, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, gather evidence in a possible suicide vehicle bomb workshop in Fallujah, Iraq, May 28, 2006. The Marines are searching the vacant garage in central Fallujah after receiving intelligence that the owner might be supporting insurgents. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Brain Reimers

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Stephen C. Zusman and Sgt. Brendan W, Hamm, B Company, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, gather evidence in a possible suicide vehicle bomb workshop in Fallujah, Iraq, May 28, 2006. The Marines are searching the vacant garage after receiving intelligence that the owner might be supporting insurgents that will harm Coalition forces and innocent civilians. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Brain ReimersU.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Stephen C. Zusman and Sgt. Brendan W, Hamm, B Company, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, gather evidence in a possible suicide vehicle bomb workshop in Fallujah, Iraq, May 28, 2006. The Marines are searching the vacant garage after receiving intelligence that the owner might be supporting insurgents that will harm Coalition forces and innocent civilians. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Brain Reimers

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Counterbalance: Tue. 13 June

THE BUZZ OUTSIDE THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA

A protestor holds a sign outside the New Hampshire Republican Party's annual dinner where U.S. President George W. Bush's senior adviser and White House deputy chief of staff Karl Rove is speaking in Manchester, New Hampshire, June 12, 2006. A protestor holds a sign outside the New Hampshire Republican Party's annual dinner where U.S. President George W. Bush's senior adviser and White House deputy chief of staff Karl Rove is speaking in Manchester, New Hampshire, June 12, 2006.

COMMENTLINES

In media and politics:
When it comes to the 2006 Yearly Kos convention in Las Vegas, for the bloggers attending, perhaps it is best to hope what happens in Vegas truly stays in Vegas. Who really cares what those socially maladjusted folks post to their blogs while they sit around in their dirty underwear.

On the White House:
Howard Dean, Sen. Harry Reid, and the others who presumed Karl Rove was guilty in Plamegate, should themselves, in the words former ambassador Joseph Wilson, whose wife, Valerie Plame Wilson, was the CIA employee at the center of the affair, be frog-marched out in front of the American people and made to apologize. The Washington Post, being one of the media sources who reported that Fitzgerald had obtained a secret indictment against Rove made mention of their mistake in the last line of their report today -- no apology offered.

A sampling of liberal Web sites by NewsMax shortly after the Rove news was announced Tuesday morning featured reaction ranging from disbelief to denial to the desperate hope that Rove has turned states' evidence against Vice President Dick Cheney. "How could this snake slither away from an indictment?" complained one visitor to the Huffington Post Web site - where bloggers had confidently predicted that Fitzgerald's probe would yield up to 23 White House indictments.

Over at the Daily Kos, reaction was even more harsh:
"This is appalling, and any D.C. jury, and many Main Street USA juries, would find them guilty . . . It really, really is a bad precedent to allow a criminal to have free rein in the White House."

On the environment:
Stephen Hawking, a man I admire and respect, joins ranks with the global warming crisis mongers in order to support future space exploration.

Hawking, a world-renowned astrophysicist, lends a much needed scientific voice often lacking in the self-centered global warming argument. Perhaps the best way to look at global warming is to remember that Earth historically has had many periods of global warming followed by periods of global cooling.

Please allow me to digress and give a recent example. From the 10th to the 14th century, the planet experienced what is known as the Medieval Warm Period or Medieval Climate Optimum. This period of global warming ushered in The Middle Ages, a time of human migration and reinvention ... all helped along by the unusually warm climate.

The most recent example of global cooling is the Little Ice Age, which followed the Medieval Warm Period and lasted approximately from the 14th to the mid-19th centuries.

Here's a global warming example: we probably call the world's largest island Greenland because when Eric the Red settled there around the year 1000, the southern part of the island was lush and had a warmer climate.

The best part of all this gloom and doom is man has so far survived all the cycles of warming and cooling (Note to crisis mongers: If humanity hadn't survived we wouldn't be here now. Note to mainstream media: The dinosaurs all died out.). In short, enjoy the warmth while you can. It's the cold snap at the end that's the killer.

MEDIA AND POLITICS
Kossacks in the Desert
By Shawn Macomber
LAS VEGAS, Nevada (spectator.org) -- As I listened to a group of twenty or so Kossacks (slang for devotees of the Daily Kos website) argue over the three "L"s of the Bush presidency, eventually determined to be "Liar," "Louse" and "Lawbreaker in Chief" -- the third "L" was tough to tease out, but the committee persevered -- at this weekend's much-heralded Yearly Kos convention, I could hear Mr. Valerie Plame's voice interrupted intermittently by raucous applause at a panel discussion of the CIA leak investigation in the next room.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove listens to questions after his speech on economic policy at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington May 15, 2006. Rove said on Monday worries about the Iraq war had contributed to a sour public mood but Republicans would fare 'just fine' in November's congressional elections.White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove listens to questions after his speech on economic policy at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington May 15, 2006. Rove said on Monday worries about the Iraq war had contributed to a sour public mood but Republicans would fare 'just fine' in November's congressional elections.

THE WHITE HOUSE
Rove Won't Be Charged in CIA Leak Case
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Top White House aide Karl Rove has been told by prosecutors he won't be charged with any crimes in the investigation into the leak of a CIA officer's identity, his lawyer said Tuesday, lifting a heavy burden from one of President Bush's most trusted advisers. Also see.

'Fitzmas in July' Canceled, Dems Distraught
(NewsMax) -- Democrats are distraught over reports that Leakgate Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has decided not to indict senior White House advisor Karl Rove.

The space shuttle Discovery is rolled to launch pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida May 19, 2006. NASA approved a major design change in the space shuttle's fuel tank on Wednesday, clearing the last major hurdle before shuttle flights can resume as early as July 1, officials said.The space shuttle Discovery is rolled to launch pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida May 19, 2006. NASA approved a major design change in the space shuttle's fuel tank on Wednesday, clearing the last major hurdle before shuttle flights can resume as early as July 1, officials said.

ENVIRONMENT
Hawking Says Space Colonies Needed
HONG KONG (AP) -- The survival of the human race depends on its ability to find new homes elsewhere in the universe because there's an increasing risk that a disaster will destroy the Earth, world-renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking said Tuesday.

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Images: Alberto, Tue. 13 June