Late Final: November 2003 Archives

Late Final

Hell Readies 46 New Uniforms

U.S. troops have wiped out 46 members of Saddam Fedayeen, the raping, torturing, murdering band of thugs that terrorized Iraqi citizens on behalf of Saddam Hussein.

For a glimpse at what these guys have been about, you can read a compilation of details about some of their more brutal atrocities here.

By Ed Moltzen · 30 November 2003

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Memo To Lizzie Grubman

Could you find a photo for your web site that makes Aretha Franklin look fatter?

By Ed Moltzen · 30 November 2003

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Execution Watch: Three In One Week

Texas will execute two men this week, and North Carolina another, in one of the busiest weeks for the death penalty this year.

On Wednesday, Richard Duncan, right, is put to death in Texas. Duncan, 61, will die as punishment for his murder in 1987 of John Abner High, 71, and Ruth Brown High, 73, the parents of his homosexual lover. According to Texas:

Mr. High was beaten on the head with a blunt instrument and his wife somethered. Duncan killed the couple in the hope of getting half their $500,000 estate from their son. After killing the couple, Duncan turned on a portable cooker in the house in an attempt to cause an explosion. The case remained unsolved until a witness came forward after seven years."

A day after Duncan is executed, Texas will execute Ivan Murphy Jr., left. Murphy, 38, was sentenced to die after he was convicted of killing 80-year old Lula Mae Denning in Denison, Texas, in 1989. According to the state:

Denning was beaten to death inside her home ...by Murphy and an accomplice. Jewelry, including a wedding ring vaolued at $7,000, was taken from the home. Murphy's prints were found in the home.

And on Friday, North Carolina will execute Robbie Lyons, 31, in connection with his 1993 first-degree murder conviction. A jury convicted him in the slaying of Stephen Stafford in 1993.

Lyons will be the seventh inmate executed in North Carolina this year, after Gov. Mike Easley lifted a moratorium on the death penalty.

By Ed Moltzen · 30 November 2003

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Dean's Secret Files

Newsweek this week writes about Howard Dean's secret gubernatorial records in Vermont, and efforts Dean took to keep them secret. According to Newsweek's pre-issue news release:

Late last year, Newsweek has learned, Dean's chief counsel sent a directive to all state agencies ordering them to cull their files and remove all correspondence that bore Dean's name -- and ship them to the governor's office to be reviewed for "privilege" claims. This removed a "significant number of records" from state files, said Michael McShane, an assistant Vermont attorney general.

It's Vermont. Any potential records from his term there would likely be a lot less damaging than the nagging story about the effort taken to shush them.

By Ed Moltzen · 30 November 2003

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NY Times Correction Du Jour

Rule Number 1 of newspapering: Do not piss off the puzzle players:

The diagramless puzzle in The Times Magazine last Sunday provided an erroneous clue for 21 Down, seeking the answer "Colin." Colin Powell is secretary of state, not defense.

By Ed Moltzen · 30 November 2003

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Score Another One For The Good Guys

Scotland Yard swoop on British Al Qaeda gang
LONDON,NOVEMBER 29: In A dramatic swoop, the anti-terrorist squad of Scotland Yard has arrested a 24-year-old Al Qaeda man in Gloucester. The suspect is said to be of Pakistani origin...

In a statement, Scotland Yard said: ï¿½ï¿½Searches at the address in Gloucester are ongoing. Buildings in the vicinity have been evacuated due to suspicions that explosives may be there. Anti-terrorist officers are working with Lancashire Constabulary who are also searching two addresses in Blackburn.ï¿½ï¿½ Scotland Yard would not comment on reports that the suspect was planning a suicide attack on a football ground. A ï¿½ï¿½small amountï¿½ï¿½ of explosives was found, which was removed and is being examined, a Scotland Yard spokesman said.

Every al Qaeda take-down, regardless of how large or small, is a coup in and of itself. From here, authorities can back-track the suspect's movements and link him to other bad guys, and, eventually, put them out of commission as well.

By Ed Moltzen · 29 November 2003

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48 Hours

That's how long it's taken for the left to re-write President Bush's Thanksgiving Day visit to the troops and turn it into what they say is another example of how he's failed miserably. This, from The Daily Kos:

Those dead Spanish soldiers also had questions about their security, but couldn't dash out two hours after arriving in country.

Here's the order of progression:

First, the far, far left begins to attack President Bush's actions and motives, pretty much within moments.

Then, within a day or so, other liberals use more conventional forums to begin airing the same snarky, caustic complaints.

Another half-day or day later, better-known liberal commentators (i.e. The Daily Kos) pick up the ball, and endorse the snippy, mean-spirited and bitter criticisms of the president.

By Monday or Tuesday, the Democratic Party will trot out folks like Ann Lewis, Jesse Jackson, etc., to repeat the talking points on the cable news programs.

By Wednesday or Thursday, people like Sen. Ted Kennedy will take to the floor of the Senate and make bombastic speeches - all saying exactly the same thing we thought only the far, left fringe of the anti-war, anti-Bush movement were capable of saying. By next weekend, the criticisms will become a staple of Democratic presidential candidates' stump speeches.

By Ed Moltzen · 29 November 2003

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Is This Good Or Bad?

Al Roker is blogging.

UPDATE: It's probably good. He's a mensch, talks about his family, quotes Homer Simpson and his blog even has typos!

By Ed Moltzen · 29 November 2003

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A Tale Of Two Black Fridays

Josh Marshall is confused by two seemingly at-odds reports about the pace of post-Thanksgiving sales yesterday, as CNN reported what seems to be a stellar retail performance but CNN Business was a titch more downcast.

Marshall suggests it's a "disconnect."

Whatever. Wal-Mart says yesterday it sure did manage to "connect" with consumers:

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. reported record single-day sales for Friday, November 28, 2003, of more than $1.52 billion at the company's domestic Wal-Mart stores, Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets. This compares to the $1.43 billion recorded for the similar post Thanksgiving Day in 2002.
Top-selling categories were home electronics, small appliances and toys.

By Ed Moltzen · 29 November 2003

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NY Times Correction Du Jour

Because of an editing error, an article in Business Day on Tuesday about a request by prosecutors in the fraud trial of L. Dennis Kozlowski, the former chief executive of Tyco International, to show a jurors a video of his New York apartment referred incorrectly to the assistant district attorney who made the request. The attorney, Consuelo Fernandez, is a woman.

By Ed Moltzen · 29 November 2003

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"I Bought A Map Of Neverland Ranch...

Sounds like a setup to a good joke. Actually, someone is online at eBay, auctioning a map to Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch:

Get a piece of Michael. Up for auction is Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch Map. This is the real deal. I went to Michael Jackson's latest birthday party and managed to grab a couple. Keep a memory of Michael's Ranch. Great collectable for Michael Jackson fans. Good luck and happy bidding. Bid with confidents! ALL of my FEEDBACKS are POSITIVE!I accept paypal or cashiers check and money order. Buyer pays a fixed amount of shipping of $5.00 in the U.S. and $7.00 anywhere else.

Um, it's a tough to get beyond the opening line, "Get a piece of Michael." Sorry.

By Ed Moltzen · 29 November 2003

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How To Get A Lot Of Hits On Your Web Site

By Ed Moltzen · 28 November 2003

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Bush's Visit To Iraq: Democrats Respond

From The Official Blog of the Democratic Party, on President Bush's surprise visit to Iraq to meet with the troops for Thanksgiving:

I really like the bumper sticker that says "Frank Burns is our President!"
Apparently the Bush visit to Iraq was a test of this administrations "Deception skills". I thought those skills were already well honed; he should be working on his honesty skills!

And then there's this:

BTW - Bush's Big Iraq visit - included ONE dinner for 600 soldiers, which he spent a total of 2 hours in Iraq for, and then left Iraq again.
Big whoopdy - doo. You can bet there will be lots and lots of pictures of this spread around by the good ole boys.

And this:

The other thing was that Hillary was in general area, and intended to visit Iraq tomorrow; this was meant to one-up the former First Lady and Senator.

And this:

President Bush has been airlifted into Baghdad to give an uplifting speech to 600 servicemen, telling them that the U.S. will not be pushed out of Iraq by thugs.
An interesting use of U.S. airpower (and another interesting made-for-TV/re-election spot).

And this:

Bush is such a brave man. He had to sneak into Iraq. Very impressive. Never left the airport. Then he high-tailed it out of there. Mission accomplished.
Let's get this coward, unelected fraud, faux cowboy out of office.

And this:

Bubble boy bush is so insulated that there is absolutely no chance of him being shot down or anything else. No! No! No! I would never want any President shot down or killed by anyone, first whether I like him or not he has the title President, second I would hate for him to become a martyr and that is exactly what would happen by the gopers and far right, third I want to see him defeated period.
His photo op in Iraq is nothing more than that a photo op, he is slipping in the polls and the repugs watch that closer than the Holy Bible, and he needs some sort of good news as his trip to the UK was a grand flop those Brits are more savy than the average American sad to say, they see through to the small minded little cowardly weasel he is.

And this:

As for the President visiting Iraq, it was grant standing pure and simple. He found out the vets were finding out about him deserting and up in arms.
And no we wouldn't want him announcing that he was visiting, don't think we're stupid because we're liberal.

And this:

I heard part of Bush's speech to the troops, all 600 of them, last night. I sweat to God it sounded like he said "…we are still killing Iraqi Civilians. We are not going home until the job is done." I swear it sounded like he said that killing Iraqi Civilians was the job. I know he didn't say that (even if he thought it), but that is what it sounded like.
I applaud Hillary for going to Afghanistan, since the misAdministration seems to have forgotten about it. THAT is where 9-11 came from, and the job isn't done. Nice to know that he can get the good press, then bail out.

By Ed Moltzen · 28 November 2003

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NY Times Correction Du Jour

From the "Other-than-that-everything-was-fine" department:

A film review yesterday about "In America" misstated the given name of the actress who plays Christy. As shown in the credit listing and in a picture caption, she is Sarah Bolger, not Elizabeth. In summarizing the plot, the review reversed details about Christy and her sister, Ariel (played by Ms. Bolger's real sister, Emma). Ariel is the chirpy sister; Christy is the watchful, reserved one. And it is Christy, not Ariel, who composes a child's diary with her video camera.

Doesn't the phrase "film review connote you have to sort of see the film?

By Ed Moltzen · 27 November 2003

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A Very Nixon Thanksgiving

A number of good blogs and columns have had many poignant or fun things to say going into Thanksgiving.

Nothing like that here.

However, instead, here are some words that then-President Nixon offered to America and the troops in 1971, as the Vietnam war was continuing to drag on:

THANKSGIVING is a time of summing up in America - a time to count our blessings, a time to express both as one people and as individuals our thanks for those blessings.
All Americans can be grateful for what they have received - for the rich bounty of a free nation. But some Americans can also be thankful for the knowledge that they have given - that they have contributed to the sum of this Nation's blessings.

None have contributed more to American than our servicemen. All of us have enjoyed freedom, but you have stood ready to fight for it - you have protected it. And so, in this special time when we give thanks to God, we give thanks to you as well for helping to preserve what God has given us.

Mrs. Nixon and I extend our warmest wishes to each of you on this Thanksgiving day and throughout the year.

Note: The message was released at San Clemente, Calif.

Not historic, or particularly poignant, but to the point.

By Ed Moltzen · 26 November 2003

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Gaffe Alert

Rep. Dick Gephardt, who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination, must have seen rival Sen. John Kerry's appearance on "The Tonight Show." He must have seen Kerry brutally mocked by Triumph, the insult dog. He must have seen Kerry lose significant amounts of dignity.

And he must have looked in the mirror and said, "Hey. That should be me."

Gephardt's camp just emailed this to his supporters:

Gephardt to Appear on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno"
Rep. Gephardt will appear on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on Tuesday, December 2, 2003. Other scheduled guests include actress Naomi Watts and singer Phil Collins.

Make sure to tune in to NBC at 11:35/10:35pm on December 2nd!

Um, if we're awake. It's a school night.

By Ed Moltzen · 26 November 2003

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Copies So Real, You Couldn't Tell The Difference (Almost)

art con.bmp
This is Brian Ramnarine of Rego Park, Queens. He's a gifted craftsman who was commissioned to copy expensive works of sculpture by the original artists. The artists liked his work. Ramnarine liked his work, too. So he made a few extra copies of the expensive originals.

He then found some unwitting dupes, told them the copies were actually the originals, and sold them for a total of $100,000.

The dupes caught on, and called the cops. The cops hauled him in. He fessed up.

Today, a Queens judge told Ramnarine to pay his victims back, and then told him he had to serve five years probation, according to Queens prosecutors.

It's not the first time Ramnarine has wound up in a sticky dispute. He had some of his legitimate artwork auctioned off already, to pay off a $60,000 judgment by one art collector in 2001, according to artnet.

By Ed Moltzen · 26 November 2003

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It's Only Blog & Roll, But I Like It

From the BNL (Barenaked Ladies) Blog:

Hello Seattle. Weï¿½re right smack in the middle of a dreaded 7 days straight of work. I know what youï¿½re thinkingï¿½ poor baby, seven days straight of work. Trust me though, flights, bus sleeps, 3 hour shows, press, sound checks, shit foodï¿½ it all ads up. 3 to go before some rest post Portland. We played as guests on the Commies last night. Itï¿½s Comedy Centralï¿½s Award show, and was hosted by Andy Richter (The worlds most underrated funny manï¿½ and all around nice guy).
The show however was about one third of Santaï¿½s jolly chuckle. We played to a sea of seat fillers, while celebrity funny people combed the green room for free gifts. The two highlights were Rodney Dangerfieldï¿½s old school stand up, and Colin Quinn actually getting really upset over Triumph the insult dog making fun of him. Triumph said Quinnï¿½s show sucked so hard that the sides of his TV caved in. A very funny line, if youï¿½re not the person with the shitty showï¿½

No longer do we have to wait for the VH1 "After the Music" specials. We can now get the day-by-day thoughts of our rock stars via blog.

The more enlightened artists could very well all start blogging as a natural way of connecting with their fans in between tours, albums, and, well, crappy cable TV awards shows. (Although Barenaked Ladies haven't gotten the "permalink" thing down yet.)

Snoop Dogg in a blog item in September, wrote about a fellow rapper and noted:

Bad timing for Source Magazine. Just as they are claiming that 50 Cent's gansta image is basically a fraud, he gets shot at in New Jersey.

Yesterday, he wrote about the honor of having a video game character based on him. Cool stuff.

Keeping with the theme of entertainer blogs, we find comic Margaret Cho's journal. She sounds off on, what else?

How we loved Michael Jackson. We played that record more than it was reasonable, just taking the needle and putting it right back to the beginning. "Off the Wall" was a favorite and of course "Thriller." He sang with the tenderness that a young girl needs to get by in the world.
He sang the way that makes the little girls no longer afraid of men, or bad experiences with boys playing doctor in the woods by the old train tracks, the uncles who touched us when we were not yet women, and were not to be touched as if we were. Michael Jackson eased the relations between the sexes, and the inappropriate actions of adults against children at the very sound of his voice. If the allegations against Michael Jackson are true, irony is the true lord and master of all that is.

Yes, award-winning comics can have heavy thoughts.

Jeff Jarvis discusses the potential for the New York Times to start blogging, and the inevitability, perhaps, of the paper adopting the medium in an official way. "Once The Times blogs, everyone will," he writes.

The Barenaked Ladies and Snoop Dogg have started blogging. Maybe The Times will be the last one into the pool.

By Ed Moltzen · 26 November 2003

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Dick Gregory: Helping Both Ends Of The Weight Spectrum

Years ago, Dick Gregory helped Walter Hudson slim down from 1,400 pounds to 500 pounds in a matter of weeks. On a liquid diet, Hudson lost the equivalent of almost eight Michael Jacksons.

Now, speaking of Michael Jackson and Dick Gregory, we have this announcement just coming over the transom:

Internationally renowned activist, lecturer, and author, Dick Gregory, will begin a 40 day fast and an appeal to friends and fans around the world join in prayer every day at noon for the truth to come out in the Michael Jackson's case.

Gregory, who has known Jackson for many years said, "He's a good man, an I feel he's an innocent man who has been the target of a conspiracy to destroy his career for a long time.

"In my opinion there are people who have a financial interest in bringing Michael down," Gregory said, "and they seem to come out every time Michael has a major album to release."

Given that this is the first, major allegation in ten years, that's not exactly a ringing endorsement of Jackson's recording career.

Gregory doesn't detail whether it will be a total fast, a partial fast or a liquid diet fast. He also doesn't give his weight, although you'd have to guess it's somewhere in the middle of the Hudson-Jackson spectrum.

By Ed Moltzen · 26 November 2003

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Ad Watch: Wesley Clark

Retired Gen. Wesley Clark, running for the Democratic presidential nomination, will be running a new campaign ad in New Hampshire. Against a backdrop of black-and-white Vietnam battlefield photos, a deep-but-soft-voiced announcer opens by saying the following:

"The first bullet shattered his hand. The second and third hit his shoulder and leg. As he hit the jungle floor, he rallied the troops and directed the firefight. He remained with his unit until the battle was over. Now, when we need a leader to clean up the mess in Iraq, he's the one who has done it. In the Balkans, he helped negotiate a peace between bitter enemies and led a multinational force that stopped a campaign of terror, liberated a people and brought peace without the loss of a single American soldier..."

The rest of the spot shows more black-and-white photos of Clark meeting the people, with the announcer saying the candidate is the one to lead the country back to a strong economy, etc.

The commercial is sure to irritate Massachussets Sen. John Kerry, another presidential candidate who, by the way, served in Vietnam. It will also likely irritate Democratic frontrunner Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor, not so much because it highlights a war in which Dean did not serve, but because it's just a good, riveting TV commercial.

clark ad.bmp

Also noteworthy: Clark doesn't mention President Bush by name, nor criticize the president except in the reference to "the mess in Iraq." Perhaps with the president's approval ratings bottoming out at between 50 and 56 percent, despite a year of around-the-clock, no-holds-barred negative attacks, Democrats have realized they need to have a message beyond, "Not Bush."

Clark responds, in a significant move for his campaign.

By Ed Moltzen · 26 November 2003

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"The Passion" And Billy Graham

Evangelist Billy Graham took in a screening of Mel Gibson's "The Passion", and today has this to say (link not available):

"I have often wondered what it must have been like to be a bystander during those last hours before Jesus' death," Mr. Graham said. "After watching 'The Passion of the Christ,' I feel as if I have actually been there. I was moved to tears. I doubt if there has ever been a more graphic and moving presentation of Jesus' death and resurrection - which Christians believe are the most important events in human history.
"The film is faithful to the Bible's teaching that we are all responsible for Jesus' death, because we have all sinned," Mr. Graham continued. "It is our sins that caused His death, not any particular group. No one who views this film's compelling imagery will ever be the same."

It's hard to remember a film that's gotten anywhere near the buildup "The Passion" is getting, or the public response of people who have actually seen it - positive and negative. Expect the din to grow only louder until it's released to theaters next year.

By Ed Moltzen · 26 November 2003

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Barbra Sings Graydon Carter

Al Sharpton supporter Barbra Streisand has posted an item on her web site today, in which she credits Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter with writing "an amazing editorial" listing what they both describe as President Bush's "dubious" achievements.

Streisand, who starred in "Yentl" and recorded a duet with Don Johnson, then quotes numerous snippets of Carter's piece in the most current issue of VF.

She could have really educated her readers by first reading, and then linking to, Donald Luskin, who has pointed out a number of pesky little mistakes with Carter's piece.

By Ed Moltzen · 25 November 2003

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Oh Good

This just in:

Mark Geragos to Address the Media at 2:15 p.m. (PST) Today in Los Angeles
WHEN: November 25, 2003 - 2:15PM PST / 5:15PM EST

WHERE: Outside the office building of Geragos & Geragos

WHAT: Mark Geragos, Michael Jackson's attorney, will give a brief
statement to the media outside ...the entrance of his
office building.

Hopefully this will obviate the need for an appearance on Larry King.

UPDATE: Mark Geragos just announced that Michael Jackson is now threatening to sue the entire world. He then spontaneously combusted.

By Ed Moltzen · 25 November 2003

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Bad News Watch: Turkey

The British are saying there is a good chance of more terror attacks in Turkey:

The Foreign Office has renewed its travel advice for Turkey, warning that further attacks may be imminent in Istanbul and Ankara.
The warning follows the attacks on the British Consulate General and HSBC Headquarters in Istanbul on 20 November. The Foreign Office continues to advise against all but the most essential travel to Istanbul and other major cities.

British people are urged to be vigilant in all parts of the country, especially in the vicinity of potential terrorist targets.

The last time the British government issued a warning of this nature, there were bombings in Saudi Arabia within days.

By Ed Moltzen · 25 November 2003

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The Mass Graves

Pictures of Saddam Hussein's mass graves are starting to emerge, as shown here (via Note-It-Posts.)

The next time someone quibbles with President Bush's word choice during a speech, or a contract or sub-contract out of the Defense Department, or hoists an oh-so-clever sign calling Bush a terrorist, or cavalierly refers to the people leading our war against genocidal maniacs as "the Bush regime," they should be forced to look at these photos.

By Ed Moltzen · 25 November 2003

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They Get Letters

Don't like something you hear on the radio? Make an indecency complaint to the FCC. Apparently, everybody else is, according to this message thread on the New York Radio Message Board.

Now, in a "Law And You" Moment, here is the FCC's guidebook on "Obscene and Indecent Broadcasts."

If you want to file a complaint, just know there are probably going to be about 20,000 complaint letters in the hopper ahead of you so it might take a while. On the other hand, it takes about a half-second to switch the dial.

Just sayin', is all...

By Ed Moltzen · 25 November 2003

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New York Times Correction Du Jour

"I was told there would be no math..."

A Congressional Memo article on Saturday about a frenzy of last-minute legislative activity misstated the number of votes needed in the Senate to cut off a filibuster. It is 60 — that is, three-fifths of the Senate, not two-thirds.

By Ed Moltzen · 25 November 2003

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Gallup Watch: Looking At 2004

Gallup is out with its first real look at voter attitudes heading into next year's election:

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- With about a year until the 2004 presidential and congressional elections,

Stop, stop, stop. That's just it. There's a year to go between now and Election Day. It's fun to look at polling numbers, but there's a lot of time remaining. Ok, continue:

the latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup survey finds voters about evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans in party affiliation and electoral choices for 2004. While President George W. Bush currently leads all of the major Democratic candidates running for president when he is pitted against them one by one, only 44% of voters say they expect to vote for his re-election, while 43% expect to vote against him -- probably a better indicator of voter sentiment at a time when the Democratic candidates are not well known.

The problem with these polls is - while they are good indicators of general national sentiment, they don't say a thing about the electoral math. Remember the electoral math? That pesky "technicality" of the U.S. Constitution that forces presidential candidates to win the most votes in a state, to get that state's electors? This poll says nothing about the current electoral math.

Since 2000, the electoral map hasn't really changed. However, what has changed - though it's not reflected in this poll - is that President Bush, a Republican, is within spitting distance of taking New York and California. Democrats can't afford to lose either state.

New York and California are so close, and will be contested next year, that Democrats will have to spend time and resources just to keep those two states in their corral - time and resources they didn't have to spend in 2000, 1996 or 1992.

So, in the meantime, these polls are interesting, (Howard Dean is tied nationally among Democrats with Wesley Clark, and hasn't really run away from the pack yet) the real poll will look at the Electoral College Map and which states are leaning blue, and which states are leaning red.

By Ed Moltzen · 25 November 2003

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Two Of The Bad Guys Go Up The River

A federal judge has given 18 years in prison to Jeffrey Battle and Patrice Lumumba Ford, who were part of a U.S.-based al Qaeda cell that tried to leave the U.S. and take arms with the Taliban against American service men and women.

According to the Justice Department:

In their guilty pleas, Battle and Ford admitted that following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks by al Qaeda, they met at various times in the Portland area with others to plan for travel to fight in Afghanistan against the armed forces of the United States.
Ford also admitted that after the September 11th attacks, he purchased a shotgun and then conducted weapons training on two occasions at a gravel pit in Washougal, Washington, with other co-defendants. Battle and Ford admitted that they and several other defendants flew to China in an unsuccessful attempt to gain entry into Pakistan, en route to Afghanistan.

While a number of people who oppose the Patriot Act have had trouble coming up with a single, solitary instance of a law-abiding citizen who has had their rights violated as a result of the law, Battle is actually an example of how the Patriot Act saves lives and hurts terrorists.

In testimony to Congress earlier this year, Attorney General John Ashcroft revealed that wiretaps caught Battle, on tape, explaining why the Portland cell of al Qaeda had trouble getting its act together. According to Ashcroft, Battle was caught saying:

``Everybody's scared to give up any money to help us. You know what I'm saying? Because that law that Bush wrote about, you know, supporting terrorism, whatever, the whole thing...Everybody's scared...He made a law that says for instance I left out of the country and I fought, right, but I wasn't able to afford a ticket but you bought my plane ticket, you gave me the money to do it...By me going and me fighting and doing that they can, by this new law, they can come and take you and put you in jail.

And, as Battle found out, they sure can.

By Ed Moltzen · 24 November 2003

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Case Solved

On June 9, a 13-year old boy walked into his Cambria Heights, Queens house shortly after noon, looking for lunch.

Instead, he discovered his mother, father and aunt all shot dead. The entire working class neighborhood was shocked.

Today, the Queens D.A.'s office said cops have cracked the case. They've charged Sandra Powell, 39, with murder and are looking for her accomplice.

Say prosecutors:

District Attorney Brown said, “According to the charges, the defendant acted together with an unapprehended individual who shot and killed a man, his wife and his sister-in-law during the commission of a burglary and an attempted robbery. The horrific crime scene was discovered by the couple’s 13-year-old son who had come home from school for lunch.”
District Attorney Brown identified the defendant as Sandra Powell, 36, of 69-38 Thursby Avenue in Far Rockaway, Queens. She has been charged with Murder in the Second Degree, Burglary in the First Degree, Attempted Robbery in the First Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second and Third Degree and faces up to life in prison if convicted. The defendant was arraigned yesterday in Queens County Criminal Court before Judge Seth L. Marvin who remanded her without bail and set a return date of December 8, 2003.

The District Attorney said that according to a criminal complaint, the defendant acted in concert with an unapprehended other who intentionally fired a loaded firearm at Larrie Barnes, 39, Carren Chambers, 34, and Tisha Chambers, 21, between 8:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. on June 9, 2003 inside their residence at 236-18 120th Avenue in Cambria Heights, causing their deaths.

She wasn't charged with First Degree murder, which carries a possible death sentence upon conviction.

By Ed Moltzen · 24 November 2003

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Webstyles of the Rich and Famous (and Accused)

Looks like Michael Jackson's court case web site was based on the template set by Martha Stewart's.

Thankfully, neither Netscape Navigator nor Internet Explorer were available during the O.J. Simpson trial.

By Ed Moltzen · 24 November 2003

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Skip This Bobblehead Day At The Stadium

This news bulletin just crossed the transom, via Game Show Network:

It's official, Game Show Network's (GSN) larger than life bobblehead created in the likeness of legendary game show host Chuck Woolery has been deemed the world's largest by Guinness World Records. The bobblehead stands 11 feet tall and weighs 900 pounds.

Heh. Eat your heart out, Sajak.

By Ed Moltzen · 24 November 2003

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Pop Quiz

Who said the following?

"In 1996, Howard Dean tried to cut over $26 million from Medicaid, and four times as governor, he tried to eliminate prescription drug assistance for seniors. The very same program he now proclaims across the country.
"Time after time, when faced with budget shortfalls, Howard Dean's first and only instinct was to cut. Cut education, cut prescription drug coverage, cut Medicaid funding, cut aid to the elderly, blind, and disabled.

"Howard Dean wears his bravado as a budget cutter like a badge of honor. But to me, where's the honor in saying quote 'we're willing to go after our own people's education, health, and welfare.'

"There is no place for governance without compassion. You can be proficient without empathy, but human lives deserve something more."

The answer in a second.

In defense of Dean, states can't run up budget deficits like the federal government can. Either it's illegal, or it's not plausible.

But this speech - delivered over the weekend - points to a core issue Dean will have to work to overcome: the perception that he's soft on defense, but tough on the weakest among us. He can overcome that perception (Bill Clinton signed an execution warrant for a retarded man while he was running for president, at the same time he battled an old remark that he "loathed" the military.) It will take a lot of work and maneuvering to overcome, though.

Now the answer: The speaker was Dick Gephardt.

By Ed Moltzen · 24 November 2003

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NY Times Correction Du Jour

An article in The Times last Thursday, which tried to cast doubt on a report in the Weekly Standard that there were significant ties linking Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda, produced this lollipop in today's correction column:

An article on Thursday about a disputed Defense Department memorandum that listed points of intelligence linking the Iraqi leadership of Saddam Hussein to the Qaeda terrorist network misstated the timing of the Pentagon's establishment of the Office of Special Plans in preparation for a possible war in Iraq. It was in October 2002, less than six months before the war — not a year or more.

So anti-war forces can still call Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld a war monger, but for only half as long.

William Safire's column in this morning's Times dives into the Saddam-bin Laden connection stories. He notes one piece of potential evidence - that Mohammad Atta met with an Iraqi intelligence officer in Prague in April 2001 - has been routinely deflated by both the FBI and "anti-liberation" forces because of an early claim there may be evidence Atta had rented a car to drive between Virginia and Florida during that time.

Safire notes that Edward Jay Epstein found out there was no Atta car trip. There was no Atta car rental. Atta, at the time, didn't yet have his driver's license. You need a driver's license to rent a car.

By Ed Moltzen · 24 November 2003

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Score Another One For The Good Guys

It received little attention, but the Treasury Department has gotten help from Italy in putting a key al Qaeda cell out of business.

In particular, Italy's Tribunale Ordinario di Milano has named fifteen associates of Abu Zarqawi as official terrorists, frozen their assets and thrown several of them into jail, according to the Treasury Department.

It was a particularly slick, and strategic, cell. It provided cash, cover and phony passports to terrorists throughout Europe, and was aligned with Zarqawi, the Iraq-based bin Laden associate and assassin.

Says the Treasury Department:

According to information provided by the Italian government, the fifteen individuals have helped illegal immigration to Italy and provided financial and material means for terrorist activities in Italy and Europe. Some of the fifteen have also recruited volunteers for military camps in Iraq, organized by the Ansar Al Islam group.

Earlier this month, the Treasury Department also designated all fifteen on the Italy list as terrorists - a formality needed to freeze assets and take other actions against any of the terrorists interests in the U.S.

By Ed Moltzen · 23 November 2003

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Juxtaposition Of The Week

This is a Tale of Two Demonstrations, pointed out by Random Nuclear Strikes. (Via Idlewild South.)

By Ed Moltzen · 23 November 2003

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Meet Barbie's Friend "Midge"

We must have missed the memo on this one. Happy Family Barbie's pregnant friend, "Midge," is available this holiday season for $16.99.

For ages 6 through 11.

Don't look at Ken. Can't be his. He's not anatomically correct.

By Ed Moltzen · 23 November 2003

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Thank You, William Kennedy Smith

A major Internet news gossip columnist has linked to a British tabloid story on Michael Jackson that provides the name of the 12-year old boy who accused the singer of sexual abuse.

No links to either from this site.

Until the William Kennedy Smith rape trial, there was, essentially a hard-and-fast rule in journalism: never name the accuser in a rape or sex abuse case. It just wasn't done. Wasn't discussed. No hand-wringing over it. Just wasn't done.

Now, nobody is safe. Not even a 12-year old boy suffering from cancer, looking for justice.

There are taboos on the Internet against plagiarism. The rule is simple: You plagiarize, and nobody reads you or links to you ever again.

Could there be a time when the same rule is applied to those who name accusers in rape and sex abuse cases?

By Ed Moltzen · 23 November 2003

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Still America's Team

They couldn't cover the point spread last week, but no group of American football fans are bigger than the one that loves the Dallas Cowboys.

According to a Harris Interactive poll, 50 percent of all Americans consider themselves football fans and 12 percent say the Cowboys are their favorite team. Likewise, 12 percent say they are ~~cheese heads~~ Green Bay Packers fans, according to Harris.

Six percent identify themselves as Jets fans, seven percent as Giants fans and nine percent as Washington Redskins fans.

The poll doesn't list how many simply root for "over" or "under."

By Ed Moltzen · 23 November 2003

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What's Really Scary?

Maureen Dowd, in her latest column tonight in the New York Times, takes issue with T.V. commercials run in Iowa by "the Bush crew."

"Since when have terrorists and tyrants announced their intentions, politely putting us on notice before they strike?" Mr. Bush says.
With this ad, Republicans have announced their intention: to scare us stupid, hoping we won't remember that this was the same State of the Union in which Mr. Bush made a misleading statement about the Iraq-Niger uranium connection, or remark that the imperial idyll in Iraq has created more terrorists.

Some people are "scared stupid" by Republicans. Others, who lived through Sept. 11, are scared by other things.

By Ed Moltzen · 22 November 2003

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Not "A Very Good Sign" For Kerry

Steven Hayward, author of The Age of Reagan: The Fall of the Liberal Order, 1964-1980 , an amazing book on the politics and history of the Vietnam-Watergate-Iran Hostage crisis era, has a blog item where he catches Sen. John Kerry borrowing a campaign slogan from Jimmy Carter:

John Kerry today tried to "re-launch" his sinking presidential campaign with the unveiling of a plan for what he’d do with his first 100 days in the White House.
But then, in an attempted indirect slap at Howard Dean, he said to New Hampshire voters, "Don’t just send them a message; send them a president."

This was Jimmy Carter’s slogan back in 1976, which he used as a way of attacking and siphoning votes from George Wallace. Can’t Kerry come up with his own slogans? Borrowing from Jimmy Carter isn’t a very good sign.

There are a number of parallels between the time described in Hayward's book, and today. In the Reagan book, for example, Hayward describes the Columbia University takeover and sit-in during 1968. Mark Rudd, a student and head of Columbia's chapter of the Students for Democratic Action, led the revolt.

Writes Hayward in the book:

Rudd's "sophisticated" response to every invitation from the faculty to discuss his grievances was to shout "Bullshit!" into a megaphone.

It's easy to see parallels between then, and today's debate over the conflict in Iraq. Evidence is shown at the threat Saddam posed - either through his WMD programs, active operation to hide them, his torture or murder of those offering the slightest dissent, details of how Saddam supported Palestinian homicide bombers, gave aid and comfort to bin Laden operative and assassin Abu Zarqawi. And all too often the response from the fringe left is the same: Bullshit.

That's not a very good sign, either.

By Ed Moltzen · 22 November 2003

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Operation: Phone Home For The Holidays

This just flew into the inbox:

phone home.bmp

For Immediate Release
Operation: Phone Home for the Holidays
*All-Star Comedy Gala to Benefit the Troops*
Wednesday December 3rd at 8:45pm an unprecedented collection of New York’s top comedians will converge at The Comic Strip Live 1568 2nd Avenue (BTW 81 & 82nd St) for a unique benefit event: Operation: Phone Home for the Holidays, all proceeds will help pay for our troops to call their loved ones this season. There is a $15 dollar donation and 2 drink minimum.

This is truly turning in a major special event of New York’s comedy community coming together to support our boys and girls serving overseas.

So far on the bill we have Jim Gaffigan with ten plus appearances on The Letterman Show; Eddie Brill -- the king of New York comedy; Tom Cotter from The Tonight Show -- Tom's brother is currently serving in Iraq; and Bob Nelson in a very rare New York City appearance. Bob shot two HBO specials and performed for The President of The United States at The Ford Theater.

We’re still waiting on answers from other major comedians who are interested in performing -- pending availablity. You never know who just might drop in.

Our boys and girls need all our help. Please join us in supporting them.

Thank you for your consideration.

Fifteen bucks for Jim Gaffigan, Bob Nelson, Eddie Brill and Tom Cotter? It's a no-brainer for that reason alone. Throw in the fact that the money is going for this cause, and it's a done deal.

By Ed Moltzen · 22 November 2003

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The Early Odds

According to BetOnSports.com, the early odds on the Michael Jackson child molestation case will pay you two-to-one if you bet on acquittal, and he (moon)walks on all charges.

Here's the link, but a quick warning that if you click it, you'll get a bunch of pop-ups.

By Ed Moltzen · 22 November 2003

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If You Can't Trust Wells Fargo

"I don't believe in online banking. It's too easy to steal your information and money over the Internet..."
This just moved over the transom:

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) said today it is offering a reward of $100,000 for original information leading directly to the arrest and conviction of the individual or individuals responsible for the burglary and theft this month in Concord, Calif. of computers that contained confidential information about a small percentage of Wells Fargo's personal line and loan customers.
"We're doing everything we can to make sure that those responsible for this crime are apprehended as quickly as possible and the perpetrators understand that the account data on these computers is going to be rendered useless to them," said Doreen Woo Ho, head of the Consumer Credit Group. "It's important to note that so far we have no indication that any stolen information has been misused..."

By Ed Moltzen · 22 November 2003

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Toy Horror Story

A Long Island man who designed toys and games for large manufacturers has been picked up by detectives, who said he trolled the Internet looking for sex with minors.

Richard Trincellito, 39, of New Hyde Park, used the AOL IM screen name ï¿½Gippetto 1ï¿½ to try to hook up with kids, according to the Queens D.A.'s Office:

(T)he defendant, on several occasions between November 12 and November 20, 2003, communicated over the internet using the AOL instant message service with the screen name of ï¿½Gippetto 1ï¿½ with an undercover detective posing as a 13-year-old girl and engaged in sexually explicit chat. The defendant is alleged to have sent to the detective instant messages in which he claimed he was 39- years-old and liked younger girls. The charges additionally allege that the defendant sent numerous sexual explicit photographs including one of himself exposing his private parts and others depicting females in various sexual acts. The defendant thereafter set up a meeting for yesterday at the 711 store at 208th Place and Bell Boulevard in Bayside, Queens and was observed by detectives arriving at the proposed meeting site.
The District Attorney said that the defendant was arrested at about 3:20 p.m. in the parking lot outside the 711 store with three condoms in his pants pocket.

The D.A. didn't say what toys he designed.

By Ed Moltzen · 21 November 2003

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To The Airwaves

For those outside of Iowa, where the Republicans are playing the first, real TV commercials supporting President Bush of the election cycle, here is a link to the streaming video of the spot.

It starts running this weekend.

By Ed Moltzen · 21 November 2003

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California's Law and Order Deficit (Continued)

Gov. Schwarzenegger, just days into office, looks like he may be trying to even the ledger on the good-guys-versus-bad-guys front:

Governor Schwarzenegger Announces Reward to Help Solve Murder of Tulare County Man 11/19/2003

SACRAMENTO

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is announcing the issuance of a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the murder of an elderly Tulare County man.

On June 23, 2002, 82-year-old Grego Flores Sr. was found brutally murdered in his apartment in the City of Lindsay. According to investigators, the victim, whose body was discovered by family members, was beaten to death. All physical evidence at the scene has been examined thoroughly but has not produced any suspects or solid leads.

The $50K was the largest reward for information Schwarzenegger is legally allowed to establish.

By Ed Moltzen · 21 November 2003

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Lillie Ferrell Gets Her Day In Court

Lillie Ferrell spent 30 years as a teacher at the Leake & Watts school in Yonkers. Almost every single report on her job performance during that time was positive.

Then one day the school hired a new principal. In a decision straight out of the movie "American Beauty," the new principal ordered everybody on the faculty write him an essay entitled, "“Why I Stay and Work at Leake & Watts."

Lillie Ferrell's essay was handwritten and contained some spelling mistakes. The principal put her on probation for a month, along with two younger teachers. The vice principal wrote performance reports on Lillie Ferrell during that month. In those reports, the vice principal made a lot of grammatical mistakes.

Still, the reports were negative - bad grammar and all. During the same time, Lillie Ferrell heard the vice principal tell a student that Lillie was "too old to be in a classroom."

The school fired Lillie Ferrell, who was 61, and kept the two younger teachers, who were in their forties. Lillie Ferrell sued for job discrimination. A U.S. District Court judge looked at the lawsuit, decided it had no merit, and threw it out.

Yesterday, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals took Lillie Ferrell's side and said the case now has to go to trial.

By Ed Moltzen · 21 November 2003

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Irony Report

eDiets.com has announced the hiring of a former Burger King executive as its new vice president of brand marketing.

By Ed Moltzen · 21 November 2003

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How Landslide Elections Are Made

To recap:

Sen. Edward Kennedy, in a reference to President Bush's judicial nominees who include Judge Janice Rogers Brown, an African American, says Democrats will continue to fight any nominee that's a "neanderthal;"

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, running for president, says the Democratic party needs to reach out to guys who fly the Confederate flag;

Democratic Congressional leaders Sen. Tom Daschle and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, frustrated because they could not block a Republican-backed prescription drug bill, attack the American Association for Retired People - the largest group of retirees in the country - for supporting it. Daschle and Pelosi suggest the group may have a conflict of interest and be in bed with Big Insurance.

It's as if party leadership held a meeting, and decided to alienate two of the biggest voter demographics they'll need to be successful in the 2004 elections.

By Ed Moltzen · 21 November 2003

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Oh, By The Way

Unemployment claims were down again, real earnings were up, and consumer prices are holding steady.

Meanwhile, Sen. John Edwards, the North Carolina Democrat running for president, is still selling his "Bush is a Turkey" T-Shirts.

By Ed Moltzen · 21 November 2003

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New York Times Correction Du Jour

Length matters:

The Books of The Times review in Weekend on Friday about a new translation of "Don Quixote" misstated Samuel Johnson's opinion of Milton's "Paradise Lost." Johnson said that "no man ever wished it longer," not shorter.

By Ed Moltzen · 21 November 2003

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