Hurricane Alex pushes on

Hurricane Alex is wreaking havoc on the Mexican and Texan coasts. The Hurricane is growing larger.

1:00 PM CDT Wed Jun 30
Location: 24.4°N 96.2°W
Max sustained: 85 mph
Moving: NW at 12 mph
Min pressure: 962 mb

Tornado Watches and Warnings have been issued for areas on coast of Texas.

Alex now a Hurricane

At about 9.45 this evening, the NHC upgraded Tropical Storm Alex to a category one hurricane.

10:00 PM CDT Tue Jun 29
Location: 23.1°N 94.8°W
Max sustained: 75 mph
Moving: W at 9 mph
Min pressure: 973 mb

It is the first Hurricane of the 2010 season. It is also the first June Hurricane since 1995. That was Hurricane Allison which was a hurricane on June 2nd. The Atlantic Hurricane Season begins on June 1st.

The hurricane is projected to make landfall further south. At this time it is moving due west to the Mexican coast.

Texas will still get hit by the dirty side of the hurricane. The Dirty Side is commonly the westerly or northernly part of the hurricane. In the rotation, it is the portion that brings wind and water onto shore.

Winds will blow in a counter-clockwise spin into marshes of Louisiana. The oil slick may be brought onto shore.

From NOAA

WATCHES AND WARNINGS
--------------------
CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY...

NONE.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT...

A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR...
* THE COAST OF TEXAS SOUTH OF BAFFIN BAY TO THE MOUTH OF THE RIO
GRANDE
* THE COAST OF MEXICO FROM THE MOUTH OF THE RIO GRANDE TO LA CRUZ

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN IN EFFECT FOR...
* THE COAST OF TEXAS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT OCONNOR
* THE COAST OF MEXICO SOUTH OF LA CRUZ TO CABO ROJO

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA IN THE UNITED
STATES...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE
MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
FORECAST OFFICE. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA OUTSIDE
UNITED STATES...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR NATIONAL
METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE.

Tropical Storm Alex

4:00 PM CDT Tue Jun 29
Location: 23.2°N 94.0°W
Max sustained: 70 mph
Moving: NW at 13 mph
Min pressure: 981 mb

They still expect it to concentrate and become a hurricane. It's projected to happen in the next few hours.

The pressure is starting to get that low. To put it in perspective, Hurricane Katrina was at her lowest, 902 mb and Hurricane Andrew, 922 mb.

Tropical Storm Alex still chugging

Tropical Storm Alex is still not a hurricane but it's a matter of inches. A tropical storm becomes a hurricane when it reaches sustained wind speeds of 74 mph (64.3 kn). It's getting there and it is also accelerating as it scoots north of the Yucatan Peninsula.

7:00 AM CDT Tue Jun 29
Location: 22.5°N 92.7°W
Max sustained: 70 mph
Moving: NNW at 12 mph
Min pressure: 983 mb

It was located about 455 miles southeast of Brownsville. It is projected to make landfall Wednesday evening as a Category 1 storm. The NHC is now not projecting it to reach Category 2. This could possibly be because the storm is running out of space for fuel and to increase in intensity over the Gulf of Mexico.

Hurricane Warning for Tropical Storm Alex

Twenty-four minutes ago, the Hurricane Warning was raised in Coastal Mexico and Texas. Tropical Storm Alex has not reached sustained windspeeds of 74mph. It is only at 65mph.

Complete Information as 10:00 PM CDT Mon Jun 28

Location: 21.0°N 91.6°W
Max sustained: 65 mph/55 kn
Moving: N at 5 mph
Min pressure: 985 mb

As of 10 PM CDT June 28 (0300 UTC June 29), the center of Tropical Storm Alex was located within 25 nautical miles of 21.0°N 91.6°W, about 440 miles (710 km) east-southeast of La Pesca, Mexico, and about 505 miles (810 km) southeast of Brownsville, Texas. Maximum sustained winds are estimated at 65 mph (55 kn; 100 km/h), with higher gusts. The minimum central pressure is estimated to be 985 mbar (hPa; 29.09 inHg) and the storm is moving north at 5 mph (7 km/h).

On the evening of June 28, as Alex neared hurricane strength, a hurricane warning was issued for the coast of Texas, south of Baffin Bay to the mouth of the Rio Grande. A hurricane warning was also issued by the Mexican Government from the Rio Grande south to La Cruz. A tropical storm warning was also issued for coastal Texas from Baffin Bay northward to Port O'Conner. The Governor of Texas declared a state of disaster in 19 counties.

According to the National Weather Service, Alex is expected to strengthen to a Category 2 Hurricane.

000
WTNT31 KNHC 290544
TCPAT1
BULLETIN
TROPICAL STORM ALEX INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER  14A
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL   AL012010
100 AM CDT TUE JUN 29 2010

...ALEX GETTING BETTER ORGANIZED...


SUMMARY OF 100 AM CDT...0600 UTC...INFORMATION
----------------------------------------------
LOCATION...21.4N 91.8W
ABOUT 415 MI...665 KM ESE OF LA PESCA MEXICO
ABOUT 475 MI...765 KM SE OF BROWNSVILLE TEXAS
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...65 MPH...100 KM/HR
PRESENT MOVEMENT...NNW OR 340 DEGREES AT 8 MPH...13 KM/HR
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...985 MB...29.09 INCHES


WATCHES AND WARNINGS
--------------------
CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY...

NONE.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT...

A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR...
* THE COAST OF TEXAS SOUTH OF BAFFIN BAY TO THE MOUTH OF THE RIO
GRANDE
* THE COAST OF MEXICO FROM THE MOUTH OF THE RIO GRANDE TO LA CRUZ

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN IN EFFECT FOR...
* THE COAST OF TEXAS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT OCONNOR

A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED
SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA.  A WARNING IS TYPICALLY ISSUED
36 HOURS BEFORE THE ANTICIPATED FIRST OCCURRENCE OF
TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS...CONDITIONS THAT MAKE OUTSIDE
PREPARATIONS DIFFICULT OR DANGEROUS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE
AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA IN THE UNITED
STATES...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE
MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
FORECAST OFFICE. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA OUTSIDE
UNITED STATES...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR NATIONAL
METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE.


DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK
------------------------------
AT 100 AM CDT...0600 UTC...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ALEX WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 21.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 91.8 WEST.  ALEX IS
MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH...13 KM/HR. A TURN
TOWARD THE NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED LATER TODAY...FOLLOWED BY A
GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST ON WEDNESDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 65 MPH...100 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS.  ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48
HOURS...AND ALEX IS LIKELY TO BECOME A HURRICANE LATER TODAY.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 80 MILES...130 KM...
MAINLY NORTHEAST THROUGH EAST OF THE CENTER.

THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE RECENTLY REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE
RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT WAS 985 MB...29.09 INCHES.


HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
----------------------
RAINFALL...ALEX IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS
OF 5 TO 10 INCHES OVER PORTIONS OF NORTHEASTERN MEXICO AND SOUTHERN
TEXAS OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

ALEX IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE ADDITIONAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 3
TO 6 INCHES OVER SOUTHERN MEXICO AND THE YUCATAN PENINSULA THROUGH
TUESDAY. ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 10 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER
MOUNTAINOUS AREAS. THESE RAINS COULD CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH
FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES.

WIND...TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO APPROACH THE COAST
WITHIN THE HURRICANE AND TROPICAL STORM WARNING AREAS ON
WEDNESDAY...MAKING OUTSIDE PREPARATIONS DIFFICULT OR DANGEROUS.

STORM SURGE...A DANGEROUS STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY
AS MUCH AS 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL ALONG THE IMMEDIATE
COAST NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL.  THE
SURGE COULD PENETRATE AS FAR INLAND AS SEVERAL MILES FROM THE SHORE
WITH DEPTH GENERALLY DECREASING AS THE WATER MOVES INLAND.  NEAR
THE COAST...THE SURGE WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE
WAVES.


NEXT ADVISORY
-------------
NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY...400 AM CDT.

NOAA Weather Radio Houston

Tiny!

I want a teardrop trailer! it's so small but snug.

I like the smaller cozier places like small cottages and tiny homes.

Check it out!

Porn to get domain .xxx!

It's a big day for the porn industry.

On Friday, ICANN, the not-for-profit corporation that coordinates the internet's naming system, voted to allow the application of the controversial ".xxx" top-level domain name for sites that display adult content.

The domain, which would need further approval before going live on the internet, would be applied to adult entertainment sites just as ".com" is now.

The .xxx internet suffix, which was first proposed six years ago by ICM Registry, a group that sells domain names, "will provide a place online for adult entertainment providers and their service providers who want to be part of our voluntary self regulatory community," according to that company's news release.

Adopting .xxx will be optional. However, some tech blogs speculate a push to make the domain mandatory for adult-only sites.

ICM Registry has already taken 110,000 pre-reservations for the domain, which could be available in early 2011, if not sooner, its news release states.

While the company says labeling adult content online "will allow for simple and effective filtering for those who wish to do so," not everyone is pleased with ICANN's decision to approve the domain.

Some people involved in the industry are hesitant to accept the domain, "fearing it will lead to censorship, as it would be very easy to block the entire domain instead of individual sites," Rick Johnson of Portfolio.com wrote Thursday.

On the other hand, "some religious groups are against the creation of the domain, as it would lend more legitimacy to the adult entertainment industry," he wrote.

Death Penalty to be sought in PA case

A Pennsylvania prosecutor said Monday he will pursue the death penalty against a man charged over the weekend with a quadruple slaying in Northampton County.

"This is a capital case," Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said in a telephone interview. "He's a killer that needs to be put down."

Michael Eric Ballard, 36, was charged Sunday with four counts of murder for Saturday's killings in Northampton, about six miles north of Allentown and 50 miles north of Philadelphia.

A neighbor alerted police Saturday afternoon to a disturbance at the house where Denise Merhi, 39, lived with her father, Dennis Marsh, 62, and her grandfather, Alvin Marsh, 87, Morganelli said.

Inside, police found the bodies of the three relatives as well as that of a neighbor, 53-year-old Steven Zernhelt, Morganelli said.

Morganelli described Zernhelt as a "Good Samaritan looking to assist the other victims."

"He yelled over to his wife, 'Call 911;' he went in and he never came out," Morganelli said.

All four had been fatally stabbed; the elder Marsh's body was found in a wheelchair facing a television, a knife wound to the neck; Merhi's body was in the kitchen; the younger Marsh's body was in the basement; Zernhelt's body was just inside the front door, Morganelli said.

About a mile away from where police were investigating the grisly scene, an off-duty state trooper witnessed Ballard lose control of the vehicle he was driving -- which belonged to Merhi -- and wreck, Morganelli said.

When the trooper approached the vehicle, he saw Ballard covered in blood and asked him to explain, Morganelli said.

"It's obvious -- I just killed everyone," Ballard told the officer, Morganelli said. "I just killed four people."

Ballard was taken to St. Luke's Hospital in Allentown for treatment of what appeared to be knife injuries to his legs, Morganelli said.

"He'll be all right, unfortunately," Morganelli said.

Once Ballard is discharged, he will be sent to Northampton County Prison, Morganelli said.

Though a motive was not immediately apparent, "there was some relationship" between Ballard and Merhi, who had two children and worked as a phlebotomist, Morganelli said.

Ballard had been on parole -- living in a halfway house in Allentown -- since April, when he was released from prison. He had served approximately 15 years of a 20-year sentence for third-degree murder in neighboring Lehigh County, though it was not clear whether his release was for that crime.

Ballard had pleaded guilty to fatally stabbing a man in 1990, Morganelli said. "He was a career criminal," he added.

Merhi's children were with a grandmother at the Jersey Shore, Morganelli said.

The weapon in Saturday's killings is being sought, he said.

Senator Knotts: making the world safe for Morons!

So now Senator Knotts is saying the GOP has been infiltrated by Libertarians. Should there be an Inquisition? Libertarians are evil! They are for liberties and freedom. It's like he's saying "They don't hold with good Republican values of bigotry, hate and warmongering!!! Down with Liberty loving Americans!!!"

God, save me from your followers!

In this video, he accuses the Press of giving a Free Pass. He also says that they should ask "Do you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior and that he died on the cross for her sins?" But then says it should not disqualify her or anybody else from being Governor of South Carolina if he/she is not Christian (and I know that is problematic because Christians will claim other Christians are not as Christian as they are. Stupid really...).

Nikki Haley was raised a Sikh but is now a Methodist. She still hold some of her familial traditions.

This whole thing makes retract my earlier post. He does NOT consider himself a Libertarian. Nor should/does anyone else.

Watch it yourself. It's entertaining and somewhat enlightening.

Maritime Flags

If you've never been or lived in coastal areas or even near the North Shore, you probably haven't had to think about nautical weather and warnings.
The US Coast Guard uses flags displayed on masts. flagpoles and yardarms to warn of impending maritime weather.

Here's a guide to the uninitiated.

Tropical Storm Watch

A tropical storm watch (TRA) is issued when tropical storm conditions, including winds from 39 to 73 mph (35 to 64 knots, 63 to 117 km/h) pose a possible threat to a specified coastal area within 48 hours (was 36 hours prior to 2010 hurricane season). Maritime flags indicate this with a single square red flag.

Tropical Storm Warning

A tropical storm warning (TRW) is issued when tropical storm conditions (as above) are expected in a specified coastal area within 36 hours or less (was 24 hours or less prior to 2010 hurricane season). Maritime flags indicate this with two square red flags.

Hurricanes

Hurricane Watch

A hurricane watch (HWA) is issued for a specified area for which a hurricane or a hurricane-related hazard is a possible threat within 48 hours (was 36 hours prior to 2010 hurricane season). Maritime flags indicate this with a single square red flag with a black square in the middle.

The purpose of a hurricane watch is to inform families to obtain supplies, secure your home, and be prepared to evacuate.

Hurricane Warning

A hurricane warning (HWW) is issued when a hurricane with sustained winds of 74 mph (65 knots, 118 km/h) or higher is expected in a specified coastal area in 36 hours or less (was 24 hours or less prior to 2010 hurricane season). Maritime flags indicate this with two square red flags with a black square in the middle of each.

A hurricane warning can remain in effect when dangerously high water or a combination of dangerously high water and exceptionally high waves continues, even though the winds may have subsided below hurricane intensity.

Where the intensity or track of a forecast cyclone are uncertain (such as a tropical storm bordering hurricane intensity or on the edge of a track), a Tropical Storm Warning and a Hurricane Watch are often in effect at the same time on parts of the coast. Maritime flags indicate this with two square red flags with a black square in the middle on only one of them.

Tropical Storm Alex headed for Texas

Hurricane Watch:

• Mexico: The Mexican Gulf coast from the mouth of the Rio Grande southward to La Cruz
• United States: The Texas coast from Baffin Bay southward to the mouth of the Rio Grande

The 2010 hurricane season began on June 1st and isn't wasting much time in getting going.

On June 12, a tropical wave emerged off Western Africa, and eventually traveled along the Intertropical Convergence Zone. It was first noted by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) on June 20, while it was crossing the Windward Islands. The next day, it organized, and the NHC assessed a 50% chance of development into a tropical depression within next 2 days. It became less organized the next day; however, conditions were still favorable for development.

On June 24, it began to reestablish south of Jamaica, although it was poorly organized. Later that day, shower activity increased, and pressures began to fall. Hurricane Hunters flew inside it the next day and found a well defined circulation, and based on that data, the NHC began issuing advisories on Tropical Depression One, the first tropical depression of the season. Early on the June 26, the NHC upgraded the depression to a tropical storm and named it Alex.

Tropical Storm Alex as he stands 1 PM CDT June 28:
Location: 20.3°N 91.7°W
Max sustained: 60 mph
Moving: NNW at 5 mph
Min pressure: 990 mb

Currently, the storm is in the Bay of Campeche. The current trajectory and speed creates a model that looks like this:


Tropical Storm Alex is expected to strengthen into a hurricane but is heading away from the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center said Monday. "Some strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days and Alex is expected to become a hurricane on Tuesday," the Hurricane Center said in its 10 AM ET forecast.

The storm could become a major hurricane and could make landfall anywhere from Port Lavaca, Texas to Tampico, Mexico, the Hurricane Center said Monday. The Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch Monday for the Texas coast from south of Baffin Bay to the mouth of the Rio Grande.

And the Mexican government issued a hurricane watch for the coast of Mexico from the mouth of the Rio Grande to La Cruz, Mexico. That means that hurricane conditions are possible within those areas.

A watch is typically issued 48 hours before the anticipated arrival of tropical-storm-force winds. Forecasting models suggest that Alex could make landfall in northeastern Mexico, probably on Thursday.

The storm appears headed away from the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Alex could become a Category 3 hurricane, the Hurricane Center said.

Its winds were blowing at 60 miles an hour as of 10 AM ET Monday. "We will know much more as this storm continues to intensify today and tomorrow," the Hurricane Center said in a statement.

"We think the storm is going to stay on a more southern track. That would be good news because it would avoid the area near the oil spill," said Todd Kimberlain of the Hurricane Center.

However, forecasters have not ruled out an easterly shift in Alex's path. "We all know the weather is unpredictable, and we could have a sudden last-minute change," said Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the federal government's response manager.

Information from the National Weather Service (NWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Agency (NOAA).

Senator Byrd Passes Away at 92

West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd, the self-educated son of a coal miner who became the longest-serving member of Congress, died early Monday at age 92, the senator's office said.

Byrd, a nine-term Democrat, was known as a master of the chamber's often-arcane rules and as the self-proclaimed "champion of the Constitution," a jealous guardian of congressional power. He was a genius parliamentarian.

His speeches were laced with references to poetry and the Greek and Roman classics, often punctuated by the brandishing of his pocket copy of the national charter.

He was also known as the "King of Pork," using top positions on the Senate Appropriations Committee to steer federal spending to his home state -- one of the nation's poorest.

Byrd relished the title.

"Pork, to the critic, is service to the people who enjoy some of the good things in life, and I've been happy to bring to West Virginia the projects to which they refer. I have no apology for it," he said.

"When I am dead and am opened they will find West Virginia written on my heart."

He was an outspoken opponent of the war in Iraq, calling his 2002 vote against a "blind and improvident" authorization of military action the proudest moment of his career.

West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin -- a Democrat -- has the power to appoint a replacement for Byrd, whose current term is set to expire in 2013.

When Byrd entered Congress in January 1953, a postage stamp cost 3 cents and American kids were clamoring for a new toy called Mr. Potato Head. Harry Truman was president, Winston Churchill was Britain's prime minister, and Josef Stalin was still the Soviet Union's leader.

In November 2009, two days before his 92nd birthday, Byrd passed Arizona Democrat Carl Hayden's record to become the longest-serving member of Congress.

His health problems mounted in his later years, putting him in the hospital four times between February 2008 and September 2009.

Under pressure from fellow Democrats, he announced he would step down as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee after the 2008 elections.

"I have been privileged to be a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee for 50 years and to have chaired the committee for 10 years, during a time of enormous change in our great country, both culturally and politically," he wrote in a statement announcing his intention.

"A new day has dawned in Washington, and that is a good thing. For my part, I believe that it is time for a new day at the top of the Senate Appropriations Committee."

Byrd's records

-Longest-serving member of Congress, with 20,996 days

-Only person elected to nine full terms in the Senate

-Presided over the shortest session of the Senate (6/10ths of a second; February 27, 1989)

-Presided over Senate for longest continuous period (21 hours, 8 minutes; March 7-8, 1960)

-Cast 18,689 roll-call votes; more than any other U.S. senator

-Held the most leadership positions in Senate

Robert Carlyle Byrd was born Cornelius Calvin Sale Jr. on November 20, 1917, in the North Carolina town of North Wilkesboro. His mother died when he was a year old, and he was adopted and renamed by his aunt and uncle, Titus and Vlurma Byrd.

He started his political career by running for the state House of Delegates in 1946, while working as a butcher and welder. He won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives six years later, was elected to his first Senate term in 1958, and won his ninth in 2006, three weeks shy of his 89th birthday.

"If it's the Lord's will, the people will send me there. Why? This Constitution needs a champion," he said before the 2006 vote.

As the senior senator of the majority party, Byrd served as the Senate's president pro tempore -- third in line of presidential succession, behind the vice president and speaker of the House.

While he set two endurance records in Congress, he was only proud of one in the end. The other was for his 1964 filibuster against the Civil Rights Act, when he spoke for 14 hours and 13 minutes in an effort to derail the law.

He opposed civil rights when he first ran for office, a stance he came to regret later in life. He blamed "that Southern atmosphere in which I grew up, with all of its prejudices and its feelings," for his opposition to equal rights, which included joining the Ku Klux Klan in the 1940s.

He called the move "the greatest mistake of my life," an "albatross" that would always shadow his career.

"It's a lesson to the young people of today, that once a major mistake has been made in one's life," he said, "it will always be there, and it will be in my obituary."

Byrd was married to his childhood sweetheart, the former Erma James, for nearly 69 years before her death in 2006. They had two daughters.

"I have met queens and the wives of shahs and great women from all over the world, (but) to me now, this was the greatest woman I ever met in this world," he said.

He did not complete a college degree until 1963, when he earned a law degree from American University in Washington after taking night classes -- the only time a member of Congress has earned a law degree while holding office. He also received a political science degree from West Virginia's Marshall University in 1994, at age 76.

He rose through the Senate's Democratic ranks in the 1960s, and became the chamber's majority leader in 1977. He kept the party leadership when Republicans won back the Senate in 1980, serving as minority leader for six years, then spent two more years as majority leader after the 1986 elections.

In 1989, he became chairman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee -- one of the most influential posts in Congress, with extensive control over the federal government's purse strings.

Years later, Byrd explained to CNN the power of that unique position.

"In the forest there is a water hole," he said. "All the animals have to come to that water hole sooner or later. The Appropriations Committee is a water hole."

He spent the rest of his career as the panel's chairman or ranking Democrat, steering an estimated $3 billion in federal projects to West Virginia since 1991, according to the watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste.

Byrd said he was looking out for the interests of his Appalachian constituents, nearly 20 percent of whom live below the federal poverty line.

"My memory is as good as it ever was, and it's stock full of recollections about the poor people of West Virginia, how they were laughed at," he told CNN in 2006.

But in the same interview, Byrd said it was his October 2002 vote against the resolution that gave President George Bush the authority to launch the invasion of Iraq "of which I am most proud."

He was one of 23 senators to oppose the authorization, warning that Congress was abdicating its constitutional power to declare war by giving the president what amounted to a blank check.

"We are rushing into war without fully discussing why, without thoroughly considering the consequences, or without making any attempt to explore what steps we might take to avert conflict," he said.

Four months later, with an American-led army poised to move across the frontier and U.N. weapons inspectors reporting no sign of Iraq's suspected weapons programs, Byrd returned to the Senate floor to condemn a "hauntingly silent" chamber.

Four years after casting that vote, he called the invasion "the blunder of the age."

Though he promised to support U.S. troops "to the last breath, the last dollar," he told CNN that he and other opponents of the war had been right.

"History will prove it was wrong to invade another country without provocation. That is wrong. That was wrong then, and it would be wrong 50 years from today," he said.

- Reposted from CNN

Kyrgyzstan approves new Constitution

The people of Kyrgyzstan have spoken. All 65.1% of them that is, voted to approve a new constitution following a nationwide referendum.

The Kyrgyz government's interim head, Roza Otunbeava, told reporters that Sunday's referendum took place without any reported incidents, paving the way for democratic rule, the news agency reported.

"It will not be an interim but a legal and legitimate government," she added. "We are leaving the word interim behind."
Kyrgizstan saw an outbreak of brutal riots across its territory in April, which led to the ousting of President Kurmanbek Bakiev, who is now in exile in Belarus.

Whoever wins next year's election would take office in January 2012. The official death toll in the clashes that began June 10 stands at 275, though government officials say the numbers could be much higher. More than half a million people -- about a tenth of the nation's total population -- were displaced, many taking refuge in neighboring Uzbekistan. More than 1,300 houses were burned.

And because you should really know where shit is in this World --

Seriously Dumb Bitch

I know I'm not the only one who thinks of this line when hearing about people like this: Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should. Parents of a 16-year-old California girl said "Yes, go and sail around the world." And her older brother Zac said "Sure, I did it!"

Two weeks after being rescued from her storm-ravaged sailboat, 16-year-old Abby Sunderland finally arrived on the tiny French island of Reunion, where she was greeted by Zac.

"She’s in good spirits," her mother Marianne tells PEOPLE. "She’s laughing, giggling and really wants to go out sailing in one of the Hobie Cats she spotted in the harbor."

Abby’s bid to circumnavigate the planet in a sailboat was cut short on June 10 when a massive storm destroyed her 40-foot-long sailboat "Wild Eyes" in a remote stretch of the Indian Ocean, nearly 2,000 miles west of Australia. The ensuing search for the intrepid teen sailor attracted worldwide attention.

Zac, who completed his own solo navigation last summer at 17, flew to Reunion earlier this week to bring his sister back to the family’s home in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

He arrived on the island with a backpack for his sister filled with clothes, makeup, a hairbrush and an iPod to replace the one that got destroyed by seawater during the fateful storm that crippled Abby’s boat.

"I'm really disappointed that things didn't go as planned," Sunderland told reporters after coming to shore. "I was on an adventure. You can only plan so far." [Author's Note: But you're not thankful she was found alive?]

Sunderland left on her voyage to become the youngest person to circumnavigate the planet in a sailboat on Jan. 23 from Marina del Rey, Calif., just months after her brother Zac returned from his own trip. Abby ran into technical problems in April, forcing her to put her journey on hold while she repaired her boat.

On May 15th, a 16-year-old Australian girl set sailing record after traveling 23,000 miles in 210 days. Although Sunderland was no longer a contender for the record, she decided to push on with her odyssey in Wild Eyes and left Cape Town, South Africa on May 21.

But on June 10, Sunderland’s mast snapped in a massive storm that generated 30-foot-high waves. She drifted for two days before being picked up by a French fishing boat. Several days later, she was transferred to a French fishing patrol boat and spent another ten days traveling to the tiny island of Reunion, east of Africa.

Abby is due to arrive back home late Monday night and plans to hold a press conference in Marina del Rey the following day.

Cheney goes to the hospital, too!

One old politician in the hospital isn't enough. Former Vice President and always derided Darth Lord of the Sith, Dick Cheney was admitted on Friday to George Washington University Hospital as a result of "progressive retention of fluid related to his coronary artery disease," Cheney's office said. Cheney was suffering from atrial fibrillation, or irregular heart rhythm, the friend said.

At the hospital, Cheney was placed on intravenous medication and his condition has "markedly improved," his office said in a statement Saturday.

On Sunday, Cheney's daughter, Liz Cheney, said that the former vice president was "feeling better" and would hopefully be released Monday.

Cheney has a long history of heart problems. He suffered his first heart attack in 1978, when he was 37.

He had his second heart attack in 1984 and a third in 1988 and underwent a quadruple bypass surgery to unblock his arteries. Shortly after Cheney was elected vice president in November 2000, he had a fourth heart attack and received a stent to open an artery.

In February, Cheney suffered his fifth heart attack. Also.... he has friends!?!?

Senator Byrd Hospitalized

Senator Robert Byrd, a Democrat from West Virginia (which sounds odd, come to think of it), has been hospitalized in serious condition.

The 92-year-old was admitted to a Washington area hospital last week. His office lists him as "seriously ill". Initially it was believed he was suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration.

Last year, Senator Byrd was hospitalized for 6 weeks due to a staph infection.

Last November, he became the longest-serving member of Congress at more than 57 years, surpassing the old record set by Arizona Democrat Carl T. Hayden. Byrd also is the only person elected to nine full terms in the Senate. Senator Byrd served 3 terms in the House of Representatives before becoming a Senator. He has never lost an election.

Always a controversial figure in politics, he has in the past been a member of the Ku Klux Klan and a pro-segregationist. Despite this, he remains a Democrat and has changed his position on a number of inflammatory topics.

He is a widower with two daughters, two sons-in-law, five living grandchildren (another deceased) and six great-grandchildren.

He was a good friend of the late Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy.

Palin Fund deemed unlawful

It's a very good day to be me!

I got some great news from the University I attend (University of Minnesota), the US is still in the World Cup, TCU is still in the College World Series... there's gas in my car!!! And the woman I love to hate had a little bad news. in fact, I think I hate her more than Ann Coulter. At least with Ann there's some intelligence even if its warped with Fascist overtones.

Supporters of Sarah Palin have 90 days to return nearly $400,000 in donations raised by her legal defense trust after an investigator ruled the fund ran afoul of state ethics laws.

Ok, it really wasn't bad and in some ways, I'm not sure shutting the supposed illegal fund down was legal itself. The fund folded and was then relaunched with this to say:

Now, Sarah Palin's enemies have scored a limited victory in their vicious campaign to smear, bankrupt, and force this dedicated public servant and conservative leader out of politics. They have successfully questioned her prior legal defense fund--a fund that mirrored John Kerry's fund and Bill Clinton's fund. So a new fund was necessary to make sure Sarah Palin can continue to speak the truth to Americans.

I find that somewhere in the middle there is some truth. And saying something mirrors something else leaves a lot out there. Mirrors can be cracked, flawed or distorted and not necissarily reflect an identical image. In other words, your metaphor may reveal that the fund is not altogether like what the supporters allude.

I have to wonder what may have been the truth. And everything with Palin makes me wonder. Like how she has the brain capacity to use words in a sentence.

Isner out

Last report on John Isner, I promise.

The American, seeded 23rd in the Wimbledon tournament, lost today to Thiemo de Bakker, an unranked player. The match lasted 75 minutes which compared to his last match, was a blink of the eye.

Isner had difficulty during the match requiring a trainere which can only spell bad news. Isner never looked like he had his momentum going.

And to be honest, I expected this. After such an effort by the 25-year-old North Carolinan to defeat Frenchman Nicolas Mahut, also unranked, he was probably out of gas, physically and mentally.

Despite being knocked out of the tournament, Isner has won the respect of many of his peers and the world audience. And he has the longest Tennis Match ever played, some are even calling it the Greatest, to call his own.

Captain commits Suicide; Gulf Oil Spill suspected

Allen Kruse was not a rookie though that was the name of his boat. The 26-year veteren took his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot to the head on Wednesday morning. He was discovered in his boat's cabin by deck hands.

The 55-year-old has long made the Gulf of Mexico his workplace. Friends and family say he loved the waters. They also say that everything may have become too much for him but they may never know his real reasons. He left no note indicating why ultimately he took his own life.

Before the April spill, Kruse was able to make $5-6K a month with chartered boat trips and fishing snapper and amberjack. When the spill happened, his business opportunities evaporated.

BP called Kruse and his boat a "vessel of opportunity". He was employed by the Oil Company to brag booms and skim oil off his beloved waters. He had worked two weeks and had yet to be paid.

In Orange Beach, Alabama, hos hometown, the community is reeling. The Mayor, Tony Kennon said "There's a lot of people on the edge. We feel hopeless. We feel helpless. We don't feel like there's an advocate out there."

Marc and Frank Kruse said their brother would still be alive today if he had believed he was making an impact against the oil that was threatening the waters he loved. For Kruse and other Gulf Coast fishermen, the oil disaster was the latest blow in a series of setbacks, friends said.

"This has been a long-term situation. This started in 2004, with a direct hit from Hurricane Ivan, then the next year was Katrina, then skyrocketing fuel prices, fishing regulations, then an oil spill," Capt. Ben Fairey said. "This has been six years that this area has really suffered a lot of stress."

On Thursday evening, Kruse's boat Rookie returned to Orange Beach without it's Captain and with a wreath on deck as a memorial.

FINALLY!! It ends!

At Busted Raquet, a Tennis blog, this morning it read:

After ten hours, 153 games and almost 1,000 points, American John Isner and Frenchman Nicolas Mahut were locked at 59-59 in the fifth-set of their historic first-round match at Wimbledon when play was suspended for the second straight day due to darkness. You read the score correctly: 59-59. When the Wimbledon final had a 16-14 final set last year, that seemed like a marathon. In comparison, this match was like running to the moon.

The match that threatened to make the War in Afghanistan look short, has ended at 11 hours, five minutes.

After three days of a single Tennis match at Wimbledon, John Isner of the United States has won a first round match against Nicolas Mahut of France 3-2. The match was fiercely contested by both men who were both applauded and awarded for their perseverance.

The match broke records during its second day of play, so the figures as they stood at the end at the records. It is likely that they will stand for a very, VERY long time.

The records are thus: longest match: 11 hours, 5 minutes; longest set: the fifth set required 8 hours, 11 minutes; most games in a set: 138 in the fifth set; most games in a match: 183; most aces in a match by one player: Isner, 112; and total aces in a match: Mahut's 103 aces brought the total to 215.
The match set the record for most games played in a match both before and since the introduction of the tie-break. The previous records were the 2003 Australian Open quarter-final match, in which it took Andy Roddick 83 games to defeat Younes El Aynaoui 4–6, 7–6(5), 4–6, 6–4, 21–19, and the 112 games it took Pancho Gonzales in 1969 to defeat Charlie Pasarell in the first round 22–24, 1–6, 16–14, 6–3, 11–9 prior to the introduction of a tie-break.

The match set the record for the longest match by time. The previous official record (6 hours, 33 minutes) was set at the 2004 French Open when Fabrice Santoro defeated Arnaud Clément 6–4, 6–3, 6–7(5), 3–6, 16–14. It also passed the unofficial record of 6 hours and 40 minutes set on 25 February 2009, when Chris Eaton defeated James Ward 6–3, 6–2, 6–7(3), 2–6, 21–19 in a playoff match to represent the United Kingdom in the Davis Cup.

The fifth set alone lasted longer than the previous longest match. John Isner served his 79th ace to take the lead, 39–38 in the match. This passed Ivo Karlović's 78 aces that he served on 18 September 2009 in a Davis Cup match against Radek Štěpánek. He finished on a total of 112. Mahut also passed the previous record with 103 aces.

The first crack in Mahut's service game had come on the second point of the final game when he made a forehand error. On the next point, Mahut tried a delicate drop shot but was only able to make the ball nestle into the net on his side of the court. Mahut won the next point with a volley but then, once again, Isner got a swing at a second serve and it paid off.

The 6-foot-9 American cracked a forehand winner to give himself a fifth match point in this longest-ever set. As the crowd on Court 18 roared, Isner swung all-out with that backhand.

After the ball landed, Isner dropped to his knees and Mahut hung his head for a moment. At the net, Isner hugged his beaten opponent. There was an immediate on-court ceremony in which each player and chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani received special awards that came in boxes that seemed too heavy for the exhausted players to hold.

Isner told the crowd, "I got a little bit tired. When you come out and play and the atmosphere is like this, you don't feel tired even though we were. This crowd was fantastic."

And to his opponent, Isner said, "What more can you say? To share this day was an absolute honor."

Mahut also was given a chance to speak. He had to put down his award box first.

"At this moment, it is just really painful," he said. "Thanks to you guys, you were completely fantastic. John deserved to win. He served unbelievable. It was an honor to play. We played the greatest match ever, and Wimbledon is the greatest place to play."

Mahut had to serve to stay in the match 65 times, but he said he wasn't thinking about that.

"I was just thinking about the point and playing it," he said.

The final set alone lasted 491 minutes. Isner finished with 112 aces and Mahut had 103.

Isner, the 23rd seed, must now look ahead to his second-round match against Thiemo De Bakker of the Netherlands. De Bakker won his first-round match by the routine score of 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 16-14.

Immediately after the end of the match, both players and chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani were presented a special award from the AELTC by Tim Henman and Ann Haydon-Jones, followed by a photo taken showing the result on one of the two Court 18 scoreboards.

On Day 2 there had been a scoreboard failure at Court 18 where the historic match was played. The scoreboard froze at 47 all then went dark. IBM worked until 11:45 PM on the issue that evening and after a hotfix, was up and working today, accurately presenting the record scores.

The website lastly only a little longer. At 50 all, it reset to zero. Visitors were kindly asked to add 50 to the scores.

Reaction around the world has been admiration and awe. Some have tried to put perspective on a the match calling it the aforementioned "Marathon Match" and "The Neverending Story". The match was at first being called an Epic Match but after the suspension on Day 2, it drifted into Marathon territory.

Seriously, how could anyone have anything but admiration for the two men?

In addition, the Queen also visited Wimbledon today. She was at Centre Court, however, and did not see the match at Court 18. And who could blame her. No one could say for sure how long it would go.

This was the Queen's first visit to Wimbledon in 33 years. She met with some players including Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, Venus and Serena Williams, and some former winners here, including Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova.

Busted Racquet put this best so I will quote them:

While it was great to see the queen making her way around the grounds at Wimbledon, she informed everyone that she isn't that big of a tennis fan. That couldn't have been more evident than a humorous exchange she had with Navratilova that ESPN reported during its coverage of the event.

According to Hannah Storm, the queen asked Navratilova if she had played Wimbledon often, to which the former nine-time champion humbly answered yes.

Honestly, you can't blame the queen for not knowing everything about the tennis world. She has worn the crown for 58 years, so it isn't like we're dealing with a spring chicken here.

Well, it was an all around historic day at Wimbledon and for Tennis. And it's only the 4th day of a 14 day tournament. Oy vey!

Deadly Spanish Train Accident: 12 Dead on Tracks

In Spain, a train hit revellers as they were crossing the track near midnight Wednesday night.

In the seaside resort town of Castelldefels, 12 people were killed and 14 people were injured when a train near Castelldefels Playa station. Other reports indicate that 17 people are injured. The long-distance train does not stop at the station.

Reportedly, the victims were Latin Americans - Ecuadoreans, Chileans, Colombians and Bolivians - headed for a beach party to celebrate the Summer Solstice. Instead of using the underground pedestrian walkway, they were crossing the tracks.

The scene was that of utter carnage. Blood was everywhere with body parts littering the tracks.

Marcelo Cardona, who was on the commuter train, said everyone aboard had been looking forward to dancing around a bonfire on the Mediterranean shore.

"The euphoria of getting off the train immediately became screams. There were people screaming, 'My daughter! My sister!'" said Cardona, a 34-year-old Bolivian. He said he saw "mutilated people, blood everywhere, blood on the platform."

As the investigation got under way Thursday, the chairman of the state railway company RENFE, Teofilo Serrano, said he was "almost certain" the long-distance train was not exceeding the speed limit as it traveled through the station. He said he did not know how fast it was going.

The Spanish news agency Europa Press quoted unnamed RENFE officials as saying the train was doing 139 kilometers per hour (87 mph) and the driver tested negative for alcohol and was in shock. RENFE refused to confirm or deny the report.

The Noche de San Juan celebration takes place across Spain but with particular zeal in the Catalonia region where Barcelona is the regional capital. People light bonfires in town squares and on beaches, dance around them, drink beer, barbecue food and set off fireworks.

Felipe Elmaji, a 29-year-old Moroccan traveling with Cardona, said he heard a "thump, thump of the train hitting people."

Cardona's sister Candy recalled the train's whistle as it tried to warn people to get out of the way. "It was horrible. I can't get that sound out of my head," she said.

Cardona said the underpass was jammed with the overflowing crowd from the train. Mayor Joan Sau blamed recklessness for the deaths.

"If the underpass had been used, we would probably not be talking about this tragedy right now," he said.

But Ruiz said some in the group may have been confused after getting off the commuter train because they did not see signs indicating how to reach the underground passageway. They came across an overpass, but it was blocked off, Ruiz said.

Spanish officials said the station was remodeled last year and has clear signs showing passengers where to exit.

"It had a sign system that was well-made and it had a loudspeaker service that pointed out that the tracks must not be crossed," said Victor Morlan, Spain's secretary for infrastructure.

Catalan regional Interior Minister Joan Saura said the identification of the mutilated bodies "will not be easy and it will not be fast."

Except for one woman in her 40s, all of the injured were 19 or younger and two are minors, said Marta Joves, spokeswoman for the Catalonia government's civil protection department. Of the 14 injured, one is in extremely critical condition, two are in critical condition and four have been treated and released, she said.

The Catalan regional president, Jose Montilla, said declared a day of mourning as he visited the accident scene Thursday. Flags flew at half-mast at the town hall in Castelldefels and rail crews hosed down the bloodied train tracks. Spanish King Juan Carlos also canceled the annual celebration held in honor of his Saint's day.

Enrique Sosa, a chef who works near the train station, said he rushed to the scene and helped wash off a 16-year-old boy covered in other people's blood.

"He was shaking," said Sosa, a 37-year-old Uruguayan.

Sosa then lent the boy his cell phone so he could call home.

Wimbledon Update!

Isner and Mahut continue to be locked in contest at 50 apiece in the fifth set.

Wimbledon scoreboard breaks at court 18 where they are staging this epic battle. Good freaking God!!!

It is approaching 9 hours. Isner has 81 aces!

Sports are good for you!

Some sports are seeing historic events today.

First, the US side won against the Algerian side scoring a single goal in the 91st minute. American Landon Donovan scored on rebound off the Algerian keeper during the four minutes of stoppage time.

Early in the match, there was a US goal that was not counted due to a call of offsides. The Algerians played rough and made the US really work for their single goal.

The US not only won their match but also won the Group. England also scored a single goal in its match against Slovenia. It was enough to put both through to the Knockout round. The Us will play the runner up for Group D. At the moment, Germany and Ghana are leading Group D and they are playing each other currently - as in RIGHT NOW!

Secondly, Wimbledon.

Two men: an American named John Isner and a Frenchman named Nicolas Mahut have been locked in an epic battle at Wimbledon, one stretching over two days. In a match that began Tuesday night and was suspended because of darkness after four sets, Isner and Mahut have now played the longest tennis match in history.

As I type this, they are still locked in this contest with their fifth set approaching the 50's!

It's amazing how methodical this match has been. No controversy, no close calls. Just rhythmic, incessant tennis. Not unlike Chinese Water Torture!

General McChrystal out despite Apologies

General Stanely A. McChrystal resigned as leader of the US NATO operations in Afghanistan. General David Petraeus, current leader of the operations in Iraq, will replace the outgoing McChrystal. The four-star General came under intense fire when a profile in Rolling Stone shows the General and his staff making deprecatory remarks of the Vice President, Holbrooke, Eikenberry and the Obama Administration in general.

After the meeting in the Oval Office, General McChrystal was not invited to the National Security meeting about Afghanistan. This was clear indication that McChrystal was not in command of the Afghan forces.

Afghan President Harmid Karzai praised General McChrystal and sopke out against the possibility of dismissing McChrystal. But it seems it was a resignation and not a dismissal. President Karzai then reacted with a statement of solidarity with American President.

McChrystal to keep his job?

General Stanley A. McChrystal, the man in charge of the war in Afghanistan, has come home to see to the Commander -in- Chief. This trip to the White House is decidedly under a dark cloud of foreboding.

A recent article in the music and culture magazine, the seminal Rolling Stone, has brought the General and many of his staff under intense fire because of disparaging comments they made about the President, the Vice President and other members of the administration while being observed by the Press.

Now, the fallout is tremendous. According to White House Press Secretary Gibbs, the President was angry after reading the General and his aide's remarks. He then summoned the General to the Oval Office. General McChrystal arrived in Washington DC early this morning.

He met briefly with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff before meeting with the President. At 9:45 eastern time, he arrived at the White House. The meeting was over before 10:30.

After the Oval Office meeting, Obama and McChrystal were scheduled to join a larger group of senior administration aides in a meeting about Afghanistan and Pakistan that was scheduled to begin at 11:35 a.m. ET, White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said.

McChrystal is prepared to resign if the president has lost confidence in him, a national security official told CNN. Most of the Pentagon brass hopes he will be upbraided by the commander-in-chief but sent back to continue the mission, the official said. Though some sources at the Pentagon say that McChrystal is done.

The President has asked for a list of possible replacements should the need arise.

The author, Michael Hastings, writes that McChrystal and his staff had imagined ways of dismissing Vice President Joe Biden with a one-liner as they prepared for a question-and-answer session in Paris, France, in April. The general had grown tired of questions about Biden since earlier dismissing a counterterrorism strategy the vice president had offered.

"'Are you asking about Vice President Biden?' McChrystal says with a laugh. 'Who's that?'"

"Biden?' suggests a top adviser. 'Did you say: Bite Me?'

McChrystal does not directly criticize Obama in the article, but Hastings writes that the general and Obama "failed to connect" from the outset. Sources familiar with the meeting said McChrystal thought Obama looked "uncomfortable and intimidated" by the room full of top military officials, according to the article.

Later, McChrystal's first one-on-one meeting with Obama "was a 10-minute photo op," Hastings writes, quoting an adviser to McChrystal. "Obama clearly didn't know anything about him, who he was. Here's the guy who's going to run his f---ing war, but he didn't seem very engaged. The Boss (McChrystal) was disappointed."

The article goes on to paint McChrystal as a man who "has managed to piss off almost everyone with a stake in the conflict," including U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, special representative to Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke and national security adviser Jim Jones. Obama is not named as one of McChrystal's "team of rivals."

Of Eikenberry, who railed against McChrystal's strategy in Afghanistan in a cable leaked to The New York Times in January, the general is quoted as saying, "'Here's one that covers his flank for the history books. Now if we fail, they can say, "I told you so.'"

Hastings writes in the profile that McChrystal has a "special skepticism" for Holbrooke, the official in charge of reintegrating Taliban members into Afghan society and the administration's point man for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"At one point on his trip to Paris, McChrystal checks his BlackBerry, according to the article. 'Oh, not another e-mail from Holbrooke,' he groans. 'I don't even want to open it.' He clicks on the message and reads the salutation out loud, then stuffs the BlackBerry back in his pocket, not bothering to conceal his annoyance.

Both Democrats and Republicans have been strongly critical of McChrystal in the wake of the story. House Appropriations Committee chairman David Obey, D-Wisconsin, called McChrystal the latest in a "long list of reckless, renegade generals who haven't seemed to understand that their role is to implement policy, not design it."

McChrystal is "contemptuous" of civilian authority and has demonstrated "a bull-headed refusal to take other people's judgments into consideration."

Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-North Dakota, became the first member of the Senate Democratic leadership to call for McChrystal to step down, telling CNN that the remarks were "unbelievably inappropriate and just can't be allowed to stand."

Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Carl Levin, D-Michigan, deferred to Obama on the question of a possible McChrystal resignation. He said the controversy was sending a message of "confusion" to troops in the field. I think it has "a negative effect" on the war effort, he said.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, urged a cooling off period before a final decision is rendered on the general. My "impression is that all of us would be best served by just backing off and staying cool and calm and not sort of succumbing to the normal Washington twitter about this for the next 24 hours."

Sens. John McCain of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Jim Webb of Virginia -- also key senators on defense and foreign policy issues -- were each strongly critical of McChrystal's remarks, but noted that the general's future is a decision for Obama to make.

Karzai weighed in from abroad, urging Obama to keep McChrystal as the U.S. commander in Afghanistan. The government in Kabul believes McChrystal is a man of strong integrity who has a strong understanding of the Afghan people and their culture, Karzai spokesman Waheed Omar said.

A U.S. military official said Tuesday that McChrystal has spoken to Biden, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Adm. Mike Mullen and other officials referenced in the story, including Holbrooke, Eikenberry and Jones.

An official at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul said Eikenberry and McChrystal "are both fully committed" to Obama's Afghan strategy and are working together to implement the plan. "We have seen the article and General McChrystal has already spoken to it," according to a statement from an embassy official, making reference to McChrystal's apology.

"I have enormous respect and admiration for President Obama and his national security team, and for the civilian leaders and troops fighting this war and I remain committed to ensuring its successful outcome," McChrystal said in the closing to his apology.

Rolling Stone executive editor Eric Bates, however, struck a less optimistic tone during an interview with CNN on Tuesday.

The comments made by McChrystal and other top military aides during the interview were "not off-the-cuff remarks," he said. They "knew what they were doing when they granted the access." The story shows "a deep division" and "war within the administration" over strategy in Afghanistan, he contended.

McChrystal and his staff "became aware" that the Rolling Stone article would be controversial before it was published, Hastings told CNN Tuesday. He said he "got word from (McChrystal's) staff ... that there was some concern" about possible fallout from the story.

Obama tapped McChrystal to head the U.S. military effort in Afghanistan in the spring of 2009 shortly after dismissing Gen. David McKiernan.

PCNAA is censorship & fascist

Been gone long time. Who cares?

I am a little fired up today. And it's not because of the Oil Spill in the Gulf. After 8 weeks and only some progress being made while BP looks worse than some of the sea turtles they've killed.... there's not much I can do to upstage Heyward and Svanberg. They're doing just fine making things worse on their own!

No, I want to blog about something that everyone - EVERYONE - needs to pay attention to. Senator Joe Lieberman (I-Conn) has introduced legislation that would give the President the power to shut down parts of the internet in so-called emergency situations.

This bill, S.3480, would "amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 and other laws to enhance the security and resiliency of the cyber and communications infrastructure of the United States." This bill has currently been referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Ostensibly, the bill would be for stopping cyber attacks on important and vital government infrastructure. Watch Transformers. Ya know, the part where they're like "shut it down!" and they unplug a server (which makes me laugh... like it would be so easily available and easy to do...) and they all scramble because of DoD information that the Decepticons could get? That may be the situation that is forseen by this bill.

But the reality is, it would probably be used to shut down people who are talking about things the government doesn't like. So this slippery slop brings me to the most cherished piece of government documents: The 1st amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

I consider what I do in the blogosphere to be amateur journalism. I consider what many of my friends who write about conspiracies, vast or otherwise, ludicrous or otherwise, to be amateur journalists. In other words, we study, research and analyze subjects, events, ideas and people but we don't get paid what Anderson Cooper gets paid. We get paid nothing.

I as a Libertarian, find myself at odds often with both parties. So I don't get much love. The government would probably find me dangerous if I owned more guns. But there are always individuals and then there are groups whom the government can deem threats to national security. And for some businesses that require the internet to conduct business, this could be used to destroy them.

So read the bill and decide for yourself in good amateur journalist fashion whether this bill is constitutional or not. Then write someone on the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Here's a list of all of them.

• Joe Lieberman, Connecticut, Chairman
• Carl Levin, Michigan
• Daniel Akaka, Hawaii
• Thomas R. Carper, Delaware
• Mark Pryor, Arkansas
• Mary Landrieu, Louisiana
• Claire McCaskill, Missouri
• Jon Tester, Montana
• Roland Burris, Illinois
• Ted Kaufman, Delaware
• Susan Collins, Maine, Ranking Member
• Tom Coburn, Oklahoma
• Scott Brown, Massachusetts
• John McCain, Arizona
• George Voinovich, Ohio
• John Ensign, Nevada
• Lindsey Graham, South Carolina

If it does pass through committee, then write your own senator.

Senator Knotts = Idiot

State Senator Jake Knotts, Republican from South Carolina called the President a Raghead and the Republican candidate for Governor, Nikki Haley, an Indian-American who was raised a Sikh. He was on an Internet political talk show, Pub Politics.

Ed of MSNBC's The Ed Show points out there may be something in the Republican drinking water in South Carolina.



Maybe there is something going on in South Carolina...

Lexington County Senator Knotts has been asked for his resignation by the State's Libertarian Party and later, the Republican Party.

On June 11th, the Lexington County Republican Party Senator Knotts to resign for calling gubernatorial nominee Nikki Haley a “raghead.”

The county party said the comments brought “shame” and “disgrace” to both Knotts and the state in the resolution condemning the state senator’s actions.

Knotts, a key ally of one of Haley’s primary opponents, used the term in a recent interview to describe both President Barack Obama and Haley, who is the child of Sikh immigrants from India.

He later tried to clarify his comments, saying in a statement that he believes Haley “is pretending to be someone she is not, much as Obama did, but I apologize to both for an unintended slur.”

The resolution censuring Knotts does not cite the word he used to describe Haley, saying only that the state senator’s “racial epithets has brought shame and disgrace upon himself, his office and his party.”

The resolution then “condemns the racist statement” before calling on Knotts to “resign his office forthwith.”

In a response, Knotts said he had no intention of resigning,

“This is not a Republican Party, this is a libertarian party,” Knotts said. “This is nothing but politics. I’m not resigning. I could care less.”

He calls himself a Libertarian but I find that a complete load of bullshit.

Plenty of people like to hang their hats on the Libertarian Party for varying reasons. Some of them are just plain ignorant. There is a perception that Libertarians are the last true bastion of macho red-blooded American bigoted values. I won't say there aren't people out there that think that way but there is much more involved and Libertarians tend to be for Civil Liberties for all Americans, not just the ones that look and think like us (ie White Southerners).

Libertarians oppose war, oppose the Fed, the UN and the US Partiot Act. We also don't like corporatism, taxes, bigger government and statist values. So far, only one Republican has been able to maintain his credential as a Libertarian while running and working within the Republican Party. Representative Ron Paul of Texas is that man. None others come close.

It's convenient for people like Knotts and even Ann Coulter to claim Libertarianism. Conservative views have a voice within the Libertarian fold. We like our guns and our property.

We also hold Liberal social values. Many Libertarians are also for gay marriage, legalizing drugs and prostitution. There is a divide among Libertarians on abortion but it is not something that would cause violence among members.

Libertarians also don't care about color, race, creed and religion. We believe the country was founded on the idea of liberty for all.

Two major reasons why Knotts looks dreadfully ignorant. First, to use racial slurs is not a Libertarian value. We do onto others has we'd have done to us. No other political party that I know tries to espouse this as a major tenet of political life.

Second, he behaves as though he can say what he wants regardless of the consequences. Screw everybody, he'll say what he pleases.

Where do people get the idea that Libertarians are bigots? This isn't the party I belong to and I'm frustrated by the stereotype he holds of us and perpetuates in the media.

He isn't a Libertarian. He's just ignorant.