Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Question for the day


Now that DNC honoree Michael Moore is prominently featured in terrorist recruiting videos, can we officially name the far Left bank of American politics "the Hezbocrats"?

Chevron's oil find may boost U.S. reserves by 50%


This morning, Chevron announced the successful test of its deepest well in the Gulf of Mexico: Jack #2. The company estimates that the recent discoveries in the gulf hold between 3 billion and 15 billion barrels worth of oil and gas reserves.

If their estimates hold to the high side, this discovery would boost U.S. reserves by 50%.

And gas is down to $2.29 a gallon in the Midwest.

I blame Bush.

MarketWatch: Chevron-led group may find top U.S. oil source

An anecdote from 2004... and lessons for 2006


Jim Geraghty, writing at National Review Online, asks some key questions concerning the 2006 elections:

...Today there's frustration in the land. Understandable, bloggers are fed up with pork, want to track down Ted Stevens and Robert Byrd, get a good secret hold on their collars and shake them vigorously. But do Democrats get to win back Congress this year based on the performance they've turned in lately? When their plan on Iraq is essentially pull out and hope it gets better, and the most prominent spokesman wants a rapid response force based in Okinawa, do they deserve to win what a potential committee chairman John Dingell said he 'doesn't want to take sides' for or against Hezbollah. Do they get to win when they object to the term Islamic fascism essentially arguing that the guys we're fighting can't be fascists, because they don't have spiffy uniforms and a distinctive march?

...What? Are they worried that the label fascist will unfairly tarnish the reputations of Al-Qaeda, Iraqi insurgents, Nasrallah and Hezbollah and the Iranian mullahs? Judging by the reaction to Durbin last year, Nazi comparisons are okay for US troops guarding Al-Qaeda prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, but not okay for the actual terrorists these guys are guarding. When they knock out the one undisputed hawk in their caucus, Lieberman, replace him in Ned Lament, who pledges America is stronger when we work with our families and our allies, do they deserve to win for this? Do they deserve to win? Do they get to win back Congress?

...When they've spent much of the year beating the drums over a crime that didn't occur? The Plame episode. When they had to abandon the culture of corruption argued because members of their caucus had cash in their freezer and took a swing at a capitol police office? When there’s no chance whatsoever that these folks would really crack down on illegal immigration, and they not-so-subtly suggest that wanting immigration laws enforced is de facto racism?

...Look – I can see losing to Bill Clinton. The guy could sell ice to Eskimos, always had the perfect touch on television, and campaigned as the most noncontroversial welfare-reforming centrist ever to kiss a baby. (And, er, uh, other people.) ...But these guys? The GOP is going to lose to Nancy Pelosi, Howard Dean, John Murtha, Ned Lamont? The crowd that shares its stages with Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Cindy Sheehan?

Maybe my inclinations are blinding me. And there’s still a lot of campaign season to go. But I just don’t think it’s likely that this crowd is going to seal the deal with a majority of the American people.

TKS on National Review Online: An anecdote from 2004, and thinking of 2006

Monday, September 04, 2006

How to destroy a city with Photoshop


Here's an intriguing tutorial that steps imaging professionals through the entire process of "destroying" a city. Have a picture of a pristine cityscape? Now, with these easy-as-pie instructions, you'll be capable of rendering the city a veritable wasteland, appropriate for inclusion in any Reuters article on the Middle East and beyond.

Photoshop Contest: Modern Ruins

Ted Stevens hometown paper supports net neutrality


The egregious Ted Stevens -- he of the secret "hold" on pork-busting legislation -- has had the riot act read to him by his own hometown paper on the topic of net neutrality. Hopefully Stevens' cat-like tendencies for self-preservation will swing him against the carriers' (and their lobbyists') position.

...Sen. Stevens has said he doesn't see an immediate problem that requires regulation. In other words, he's reluctant to have the government set the playing rules until more companies are caught cheating. Apparently he thinks competition can be counted on to prevent any abuses.

Only problem is, local Internet service is not a fluid, totally free market with a lot of competitors. Many markets are served by only one or two high-speed Internet companies. Switching providers is not as easy as driving to the next gas station or grocery store...

...Net neutrality is hardly a heavy-handed government intrusion into the free-wheeling world of the Internet. It is a simple antitrust rule that protects consumers by keeping Internet companies from exploiting their control over connections. Congress should get ahead of the curve and ensure net neutrality before abuses begin to spread.

BOTTOM LINE: Net neutrality is a good idea. Sen. Ted Stevens should support it.

Anchorage Daily News: Stevens should support net neutrality

Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson spontaneously combust


What a week it's been for the super-duper-secret Vanity Fair cover couple:

...First, there was the sight of Richard Armitage -- Colin Powell's #2 man when Powell was Secretary of State -- being frog-marched out of his home by FBI agents and charged with exposing Valerie Plame's identity. Some cynics say that in the end, Armitage -- who had opposed the war in Iraq -- will not spend any time in jail, but instead get a slap on the wrist and become the butt of jokes -- much like former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger, who stole and destroyed classified materials from the National Archives.

Then Powell himself issued a statement through his attorney -- not even appearing in person -- saying that the former Secretary of State would have no comments on the matter while it was still pending before the courts.

Then Plame's husband, former ambassador Joseph Wilson, got hit with a legal one-two. First, Karl Rove and Dick Cheney hit him with defamation lawsuits, then the New York Times went after him for fraud. Legal experts say the Rove and Cheney suits will most likely be dismissed, but the Times one is on firmer ground -- they published Wilson's account of his trip to Africa on behalf of the CIA, and in it he flatly contradicted his official report -- and that was under oath. Sources within the Times say the real motivation for the suit isn't the embarassment for publishing it, but revenge for starting the whole mess that sent the Times' Judith Miller to jail for almost three months. Miller herself is looking into suing Patrick Fitzgerald over the whole thing, as he apparently knew the real source was Armitage long before she was called in to testify -- and was locked up for refusing to cooperate...

Would it be inappropriate to giggle at this juncture? I'll just say: Heh.

Wizbang: Plame-Wilson Story: Week that Was

Here's a Democrat (and a Republican) I can endorse


Timothy Penny's op-ed in the Washington Times should be required reading for every member of Congress. Penny, a former Democratic congressman from Minnesota, calls out both sides of the aisle. Congress has demonstrated a consistent "tax, spend, then hide the evidence" pattern of misbehavior that is as undemocratic as it is outrageous.

...Our nation's current fiscal policies are creating a mountain of debt that our grandchildren will be forced to repay through higher taxes. The unfunded promises we have made to recipients of Social Security and Medicare and other entitlement programs will almost certainly lead to higher taxes on today's children and those yet to be born. In my view, that amounts to "taxation without representation."

...Part of the problem lies with the current congressional budget process. On Capitol Hill the bulk of time and attention each year is devoted to the annual appropriations bills... [but] ...two-thirds of spending goes to so-called "mandatory" programs: interest on the debt and entitlement programs, such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Though representing the vast majority of dollars spent every year, these "mandatory" spending programs receive little -- if any -- debate... The expenditures are essentially automatic. That is not right.

...More attention must be paid to these mandatory programs because of their long-range costs. Before long, Social Security and Medicare alone will consume virtually all the taxes paid by working Americans. It is not fair to the next generation to saddle them with enormous costs for entitlement programs and leave them no alternative except to reduce spending for other priorities or to pay ever higher taxes.

...Rep. Frank Wolf, Virginia Republican, in sponsoring legislation to create a bipartisan entitlement commission. Mr. Wolf is a member of the appropriations committee, and understands that entitlement spending deserves closer scrutiny than is provided in the current budget process. He realizes that the difficult decisions required -- if entitlement spending is to be brought under control -- can only be achieved through a bipartisan effort. He also believes that all options must be on the table. Finally, and most importantly, he sees that as a matter of morality and fairness to future generations.

...So, during the coming weeks as legislators wrap up their work in Washington and return home to campaign, speak out for your children and grandchildren. If, after hearing from us, our elected officials refuse to endorse Mr. Wolf's reasonable approach, then, like the Boston Tea Party, we should throw them overboard this November...

Washington Times: Taxes and spending

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Is it okay to question their patriotism now?


Question: which Democratic icon has now been honored with both a presidential box seat at the Democratic National Convention and a speaking part in a terrorist recruiting video?

Answer: You know who.

In his L.A. Times editorial yesterday, Donald Rumsfeld explicitly highlighted this conflict's information war:

...this is the first war of the 21st century — a war that, to a great extent, will be fought in the media on a global stage. We cannot allow the terrorists' lies and myths to be repeated without question or challenge...

This country needs honest debate about the best strategy for defeating the global scourge of extremist terror.

But the media's record of consistent fabrications are unhelpful, to say the least: Al Qaqaa, Plame-Armitrage-gate, forged Air National Guard memos, and Newsweek's fake Koran-flushing story are examples of utterly bogus stories that have dominated the mainstream press while a global war rages on.

Put simply, the media has ignored or underreported the real stories of this global conflict:

* In Thailand, bombs were set off in 23 banks simultaneously, reportedly an attack by Muslim separatists focused on overthrow of the government.

* In Darfur, the multi-year genocide continues unabated at the hands of the National Islamic Front (NIF), which is responsible for the murderous onslaught of African tribal populations.

* In addition to instigating terror attacks over the past two decades (including the murder of nearly 300 American servicemen), Hezbollah has set up shop in Venezuela.

* In Beslan, residents commemorated the second anniversary of a terrorist attack that killed 333 people (more than 150 of whom were children).

And the mainstream media -- not to mention the Pelosi and Reid gang -- couldn't care less.

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid called Rumsfeld's utterly valid remarks, "reckless." But he couldn't quantify why said comments were reckless, nor answer any of the questions Rumsfeld posed.

Nancy Pelosi whined that Rumsfeld's factual observations and questions were "smears":

..."Secretary Rumsfeld's efforts to smear critics of the Bush Administration's Iraq policy are a pathetic attempt to shift the public's attention from his repeated failure to manage the conduct of the war competently... If Mr. Rumsfeld is so concerned with comparisons to World War II, he should explain why our troops have now been fighting in Iraq longer than it took our forces to defeat the Nazis in Europe...

Perhaps, genius, because these are two completely different and unrelated wars. So far, Pelosi has produced only similarly useless non-sequiters and politicized soundbites. She, and Reid, have completely avoided any discussion of strategy in prosecuting the war on terror (other than retreat and appeasement without regard to the consequences).

Pelosi has a horrid track record when it comes to combatting terrorism: opposing the vital Patriot act (which the Department of Justice indicates has disrupted over 150 terrorist acts and cells), praising the Hamdan decision that, "[grants] terrorists the same legal protections to which American citizens are entitled," and critquing the NSA international wiretap program (but only after the issue became politicized, months after being briefed on it).

Because of her willingness to blithely oppose tools -- which are generally praised by law enforcement as pivotal in prosecuting the war -- for pure political gain, yes, I question Pelosi's patriotism. As I do Harry Reid and the laughable Howard Dean.

This clique has opposed virtually every tool used to combat terror... that's every... single... tool... proposed by the administration. Given that 100% track record of opposing the President, I can only believe that their concerns are purely political, focused on regaining power, and certainly not in the best interests of America.

So, yes, I do question their patriotism. They have, for years, studiously avoided answering the critical questions of our time. Until and unless they can bring something to the table other than obstructionism, they are profoundly unqualified to take the reins of power in this country.

Saturday, September 02, 2006

Why AT&T needs IPTV more than Cable needs Telephony


Interesting analysis over at the AT&T "Weblog" (didn't know anyone still used that term):

We know why AT&T and Time Warner want to get into each other's business. They've both are counting on the idea that consumers want bundles, right? ...But who stands to gain the most by adding that new component to its bundle?

...I bet it's AT&T.

...the landline phone business is going away. Look at what's happening to AT&T's revenues as people switch off their home phones for wireless and e-mail. Look what's happened to long-distance rates...

...U-verse has the potential to bring AT&T into the entertainment business, which is growing and has expansion potential yet to come. Even if competition from cable companies makes AT&T cut subscription prices, the company's IP-based system theoretically gives it an open-ended ability to roll out — and charge for — new services including music, games and plenty that's still being dreamed up...

But, before we start slapping Big Ed on the back in congratulations, we've got to remember something: AT&T has got to execute before it can reap those rewards...

Looking back on Ed's track record of innovation, I don't think the cable companies are all that worried.

AT&T Blog: Why AT&T needs U-verse more than the cable guys needs phone

BBC: Windows Vista may prove open-source more secure


Fascinating analysis from IT Business Edge that posits Microsoft's strategy of freezing out third-party security vendors may be hazardous to its health:

Last week Redmond released security patches for Windows Vista Beta, and the media was all over it, pointing to the fact that it was the first time Microsoft had patched a beta release...

Most surmise that it results from the fact... [the] new OS may have locked out other security vendors. Microsoft’s Kernel Patch Guard, which will ship with Vista, prevents the kernel from being modified in any way which, in turn, will prevent most antivirus software from doing its job.

In a BBC News column, tech commentator Bill Thompson points out that Redmond may be writing its own death warrant with the new approach... For the first time..., users will be able to determine for themselves whether completely closed source software development or open source software development produces a more secure OS. And if open source comes out on top, Redmond won’t be able to look anywhere but in the mirror.

IT Business Edge: Windows Vista Could Prove Open Source More Secure

Rumsfeld's Questions Confuse the "Progressives"


Donald Rumsfeld's op-ed in the L.A. Times poses critical questions for our time.

...In speaking to our veterans, I suggested several questions to guide us during this struggle against violent extremists:

• With the growing lethality and availability of weapons, can we truly afford to believe that vicious extremists can somehow be appeased?

• Can we really continue to think that free countries can negotiate a separate peace with terrorists?

• Can we truly afford to pretend that the threats today are simply "law enforcement" problems rather than fundamentally different threats requiring fundamentally different approaches?

• Can we truly afford to return to the destructive view that America — not the enemy — is the real source of the world's troubles?

These are the central questions of our time, and, as in all periods of conflict, we have no choice but to face them honestly...

Honest answers to these questions won't be forthcoming from the party of weakness.

LA Times: New Enemies Demand New Thinking

Thoughts for the day


So last night I'm standing in the kitchen eating an apple. As is her typical practice, the dog sidles in. She stands there watching me... waiting for some food to drop. Perhaps this is because I have a bad habit of feeding her table scraps -- grilled chicken, usually -- which leads her to expect snacks whenever I'm grazing.

As I stare at the dog, I think: "What a great life that dog has. Go outside and run around the yard chasing deer. Trap moles. Get fed primo food. Sleep anytime and anywhere..."

The dog must be thinking: "What a great life that man has. Go anywhere, anytime - walk outside whenever he wants. Jump in the car and drive places. Eat great food - and chow down anytime and anywhere..."

U.S. Unemployment Rate Falls to 4.7% in August


Hiring keeps chugging along as the U.S. hits a five year low for unemployment. Oh, and gas is down to $2.50 a gallon in the Midwest.

I blame Bush.

Boston Globe: Unemployment rate approaches 5-year low

Friday, September 01, 2006

Black Duck CEO: F1000 Open Source Use On Fire


The use of open-source software in large enterprise is exploding, according to Black Duck Software:

Enterprise Open Source growth trends are off-the-charts, not simply for free downloads but for real use, says Black Duck Software CEO Doug Levin... To date, more than 250 F1000 firms use software compliance and management solutions from Black Duck, up 600+% from last year...

Black Duck provides intellectual property (IP) tracking and management tools that can be used to monitor licensing and compliance for OSS and closed-source packages.

OET: Black Duck CEO: F1000 Open Source Use On Fire

Thursday, August 31, 2006

Stratfor Research: Fear as Force Multiplier


Stratfor's latest terrorism update -- you can register here for their email updates -- speculates that terrorists have succeeded despite the recent bustup of the London liquid bomb plot.

...At least 17 public incidents involving airline security have been reported in the United States and parts of Europe since Aug. 10. Most of these were innocuous, but many resulted in airliners making emergency landings off their scheduled routes, sometimes escorted by fighter aircraft.

The spate of incidents -- each of which rings up significant financial costs to the airline company and governments involved and causes inconvenience and delays for travelers -- is a reminder that terrorism, philosophically, is not confined to the goal of filling body bags or destroying buildings...

...On Aug. 25, Irish discount airline Ryanair filed the lawsuit it had previously threatened against the British Department for Transport. The lawsuit represents an effort to change the new restrictions the department placed on carry-on items following the disruption of the airline plot. Ryanair officials have publicly called the new restrictions "nonsensical and ineffective" and have called for "a return to common sense" regarding airline security. The company claims it has lost 3.3 million pounds (nearly $5.9 million) in earnings as a result of the new measures.

....With that psychological component in mind, terrorist acts do not have to be tremendously successful (in terms of physical casualties or damage) in order to be terribly effective.

...Bin Laden outlined this very clearly in his October 29, 2004 message to the American people. In that recording, he estimated that it cost al Qaeda only $500,000 to carry out the 9/11 attacks, whereas the estimated cost to the United States from the event and its aftermath was measured at $500 billion. In the same message, bin Laden also mused about how easy it was to "provoke and bait" the U.S. administration... "So we are continuing this policy in bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy..."

...To wage this war of attrition, al Qaeda's chief requirements are to survive -- or answer the bell at the beginning of each round -- issue threats and conduct an occasional strike to prove they are still relevant. The large number of media releases from al Qaeda leaders this year show that they have indeed survived. The statements also may be an attempt to overwhelm and exhaust the enemy. Obviously, the United States and its allies cannot conceivably protect everything, and attempts to do so take great tolls on human resources and finances.

Viewed through this lens, the responses to the disrupted airlines plot may, in fact, be a form of success for al Qaeda, despite the failure of the actual plot.

Stratfor: Weekly Intelligence Reports

Thought for the day


One wonders... is Microsoft : Encyclopedia Brittanica as RedHat : Wikipedia?

Paul Hackett Unhinged


Apparently it wasn't embarrassing enough to lose an election to an exceedingly weak Republican candidate in the '04 Congressional elections. Last night, on national television, former Democratic golden boy Paul Hackett suffered a cranial implosion of monumental proportions. On the O'Reilly Factor (guest host: John Kasich), he called Fox News contributor Dan Senor, "Herr Senor" and "Little Unterfuhrer of Propaganda."

While certain to endear himself to the far left bank of American politics, Nazi stylings don't play well in red states. Hackett -- in addition to being a losing candidate -- is also a disgrace. Unfortunately, this sort of thing doesn't seem to be an anomaly.

HotAir: Hackett unhinged

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Rumsfeld lays a smackdown on the MSM


A couple of days ago, SecDef Rumsfeld laid down some metaphorical bodies like John Gotti. I'm hoping this only signals the onset of a long, vicious campaign that fully leverages the bully pulpit. First on the agenda: to expose the bizarre, self-destructive tendencies of the New York Times and friends.

You gonna put some ice on that, Eason Jordan?

[W]e find ourselves in a strange time:

* When a database search of America's leading newspapers turns up 10 times as many mentions of one soldier at Abu Ghraib who was punished for misconduct than mentions of Sgt. 1st Class Paul Ray Smith, the first recipient of the Medal of Honor in the War on Terror.

* When a Newsweek senior editor disparagingly refers to the brave volunteers in our Armed Forces as a "mercenary army."

* When the former head of CNN accuses the American military of deliberately targeting journalists and the former CNN Baghdad bureau chief admits he concealed reports of Saddam Hussein's crimes when he was in power so CNN could stay in Iraq.

* And when Amnesty International disgracefully refers to the military facility at Guantanamo Bay - which holds terrorists who have vowed to kill Americans, and is arguably the best run and most scrutinized detention facility in the history of warfare - as "the gulag of our times."

Those who know the truth need to speak out against these kinds of myths and lies and distortions being told about our troops and our country. This watchdog role is even more important today in a war that is to a great extent fought in the global media - to not allow the lies and the myths be repeated without question or challenge, so that at least the second and third draft of history will be more accurate than the quick first allegations...

DefenseLink: Rumsfeld delivers the smackdown

Open source's biggest services gun?


When you think professional services and open-source, odds are the name "Unisys" doesn't come to mind. Infoworld reports that Unisys has begun rebranding itself and retooling its business model to take advantage of OSS. What's next: a Sperry-Univac deal with Zend?

Bet you didn't think "Unisys" when you read that subject line, but it's true... Julie Giera of Forrester has an interesting report on Unisys' open source services. The report deals primarily with Unisys, but also has interesting things to say about the larger open source services market...:

...Unisys has announced a set of service offerings, called OASIS, for companies with open source platforms. It is the first time that a major IT service provider has offered a fully integrated set of services - including installation, configuration, maintenance, and enhancement - for a predefined open source stack. Competitors like HP and IBM have long had a menu of open source services that customers could choose from, but they have been reluctant to put a stake in the ground around a specific set of open source components. The OASIS announcement is an early indication that the open source services market is starting to mature. Through the OASIS offerings, open source customers can expect to achieve some of the same benefits as commercial software customers - predictability, cost savings, and strong service-level guarantees. With the OASIS set of services offerings, Forrester believes that Unisys should be on the shortlist of vendors for open source services.

Infoworld: Open source's biggest services gun?

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Google's SiteStatus


Google's Site status provides webmasters with metrics on how the popular search-engine interacts with their sites. Here's how it works: you are first required to verify the site is yours by adding a meta-tag to the central index file of the site.

One you've done that, Google can provide relevant statistics including the top queries that landed Google searchers at your site. For example, one of the top Google searches for visitors to my site was for the phrase, "my food pyramid". As of this writing, I'm #9 behind the US Dept. of Agriculture, the Dairy Council of California, and Fat Elvis. Just kidding about that last one, I don't think Fat Elvis' personal food pyramid would attract a lot of visitors. The ninth result lands searchers at my blog post entitled, oddly enough, "My Food Pyramid."

Anyhow, if you don't routinely track referrals to your website, Site Status is a useful tool that provides additional insight into how folks found you.

Google: Site status