Marc Perkel Rantz

He Kills Reporters - Yet they still suck up to him

What amazes me is that the press is still sucking up to Bush even after having so many of their own murdered in Iraq by the US military. They deliberately kill reporters as a way of using terrorism to intimidate them - and yey they keep silent and say "Bush is a good ol' boy!" We are a nation of cowards. And the press has no tongue.

Computer Viruses Can be Stopped

Article I sent to my Newspaper List

Computer Viruses can be stopped and it isn't be very hard to do it. Most all computer viruses are spread as executable email attachments that the victim is tricked into opening and running. Often users of Microsoft Outlook don't even have to run the attachment if they have their setting wrong. But - there are three things that Wibdows users can do to protect themselves from viruses.

First - go to Microsoft Windows Update service (http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com) and install all the latest security patches.

Second - avoid opening email attachments unless you are very sure you know what it is.

And Third - ask your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to block all messages containing Windows attachments that are executable. By blocking all executable attachment your anti-virus software doesn't have to figure out if the attachment is or is not a virus.And - anti-virus software rarely catches the very latest viruses that are going around.

If you do these three thing you should be virus free. And it's a lot easier to prevent a virus than it is to remove one after your computer is already infected.

About the Author:
Marc Perkel is a small internet service provider and contract systems administrator with 23 years of experience in computers and 31 years of experience in electronic systems repair.

Check out the extended section for a letter I sent to a prominent Microsoft official.

This is a letter I emailed to an important executive at Microsoft

This latest virus does not seem to be just going away. It has created a launch platform for the next attack. With a launch platform of millions of computers and attacker would be able to take down the internet. And - any 15 year old super geek could set it off. Or - it can be miltiple viruses from multiple authors all taking advantage of this network of infected computers at the same time.

I want to also point put that all anti-virus software will be useless against this new virus because anti-virus is always at least 2 days behind current viruses and in two days it's to late.

What I'm saying is - in 3 weeks email as we know it may cease to exist. And - we (by "we" I mean "you") should take action to prevent this immediately. You have till 9-11, interesting enough, to act.

The attack can be prevented or at least contained if steps are taken immediately. There are two means that viruses and works spread - by infected email attackments - or directy port to port communication through a vulnerability or - in this case - a back door in already infected computers.

Step 1
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As to executable email attachments - Microsoft should issue a worldwide warning encouraging ISPs to block all email with executable attachments. This will stop the spread of all viruses that spread through email - so even if the virus mutates as expected on Sept 10th - there's no way for it to spread. This alert should go out immediately. No later than tomorrow. Step 1 is likely all you will need to do if you can really rally ISPs to join in.

Step 2
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Issue a world wide alert encouragimg people to download and install the latest patches for Windows. This should include a television campaign with 30 second commercials showing people how to run Windows Update. If you need to use Windows Update to deploy a fix for this upcoming threat - you want the public to be ready to cooperate. If the public had been educated - the msblaster virus would have had no effect.

Step 3
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The risk of direct port to port spreading is less likely but still real. If it's real it would spread like the "msblaster" worm did and that is a far more serious problem. Microsoft need to immediately decompile this virus and determine what it is capable of. Also keep in mind that if the virus can update itself that you have to assume that the update might have this capability. You need to meet with your sharpest people and assess risk and determine countermeasures and put an infastructure in place to deploy the countermeasures should they become necessary.

The problem here is that we are dealing with an unknown threat. So - it's time to look at what can be done with windows update in case of different kinds of threats. I would also encourage you to develop a plan that a work could be cured by attempting to infect a cured computer - the anti-virus virus idea - in case extreme measures are necessary.

Go with what works
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In the last two weeks millions of computers were compromized by this virus. But - of the computers under my control - not one was infected - and there's a reason for this. Here's what I did:

1) Updates - I went to every windows computer and personally made sure they were updated a few weeks back when the security hole was announced because I anticipated a virus would quickly be developed to exploit this flaw.

2) Firewall - We use a simple NAT firewall. Had there been computers in the office that had been missed - the NAT protected them from the Blaster worm.

3) Executable Attachments - All email messages containing executable attachments are blocked. Besides educating the users not to open executables - showing extentions of well know file types - prohibiting the use of Microsoft Outlook as an email client - my users never had the opportunity to get the virus onto their computer in the first place. Although tens of thousands of virus infected messages were recieved - the users never got a single one of them.

I also had anti virus software on all windows computers - but that had not effect at all on these latest two worms. Point being - anti-virus software can not be relied upon for protection.

The Bottom Line
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How likely will this happen? My guess is that I will be surprized if it doesn't happen. The opportunity if there - millions of currently infected computers waiting to be exploited by anyone who figures out how to do it first. The temtation is irresistable.

There's only one issue to decised. Does Microsoft want to get the blame for it happening or the credit for preventing it. You have 17 more days. Tick, Tick, Tick ......

Choose wisely.

Marc Perkel

Bush strikes deal to let Bin Laden get away

Letter to the Editor

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf struck a deal in December of 2001 with the US not to capture Osama Bin Laden, fearing this could lead to unrest in Pakistan. So - it turns out that the hunt for Bin Laden was all a sham and Bush has again sold out America by deciding to let the terrorists who destroyed the World Trade Center to go free. We went to war with Iraq supposedly because of terrorism and it turns out that Bush had given the terrorists a pass. Now we can't seem to find Saddam Hussein. Makes you wonder what kind of deal they made with him? For all we know Saddam and Osama might be living on Bush's ranch!

Reference: Times of India

Bush made Osama deal with Musharraf

IANS[ SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2003 06:49:05 PM ]

LONDON: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has struck a deal with the US not to capture Osama Bin Laden, fearing this could lead to unrest in Pakistan, according to a special investigation by The Guardian.

The paper reported Saturday that Bin Laden was being protected by three elaborate security rings manned by tribesmen stretching 192 kms in diameter in northern Pakistan.

The paper's information is based on comments made by Mansoor Ijaz, an American of Pakistan origin who, the paper said, knows al-Qaeda better than most people and had close contacts in Pakistan's intelligence agencies.

Ijaz believed an agreement was reached between Musharraf and US authorities shortly after Bin Laden's flight from his stronghold Tora Bora in Afghanistan in December 2001.

The Pakistanis feared that to capture or kill Bin Laden so soon after a deeply unpopular war in Afghanistan would incite civil unrest in Pakistan and trigger a spate of revenge al-Qaida attacks on Western targets across the world.

"There was a judgment made that it would be more destabilising in the longer term. There would still be the ability to get him at a later date when it was more appropriate", Ijaz told The Guardian.

The Americans, according to Ijaz, accepted the argument, not least because of the shift in focus to the impending war in Iraq.

So the months that followed were centred on taking down not Bin Laden but the "retaliation infrastructure" of al-Qaeda.

It meant that Musharraf frequently put out conflicting accounts of the status of Bin Laden, while the US administration barely mentioned his name.

In January last year Musharraf said he believed Bin Laden was probably dead. A year later he said he was alive and moving either in Afghanistan or perhaps in the Pakistani tribal areas.

"Yet Western diplomats say they believe the Pakistani authorities are committed to the hunt for Bin Laden, although they admit that frequently the official accounts of the timing and location of successful arrests do not square with reality," the report stated.

"Pakistan must now end the charade and get Bin Laden... With so much of the retaliation infrastructure gone or unsustainable, Bin Laden's martyrdom does not pose nearly the threat it did a year ago," Ijaz told the paper.

According to Ijaz, Bin Laden is hiding in the "northern tribal areas", part of the long belt of seven deeply conservative tribal agencies which stretch down the length of the mountain ranges that mark Pakistan's winding border with Afghanistan.

The paper said that Ijaz, who recently visited Pakistan, believed that Bin Laden was protected by an elaborate security cordon of three concentric circles, in which he is guarded first by a ring of tribesmen, whose duty is to report any approach by Pakistani troops or US Special Forces.

Inside them is a tighter ring, around 19 km in diameter, made up of tribal elders who would warn if the outer ring were breached.

At the centre of the circles is Bin Laden himself, protected by one or two of his closest relatives and advisers.

Bin Laden has reportedly agreed with the elders' argument that he will use no electronic communications but handwritten notes, and will move only at night and between specified places within a limited radius.

Pakistani Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat told the daily: "We have been getting reports of his presence across the border inside Afghanistan and along the border area also.

"Not all reports have been credible at times. If others were credible, we would certainly have been able to get near to him but certainly that has not been the position so far."

Talat Masood, a retired Pakistani general and security analyst said: "I think the Americans find their reliance on the Pakistanis is now increasing."

The Next Computer Virus could Kill the Internet

Letter to the Editor

As bad as the current crop of this weeks computer viruses are - they are nothing compared to what might follow. The next generation of computer viruses that are likely to come soon as three weeks from now might actually take the Internet down and cause massive data losses on a scale never been seen before.

The current virus named "SoBig" installs a back door into the victims computer allowing these millions of infected computers to be in an open state waiting to be exploited in the future. It has been speculated in press reports that the virus author plans to use it as a launch pad for a massive spam attack - but it could be far worse.

With millions of computers vulnerable - any programmer on the planet could figure out how this virus works and use it to launch their own attack. It could be used - for example - to instantly spread not only to currently infected computers - but new computers as well and instantly destroy all your data - or email your sensitive documents to random people. And your virus protection software will have no effect in stopping this because virus software rarely protects computers from the lastest newest virus.

These viruses are a result of flaws in the Microsoft Windows operating system and it's time for the world to demand that Microsoft take affirmative steps to deal with this issue. Millions of computers are open and vulnerable and if a terrorist were to combine the technologies of SoBig with last weeks MsBlaster - they could take the Internet down worldwide. We all need to act now to prevent this from happening.

Marc Perkel
San Francisco, CA.

Sorry for the longer than usual letter, but this takes more words to describe. I have 25 years of computing experience. I have a one man one server dot com company and lots of sys admin experience. This threat is EXTREMELY real as you probably know by how clogged your email is now. I invite you to run this by your tech people and see what they think.

Fighting federal Parking Tickets

I'm already tired of San Francisco parking tickets but this one is clearly a parking trap. I went in to appear to protest this and handed them this picture. Do you see a no parking sign? Of course you don't That's because the sign is turned more than 90 degrees away from you. And - there are no lines on the street indicating that parking is prohibited.

The area in question is on the road just past the entrance to Baker Beach. It's on a hill and the road curves to the right making the sign even less visible. I believe that the Park Service is deliberately concealing these signs for the purpose of ripping off people for parking ticket revenue. I want to try to make the government accountable and comply with the law the way we citizens have to.

Here is my letter to the judge.

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The Honorable Magistrate Judge Bernard Zimmerman
U.S. District Court
450 Golden Gate Ave.
San Francisco CA. 94102

In Re: Violation Number P241626-CN22 Improper Parking

Dear Mr. Zimmerman,

I am writing you in regards to the above named complaint in relation to inadequacy of process. I am attaching my “Notice of Trial”. This notice is improper in that it fails to comply with the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedures Rule 7©(1) which states:

"(1) In General. The indictment or information must be a plain, concise and definite written statement of the essential facts constituting the offense charged and must be signed by an attorney for the government. It need not contain a formal introduction or conclusion. A count may incorporate by reference an allegation made in another count. A count may allege that the means by which the defendant committed the offense are unknown or that the defendant committed it by one or more specified means. For each count, the indictment or information must give the official or customary citation of the statute, rule, regulation or other provision of law that the defendant is alleged to have violated."

The attached “Notice of Trial” is lacking in that it fails to state the essential facts constituting the offense charged, it is not signed by an attorney for the government – in fact - it is not signed at all, it lacks a citation of the statute, rule, or regulation that I have alleged to have violated. I believe it is also customary that the complaint state the maximum penalty for the offence. Furthermore – it lacks a certificate of service identifying the name and address of the government attorney who is bringing this charge.

Additionally the notice states that the government might be represented by a “law clerk”. I would point out that generally law clerks are not attorneys and that a non-attorney cannot bring an action in behalf of another party – let alone purport to represent the United States of America in a criminal case. If the government doesn’t appear with proper representation, I will move to dismiss because the Government failed to appear.

Additionally – I need time for discovery. I want time for interrogatories, requests for admissions, issuing of subpoenas, and possibly depositions. Issues I want to discover relate to the standards regarding the posting of “no parking” signs. In this case my defense is based on the assertion that the signs are at an angle perpendicular to traffic and are not visible from the location where I parked. Furthermore – I need to discover why the complainant failed to paint the street with white diagonal lines as required by law in the area for which parking is prohibited. And – I have not even been given the opportunity to file an answer to the complaint – if you can call this “Notice of Trial” to be a complaint.

As I understand it – there is a possibility of a 5-day jail sentence and I am therefore entitled to due process greater than that for petty infractions.

I also need time to investigate if it is allowed for me to ask this court for an injunction against the complainant to force them to comply with the law and to order them to turn the “no parking” signs 90 degrees so that they are not facing away from traffic, and that the complainant be ordered to comply with the law and paint the street in the manner required by law to indicate that parking is prohibited.

Your honor – I normally wouldn’t raise this kind of issue over a mere $35 ticket but I believe it is really wrong for there to be a no parking zone in which it appears that the government is deliberately concealing that this is a no parking zone for the purpose of raising revenue from unjust parking tickets. I feel it is my duty as a citizen to make the court aware of these issues.

I therefore submit these requests as a motion before this court and ask that:

1) The court send a copy of this document to opposing counsel since opposing counsel has failed to identify themselves.

2) That the court dismiss this cause of action against me for insufficiency of process or in the alternative order the government to comply with the law and file it’s pleadings properly.

3) Issue an injunction ordering the complainant to comply with the law regarding the visibility of signs and the proper painting of the roadway.

Sincerely,

Marc Perkel
Dated: 08-18-2003

Arnold was involved in causing California Blackouts

It turns out that Arnold Schwarzenegger met with Enron's Kenny Boy Lay and other Republican superstars to help plan the fake energy crisis and drive up utility costs. Now he wants to be governor. Arnold should be in jail.

From Salon Magazine:

Exerpt:

Joe Conason's Journal

When Arnold Schwarzenegger gets around to attacking Gov. Gray Davis for the state's energy fiasco, someone should ask why he appointed Pete Wilson his campaign chairman.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Aug. 11, 2003 | Arnold's secret meeting with Kenny Boy

If you're compiling a list of public figures even less popular in California than Gray Davis, one name is likely to top it: former Enron chairman Kenneth "Kenny Boy" Lay. Voters in the Golden State are behaving like sheep these days, but even the dimmest of them can probably remember how Enron and the other corporate vultures descended on them during the electricity "crisis" of 2001.

What California voters may no longer remember, however, is that after the third wave of rolling blackouts hit their state, Kenny Boy quietly summoned a select group to the Beverly Hills Hotel on May 11, 2001. And they may also have forgotten that one of the prominent Republicans who showed up at Lay's request was Arnold Schwarzenegger.

On June 21, 2001, the Associated Press reported that "Lay met secretly with California Republicans at the Beverly Hills Hotel and pushed a plan that called for ratepayers to pay the billions in debt racked up by the state's public utilities. The plan contended that federal investigations of price gouging are hindering the situation." According to William Bradley, the L.A. Weekly's sharp political columnist who wrote about Enron for the American Prospect, the meeting revolved around Lay's plans to "preserve deregulation" in California. The L.A. Times noted that Lay was seeking the support of Schwarzenegger and the other GOP luminaries for even greater deregulation. Apparently Lay wanted help in saving a lousy system, squeezing the unfortunate Californians even more, and avoiding accountability for their plight.

I write to the president of Microsoft

To: Steve Balmer

Here's an interesting solution to the blaster worm problem. An anti-virus virus.

Every computer that is infected has the virus - and it still has the secutiry hole. You could write a virus of your own that took advavtage of this security hole to remove the virus and to patch the security hole. You could make it part of the windows update upgrade.

What would happen is when the attaking virus tries to infect a machine with the anti-virus the attacked computer detects this and identifies the IP address of the attacking computer. It then would use the same security hole to upload a program to the attacking computer that would remove the virus and patch the hole. It would also turn the attacking computer into an anti-virus computer and the patch would spread as fast as the virus did - fixing all the systems.

Something to think about .....

Marc Perkel

Good time to Sell your Stock?

Should you sell your stock or hang on to it? Well - that depends on if you think the economy is going up or down. Are we really in a "recovery"? Is the economy on the rebound? I think not.

America is living a lie and it's just a matter of time before we can no longer fake it. Interest rates are on the rise. Unemployment is increasing. Taxes are going up, especially on the middle class as states raise taxes on everything to fix their own deficits. And - the national deficit for 2003 is currently projected at 455 billion, and that's not including the social security ripoff that bumbs it up to 650 billion.

So - if you want to stat in the market - good luck! The only mystery here is - how long can they keep the lie going? America is a nation in deep denial. Reality is going to catch up to us some day soon.

What would Arnold Do?

Letter to the Editor

In 2000 and 2001 California had a major energy crisis because several big energy companies like Enron gamed the system and created artificial energy shortages. The high energy prices were devastating to the California economy - but Davis managed to see us through it and get new power plants online. But what would happen if an actor like Arnold Schwarzenegger were governor and we had an energy crisis? What would Arnold do?

Isn't that the real question facing the voters of California? In an environment where all of America under the Bush administration is on the verge of economic collapse, you do you trust to get us through the tough times? Shouldn't California have a governor who knows what he's doing rather than an actor who is merely playing a role? What would Arnold do?

-----

When it comes down to it, that is the real question. Maybe I could get in touch with the right people in the Davis camp and help them get the right message out. Modeled after the slogan "What would Jesus Do?" it raises the real issue which is - what does it mean for California if we hire an actor to play governor? Can we afford to do that?

I'm tired of San Francisco Parking Tickets

I'm starting a Web Site and Discussion Forum for people who are wanting to organize to fight San Frsncisco Parking Tickets.

San Francisco is the most inefficient city government on the planet. Kind of a welfare state for the politically correct who seem to think that the evil people who drive cars should be taxed to death. It's not enough that we pay gas taxes, huge license plate taxes, and it's 5 bucks to drive across the Golden Gate bridge. There's no parking in San Francisco and the racket is to pass out as many parking tickets as possible in a manner that is really a tax and not a civil penality.

I'd love to find a lawyer who wanted to bring a case against the city on the basis that this is really a tax and an illegal one at that. I am working on one loophole in the system though - the requirement that the VIN number be on the ticket. It only requires the last 4 digits - but San Francisco tickets don't have that. They always put NV (not visible) when in fact it is visible.

The law ays that they shall put the VIN number on the ticket and if I have to comply with the law - so do they. So I'm contesting every ticket I get that fails to comply with the law.

California Vehicle Code - Section 40202

(a) If a vehicle is unattended during the time of the violation, the peace officer or person authorized to enforce parking laws and regulations shall securely attach to the vehicle a notice of parking violation setting forth the violation, including reference to the section of this code or of the Public Resources Code, the local ordinance, or the federal statute or regulation so violated; the date; the approximate time thereof; the location where the violation occurred; a statement printed on the notice indicating that the date of payment is required to be made not later than 21 calendar days from the date of citation issuance; and the procedure for the registered owner, lessee, or rentee to deposit the parking penalty or, pursuant to Section 40215, contest the citation. The notice of parking violation shall also set forth the vehicle license number and registration expiration date if they are visible, the last four digits of the vehicle identification number, if that number is readable through the windshield, the color of the vehicle, and, if possible, the make of the vehicle. The notice of parking violation, or copy thereof, shall be considered a record kept in the ordinary course of business of the issuing agency and the processing agency and shall be prima facie evidence of the facts contained therein.

(b) The notice of parking violation shall be served by attaching it to the vehicle either under the windshield wiper or in another conspicuous place upon the vehicle so as to be easily observed by the person in charge of the vehicle upon the return of that person.

(c) Once the issuing officer has prepared the notice of parking violation and has attached it to the vehicle as provided in subdivisions

(a) and

(b), the officer shall file the notice with the processing agency. Any person, including the issuing officer and any member of the officer's department or agency, or any peace officer who alters, conceals, modifies, nullifies, or destroys, or causes to be altered, concealed, modified, nullified, or destroyed the face of the remaining original or any copy of a citation that was retained by the officer, for any reason, before it is filed with the processing agency or with a person authorized to receive the deposit of the parking penalty, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

(d) If, during the issuance of a notice of parking violation, without regard to whether the vehicle was initially attended or unattended, the vehicle is driven away prior to attaching the notice to the vehicle, the issuing officer shall file the notice with the processing agency. The processing agency shall mail, within 15 calendar days of issuance of the notice of parking violation, a copy of the notice of parking violation or transmit an electronic facsimile of the notice to the registered owner.

(e) If, within 21 days after the notice of parking violation is attached to the vehicle, the issuing officer or the issuing agency determines that, in the interest of justice, the notice of parking violation should be canceled, the issuing agency, pursuant to subdivision

(a) of Section 40215, shall cancel the notice of parking violation or, if the issuing agency has contracted with a processing agency, shall notify the processing agency to cancel the notice of parking violation pursuant to subdivision

(a) of Section 40215. The reason for the cancellation shall be set forth in writing. If, after a copy of the notice of parking violation is attached to the vehicle, the issuing officer determines that there is incorrect data on the notice, including, but not limited to, the date or time, the issuing officer may indicate in writing, on a form attached to the original notice, the necessary correction to allow for the timely entry of the notice on the processing agency's data system. A copy of the correction shall be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle.

(f) Under no circumstances shall a personal relationship with any officer, public official, or law enforcement agency be grounds for cancellation.

Next California Governor?

Will this be California's new governor? The kind of guy the Christian religious right can get behind. Arnold is a briliant man with briliant ideas. But just exactly what they are is somewhat illusive. As with all Republicans it's all about power and money. Arnold doesn't have to have any ideas because the moonies are already working on his script - as well as the script for the news media's journalist actors. Arnold is an actor - not a writer!

Bush Says Schwarzenegger Would Be 'Good Governor'. Boy - that's reassuring! The shame of it all is that Grey Davis really is a good governor. But after Bush's buddies - like Kenny Boy from Enron - started gaming the energy market by creating artificial energy shortages destroyong the economy of the western states, it's amazing Gray Davis managed to keep the lights on at all. And then there's good ole Ross Perot who sold the software to the energy companies to create the shortages in the first place - and he's talking about running for president again. What a world!

I'm voting to keep Davis - but in the alternative I'm leaning towards Larry Flint. He's the free speech candidate.

Episcopalians Elect Gay Bishop

This shouldn't be a big deal - but it is. What difference does someone's sexual preference matter in the worship of mythical beings? If God really objected to homosexuals then he should come out of hiding and say so. Of course - there is a certian hypocracy in that if you say you believe in the Bible then any sex outside of marriage is sin - and - the Bible doesn't allow marriage between people of the same sex even if the state did.

But - Christians can justify anything. The Bible is so poorly written that it can easilly be twisted into meaning anything you want it to mean. So - I don't really fault Christians for not following the Bible because it's impossible to follow. And - the world would be a scary place if people actually took it more seriously than they already do.

The most amazing hypocracy though is the Catholic church coming out so storngly against homosexuals while at the same time being soft on priests who have sex with children. Preists are supposed to be celebate so if thet are celebate then they aren't having sex with anyone. So what difference does it mattter who they aren't having sex with?

I believe in freedom and that includes sexual preferences. I don't care what gay people do as long as they leave me alone about it. Hell - I think Black people should be allowed to join the KKK if they want to. That isn't much different than being a gay Republican. Join a group that hates you or a group that defines who you are as a sinner? I fail to see why gays would want to be Christians in the first place?

As to religions who accept gays, there is only one religion that truly accepts gays 100% without any regard whatsoever as to sexual orientation. And that is the Church of Reality. The Church of Reality is a church based on believing in everything that's real. The Church of Reality has it's Sacred Principles which includes the Principle of Inclusiveness which states:

Comparing the Presidents on Job Creation

What a difference a president makes. This chary outlines the number of jobs created (or lost) under the last three presidents. Each president is started at sero at the beginning of their term.

For those who say that it doesn't matter who is president and that the president doesn't make a difference - here's the chart. Looks to me like who the president is makes a difference. I remember when Clinton was president Greenspan was hiking the interest rates to slow down the economy that was "overheating" and that the jobless rate was too low. Now look where we are. That's what happens when America accepts a pathetic loser as president who was never elected in the first place.

Berlin Wall now in Israel

Are the Jews becoming what they hate?

The Berlin wall represented terror and oppression. It was a relic of World War II and the world cheered when it came down. Now Israel is building one and it is an abomination to peace and a shame to the Jewish Religion. This wall represents the failure of peace and is a monument to everything that is wrong with religion.

It is called a "security fence" which is a lie. The fact that the news media won't call it what it is reflects the amount of control that Israel has over the Bush administration and the amount of control Republicans have over the American press. What do you see here? Is this a fence or a wall?

This is disturbing on a number of levels. First - you would have thought that the Jews would have learned something from the Holocaust, but apparently they did not. Those who have been preaching "never forget" have already forgotten. And if they have forgotten - then why should anyone else remember? Well - we should remember - because the Holocaust was wrong - but this is wrong too in much the same way because it's roots come from the same place.

The Jews think that they are God's chosen people. but they aren't. Jews are just people just like everyone else. What they haven't grasped is that it's not OK for them to persecute others and that they have to show respect for other people's rights and beliefs if they expect to have their bizzare rights and beliefs respected.

Sure - the Palistinians are as bad or worse than the Israelies. But that doesn't justify Israel building a Berlin wall. I personally consider this wall to be a crime against humanity and I call for its removal. Furthermore, Israel has far too much influence in the United States and not in a positive way. It used to be positive intil the extremists siezed control of Israel by fanatical right wing Jews who want war because they are better than everyone else.

I don't support Gay Marriage

But I do support civil unions - somewhat

There are several reasons for this and I'm not going to go into them all here. I do believe in civil unions for gay couples who want to bring the state and lawyers into their relationship (be careful what you ask for as they say - you might get it) - but marriage? No.

What's happening in the debate is the battle of the fuzzy lines. And it takes little effort to make the lines fuzzy. For example - a heterosexual couple gets married and one gets a sex change - are they still legally married? Yes. Or - why should non-reproducing heterosexuals be allowed to marry but gays aren't? Why shouldn't I be allowed to marry my sister if I've had a vasectomy? Or marry my father? Or marry my sister and my father? Where do you draw the line?

I draw the line where the line has always be drawn. A marriage is between heterosexuals. Even though I am a non-reproducing male, there really is a biological reason that people get married and everyone on the planet (well - science has blurred that line too) is a result of heterosexual relationships. So the concept of marriage is rooted in reproduction and raising children. Quite frankly - if I were to move the line on marriage - it would be the other way - to restrict it to families with children.

There is more of an agenda here in the gay marriage issue than just gay marriages. There is the question of - is a gay relationship "normal". And the answer to that is clearly no - it is not normal. It is in fact abnormal. And that's what a lot of this debate is all about - the issue of what is normal and what is not.

Having said that it's abnormal - how abnormal is it? Well - it's not really very abnormal. For those who were "born gay" which I do believe that most gays are born that way - it's a physical birth defect. It's equivalent to a hormone imbalance. It's less serious that something like juvenile diabetes. It is far less socially deviant that someone who is a cigarette smoker for example. So - on the scale of what is normal - it's somewhat abnormal but not as abnormal as smokers.

Back to the politics and the fuzzy lines. The real issues behind the issues of gay marriage and gays in the military (something you don't hear about since Bush became president) is how do we treat these people and how do we all get along together in society? Gay people have relationship - fall in love - and want to be together and feel normal - or relatively normal - without being harassed for who they are. The problem is that everyone - including gay - wants to treat it as a right or wrong issue. For both sides it all or none and both sides are dead wrong on that point.

Sexuality is a fuzzy line problem. Both sides of the debate are going to have to lighten up. Yes - it is abnormal. If you are gay and you are arguing that there is no difference between a gay relationship and a straight relationship - you are wrong. However - if you are anti-gay and you think that anyone who engages in sodomy should be put in prison - you're dead wrong too. I can't seem to make a good argument that anal sex between a man and a woman is morally different than anal sex between two men. The bottom line is - being gay is a defect - but it's not a serious defect. It abnormal - but not so abnormal to make a big deal over.

One of the big problems in this debate is the politics of it. The issue of gay marriage for gays caries symbolism. They were persecuted as children and have felt that they are inferior. Now they are coming back and declaring that they are not inferior that they are the same as everyone else and that the marriage issue has become a metaphor for getting society to declare them normal. That somehow if they are allowed to get married that all their self doubts and self image problems will go away.

On the other hand - heterosexuals are concerned that once gay marriage is allowed then children are going to be raised thinking that there's no difference between heterosexual and homosexual relationships and that straight kids will be taught to be gay. And they have somewhat of a point here. What we teach children is an issue and what the extremists on both sides are promoting is dead wrong. But that's a different rant.

So - I do have to agree however that gay marriage dilutes the meaning of marriage and denies the reality that there really is a distinction. For the purposes of equality however - and in recognition that although it's abnormal it's not that abnormal - that civil unions be allowed so that gay couples can adopt children - make medical decisions for their spouse - and have survivors rights and such.

Having said that - there really is no such thing as marriage anymore really. The institution of marriage is a fraud. Marriage is supposed to be a lifelong commitment to a relationship and if you get divorced - you're breaking that commitment. You can't go to the government and have the court enforce the lifelong commitment part of the marriage contract - but they will enforce the mutual property part - taking away everything you both own and giving it to a pair of greedy lawyers.

Marriage is really just a really bad property contract. If you've ever been through the divorce process you would never want to be married. And the bottom line is - gays are lucky they are protected from government abuse. If you have never experienced it - divorce lawyers and judges are corrupt beyond belief. If I told you how bad it really is - you would not believe me. If you look at it objectively it as bad as being in the military under Bush. Is this something you really want if you really knew what it was your asking for? It's not.

You don't need the approval of the government to have a relationship. If you want to have a relationship that the government or the church doesn't approve of then just do it and tell everyone who doesn't like it to get fucked.

My advice to gays is - don't depend on others for your sense of self approval because it just doesn't work. Just decide - so - I'm a little abnormal - so what. Why make it a big deal? Don't complain and don't explain.

In fact - if you really want to know why it is that straight guys don't like gay guys - it's not the sexual behavior - it's the god damn whining. Yes - gays are oppressed but not nearly as much as blacks and women are and the more you whine about it - the more irritated people become with you. I can accept bizzare sexual conduct because I really don't give a damn about what other people do sexually. It really doesn't bother me. But it's the whining about it. I can't deal with that. I don't want to be part of your self acceptance problems.

Conversely - those who judge gays as immoral based on their religious beliefs have a far more serious problem to deal with because extreme religion is a serious form of mental illness and is a far more serious problem than being gay.

Summary of Points:

1) Marriage is based on our heritage of reproduction and family gay marriage makes the definition of marriage meaningless.

2) Being Gay is abnormal - but not as abnormal as smoking or extreme religion.

3) Gays should not use this issue as a metaphor for their own self acceptance issues.

4) The institution of marriage is a fraud and not sane person who truly understood how corrupt the courts are would ever get married in the first place.

We want Full Disclosue on 9-11

Letter to the Editor

It now appears the government of Saudi Arabia, not Iraq, was behind the 9-11 attack. According to an article in the LA Times, people who have read the 28 pages that were blacked out are saying that "the Saudi government that not only provided significant money and aid to the suicide hijackers but also allowed potentially hundreds of millions of dollars to flow to al-Qaida and other terrorist groups through suspect charities and other fronts." The sources quoted say there was "direct involvement of senior (Saudi) government officials in a coordinated and methodical way directly to the hijackers, as well as very direct, very specific links that cannot be passed off as rogue, isolated or coincidental."

If Saudi Arabia was behind this then the people of America have a right to know. We can not allow the Bush administration to conceal the identities of the people what are truly behind the worst terrorist act in the history of America.If we don't find out what happened - then how can we prevent a 9-11 from happening again? I call on everyone to demand full disclosure. We have a right to know.

Link to Source:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-na-saudi2aug02,1,4474000.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Saddam's Daughter is a Babe!

Sure wasn't expecting a blonde - and a good looking one to! Maybe I should get my vasectomy reversed and fix Saddam up with some grandchildren.

Seriously though - I'm glad she's safe so that Bush doesn't murder her. Bush is obcessed with killing Saddam's family.