Thursday - February 08, 2007

Pelosi’s Plane

Pentagon Limits Pelosi Jet Size
_{(THE WASHINGTON TIMES) - February 8, 2007}

The Department of Defense yesterday sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that puts limits on the size of the plane she may use to travel across the country and restricts the guests she can bring, The Washington Times has learned.

A congressional source who read the letter signed by Assistant Secretary of Defense Robert Wilkie said it essentially limits her to the commuter plane used by former Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, which requires refueling to travel from Washington to Mrs. Pelosi’s San Francisco district. A second source, in the Bush administration, confirmed the contents of the letter.

The Washington Times first reported last week that Mrs. Pelosi’s staff was pressing the Department of Defense for an Air Force aircraft large enough to fly nonstop to San Francisco. She also has pressed to be able to include other members of the California congressional delegation, her family members and her staff on the plane.

“It’s not a question of size. It’s a question of distance,” Mrs. Pelosi told reporters yesterday. “We want an aircraft that can reach California.” Earlier, Mrs. Pelosi did not comment on the matter but yesterday began a counteroffensive accusing the Bush administration of twisting the story. “These misrepresentations could be coming from the administration,” she told reporters yesterday.

“One would only have to wonder why,” she said, though adding that she did not suspect President Bush “because he has impressed upon me over and over again the need for me to have the security that I need.” The letter from the Pentagon yesterday cites specific U.S. Code that government policy does not include the routine use of military aircraft for the speaker of the House.

“Nonstop service is not guaranteed, meaning she’s getting Hastert’s plane and nothing bigger,” the congressional source said, referring to the commuter jet Mr. Hastert began using for security reasons after the September 11 terrorist attacks. But the administration official said Mrs. Pelosi “wanted to be able to fly between Washington and the West Coast nonstop.”

The letter leaves open the possibility that Mrs. Pelosi may get a larger plane that does not require refueling if one happens to be available in the 89th Airlift Wing at Andrews Air Force Base. But, generally, the larger military passenger jets are in high demand, especially due to the Iraq war. In addition, the letter stipulates that the Air Force will only fly her between Washington and her San Francisco district and places limits on who can travel with her.

The Washington Times reported earlier this week that the Pentagon denied a request by Mrs. Pelosi to fly on a military aircraft to last weekend’s Democratic retreat in Williamsburg, a two-hour drive from Washington.

“Non-governmental personnel, i.e. political supporters and contributors, may not fly,” the congressional source said yesterday, paraphrasing the letter sent to Mrs. Pelosi. “The plane may not ferry her to any political events and other members may only accompany her after approval by the House ethics committee, which means Republicans would have to OK it.” Immediate family members who fly with her must pay the U.S. Treasury for the flight.

- More ...

Posted by The Skipper     on 02/08/2007 at 09:03 AM   
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Lost In Space

It is sad. Not scary ... just sad. I actually feel sorry for this woman. She just came unglued and let her emotions get away from her. The paraphernalia she had with her (BB-gun, knife, rubber hose, disguise, pepper spray) demonstrates to me at least a distinct separation from reality. Stress and emotions can do that to you. I have to think though that deep down she knew what she was doing was wrong and she never intended to harm anyone. The whole thing about the diapers just seals the case for temporary loss of anchorage. Her boat lost its rudder, if you will.

Twice in my life I have had the extreme displeasure to become involved with women who went bonkers on me and acted just as bizarrely. One young lady went AWOL from the USAF, drove halfway across the country, managed to work her way past the front gate of the base I had been transferred to and suddenly showed up in the men’s barracks I had been assigned to. All because I had helped her study for her promotion exams. No romance, no sex. It’s just that I may have been the first person who ever tried to help her in her entire life and therein lies a story that I had best keep to myself. I hope she is doing well these days.

The point is you too probably had a similar experience if you’ve lived long enough or you know someone close to you who has. Put a human being under enough stress and throw in a grab bag of emotions and you’ve got a recipe for freaky behavior. The little voice that tells us when we’re full of crap suddenly goes quiet or is drowned out by the roaring passion of the moment. It can happen to any of us. Even the most stable, rock-solid individuals can break under strain. In fact, those are the ones who freak out the worst. Think Hannibal Lector.

No, I don’t think Lisa Marie Nowak is a criminal. I’m just thankful the woman she attacked in Orlando was able to get away safely. Otherwise there’s no telling what Nowak would have done to her with her BB-gun. Nowak’s career is ruined, her marriage is on the rocks and she still faces serious charges. She needs time to heal, get her act back together and get on with her life. It’s time for the media to just go away and let everyone involved sort things out amongst themselves.

Speaking of the media, why is it that they only show up when things go terribly wrong? Is bad news all that matters nowadays? If so, what does that tell us about ourselves, the viewing public, who sit and watch these spectacles daily? Perhaps we all need to step back and decide if maybe we too may be just a little too close to that fine line between “normal” and what lies on the other side. Who knows? ... You may now beam me up, Mister Scott ...

_{Jeff Parker - Florida Today}

NASA Will Review Psychological Screening Process
For Astronauts Following Lisa Nowak’s Arrest
_{CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – 3:42 p.m. February 7, 2007}

NASA said Wednesday it will examine its psychological screening process for astronauts in light of the bizarre behavior by shuttle astronaut Lisa Nowak, who is charged with attempted murder.

The review will look at how astronauts are screened for psychological problems and whether Nowak showed any signs of trouble in her dealings with co-workers. Some recommendations could be issued as early as June, said Deputy NASA Administrator Shana Dale in Washington.

Nowak showed no signs of instability before her arrest Monday on charges that she tried to kidnap and harm a woman she viewed as a romantic rival for the attentions of astronaut William Oefelein, NASA officials said in a Houston news conference.

Nowak was arrested at Orlando International Airport early Monday after she tried to force her way into the car of Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman, police said. Officers found in Nowak’s car or in her possession a disguise, pepper spray, a BB-gun, a new steel mallet, knife and rubber tubing.

“Folks were shocked and concerned,” said Robert Cabana, deputy director of the Johnson Space Center in Houston. It’s a fact of life that astronauts live in a high-stress environment, not just in the hazard of space but in the offices of Johnson Space Center where astronauts vigorously compete for mission assignments.

Sometimes astronauts, especially those from a military background, compartmentalize their emotions, Cabana said. “It’s a trait we’re taught from the beginning of our training,” he said. During the selection process, astronauts are subjected to two-hour interviews with a psychiatrist and a psychologist and those findings are presented to a review board.

Although there are no formal psychological exams for astronauts flying on shuttles, physicians are trained to look for behavioral problems during their annual physicals, said Dr. Jeffrey Davis, director of space and life sciences at the Johnson Space Center.

The space agency also provides counseling for any employee who seeks it, and some astronauts can get additional sessions for trips to space. No astronaut should feel stigmatized for seeking mental health help, Cabana said. “It doesn’t prevent anybody from future spaceflight assignments or anything else,” he said.

Posted by The Skipper     on 02/08/2007 at 06:28 AM   
Filed Under: • Crime • Editorials • Odd-Strange •  
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   Wednesday - February 07, 2007

Quote Of The Day

“The administration has for too long turned their back on law enforcement and left them to fend for themselves.”

“These men have been the victims of what the Bush administration’s border enforcement policy has always been.”

“Mr. President, pardon these men now!”

— Tom Tancredo, “Inmates Beat Border Guard in Prison”
• (FOX NEWS) - February 7, 2007

Posted by The Skipper     on 02/07/2007 at 04:35 PM   
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Through The Looking Glass

Posted by The Skipper     on 02/07/2007 at 04:26 PM   
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Motivational Poster Of The Day

Posted by The Skipper     on 02/07/2007 at 04:13 PM   
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Hubris

Every time I hear some reporter or politician here in the US use the phrase “sole remaining superpower”, I want to cringe and I usually have an urge to quickly glance over my shoulder as the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as if expecting some dread evil. Why? Because the prevailing wisdom of 6,000 years of civilization goes like this ... “pride goeth before the fall.”

This is what is known as “hubris”, which is defined as “excessive pride displayed by a character and often taking the form of a boastful comparison of the self to the divine, the gods, or other higher powers - often also resulting in harsh punishment.” It’s that last part that bothers the heck out of me.

I’m reminded of Teddy Roosevelt who didn’t say, “boast loudly and carry a big stick”. No, he said, ”walk softly and carry a big stick.” Leave a light footprint, don’t disturb the other animals but keep the elephant gun handy. That was our Teddy. If he could hear all the boasting about the “world’s only remaining superpower” or the “most powerful military the world has ever seen” he would probably tell us to STFU and keep the noise down - the natives might get restless.

Yes, it is a fact that in terms of actual firepower, technology, manpower and amount of GDP spent on the military there is the United States at #1 and the next 25 countries combined are at #2. A far distant #2 ... but do we need to brag about it? Constantly?

You don’t see our fine troops in the field doing this. They don’t ride through the streets of Baghdad shouting about how good they are or how powerful their tanks are. They know they don’t need to - plus they’ve got a whole hell of a lot more common sense than the reporters and politicians back home. Even worse are the anti-war pacifists who seem to have bought into the whole “we’re a superpower, so nothing can hurt us - therefore we need to leave everyone else alone lest we offend them by making them feel inferior” argument.

That’s really the basis of the whole “human shields - to protect the little people overseas from the US bullies” and the “don’t strike back when we’re attacked - instead we need to try to understand why the little people are so afraid of us” and the “we need to put our massive strength under United Nations control to protect the world full of little people from us.”

And it’s not the anti-war Leftists here in America who have bought into this bulls**t but also several countries overseas. France, which has had a bad case of penis envy since Napolean went down in flames, heads this group of whining weasels. Small countries, full of “little people” in the Third World also are convinced that they face a supreme bully - even if we ignore them and most Americans coudln’t find them on a world map if we tried.

Why? It’s because some people here in the US feel the need to brag and strut across the world stage, scaring the bejeezus out of everyone. And no, I’m not talking about Iraq so don’t bother to use that as an example. The US (and the UN) waited twelve years for Saddam Hussein to disarm and the UN issued a baker’s dozen of resolutions asking him to stop being an asshole. Even when the UN and the US Congress approved action, President Bush gave Hussein a last chance to step down and avoid any bloodshed. He refused. Now he’s six feet under, his armed forces defeated in just a few weeks.

That’s where the “sole remaining superpower” freaks should have begun to notice that we do indeed have the most powerful military on the planet (and probably in the entire solar system, come to think of it) but what everyone failed to remember is that we also have the absolute worst foreign police force ever seen in all of recorded human history.

How can we call ourselves a “superpower” if we can’t police those we’ve whupped? We can’t because even after 250 years we are still incredibly naive when dealing with foreign peoples. Sooner or later we’re going to have to face up to the fact that we can beat the crap out of anyone on the planet but we are wholly incapable of keeping them down or even keeping them quiet. So let’s drop the “superpower” crap, stop trying to police the world and keep the big stick handy behind our back and out of sight. Take a look at the table below and you might realize why we aren’t the 600 lb gorilla we think we are. The Russians haven’t gone away. In fact, they’re re-arming and building more nukes.

Here’s a thought: what if we had invaded Iraq (with United Nations consent and approval) and had just gone in, defeated Saddam’s army, rounded him up, flew him back to New York and placed him on trial by a United Nations tribunal - and - withdrew all troops at that time and told the UN to get together their own “police force” to clean up the mess and stabilize the country? Perhaps France, Germany, Russia, Saudi Arabia and all the other “Monday morning quarterbacks” could have jumped in and proven to us that they too can be “super” if they’d only try. Maybe next time ... ?

Posted by The Skipper     on 02/07/2007 at 12:39 PM   
Filed Under: • Editorials • Iraq •  
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Most Ridiculous Item Of The Day (so far)

Gore Says Bush Administration Paying
Scientists To Dispute Global Warming
_{MADRID , SPAIN (CNN) - Tuesday, February 06, 2007}

Former Vice President Al Gore said in an interview on Tuesday the Bush administration is now paying scientists to dispute global warming since the administration can no longer argue against it.

During an interview with CNN affiliate Cuatro in Madrid, Gore said, “they’ve lost the argument and they don’t want to stop dumping all this pollution into the Earth’s atmosphere.

The only thing they have left is cash and now they’re offering cash for so-called skeptics who will try to confuse people about what the science really say. But it’s unethical because now the time has come when we have to act.”

Gore was the Democratic nominee against Bush in the 2000 presidential election. His film, An Inconvenient Truth, is up for the best documentary Oscar.

Posted by The Skipper     on 02/07/2007 at 12:14 PM   
Filed Under: • Climate-Weather • Stoopid-People •  
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Launch? It Depends …

_{Daryl Cagle - MSNBC}

Posted by The Skipper     on 02/07/2007 at 11:00 AM   
Filed Under: • Humor •  
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GlowBull Warming: The Other Side

Global Warming: The Cold, Hard Facts?
Global Warming is not due to human contribution of Carbon Dioxide
By Timothy Ball
_{(CANADA FREE PRESS) - Monday, February 5, 2007}

Global Warming, as we think we know it, doesn’t exist. And I am not the only one trying to make people open up their eyes and see the truth. But few listen, despite the fact that I was the first Canadian Ph.D. in Climatology and I have an extensive background in climatology, especially the reconstruction of past climates and the impact of climate change on human history and the human condition.

Few listen, even though I have a Ph.D, (Doctor of Science) from the University of London, England and was a climatology professor at the University of Winnipeg. For some reason (actually for many), the World is not listening. Here is why.

What would happen if tomorrow we were told that, after all, the Earth is flat? It would probably be the most important piece of news in the media and would generate a lot of debate. So why is it that when scientists who have studied the Global Warming phenomenon for years say that humans are not the cause nobody listens? Why does no one acknowledge that the Emperor has no clothes on?

Believe it or not, Global Warming is not due to human contribution of Carbon Dioxide (CO2). This in fact is the greatest deception in the history of science. We are wasting time, energy and trillions of dollars while creating unnecessary fear and consternation over an issue with no scientific justification. For example, Environment Canada brags about spending $3.7 billion in the last five years dealing with climate change almost all on propaganda trying to defend an indefensible scientific position while at the same time closing weather stations and failing to meet legislated pollution targets.

No sensible person seeks conflict, especially with governments, but if we don’t pursue the truth, we are lost as individuals and as a society. That is why I insist on saying that there is no evidence that we are, or could ever cause global climate change. And, recently, Yuri A. Izrael, Vice President of the United Nations sponsored Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) confirmed this statement. So how has the world come to believe that something is wrong?

Maybe for the same reason we believed, 30 years ago, that global cooling was the biggest threat: a matter of faith. “It is a cold fact: the Global Cooling presents humankind with the most important social, political, and adaptive challenge we have had to deal with for ten thousand years. Your stake in the decisions we make concerning it is of ultimate importance; the survival of ourselves, our children, our species,” wrote Lowell Ponte in 1976.

I was as opposed to the threats of impending doom global cooling engendered as I am to the threats made about Global Warming. Let me stress I am not denying the phenomenon has occurred. The world has warmed since 1680, the nadir of a cool period called the Little Ice Age (LIA) that has generally continued to the present. These climate changes are well within natural variability and explained quite easily by changes in the sun. But there is nothing unusual going on.

Since I obtained my doctorate in climatology from the University of London, Queen Mary College, England my career has spanned two climate cycles. Temperatures declined from 1940 to 1980 and in the early 1970’s global cooling became the consensus. This proves that consensus is not a scientific fact. By the 1990’s temperatures appeared to have reversed and Global Warming became the consensus. It appears I’ll witness another cycle before retiring, as the major mechanisms and the global temperature trends now indicate a cooling.

No doubt passive acceptance yields less stress, fewer personal attacks and makes career progress easier. What I have experienced in my personal life during the last years makes me understand why most people choose not to speak out; job security and fear of reprisals. Even in University, where free speech and challenge to prevailing wisdoms are supposedly encouraged, academics remain silent.

I once received a three page letter that my lawyer defined as libellous, from an academic colleague, saying I had no right to say what I was saying, especially in public lectures. Sadly, my experience is that universities are the most dogmatic and oppressive places in our society. This becomes progressively worse as they receive more and more funding from governments that demand a particular viewpoint.

In another instance, I was accused by Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki of being paid by oil companies. That is a lie. Apparently he thinks if the fossil fuel companies pay you have an agenda. So if Greenpeace, Sierra Club or governments pay there is no agenda and only truth and enlightenment?

Personal attacks are difficult and shouldn’t occur in a debate in a civilized society. I can only consider them from what they imply. They usually indicate a person or group is losing the debate. In this case, they also indicate how political the entire Global Warming debate has become. Both underline the lack of or even contradictory nature of the evidence.

I am not alone in this journey against the prevalent myth. Several well-known names have also raised their voices. Michael Crichton, the scientist, writer and filmmaker is one of them. In his latest book, “State of Fear” he takes time to explain, often in surprising detail, the flawed science behind Global Warming and other imagined environmental crises.

Another cry in the wildenerness is Richard Lindzen’s. He is an atmospheric physicist and a professor of meteorology at MIT, renowned for his research in dynamic meteorology - especially atmospheric waves. He is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences and has held positions at the University of Chicago, Harvard University and MIT. Linzen frequently speaks out against the notion that significant Global Warming is caused by humans. Yet nobody seems to listen.

I think it may be because most people don’t understand the scientific method which Thomas Kuhn so skilfully and briefly set out in his book “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions.” A scientist makes certain assumptions and then produces a theory which is only as valid as the assumptions. The theory of Global Warming assumes that CO2 is an atmospheric greenhouse gas and as it increases temperatures rise. It was then theorized that since humans were producing more CO2 than before, the temperature would inevitably rise. The theory was accepted before testing had started, and effectively became a law.

As Lindzen said many years ago: “the consensus was reached before the research had even begun.” Now, any scientist who dares to question the prevailing wisdom is marginalized and called a sceptic, when in fact they are simply being good scientists. This has reached frightening levels with these scientists now being called climate change denier with all the holocaust connotations of that word. The normal scientific method is effectively being thwarted.

Meanwhile, politicians are being listened to, even though most of them have no knowledge or understanding of science, especially the science of climate and climate change. Hence, they are in no position to question a policy on climate change when it threatens the entire planet. Moreover, using fear and creating hysteria makes it very difficult to make calm rational decisions about issues needing attention.

Until you have challenged the prevailing wisdom you have no idea how nasty people can be. Until you have re-examined any issue in an attempt to find out all the information, you cannot know how much misinformation exists in the supposed age of information.

I was greatly influenced several years ago by Aaron Wildavsky’s book “Yes, but is it true?” The author taught political science at a New York University and realized how science was being influenced by and apparently misused by politics. He gave his graduate students an assignment to pursue the science behind a policy generated by a highly publicised environmental concern.

To his and their surprise they found there was little scientific evidence, consensus and justification for the policy. You only realize the extent to which Wildavsky’s findings occur when you ask the question he posed. Wildavsky’s students did it in the safety of academia and with the excuse that it was an assignment. I have learned it is a difficult question to ask in the real world, however I firmly believe it is the most important question to ask if we are to advance in the right direction.

---

_{Dr. Tim Ball, Chairman of the Natural Resources Stewardship Project (http://www.nrsp.com), is a Victoria-based environmental consultant and former climatology professor at the University of Winnipeg. He can be reached at letters@canadafreepress.com}

Posted by The Skipper     on 02/07/2007 at 09:50 AM   
Filed Under: • Climate-Weather •  
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   Tuesday - February 06, 2007

Border Patrol Agent Beaten

Imprisoned Border Agent Beaten By Fellow Inmates
Justice Department confirms report of assault, Ramos: ‘They kicked me all over the body’
_{(WORLDNET DAILY) - February 6, 2007 3:03 p.m. Eastern}

The Department of Justice has confirmed imprisoned former Border Patrol agent Ignacio “Nacho” Ramos – sentenced to 11 years in the shooting of a drug smuggler – was treated for injuries after reporting he was beaten in a medium-security facility in Mississippi.

WND received a statement issued by the agency citing Charles Smith, spokesman for the Federal Correctional Complex in Yazoo City, Miss. Smith said that at about 10:15 p.m. Saturday, Ramos “reported to staff that he had been assaulted.”

“Mr. Ramos was evaluated by medical staff at the institution who determined he had sustained some bruises and abrasions. The injuries sustained were minor in nature.”

However, Ramos’s wife and father-in-law told WND the former agent said in phone calls to them the assailants “got me pretty good,” explaining he was assaulted by five Hispanic men with steel-toed boots – likely illegal aliens – who cussed him out in Spanish.

“They kicked me in the head, they kicked me all over the body. I’m all bruised and very sore,” Ramos reportedly said, adding he bled from his left ear. Ramos, Smith said, then “was placed in the Special Housing Unit pending a thorough investigation of the incident. He will remain in the Special Housing Unit until the conclusion of this investigation. No further information is available at this time.”

Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, told WND he received verbal confirmation from the Bureau of Prisons that Ramos was assaulted and sent to the infirmary. Poe was among a number of lawmakers and others close to the case who expressed concerned for the safety of Ramos and fellow agent Jose Compean if they were placed among the general prison population.

Unfortunately, this is not a surprise,” Poe told WND. “The federal government doesn’t do any better job of protecting border agents in jail than it does protecting them on the border.”

- More ...

Posted by The Skipper     on 02/06/2007 at 04:45 PM   
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Through The Looking Glass

Posted by The Skipper     on 02/06/2007 at 03:28 PM   
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Most Ridiculous Item Of The Day (so far)

OH, PUH-LEEZE! Don’t the homorons in Washington state have anything better to do with their lives? Get a grip, people! This is just plain stupid silliness and only serves to demonstrate a childish attitude and a complete lack of common sense. This stupidity shouldn’t even make it onto the ballot, much less be actually voted on. Grow up!

Wash. Initiative Would Require Married Couples To Have Kids
_{OLYMPIA, Wash. (KING-TV) - 02:34 PM PST Monday, February 5, 2007}

An initiative filed by proponents of same-sex marriage would require heterosexual couples to have kids within three years or else have their marriage annulled. Initiative 957 was filed by the Washington Defense of Marriage Alliance. That group was formed last summer after the state Supreme Court upheld Washington’s ban on same-sex marriage.

Under the initiative, marriage would be limited to men and women who are able to have children. Couples would be required to prove they can have children in order to get a marriage license, and if they did not have children within three years, their marriage would be subject to annulment. All other marriages would be defined as “unrecognized” and people in those marriages would be ineligible to receive any marriage benefits.

“For many years, social conservatives have claimed that marriage exists solely for the purpose of procreation ... The time has come for these conservatives to be dosed with their own medicine,” said WA-DOMA organizer Gregory Gadow in a printed statement. “If same-sex couples should be barred from marriage because they can not have children together, it follows that all couples who cannot or will not have children together should equally be barred from marriage.”

Supporters must gather more than 224,000 valid signatures by July 6 to put the initiative on the November ballot. Opponents say the measure is another attack on traditional marriage, but supporters say the move is needed to have a discussion on the high court ruling.

Posted by The Skipper     on 02/06/2007 at 12:35 PM   
Filed Under: • Stoopid-People •  
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Space Cadet

Houston, we have a problem. It appears our boy astronauts and our girl astronauts are weirding out on us. In spite of the millions we spent training them and the discipline we enforce on them it turns out they’re still human after all. Unfortunately, some of them appear to be the Jerry Springer kind of human. This love triangle story has been hanging around out there the last couple of days just waiting for someone to ask ... “WTF?”

This bodes ill for future space flight if the boys and the girls can’t keep their relationships straight on the ground. They’re supposed to be the best of the best, the highly disciplined product of decades of training and education. They’re not supposed to be like the rest of us lunatics down here. What will the Vulcans and Klingons think of us now? Especially after they see the mug shot below. Great Googley-Moogley!

Space Shuttle Astronaut Arrested At OIA
On Attempted Kidnapping, Battery Charges
_{(ORLANDO SENTINEL) - February 6, 2007, 11:06 AM EST}

A NASA astronaut could be released later today, a day after police say she attacked her rival for another astronaut’s attention at Orlando International Airport Monday. Lisa Marie Nowak drove more than 12 hours from Texas to meet the 1 a.m. flight of a younger woman who had also been seeing the astronaut Nowak pined for, according to Orlando police. She was being held on no bond at Orange County Jail, but a judge this morning set bail at $15,500. Her commander at NASA, Steve Lindsey, and fellow astronaut Chris Ferguson both appeared on her behalf this morning.

Nowak—who was a mission specialist on a Space Shuttle Discovery flight last summer—was wearing a trench coat and wig and had a knife, BB pistol, and latex gloves in her car, reports show. They also found diapers, which Nowak said she used so she wouldn’t have to stop on the 1,000-mile drive. Reports show that after U.S. Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman’s flight arrived, Nowak followed her to the airport’s Blue Lot for long-term parking, tried to get into Shipman’s car and then doused her with pepper spray.

Nowak, 43, is charged with attempted kidnapping, battery, and attempted vehicle burglary with battery. Orange County Judge Mike Murphy did not find probable cause on another charge, the destruction of evidence. He set bond on the other three charges at $15,000, with a $500 bond on the evidence count. He also ordered that Nowak be fitted with a GPS device on her ankle, which will not allow her east of Orange County. Her victim works east, at the cape. Murphy ordered Nowak not to have contact with the victim, who according to testimony was a stranger to her until the two met at the airport.

Shipman, an engineer assigned to the 45th Launch Support Squadron at Patrick Air Force base near the Kennedy Space Center, told police she was flying home from Houston. She could not be reached for comment Monday night at her home near Port Canaveral. Shipman told police that after waiting two hours to get her luggage, she noticed a woman in a trench coat waiting near the airport taxi stand. When Shipman boarded a shuttle bus to long-term parking, the woman followed, according to police.

When Shipman got into her car in the Blue lot on Cargo Road, reports show, she heard “running footsteps” coming toward her. Nowak tried to open the car door, then claimed she needed a ride, or use of a cell phone. “No. If you need help, I’ll send someone to help you,” Shipman responded, reports show. Nowak claimed she could not hear and started to cry.

“Ms. Shipman rolled her window down about 2 inches, so Mrs. Nowak could hear her… Mrs. Nowak sprayed some type of chemical spray into the vehicle, at Ms. Shipman’s face,” a detective wrote. Shipman sped away to the parking lot’s toll booth, where she asked a parking employee to call police. The first officer to reach the Blue lot, saw the suspect drop something black into a trash can at one of the parking shuttle stops. Within minutes, Shipman identified Nowak as her attacker.

A steel mallet, several feet of rubber tubing and hand-written directions to Shipman’s home were recovered from Nowak’s car, which was parked at a nearby LaQuinta Inn, reports show. Picked up shortly before 4 a.m., Nowak was questioned until about 5 p.m. when police took her to the county jail.

Posted by The Skipper     on 02/06/2007 at 11:34 AM   
Filed Under: • Stoopid-People •  
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Sniffin’ Them Out

_{Dana Summers - The Orlando Sentinel}

Posted by The Skipper     on 02/06/2007 at 09:52 AM   
Filed Under: • Democrats-Liberals-Moonbat Leftists • Iraq •  
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Not that very many people ever read this far down, but this blog was the creation of Allan Kelly and his friend Vilmar. Vilmar moved on to his own blog some time ago, and Allan ran this place alone until his sudden and unexpected death partway through 2006. We all miss him. A lot. Even though he is gone this site will always still be more than a little bit his. We who are left to carry on the BMEWS tradition owe him a great debt of gratitude, and we hope to be able to pay that back by following his last advice to us all:

1. Keep a firm grasp of Right and Wrong
2. Stay involved with government on every level and don't let those bastards get away with a thing
3. Use every legal means to defend yourself in the event of real internal trouble, and, most importantly:
4. Keep talking to each other, whether here or elsewhere

It's been a long strange trip without you Skipper, but thanks for pointing us in the right direction and giving us a swift kick in the behind to get us going. Keep lookin' down on us, will ya? Thanks.

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