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Gini's Online Newsletter
Rants, Raves, and Reviews
POPSHOTS: The Last Action Hero [21 September 2005]
Indiana Jones is 63 years old, and we're in trouble.
by Glenn McDonald
Here's an excerpt:"I've recently and reluctantly come to appreciate Brad Pitt's acting -- he's at least as cool as his hair in Ocean's Eleven, and his decision to have his character eating in every single scene is just the sort of Actor's Choice he gets paid the big bucks for. But the man is impossible to like -- the way he treated poor Jennifer Aniston is just despicable. One of these days he's going to wake up to Angelina gnawing on his skull, and realize the terrible mistake he's made."
Angelina gnawing on his skull! ROFLOLOL!!!!! oh this was a much needed laugh. Thanks, Glenn... even though I disagree with ya about Vin Diesel. He's gorgeous- I mean a great actor. ;)
THE MEAN SEASONFederal screeners skip work in HoustonExasperated mayor informs fleeing residents of long delays at airports
Posted: September 22, 2005
3:50 p.m. Eastern
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com
Security lines at Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport today (courtesy: Houston Chronicle)
As Hurricane Rita edged toward Houston this morning,
most of the federal airport screeners at the city's two major airports failed to show up for work, contributing to extensive delays as residents flee the massive storm.At a news conference today, an exasperated Houston Mayor Bill White informed the public of the loss of workers at Bush Intercontinental and Hobby airports, urging people to rule out air travel unless they have a reservation and to expect delays of up to five hours.
Andrea McCauley, a spokeswoman for the regional Transportation Security Administration office in Dallas, told WorldNetDaily officials became aware of the shortfall late yesterday and have deployed 155 workers from four Texas airports.
The absences were not excused, and TSA officials have not decided whether the workers – obviously fleeing the hurricane themselves – will be disciplined.McCauley said she believed
some of the absent workers informed their superiors and others did not."I don't want to make assumptions on why people didn't come to work," she said. "Our focus is 100 percent on getting those passengers out as quickly as possible."
Many passengers are showing up without reservations and, because they are fleeing, have an exceptionally high volume of luggage, McCauley noted.
"The lines are very long," she said, "People are obviously nervous and anxious to get out of the area."
My pirate name is:
Iron Anne Rackham
A pirate's life isn't easy; it takes a tough person. That's okay with you, though, since you a tough person. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham (pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham) is one of the coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!
Get your own pirate name from fidius.org.
The New Face of War in IraqTuesday, June 21, 2005
Sunday, June 26 at 8 p.m. ET!
Hosted by Oliver North
This Sunday, evidence of what you may not know is happening in Iraq. US and Iraqi troops are working together successfully to fight terrorism. The Iraqis have spoken and they want a working democracy that protects and serves its people. Democracy in Iraq is the terrorists’ worst nightmare.
This compelling episode of “War Stories with Oliver North” marks the sixth time North and his FOX News team has gone to the frontlines of Operation Iraqi Freedom (search). You are there with the Marines of the 3/2 in “Operation Matador” as they go hunting for terrorists along "rat lines" near the Syrian border.
See how former members of Saddam’s army are now working closely with US troops to secure neighborhoods and whole cities in the Al-Anbar province. You’ll meet Iraqi commandos and security forces and hear in their own words how they perceive the War on Terror. Go inside joint raids in the city of Ramadi (search) where tips from local citizens are contributing to the seizures of weapon caches and terrorist propaganda.
And we pay tribute to those Marines who made the ultimate sacrifice in Operation Matador so that others may live free.
Don't miss this special NEW episode of "War Stories with Oliver North" this Sunday at 8 p.m. ET!
Now,
this is interesting.
This is from Little Green Footballs-
completely unverified as he states below. So take it with a grain of salt... but, take it nonetheless...
Gini
***************

saturday, september 17, 2005
Breaking: Possible SAM Attack Against US Plane
I’ve just received a credible tip from an LGF reader that an America West flight out of New York was fired upon by a surface to air missile yesterday, and that the pilot and passengers witnessed it and are now being questioned by the FAA and FBI.
That’s the extent of the information I currently have, and please note: right now this is completely unverified.
5:27 PM PDT
Blair calls BBC coverage 'full of hate of America': Murdoch
Link to Yahoo storySat Sep 17, 6:35 PM ET
British Prime Minister Tony Blair has complained privately to media tycoon Rupert Murdoch that the BBC's coverage of Hurricane Katrina carried an anti-American bias, Murdoch said at a conference here.
Murdoch, chairman of the media conglomerate News Corporation, recounted a conversation with the British leader at a panel discussion late Friday hosted by former president Bill Clinton.
"Tony Blair -- perhaps I shouldn't repeat this conversation -- told me yesterday that he was in Delhi last week. And he turned on the BBC world service to see what was happening in New Orleans," Murdoch was quoted as saying in a transcript posted on the Clinton Global Initiative website.
"And he said it was just full of hate of America and gloating about our troubles. And that was his government. Well, his government-owned thing," he said of the publicly owned broadcaster.
Murdoch went on to say that anti-American bias was prevalent throughout Europe.
"I think we've got to do a better job at answering it. And there's a big job to do. But you're not going to ever turn it around totally," said Murdoch, one of three media magnates who spoke at Clinton's "Global Initiative" forum on peace and development.
The former US president, who held his conference to coincide with the United Nations summit in New York, agreed that the BBC's coverage was lacking.
While the BBC's reports on the hurricane were factually accurate, its presentation was "stacked up" to criticize President George W Bush's handling of the disaster, Clinton said.
"There is nothing factually inaccurate. But ... it was designed to be almost exclusively a hit on the federal response, without showing what anybody at any level was doing that was also miraculous, going on simultaneously in a positive way," Clinton said.
Blair's remarks, as reported by Murdoch, are sure to aggravate the already difficult relations between the prime minister's government and the BBC.
A government weapons expert, David Kelly, killed himself in 2003 after he was revealed as the source for BBC allegations that intelligence on the Iraqi threat was exaggerated to secure public support for the US-led war.
The BBC's director-general, Greg Dyke, and chairman, Gavyn Davies, were forced to resign following an official inquiry that found the BBC at fault.
A former BBC foreign correspondent and MP, Martin Bell, defended the BBC's coverage of the hurricane and alleged that Blair was trying to curry favor with a powerful media owner who controls important British newspapers.
"Tony Blair was telling Murdoch what he wanted to hear because he needs Murdoch's support," Bell was quoted as saying by British media.
The BBC said it had received no complaint from Downing Street about its coverage.
Blair's office declined to comment.
Plane just crashed, did it?
*******************
WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today dismissed Rep. Tom Tancredo's (R-CO) comments on the design of
a memorial to those aboard a plane that crashed in Pennsylvania on 9/11 as a cynical political ploy designed to gain national attention.
More here... and of course,
here.
Sometimes Geraldo Rivera annoys me. But mostly he seems to be a good guy that is emotional, and just lets it all hang out for everyone to see how he's feeling... which is irritating too.
But making up
lies about people is just wrong, no matter how easy of a target the person is.
Dr. Dobson to Discuss Judge Roberts' Nomination on Hannity and Colmes
Focus on the Family founder and Chairman Dr. James Dobson is scheduled to appear on "Hannity and Colmes" this Wednesday evening, to discuss the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Senate Judiciary hearings concerning John Roberts' nomination to the Supreme Court and other relevant topics.
"Hannity and Colmes" is broadcast live on FOX News Cable television at 9 p.m. ET (7 p.m. MT). The program is also re-broadcast at 2 a.m. ET (midnight MT).
Hurricane Katrina: Web Relief Project Directory
The web relief project directory is meant to provide a listing of projects across the web which are being undertaken to provide information, web portals, and databases to assist in Katrina relief efforts. By developing this directory, the hope is to improve communication, coordination, and collaboration among these projects.
If you are a developing a web relief project, please also consider joining the Katrina Relief Projects mailing list, and if you are seeking to volunteer to assist such projects, post your skills and interest to the Katrina Relief Volunteers mailing list...
More here: http://www.truthlaidbear.com/webrelief.php
Iranian scientists working to save rare cheetah
Associated Press
*In this photo released Saturday Sept. 3, 2005, by Environment Protection Organization of Iran, Asiatic cheetahs are seen in this June 10 2005 picture taken by camera traps in Dareh Anjir, in an isolated wildlife refuge in central Iran. (AP Photo)*
TEHRAN, Iran — Wildlife experts are celebrating the sightings of two groups of rare Asiatic cheetahs in central Iran during recent months, raising hopes that one of the world's fastest moving creatures could be saved from extinction, conservation officials said Saturday.
Iranian wildlife scientists saw four adult cheetahs in August, two months after camera traps revealed a female cheetah with her four cubs resting under the shade of a tree, said Houshang Ziaei, an official of the Environment Protection Organization of Iran.
Once ranging from the Red Sea to India, the Asiatic cheetah today are hanging on by only the thinnest of threads. Fewer than 60 exist on the entire Asian continent, mostly on Iran's arid central plateau.
Fewer than 10,000 cheetahs are also believed to be still living in Africa, where protection is questionable and habitat is vanishing.
"The two discoveries of cheetahs are very encouraging," said Ziaei, who is in charge of a project seeking to protect Asiatic cheetahs in Iran, which is being run in conjunction with the United Nations Development Program and the Wildlife Conservation Society.
The four adult cheetahs were seen two weeks ago near Naiband, a village in Iran's central desert, said Ziaei, who is one of the scientists surveying the Naiband cheetahs.
Camera traps set to survey wildlife also photographed an entire family of Asiatic cheetahs in June, including a female and her four youngsters, resting in the shade of a tree in Dareh Anjir, an isolated wildlife refuge in central Iran, said Ziaei.
The two groups of cheetahs are the largest-known of these rare cats ever photographed in Asia, said Ziaei.
Once known as "hunting leopards," cheetahs have played a significant role in Iranian history, being trained by ancient emperors to hunt gazelles.
In the 1970s, estimates of the number of cheetahs in Iran ranged from 100 to 400.
But widespread poaching of cheetahs and their prey during the early years of the 1979 Islamic revolution, along with degradation of habitat due to livestock grazing, have pushed this important predator to the brink of extinction.
Scientists have been surveying five protected areas where cheetahs were still thought to exist. The group found a variety of suitable habitats, but also discovered that prey species, such as jebeer gazelle and urial sheep, were scarce.
Cheetahs usually die before reaching six months mainly due to hunger, but Ziaei said the latest discoveries and photographs hint at the gradual recovery of prey populations.
The sightings have also encouraged Iran's Environment Protection Organization, the UNDP and WCS, which joined forces in 2001 to identify cheetahs and their prey, to extend their three-year project until 2007.
"As a species the cheetah is still in dire straits in Iran, so it is extremely encouraging to see an apparently healthy family in their native habitat," said Dr. Peter Zahler, assistant director for WCS's Asia programs. "Images like these give hope to conservationists that there is still time to save these magnificent animals."
Biodiversity expert Parviz Bakhtiyari said hundreds of volunteers have helped search for cheetahs and prey species and installed camera traps in several wildlife refuge regions in central Iran.
Asiatic cheetahs became extinct throughout much of the Middle East about 100 years ago, although they were spotted in Saudi Arabia until the 1950s. They vanished in India in 1947, while spotty records claim they ranged in Central Asia as far as Kazakhstan from the 1960s through 1980s.
Shameful: Only 25 Nations Offer Help to the U.S.
NewsMax.com Wires
Friday, Sept. 2, 2005
When the Indian Ocean tsunami devastated many nations across Asia in December, the United States rushed to the aid of victims by pledging hundreds of millions of dollars in assistance – just as it has offered aid whenever a natural disaster strikes in another country.
Now the U.S. is facing a catastrophe of its own from Hurricane Katrina.
Though the U.N.'s own top official for disaster relief has called Katrina one of "the largest, most destructive natural disasters ever," shamefully only a handful of nations – at last count just 25 nations of the 191 countries in the United Nations – have come forward to offer assistance.
And almost none have offered what America has so often provided: money.
And the aid so far offered by foreign nations amounts to a drop in the bucket considering the anticipated multi-billion-dollar cost of dealing with the immediate crisis and the reconstruction to follow.
President Bush has urged Americans to send cash donations to private relief organizations rather than in-kind contributions such as clothing and food.
The same could be applied to foreign nations, most of which have been on the receiving end of massive financial assistance from then U.S. over the years.
President Bush told ABC-TV Thursday morning: "I'm not expecting much from foreign nations because we hadn't asked for it. I do expect a lot of sympathy and perhaps some will send cash dollars.
"We would love help, but we're going to take care of our own business as well, and there's no doubt in my mind we'll succeed."
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has decided that "no offer that can help alleviate the suffering of the people in the afflicted area will be refused," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.
The American ‘Tsunami'
The offers of assistance so far pale in comparison to the aid pledged by the U.S. for tsunami relief, including $346 million from the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Defense Department for their relief efforts, $339 million for reconstruction and $168 million to help victims with food, shelter, housing and education.
In addition, a private fund-raising campaign led by former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton brought in more than $1 billion for tsunami victims.
In fact, at least one-third of American households have donated money to an aid group in tsunami-hit nations.
Now the U.S. is trying to deal with the "American tsunami."
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan acknowledged the extent of the disaster, saying through a spokesman: "The damage is far worse than any of us imagined at first. The American people – who have always been the most generous in responding to disasters in other parts of the world – have now themselves suffered a grievous blow."
But he went on to add: "Of course the United States is also the country in the world best prepared to cope with such a disaster."
While Annan has not spoken directly with President Bush, he did meet with America's U.N. ambassador John Bolton to convey the U.N.'s readiness to help.
While it is true that America indeed is a wealthy nation, a sentiment of help and support would be appropriate and courteous. Apparently, most nations do not believe in courtesy.
Of the nations that have offered assistance to the U.S., few have offered money. China, for example, presented $100,000 to the American Red Cross.
Russia has offered boats and aircraft. On Wednesday, Russian president Vladimir Putin offered to send a group of military special forces specializing in search and rescue to the region. That offer was rejected by the State Department.
Japan has promised tents, blankets and generators. Even France offered a fire brigade.
Germany is willing to provide communications equipment. Israel, which receives $2.2 billion in U.S. aid each year, has offered to send doctors, nurses, technicians and other experts in dealing with natural disasters, as well as field hospitals and medical kits.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a vocal critic of the U.S., made a mocking offer to send cheap fuel and relief workers to the stricken area.
At about the same time he used the disaster as an opportunity to attack President Bush, calling him a "cowboy" who failed to manage the disaster.
Other nations that have offered some form of aid include Mexico, Canada, Jamaica, Honduras, the UK, Greece, the Netherlands, South Korea, Switzerland, Colombia, the United Arab Emirates and Australia.
"They're the most powerful, wealthiest country in the world, but when something like this strikes, the poor and the vulnerable are the same all around the world," said Australian Prime Minister John Howard.
Ingratitude
One nation not on the list is oil-rich Kuwait, which owes its very existence to America's liberation effort following Iraq's invasion.
In fact, a high-ranking Kuwaiti official has said Hurricane Katrina was sent by Allah, adding that "disaster will keep striking the unbelievers."
No matter how much foreign aid does arrive in the U.S., it's clear that America will have to shoulder almost all the financial burden in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
The size of that burden became clear when President Bush asked Congress for an initial appropriation of $10 billion. Officials say the total cost of dealing with the reconstruction will be as high as $50 billion.
Meanwhile, the U.S. could find itself with a new security nightmare.
As the Pentagon prepares to send as many as 50,000 troops to the disaster region, the White House must also find the manpower for the U.N.'s special summit, due to convene in New York on September 12.
More than 150 heads of state are expected to attend.
One topic slated for discussion is progress in relief for victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami.
Said one U.N. official: "Now we have something new to add to the agenda."
In addition to Katrina, one topic the U.N. might include on their agenda: ingratitude.
Nations That Have Offered Katrina Hurricane Aid:
Russia
Japan
Canada
France
Honduras
Germany
Venezuela
Jamaica
Australia
UK/Northern Ireland
Netherlands
Switzerland
Greece
Hungary
Colombia
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Mexico
China
South Korea
Israel
United Arab Emirates
Taiwan
Sri Lanka
Singapore
