It is getting closer to hiking season. The problem is, Annie chewed up my set of boots. Little sisters can be such a pain. So, I am putting in my request for a new set. Here is a set I think would serve me well:
Last year I kept getting sap stuck up in the fur between my toes. The time it took my humom to remove it carefully using olive oil was not my idea of fun. It is bad enough that the stuff gets stuck in my coat, but, the feet are the worst.
Who’s helping the NSA
Ever wonder if your IP is giving it up to the Bush administration. Here is a list from a CNET article on the subject.
CNET News.com asked telecommunications and Internet companies about cooperation with the Bush administration’s domestic eavesdropping scheme. We asked them: “Have you turned over information or opened up your networks to the NSA without being compelled by law
Here is the list of the companies and their responses:
Adelphia Communication Declined comment
AOL Time Warner No [1]
AT&T Declined comment
BellSouth Communications No
Cable & Wireless* No response
Cablevision Systems No
CenturyTel No
Charter Communications No [1]
Cingular Wireless No [2]
Citizens Communications No response
Cogent Communications* No [1]
Comcast No Cox Communications No
EarthLink No
Global Crossing* Inconclusive
Google Declined comment
Level 3* No response
Microsoft No [3]
NTT Communications* Inconclusive [4]
Qwest Communications No [2]
SAVVIS Communications* No response
Sprint Nextel No [2]
T-Mobile USA No [2]
United Online No response
Verizon Communications Inconclusive [5]
XO Communications* No [1]
Yahoo Declined comment* = Not a company contacted by Rep. John Conyers.
[1] The answer did not explicitly address NSA but said that compliance happens only if required by law.
[2] Provided by a source with knowledge of what this company is telling Conyers. In the case of Sprint Nextel, the source was familiar with Nextel’s operations.
[3] As part of an answer to a closely related question for a different survey.
[4] The response was “NTT Communications respects the privacy rights of our customers and complies fully with law enforcement requests as permitted and required by law.”
[5] The response was “Verizon complies with applicable laws and does not comment on law enforcement or national security matters.”
By Declan McCullagh and Anne Broache Staff Writer, CNET News.com Published: February 6, 2006, 4:00 AM PST
WooHoo. since the upgrade to WordPress 2.01 the feeds have not worked. Finally one works now. All I can say is white space, white space, and maybe white space. Now if I could figure out what I did right to fix the rss2, maybe I could fix the rss .92 .
I will date myself here, I liked using dos and dbase. Modern tech stuff seems to have passed me by. Remember the old BB’s, when modems where slow, and most people had never heard of the internet?
Augh…..
Another Post I have recovered from my corrupt backup database files. Woo Hoo Outdated now but what the heck I wrote it.
Conducting a search for information relating to the cartoon situation brings up sites that refer to this statment attributed to Kurtis Cooper at the State Department.
From Reuters:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Washington on Friday condemned caricatures in European newspapers of Islam’s Prophet Mohammad, siding with Muslims who are outraged that the publications put press freedom over respect for religion.
“These cartoons are indeed offensive to the belief of Muslims,” State Department spokesman Kurtis Cooper said in answer to a question. “We all fully recognize and respect freedom of the press and expression but it must be coupled with press responsibility. Inciting religious or ethnic hatreds in this manner is not acceptable.”
I have searched all over and can not find any reference to this statement. It is not in the Daily Briefing and if it is I sure can not find it. Perhaps I missed it?
Meanwhile, the list of worldwide news sites that are covering the reaction to this story is buiding. Editorials and blogs are debating the issue. America v Europe. Europe v Muslims. But, I still can not confirm that anyone at our State Department made any statement close to this. Time will tell.
Now, once again, I am left wondering whom to believe. Is the rest of the world misquoting , creating propaganda, or misinformed? If they are misinformed, who or what, is responisble for the initial distribution of the bad information. If the information is correct, why can I not find documentation to something a State Department Spokesperson has said as easy as I can locate what someone across the globe has written.
I will keep looking.