First, an aside to the cricket in Perth - at the start of day three, the scores are even after two and a bit innings, with South Africa having the slightest of advantages, only nine Australian wickets left in their second innings.
This CricInfo article, about Warney getting the most test wickets in a calendar year (well, the number of games they play nowadays, and what level of bowling support did Australia give him?), has the best metaphor about cricket from another sport I can remember -
This CricInfo article, about Warney getting the most test wickets in a calendar year (well, the number of games they play nowadays, and what level of bowling support did Australia give him?), has the best metaphor about cricket from another sport I can remember -
'This game will now rely on second-innings exploits after two fascinating days in which the advantage has switched like a steamy French Open deuce.'
Where on earth to start with what has happened in Washington the last week? Well, the biggest bombshell was probably the news that President Bush had authorised hundreds of covert surveillance operations on American citizens living in America without judicial approval after the 9/11 attacks. And he has been renewing them every 45 days.
Oh Mi God. Now usually, internal surveillance is authorised by a special federal court who the NSA, CIA and FBI can go to, but in these cases, Bush just signed off on it, for the LAST THREE YEARS. If these guys were really closely connected to Al Qaeda, which judge would say no to a surveillance request, but as has happened so often in the USA since 9/11, the Administration has basically said 'trust us'. Dickheads.
Bush admitted it in his weekly radio address today, but then went on the attack against critics of his decisions, and also had a swipe at people who leak stories to the New York Times. 'Our enemies have learned information they should not have'. Grr. If you had stuck with process, gone through the courts to do this, the media would have left the story well enough alone.
The renewal of the Patriot Act, which is due to expire on December 31 this year, was put on hold by the US Senate on Friday. This is the boondoggle of legislation that was passed in the weeks after 9/11 to prevent further attacks blah blah blah, rally around the President and flag blah blah, you would be unAmerican to vote against it.
Back in 2001 only one Senator voted against it, bloody limp wristed liberal who loves terrorists - I can just imagine the stuff that would have been said against Russ Feingold, I think was the name, in the 2002 'terrorism and Iraq' midterm election. The Administration was hoping to make the Patriot Act permanent, whereas some of the opponents wanted to extend it for only three months, in an attempt to get the legislation right. Only 52 Senators voted for the Act to be voted on straight away, thus not reaching the necessary sixty to end debate there and then.
No doubt some fudge on the issue will come up before December 31, otherwise it will no doubt be 'another victory for the terrorists'.
On Wednesday, the President accepted that the intelligence that had led to the Iraq invasion was faulty. But then switched the argument around and said he was right to get rid of Saddam anyways.
Ever since Katrina hit New Orleans, there hasn't been that much good news for the US Administration. CIA rendition flights, Scooter Libby, anti-torture liberal ideas thrown around Congress, the Patriot Act, NSA spying on American citizens - oh, and add in the non Administration but Republican follies of corrupt Congressmen, Jack Abramanhoff (or whatever his name is), Tom DeLay and Bob Frist stock sales. I think the term is death by a thousand cuts.
Will be interesting the Congressional elections next year. Oh, and I almost forgot the stupidity of Harriet Meiers Supreme Court nomination. And not even to mention the elephant that everyone is trying to ignore, the American troops in Iraq.
And still the White House is only grudgingly starting to admit things aren't the best - Bush saying trust us, Cheney saying critics are basically handing victory to the terrorists, and White House spokesman McClellan not commenting on anything in front of the courts - should be free lather on the NSA thing then, eh Scott?
The elections in Iraq went off peacefully enough, weith two thirds of the electorate estimated to have voted, so that is a positive. Too bad Iran, another foundation member of the axis of evil is slowly heading towards nutty leadership. The Iranian President has been saying nutty things about Israel, and I read a report in the newspaper yesterday that Israel is putting together a military plan against Iran's nuclear facilities...
No peace deal with the Palestinians for a while longer, I guess...
Hmm, have to take a break from all this depressing stuff, be back later :)
Pauly
Where on earth to start with what has happened in Washington the last week? Well, the biggest bombshell was probably the news that President Bush had authorised hundreds of covert surveillance operations on American citizens living in America without judicial approval after the 9/11 attacks. And he has been renewing them every 45 days.
Oh Mi God. Now usually, internal surveillance is authorised by a special federal court who the NSA, CIA and FBI can go to, but in these cases, Bush just signed off on it, for the LAST THREE YEARS. If these guys were really closely connected to Al Qaeda, which judge would say no to a surveillance request, but as has happened so often in the USA since 9/11, the Administration has basically said 'trust us'. Dickheads.
Bush admitted it in his weekly radio address today, but then went on the attack against critics of his decisions, and also had a swipe at people who leak stories to the New York Times. 'Our enemies have learned information they should not have'. Grr. If you had stuck with process, gone through the courts to do this, the media would have left the story well enough alone.
The renewal of the Patriot Act, which is due to expire on December 31 this year, was put on hold by the US Senate on Friday. This is the boondoggle of legislation that was passed in the weeks after 9/11 to prevent further attacks blah blah blah, rally around the President and flag blah blah, you would be unAmerican to vote against it.
Back in 2001 only one Senator voted against it, bloody limp wristed liberal who loves terrorists - I can just imagine the stuff that would have been said against Russ Feingold, I think was the name, in the 2002 'terrorism and Iraq' midterm election. The Administration was hoping to make the Patriot Act permanent, whereas some of the opponents wanted to extend it for only three months, in an attempt to get the legislation right. Only 52 Senators voted for the Act to be voted on straight away, thus not reaching the necessary sixty to end debate there and then.
No doubt some fudge on the issue will come up before December 31, otherwise it will no doubt be 'another victory for the terrorists'.
On Wednesday, the President accepted that the intelligence that had led to the Iraq invasion was faulty. But then switched the argument around and said he was right to get rid of Saddam anyways.
Ever since Katrina hit New Orleans, there hasn't been that much good news for the US Administration. CIA rendition flights, Scooter Libby, anti-torture liberal ideas thrown around Congress, the Patriot Act, NSA spying on American citizens - oh, and add in the non Administration but Republican follies of corrupt Congressmen, Jack Abramanhoff (or whatever his name is), Tom DeLay and Bob Frist stock sales. I think the term is death by a thousand cuts.
Will be interesting the Congressional elections next year. Oh, and I almost forgot the stupidity of Harriet Meiers Supreme Court nomination. And not even to mention the elephant that everyone is trying to ignore, the American troops in Iraq.
And still the White House is only grudgingly starting to admit things aren't the best - Bush saying trust us, Cheney saying critics are basically handing victory to the terrorists, and White House spokesman McClellan not commenting on anything in front of the courts - should be free lather on the NSA thing then, eh Scott?
The elections in Iraq went off peacefully enough, weith two thirds of the electorate estimated to have voted, so that is a positive. Too bad Iran, another foundation member of the axis of evil is slowly heading towards nutty leadership. The Iranian President has been saying nutty things about Israel, and I read a report in the newspaper yesterday that Israel is putting together a military plan against Iran's nuclear facilities...
No peace deal with the Palestinians for a while longer, I guess...
Hmm, have to take a break from all this depressing stuff, be back later :)
Pauly
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