Begin2Search.com - the Nastiest Trojan Horse I've ever encountered
So I was working today, minding my own business, then all of a sudden, OfficeScan notifies me that it has identified a Trojan Horse trying to get on my computer, but it says that it dealt with it. Same thing happened again. Next thing I know, all my programs quit. I immediately ran Spybot. It cleaned some junk out of my computer, but I went to the Programs folder and I noticed that there was a program there that I didn't put on the machine called "Earn". Also, there is a new search bar called Begin2Search.com. I didn't put that there either. Not only that, but it appears to interfere with the workings of the Google search bar. Also, certain words in browser windows are highlighted. But wait, there's more AdAware is now missing. I don't remember deleting Adaware.
I've looked on the web for definitive instructions on how to get rid ofthis thing. It seems similar to CWS, but more sophisticated. I note in passing that none of the antivirus people seem to be bragging about having the fix to these things. What I'd like to know is how the host websites, and the advertisers linked to them avoid accountability for these criminal programs. I'll post instructions or a link if I figure out what to do with this thng.
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Begin2Search.com - the Nastiest Trojan Horse I've ever encountered
So I was working today, minding my own business, then all of a sudden, OfficeScan notifies me that it has identified a Trojan Horse trying to get on my computer, but it says that it dealt with it. Same thing happened again. Next thing I know, all my programs quit. I immediately ran Spybot. It cleaned some junk out of my computer, but I went to the Programs folder and I noticed that there was a program there that I didn't put on the machine called "Earn". Also, there is a new search bar called Begin2Search.com. I didn't put that there either. Not only that, but it appears to interfere with the workings of the Google search bar. Also, certain words in browser windows are highlighted. But wait, there's more AdAware is now missing. I don't remember deleting Adaware.
I've looked on the web for definitive instructions on how to get rid ofthis thing. It seems similar to CWS, but more sophisticated. I note in passing that none of the antivirus people seem to be bragging about having the fix to these things. What I'd like to know is how the host websites, and the advertisers linked to them avoid accountability for these criminal programs. I'll post instructions or a link if I figure out what to do with this thng.
So I was working today, minding my own business, then all of a sudden, OfficeScan notifies me that it has identified a Trojan Horse trying to get on my computer, but it says that it dealt with it. Same thing happened again. Next thing I know, all my programs quit. I immediately ran Spybot. It cleaned some junk out of my computer, but I went to the Programs folder and I noticed that there was a program there that I didn't put on the machine called "Earn". Also, there is a new search bar called Begin2Search.com. I didn't put that there either. Not only that, but it appears to interfere with the workings of the Google search bar. Also, certain words in browser windows are highlighted. But wait, there's more AdAware is now missing. I don't remember deleting Adaware.
I've looked on the web for definitive instructions on how to get rid ofthis thing. It seems similar to CWS, but more sophisticated. I note in passing that none of the antivirus people seem to be bragging about having the fix to these things. What I'd like to know is how the host websites, and the advertisers linked to them avoid accountability for these criminal programs. I'll post instructions or a link if I figure out what to do with this thng.
Begin2Search.com - the Nastiest Trojan Horse I've ever encountered
So I was working today, minding my own business, then all of a sudden, OfficeScan notifies me that it has identified a Trojan Horse trying to get on my computer, but it says that it dealt with it. Same thing happened again. Next thing I know, all my programs quit. I immediately ran Spybot. It cleaned some junk out of my computer, but I went to the Programs folder and I noticed that there was a program there that I didn't put on the machine called "Earn". Also, there is a new search bar called Begin2Search.com. I didn't put that there either. Not only that, but it appears to interfere with the workings of the Google search bar. Also, certain words in browser windows are highlighted. But wait, there's more AdAware is now missing. I don't remember deleting Adaware.
I've looked on the web for definitive instructions on how to get rid ofthis thing. It seems similar to CWS, but more sophisticated. I note in passing that none of the antivirus people seem to be bragging about having the fix to these things. What I'd like to know is how the host websites, and the advertisers linked to them avoid accountability for these criminal programs. I'll post instructions or a link if I figure out what to do with this thng.
So I was working today, minding my own business, then all of a sudden, OfficeScan notifies me that it has identified a Trojan Horse trying to get on my computer, but it says that it dealt with it. Same thing happened again. Next thing I know, all my programs quit. I immediately ran Spybot. It cleaned some junk out of my computer, but I went to the Programs folder and I noticed that there was a program there that I didn't put on the machine called "Earn". Also, there is a new search bar called Begin2Search.com. I didn't put that there either. Not only that, but it appears to interfere with the workings of the Google search bar. Also, certain words in browser windows are highlighted. But wait, there's more AdAware is now missing. I don't remember deleting Adaware.
I've looked on the web for definitive instructions on how to get rid ofthis thing. It seems similar to CWS, but more sophisticated. I note in passing that none of the antivirus people seem to be bragging about having the fix to these things. What I'd like to know is how the host websites, and the advertisers linked to them avoid accountability for these criminal programs. I'll post instructions or a link if I figure out what to do with this thng.
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
Families USA: Healthcare costs rising four times as fast as wages:
If you wonder why your pay isn't going up like it should - it's because all the money is going to pay for health insurance.
Study: U.S. health costs outstrip pay rise - (United Press International)
If you wonder why your pay isn't going up like it should - it's because all the money is going to pay for health insurance.
Study: U.S. health costs outstrip pay rise - (United Press International)
Electronic Stability Control cuts wrecks up to 67%
A NHSTA study says that electronic stability control reduces single-vehicle wrecks by 35% in passenger cars, and by a whopping 67% in SUVs. With numbers like these, you are crazy if you get an SUV without stability control, and in just a few years, carmakers will probably face liability if they offer an SUV without stability control.
Stability units cut crashes - 09/24/04
A NHSTA study says that electronic stability control reduces single-vehicle wrecks by 35% in passenger cars, and by a whopping 67% in SUVs. With numbers like these, you are crazy if you get an SUV without stability control, and in just a few years, carmakers will probably face liability if they offer an SUV without stability control.
Stability units cut crashes - 09/24/04
Pontiac G6 - First owner reviews
The initial owner reviews of the Pontiac G6 are in at Carpoint.com. The reviews are almost uniformly positive. Good call Oprah!
MSN Autos - Consumer Reviews of the 2005 Pontiac G6
The initial owner reviews of the Pontiac G6 are in at Carpoint.com. The reviews are almost uniformly positive. Good call Oprah!
MSN Autos - Consumer Reviews of the 2005 Pontiac G6
Ford claims 25,000 preorders for 2005 Mustang
The all-new 2005 Ford Mustang comes out next month. Ford claims 25,000 preorders. This is the first all-new mustang in more than 25 years.
Ford pins hopes on 2005 Mustang - 09/28/04
The all-new 2005 Ford Mustang comes out next month. Ford claims 25,000 preorders. This is the first all-new mustang in more than 25 years.
Ford pins hopes on 2005 Mustang - 09/28/04
Friday, September 24, 2004
Putting things in Perspective 1000 Dead
This time - not in Iraq, but in one town in Haiti
Hurricane Jeanne hit Haiti hard. One town, Gonaïves, has over 1000 dead. Combine that with the other hurricane deaths all over the hemisphere, and you actually have a toll of death & destruction that exceeds that from the Iraqi unpleasentness. That being said, the United States is constrained from doing too much about it. Why, because Iraq has taken the resources that we'd otherwise have to work on a whole panoply of other problems. We can do precious little in Sudan. We don't have the troops. Africa continues to be devastated by Aids. Gee, we'd like to help, but we have this national deficit.
Of Course, none of this keeps GWB from spending a million or two to fly Air Force One to Florida to hand out ice. I wonder how many aid workers could be sent to Haiti for the cost of One junket trip to Pennsacola. I fogot, in the Bush universe, if people don't speak English, and/or if they have brown skin, and/or if they live in an area that's not a swing state and/or they don't have oil, they just don't matter. That's compasionate conservatism.
www.nytimes.com/2004/09/24/international/americas/24haiti.html
Tax Cuts - Renewed
Speaking of Deficits . .. I just read that Congress approved an extension of the Bush middle-class tax cuts. The cuts extended are the reduced tax rates for Americans under the mainstream bell curve. Yesterday I was in a continuing legal education seminar put on by ICLEF, the Indiana Law Update. It was a great seminar, by the way. If you need Indiana CLE, try to make this one. Anyway, the tax presentation was put on by my law school tax professor (from 19 years ago) Lawrence Jegen. Professor Jegen hasn't lost a beat in almost 20 years. In is trademark rapid-fire style, he outlined how the Bush II era budget has created a ticking time bomb deficit. Prior to today's extension, this year's deficit was predicted to be at $450 Billion. Add another $150 billion to this due to the tax cut extension.
Here's the interesting part . . . Bush's tax cuts have a variety of different termination dates. The ones with the earliest automatic phase out dates are the extensions that apply to the middle class voters. Mostly, we're talking about the ones that Congress just extended. The ones that didn't need extending because they already stretch way out are the ones that benefit mainly the rich, such as the capital gains tax, increased unified tax credits.
This time - not in Iraq, but in one town in Haiti
Hurricane Jeanne hit Haiti hard. One town, Gonaïves, has over 1000 dead. Combine that with the other hurricane deaths all over the hemisphere, and you actually have a toll of death & destruction that exceeds that from the Iraqi unpleasentness. That being said, the United States is constrained from doing too much about it. Why, because Iraq has taken the resources that we'd otherwise have to work on a whole panoply of other problems. We can do precious little in Sudan. We don't have the troops. Africa continues to be devastated by Aids. Gee, we'd like to help, but we have this national deficit.
Of Course, none of this keeps GWB from spending a million or two to fly Air Force One to Florida to hand out ice. I wonder how many aid workers could be sent to Haiti for the cost of One junket trip to Pennsacola. I fogot, in the Bush universe, if people don't speak English, and/or if they have brown skin, and/or if they live in an area that's not a swing state and/or they don't have oil, they just don't matter. That's compasionate conservatism.
www.nytimes.com/2004/09/24/international/americas/24haiti.html
Tax Cuts - Renewed
Speaking of Deficits . .. I just read that Congress approved an extension of the Bush middle-class tax cuts. The cuts extended are the reduced tax rates for Americans under the mainstream bell curve. Yesterday I was in a continuing legal education seminar put on by ICLEF, the Indiana Law Update. It was a great seminar, by the way. If you need Indiana CLE, try to make this one. Anyway, the tax presentation was put on by my law school tax professor (from 19 years ago) Lawrence Jegen. Professor Jegen hasn't lost a beat in almost 20 years. In is trademark rapid-fire style, he outlined how the Bush II era budget has created a ticking time bomb deficit. Prior to today's extension, this year's deficit was predicted to be at $450 Billion. Add another $150 billion to this due to the tax cut extension.
Here's the interesting part . . . Bush's tax cuts have a variety of different termination dates. The ones with the earliest automatic phase out dates are the extensions that apply to the middle class voters. Mostly, we're talking about the ones that Congress just extended. The ones that didn't need extending because they already stretch way out are the ones that benefit mainly the rich, such as the capital gains tax, increased unified tax credits.
Cheney (Mr. F*** Y**) Says Kerry's treatment of Iraqi Prime Minister Shows Lack of respect.
Dick Cheney criticized John Kerry for failing to show proper respect to Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi. Mr. Cheney is, after all, an expert on respect. Perhaps Sen. Kerry should have told Mr. Allawi to go F*** himself. Or he could have told him to get his lazy F***ing troops off their G**D*** A**es and fight some MotherF***ing insugrent Bas***ds so we can get our f***ing troops back home. While he's at it, he can tell them if if the Iraqis weren't such chickens**ts, the would have thrown Sadam out on their own, and we wouldn't have had to destroy half their f***ing country and then pay for it. I think Cheney may have a f***ing point.
edition.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/09/24/cheney.ap/
Dick Cheney criticized John Kerry for failing to show proper respect to Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi. Mr. Cheney is, after all, an expert on respect. Perhaps Sen. Kerry should have told Mr. Allawi to go F*** himself. Or he could have told him to get his lazy F***ing troops off their G**D*** A**es and fight some MotherF***ing insugrent Bas***ds so we can get our f***ing troops back home. While he's at it, he can tell them if if the Iraqis weren't such chickens**ts, the would have thrown Sadam out on their own, and we wouldn't have had to destroy half their f***ing country and then pay for it. I think Cheney may have a f***ing point.
edition.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/09/24/cheney.ap/
Thursday, September 23, 2004
Michael Moore's Slacker Tour - skipping Indiana
Michael Moore will be traveling to 50 cities - primarily college arena's to rally young people who would otherwise be unlikely to vote. He's going to the usual swing states, and once again, all the action is skipping Indiana.
Michael Moore Breaking News!
Michael Moore will be traveling to 50 cities - primarily college arena's to rally young people who would otherwise be unlikely to vote. He's going to the usual swing states, and once again, all the action is skipping Indiana.
Michael Moore Breaking News!
Zombie Debt Collectors a/ka Bottom Feeders
The consumer news page from the website of Chicago law firm Edelman & Combs has a good article on "Zombie Debt Collectors". This was a new term for me. The term that I have used for them is "bottom feeders". These are debt collection companies that buy stale credit card debt. Usually this debt is past the statute of limitations for collections and probably past the date which it can be posted on your credit report (7 years since it went in default). Since the statute of limitations is an affirmative defense in most states, there is not an outright ban on collecting this debt; but the collectors have to walk a fine line in what they threaten to do. Many times they step over it.
I have worked closely with Edelman & Combs in the past. They have an excellent track record in representing consumers. If you are a solo practitioner or small firm attorney, you should contact Dan Edleman to see about cocounseling with you on your case. If you are a UAW-LSP attorney they may still be of assistance.
Content Page
The consumer news page from the website of Chicago law firm Edelman & Combs has a good article on "Zombie Debt Collectors". This was a new term for me. The term that I have used for them is "bottom feeders". These are debt collection companies that buy stale credit card debt. Usually this debt is past the statute of limitations for collections and probably past the date which it can be posted on your credit report (7 years since it went in default). Since the statute of limitations is an affirmative defense in most states, there is not an outright ban on collecting this debt; but the collectors have to walk a fine line in what they threaten to do. Many times they step over it.
I have worked closely with Edelman & Combs in the past. They have an excellent track record in representing consumers. If you are a solo practitioner or small firm attorney, you should contact Dan Edleman to see about cocounseling with you on your case. If you are a UAW-LSP attorney they may still be of assistance.
Content Page
Indiana Law Blog
Marcia Oddi publishes the Indiana Law Blog. I'm just starting to get acquainted with this excellent blog, which is exactly what it purports to be. I don't know how she has the time to read all this stuff, but because she does, we don't have to (just kidding).
The Indiana Law Blog
Marcia Oddi publishes the Indiana Law Blog. I'm just starting to get acquainted with this excellent blog, which is exactly what it purports to be. I don't know how she has the time to read all this stuff, but because she does, we don't have to (just kidding).
The Indiana Law Blog
Monday, September 20, 2004
The Hydrogen Infrastructure that Never Was
For the long term, most auto industry pundits think that the hydrogen fuel cell will replace the internal combustion engine. The chief problem (and there are many) is that we do not have an infrastructure to supply hydrogen. We also do not have clean sources of massive quantities of hydrogen.
Now, here's a nerd history lesson for you. In the 1950s, U.S. government came up with the idea for a supersonic spyplane that would fly about 100,000 feet, well out of the range of anti-aircraft guns (and the missiles of the day) and fighter interceptors.
Famed Lockheed skunkworks chief Kelly Johnson came up with an idea of an aircraft called the L-400, codename operation "Suntan", powered by conventional jet engines, with the engines burning liquid hydrogen rather than jet fuel.
There was no problem in modifying the jet engines. The project never came to fruition for various reasons. Among them was the lack of a hydrogen infrastructure. That being the case, it was planned to establish a massive hydrogen infrastructure to support the planes if they were deployed.
By 1957, it became clear that a hydrogen powered airplane would not be the cure to the nation's intelligence-gathering problem. By then, Johnson's team was on track to build an even better plane, the Blackbird. The A-12 blackbird (the CIA version) flew at Mach 3.2 and at 80,000 feet. Although somewhat lower-flying, it was much faster than the Suntan, which may have never been able to reach it's projected Mach 2.5 speed. In addition, the Blackbird could run on a special type of jet fuel, and be serviced by tanker aircraft that required only modest modifications. With the blackbird, there was no need for a hydrogen fuel supply.
The A-12 made it's first flight in April 1962, about the same time that I took my first baby steps. For almost 40 years the Lockheed Blackbird was the queen of the skies. Because the Blackbird was so great, hydrogen-fueled cars are that much further from reality.
contents
For the long term, most auto industry pundits think that the hydrogen fuel cell will replace the internal combustion engine. The chief problem (and there are many) is that we do not have an infrastructure to supply hydrogen. We also do not have clean sources of massive quantities of hydrogen.
Now, here's a nerd history lesson for you. In the 1950s, U.S. government came up with the idea for a supersonic spyplane that would fly about 100,000 feet, well out of the range of anti-aircraft guns (and the missiles of the day) and fighter interceptors.
Famed Lockheed skunkworks chief Kelly Johnson came up with an idea of an aircraft called the L-400, codename operation "Suntan", powered by conventional jet engines, with the engines burning liquid hydrogen rather than jet fuel.
There was no problem in modifying the jet engines. The project never came to fruition for various reasons. Among them was the lack of a hydrogen infrastructure. That being the case, it was planned to establish a massive hydrogen infrastructure to support the planes if they were deployed.
By 1957, it became clear that a hydrogen powered airplane would not be the cure to the nation's intelligence-gathering problem. By then, Johnson's team was on track to build an even better plane, the Blackbird. The A-12 blackbird (the CIA version) flew at Mach 3.2 and at 80,000 feet. Although somewhat lower-flying, it was much faster than the Suntan, which may have never been able to reach it's projected Mach 2.5 speed. In addition, the Blackbird could run on a special type of jet fuel, and be serviced by tanker aircraft that required only modest modifications. With the blackbird, there was no need for a hydrogen fuel supply.
The A-12 made it's first flight in April 1962, about the same time that I took my first baby steps. For almost 40 years the Lockheed Blackbird was the queen of the skies. Because the Blackbird was so great, hydrogen-fueled cars are that much further from reality.
contents
Police thwart "el Cannonball Run"
Could have been a parody, but apparently it's real.
Police thwart ?El Cannonball Run? | American International Automobile Dealers |
Could have been a parody, but apparently it's real.
Police thwart ?El Cannonball Run? | American International Automobile Dealers |
Friday, September 17, 2004
Cost of the War in Iraq
Part II - Over $3000 per household
Report: The 'real' costs of the Iraq war - (United Press International)
Part II - Over $3000 per household
Report: The 'real' costs of the Iraq war - (United Press International)
The Cost of the War in Iraq
Part 1: Opportunity Costs - Unfunded Homeland Security items
I am stunned that the American public, by a huge margin things George Bush is stronger on terrorism than John Kerry:
Here's a list of items that would have helped the war on terror that would have fit well within the $145 Billion (at the time) that we'd spent on the war in Iraq (according to the Center for American Progress).
The Opportunity Costs of the Iraq War - Center for American Progress
Part 1: Opportunity Costs - Unfunded Homeland Security items
I am stunned that the American public, by a huge margin things George Bush is stronger on terrorism than John Kerry:
Here's a list of items that would have helped the war on terror that would have fit well within the $145 Billion (at the time) that we'd spent on the war in Iraq (according to the Center for American Progress).
The Opportunity Costs of the Iraq War - Center for American Progress
Is Bush a Good Christian?
Part II - WWJT Who Would Jesus Torture
In a Rhetorically-strong essay on democraticunderground.com, Christian Dewar takes Bush to task for among other things "a lack of empathy" and "sadistic tendencies."
According to childhood friends, Bush used to blow up frogs with firecrackers and shoot them with BB guns. As several therapists have pointed out, this cruelty to animals is a trait he shares with many serial killers.
Bush was embroiled in a scandal at Yale when it was discovered that he branded pledges at his fraternity with red-hot wires.
A drunken George W. Bush once challenged his own father to a fight, "mano a mano."
Several therapists have commented about Bush's sadistic tendencies and his lack of empathy. A recent book, "Bush on the Couch; Inside the Mind of the President," written by the respected Justin A. Frank M.D., is one of many attempts to describe Bush's inherent cruelty. The book points out how comfortable Bush is being outside the law, whether it is his two arrests at Yale, his DUI, his apparent AWOL status in the Texas National Guard, alleged insider trading, possible perjury or his reported drug abuse.
Polls report that many of those in the Red States believe that Bush is "likable" and the candidate they would most like to have a beer with. This about a man who mocks and ridicules those with whom he disagrees. A reporter who asks a foreign politician a question in French was derided as being an "internationalist." A citizen who expressed his displeasure with Bush's policies was told, "Who cares what you think?" He makes fun of bald journalists. He has cruel nicknames for aides. He calls Karl Rove, "Turd Blossom."
Who Would Jesus Torture? The Religion of George W. Bush, by Christian Dewar - Democratic Underground
Part II - WWJT Who Would Jesus Torture
In a Rhetorically-strong essay on democraticunderground.com, Christian Dewar takes Bush to task for among other things "a lack of empathy" and "sadistic tendencies."
According to childhood friends, Bush used to blow up frogs with firecrackers and shoot them with BB guns. As several therapists have pointed out, this cruelty to animals is a trait he shares with many serial killers.
Bush was embroiled in a scandal at Yale when it was discovered that he branded pledges at his fraternity with red-hot wires.
A drunken George W. Bush once challenged his own father to a fight, "mano a mano."
Several therapists have commented about Bush's sadistic tendencies and his lack of empathy. A recent book, "Bush on the Couch; Inside the Mind of the President," written by the respected Justin A. Frank M.D., is one of many attempts to describe Bush's inherent cruelty. The book points out how comfortable Bush is being outside the law, whether it is his two arrests at Yale, his DUI, his apparent AWOL status in the Texas National Guard, alleged insider trading, possible perjury or his reported drug abuse.
Polls report that many of those in the Red States believe that Bush is "likable" and the candidate they would most like to have a beer with. This about a man who mocks and ridicules those with whom he disagrees. A reporter who asks a foreign politician a question in French was derided as being an "internationalist." A citizen who expressed his displeasure with Bush's policies was told, "Who cares what you think?" He makes fun of bald journalists. He has cruel nicknames for aides. He calls Karl Rove, "Turd Blossom."
Who Would Jesus Torture? The Religion of George W. Bush, by Christian Dewar - Democratic Underground
George W. Bush: Good Christian?
Part 1 - Bush & the Poor
On the PBS Frontline site, Jim Wallis, Editor of liberal evangelical magazine Sojourner is interviewed about George Bush and how his faith affects his policy. He had a very interesting thing to say about a conversation that he had with George Bush early in his presidency.
… I'm often asked what I think about the faith of the President George W. Bush. I think it is sincere. I think it's very real. I think it's deeply held. I met the president when he was president-elect at a meeting in Austin. He spoke of his faith. He spoke of his desire for a compassionate conservatism, for a faith-based initiative that would do something for poor people. Afterwards, [when] he was talking to us, George W. took me aside and said, "Jim, I don't understand poor people. I don't live, never lived around poor people. I don't know [how] poor people think. Frankly, I'm a white Republican guy who just doesn't get it. But I'd like to. How do I get it? How do I understand?"
I said, "You need to listen to poor people, and people who work and live with poor people." In the inaugural address, which talked more about poverty than any inaugural in years, he said, "We have to listen. Most of us don't understand poverty," he said. "We have to listen to those who do."
I take that seriously. But when I met the president and began talking with him, and listening to what he was saying, I felt that he was sort of a self-help Methodist -- meaning, someone whose faith had made a difference in his personal life. Solved some drinking issues and some family issues, and changed him. Gave him purpose. That's part of Methodism. Always has been. Kind of a 12-step God -- you know, changing my life.
My hope was that he'd make a pilgrimage from being a self-help Methodist to a social reform Methodist, like John Wesley was. John Wesley talked about your faith changing your life, solving drinking problems, saving your family and your marriage.
But also he talked about the abolition of slavery. I wanted to hear George Bush talk not just about how personal behaviors cause poverty, but how structures and social oppression, and hardness of heart of the rich, and laws and lack of just laws cause and perpetuate poverty. So that'd be a pilgrimage from self-help to a social reform Methodist.
That was my hope -- that in this process of his faith-based initiative, we'd see some movement in the president's theology, deepening of his theology, where he'd understand that poverty's not just rooted in individual choices, but in social policies, practices, and behaviors.
Then Sept. 11 came. I think his role changed dramatically, his notion of himself and his place in history, and he became commander in chief of the war on terrorism. The self-help Methodist became now almost a messianic American Calvinist, speaking of the mission of America, and even of his perhaps divine appointment to be president at a time such as this.
Rev Wallis then talks about how Bush has taken Biblical language & Christian metaphors and used them in his political speeches.
Hymnology is often used in the president's speeches, and his 2003 State of the Union. There's "wonder-working power" in the faith and values of the American people. Well, that's not what the song says. Those of us who are evangelical hear that song, "Wonder-Working Power" -- it's a hymn. "There's wonder-working power in the blood of the Lamb," the song says, which means the salvation in Christ, not in the values of the American people. It's not what the song says.
Or Ellis Island, on the first anniversary of Sept. 11. He talked about how America stands as a beacon of light to the world, and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Well, that's in the Gospel of John. But the light there is the word of God, and the light of Christ, not the beacon of American freedom. So hymns are being altered and put in a different context. I think what you see now is more an American civil religion than evangelical biblical faith.
… That's bad theology. It confuses American civil religion and biblical faith. It confuses church and nation. It confuses God's purposes with the best interests for American foreign policy, so there's a confusion here. It's bad theology and bad foreign policy at the same time.
. . .
So this isn't for me a social action question. It's not a political question. It is impossible to be an evangelical Christian and ignore the vast teaching of the Bible about poor people.
… We haven't been doing good Bible study. We have been ignoring the Bible, and we have been conformed to our culture. Romans 12:2 says, "Don't be conformed to this world. Be transformed by the renewal of your minds," where one translation says, "Don't let the world squeeze you into its mold." Too many evangelical Christians are like affluent, upper-middle class suburban dwellers more than they are like those who love and cherish and follow the Bible.
Now, they think they are. They believe they are. They love the Bible. But they're not paying attention to whole vast areas of biblical teaching that call for economic justice. You can't be evangelical and associate yourself with Jesus and what he says about the poor and just have no other domestic concerns than tax cuts for wealthy people.
I mean, these are good people. But this is not biblical thinking. What's changing -- and it is changing all over the country -- is a new generation of evangelicals are discovering the poor in the Bible.
… When I ask people in more conservative places like Midland, Texas, about politics and political parties, their answer to me is, "The Democrat doesn't know bunk about religion or faith, so we really don't even have a choice. We have to go with the Republican Party, because at least they understand faith. The Democrats don't even talk to us in a language that we understand or care about."
… Well, I've said this to Democratic leaders -- they often seem to be clueless about religion or faith, or [are] dismissive or disrespectful. There are religious fundamentalists that we all know of and speak of. There are also secular fundamentalists, people who have a disdain for religion, and many of those voices are in the Democratic Party.
So religious people often feel alienated or disrespected by Democrats. I think that's very sad. I think political leaders of both parties need to respect religious people and their values and the tradition in this country.
I believe in the separation of church and state, absolutely. But I don't believe in the separation of public life from our values, our basic values, and for many of us, our religious values. One of them for me is this deep concern about overcoming poverty. That is a religious value for me, not just a political one.
You said something that I thought was interesting. You said that when people think of the word evangelical, they get worried. There are often bad connotations. But really, it's all about spreading the good word -- it's the good word, right? It's the good message. Why is it that there's so much fear around evangelicals?
I think it's because of the religious right. I think there is a fear among many Americans about the word evangelical, evangelicals, because they associate that term with the religious right, with Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson and the Christian Coalition.
I think that's a shame, because I don't think they're really in the evangelical tradition. They are American fundamentalists who espouse a kind of cultural American religion that doesn't have much to do, as I read, [with] biblical faith, with evangelicalism.
When I was growing up in an evangelical home, we knew about Falwell. He was a fundamentalist. He wasn't really an evangelical. He was kind of a backwoods fundamentalist. But he ascended to political power. The media's made him a household word.
I often think that Robertson, Falwell -- their role now is to be kind of ludicrous foils for the American media. Whenever the media wants somebody to say something stupid about religion, they ask Robertson and Falwell, and they get what they want every time. These are not good Christian leaders. They're right-wing ideologues. They're cultural fundamentalists. I don't think they're really evangelical. You'll get me in trouble, but I don't think they really are. I don't hear much of the good news. I hear a lot of bad news from them, not much good news about poor people. … But I think that's the fear.
Martin Luther King Jr. really understood the role of the churches when he said, "The church is not meant to be the master of the state." We don't sort of take power and grab the levers of government and impose our agenda down people's throats. We don't legislate Leviticus. "Nor are we meant to be," he said, "the servant of the state." [We don't] clean up the mess of bad social policy, [or] put a band-aid on the sores of injustice, [or] be just social service providers.
No, we are not the master of the state, said King. We are not the servant of the state. We are the conscience of the state. The churches or the religious community should be, I think, the conscience of the state. We're not just service providers. We are prophetic interrogators. Why are so many people hungry? Why are so many people and families in our shelters? Why do we have one of six of our children poor, [and] one of three [of these are] children of color? "Why?" is the prophetic question. …
What does the heart of God say about the poverty? What does the heart of God say about what justice in the Middle East would really be? That's what we ought to be raising. That's what it means to be an evangelical. …
I think to be evangelical means to be obsessed with that biblical imperative, to seek justice for poor people. That's evangelical. It's in my evangelical tradition to be committed fervently, passionately, to that biblical mission of overcoming poverty. So I want the president to be more evangelical than his domestic policy shows so far in terms of fighting poverty.
So I have no trouble with the faith. I want it to be applied. I want a faith that takes Jesus seriously in foreign policy. When Jesus says, "Blessed are the peacemakers," what does that mean? This is what Jesus taught. He doesn't say the "peace lovers." Blessed are the peacemakers.
I think it's not credible to believe that Jesus' command to be peacemakers is best fulfilled by American military supremacy through the imposition of Pax Americana. Do we really think that's what Jesus meant by "Blessed are the peacemakers?" I think that bears some evangelical reevaluation, in regard to our foreign policy. …
Let's talk about President Bush and his personal faith. You have said that it's not that you question his personal faith and his belief in Jesus. It's that you question how it affects our domestic and international policies. …
… I'm often asked what I think about the faith of the President George W. Bush. I think it is sincere. I think it's very real. I think it's deeply held. I met the president when he was president-elect at a meeting in Austin. He spoke of his faith. He spoke of his desire for a compassionate conservatism, for a faith-based initiative that would do something for poor people. Afterwards, [when] he was talking to us, George W. took me aside and said, "Jim, I don't understand poor people. I don't live, never lived around poor people. I don't know [how] poor people think. Frankly, I'm a white Republican guy who just doesn't get it. But I'd like to. How do I get it? How do I understand?"
I said, "You need to listen to poor people, and people who work and live with poor people." In the inaugural address, which talked more about poverty than any inaugural in years, he said, "We have to listen. Most of us don't understand poverty," he said. "We have to listen to those who do."
I take that seriously. But when I met the president and began talking with him, and listening to what he was saying, I felt that he was sort of a self-help Methodist -- meaning, someone whose faith had made a difference in his personal life. Solved some drinking issues and some family issues, and changed him. Gave him purpose. That's part of Methodism. Always has been. Kind of a 12-step God -- you know, changing my life.
My hope was that he'd make a pilgrimage from being a self-help Methodist to a social reform Methodist, like John Wesley was. John Wesley talked about your faith changing your life, solving drinking problems, saving your family and your marriage.
But also he talked about the abolition of slavery. I wanted to hear George Bush talk not just about how personal behaviors cause poverty, but how structures and social oppression, and hardness of heart of the rich, and laws and lack of just laws cause and perpetuate poverty. So that'd be a pilgrimage from self-help to a social reform Methodist.
That was my hope -- that in this process of his faith-based initiative, we'd see some movement in the president's theology, deepening of his theology, where he'd understand that poverty's not just rooted in individual choices, but in social policies, practices, and behaviors.
Then Sept. 11 came. I think his role changed dramatically, his notion of himself and his place in history, and he became commander in chief of the war on terrorism. The self-help Methodist became now almost a messianic American Calvinist, speaking of the mission of America, and even of his perhaps divine appointment to be president at a time such as this.
This raises some deep and unsettling theological questions, I think, whether there's a confusion now in the role of church and nation -- the body of Christ, the Christian community, what its role is versus the role of the nation.
Hymnology is often used in the president's speeches, and his 2003 State of the Union. There's "wonder-working power" in the faith and values of the American people. Well, that's not what the song says. Those of us who are evangelical hear that song, "Wonder-Working Power" -- it's a hymn. "There's wonder-working power in the blood of the Lamb," the song says, which means the salvation in Christ, not in the values of the American people. It's not what the song says.
Or Ellis Island, on the first anniversary of Sept. 11. He talked about how America stands as a beacon of light to the world, and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Well, that's in the Gospel of John. But the light there is the word of God, and the light of Christ, not the beacon of American freedom. So hymns are being altered and put in a different context. I think what you see now is more an American civil religion than evangelical biblical faith.
… That's bad theology. It confuses American civil religion and biblical faith. It confuses church and nation. It confuses God's purposes with the best interests for American foreign policy, so there's a confusion here. It's bad theology and bad foreign policy at the same time.
…We know that President Bush felt a calling to run for president that was based in his faith. He said this in his autobiography, that when 9/11 happened, he said he felt like he had a divine calling. This was why he was president. Can you talk about that a little bit? How a person might think that he or she has a divine calling?
Well, it's certainly very appropriate for any Christian to ask, to struggle with a calling, a vocation. I do it. Every Christian does. What is my calling? What am I supposed to do? I think running for office, public office, can be a [divine] calling. I mean, I've wrestled with that very question myself.
But when one believes that you've been appointed by God for a particular mission in history, you have to be very careful about that, how you speak about that. Where is the self-reflection in that? Where is the humility in that? Are we asking whether we are being accountable to God's intentions and purposes? Or are we asking for God's blessing on our activities? They're very different things.
I think when we are so sure that God is on our side, and that those who are not with us are against us, or even with the terrorists, that's taking another step. I believe God is in our world, in our history, in our lives, in our choices. To ask what God's calling is for me is a fair question, a necessary question, for any Christian. That's not a problem.
But when we place God on our side of things, that we are now ridding the world of evil -- that's very dangerous, that one nation has this role to rid the world of [evil]. What about the evil we have committed, that we are complicit in? The richest nation in this global economic system, in which 2 billion of God's children are poor [and] live on less than $2 a day?
Well, there are things to look at ourselves here, if we're presiding over that global economy. Does this language allow us to look at ourselves, or does it give us a kind of certainty, and a sanction, and even a sense of divine righteousness for our political position? Are we blinded to things that we're otherwise not willing to look at?
Every U.S. president has used God in their language when they speak to the nation. But you have expressed some concerns with President Bush's theological references. You mentioned "wonder-working power" as an example. Can you explain your concern?
… Evangelicals, like any group, have language that [its group members will] recognize, and that hymn is a very famous evangelical hymn. So every evangelical kid like me heard "wonder-working power," knew exactly right away what it was referring to, this wonderful old song. "There's power, power, wonder-working power in the blood of the Lamb," which is about the salvation in Christ.
But now the president uses it for a different meaning. He says there is wonder-working power in the faith and values of the American people. Well, that's not what the song said. That's not what it was about.
So here are all these evangelicals, and they say, "That's our song. That's our language. He understands us." What it's now about is wonder-working power in us, in the Americans, in our vision, our values, our place in the world.
Well, that's bad theology, and it sounds like our religion. So the two problems are its code language for one constituency, and it changes the meaning of the words. …
Mike Gerson, President Bush's speechwriter, is a well-known evangelical who went to Wheaton College. He very much would know the back and forth of all these hymns. What is he doing when he writes these speeches?
… The speeches contain biblical language and hymnology, but often misused or often put in a different context, and the meaning has been changed. The meaning of the hymns and the meaning of that biblical text has been changed to serve another purpose. That's my concern, when all of a sudden it's supporting American foreign policy, when it wasn't about American foreign policy. It's about the light of Christ in the world. It was about the word of God in history. It wasn't about the American people and their values. So he's changing the meaning of the words, and that to me is disconcerting.
Q.So can you summarize your general concern with the president using this religious language?
It is a code language that is meant to appeal to a base, to reassure a base, to tell them he's one of them and that they understand each other. But then when he changes the meaning of the words, it's even more problematic for me, because he's really turning the words to purposes which are in our national self-interest as he perceives it, but really are contrary to what their original meaning was.
Rev. Willis faults Bush for not putting his faith into action. He also faults other evangelical leaders for failing to hold Bush accountable.
… When evangelical leaders can persuade the president to be concerned about what's happening in Sudan, or sex trafficking around the world, or HIV-AIDS, that's a very good thing. I am completely supportive of that. But I'm an evangelical Christian leader, as well, and we haven't been able to persuade the president to do what is necessary on poverty reduction in this country or around the world, or to find a foreign policy that makes the critical linkages between economic justice and overcoming violence and terrorism.
So I think there's been some progress on some of those fronts. I'm glad to see evangelicals pushing for things like Sudan and critical human rights issues. But we want to talk about what a president could do in terms of domestic and global poverty, and that just hasn't been done. Bono sat with the president two weeks ago and couldn't get $1 billion more to fund the HIV/AIDS initiative. That is the president's own initiative, and he was totally of no capacity. A billion dollars every week for Iraq, $87 billion for Iraq. We can't get $5 billion for childcare over five years in welfare reform.
So a number of us in this country, as Christians, as evangelicals, are waiting to see policies that reflect the language and the intention of a faith-based initiative, or compassionate conservatism. We are not seeing policies that benefit poor people in this country or around the world. That, for us, is a religious concern; not just a political one.
Part 1 - Bush & the Poor
On the PBS Frontline site, Jim Wallis, Editor of liberal evangelical magazine Sojourner is interviewed about George Bush and how his faith affects his policy. He had a very interesting thing to say about a conversation that he had with George Bush early in his presidency.
… I'm often asked what I think about the faith of the President George W. Bush. I think it is sincere. I think it's very real. I think it's deeply held. I met the president when he was president-elect at a meeting in Austin. He spoke of his faith. He spoke of his desire for a compassionate conservatism, for a faith-based initiative that would do something for poor people. Afterwards, [when] he was talking to us, George W. took me aside and said, "Jim, I don't understand poor people. I don't live, never lived around poor people. I don't know [how] poor people think. Frankly, I'm a white Republican guy who just doesn't get it. But I'd like to. How do I get it? How do I understand?"
I said, "You need to listen to poor people, and people who work and live with poor people." In the inaugural address, which talked more about poverty than any inaugural in years, he said, "We have to listen. Most of us don't understand poverty," he said. "We have to listen to those who do."
I take that seriously. But when I met the president and began talking with him, and listening to what he was saying, I felt that he was sort of a self-help Methodist -- meaning, someone whose faith had made a difference in his personal life. Solved some drinking issues and some family issues, and changed him. Gave him purpose. That's part of Methodism. Always has been. Kind of a 12-step God -- you know, changing my life.
My hope was that he'd make a pilgrimage from being a self-help Methodist to a social reform Methodist, like John Wesley was. John Wesley talked about your faith changing your life, solving drinking problems, saving your family and your marriage.
But also he talked about the abolition of slavery. I wanted to hear George Bush talk not just about how personal behaviors cause poverty, but how structures and social oppression, and hardness of heart of the rich, and laws and lack of just laws cause and perpetuate poverty. So that'd be a pilgrimage from self-help to a social reform Methodist.
That was my hope -- that in this process of his faith-based initiative, we'd see some movement in the president's theology, deepening of his theology, where he'd understand that poverty's not just rooted in individual choices, but in social policies, practices, and behaviors.
Then Sept. 11 came. I think his role changed dramatically, his notion of himself and his place in history, and he became commander in chief of the war on terrorism. The self-help Methodist became now almost a messianic American Calvinist, speaking of the mission of America, and even of his perhaps divine appointment to be president at a time such as this.
Rev Wallis then talks about how Bush has taken Biblical language & Christian metaphors and used them in his political speeches.
Hymnology is often used in the president's speeches, and his 2003 State of the Union. There's "wonder-working power" in the faith and values of the American people. Well, that's not what the song says. Those of us who are evangelical hear that song, "Wonder-Working Power" -- it's a hymn. "There's wonder-working power in the blood of the Lamb," the song says, which means the salvation in Christ, not in the values of the American people. It's not what the song says.
Or Ellis Island, on the first anniversary of Sept. 11. He talked about how America stands as a beacon of light to the world, and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Well, that's in the Gospel of John. But the light there is the word of God, and the light of Christ, not the beacon of American freedom. So hymns are being altered and put in a different context. I think what you see now is more an American civil religion than evangelical biblical faith.
… That's bad theology. It confuses American civil religion and biblical faith. It confuses church and nation. It confuses God's purposes with the best interests for American foreign policy, so there's a confusion here. It's bad theology and bad foreign policy at the same time.
. . .
So this isn't for me a social action question. It's not a political question. It is impossible to be an evangelical Christian and ignore the vast teaching of the Bible about poor people.
… We haven't been doing good Bible study. We have been ignoring the Bible, and we have been conformed to our culture. Romans 12:2 says, "Don't be conformed to this world. Be transformed by the renewal of your minds," where one translation says, "Don't let the world squeeze you into its mold." Too many evangelical Christians are like affluent, upper-middle class suburban dwellers more than they are like those who love and cherish and follow the Bible.
Now, they think they are. They believe they are. They love the Bible. But they're not paying attention to whole vast areas of biblical teaching that call for economic justice. You can't be evangelical and associate yourself with Jesus and what he says about the poor and just have no other domestic concerns than tax cuts for wealthy people.
I mean, these are good people. But this is not biblical thinking. What's changing -- and it is changing all over the country -- is a new generation of evangelicals are discovering the poor in the Bible.
… When I ask people in more conservative places like Midland, Texas, about politics and political parties, their answer to me is, "The Democrat doesn't know bunk about religion or faith, so we really don't even have a choice. We have to go with the Republican Party, because at least they understand faith. The Democrats don't even talk to us in a language that we understand or care about."
… Well, I've said this to Democratic leaders -- they often seem to be clueless about religion or faith, or [are] dismissive or disrespectful. There are religious fundamentalists that we all know of and speak of. There are also secular fundamentalists, people who have a disdain for religion, and many of those voices are in the Democratic Party.
So religious people often feel alienated or disrespected by Democrats. I think that's very sad. I think political leaders of both parties need to respect religious people and their values and the tradition in this country.
I believe in the separation of church and state, absolutely. But I don't believe in the separation of public life from our values, our basic values, and for many of us, our religious values. One of them for me is this deep concern about overcoming poverty. That is a religious value for me, not just a political one.
You said something that I thought was interesting. You said that when people think of the word evangelical, they get worried. There are often bad connotations. But really, it's all about spreading the good word -- it's the good word, right? It's the good message. Why is it that there's so much fear around evangelicals?
I think it's because of the religious right. I think there is a fear among many Americans about the word evangelical, evangelicals, because they associate that term with the religious right, with Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson and the Christian Coalition.
I think that's a shame, because I don't think they're really in the evangelical tradition. They are American fundamentalists who espouse a kind of cultural American religion that doesn't have much to do, as I read, [with] biblical faith, with evangelicalism.
When I was growing up in an evangelical home, we knew about Falwell. He was a fundamentalist. He wasn't really an evangelical. He was kind of a backwoods fundamentalist. But he ascended to political power. The media's made him a household word.
I often think that Robertson, Falwell -- their role now is to be kind of ludicrous foils for the American media. Whenever the media wants somebody to say something stupid about religion, they ask Robertson and Falwell, and they get what they want every time. These are not good Christian leaders. They're right-wing ideologues. They're cultural fundamentalists. I don't think they're really evangelical. You'll get me in trouble, but I don't think they really are. I don't hear much of the good news. I hear a lot of bad news from them, not much good news about poor people. … But I think that's the fear.
Martin Luther King Jr. really understood the role of the churches when he said, "The church is not meant to be the master of the state." We don't sort of take power and grab the levers of government and impose our agenda down people's throats. We don't legislate Leviticus. "Nor are we meant to be," he said, "the servant of the state." [We don't] clean up the mess of bad social policy, [or] put a band-aid on the sores of injustice, [or] be just social service providers.
No, we are not the master of the state, said King. We are not the servant of the state. We are the conscience of the state. The churches or the religious community should be, I think, the conscience of the state. We're not just service providers. We are prophetic interrogators. Why are so many people hungry? Why are so many people and families in our shelters? Why do we have one of six of our children poor, [and] one of three [of these are] children of color? "Why?" is the prophetic question. …
What does the heart of God say about the poverty? What does the heart of God say about what justice in the Middle East would really be? That's what we ought to be raising. That's what it means to be an evangelical. …
I think to be evangelical means to be obsessed with that biblical imperative, to seek justice for poor people. That's evangelical. It's in my evangelical tradition to be committed fervently, passionately, to that biblical mission of overcoming poverty. So I want the president to be more evangelical than his domestic policy shows so far in terms of fighting poverty.
So I have no trouble with the faith. I want it to be applied. I want a faith that takes Jesus seriously in foreign policy. When Jesus says, "Blessed are the peacemakers," what does that mean? This is what Jesus taught. He doesn't say the "peace lovers." Blessed are the peacemakers.
I think it's not credible to believe that Jesus' command to be peacemakers is best fulfilled by American military supremacy through the imposition of Pax Americana. Do we really think that's what Jesus meant by "Blessed are the peacemakers?" I think that bears some evangelical reevaluation, in regard to our foreign policy. …
Let's talk about President Bush and his personal faith. You have said that it's not that you question his personal faith and his belief in Jesus. It's that you question how it affects our domestic and international policies. …
… I'm often asked what I think about the faith of the President George W. Bush. I think it is sincere. I think it's very real. I think it's deeply held. I met the president when he was president-elect at a meeting in Austin. He spoke of his faith. He spoke of his desire for a compassionate conservatism, for a faith-based initiative that would do something for poor people. Afterwards, [when] he was talking to us, George W. took me aside and said, "Jim, I don't understand poor people. I don't live, never lived around poor people. I don't know [how] poor people think. Frankly, I'm a white Republican guy who just doesn't get it. But I'd like to. How do I get it? How do I understand?"
I said, "You need to listen to poor people, and people who work and live with poor people." In the inaugural address, which talked more about poverty than any inaugural in years, he said, "We have to listen. Most of us don't understand poverty," he said. "We have to listen to those who do."
I take that seriously. But when I met the president and began talking with him, and listening to what he was saying, I felt that he was sort of a self-help Methodist -- meaning, someone whose faith had made a difference in his personal life. Solved some drinking issues and some family issues, and changed him. Gave him purpose. That's part of Methodism. Always has been. Kind of a 12-step God -- you know, changing my life.
My hope was that he'd make a pilgrimage from being a self-help Methodist to a social reform Methodist, like John Wesley was. John Wesley talked about your faith changing your life, solving drinking problems, saving your family and your marriage.
But also he talked about the abolition of slavery. I wanted to hear George Bush talk not just about how personal behaviors cause poverty, but how structures and social oppression, and hardness of heart of the rich, and laws and lack of just laws cause and perpetuate poverty. So that'd be a pilgrimage from self-help to a social reform Methodist.
That was my hope -- that in this process of his faith-based initiative, we'd see some movement in the president's theology, deepening of his theology, where he'd understand that poverty's not just rooted in individual choices, but in social policies, practices, and behaviors.
Then Sept. 11 came. I think his role changed dramatically, his notion of himself and his place in history, and he became commander in chief of the war on terrorism. The self-help Methodist became now almost a messianic American Calvinist, speaking of the mission of America, and even of his perhaps divine appointment to be president at a time such as this.
This raises some deep and unsettling theological questions, I think, whether there's a confusion now in the role of church and nation -- the body of Christ, the Christian community, what its role is versus the role of the nation.
Hymnology is often used in the president's speeches, and his 2003 State of the Union. There's "wonder-working power" in the faith and values of the American people. Well, that's not what the song says. Those of us who are evangelical hear that song, "Wonder-Working Power" -- it's a hymn. "There's wonder-working power in the blood of the Lamb," the song says, which means the salvation in Christ, not in the values of the American people. It's not what the song says.
Or Ellis Island, on the first anniversary of Sept. 11. He talked about how America stands as a beacon of light to the world, and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Well, that's in the Gospel of John. But the light there is the word of God, and the light of Christ, not the beacon of American freedom. So hymns are being altered and put in a different context. I think what you see now is more an American civil religion than evangelical biblical faith.
… That's bad theology. It confuses American civil religion and biblical faith. It confuses church and nation. It confuses God's purposes with the best interests for American foreign policy, so there's a confusion here. It's bad theology and bad foreign policy at the same time.
…We know that President Bush felt a calling to run for president that was based in his faith. He said this in his autobiography, that when 9/11 happened, he said he felt like he had a divine calling. This was why he was president. Can you talk about that a little bit? How a person might think that he or she has a divine calling?
Well, it's certainly very appropriate for any Christian to ask, to struggle with a calling, a vocation. I do it. Every Christian does. What is my calling? What am I supposed to do? I think running for office, public office, can be a [divine] calling. I mean, I've wrestled with that very question myself.
But when one believes that you've been appointed by God for a particular mission in history, you have to be very careful about that, how you speak about that. Where is the self-reflection in that? Where is the humility in that? Are we asking whether we are being accountable to God's intentions and purposes? Or are we asking for God's blessing on our activities? They're very different things.
I think when we are so sure that God is on our side, and that those who are not with us are against us, or even with the terrorists, that's taking another step. I believe God is in our world, in our history, in our lives, in our choices. To ask what God's calling is for me is a fair question, a necessary question, for any Christian. That's not a problem.
But when we place God on our side of things, that we are now ridding the world of evil -- that's very dangerous, that one nation has this role to rid the world of [evil]. What about the evil we have committed, that we are complicit in? The richest nation in this global economic system, in which 2 billion of God's children are poor [and] live on less than $2 a day?
Well, there are things to look at ourselves here, if we're presiding over that global economy. Does this language allow us to look at ourselves, or does it give us a kind of certainty, and a sanction, and even a sense of divine righteousness for our political position? Are we blinded to things that we're otherwise not willing to look at?
Every U.S. president has used God in their language when they speak to the nation. But you have expressed some concerns with President Bush's theological references. You mentioned "wonder-working power" as an example. Can you explain your concern?
… Evangelicals, like any group, have language that [its group members will] recognize, and that hymn is a very famous evangelical hymn. So every evangelical kid like me heard "wonder-working power," knew exactly right away what it was referring to, this wonderful old song. "There's power, power, wonder-working power in the blood of the Lamb," which is about the salvation in Christ.
But now the president uses it for a different meaning. He says there is wonder-working power in the faith and values of the American people. Well, that's not what the song said. That's not what it was about.
So here are all these evangelicals, and they say, "That's our song. That's our language. He understands us." What it's now about is wonder-working power in us, in the Americans, in our vision, our values, our place in the world.
Well, that's bad theology, and it sounds like our religion. So the two problems are its code language for one constituency, and it changes the meaning of the words. …
Mike Gerson, President Bush's speechwriter, is a well-known evangelical who went to Wheaton College. He very much would know the back and forth of all these hymns. What is he doing when he writes these speeches?
… The speeches contain biblical language and hymnology, but often misused or often put in a different context, and the meaning has been changed. The meaning of the hymns and the meaning of that biblical text has been changed to serve another purpose. That's my concern, when all of a sudden it's supporting American foreign policy, when it wasn't about American foreign policy. It's about the light of Christ in the world. It was about the word of God in history. It wasn't about the American people and their values. So he's changing the meaning of the words, and that to me is disconcerting.
Q.So can you summarize your general concern with the president using this religious language?
It is a code language that is meant to appeal to a base, to reassure a base, to tell them he's one of them and that they understand each other. But then when he changes the meaning of the words, it's even more problematic for me, because he's really turning the words to purposes which are in our national self-interest as he perceives it, but really are contrary to what their original meaning was.
Rev. Willis faults Bush for not putting his faith into action. He also faults other evangelical leaders for failing to hold Bush accountable.
… When evangelical leaders can persuade the president to be concerned about what's happening in Sudan, or sex trafficking around the world, or HIV-AIDS, that's a very good thing. I am completely supportive of that. But I'm an evangelical Christian leader, as well, and we haven't been able to persuade the president to do what is necessary on poverty reduction in this country or around the world, or to find a foreign policy that makes the critical linkages between economic justice and overcoming violence and terrorism.
So I think there's been some progress on some of those fronts. I'm glad to see evangelicals pushing for things like Sudan and critical human rights issues. But we want to talk about what a president could do in terms of domestic and global poverty, and that just hasn't been done. Bono sat with the president two weeks ago and couldn't get $1 billion more to fund the HIV/AIDS initiative. That is the president's own initiative, and he was totally of no capacity. A billion dollars every week for Iraq, $87 billion for Iraq. We can't get $5 billion for childcare over five years in welfare reform.
So a number of us in this country, as Christians, as evangelicals, are waiting to see policies that reflect the language and the intention of a faith-based initiative, or compassionate conservatism. We are not seeing policies that benefit poor people in this country or around the world. That, for us, is a religious concern; not just a political one.
Carmakers and the Health Care Crisis
In a capitalist economy, American automakers are struggling with profitability because they are set up to make a profit, but also to provide social welfare functions that are performed by the government in other countries. They want relief from this predicament. It is surprising but the automakers and the UAW have both come out in favor of John Kerry, even though he has a track record of endorsing fuel economy standards that the auto companies don't want. They think that Kerry's more activist position on health care is strong enough to make up the difference.
The New York Times article linked below (free registration required) illustrates the problem beautifully. Here are some highlight quotes.
Ernest Pusey is older than General Motors.
At 109, he once helped build the Stovebolt Six, a heavy cast iron engine that propelled Chevrolets across America, but it has been nearly half a century since he retired from G.M. and moved to Florida. Today, he is one of 240 G.M. retirees or spouses over 100 years old. All of them are older than G.M. itself, which is four years from its centennial.
. . .
For G.M., the nation's largest private purchaser of health services and of drugs from Viagra to Lipitor, the projected cost of providing health care benefits to current and future retirees like Mr. Pusey is a staggering $63 billion.
. . .
G.M. covers the health care costs of 1.1 million Americans, or close to half a percent of the total population, though fewer than 200,000 are active workers while the rest are retirees, children or spouses. Not only are such costs escalating rapidly, but G.M.'s rivals, based in Japan and Germany, have virtually no retirees from their newer operations in the United States and, at home, the expenses are largely assumed by taxpayers through nationalized health care systems.
The New York Times > Business > Carmakers Face Huge Retiree Health Care Costs
In my opinion, when we talk about competitiveness, we need to look at putting costs where costs belong. The tie between healthcare is a historical accident tracing to the inability to compete for labor in World War II due to the wage freeze in plaze at that time. There is no logical relationship between employment and healthcare. The free riders in our system don't just include the people who get treated in emergency rooms without insurance and without the ability to pay, companies who don't pay for health insurance in their home markets but import their cars into the US are also free riders. Ditto for the companies who cherry pick a young workforce in non-union states, they also benefit unfairly from the current system.
In a capitalist economy, American automakers are struggling with profitability because they are set up to make a profit, but also to provide social welfare functions that are performed by the government in other countries. They want relief from this predicament. It is surprising but the automakers and the UAW have both come out in favor of John Kerry, even though he has a track record of endorsing fuel economy standards that the auto companies don't want. They think that Kerry's more activist position on health care is strong enough to make up the difference.
The New York Times article linked below (free registration required) illustrates the problem beautifully. Here are some highlight quotes.
Ernest Pusey is older than General Motors.
At 109, he once helped build the Stovebolt Six, a heavy cast iron engine that propelled Chevrolets across America, but it has been nearly half a century since he retired from G.M. and moved to Florida. Today, he is one of 240 G.M. retirees or spouses over 100 years old. All of them are older than G.M. itself, which is four years from its centennial.
. . .
For G.M., the nation's largest private purchaser of health services and of drugs from Viagra to Lipitor, the projected cost of providing health care benefits to current and future retirees like Mr. Pusey is a staggering $63 billion.
. . .
G.M. covers the health care costs of 1.1 million Americans, or close to half a percent of the total population, though fewer than 200,000 are active workers while the rest are retirees, children or spouses. Not only are such costs escalating rapidly, but G.M.'s rivals, based in Japan and Germany, have virtually no retirees from their newer operations in the United States and, at home, the expenses are largely assumed by taxpayers through nationalized health care systems.
The New York Times > Business > Carmakers Face Huge Retiree Health Care Costs
In my opinion, when we talk about competitiveness, we need to look at putting costs where costs belong. The tie between healthcare is a historical accident tracing to the inability to compete for labor in World War II due to the wage freeze in plaze at that time. There is no logical relationship between employment and healthcare. The free riders in our system don't just include the people who get treated in emergency rooms without insurance and without the ability to pay, companies who don't pay for health insurance in their home markets but import their cars into the US are also free riders. Ditto for the companies who cherry pick a young workforce in non-union states, they also benefit unfairly from the current system.
Thursday, September 16, 2004
Does a Win for Bush mean a Win for Canadian Real Estate?
With Bush up in the polls right now, my thoughts are drifting towards the proposition of moving out of the country. Canada would be the easy (but relatively boring) choice.
Searching
"bush wins" and "move to Canada" came up with 604 hits
Google Search: "bush wins" "move to canada": "... In spite of all the media fuss, he showed up, unscathed. In Halliburton we Trust. posted by Groom Lake 4:29 PM. Why Bush Wins 1. Iraq. ... Then we move to Canada. ...
bestoftheblogs.com/2004_06_24_bestof.html - 46k - Cached - Similar pages"
How about a more interesting place to move - The Freedom Ship
Imagine Circumnavigating the World every three years, stopping in all major and many minor ports of interest, on all the continents, all the while staying in your own condominium. The proposed Freedom Ship is a combination cruise-ship and planned community sailing the ocean seas. 4000 feet long, as long as 4 supertankers, 750 feet wide. As tall as a skyscraper. This baby is huge, much larger than any ship aflot.
The only problem with using the Freedom Ship as an escape from 4 more years of Bushism is that the Freedom Ship doesn't exist yet. (Judging from their web site and a 2001 Popular Science Article (linked below) they really haven't made that much progress in the last three years. (Of course neither has the United States of America - which gets back to point # one, why it may be time to get out of Dodge in the first place. . . . )
With Bush up in the polls right now, my thoughts are drifting towards the proposition of moving out of the country. Canada would be the easy (but relatively boring) choice.
Searching
"bush wins" and "move to Canada" came up with 604 hits
Google Search: "bush wins" "move to canada": "... In spite of all the media fuss, he showed up, unscathed. In Halliburton we Trust. posted by Groom Lake 4:29 PM. Why Bush Wins 1. Iraq. ... Then we move to Canada. ...
bestoftheblogs.com/2004_06_24_bestof.html - 46k - Cached - Similar pages"
How about a more interesting place to move - The Freedom Ship
Imagine Circumnavigating the World every three years, stopping in all major and many minor ports of interest, on all the continents, all the while staying in your own condominium. The proposed Freedom Ship is a combination cruise-ship and planned community sailing the ocean seas. 4000 feet long, as long as 4 supertankers, 750 feet wide. As tall as a skyscraper. This baby is huge, much larger than any ship aflot.
The only problem with using the Freedom Ship as an escape from 4 more years of Bushism is that the Freedom Ship doesn't exist yet. (Judging from their web site and a 2001 Popular Science Article (linked below) they really haven't made that much progress in the last three years. (Of course neither has the United States of America - which gets back to point # one, why it may be time to get out of Dodge in the first place. . . . )
EPA spares Detroit auto emissions testing
In what was probably an election year political gift, the Environmental Protection Agency spared Detroit from mandated emission testing. IMHO the whole country should go through emissions testing. Why? Just about every new vehicle right now is an LEV (Low Emission Vehicle), ULEV (Ultra Low Emission Vehicle) or PZEV (Partial Zero Emission Vehicle - don't ask). Even the most polluting of these, the LEV emits thousands of times less pollution than the common POSV (Piece of S--t Vehicle). If we get rid of the POSVs, then we won't have to spend as much money on ever lower new car emission technology to get the same gains. To get rid of the old polluters, we gotta test.
Emission testing programs are political footballs because the people with the most polluting vehicles tend to be poor and utterly dependent on their vehicles. Any emission testing program should include government backed loans for fixing vehicles and incentives for getting the polluters off the road.
EPA gives Metro Detroit a reprieve from auto emissions testing - 9/16/04
In what was probably an election year political gift, the Environmental Protection Agency spared Detroit from mandated emission testing. IMHO the whole country should go through emissions testing. Why? Just about every new vehicle right now is an LEV (Low Emission Vehicle), ULEV (Ultra Low Emission Vehicle) or PZEV (Partial Zero Emission Vehicle - don't ask). Even the most polluting of these, the LEV emits thousands of times less pollution than the common POSV (Piece of S--t Vehicle). If we get rid of the POSVs, then we won't have to spend as much money on ever lower new car emission technology to get the same gains. To get rid of the old polluters, we gotta test.
Emission testing programs are political footballs because the people with the most polluting vehicles tend to be poor and utterly dependent on their vehicles. Any emission testing program should include government backed loans for fixing vehicles and incentives for getting the polluters off the road.
EPA gives Metro Detroit a reprieve from auto emissions testing - 9/16/04
Walt Mossberg archives
I've been a Wall Street Journal print subscriber for years. The WSJ feature reporting is highly underrated. What's on 60 Minutes next year is featured in the Wall Street Journal this year. One of my other favorite features of the WSJ is Walt Mossberg's technology column. Walt tries all the latest computers and gadgets first. He tells it straight what's worthwhile and what's not. Unfortunately, the Wall Street Journal website (www.wsj.com) is a paid circulation site. I just found out that Walt's column archive can be accessed on the free section of the wsj website. The link is below.
Column Archive -- Personal Technology from The Wall Street Journal.
I've been a Wall Street Journal print subscriber for years. The WSJ feature reporting is highly underrated. What's on 60 Minutes next year is featured in the Wall Street Journal this year. One of my other favorite features of the WSJ is Walt Mossberg's technology column. Walt tries all the latest computers and gadgets first. He tells it straight what's worthwhile and what's not. Unfortunately, the Wall Street Journal website (www.wsj.com) is a paid circulation site. I just found out that Walt's column archive can be accessed on the free section of the wsj website. The link is below.
Column Archive -- Personal Technology from The Wall Street Journal.
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Read this before you open that .jpg file!
Microsoft has announced another flaw in its software that could allow badguys to infect bad guys to infect your computer with lots of nasty stuff.
This time the flaw involves a "buffer overrun" problem in certain versions of Microsoft operating systems, and other microsoft software including IE 6.0. It allows sneaky code to run when the user clicks on a jpg picture file. In other words, you think you are opening a safe picture file attached to an e-mail, and the next thing you know your compter is infected with God-knows-what. They say that no viruses based on this flaw have been reported, but they are expected. The link below explains the problem further and gives links to updates etc.
Here's my thought - Microsoft, you've been having problems getting your buffers straight for years. You've got the $ to hire the most and most expensive programmers in the world. Will you ever get it right?
Geek.com Geek News - Critical flaw in Windows JPEG handling
Microsoft has announced another flaw in its software that could allow badguys to infect bad guys to infect your computer with lots of nasty stuff.
This time the flaw involves a "buffer overrun" problem in certain versions of Microsoft operating systems, and other microsoft software including IE 6.0. It allows sneaky code to run when the user clicks on a jpg picture file. In other words, you think you are opening a safe picture file attached to an e-mail, and the next thing you know your compter is infected with God-knows-what. They say that no viruses based on this flaw have been reported, but they are expected. The link below explains the problem further and gives links to updates etc.
Here's my thought - Microsoft, you've been having problems getting your buffers straight for years. You've got the $ to hire the most and most expensive programmers in the world. Will you ever get it right?
Geek.com Geek News - Critical flaw in Windows JPEG handling
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Judge Penalizes Discover Card for Piling On.
Finally the there's a sign that the courts are starting to find credit card add-on fees abusive and unconscionable. See the article linked below.
nbc4i.com - News - Judge Wipes Out Woman's Credit Card Debt
Finally the there's a sign that the courts are starting to find credit card add-on fees abusive and unconscionable. See the article linked below.
nbc4i.com - News - Judge Wipes Out Woman's Credit Card Debt
NALP's Public Sector and Public Interest Salary Survey
UAW-LSP salaries are competitive, and above average when it comes to entry-level positions. At the high end things fall off, but I have a hunch that when benefits are considered, they are still competitive.
NALP - 2004 Public Interest Attorney Salaries
UAW-LSP salaries are competitive, and above average when it comes to entry-level positions. At the high end things fall off, but I have a hunch that when benefits are considered, they are still competitive.
NALP - 2004 Public Interest Attorney Salaries
GM spending $7.8 Million on Oprah Giveaway - Smart or not?
My first instinct was to say that it was crazy to give away 276 Pontiacs to Oprah audience members. But the more I learned about it, it appears to be crazy like a fox. First, more than half the show on Oprah's heavily promoted season-opening episode was basically a commercial for the new Pontiac G6. Second, the media buzz surrounding the give-away has generated a lot of publicity. Most of the people hearing about it are probably thinking: 'What's a G6?' So it leads to more inquiry.
Ok, GM Marketers, you win this one.
GM, 'Oprah' team up to give away cars
My first instinct was to say that it was crazy to give away 276 Pontiacs to Oprah audience members. But the more I learned about it, it appears to be crazy like a fox. First, more than half the show on Oprah's heavily promoted season-opening episode was basically a commercial for the new Pontiac G6. Second, the media buzz surrounding the give-away has generated a lot of publicity. Most of the people hearing about it are probably thinking: 'What's a G6?' So it leads to more inquiry.
Ok, GM Marketers, you win this one.
GM, 'Oprah' team up to give away cars
Monday, September 13, 2004
Oprah Gives away 276 new cars
Not just any new cars, Pontiac G6 models that you can't even buy right now. Onstar, XM Radio yada yada yada $28k. Memo to self: Figure out some way to become best buds with Oprah.
Oprah Winfrey gives all 276 audience members a car - Sep. 13, 2004
Not just any new cars, Pontiac G6 models that you can't even buy right now. Onstar, XM Radio yada yada yada $28k. Memo to self: Figure out some way to become best buds with Oprah.
Oprah Winfrey gives all 276 audience members a car - Sep. 13, 2004
Return of The Googleteer(tm)
The Googleteer(tm) is back after a long absence with a search that really says it all re Disney CEO Michael Eisner's recent announcement that he will step aside in September 2006. You have got to believe that Mikey was thinking 'If I promise to get out, how long can I hang around before they kick me out anyway?'
Google Search: Michael Eisner door hit ass way out
The Googleteer(tm) is back after a long absence with a search that really says it all re Disney CEO Michael Eisner's recent announcement that he will step aside in September 2006. You have got to believe that Mikey was thinking 'If I promise to get out, how long can I hang around before they kick me out anyway?'
Google Search: Michael Eisner door hit ass way out
Friday, September 10, 2004
Digital Camcorder review: Canon ZR-85
Small in Size and in Performance.
This spring I purchased a Canon ZR-85 mini-DV camcorder. I must say that I am thoroughly disappointed with its performance. The machine is small and sturdy, but the quality of the video is disappointing. It has two key failings. It is awful in low-light situations (which includes most home video environments), and it does not have an S-Video out jack. The latter is inexcusable, in my opinion for a $450.00 camcorder. Through the regular composite out jack, the video is no better than a standard VHS tape. What good is it to have 525 lines of resolution on your DV tape, if when you play it back it looks like a first generation Betamax?
Instead of the Canon ZR-85, I recommend the JVC GRDX77. For a similar price, (but right now 9/10/04 there is a 100 rebate, so Amazon.com is offering it for $319.94 after rebate) the JVC gives you a built-in LED video light, digital noise reduction for low light shots (and it really works), and S-Video in and out as well as a microphone in jack.
Ken Jennings Jeopardy! Update:
This week marked the return of new episodes of Jeopardy after a 7 week summer hiatus. Through Thursday's show uber-player Ken Jennings has continued to win, with his total wins now at 42 and winnings around $1,400,000. He has not shown the same consistency though, trailing at times and missing all four Final Jeopardy answers this week. Still, at times he has been brilliant, and he has controlled the game going into Final Jeopardy.
Rumors have spread through the media that Ken has lost but the show hasn't been aired yet. The best story that I've seen is linked below.
I won't go into details to avoid spoiling it. (That's assuming the story is true, and it may not be.)
When Is Ken's Final Final Jeopardy? Rumor Has It That . . . (washingtonpost.com)
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
Fit to Serve as Commander-in-Chief: a side-by side comparison of George W.'s and Kerry's military records.
Here is a site with a side-by-side comparison of the military records of George W. Bush and John Kerry.
Service Records of John F. Kerry and George W Bush - Links to all public documents - AWOLBush.com
I have never heard of a pilot that didn't treat his pilot's logbook like it was gold. Well, actually, I have, George W. Buch. I have read an account of a pilot in World War II who went back into a sinking plane that had ditched in the ocean to retrieve the precious logbook. George Bush's logbook is as missing as all other records of a legitimate National Guard Service.
Also, for a guy who's lifelong dream was to be a pilot; why was he a no-show for his (free) flight physical.
Here is a site with a side-by-side comparison of the military records of George W. Bush and John Kerry.
Service Records of John F. Kerry and George W Bush - Links to all public documents - AWOLBush.com
I have never heard of a pilot that didn't treat his pilot's logbook like it was gold. Well, actually, I have, George W. Buch. I have read an account of a pilot in World War II who went back into a sinking plane that had ditched in the ocean to retrieve the precious logbook. George Bush's logbook is as missing as all other records of a legitimate National Guard Service.
Also, for a guy who's lifelong dream was to be a pilot; why was he a no-show for his (free) flight physical.
Conspiracy of the Week: Did George W. kill JFK Jr.?
I'm no George W. fan, but come on folks, this one is a stretch.
Bush Killed JFKjr
I'm no George W. fan, but come on folks, this one is a stretch.
Bush Killed JFKjr
Obana - Keyes: Catfight, Wrrewww, hiss hiss
CBS News | Here's What Jesus Wouldn't Do | September 8, 2004?09:48:11
CBS News | Here's What Jesus Wouldn't Do | September 8, 2004?09:48:11
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
Must read: Michael Moore's "Bush by the Numbers"
If only John Kerry could be this eloquent in attacking the credibility of the tenant in chief at the White House.
Michael Moore.com : Mike's Message : Mike's Latest News
If only John Kerry could be this eloquent in attacking the credibility of the tenant in chief at the White House.
Michael Moore.com : Mike's Message : Mike's Latest News
Presidential debates scheduled
Although it has receveived scant press attention so far, the schedule for the Presidential and Vice-presidential debates has been announced. The first Presidential debate is Sept. 30. The vice-presidential debate is Oct. 5. Two additional Presidential debates are October 8 and 13.
In other news, the acting President attributed the poor economic health of the country to out-of-control lawsuits. I wonder if the economy would have been better if George W. Bush had been admitted to the University of Texas Law School when he applied in 1970. I'm sure he could have solved all the problems with the legal profession from within.
Yahoo! News - DEBATES WILL DECIDE THIS ELECTION
Although it has receveived scant press attention so far, the schedule for the Presidential and Vice-presidential debates has been announced. The first Presidential debate is Sept. 30. The vice-presidential debate is Oct. 5. Two additional Presidential debates are October 8 and 13.
In other news, the acting President attributed the poor economic health of the country to out-of-control lawsuits. I wonder if the economy would have been better if George W. Bush had been admitted to the University of Texas Law School when he applied in 1970. I'm sure he could have solved all the problems with the legal profession from within.
Yahoo! News - DEBATES WILL DECIDE THIS ELECTION
Friday, September 03, 2004
George W's Missing Year
At the Republican convention, GWB and his croonies, the chickenhawks, criticized John Kerry for his Vietnam service and post-Vietnam activism. What was George Bush doing during that time? Getting drunk, dodging National Guard Service and taking up space in a campaign office apparently.
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | George W Bush's missing year
At the Republican convention, GWB and his croonies, the chickenhawks, criticized John Kerry for his Vietnam service and post-Vietnam activism. What was George Bush doing during that time? Getting drunk, dodging National Guard Service and taking up space in a campaign office apparently.
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | George W Bush's missing year
2005 Ford Freestyle
The styling of this tall station wagon - I'm sorry "crossover SUV"- appears to be about as generic as you can get. One commentator said Ford should have called it the "Stylefree". In a market that has gone horsepower crazy, at first blush, it appears to be market-suicide to put out a new 3-row, 4000 lb. family truckster with a 3 liter 203 h.p. engine. Ford says, look deeper, it has more usable space than the Chrysler Pacifica, and they say the Freestyle performs better with its 203 horsepower engine than the Pacifica does with its 255 horsepower 3.5 liter engine. Part of the difference is a 500 lb. weight penalty that the Pacifica is saddled with. Another difference is the CVT transmission on the Freestyle. In theory, a CVT transmission is about as efficient as a manual transmission, roughly 10-15% advantage over a conventional automatic.
In practice, both Subaru and General Motors have had problems with their CVT transmissions. GM has had enough entirely. GM announced recently that they would stop making the Saturn Vue with the CVT transmission. Audi, Nissan and Honda currently have CVT models, but I haven't heard much about users' experience with them - good or bad.
Ford claims 8.6 seconds 0-60 for the (probably front-wheel-drive) Freestyle, with EPA MPG ratings of 20/27 for FWD and 19/24 for all-wheel-drive versions. Given the size that appears to be squarely between the Escape and Explorer SUVs, Ford might have to worry more about cannibalizing its own sales than attracting buyers from the competition. Nevertheless, a sale is a sale. If you want a family vehicle that isn't a minivan, that doesn't ride like a SUV, and that says it's not a station wagon even though it really is, take a look at the Freestyle which should arrive at a dealer near you soon. I suspect that incentives should be available by Christmas, and with an employee or supplier discount, the Freestyle should be pretty well-priced.
The Car Connection [ The Web's Automotive Authority ]
The styling of this tall station wagon - I'm sorry "crossover SUV"- appears to be about as generic as you can get. One commentator said Ford should have called it the "Stylefree". In a market that has gone horsepower crazy, at first blush, it appears to be market-suicide to put out a new 3-row, 4000 lb. family truckster with a 3 liter 203 h.p. engine. Ford says, look deeper, it has more usable space than the Chrysler Pacifica, and they say the Freestyle performs better with its 203 horsepower engine than the Pacifica does with its 255 horsepower 3.5 liter engine. Part of the difference is a 500 lb. weight penalty that the Pacifica is saddled with. Another difference is the CVT transmission on the Freestyle. In theory, a CVT transmission is about as efficient as a manual transmission, roughly 10-15% advantage over a conventional automatic.
In practice, both Subaru and General Motors have had problems with their CVT transmissions. GM has had enough entirely. GM announced recently that they would stop making the Saturn Vue with the CVT transmission. Audi, Nissan and Honda currently have CVT models, but I haven't heard much about users' experience with them - good or bad.
Ford claims 8.6 seconds 0-60 for the (probably front-wheel-drive) Freestyle, with EPA MPG ratings of 20/27 for FWD and 19/24 for all-wheel-drive versions. Given the size that appears to be squarely between the Escape and Explorer SUVs, Ford might have to worry more about cannibalizing its own sales than attracting buyers from the competition. Nevertheless, a sale is a sale. If you want a family vehicle that isn't a minivan, that doesn't ride like a SUV, and that says it's not a station wagon even though it really is, take a look at the Freestyle which should arrive at a dealer near you soon. I suspect that incentives should be available by Christmas, and with an employee or supplier discount, the Freestyle should be pretty well-priced.
The Car Connection [ The Web's Automotive Authority ]
Thursday, September 02, 2004
The Phoenix Program and Homeland Security
I recently talked to a vietnam vet who is suffering from accute post-traumatic stress disorder relating to participating as a soldier in an operation called Operation Phoenix, or the Phoenix Program.
I did a spot of research on the Phoenix program, this was a CIA sponsored anti-insurgency operation designed to rob the Viet Cong of their support in rural villages. The goal was to get local people to rat out the VC operatives through bribery, intimidation, torture, whatever it took. In some cases it took burning the whole village down. It was in the context of this operation that Senator Bob Kerrey (Not candidate John Kerry) confessed to brutal behavior during his tour of duty in Viet Nam. One source places the number of vietnamese dead at 50,000 for this operation alone.
How is this important to us today? Well, consider this, we have already faced scandals in regards to the treatment of prisoners both in Iraq and at Guantanamo Bay. Prisoners claim that they aren't terrorists, but they were ratted out for selfish reasons by others who sometimes were terrorists. As it turns out, this phenomenon was not only encountered in the Phoenix operations but special interrogation techniques were developed to try to identify it. These techniques were not always successful.
An author named Douglas Valentine, who wrote a book on the Phoenix Project sees disturbing paralells between the abuses of the Phoenix Project and the Bush Administration's Homeland Security approach. I don't buy everything Mr. Valentine is saying, but I do agree that the Bush administration has had a cavalier disregard for civil liberties, and in general does not understand that it is the exercise of liberty that keeps us free and not the exercise of police power.
Douglas Valentine - Articles & Poems
I recently talked to a vietnam vet who is suffering from accute post-traumatic stress disorder relating to participating as a soldier in an operation called Operation Phoenix, or the Phoenix Program.
I did a spot of research on the Phoenix program, this was a CIA sponsored anti-insurgency operation designed to rob the Viet Cong of their support in rural villages. The goal was to get local people to rat out the VC operatives through bribery, intimidation, torture, whatever it took. In some cases it took burning the whole village down. It was in the context of this operation that Senator Bob Kerrey (Not candidate John Kerry) confessed to brutal behavior during his tour of duty in Viet Nam. One source places the number of vietnamese dead at 50,000 for this operation alone.
How is this important to us today? Well, consider this, we have already faced scandals in regards to the treatment of prisoners both in Iraq and at Guantanamo Bay. Prisoners claim that they aren't terrorists, but they were ratted out for selfish reasons by others who sometimes were terrorists. As it turns out, this phenomenon was not only encountered in the Phoenix operations but special interrogation techniques were developed to try to identify it. These techniques were not always successful.
An author named Douglas Valentine, who wrote a book on the Phoenix Project sees disturbing paralells between the abuses of the Phoenix Project and the Bush Administration's Homeland Security approach. I don't buy everything Mr. Valentine is saying, but I do agree that the Bush administration has had a cavalier disregard for civil liberties, and in general does not understand that it is the exercise of liberty that keeps us free and not the exercise of police power.
Douglas Valentine - Articles & Poems
Phoenix Program - Counter-insurgency Comics
This is really weird. It reminded me of a National Lampoon parody.
Counterinsurgency Comics: "Mr. Ba's Family and the Phoenix Operation"
This is really weird. It reminded me of a National Lampoon parody.
Counterinsurgency Comics: "Mr. Ba's Family and the Phoenix Operation"
The Phoenix Program - Interrogation Methods
Does this sound familiar? The interrogation method described below is standard CIA method circa 1972.
As for the American role, according to Muldoon, "you can't have an American there all the time watching these things."
"These things" included: rape, gang rape, rape using eels, snakes, or hard objects, and rape followed by murder; electrical shock ("the Bell Telephone Hour") rendered by attaching wires to the genitals or other sensitive parts of the body, like the tongue; "the water treatment"; "the airplane," in which a prisoner's arms were tied behind the back and the rope looped over a hook on the ceiling, suspending the prisoner in midair, after which he or she was beaten; beatings with rubber hoses and whips; and the use of police dogs to maul prisoners. All this and more occurred in PICs, one of which was run by Congressman Rob Simmons (R-CT) while he was the CIA officer running the PIC in Phu Yen Province in 1972.
Douglas Valentine: ABCs of CIA Interrogation Methods
Does this sound familiar? The interrogation method described below is standard CIA method circa 1972.
As for the American role, according to Muldoon, "you can't have an American there all the time watching these things."
"These things" included: rape, gang rape, rape using eels, snakes, or hard objects, and rape followed by murder; electrical shock ("the Bell Telephone Hour") rendered by attaching wires to the genitals or other sensitive parts of the body, like the tongue; "the water treatment"; "the airplane," in which a prisoner's arms were tied behind the back and the rope looped over a hook on the ceiling, suspending the prisoner in midair, after which he or she was beaten; beatings with rubber hoses and whips; and the use of police dogs to maul prisoners. All this and more occurred in PICs, one of which was run by Congressman Rob Simmons (R-CT) while he was the CIA officer running the PIC in Phu Yen Province in 1972.
Douglas Valentine: ABCs of CIA Interrogation Methods
Background article regarding River Boat Operations in Vietnam
This article explains the different types of boats and how they were used in the river operations during the Vietnam War. Do you know what a "zippo" is? It's a "monitor" boat with a flame thrower (or throwers) instead of guns.
The Boats
This article explains the different types of boats and how they were used in the river operations during the Vietnam War. Do you know what a "zippo" is? It's a "monitor" boat with a flame thrower (or throwers) instead of guns.
The Boats
2005 Honda Odyssey Unveiled
Yesterday Honda pulled the tarp off the 2005 Honda Odyssey. Much to the relief of the domestic auto industry, it is more evolutionary than revolutionary. The Odyssey is more important than it's raw numbers would otherwise dictate because its platform forms the basis of the Pilot and MDX suvs and the new SUT, sport utility truck.
The new Odyssey will not have second and third row fold flat seats, just the same third row magic seat as before. There is no hybrid option for now, although there is a storage area underneath and between the front and second row seats that is used for a "lazy susan" accessible to either row. This space would be a good place to put a battery pack in a hybrid due to the weight distribution.
The upgraded 3.5 liter engine has been bumped up to 255 horsepower (on regular unleaded). In the upper trim levels a cylinder deactivation scheme lets the car run on 3 cylinders under light loads, allowing highway fuel economy to be bumped from 25 mpg to 28.
In general though there's nothing that Daimler Chrysler couldn't match with an engine upgrade.
The article linked below focuses on the new Alabama plant where all US Odysseys will be built. With the engine and vehicle assembly being done on the same campus, the Odyssey will probably have the highest domestic content of any minivan.
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Yesterday Honda pulled the tarp off the 2005 Honda Odyssey. Much to the relief of the domestic auto industry, it is more evolutionary than revolutionary. The Odyssey is more important than it's raw numbers would otherwise dictate because its platform forms the basis of the Pilot and MDX suvs and the new SUT, sport utility truck.
The new Odyssey will not have second and third row fold flat seats, just the same third row magic seat as before. There is no hybrid option for now, although there is a storage area underneath and between the front and second row seats that is used for a "lazy susan" accessible to either row. This space would be a good place to put a battery pack in a hybrid due to the weight distribution.
The upgraded 3.5 liter engine has been bumped up to 255 horsepower (on regular unleaded). In the upper trim levels a cylinder deactivation scheme lets the car run on 3 cylinders under light loads, allowing highway fuel economy to be bumped from 25 mpg to 28.
In general though there's nothing that Daimler Chrysler couldn't match with an engine upgrade.
The article linked below focuses on the new Alabama plant where all US Odysseys will be built. With the engine and vehicle assembly being done on the same campus, the Odyssey will probably have the highest domestic content of any minivan.
Welcome to TimesDaily.com
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
Oldsmobile and 8 track tapes - together again resting in peace
Now that Oldsmobile is defunct, it's time to remember the time when the 8 track tape was virtually standard equipment in the good old family Olds.
Carts and Their Cars
Now that Oldsmobile is defunct, it's time to remember the time when the 8 track tape was virtually standard equipment in the good old family Olds.
Carts and Their Cars
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