San Clemente City Council Candidate Crosby recently stated in the Sun Post News, “The streets of San Clemente today are a police state patrolled by sadists and thugs…”. This remark makes two things very clear.
1. Mr. Crosby has no clue what a police state is, and
2. He is short on aptitude and long on attitude, thereby eliminating himself as a potential candidate for anything, at least in my book.
In online forums people who spew this grade of swill are referred to as trolls. There were no examples supporting the accusations made, nor were there any solutions offered other than re-instituting the city police force which merged with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department in 1993. How well do you think Mr. Crosby considered the fiscal ramifications of that statement? I’m sure there weren’t any complaints against the SCPD in the 68 years they ran police services. Please choose wisely in Novemeber.
(CNN) — A retired CIA official has accused the Bush administration of ignoring intelligence indicating that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction and no active nuclear program before the United States-led coalition invaded it, CBS News said Sunday.
President Bush awards a medal to ex-CIA boss George Tenet in 2004.
Tyler Drumheller, the former highest-ranking CIA officer in Europe, told “60 Minutes” that the administration “chose to ignore” good intelligence, the network said in a posting on its Web site.
Drumheller said that, before the U.S.-led attack on Iraq in 2003, the White House “ignored crucial information” from Iraq’s foreign minister, Naji Sabri, that indicated Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction.
Drumheller said that, when then-CIA Director George Tenet told President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and other high-ranking officials that Sabri was providing information, his comments were met with excitement that proved short-lived.
“[The source] told us that there were no active weapons of mass destruction programs,” Drumheller is quoted as saying. “The [White House] group that was dealing with preparation for the Iraq war came back and said they were no longer interested. And we said ‘Well, what about the intel?’ And they said ‘Well, this isn’t about intel anymore. This is about regime change.’ ”
Drumheller said the administration officials wanted no more information from Sabri because: “The policy was set. The war in Iraq was coming, and they were looking for intelligence to fit into the policy.”
CBS said the White House declined to respond to the charge and that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said Sabri was just one source and therefore not reliable.
But Drumheller said it was not unusual for the administration to rely on single-source stories when those stories confirmed what the White House wanted to hear.
He cited a report the CIA received in late 2001 that alleged Iraq had bought 500 tons of uranium-containing compounds from Africa.
“They certainly took information that came from single sources on the yellowcake story and on several other stories with no corroboration at all,” he said.
Bush included the reference, which was attributed to the British and turned out to be false, in his 2003 State of the Union Address.
The CIA in 2002 had sent former ambassador Joseph Wilson to Niger to investigate the claims, and he went public in July 2003 criticizing the Bush administration’s case for going to war in Iraq. The subsequent publication of his wife’s identity as a CIA employee spawned an investigation that resulted in the indictment of Cheney’s chief of staff and is still ongoing. (Full story)
“It just sticks in my craw every time I hear them say it’s an intelligence failure,” Drumheller told CBS’ Ed Bradley. “This was a policy failure. I think, over time, people will look back on this and see this is going to be one of the great, I think, policy mistakes of all time.”
The White House earlier this month reacted angrily to a report that Bush had cited trailers suspected as biological weapons labs as proof of the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq after intelligence officials knew that the trailers were not part of a WMD program. (Full story)
“I cannot count how many times the president has said the intelligence was wrong,” White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters.
He added that the administration has implemented reforms to make sure that “the executive branch and the Congress have the best possible intelligence as they move forward to deal with the threats that face this country and face this world.”
Another retired CIA official in February said the Bush administration disregarded the expertise of the intelligence community, politicized the intelligence process and used unrepresentative data in making the case for war.
In an article published in the journal Foreign Affairs, Paul R. Pillar, the CIA’s national intelligence officer for the Near East and South Asia from 2000 to 2005, called the relationship between U.S. intelligence and policymaking “broken.” (Full story)
In November 2005, CNN obtained a 2003 CIA report that raised doubts about a claim that al Qaeda sent operatives to Iraq to acquire chemical and biological weapons — assertions that were repeated later by then-Secretary of State Colin Powell to the United Nations in making the case for the invasion of Iraq. (Full story)
A day after that report surfaced, Bush gave a speech on Veteran’s Day in which he accused critics of the Iraq war of distorting the events that led to the U.S. invasion.
Bush said that “intelligence agencies from around the world agreed with our assessment of Saddam Hussein” and that a Senate Intelligence Committee report issued in July 2004 “found no evidence of political pressure to change the intelligence community’s judgments.” (Full story)
The Silberman-Robb commission, which was appointed by Bush, also found no evidence that political pressure skewed the intelligence. But neither that commission nor the Senate panel addressed how the administration made its case for war.
Senate Democrats have pressured the Intelligence Committee to complete a second phase of its report that would focus on how the prewar intelligence was used by the administration, rather than how it was produced.
Recently my wife recieved a well intentioned email from a friend who forwarded a message because she was genuinely concerned. Here’s the message:
From:xxxx@xxxxx.com
Sent: July 22nd, 2008
To: xxxx@xxxxx.net
Subject: Virus notification
This is true!
>>>
>>> Hi All, I checked with Norton Anti-Virus, and they are
>>> gearing up for this virus!
>>> I checked Snopes (URL above:), and it is for real!!
>>> Get this E-mail message sent around to your contacts ASAP.
>>> PLEASE FORWARD THIS WARNING AMONG FRIENDS, FAMILY AND
>>> CONTACTS! You should be alert during the next few days. Do
>>> not open any message with an attachment entitled
>>> ‘POSTCARD FROM HALLMARK,’ regardless of who sent it
>>> to you. It is a virus which opens A POSTCARD IMAGE, which
>>> ‘burns’ the whole hard disc C of your computer. This
>>> virus will be received from someone who has your e-mail
>>> address in his/her contact list. This is the reason why you
>>> need to send this e- mail to all your contacts. It is
>>> better to receive this message 25 times than to receive the
>>> virus and open it. If you receive a mail called’
>>> POSTCARD,’ even though sent to you by a friend, do not
>>> open it!< /FONT> Shut down your computer immediately.
>>>
>>> This is the worst virus announced by CNN. It has been
>>> classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever.
>>> This virus was discovered by McAfee yesterday, and there is
>>> no repair yet for this kind of virus. This virus simply
>>> destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where the vital
>>> information is kept.
>>>
>>> COPY THIS E-MAIL, AND SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS. REMEMBER: IF
>>> YOU SEND IT TO THEM, YOU WILL BENEFIT ALL OF US Snopes
>>> lists all the names it could come in.
>>>
Truth:
No one actually checked with Norton, CNN never broadcast anything about it, and Microsoft never classified it. But that’s not to say that there isn’t some truth in it. In fact, this is partly true. Most of the body of this message emanates from a hoax beginning around the year 2000 (see http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/virtualcard.asp ). As you will see if you follow the link. However, there is a virus that began spreading last year using “You’ve Received a Postcard from a Family Member” as the bait, (see http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/postcard.asp ) Please do follow that link to see the variations of this virus.
If infected it will not “burn” your hard disc, but that’s not to say it’s not harmful. In fact, it wouldn’t need to burn your hard disc if it had complete and total control of your machine. Most likely it would lodge itself someplace where you wouldn’t find it, and call on your machine (again without you noticing anything, other than sluggish performance) to carry out DOS (Denial-of-Service) attacks on unsuspecting websites and ISP’s. Or worse still, install a keylogger on your system to capture every keystroke you make. If that scares you, I apologize, but all is not lost. If you’re worried now, than go to http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ for a FREE online virus scan. Be forewarned, this scan can take anywhere from 20 mins to 2 hours depending on your machine, but it’s totally worth it. Trend Micro has been around for several years, updates constantly and the free online scan doesn’t install any clunky software on your machine. If you do a lot of web-surfing, start getting pop-ups or if you feel like your computer is really slow (this could actually be a number of things we don’t have time to go into) then check in on Trend Micro once a week or so for a cleaning.
If there was any doubt that Gene Simmons was irrelevant, the following article from Afterdawn.com should clear up the confusion. Record companies have been manipulating the public for decades. A recent example includes a scam by Capitol Records. Coldplay will be auditioning bands to open for them via YouTube videos for this summer’s tour (Rolling Stone – June 26th, 2008). Have you heard the phrase “Giving up your first born”? If you sign up and agree to the Contest Rules, you are essentially giving up all rights to your submission (read this). So if you finally wrote that Million dollar song, guess what, it doesn’t belong to you anymore. Of course the onus of this little trick is on you, if you don’t read the fine print, it’s your own damn fault. But there are plenty of other examples where record companies were not so forthright in the practice of their trade. Record companies need to die, maybe not all of them, but there are several that are infected with the virus known as g.W_ep (greed with extreme prejudice). And for an artist(?) like Mr. Simmons to defend that model shows exactly where his priorities lie. Read on:
“Last November Afterdawn.com reported that Gene Simmons, founding member of the rock group KISS, had gone off on Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead and college aged pirates, going as far as to call Radiohead “idiots” and saying “Every little college kid … should have been sued off the face of the earth,” for their unauthorized downloading of course.
He has followed his last tirade with some new comments, this time again blaming NIN and Radiohead but more importantly, the music fans. “The record industry is dead,” Simmons notes “It’s six feet underground and unfortunately the fans have done this. They’ve decided to download and file share.” He then insisted that the aforementioned bands were “contributing to the demise of the record industry” by using new intelligent sales models that apparently he does not approve of.
When asked why KISS had not released a new CD since 1998’s ‘Psycho Circus’, Simmons added that “there is no record industry around so we’re going to wait until everybody settles down and becomes civilized. As soon as the record industry pops its head up we’ll record new material.”
Of course, he neglects to note that at every turn the “dead” music industry continues to push consumers away, using the RIAA watch dog to sue children, grandmothers, and even deceased members of society while failing to confront the real problems the industry faces.
It is also important to note that Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails’ “idiotic” experiments have raked in millions of dollars for the bands, with little overhead and more importantly, no revenue sharing with the labels. They gave the fans what they wanted, and the fans responded. What a crazy model no?”
Lastly,
Music fans have been sharing music since there was music to share. Some marketing analysts might even consider this behavior a form of free advertising. Historically, the RIAA has sued or lobbied against any form of recordable device or media. Why…, g.W_ep, of course. Their stance is that if you buy a record or CD, but want to hear the music you just purchased on a cassette player, than you need to buy the tape as well. Enough is enough.
Downloading songs from the internet has and should change how music is distributed. Imagine this, what if musicians/artists/bands relied on live performance for the majority of their income. As if their talent and ability were the driving force behind their success instead of knowing someone or buying your way into a deal. Don’t get me wrong, awe-inspiring talent exists, but explain Milli Vanilli to me.
“The leaders spoke in warped, vicious hatred that disregarded the truth almost completely, while the majority of the ‘common folks’ who agreed spoke out of ignorance warped by the ravings of their leaders”. -W. Eugene Smith.
The action of the movement residents of San Clemente are currently witnessing is positive. The empowerment of the constituency really is the motivation behind the composition of our constitution. The intentions fueling the energy behind the popular political positions we’ve faced these last six months have been innocent, powerful, yet directed. Directed and manipulated by the leaders of each of these seperate conspiratorial factions. There was a pact, an alliance born out of a desire to win. A need to win above all else. Above truth, above fair-play, above common-sense, above everything. Vicious charges? Maybe. A team of volunteers on one side of an issue scour the city and illegally remove the legally placed signs of the opposition. “Merely playing the game” is a response I’m given. Although that game could result in negative legal repercussions. Words disquised as informational material are strung together to emphasize perspective, instead of educate. Opinion is counted as fact, and defended. I don’t believe our founding fathers intended decisions to be made by one insulated, independent head supported by a recruited band of ignorants, or the mal-informed, but they most likely suspected something of the sort would occur. And it has. We are so busy with our busy lives that we don’t read the too far past the headline. And we’re so weak, that if all our friends have been converted, we follow along to remain part of the group. Regardless of how we feel on the issue, regardless of how it effects the community as a whole. That’s not true of everyone, but you know someone where that applies. So what do we do? Just give up like the Game 6 Lakers? No, we move on. As a community we will benefit from the participation and engagement of our citizenry in the operation and direction of our city, but it is a double-edged sword. If there is a passion to involve oneself in a cause, nurture the passion with knowledge. Don’t turn a blind eye or dismiss the ill behavior of those with authority in your group, because you are then an accessory. We can build a path together, where honest debate and respectful disagreement can actually enormously enhance our returns, or we can follow the herd right off the edge of the cliff. Questioning authority is not contemptuous. But taking action without understanding is.
Aren’t safety, fairness and the pursuit of the ‘greater good’ the only reason to enact any law or ordinance? If Measure “I” (San Clemente) does not treat each of these Shorecliffs residents equally, then who does it serve? Being that California state law is based on precedent, this seemingly insignificant and isolated restriction does have a potential to inhibit some form of our freedom down the road. I understand how it got to the ballot, that is merely a result of overactive egos and lots of money in a small town. What I don’t understand is the myopic, self-serving attitude of those behind this debacle. Is it considerate to build a second-story that blocks a neighbors ocean-view? Absolutely not. Is it illegal? Absolutely not. Does removing the view lower your neighbors property value? Possibly. Is that potential loss mitigated by the upgrading of a neighborhood as a whole? Possibly. This mutant growth of “Me” generation ideology obviously feels that the whole world needs to be apprised of personal differences. Should we get in the middle of every fight between your kids as well? Measure “I” is a “Lose-Lose” proposition, regardless of the outcome. A “No” vote negatively impacts part of a neighborhood, sort of, meaning they still would have the freedom to build up to 25′. A “Yes” vote imposes a restriction on some of the houses in a neighborhood, but sets a precedent. Think about it people. And for those of you with 2-story homes and “Yes on I” signs in their yards, the “I” stands for insolent.
Todays winners were yesterdays and will be tomorrows losers.
San Clemente, once a sleepy surf town at the southernmost tip of Orange County, California has become a hotbed of controversy. Neighbor against neighbor, children ordered to avoid their friends, grown people throwing feces at the house next door or committing misdemeanors in the name of politics. Not what you would expect in an otherwise small friendly town populated with college-educated professionals and business owners.
What Happened?
What is it they say about”One Bad Apple?” So many of us aspire, or pretend to aspire to the idyllic ideals of the 60’s phenomenon. We sell ourselves on the idea that we support and live by selfless priority. Our actions indicate otherwise. In fact, not many of us consider the greater good in daily decision making. If we did, we’d all take the bus or ride a bike to work. We’re extremely selfish in deed and dangerously manipulative in practice. Yet we want to think better of ourselves so we tout the ideals of an era that came as close as any to actually caring about global peace and the world as a whole.
Under the social microscope in relation to larger metropolitan areas, San Clementians appear to be small fish in a small pond. Easily fooled by demagogues. Yet more troubling through it’s transparency here is the apathy on one end of the spectrum, and blind faith on the other. Our forefathers risked life and limb so you could speak your mind. In fact, our soldiers are still fighting to the death so that you can choose between McDonald’s or Burger King.
Let me put it this way, our nation will fail if we, as it’s citizens do not participate. Our country was built on your right to choose. That freedom comes with a responsibility. If we are not willing to honor that responsibility, then we will most certainly lose. If you say “My Vote Doesn’t Matter”, then you are part of the problem, not the solution.
Here’s the dig. YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION!!!
Use your own eyes and ears to absorb the information. Use your own mind to parse the data. Trust your instincts. The messages often are convuleted or corrupted by the messenger. Get a sense about the messenger. Manipulating emotion is standard business practice, designed to trick you into making decisions without actually thinking it out. Don’t allow others to manipulate your emotions. They know you, they know how to flip you, don’t let them.
Amazing ride. Protagonists, antagonists, passion, hostility, clandestine operations, derision, deception, “Spins”, petitions, court rulings, and finally a controversial ballot measure where 50% of the voters in the city participated in a Primary election. Any pollster will tell you that is a high percentage for any election, but particularly so for a primary. Ultimately there was a victor and the defeated. In the case of Measure C, San Clemente, what does the victory mean? You saved open space? You prevented traffic congestion? Maybe, maybe not. I wish that for just one election people would actually read up on an issue and not just the signs along the side of the road. A victory for the NO’s here means that the patch of dirt on Vista Hermosa/La Pata will remain so for many years to come, that a new Senior Center will not be built anytime in the near future, nor the wall necessary to complete the new fire station. Parents will still have to drive their sports playing children to Aliso Viejo, Mission Viejo and San Juan Capistrano because the city they live in won’t accomodate them. We’ll stay the same, stagnant. We will have Charles Mann’s favorite nine-holes. Unless of course the club closes. Hooray.
What are you afraid of? What’s the worst that could happen? They’re only words. If it’s how you really feel, if it’s heart truthful, then it will be okay. Make sure it’s how you really feel, and not the heat of the moment. Set aside hurt, set aside embarrassment, look denial in the eye, tell pride to sit down and wait while you work it out.
If what you’re saying is real, if it’s truthful, you’ll be okay regardless of the consequences. When you’re attacked, your backup is the truth.
At 5 or 8 years old we listened to Hopalong Cassidy records.
We acted out the scenes with precision.
We fought with “Hoppy” and “Windy” for truth and justice.
How stupid we felt when we learned that truth and justice didn’t really mean anything. That there are no rewards for doing the right thing. That the desire we had to help would be lambasted by those whose only wish was self-gratification. That the winners were not the pure of heart, but those most adept at manipulation and deception.
As our communities grew and we became more disparate and disenfranchised. The apathy within us became a reflex and choked off hope. As the sheer volume of information overwhelmed us on a daily, if not hourly basis, we were resigned to headline-only reading or article skimming at best. We derive our opinions based on incomplete or unresearched information. We believe what we want or whatever best suits our current situation. We’re concerned with benefiting our current circumstance, rather than making educated decisions that will benefit us and our families in the future.
That Sucks, besides being really stupid and selfish.
I understand how it got to the ballot, that is merely a result of overactive egos and lots of money in a small town. What I don’t understand is the myopic, self-serving attitude of those behind this debacle. Is it considerate to build a second-story that blocks a neighbors ocean-view? Absolutely not. Is it illegal? Absolutely not. Does removing the view lower your neighbors property value? Possibly. Is that potential loss mitigated by the upgrading of a neighborhood as a whole? Possibly. This mutant growth of “Me” generation ideology obviously feels that the whole world needs to be apprised of personal differences. Should we get in the middle of every fight between your kids as well? Measure “I” is a “Lose-Lose” proposition, regardless of the outcome. A “No” vote negatively impacts part of a neighborhood, sort of, meaning they still would have the freedom to build up to 25′. A “Yes” vote imposes a restriction on some of the houses in a neighborhood, but sets a precedent. Think about it people. And for those of you with 2-story homes and “Yes on I” signs in their yards, the “I” stands for insolent.