a100wwe's blog has been replaced with Mooba, the blog that makes you moo!
We here at a100wwe's blog have choosen to move on, so we have created a new blog called Mooba. This is the a100wwe's blog archive site, we call it Vault.Mooba (get it?). So update your bookmarks with the new URL...
http://mooba.blogspot.com

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Previous Posts:
  • Mooba, the blog that makes you "moo"!
  • Virus protection added to Gmail
  • XBOX 360 - Sold Out
  • XBOX 360 Launch Titles
  • XBOX 360 Software Compatibility List
  • Microsoft Live
  • Microsoft, Yahoo to Link up IM Networks
  • Who can say?
  • William Rehnquist dies
  • The Revolution, 10 Years Later
  • Archives:
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  • November 2005
  • December 2005
  • a100wwe's blog (4/04-1/05)
  • a100wwe's blog (1/05-12/05)
  • Is Microsoft-Linux Coming?



    I read this very interesting artice in PC Magazine and it made me think. Will Microsoft enter the X market? I have suspected this for a long time, ever since the MS VS LINUX wars began. It WOULD make since for Microsoft to want to enter the Linux market. A Winux, MS-Linux, or Lindows product from Microsoft could allow them to kill Linux like the article says. There are even rumors that Microsoft is developing a layered OS version of Windows that would allows multiple OS's to run withing Windows like they were Windows applications. I guess this would work by using an emulator that Windows would process and reconfigure to work inside of Windows. So what I want to know is another OS on the table for Microsoft. Could they enter the Linux, or even Mac, markets? I guess only time will tell from Microsoft.

    Saturday, February 26, 2005 - Permalink -

    Pope Silenced... His Life is in Question

    It is beign reported by the AP that the Pope is, for now, mute. The procedure in which he under went has removed his ability to speak for the time beign. It is said he is in good spirit, and hopes to return the his duties very soon.

    My thoughts and prayers are with the Pope. While I am not Catholic, I do hold great respect for him and his position. With what seem the final days of his life we must now begin to think to the future. What will be the results of the selection of a new Pope, this is in some peoples eyes the most powerful position in the world. Hopefully he has many, good, years in front of him.

    By VICTOR L. SIMPSON

    VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope John Paul II underwent a successful operation Thursday night to insert a tube in his throat to relieve his breathing problems, hours after he was rushed back to the hospital for the second time in a month with flu-like symptoms of fever and congestion, the Vatican said.

    The pontiff was conscious in his hospital room after the tracheotomy, breathing with the help of a respirator, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.

    A top aide to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi who visited the pope Thursday said John Paul was "serene" after waking up from the anesthesia. The pope raised his hand and attempted to speak with doctors but was told not to try, Cabinet Undersecretary Gianni Letta told reporters at Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital in Rome. Read More...

    Thursday, February 24, 2005 - Permalink -

    Schiavo does not need to die

    I was on the blog BlogsforTerri.com and I found this very interesting video. Based on the video it seems to be that Shiavo is in a state in which pulling the tube would be "cruel and unusual". She is a living, breathing human being who deserves to live as long as she is mentally alert.

    Questions on the Videos

    There are some that doubt the Terri Schiavo videos, questioning when they were taken and that perhaps she has deterioated since then. The facts are these:

    After her accident, she never fully recovered. She was diagnosed then as having PVS. That diagnosis was the basis of Michael's malpractice award. After that point was when the fight to take the feeding tube from Terri began.

    If at any point during the time of her accident and now she displayed the activities that are depicted in the video then the diagnosis of PVS is false. PVS is a permanent condition, you cannot come out of it and come back in (see the NHS definition here). PVS is a permanent condition defined as having no awareness of their surroundings or make any voluntary movements. The videos show that she has been doing exactly that.

    Terri has been without rehabilitative care or anything that goes along with it for 12 years. Many medical professionals are hopeful of her recovery and she should be given that opportunity to recover.

    Source: blogsforterri.com

    - Permalink -

    Connected Coast to Coast... what drug is MSNBC on?



    Well I just watch the new show on MSNBC for the first time all the way through, very challenging not to pick up the remote and change it, called "Connected Coast to Coast". When I first heard the name I thought, "Great! They gave Art Bell or George Noory a show on MSNBC!" simply to say I was wrong. This show is supposedly meant to connect the computer inclined to the cable news networks. Since MSNBC is a part of MSN and Microsoft a show like this makes since, but they have delivered it poorly.

    Dr. Monica Crowley is not to bad on the show. She offers a somewhat conservative view, but stays within the realm of political correctness. She offers a good personality for the show, but Ron Reagan is a different story.

    Ron Reagan is nothing like his father. He is stiff and seems like he is reading of a teleprompter the entire time. His views are offensive to me, but that's his option. For example he talked about a move in Washington state that would split it between the conservative and liberal sides of the state. He made conservatives out to be stupid, homophobic ( by dismissing all possibilities that anyone could have another view than him), bad cooking, rednecks that would have no way of running there own state. While I might agree with a separation of Washington being a stupid idea, his way of presenting it was not the best*.

    All in all CC2C I think will fail when it is said in done with, just look at these ratings I found on mediabristo.com on how successful the show has been:

    12 to 1pm: 0.1 / 61,000 P2+ viewers / 30,000 P25-54
    Vs. Jan. 05 avg: 0.2 / 151,000 P2+ viewers / 61,000 P25-54
    5 to 6pm: 0.1 / 129,000 P2+ viewers / 20,000 P25-54
    Vs. Jan. 05 avg: 0.2 / 194,000 P2+ viewers / 55,000 P25-54

    Notice the ratings are almost cut 50% since January. Hopefully Tucker Carlson's new show will do well, the last new show on MSNBC I liked was Joe Scarborough's show. So maybe there is hope for conservatives on MSNBC. (HINT TO MSNBC: Forget the ballerina and get some real journalist, not uninformed liberals who are only successful because of his name!)

    *I'm all for him stating his mind, but he needs to be a little less sheltered and leave the liberal cloud that makes him think this way, so narrow minded.

    Tuesday, February 22, 2005 - Permalink -

    Chief Justice Rehnquist to Step-down by June -NYT

    The New York Times is reporting that Chief Justice Rehnquist of the Supreme Court will resign by June, if not sooner. This now brings the question, who will replace Rehnquist? The recent tapes say that President Bush at one time wanted John Ashcroft to be on the Supreme Court, but with recent events this seems unlikely. Time will tell.

    ASHINGTON, Feb. 21 - When the Supreme Court resumes its term on Tuesday, Chief
    Justice William H. Rehnquist will again be absent from the bench because of his
    illness. Although he is not bedridden and has been regularly attending the
    justices' private conferences, his empty black leather chair will certainly set
    off a new round of speculation and chatter about his tenure on the court Read More

    Monday, February 21, 2005 - Permalink -

    Chief Justice Rehnquist to Step-down by June -NYT

    The New York Times is reporting that Chief Justice Rehnquist of the Supreme Court will resign by June, if not sooner. This now brings the question, who will replace Rehnquist? The recent tapes say that President Bush at one time wanted John Ashcroft to be on the Supreme Court, but with recent events this seems unlikely. Time will tell.

    ASHINGTON, Feb. 21 - When the Supreme Court resumes its term on Tuesday, Chief
    Justice William H. Rehnquist will again be absent from the bench because of his
    illness. Although he is not bedridden and has been regularly attending the
    justices' private conferences, his empty black leather chair will certainly set
    off a new round of speculation and chatter about his tenure on the court Read More

    - Permalink -

    Bush says Diplomacy with Iran is first choice , but says war is an option

    To be brief I believe the US is not getting involved with the EU and Iran talks so that this leaves an open door for the US to clean up the mess. Chances are the EU will not succeed and since the diplomatic ties will break it would now mean something else would have to happen. That something else, based on previous events, would be the US dealing with it. I believe we would have brief talks that would fail and ultimately lead up to an attack on Iran.


    Bush declares solidarity with Europe on Iran Diplomacy is first choice, he says, but force cannot be ruled out
    MSNBC News Services
    Updated: 3:51 p.m. ET Feb. 18, 2005

    BRUSSELS - President Bush said Friday that Iran is trying to use the United States’ refusal to join European talks over Tehran’s nuclear program as an excuse for not giving up uranium enrichment.
    In interviews on the eve of a trip by the president to Europe, Bush stressed that the United States preferred diplomacy and did not want to use military action against Iran over the nuclear question.
    “What they’re trying to do is kind of wiggle out. They’re trying to say, ‘Well, we won’t do anything because America is not involved.’ Well, America is involved. Read More...

    Friday, February 18, 2005 - Permalink -

    Microsoft's BIG Annoucement; AntiSpyware, Internet Explorer 7, AntiVirus

    ANTISPYWARE/Internet Explorer 7/AntiVirus

    Bill Gates today at the RSA Convention announced that Microsoft would release there AntiSpyware product, that is now in BETA, as a free product to Windows users. He hinted though that to use the product you would need to pass a test that would check to see if you had a legal copy of Windows.

    He also announced that a public BETA of Internet Explorer 7 would be released in the summer of this year to users of Windows XP Service Pack 2. The product promises to focus on security and productivity, like tabbed browsing. Up until now it has been thought that Internet Explorer 7 would be an exclusive to Windows Longhorn, but this seems like they have changed that plan.

    Another announcement was of the new Microsoft Update that will replace both Office and Windows Updates so that all Microsoft products could use a single update service, this is expected to enter BETA in March. In terms of AntiVirus products, Gates said once the recently announced deal to acquire Sybari is closed Microsoft will ship a new anti-virus scanning engine based on the acquired GeCAD technology as part of Sybari's Antigen solution. More to come...

    Tuesday, February 15, 2005 - Permalink -

    Can A Penguin Be Gay?

    We're here, We're Queer, We're Penguins?

    Update - The Zoo has come back with a reason for there actions: "We're simply trying to help save a threatened species, the Humboldt penguin is a bird whose homosexual tendencies are well known to zoologists."

    I am at a loss for words! All I will say is I posted a series a while back on homosexuals on my old blog, and I think this will apply for that. I will definitely keep a check on this.

    Berlin - A plan by a German zoo to test the sexual appetites of a group of suspected homosexual penguins has sparked outrage among gay and lesbian groups, who fear zookeepers might force them to turn straight."All sorts of gay and lesbian associations have been emailing and calling in to protest," said a spokesperson for the zoo in the north-western city of Bremerhaven on Friday.He said the zoo concluded the penguins might be gay after seeing male penguins trying to mate with other males and trying to hatch offspring out of stones.German media reported that female Swedish penguins would be brought to the zoo to test the theory, but when word got out about the plan, the phones started ringing."Nobody here is trying to break-up same sex pairs by force," the zoo's director Heike Kueck told public broadcaster NDR. "We don't know if the three male pairs are really gay or just got together because of a lack of females."

    Saturday, February 12, 2005 - Permalink -

    Could NY Go Red in 08'

    Is New York Republican Country?

    Will Rudy and Hillary go head to head?
    Updated: 2/11/2005 9:07 AM
    By:
    Jola Szubielski

    They haven't made any official announcements as yet, but
    there is wide speculation both former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and
    Senator Hillary Clinton will seek the White House in 2008.
    Martin Reid of
    the Rensselaer County Legislature said, "This is both the big shot for both of
    them. They have to grab the brass ring."
    A recent CNN Gallup poll has
    Giuliani and Clinton as the front runners for their respective party
    nominations.

    Albany Common Council President Helen Desfosses said,
    "Hillary is moving to the center, and who knows, the Republicans are in
    considerable disarray for 2008. They really don't have an heir apparent to
    Bush."
    Reid and Desfosses said both Giuliani and Clinton have a good shot.
    Each has the political experience and prestige to win, but each faces their own
    hurdles.
    Reid said, "Giuliani can run now, whereas Hillary has to get
    through her re-election in 2006."

    Desfosses said, "I think it's much
    more likely that Hillary Clinton is going to end up the Democratic nominee
    than...Giuliani is going to end up the Republican nominee. He's very liberal for
    a Republican."

    But still some in the Capital Region have already picked
    their choice.
    Mike Hartigan of Albany said, "I'd vote for Guiliani. I think
    he did a great job in New York City, really turned the city around. Early in my
    career I spent a lot of time in New York City, and it wasn't a place I'd like to
    be. Today, I don't mind going down there. It's fun to be there. It's a
    cleaned-up city. I think he can do that same kind of thing for the nation."

    Mary Ferguson-DeWitt of Albany said, "I would vote for Hillary Clinton.
    I'm a supporter of hers. I really like her policies. I like what she's done in
    the Senate, and think she's for people."

    But whatever the outcome,
    people from the Capital Region said two candidates from New York could only
    benefit the state.
    From what I know, and I am not a New Yorker, Giuliani is more loved than Hillary by hardcore New York. He is not my first choice for a repbulican President, but he is acceptable. If I had my pick Pat Buchanan would be in office so that might tell you something. Giuliani is a progressive Republican with liberal views on many social issues. Like his lives with gay guys. I don't think he could easily win the support of right-wingers like Pat Robertson. What the future holds in 08' has yet to be seen, but mark my words Giuliani and Hillary whether they run or not will effect that election.

    Friday, February 11, 2005 - Permalink -

    BREAKING NEWS: BUSH WARNS IRAN ABOUT NUKES

    BUSH SAYS DON'T DO IT IRAN!
    Today President Bush made it clear that he would not allow Iran to develope nuclear weapons he said quote," The Iranians just need to know that the free world is working together to send a very clear message: Don't develop a nuclear weapon... And the reason we're sending that message is because Iran with a nuclear weapon would be a very destabilizing force in the world". We all know what happened the last time he told a country in the Middle East not to have a nuke...

    Wednesday, February 09, 2005 - Permalink -

    Is it time for the Pope to Go?



    Read the Story

    I respect the Pope, he is a great man of God. But his time has come to end the leadership of the Church. His health I believe is hindering his ability to lead the Church. If you believe some end-time theories we have one more "good" Pope before a Pope comes that is aligned with the Antichrist, I don't know about this though. It sounds like and interesting blog post though.

    Monday, February 07, 2005 - Permalink -

    Interview with Bill Gates



    SPIEGEL Interview with Bill Gates: "The Bad Boys are also Terribly Clever" - International - SPIEGEL ONLINE

    Spiegel Online has a great interview with the founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates. He hits on some very good points, and I recommend everyone to read it, techie or not.

    Sunday, February 06, 2005 - Permalink -

    The NEW MSN - Reviewed


    The New MSN Homepage
    The new homepage has been rebuilt from the ground up, with a shabby vinyl sidling job. The layout of the new page is great, but the looks of the site seem so much like what I would have expected during the middle of the 90’s. With Microsoft products of late you expect shiny interfaces that work, with the new MSN you get an interface that looks like something Windows 3.1’s look and feel can put to shame. The old MSN is still accessable, and that is a great thing. Come on Microsoft this is as you coined it the “Digital Media Revolution” take advantage of broadband access. Sure the new page loads fast for dial-up, but what about those of us who can handle images and flashy graphics. You copied Yahoo! plain and simple, let Yahoo! have the plain, bland interface; you are Microsoft you are supposed to make products that look and feel great. Content wise I have to give it to you Microsoft unlike the old one your layout is great. There is no more of having to look for what you want the main topics are right there with no problem. On the whole page there are three advertisements. Two of them are at the top out of the way, and the third one is hidden in the content as a topic for Shopping

    My Review: 6/10

    +: Great layout and content, few ads
    -: Very bland and may have problems keeping users interested.

    The New MSN Search
    Watch out Google, MSN is coming! The new search service is amazing! It uses new technology called natural language to allow you to “ask” the search engine questions. I could try and explain it, but Paul Thurrott couldn’t have said it any better so here is his explanation of it.

    “Arguably, the most amazing feature in MSN Search is its ability to answer actual questions, thanks to integration with the voluminous Encarta back-end. Microsoft calls this feature "Encarta results," and you can access it directly by clicking the Encarta link above the search box. But you can also simply type in a question without directly accessing the Encarta link. The answers you get are surprisingly intelligent.
    A simple example: As with Google, you can type a short math equation (e.g. 2+2) into MSN Search and get the answer (4) returned. However, MSN Search takes it much further and can solve algebraic equations. Type in a Google-buster like "2y^3 + 4y -10 = 9" and MSN Search will tell you that x=y=1.805787 (Figure). Type in "cos 45 degrees" and MSN Search will tell you that cos 45deg = 0.707107. "Now this is fun stuff," Grothaus told me, leading me through some of the amazing searches you can perform. Oh yes, it goes way further than simple equations.
    How about some conversions? Type in "how many quarts are in a gallon?" and MSN Search will reply with 1 gallon = 4 quarts. How many centimeters in a foot? 30.48 of course.
    OK, that's fun. But there's more. How about a direct question? Let's try: "Who shot John F. Kennedy?" MSN Search says that "Lee Harvey Oswald, a former United States Marine, was arrested for Kennedy's assassination but was shot and killed by Dallas nightclub owner Jack Ruby before he could stand trial. Later, a government investigation (the Warren Report) concluded that Oswald acted alone, and no one else was ever charged with taking part in the crime." It then provides a link for more information about JFK. Who won SuperBowl XXXVIII? The New England Patriots, of course.
    You want definitions? Search for "define debacle." The result? "Chaotic failure." You can also ask about geographical data ("What is the mass of Jupiter?") and nutrition ("How many calories are there in spinach?") as well.
    "It's a great tool for helping people get to answers quickly that they know are from a trusted source," Grothaus said. "We're going to continue to add more and more information into this. Right now, it's based on somewhat of a tablet set up for asking questions. But there are a couple of projects out of Microsoft Research that you may be familiar with--Ask MSR, for example--and a lot of those projects take a natural language approach. So if you look at asking a question like, 'who killed Abraham Lincoln?', you would basically go into the algorithmic engine, look at the entire index of Web source material, and it would sort out the words 'Abraham Lincoln,' 'killed,' and look for them in proximity to each other. You'll get results like Mary Todd Lincoln and John Wilkes Booth. It will then analyze how many times it sees these words are clustered together and come up with algorithmic predictions. John Wilkes Booth might be a 75 percent likelihood of being the answer, whereas Mary Todd Lincoln might be 23 percent, or whatever. We're not sure yet how it will end up as an end user experience. Maybe we'll show the proportionate weighting so people know there's a possibility of other answers. Those are things we're looking at to incorporate down the road."
    So what about Google? Frankly, the search leader offers nothing like this. For certain types of queries ("Who shot Abraham Lincoln?"), you can sometimes get a rough approximation by clicking "I'm feeling lucky" but there's no real answering of questions occurring there, of course.” -WinSuperSite.com


    The next great feature is SearchBuilder. This feature puts any search engines Advanced Search to shame. The customizable search options and possibilities are endless. It allows you to custom tailor any search to fit you. I love this little thing! There is not much it can do that the others can’t, but the way it is presented puts it on top. It puts a new menu on the web page to edit your search results instead of having to go to another page, this can save lots of time in the long run.

    I can’t say anything about the results because the information is not available yet. The way it presents the results though I can. Google seems more polished and less messy than MSN’s results. When I see MSN the results look rushed and slapped together, but on Google the results seem to be like they were made to be there and not just put there to fill up space.

    Overall MSN is a great new search engine, they have a long ladder to clime to beat Google, but I do think Google’s days are numbered. Whether or not MSN will overthrow Google only time will tell, but there are so many options out there and it seems Google’s lead gets smaller and smaller every month.

    My Review: 8/10
    +: Great tools like NewsBot, SearchBuilder, natural language, and others set it apart from the others
    -: No test to see if it gives results better than Google, messy presentation in displaying results.

    Thursday, February 03, 2005 - Permalink -

    Transcript of the 2005 State of the Union



    The following is a transcript of President Bush's 2005 State of the Union as spoken before Congress on February 2, 2005.

    Mr. Speaker, Vice President Cheney, Members of Congress, fellow citizens:
    As a new Congress gathers, all of us in the elected branches of government share a great privilege: we have been placed in office by the votes of the people we serve. And tonight that is a privilege we share with newly elected leaders of Afghanistan, the Palestinian territories, Ukraine, and a free and sovereign Iraq.
    Two weeks ago, I stood on the steps of this Capitol and renewed the commitment of our Nation to the guiding ideal of liberty for all. This evening I will set forth policies to advance that ideal at home and around the world.
    Tonight, with a healthy, growing economy, with more Americans going back to work, with our Nation an active force for good in the world — the state of our union is confident and strong. Our generation has been blessed — by the expansion of opportunity, by advances in medicine, and by the security purchased by our parents' sacrifice. Now, as we see a little gray in the mirror — or a lot of gray — and we watch our children moving into adulthood, we ask the question: What will be the state of their union?
    Members of Congress, the choices we make together will answer that question. Over the next several months, on issue after issue, let us do what Americans have always done, and build a better world for our children and grandchildren.
    First, we must be good stewards of this economy, and renew the great institutions on which millions of our fellow citizens rely.
    America's economy is the fastest growing of any major industrialized nation. In the past four years, we have provided tax relief to every person who pays income taxes, overcome a recession, opened up new markets abroad, prosecuted corporate criminals, raised homeownership to the highest level in history, and in the last year alone, the United States has added 2.3 million new jobs. When action was needed, the Congress delivered — and the Nation is grateful.
    Now we must add to these achievements. By making our economy more flexible, more innovative, and more competitive, we will keep America the economic leader of the world.
    America's prosperity requires restraining the spending appetite of the federal government. I welcome the bipartisan enthusiasm for spending discipline. So next week I will send you a budget that holds the growth of discretionary spending below inflation, makes tax relief permanent, and stays on track to cut the deficit in half by 2009. My budget substantially reduces or eliminates more than 150 government programs that are not getting results, or duplicate current efforts, or do not fulfill essential priorities. The principle here is clear: a taxpayer dollar must be spent wisely, or not at all.
    To make our economy stronger and more dynamic, we must prepare a rising generation to fill the jobs of the 21st century. Under the No Child Left Behind Act, standards are higher, test scores are on the rise, and we are closing the achievement gap for minority students. Now we must demand better results from our high schools, so every high school diploma is a ticket to success. We will help an additional 200,000 workers to get training for a better career, by reforming our job training system and strengthening America's community colleges. And we will make it easier for Americans to afford a college education, by increasing the size of Pell Grants.
    To make our economy stronger and more competitive, America must reward, not punish, the efforts and dreams of entrepreneurs. Small business is the path of advancement, especially for women and minorities, so we must free small businesses from needless regulation and protect honest job-creators from junk lawsuits. Justice is distorted, and our economy is held back, by irresponsible class actions and frivolous asbestos claims — and I urge Congress to pass legal reforms this year.
    To make our economy stronger and more productive, we must make health care more affordable, and give families greater access to good coverage, and more control over their health decisions. I ask Congress to move forward on a comprehensive health care agenda — with tax credits to help low-income workers buy insurance, a community health center in every poor county, improved information technology to prevent medical errors and needless costs, association health plans for small businesses and their employees, expanded health savings accounts, and medical liability reform that will reduce health care costs, and make sure patients have the doctors and care they need.
    To keep our economy growing, we also need reliable supplies of affordable, environmentally responsible energy. Nearly four years ago, I submitted a comprehensive energy strategy that encourages conservation, alternative sources, a modernized electricity grid, and more production here at home, including safe, clean nuclear energy. My Clear Skies legislation will cut power plant pollution and improve the health of our citizens. And my budget provides strong funding for leading-edge technology — from hydrogen-fueled cars, to clean coal, to renewable sources such as ethanol. Four years of debate is enough — I urge Congress to pass legislation that makes America more secure and less dependent on foreign energy.
    All these proposals are essential to expand this economy and add new jobs — but they are just the beginning of our duty. To build the prosperity of future generations, we must update institutions that were created to meet the needs of an earlier time. Year after year, Americans are burdened by an archaic, incoherent federal tax code. I have appointed a bipartisan panel to examine the tax code from top to bottom. And when their recommendations are delivered, you and I will work together to give this Nation a tax code that is pro-growth, easy to understand, and fair to all.
    America's immigration system is also outdated — unsuited to the needs of our economy and to the values of our country. We should not be content with laws that punish hardworking people who want only to provide for their families, and deny businesses willing workers, and invite chaos at our border. It is time for an immigration policy that permits temporary guest workers to fill jobs Americans will not take, that rejects amnesty, that tells us who is entering and leaving our country, and that closes the border to drug dealers and terrorists.
    One of America's most important institutions — a symbol of the trust between generations — is also in need of wise and effective reform. Social Security was a great moral success of the 20th Century, and we must honor its great purposes in this new century. The system, however, on its current path, is headed toward bankruptcy. And so we must join together to strengthen and save Social Security.
    Today, more than 45 million Americans receive Social Security benefits, and millions more are nearing retirement — and for them the system is strong and fiscally sound. I have a message for every American who is 55 or older: Do not let anyone mislead you. For you, the Social Security system will not change in any way.
    For younger workers, the Social Security system has serious problems that will grow worse with time. Social Security was created decades ago, for a very different era. In those days people didn't live as long, benefits were much lower than they are today, and a half century ago, about 16 workers paid into the system for each person drawing benefits. Our society has changed in ways the founders of Social Security could not have foreseen. In today's world, people are living longer and therefore drawing benefits longer — and those benefits are scheduled to rise dramatically over the next few decades. And instead of 16 workers paying in for every beneficiary, right now it's only about three workers — and over the next few decades, that number will fall to just two workers per beneficiary. With each passing year, fewer workers are paying ever-higher benefits to an ever-larger number of retirees.
    So here is the result: Thirteen years from now, in 2018, Social Security will be paying out more than it takes in. And every year afterward will bring a new shortfall, bigger than the year before. For example, in the year 2027, the government will somehow have to come up with an extra 200 billion dollars to keep the system afloat — and by 2033, the annual shortfall would be more than 300 billion dollars. By the year 2042, the entire system would be exhausted and bankrupt. If steps are not taken to avert that outcome, the only solutions would be drastically higher taxes, massive new borrowing, or sudden and severe cuts in Social Security benefits or other government programs.
    I recognize that 2018 and 2042 may seem like a long way off. But those dates are not so distant, as any parent will tell you. If you have a 5-year-old, you're already concerned about how you'll pay for college tuition 13 years down the road. If you've got children in their 20s, as some of us do, the idea of Social Security collapsing before they retire does not seem like a small matter. And it should not be a small matter to the United States Congress.
    You and I share a responsibility. We must pass reforms that solve the financial problems of Social Security once and for all.
    Fixing Social Security permanently will require an open, candid review of the options. Some have suggested limiting benefits for wealthy retirees. Former Congressman Tim Penny has raised the possibility of indexing benefits to prices rather than wages. During the 1990s, my predecessor, President Clinton, spoke of increasing the retirement age. Former Senator John Breaux suggested discouraging early collection of Social Security benefits. The late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan recommended changing the way benefits are calculated.
    All these ideas are on the table. I know that none of these reforms would be easy. But we have to move ahead with courage and honesty, because our children's retirement security is more important than partisan politics. I will work with members of Congress to find the most effective combination of reforms. I will listen to anyone who has a good idea to offer. We must, however, be guided by some basic principles. We must make Social Security permanently sound, not leave that task for another day. We must not jeopardize our economic strength by increasing payroll taxes. We must ensure that lower income Americans get the help they need to have dignity and peace of mind in their retirement. We must guarantee that there is no change for those now retired or nearing retirement. And we must take care that any changes in the system are gradual, so younger workers have years to prepare and plan for their future.
    As we fix Social Security, we also have the responsibility to make the system a better deal for younger workers.And the best way to reach that goal is through voluntary personal retirement accounts. Here is how the idea works. Right now, a set portion of the money you earn is taken out of your paycheck to pay for the Social Security benefits of today's retirees. If you are a younger worker, I believe you should be able to set aside part of that money in your own retirement account, so you can build a nest egg for your own future.
    Here is why personal accounts are a better deal. Your money will grow, over time, at a greater rate than anything the current system can deliver — and your account will provide money for retirement over and above the check you will receive from Social Security. In addition, you'll be able to pass along the money that accumulates in your personal account, if you wish, to your children or grandchildren. And best of all, the money in the account is yours, and the government can never take it away.
    The goal here is greater security in retirement, so we will set careful guidelines for personal accounts. We will make sure the money can only go into a conservative mix of bonds and stock funds. We will make sure that your earnings are not eaten up by hidden Wall Street fees. We will make sure there are good options to protect your investments from sudden market swings on the eve of your retirement. We will make sure a personal account can't be emptied out all at once, but rather paid out over time, as an addition to traditional Social Security benefits. And we will make sure this plan is fiscally responsible, by starting personal retirement accounts gradually, and raising the yearly limits on contributions over time, eventually permitting all workers to set aside four percentage points of their payroll taxes in their accounts.
    Personal retirement accounts should be familiar to federal employees, because you already have something similar, called the Thrift Savings Plan, which lets workers deposit a portion of their paychecks into any of five different broadly based investment funds. It is time to extend the same security, and choice, and ownership to young Americans.
    Our second great responsibility to our children and grandchildren is to honor and to pass along the values that sustain a free society. So many of my generation, after a long journey, have come home to family and faith, and are determined to bring up responsible, moral children. Government is not the source of these values, but government should never undermine them.
    Because marriage is a sacred institution and the foundation of society, it should not be re-defined by activist judges. For the good of families, children, and society, I support a constitutional amendment to protect the institution of marriage.
    Because a society is measured by how it treats the weak and vulnerable, we must strive to build a culture of life. Medical research can help us reach that goal, by developing treatments and cures that save lives and help people overcome disabilities — and I thank Congress for doubling the funding of the National Institutes of Health. To build a culture of life, we must also ensure that scientific advances always serve human dignity, not take advantage of some lives for the benefit of others. We should all be able to agree on some clear standards. I will work with Congress to ensure that human embryos are not created for experimentation or grown for body parts, and that human life is never bought and sold as a commodity. America will continue to lead the world in medical research that is ambitious, aggressive, and always ethical.
    Because courts must always deliver impartial justice, judges have a duty to faithfully interpret the law, not legislate from the bench. As President, I have a constitutional responsibility to nominate men and women who understand the role of courts in our democracy, and are well qualified to serve on the bench — and I have done so. The Constitution also gives the Senate a responsibility: Every judicial nominee deserves an up-or-down vote.
    Because one of the deepest values of our country is compassion, we must never turn away from any citizen who feels isolated from the opportunities of America. Our government will continue to support faith-based and community groups that bring hope to harsh places. Now we need to focus on giving young people, especially young men in our cities, better options than apathy, or gangs, or jail. Tonight I propose a three-year initiative to help organizations keep young people out of gangs, and show young men an ideal of manhood that respects women and rejects violence. Taking on gang life will be one part of a broader outreach to at-risk youth, which involves parents and pastors, coaches and community leaders, in programs ranging from literacy to sports. And I am proud that the leader of this nationwide effort will be our First Lady, Laura Bush.
    Because HIV/AIDS brings suffering and fear into so many lives, I ask you to reauthorize the Ryan White Act to encourage prevention, and provide care and treatment to the victims of that disease. And as we update this important law, we must focus our efforts on fellow citizens with the highest rates of new cases, African-American men and women.
    Because one of the main sources of our national unity is our belief in equal justice, we need to make sure Americans of all races and backgrounds have confidence in the system that provides justice. In America we must make doubly sure no person is held to account for a crime he or she did not commit — so we are dramatically expanding the use of DNA evidence to prevent wrongful conviction. Soon I will send to Congress a proposal to fund special training for defense counsel in capital cases, because people on trial for their lives must have competent lawyers by their side.
    Our third responsibility to future generations is to leave them an America that is safe from danger, and protected by peace. We will pass along to our children all the freedoms we enjoy — and chief among them is freedom from fear.
    In the three and a half years since September 11th, 2001, we have taken unprecedented actions to protect Americans. We have created a new department of government to defend our homeland, focused the FBI on preventing terrorism, begun to reform our intelligence agencies, broken up terror cells across the country, expanded research on defenses against biological and chemical attack, improved border security, and trained more than a half million first responders. Police and firefighters, air marshals, researchers, and so many others are working every day to make our homeland safer, and we thank them all.
    Our Nation, working with allies and friends, has also confronted the enemy abroad, with measures that are determined, successful, and continuing. The Al Qaeda terror network that attacked our country still has leaders — but many of its top commanders have been removed. There are still governments that sponsor and harbor terrorists — but their number has declined. There are still regimes seeking weapons of mass destruction — but no longer without attention and without consequence. Our country is still the target of terrorists who want to kill many, and intimidate us all — and we will stay on the offensive against them, until the fight is won.
    Pursuing our enemies is a vital commitment of the War on Terror — and I thank the Congress for providing our servicemen and women with the resources they have needed. During this time of war, we must continue to support our military and give them the tools for victory.
    Other nations around the globe have stood with us.In Afghanistan, an international force is helping provide security. In Iraq, 28 countries have troops on the ground, the United Nations and the European Union provided technical assistance for elections, and NATO is leading a mission to help train Iraqi officers. We are cooperating with 60 governments in the Proliferation Security Initiative, to detect and stop the transit of dangerous materials. We are working closely with governments in Asia to convince North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and nine other countries have captured or detained Al Qaeda terrorists. In the next four years, my Administration will continue to build the coalitions that will defeat the dangers of our time.
    In the long term, the peace we seek will only be achieved by eliminating the conditions that feed radicalism and ideologies of murder. If whole regions of the world remain in despair and grow in hatred, they will be the recruiting grounds for terror, and that terror will stalk America and other free nations for decades. The only force powerful enough to stop the rise of tyranny and terror, and replace hatred with hope, is the force of human freedom. Our enemies know this, and that is why the terrorist Zarqawi recently declared war on what he called the "evil principle" of democracy. And we have declared our own intention: America will stand with the allies of freedom to support democratic movements in the Middle East and beyond, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.
    The United States has no right, no desire, and no intention to impose our form of government on anyone else. That is one of the main differences between us and our enemies. They seek to impose and expand an empire of oppression, in which a tiny group of brutal, self-appointed rulers control every aspect of every life. Our aim is to build and preserve a community of free and independent nations, with governments that answer to their citizens, and reflect their own cultures. And because democracies respect their own people and their neighbors, the advance of freedom will lead to peace.
    That advance has great momentum in our time — shown by women voting in Afghanistan, and Palestinians choosing a new direction, and the people of Ukraine asserting their democratic rights and electing a president. We are witnessing landmark events in the history of liberty. And in the coming years, we will add to that story.
    The beginnings of reform and democracy in the Palestinian territories are showing the power of freedom to break old patterns of violence and failure. Tomorrow morning, Secretary of State Rice departs on a trip that will take her to Israel and the West Bank for meetings with Prime Minister Sharon and President Abbas. She will discuss with them how we and our friends can help the Palestinian people end terror and build the institutions of a peaceful, independent democratic state. To promote this democracy, I will ask Congress for 350 million dollars to support Palestinian political, economic, and security reforms. The goal of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace is within reach — and America will help them achieve that goal.
    To promote peace and stability in the broader Middle East, the United States will work with our friends in the region to fight the common threat of terror, while we encourage a higher standard of freedom. Hopeful reform is already taking hold in an arc from Morocco to Jordan to Bahrain. The government of Saudi Arabia can demonstrate its leadership in the region by expanding the role of its people in determining their future. And the great and proud nation of Egypt, which showed the way toward peace in the Middle East, can now show the way toward democracy in the Middle East.
    To promote peace in the broader Middle East, we must confront regimes that continue to harbor terrorists and pursue weapons of mass murder. Syria still allows its territory, and parts of Lebanon, to be used by terrorists who seek to destroy every chance of peace in the region. You have passed, and we are applying, the Syrian Accountability Act — and we expect the Syrian government to end all support for terror and open the door to freedom. Today, Iran remains the world's primary state sponsor of terror — pursuing nuclear weapons while depriving its people of the freedom they seek and deserve. We are working with European allies to make clear to the Iranian regime that it must give up its uranium enrichment program and any plutonium re-processing, and end its support for terror. And to the Iranian people, I say tonight: As you stand for your own liberty, America stands with you.
    Our generational commitment to the advance of freedom, especially in the Middle East, is now being tested and honored in Iraq. That country is a vital front in the War on Terror, which is why the terrorists have chosen to make a stand there. Our men and women in uniform are fighting terrorists in Iraq, so we do not have to face them here at home. And the victory of freedom in Iraq will strengthen a new ally in the War on Terror, inspire democratic reformers from Damascus to Tehran, bring more hope and progress to a troubled region, and thereby lift a terrible threat from the lives of our children and grandchildren.
    We will succeed because the Iraqi people value their own liberty — as they showed the world last Sunday. Across Iraq, often at great risk, millions of citizens went to the polls and elected 275 men and women to represent them in a new Transitional National Assembly. A young woman in Baghdad told of waking to the sound of mortar fire on election day, and wondering if it might be too dangerous to vote. She said, "hearing those explosions, it occurred to me — the insurgents are weak, they are afraid of democracy, they are losing. … So I got my husband, and I got my parents, and we all came out and voted together." Americans recognize that spirit of liberty, because we share it. In any nation, casting your vote is an act of civic responsibility; for millions of Iraqis, it was also an act of personal courage, and they have earned the respect of us all.
    One of Iraq's leading democracy and human rights advocates is Safia Taleb al-Suhail. She says of her country, "we were occupied for 35 years by Saddam Hussein. That was the real occupation. … Thank you to the American people who paid the cost … but most of all to the soldiers." Eleven years ago, Safia's father was assassinated by Saddam's intelligence service. Three days ago in Baghdad, Safia was finally able to vote for the leaders of her country — and we are honored that she is with us tonight.
    The terrorists and insurgents are violently opposed to democracy, and will continue to attack it. Yet the terrorists' most powerful myth is being destroyed. The whole world is seeing that the car bombers and assassins are not only fighting coalition forces, they are trying to destroy the hopes of Iraqis, expressed in free elections. And the whole world now knows that a small group of extremists will not overturn the will of the Iraqi people.
    We will succeed in Iraq because Iraqis are determined to fight for their own freedom, and to write their own history. As Prime Minister Allawi said in his speech to Congress last September, "Ordinary Iraqis are anxious … to shoulder all the security burdens of our country as quickly as possible." This is the natural desire of an independent nation, and it also is the stated mission of our coalition in Iraq. The new political situation in Iraq opens a new phase of our work in that country. At the recommendation of our commanders on the ground, and in consultation with the Iraqi government, we will increasingly focus our efforts on helping prepare more capable Iraqi security forces — forces with skilled officers, and an effective command structure. As those forces become more self-reliant and take on greater security responsibilities, America and its coalition partners will increasingly be in a supporting role. In the end, Iraqis must be able to defend their own country — and we will help that proud, new nation secure its liberty.
    Recently an Iraqi interpreter said to a reporter, "Tell America not to abandon us." He and all Iraqis can be certain: While our military strategy is adapting to circumstances, our commitment remains firm and unchanging. We are standing for the freedom of our Iraqi friends, and freedom in Iraq will make America safer for generations to come. We will not set an artificial timetable for leaving Iraq, because that would embolden the terrorists and make them believe they can wait us out. We are in Iraq to achieve a result: A country that is democratic, representative of all its people, at peace with its neighbors, and able to defend itself. And when that result is achieved, our men and women serving in Iraq will return home with the honor they have earned.
    Right now, Americans in uniform are serving at posts across the world, often taking great risks on my orders. We have given them training and equipment; and they have given us an example of idealism and character that makes every American proud. The volunteers of our military are unrelenting in battle, unwavering in loyalty, unmatched in honor and decency, and every day they are making our nation more secure. Some of our servicemen and women have survived terrible injuries, and this grateful country will do everything we can to help them recover. And we have said farewell to some very good men and women, who died for our freedom, and whose memory this nation will honor forever.
    One name we honor is Marine Corps Sergeant Byron Norwood of Pflugerville, Texas, who was killed during the assault on Fallujah. His mom, Janet, sent me a letter and told me how much Byron loved being a Marine, and how proud he was to be on the front line against terror. She wrote, "When Byron was home the last time, I said that I wanted to protect him like I had since he was born. He just hugged me and said: ‘You've done your job, mom. Now it's my turn to protect you.'" Ladies and gentlemen, with grateful hearts, we honor freedom's defenders, and our military families, represented here this evening by Sergeant Norwood's mom and dad, Janet and Bill Norwood.
    In these four years, Americans have seen the unfolding of large events. We have known times of sorrow, and hours of uncertainty, and days of victory. In all this history, even when we have disagreed, we have seen threads of purpose that unite us. The attack on freedom in our world has reaffirmed our confidence in freedom's power to change the world. We are all part of a great venture: To extend the promise of freedom in our country, to renew the values that sustain our liberty, and to spread the peace that freedom brings.
    As Franklin Roosevelt once reminded Americans, "each age is a dream that is dying, or one that is coming to birth." And we live in the country where the biggest dreams are born. The abolition of slavery was only a dream — until it was fulfilled. The liberation of Europe from fascism was only a dream — until it was achieved. The fall of imperial communism was only a dream — until, one day, it was accomplished. Our generation has dreams of its own, and we also go forward with confidence. The road of Providence is uneven and unpredictable — yet we know where it leads: It leads to freedom.
    Thank you, and may God bless America.


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    IRAN, THE NEXT TARGET?



    "In the long term, the peace we seek will only be achieved by eliminating the conditions that feed radicalism and ideologies of murder. If whole regions of the world remain in despair and grow in hatred, they will be the recruiting grounds for terror, and that terror will stalk America and other free nations for decades. The only force powerful enough to stop the rise of tyranny and terror, and replace hatred with hope, is the force of human freedom....To promote peace in the broader Middle East, we must confront regimes that continue to harbor terrorists and pursue weapons of mass murder.... Today, Iran remains the world's primary state sponsor of terror -- pursuing nuclear weapons while depriving its people of the freedom they seek and deserve. We are working with European allies to make clear to the Iranian regime that it must give up its uranium enrichment program and any plutonium re-processing, and end its support for terror. And to the Iranian people, I say tonight: As you stand for your own liberty, America stands with you."

    I have selected the words that may leave the door to an attack against Iran open, what do you think is Iran next?

    Wednesday, February 02, 2005 - Permalink -

    2005 State of the Union



    C-SPAN:: Watch the State of the Union

    President Bush will deliver his 2005 State of the Union Address before Congress and the world tonight. It is expected to focus on Social Security, Iraq, Democratic reform and the growth of freedom around the world, and other pressing issues facing America. Hopefully for the President there will be no “fuel rod” mistakes like in the past. The speech should last about 40 minutes and with applause last around fifty to sixty minutes. You can watch the speech live at 9:00PM on all the major networks or on the internet through C-SPAN, a link to the C-SPAN coverage is provided above.

    ::I Should have my own review of the speech up by tomorrow::

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    MTV, bad for your Health?

    PoliticsToday

    I do not watch MTV and I never will. MTV is nothing but liberal propaganda trying to corrupt the minds of the youth. Its music and programing is full of sex, drugs, and violence and MTV needs a visit from the FCC. They have directly helped the distruction of the moral values in America, a product of the liberalization of America in the 60's. So needless to say, I think MTV is bad for your mental health.

    LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Conservative watchdog group Parents Television Council blasted MTV as "smut peddlers" Tuesday, accusing the music cable network of targeting young viewers with oversexed programming.

    The PTC found fault with the teen-targeted network based on an examination of 171 hours of programming that aired the week of March 20 last year, during its annual "Spring Break" celebration. The analysis, contained in a report titled "MTV Smut Peddlers," spotted 13 sexual scenes per hour in MTV's reality series, as well as 32 instance of foul language per hour in its music videos. "There's no question that TV influences the attitudes and perceptions of young viewers, and MTV is deliberately marketing its raunch to millions of innocent children," PTC president L. Brent Bozell said. The report declared reality series "Making the Band 2" the channel's most offensive series, chronicling 208 instances of foul language in four total hours.

    An MTV spokeswoman said, "It's just unfortunate that Mr. Bozell has yet again attempted to unfairly and unaccurately paint MTV with a brush of irresponsibility around sexual and violent content. The report underestimates young people's level of intellect and sophistication."
    Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

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    It's Dean, "WHOOOO"!

    PoliticsToday


    Martin Frost has left the race for the Democratic Chair leaving the front runner Howard Dean as the main person for the job. The way I look at it Dean is the right man for the job. He is a northern liberal out of touch with America, just like the Democratic Pary.

    Tuesday, February 01, 2005 - Permalink -

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