Where is everyone? It's time for the night owls to come out. It is

[texpatriot2004]

so quiet. Hello? Anybody home? Why is it so quiet tonight? Plus, there's so many light weight threads. Are we tired? Too tired for substance? It has been a long week. Hell, it's been a long few weeks. Hope everyone is resting up.

[madeline_con]

1. What sort of substance are you looking for?

:smoke:

[texpatriot2004]

9. I don't know. DU substance. I have been looking for info on the

Syria, UN report issue but I haven't gotten much of a response.

[madeline_con]

13. Here's 2 sides...

of the issue:

'Hard-hitting' UN report fingers Syria -Bolton
Fri Oct 21, 2005 11:10 AM ET

By Irwin Arieff
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said on Friday that a U.N. inquiry into the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri had found Syria was linked to the killing and obstructed a probe into it.

Bolton was consulting with fellow Security Council members on a wide range of possible responses, he said, but he would not say whether sanctions against Syria was among them.

"This report is obviously very significant. It finds probable cause to believe that the assassination could not have been undertaken without the knowledge of senior figures in Syrian intelligence," Bolton told reporters.

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2005-10-21T150858Z_01_ROB152841_RTRUKOC_0_US-LEBANON-SYRIA-UN.xml

------------------------------------------------------

Syria rejects UN report

Friday 21 October 2005, 18:20 Makka Time, 15:20 GMT

Syria has rejected a UN investigation into the murder of a former Lebanese premier, calling it politically biased.

"It is a political statement against Syria based on allegations by witnesses known for their hostility to Syria," Mehdi Dakhlallah, Syria's information minister, told Aljazeera in the first official reaction from Damascus to the report.

Dakhlallah described the report as "100% politically biased" and said it was far from the truth.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/13F8B02D-EEBD-4F97-A918-4A807B708FC1.htm

[dutchdemocrat]

16. Here's some more on this that I wrote last night...

Stomping on To Syria

Saturday, 22 October 2005

With Rice pounding on Syria all last week and now Bolton and Bush leaping on the Syrialiban bandwagon - the thumping drumbeat to expand the bloody war is continuing to echo throughout DC this week. As soon as the UN report on the death of Hariri came out the heat on Syria became even more palpable and has escalated.

Of course none of this matters perhaps - since Rice recently told the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee that expansion of the war was not off the table and would not rule out Bush hitting Syria and Iran next without Congress in his pocket. Could it somehow be covered under Bush's enhanced dictatorial rights bovinely passed for Iraq after 9-11?

US troops have allegedly already been over the Syrian border in a few skirmishes - much like they did in Cambodia from Vietnam 30 years ago, which is possibly a routing of the of the War Powers Act of 1973 - put in place to muzzle Nixon but possibly being undone by Bush.

Passed by Congress over President Nixon's veto, the War Powers Act of 1973 requires the president to "consult" with Congress before "introducing United States Armed Forces into hostilities or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances".

The real question is - will Bush and friends just utilise the Sept. 14, 2001 congressional resolution to justify invasion of Syria and Iran. Not without a terrorist attack on the US most likely - but Bush can, under the structure of the resolution, announce that he has determined that Syria or Iran is harbouring al Queda - and invade without even informing Congress until 48 hours after US troops are over the border.

With Bush's current poll ratings in the basement, possible upcoming indictments unwound by Patrick Fitzgerald in the Plame outing investigation fingering Libby and Rove, another lethal hurricane wobbling en route to Florida, and the American Convervative magazine about to unload a tirade on the administration in their upcoming cover story - the Oval Office is in a bit of a tempest at the moment. Capitol Hill Blue founder and well known DC insider Doug Thompson writes that gallows humor has descended on the White House, where the West Wing is now referred to as “death row” and Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove, along with Vice Presidential Chief of Staff Scooter Libby, are known as “dead men walking..."

The beat goes on...

Of course - the mainstream media is bundling Syria and Lebanon, in that order, in the blame game on the death of Lebanese Politician Rafik Hariri - despite the fact that, the bit implicating the brother of Bashar al-Assad, President of Syria, and other insiders, was dropped from the report that was sent to the UN Security Council. And that seems to have been for good reason.

Perception around the world that leading politicians in Syria did indeed have a direct hand in the Lebanon bombing may now have some problems.

Der Spiegel, in Germany, revealed in an investigative piece today, that a central witness in UN-Hariri report is a convicted fraudster - who not only has been convicted several times for embezzlement and fraud (a la Chalabi), Zuheir Mohammed al-Siddiq received a large sum of money for his testimony from an unknown third party. Reportedly he called his brothers from Paris saying, "Now I'm a millionaire".

SNIP

http://www.chris-floyd.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=247&Itemid=1

[madeline_con]

22. Thanks...

great blog, BTW.

[dutchdemocrat]

27. Thank you!

Chris is away on holiday... so I am subbing for him, and am a tad nervous. Floyd is the brilliant writer and I enjoy working with him as webmaster.

[cynatnite]

2. I found an article about Abramoff, Rover and Ralph Reed...

There was only one reason that clients ranging from Native-American tribes to Fortune 500 CEOs to Pacific Island potentates were willing to pay Jack Abramoff millions. The lobbyist at the center of a spreading scandal that has touched numerous lawmakers, including former House majority leader Tom DeLay, had access like few others to people in power. But in the place that mattered most, even someone as well-connected as Abramoff needed help. When he had to make sure his clients' concerns got the attention of the right people in the George W. Bush White House, Abramoff often turned to a longtime friend and business associate whose ties there—especially with the President's most trusted adviser, Karl Rove—were far better than his: former Christian Coalition executive director Ralph Reed, an operative of such political talent that he made the cover of TIME in 1995, at age 33, with a line that declared him "the Right Hand of God."

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1121973,00.html

I just started reading it.

[opihimoimoi]

3. Its a NO INDICTMENT LetDown....I guess. LOL

But I iz here...just hanging out and laughing at the Continuing Saga of the GOP FALL via the one guy they invested "all in" with..George Bush.

[eleny]

4. Hi!

I'm listening to Erin Hart on KIRO http://www.kiro710.com/ :silly:

[shraby]

5. Everybody is just marking time until the indictments

come out.

[omega minimo]

6. The Left Coast left

[Starbucks Anarchist]

14. Left Coaster right here.

[undergroundpanther]

7. Meow meow

The panther's here...

[beam me up scottie]

11. Hi UPanther.

How are you doing tonight?

[Hissyspit]

8. It did get slow realy quick.

I'm looking for stuff to post. I have no social life. And I slept all day. (And I'm Left Coast, too!)

[shenmue]

10. I'm doing my part

:o ;( :evilfrown: :think: :shrug: :blush: :cry:

[Hardrada]

12. Here in Eastern Iowa

we are distracted by watching the beautiful leaves fall. Our summers are too hot. We don't get much snow (or rain) anymore but at least we have the autumn leaves. O yes, waiting for the indictments too. I guess we are just "saving up our spit" like the angry little girl.

[cynatnite]

15. Here's something for you!

LAHORE, Pakistan - A Pakistani woman who won international fame but irked the government for speaking out about her gang rape left for the United States on Saturday to receive an award for her courage.

Mukhtar Mai, 36, has been declared Woman of the Year 2005 by Glamour, an American women's magazine. She's due to receive the award with a $20,000 cash prize Nov. 2 in New York.

Past winners include U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton and former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

Mai braved social stigma by going public over her June 2002 assault, which was ordered by a village council in retaliation for her brother's alleged affair with a woman from a higher-caste family.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051023/ap_on_re_as/pakistan_rape_victim;

[alittlelark]

17. SF Bay Area here...

Hubby at a concert, kids asleep, I've gotta crash soon too.


But I am here.

[Catherine Vincent]

18. We can always talk about this guy....

:-)

[texpatriot2004]

20. He's awesome. A brilliant man. Full of integrity and honor and

honesty. I like him alot.

[bluedawg12]

19. Howdy Tex! Just wrapping it up here- been over to

the religion BB first time there, pretty cool.

Yea, no news is good news, maybe a moment of calm before the sh*t storm Fitz/hits next week.

Just dropped by to say Hi gang! But am slowly nodding off so this maybe my last hurrah for the night.

Enjoy you all.


Oh here is something I have been working on, End Times lingo.

It's unique and check out this interesting end times forum:
.........
http://www.andyholloway.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=671

pre-trib: people who believe the rapture will occur before the tribulation
post-trib: same as above but AFTER tribuation
mid-trib: rapture will be at some point in the middle, people take different stances on that within mid-trib.

pre-mill: we are living in an age BEFORE the millennium, the millennium is a future look that will happen later. typically believe it to be a literal 1000 years. will happen after the tribulation and the 2nd coming of Christ.
post-mill: these people believe the tribulation happened already, and we are living in the millennium which is not a literal 1000 years. most believe that much (or all) of the world will come to know Christ before He returns. when that happens, Christ will come.
a-mill: no millennium. christ's coming will start the eternal state, they believe the church has spiritual presence of Christ's resurrection.

preterist: (some or all) events described in revelation happened in the past.

[texpatriot2004]

23. Thanks Bluedawg. Sleep with Angels. n.t

[sandnsea]

21. Knock down of Davis-Bacon argument

Not light weight at all. Something the Dem leadership is fighting. Something we should all care about. But it's not a Bush scandal, so... :shrug:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5137068&mesg_id=5137068

[texpatriot2004]

25. That is important. You're right. n.t

[madeline_con]

26. Isn't it an indirect Bush scandal....

When Halliburton gets a HUGE contract in NOLA, and the DB Act is suddenly not being honored in the hiring of workers?

[sandnsea]

31. Scandal leading to jail?

I think that's what it takes to get people's attention, that or mooning the Presidential vehicle. Not that that isn't fun, but still.

[hang a left]

24. Hey....I have been sleeping on and off today. Have slept

probably 10 hours. I was just exhausted after last week. But I am up now and waiting to see if the LA Times is going to have anything new in their Sunday paper that will be on line in about 20 minutes.

Hey how are you doing?

[texpatriot2004]

28. Well, okay, thanks for asking. I slept some too today and last

night. I was worn out too. I am having tea and cookies. Looking at jobs online and at DU.

[dennis00]

29. Ohio NightOwl

I'm Hanging out here in Dayton. Playing with my Dobro and waiting to see what's blowing in the wind.3AM Sunday.

[punpirate]

30. I've stayed away tonight...

... in the hope of not killing even more threads.... :P

[NightOwwl]

32. It almost worked.

:7 :hi:

[Hekate]

33. Hekate always comes out at night, you know

But I'm exhausted -- dragged around all day and would probably be smart to get horizontal soon (it's 1 am here on the Central Coast). I think -- what's tht word? -- I'm Bushed.

Just want to check a few more threads...

Hekate

[EnfantTerrible]

34. I've been here

but now I'm going to bed. It's 3:52 am where I live... (yawn) zzzzzzzzzzzzz....

[Skittles]

35. I just got back from Deep Ellum in Dallas

saw Aimee Mann and band; got my picture taken with her guitarist, Julian Coryell - a major league cutie pie. YES INDEED !!! :D

[JanusAscending]

36. Hi Brother! I'm here,

but not for long. Had a very long day, and ready to hit the hay!!! Hey! I rhyme. Actually, I'm really spaced out, been on line since 11:30 PM eastern time, and it's now 5 AM. saying good night, if I can get my "butt" up off of this chair. Think I might have become attached!!! Hope I can wake up for the Sunday news shows. There's only so much hurrican news I can take in one day. I want to see what the talking heads have to say tomorrow, especially ole Timmy boy! Nite all! DC:boring: :hi: