My bet: "Il Comandante" is really dead. I mean come on, in all the years of his dictatorship he's never given up power, not once. He's dead and they are covering for him to prevent the people from true Libertad de la tiranía . Face it folks, he's taken hells version of the Granma and is crossing the river Styx right now, late for his appointment.

My feeling if he is dead: Oddly torn. I mean, it's not that I wish to kill him, it's just that I don't want him to be alive anymore.

My feeling if he is alive: Missed him by *this* much.


I really don't like dictators, can ya tell?

Oh no, we're risking a backlash in the Middle East!

I mean, everybody already loves us in the Middle East right? Isn't that what all of the polls are saying all the time?

I have nothing but utter contempt for Hizballah and their ilk.

Many people ask why the United States is against a cease-fire with Hizballah, it's really really damn simple folks

1982–1991
Lebanon: Thirty US and other Western hostages kidnapped in Lebanon by Hizballah. Terry Anderson was held for 2,454 days.

1983
April 18, Beirut, Lebanon: U.S. embassy destroyed in suicide car-bomb attack; 63 dead, including 17 Americans. The Islamic Jihad (a.k.a Hizballah) claimed responsibility.
Oct. 23, Beirut, Lebanon: Shiite suicide bombers (linked to Hizballah) exploded truck near U.S. military barracks at Beirut airport, killing 241 Marines. Minutes later a second bomb killed 58 French paratroopers in their barracks in West Beirut.

1984
Sept. 20, east Beirut, Lebanon: truck bomb exploded outside the U.S. embassy annex, killing 24, including 2 U.S. military.

1985
June 14, Beirut, Lebanon: TWA Flight 847 en route from Athens to Rome hijacked to Beirut by Hizballah terrorists and held for 17 days. A U.S. Navy diver executed.

1996
June 25, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia: truck bomb exploded outside Khobar Towers military complex, killing 19 American servicemen and injuring hundreds of others. 13 Saudis and a Lebanese, all alleged members of Islamic militant group Hizballah , were indicted on charges relating to the attack in June 2001.

(above source information culled from InfoPlease listing of terrorist attacks within the United States or against Americans abroad)

The last multi-national force that the United States was involved in with Lebanon was a total cluster f**k that got 241 Marines killed when Hizballah blew up the barracks.

"Why were Marines in Beirut!? They must have been Crusaders!"
I've seen many in the Middle-East still use the involvement of the United States in Lebanon in the Multi National Force against us, claiming that we "attacked" Lebanon. We went into Lebanon with the French, Italians and British to try and stabilize Beirut. Do we get thanks for that? No. We get blamed for everything even though it was Hizballah, Syria, Iran, Israel, etc. who were doing all the fighting.

...and not criticizing. Rabbi Marc Gellman wrote this piece for Newsweek and I think it's a very good read: What the Bible says about terrorism

That was the dumbest move that Hizbollah, Syria and Lebanon could have possibly made.

Hizbollah has now given Israel casus belli in attacking Lebannon. The U.N. can't even decry this latest move as it falls under self-defense. I wonder how Nicaragua v United States of America or The Prosecutor v Dusko Tadic can be applied as Hizbollah is effectively under the control of the Lebanese government no?

Thank these guys

San Francisco Budget and Finanace Committee


Supervisors Daly, Dufty, Peskin, Mirkarimi, Elsbernd

---

It was on their recommendation that the fee be increased

Recommendations of the Budget and Finance Committee

050329 [Parking Permits] Ordinance amending San Francisco Traffic Code sections 308, 308.1, 308.3, and repealing section 314, to: clarify the requirements for issuance of Residential Parking Permits; increase parking permit fees for Residential Parking Permits and Health Care Worker Permits to sixty dollars ($60) if purchased in the first six months of the permit year or thirty dollars ($30) if purchased in the last six months of the permit year; increase Educational Institution Permits to sixty dollars ($60) for each permit regardless of the date of purchase or repurchase; increase temporary parking permit fees for Residential Parking Permits to twenty dollars ($20) for each week for up to four weeks or forty dollars ($40) for a four week permit; increase visitor parking permit fees for Residential Parking Permits to five dollars ($5) per day, twenty dollars ($20) for two consecutive weeks, thirty dollars ($30) for four consecutive weeks, forty dollars ($40) for six consecutive weeks, or fifty dollars ($50) for eight consecutive weeks; and, delete previous permit fee amounts. (Municipal Transportation Agency)



Enacted Number: 108-05 FINALLY PASSED by the following vote: Ayes: 11 - Alioto-Pier, Ammiano, Daly, Dufty, Elsbernd, Ma, Maxwell, McGoldrick, Mirkarimi, Peskin, Sandoval

But consider that in this age of "Bush is responsible for everything bad" (BIRFEB) that any excuse to bash the President is a good one.

From the San Francisco Chronicles "World Views" blog in an article titled "Why the confusion? North Korea says why it test-fired missiles", Edward M. Gomez virtually parrots the official "Democratic" Peoples Republic of Korea's official news agency:

"North Korea's early-morning test launches of seven missiles on Wednesday provoked alarm in Washington and Tokyo, allowing both the Bush administration and the Japanese government to do what they do best. Team Bush quickly put its fear-mongering mechanism into high gear, while officials in the government of soon-to-retire Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi wrung their hands, shifted into high-victim, they-could-target-us-next mode, and then wrung their hands some more."

"In Australia, George W. Bush's sidekick, Prime Minister John Howard, dutifully parroted Washington's no-nukes-for-the-North line."

Mr. Gomez goes on to talk about the 1999 self-imposed moratorium where North Korea agreed to stop its testing of long range missiles in exchange for easing of economic sanctions (Mr. Gomez overlooks the money issue). He states (quoting the double-think of the DPRK news service) that the agreement was only valid in so long as the United States continued its dialog with North Korea and essentially blames the United States for the missile launch (he also throws in a jab at the media claiming that the "...tidbit of recent history has not and is not being widely reported by U.S. mainstream news media." Of course Mr. Gomez is technically correct in it "not being widely reported", since saying that is akin to saying "there have been no news stories specifically talking about this facet of the issue" (which I have to assume is correct, I mean, they do still have fact checkers at the Chronicle right? Or does that not apply to blogs?) . However, Mr. Gomez apparently forgot to fact check himself as a quick search via Google reveals the following:
New York Times coverage
CNN Coverage
Los Angeles Times Coverage

Unless of course three of the biggest news services in the country don't count.

Mr. Gomez also fails to recall other recent history about North Korea including its kicking out of U.N. IAEA inspectors, resumption of nuclear weapons development, threats against the United States and Japan, and North Korea's production of counterfeit U.S. currency. In fact, the counterfeit money is probably the real central issue here, since Banco Delta Asia was forced to freeze the North Korean money laundering accounts which resulted in depriving North Korea of one of their biggest influxes of illicit cash. Mr. Gomez fails to note that the re-opening of those accounts is also one of North Korea's demands for them to return to multi-national talks.

But, possibly because of BIRFEB, that little tidbit of recent history isn't being reported much either.

...or we'll attack you. "

According to Japan's Sankei newspaper, North Korea's launch of the Taepong 2 missile on the 4th was aimed at the waters near Hawaii. [electronic translation version here / MarketWatch report here]

Japan, who has imposed basic economic sanctions against North Korea in response to the missile launches, has been told by North Korea to stop the sanctions....or else, with North Korea stating

"Any criticism of this [the launches] will be met with a stronger and physical response ,Japan is uppermost in this regard."

So, let me get this straight big boy: You fired missiles at the United States (ok, the waters near the United States) and when people criticize you for that you threaten them with violence? And we are all supposed to believe that "Dear Leader" Kim is completely harmless right?

Just wanted to make sure we are all on the same line in the "Kim Is Koo-Koo Krazy, But The Moonbats Still Love Him" songbook

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.


He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for
establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to
harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil
power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of
pretended Legislation:For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:For
protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they
should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:For cutting off our Trade with
all parts of the world:For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: For
depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:For transporting us
beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offencesFor abolishing the free System of
English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary
government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example
and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty &
perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the
inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity.

We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.


Georgia: Button Gwinnett Lyman Hall George Walton

North Carolina: William Hooper Joseph Hewes John Penn

South Carolina: Edward Rutledge Thomas Heyward, Jr. Thomas Lynch, Jr. Arthur Middleton

Maryland:Samuel Chase William Paca Thomas Stone Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia:George WytheRichard Henry Lee Thomas Jefferson Benjamin HarrisonThomas Nelson, Jr.Francis Lightfoot LeeCarter Braxton

Pennsylvania: Robert Morris Benjamin Rush Benjamin Franklin John Morton George Clymer James Smith George Taylor James Wilson George Ross

Delaware: Caesar Rodney George Read Thomas McKean

New York: William Floyd Philip Livingston Francis Lewis Lewis Morris

New Jersey: Richard Stockton John Witherspoon Francis Hopkinson John Hart Abraham Clark

New Hampshire: Josiah Bartlett William Whipple

Massachusetts: John Hancock, Samuel Adams John Adams Robert Treat Paine Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island: Stephen Hopkins William Ellery

Connecticut: Roger Sherman Samuel Huntington William Williams Oliver Wolcott

New Hampshire: Matthew Thornton