mjh’s blog

With Friends Like These…

Just reprinting this may bring some loonies out of their spider holes. I will say that I understand the outrage caused by the use of the word “terrorist” (the new “socialist/communist”). I’m also suspicious when one person defines what’s “right” for others. Finally, you gotta be nuts to argue with people with guns. mjh

NRA Destroys Long-time Friend By Bill Schneider, 2-26-07, New West Network

Jim Zumbo [the most well-known and influential hunting writer in all of America] unintentionally caused his sudden retirement by making this comment:

“I must be living in a vacuum. The guides on our hunt tell me that the use of AR and AK rifles have a rapidly growing following among hunters, especially prairie dog hunters [mjh: you need serious stopping power for prairie dogs]. I had no clue. Only once in my life have I ever seen anyone using one of these firearms.

“I call them ‘assault’ rifles, which may upset some people. Excuse me, maybe I’m a traditionalist, but I see no place for these weapons among our hunting fraternity. I’ll go so far as to call them ‘terrorist’ rifles. [mjh: uh-oh]

“Sorry, folks, in my humble opinion, these things have no place in hunting. We don’t need to be lumped into the group of people who terrorize the world with them, which is an obvious concern. I’ve always been comfortable with the statement that hunters don’t use assault rifles. We’ve always been proud of our ‘sporting firearms.’”

Immedately following the posting, Remington Arms severed all ties with Zumbo; Outdoor Life fired him; and the Outdoor Channel canceled his weekly Jim Zumbo Outdoors program because sponsors (Remington, Cabela’s, Mossy Oak and others) pulled their ads. …

Some outdoor writers came to Zumbo’s defense such as Tony Dean of South Dakota and Pat Wray of Oregon, but most were apprehensive about entering the flay. The message was clear. Say the one word the gun rights snipers don’t like, and the only job you can get is greeting people at Wal-Mart.

Wray, who writes for the Corvallis Gazette Times said it best in his February 24 commentary: “Something very strange happened in the world of outdoor communication this week. One of America’s best known hunting writers slipped and metaphorically cut himself, so a few thousand of his closest friends ate him alive.”

In his column, Wray blamed the NRA for the overreaction. And when I looked on the NRA’s website, the gun group actually boasted about the destruction of Zumbo’s career as an example of what happens when somebody crosses them.

“The ensuing wave of grassroots response in support of the Second Amendment is a clear indication that America’s gun owners will act swiftly and decisively to counter falsehoods or misrepresentations perpetuated by any member of the media – whether it is one of the major networks or a fellow gun owner,” the NRA stated in its release severing all ties with Zumbo. “It is our hope that Mr. Zumbo will use his energy and talent to help preserve our Second Amendment, America’s First Freedom, by ensuring that no one else falls prey to the tragic demonization of gun owners.”

Wray called the owners of military-style rifles “a crowd of vicious, vengeful, vitriolic jackals” and blames the NRA making them so. “For decades the NRA has fostered a climate of fear and paranoia among gun owners. They have hammered home the message that everyone is out to take our guns and that compromise is tantamount to treason. They created an attitude within their membership that anyone who disagreed was an enemy and the best defense was a good offense.”

I see this whole affair as chilling, because, as I remember it, the Second Amendment comes right after the First Amendment. … Where is the outrage from millions of hunters who agree with every word Zumbo posted on his blog? Where are the thousands of emails to Remington, Outdoor Life or the Outdoor Channel from hunters who wouldn’t be caught dead hunting with an assault rifle? Why aren’t they coming to Zumbo’s defense?

Duhbya said, Al Qaeda is on the run. Another Lie

U.S. Sees New Al-Qaeda Threat By Walter Pincus, Washington Post Staff Writer

The new director of national intelligence said yesterday that the United States is “very concerned” that Osama bin Laden and the al-Qaeda leadership are attempting to rebuild their terrorist network and establish training camps in a region of northwest Pakistan “that has never been governed by any power.”

“We inflicted a major blow, they retreated to another area, and they are going through a process to reestablish and rebuild, adapting to the seams or the weak spots as they might perceive them,” retired Vice Adm. John M. McConnell told the Senate Armed Services Committee as he delivered his first global threat assessment to Capitol Hill. …

Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) asked McConnell about the probability that al-Qaeda members in Pakistan or Iraq are organizing an attack on the United States — a scenario that President Bush recently hinted at should U.S. forces withdraw from Iraq. The intelligence chief replied that an attack would “most likely” emerge from Pakistan, though he described Iraq as “a cause celebre for the jihadists in creating forces,” and warned that al-Qaeda elements in Iraq, Syria and Europe are planning attacks.
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Bush and Al Qaeda - International Herald Tribune

The new picture seems to belie the triumphalist tone of President George W. Bush, who said a few days before last November’s congressional elections, “Al Qaeda is on the run.”

Analysis, Dissemination, Visualization, Insight and Semantic Enhancement (ADVISE)

New Profiling Program Raises Privacy Concerns By Ellen Nakashima and Alec Klein, Washington Post Staff Writers

The Department of Homeland Security is testing a data-mining program that would attempt to spot terrorists by combing vast amounts of information about average Americans, such as flight and hotel reservations. Similar to a Pentagon program killed by Congress in 2003 over concerns about civil liberties, the new program could take effect as soon as next year.

But researchers testing the system are likely to already have violated privacy laws by reviewing real information, instead of fake data, according to a source familiar with a congressional investigation into the $42.5 million program.

Bearing the unwieldy name Analysis, Dissemination, Visualization, Insight and Semantic Enhancement (ADVISE), the program is on the cutting edge of analytical technology that applies mathematical algorithms to uncover hidden relationships in data. The idea is to troll a vast sea of information, including audio and visual, and extract suspicious people, places and other elements based on their links and behavioral patterns.
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New Light Shed on CIA’s ‘Black Site’ Prisons By Dafna Linzer and Julie Tate, Washington Post Staff Writers

On his last day in CIA custody, Marwan Jabour, an accused al-Qaeda paymaster, was stripped naked, seated in a chair and videotaped by agency officers. Afterward, he was shackled and blindfolded, headphones were put over his ears, and he was given an injection that made him groggy. Jabour, 30, was laid down in the back of a van, driven to an airstrip and put on a plane with at least one other prisoner.

His release from a secret facility in Afghanistan on June 30, 2006, was a surprise to Jabour — and came just after the Supreme Court rejected the Bush administration’s assertion that the Geneva Conventions do not apply to prisoners like him.

[mjh: read the whole story to learn how a great and powerful nation deals with suspected enemies.]

The End of War is Called Peace

In the first couple of letters to the editor today, we learn that the real problem with Iraq is the liberals at home. Yeah, right.

Did you know that the B1 bomber is now in Iraq for the first time? How useful is a bomber in street-fighting? Is there anything left standing in Baghdad — or will there be when we declare victory and go home?

The solution to this war does not come from killing more people. Every death makes a martyr, every survivor a new militant.

The Shia and Sunni have to make peace. god help them. mjh

ABQjournal: Letters to the Editor

Liberal Deja Vu All Over

FOR THOSE of us who fought in Vietnam, the actions of the liberals in Congress will be “deja vu all over again.” The liberals are trying once again to pull the rug out from under our troops in time of war… [Liberals'] knowledge of history is limited to their liberal view. — D.B., Abq.

[mjh: is it possible that DB's knowledge of the present is limited by his conservative view?]

Uniforms Not for Everybody

If you have never served your country and been in war, you just don’t know. And it is a waste of time for a combat veteran to try to explain it. You just won’t get it. — D.K., Abq.

[mjh: this is precisely what evangelical Christians say about their faith.]

Majority in Poll Favor Deadline For Iraq Pullout By Dan Balz and Jon Cohen, Washington Post Staff Writers

With Congress preparing for renewed debate over President Bush’s Iraq policies, a majority of Americans now support setting a deadline for withdrawing U.S. forces from the war-torn nation and support putting new conditions on the military that could limit the number of personnel available for duty there, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Opposition to Bush’s plan to send an additional 21,500 troops to Iraq remained strong. Two in three Americans registered their disapproval, with 56 percent saying they strongly object. The House recently passed a nonbinding resolution opposing the new deployments, but Republicans have blocked consideration of such a measure in the Senate. …

The Post-ABC poll found that 53 percent of Americans favored setting a deadline for troop withdrawals. Among those who favored a deadline, 24 percent said they would like to see U.S. forces out within six months and 21 percent called for the withdrawals to be completed within a year. …

Nearly seven in 10 women supported establishing some rules for training and rest time for troops to limit the number available for duty in Iraq, and 47 percent of men favored those limits. Similarly, a majority of men opposed setting any deadline for withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq, while an even larger majority of women would like to see a deadline established.

The poll also registered a new low on the question of whether the Iraq war was worth fighting. Thirty-four percent responded that it was, while 64 percent said it was not — 51 percent strongly. On this question, 51 percent of military veterans and 53 percent of veteran households said they strongly believe that the war was not worth fighting.

Barbarian At The Gate

I know that as an atheist, I spend too much time thinking about god and believers. I probably should give religion no more thought than I do machine-gun collecting — it’s just a weird thing that doesn’t interest me.

Still, gun-nuts play a smaller role in our society than god-nuts. Mind you, I realize I’ve let my mask slip a little. I want to believe that you can believe anything you want and that does not lessen you or elevate me. Of course, if you believe meth is great, we’re probably not going to be good friends. I wouldn’t be the first to call religion the opiate of the masses. I understand, it’s good to kick back with your favorite intoxicant once it a while, be it faith or a doobie. If you believe in the teachings of organized religion, it’s no worse than enjoying the occasional cocktail.

No one sane could object to anything that brings more love into the world or anything that guides people to a more peaceful life. Religion has done that at times, as has drinking. But everyone tires of drunks, no matter what’s gone to their heads.

If my crude analogies upset you, you may need to read your scripture to find a way to love me in spite of myself. As god surely does. (A favorite line from Junebug is: “god loves you just the way you are but he loves you too much to let you stay that way.” amen.)

But I digress. I’m actually writing to send you to read my friend cko’s thoughts about hope and faith. Don’t fear: cko is not the barbarian I am; her thoughts on religion are more nuanced and better informed. Read her insights and say a prayer for her while I raise my finger to heaven, again. mjh

The Folly of War

Dubya’s War Without End has become more than just a recruiting ground for our enemies. It has become the perfect training ground. Every day, insurgents hone their tactics in urban guerrilla warfare. Tactics which would easily transfer to any city in America. It is beyond ironic that Duhbya brayed about fighting them “over there instead of over here.” Now they are more motivated and experienced than ever and better trained.

Duhbya has sown seeds that will bear fruit for generations. Some of that fruit will fall close to home. And his defenders will never recognize his responsibility in making the world much less safe than five years ago. mjh

Insurgents stage chemical attack, down helicopter, by BRIAN MURPHY, Associated Press

BAGHDAD - Insurgents exploded a truck carrying chlorine gas canisters Wednesday - the second such “dirty” chemical attack in two days - while a U.S. official said ground fire apparently forced the downing of a Black Hawk helicopter. All nine aboard the aircraft were rescued.

The attacks offer a sweeping narrative on evolving tactics by Sunni insurgents who have proved remarkably adaptable.

Military officials worry extremists may have recently gained more access to firepower such as shoulder-fired anti-aircraft rockets and heavy machine guns - and more expertise to use them. The Black Hawk would be at least the eighth U.S. helicopter to crash or be taken down by hostile fire in the past month.

The gas cloud in Baghdad, meanwhile, suggests possible new and coordinated strategies by bombers trying to unleash toxic - and potentially deadly - materials. “Terrorists are using dirty means,” said Brig. Gen. Qassim Moussawi, an Iraqi military spokesman.

http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/world/16752230.htm

Chinese New Year

Last weekend, Merri and I attended the dress rehearsal for this weekend’s celebration of Chinese New Year at the Albuquerque Chinese Cultural Center (Sunday; 4705, the Year of the Pig). We sat on the ground in the parking lot and watched performers stream out of the center’s entrance. There will be martial arts, Tai Chi, dance, fights with various weapons, lions and a dragon, plus innumerable costume changes. If, you are “tired of winter’s drab colors,” as a friend of mine recently put it, you’ll be blown away by the spectacle.

Here are my photos on flickr:
Chinese New Year in Albuquerque, NM - a photoset on Flickr

www.flickr.com

If you are going on Sunday (2/18), be aware that the Center has small parking lot which serves as the stage. Parking in the area is a problem. Ride your bike or walk. peace, mjh

PS: I take this opportunity to note I turned 47 in 4700 and in 4747 I will be 94 (47+47).

The Atheist’s Wager

Atheist’s Wager - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheist’s_Wager

The Atheist’s Wager is the atheistic equivalent of Pascal’s Wager. While Pascal suggested that it is better to take the chance of believing in a god that might not exist rather than to risk offending a god that does, the Atheist’s Wager counters that:

It is better to live your life as if there are no gods, and try to make the world a better place for your being in it. If there is no god, you have lost nothing and will be remembered fondly by those you left behind. If there is a benevolent god, he will judge you on your merits and not just on whether or not you believed in him.

—–

There is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophy.
Our own brain, our own heart is our temple: the philosophy is kindness.
~The Dalai Lama [via www.lwrightnm.com]

Butterflyphoto Follies

I’ve been shopping for a new digital camera. I require a superzoom (10x or greater) and a great macro. I have been very happy with Olympus until the zoom’s focus became unreliable for some reason.

After some research, I decided to buy the Sony Cybershot DSC-H2. I stood in OfficeMax with one in my hands and was very close to buying it. Later, I stood in Best Buy with the H2 and the newer H5 and could see the H5 blows away the H2. The larger LCD will help with my macro shots and the more dense pixels of the electronic view finder will help with everything else. This is a bigger and more expensive camera than I really want, but 12x excites me.

I did some of my research at a great website, www.imaging-resource.com (recommended by my photo-freak friend, Lisa). That site lists online sellers and it was through them I found www.butterflyphoto.com (BFP), which has this camera for the least amount of money, bottom line. The listing for BFP showed lots of buyers and a very high rating.

On the BFP website, the initial purchase process went fine. The next day, I got email from BFP instructing me to call “Tom,” plus a phone message from Tom himself before I could call. No word as to why I should call. So, I sent email, but got no reply. I called Tom. Tom was very professional in his skillful pitch to get me to buy more stuff. If I were BFP, I’d give him a raise. But I resisted his insistence and urgings and assumed we were done with an unpleasant dance.

Then I got the same email, this time to call Chris. I wrote Chris and said I’d been through it all with Tom. Then I got the same email — exactly the same robotic email every time — again and again and again from Tom. Maybe there’s a problem. Maybe there’s something great, like a free gift. Couldn’t one of these email message vary just enough to include some information?

In 10 days’ time, I have received a dozen of these uninformative emails. In that same time, I checked the status of my order online several times a day. For the longest time, the status was “PVR.” What does “PVR” stand for? Not a clue is offered anywhere on the BFP website. The designer of that webpage should be ashamed to display an unintuitive abbreviation without any help. But I think BFP counts on customers being unsure enough to call.

I may appear a fool, but I feel that if a business can use email, it should. I find the unvarying emails from BFP irritating. I also feel that if a business has a well-designed website with a status page, it should be used to communicate something useful. (In fact, after about 10 days, “PVR” was replaced with “call Tom” — not quite literally, but nothing more helpful than that.)

Eventually, I relented. I called again because I believed no one at BFP would ever compose an original email message containing helpful information. Ironically, calling for the third time — in the middle of the afternoon — I got Tom’s phone message. I’m not surprised he never returned my call. The fourth time I called, I said, “send it or cancel it.”

This morning, the miscommunication ended. BFP sent a generic cancellation email. No useful information. I’ll shop elsewhere. mjh

PS- I feel no obligation to balance this report. While I don’t believe the customer is always right, I do believe a company that wants to do business with me — a company that has email and status webpages — needs to communicate with me by email. That said, I’ve talked to several people who had satisfactory service from BFP. Don’t avoid them just because I will from now on.

PPS- During this limbo time, I’ve read about an 18x zoom from Samsung and saw two Panasonic Lumix models top a survey that found some fault in the H5. God works in mysterious ways.