Advertising vs Obesity

With all of the food based advertising that is being shoved down our throats, it is no wonder we have a problem with obesity. Everywhere kids turn there are commercials for food and candy and soft drinks or restaurants. You can't go more than 10 minutes on any TV channel without seeing an ad for something food related. Try dieting with all of these ads, it is damn near impossible. They are all designed to make you want their product. And it is getting worse every day.

The BullShit for a war with Iran intenisfy's

Look at all this sword rattling towards Iran. Does this look like the same kind of build up to the Iraq war? Unsubstantiated claims. Just replace Iran with Iraq, and look back before the war with Iraq. The rhetoric is all the same. This is just scary.


US poised to attack,' claims Bulgarian agency: The United States “could be using its two air force bases in Bulgaria and one at Romania's Black Sea coast to launch an attack on Iran in April," the Bulgarian news agency Novinite claimed.

Manufacturing consent for war with Iran: Raid In Iraq Found Evidence Of Iranian Aid To Militias-TV : During a recent raid in the Iraqi city of Irbil in which Iranians were detained, the U.S. found what some officials claim is evidence Iran is providing aid to insurgents and militias, NBC News reported Tuesday.

Bush 'spoiling for a fight' with Iran: US officials in Baghdad and Washington are expected to unveil a secret intelligence "dossier" this week detailing evidence of Iran's alleged complicity in attacks on American troops in Iraq. The move, uncomfortably echoing Downing Street's dossier debacle in the run-up to the 2003 Iraq invasion, is one more sign that the Bush administration is building a case for war.

A Powerful Iran not Tolerated by US : Tehran's Ambassador to Damascus Mohammad Hassan Akhtari said that Americans have now resorted to a plot which has long been used by the British, and that is none but sowing discord among Muslim Shiites and Sunnites to divide them and to discredit the Shiite Iran.

Sen. Robert Byrd: Bush Wants War with Iran: Top Democrat Sen. Robert Byrd is warning that the Bush administration is preparing to go to war with Iran.

War pimp alert: U.S.: Iran giving weapons to kill troops : The White House says there has been growing evidence over the last several months that Iran is supporting terrorists inside Iraq and is a major supplier of bombs and other weapons used to target U.S. forces.

Iranian Reveals Plan to Expand Role in Iraq: Iran's ambassador to Baghdad outlined a plan to expand its economic and military ties with Iraq that will almost certainly bring more conflict with the US.

Bush Warns Iran Against Action in Iraq : Bush's warning was the latest move in a bitter and more public standoff between the United States and Iran. The White House expressed skepticism about Iran's plans to greatly expand its economic and military ties with Iraq.

War pimp alert: Experts: US-Iran tensions could trigger accidental war: Tensions between the United States and Iran have risen to the point where a war could be kicked off by mistake, an outcome that neither Tehran nor Washington wants, US military officials and private analysts say.

UN nuclear watchdog proposes ‘timeout’ by both sides on Iran’s nuclear programme: The head of the United Nations atomic watchdog agency is calling for a “timeout” on the Iranian nuclear issue, with Iran suspending uranium enrichment and the international community suspending sanctions over a programme that Tehran says is for producing energy

Shell defies US pressure and signs £5bn Iranian gas deal: Shell has signed an important deal to help Iran develop a major gas field, ignoring growing pressure from George Bush to isolate the country for being part of what he alleges is an "axis of evil

Davos Ponders a U.S.-Iran War: - In the row over Iran's controversial nuclear programme, Russia warned the United States Saturday against additional unilateral sanctions against Tehran now that a compromise resolution has been passed by the United Nations Security Council.

Israel tries to cut off Tehran from world markets: Israel is launching a campaign to isolate Iran economically and to soften up world opinion for the option of a military strike aimed at crippling or delaying Tehran's uranium enrichment programme.

The problem of the Mujahadeen: BBC Video: In April 2003 Iran offered international access to its nuclear facilities - but was rejected. In return, Tehran wanted help to disband a fanatical group called the People's Mujahadeen.

US must explain Mideast military build-up: Russia: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday said he would demand an explanation from the United States over its military build-up in the Middle East and criticised Washington for "hardline" policies against Iran.

Nuclear plans in chaos as Iran leader flounders: Iran's efforts to produce highly enriched uranium, the material used to make nuclear bombs, are in chaos and the country is still years from mastering the required technology.

Images of Iran not available on mainstream media.: 2 Minute video

Bush's backdoor attack: Iran via Hizbullah: New policy authorizing attacks on Iranian agents in Iraq also allows for covert ops against Iran-backed terror groups all across ME, including Hizbullah

EPA Set to Abandon 30 Years of Air Quality Control

Lead is one of the most harmful toxins on Earth and is especially hazardous for children. Since 1970, the Clean Air Act has authorized the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set standards for air pollutants that pose a threat to health and the environment.

Lead was among the first pollutants EPA regulated. But, incredibly, the EPA is considering removing lead entirely from the list of pollutants it controls under the Clean Air Act.

Federal standards for lead pollution have been extremely successful in protecting public health, but significant sources of airborne lead pollution remain. For more on the dangers of lead pollution, see the EPA’s own description of lead’s adverse health effects, which includes “delays in physical and mental development, lower IQ levels, shortened attention spans and increased behavioral problems” in young children.

UCS urges you to tell the EPA that it must continue to use the best available science to protect the air we breathe from dangerous lead pollution.

Hidden Accounting for the Wars.

By Ron Paul

The Pentagon recently reported that it now spends roughly $8.4 billion per month waging the war in Iraq, while the additional cost of our engagement in Afghanistan brings the monthly total to a staggering $10 billion. Since 2001, Congress has spent more than $500 billion on specific appropriations for Iraq. This sum is not reflected in official budget and deficit figures. Congress has funded the war by passing a series of so-called "supplemental" spending bills, which are passed outside of the normal appropriations process and thus deemed off-budget.

This is fundamentally dishonest: if we're going to have a war, let's face the costs-- both human and economic-- squarely. Congress has no business hiding the costs of war through accounting tricks.

As the war in Iraq surges forward, and the administration ponders military action against Iran, it's important to ask ourselves an overlooked question: Can we really afford it? If every American taxpayer had to submit an extra five or ten thousand dollars to the IRS this April to pay for the war, I'm quite certain it would end very quickly. The problem is that government finances war by borrowing and printing money, rather than presenting a bill directly in the form of higher taxes. When the costs are obscured, the question of whether any war is worth it becomes distorted.

Congress and the Federal Reserve Bank have a cozy, unspoken arrangement that makes war easier to finance. Congress has an insatiable appetite for new spending, but raising taxes is politically unpopular. The Federal Reserve, however, is happy to accommodate deficit spending by creating new money through the Treasury Department. In exchange, Congress leaves the Fed alone to operate free of pesky oversight and free of political scrutiny. Monetary policy is utterly ignored in Washington, even though the Federal Reserve system is a creation of Congress.

The result of this arrangement is inflation. And inflation finances war.

Economist Lawrence Parks has explained how the creation of the Federal Reserve Bank in 1913 made possible our involvement in World War I. Without the ability to create new money, the federal government never could have afforded the enormous mobilization of men and material. Prior to that, American wars were financed through taxes and borrowing, both of which have limits. But government printing presses, at least in theory, have no limits. That's why the money supply has nearly tripled just since 1990.

For perspective, consider our ongoing military commitment in Korea. In Korea alone, U.S. taxpayers have spent $1 trillion in today's dollars over 55 years. What do we have to show for it? North Korea is a belligerent adversary armed with nuclear weapons, while South Korea is at best ambivalent about our role as their protector. The stalemate stretches on with no end in sight, as the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the men who fought in Korea give little thought to what was gained or lost. The Korean conflict should serve as a cautionary tale against the open-ended military occupation of any region.

The $500 billion we've officially spent in Iraq is an enormous sum, but the real total is much higher, hidden within the Defense Department and foreign aid budgets. As we build permanent military bases and a $1 billion embassy in Iraq, we need to keep asking whether it's really worth it. Congress should at least fund the war in an honest way so the American people can judge for themselves.

Congressman Ron Paul of Texas, is known among both his colleagues in Congress and his constituents for his consistent voting record in the House of Representatives

NO WAL-MART at BARBER PROPERTY LOCATION in BROOMFIELD, CO

NO WAL-MART at BARBER PROPERTY LOCATION in BROOMFIELD, CO

I, the undersigned, and my family strongly urge the members of the Broomfield City Council, acting as BURA, to reject any forthcoming proposals to purchase the Barber property at 4651 W. 120th Ave. by the Wal-Mart Corp. We firmly believe Wal-Mart is NOT A GOOD NEIGHBOR and would have an extremely detrimental effect on our local businesses, property values, traffic patterns, local wages, unemployment numbers, our taxes due to increased public health care costs, the crime rate, the environment, and the general social and economic health and well being of our community. We strongly oppose the use of our sales tax dollars enabling the building of a Wal-Mart, the world's richest retailer, in Broomfield. Furthermore, we pledge to NOT SHOP at any future Wal-Mart built in Broomfield. Depending on the survival of existing similar retailers, this may well result in our spending our tax dollars outside of Broomfield.

Please click here to go to the petition website.

Your support is critically needed. Please contact your city council members by email or by phone and let them know that the citizens of Broomfield believe that Wal-Mart is NOT the solution to the 120th Avenue corridor. We encourage you to forward this petition page to your family, friends and neighbors to enlist their help in ensuring that Broomfield remains a responsible and progressive community.

Erik's Video's now hosted on Google

Here are the the links to Erik Sandbergs video's hosted on google. Also availible at The Longmont Zone web site.



Longmont Zone - Part 1

Toilet Paper Comercial
Sugar the other White Drug

Longmont Zone - Part 2

Wings World

How to Find Fake Torrents Uploaded by the MPAA and RIAA

To make these traps more visible, Fenopy just introduced the FakeFinder. The FakeFinder lists the most popular fake torrents and the latest fake trackers. It also allows you to search for fake torrents by keyword or infohash.

The actual .torrent links for these fake files are blocked, and FakeFinder serves an informational purpose only. It is actually quite amusing to browse through these fake files and trackers. The companies that host these anti-piracy trackers came up with some interesting hostnames like “dirtydevils.cyberbox.com.br” and “bittorrent.isthebe.st“.

Although most of the IPs of these fake trackers are already blocked by blocklist software like PeerGuardian, they still manage to collect the IP addresses of thousands of users who do fall for this trap. Most torrent site admins are aware of these fakes, and remove them as soon as they are uploaded. It is kind of a paradox. On the one hand anti-piracy organizations send thousands of takedown requests to torrent sites, while they upload fake files with similar titles themselves.

Some might argue that downloading a fake file is not really a criminal offense. And yes, it is doubtful if this evidence will hold up in court. However, the job of organizations like the MPAA is to scare people, and that is often enough for them. The first thing they will probably do is send a letter to your ISP saying that you tried to download so-and-so file. And even if they take it a step further, they try to settle before these things are played out in court.

FakeFinder shows that BitTorrent site admins are trying to track down these fake torrents, and it’s a nice way to expose the darker side of anti-piracy organizations like the MPAA.

Snowing Again

Well its snowing again. This has been the wierdest winter in a long time. We have had snow the last 6 weekends in a row. Sometimes alot, sometimes 4 or 5 inches. We have had more snow so far this year, than the last 3 years put together. And cold too. Teens at night, 30's during the day. And some days even colder. Burrrrrr!!!!

The Longmont Zone

The Longmont Zone has been completely posted on the web. Both episodes and Wings world cooking show.

They are availible at The Longmont Zone
I'll be posting more soon.

Save Broomfield from WalMart

Broomfield is being invaded by Walmart. They are trying to buy the Barber Turkey Plant right next to the K-mart(where my wife works), to put in a "super" store. This will surely cause the K-mart to close. Please go to Broomfield First and sign the petition against it.

The Drums of war beat on.

It is starting to sound like before we went to war with Iraq. There is so much bullshit flying around about Iran. All I seem to hear or read is Iran this and Iran that, Just like when Bush was trying to build up for the war in Iraq. The media/Bush are trying to turn Iran into the devil, with most of what is being printed/said is pure bullshit. Or maybe is bushit. The way it is sounding, we will be at war with Iran too very soon.

Something will happen, probably some bullshit ploy by Bush, will get it started. Or some false flag operation like the Gulf on Tonkin (sic) incident. I hope the american people are smarter than this, but I dought it. Things are already in motion, and soon we will be in a third war. Which would probably make it World War 3.

Dak Picture of the Day Blog

My new Dak picture of the Day blog is at http://dakpod.blogspot.com/ It will contain a picture and description I find Interesting for the day.

Dak Picture of the Day

I will shortly be starting another BLOG featuring a picture of the day. I'll post the URL when I get it set up and running.

The Galactic Mask

In a supposedly EXPANDING universe still rushing outward from the Big Bang, one would think that the vast reaches of space are an unlikely place for "fender-benders." Yet the word "collision" is extremely common in scientific press releases these days, as astronomers grasp for explanations of galactic events in faraway places. It is gaseous collisions that generate the X-rays, radio waves, and synchrotron radiation detected throughout the cosmos, they tell us.

The picture above shows the galaxies NGC 2207 and IC 2163 in the constellation Canis Major in what astronomers are calling a "cosmic smash up." The structure's unique appearance has led investigators to dub it "The Galactic Mask." They say the mask's "eyes" are the galactic cores, and its "feathers" are the galaxies' star-filled spiral arms.

Very Soon now.

All indications are something major is going to happen very soon. The comet, the hanging of Mabus, I mean Saddam, the troop surge, Bush's approval rating taking a dive, and the impending State of the Union address tonight. My guess is that Bush will just keep shoveling the shit deeper and deeper and deeper. Also the impending attack on Iran by US and/or Isreal will be soon, sending the Middle East into total chaos, like its not the now.

A taste of New Mexico

Waku Waku Festa

Looney Tunes

Alkali Metals And Water - video powered by Metacafe

Alkali Metals And Water

How Voting machines Compare to Slot Machines

Last Summers Renaissance Festival

So this is what Bush calls "Victory"

Iraqis will never accept this sellout to the oil corporations

The US-controlled Iraqi government is preparing to remove the country's most precious resource from national control

Kamil Mahdi
Tuesday January 16, 2007
The Guardian

Today Iraq remains under occupation, and the gulf between those who profess to rule and those who are ruled is filled with blood. The government is beholden to the occupation forces that are responsible for a humanitarian catastrophe and a political impasse. While defenceless citizens are killed at will, the government carries on with its business of protecting itself, collecting oil revenues, dispensing favours, justifying the occupation, and presiding over collapsing security, economic wellbeing, essential services and public administration. Above all, the rule of law has all but disappeared, replaced by sectarian demarcations under a parliamentary facade. Sectarianism promoted by the occupation is tearing apart civil society, local communities and public institutions, and it is placing people at the mercy of self appointed communal leaders, without any legal protection.

The Iraqi government is failing to properly discharge its duties and responsibilities. It therefore seems incongruous that the government, with the help of USAid, the World Bank and the UN, is pushing through a comprehensive oil law to be promulgated close to an IMF deadline for the end of last year. Once again, an externally imposed timetable takes precedence over Iraq's interests. Before embarking on controversial measures such as this law favouring foreign oil firms, the Iraqi parliament and government must prove that they are capable of protecting the country's sovereignty and the people's rights and interests. A government that is failing to protect the lives of its citizens must not embark on controversial legislation that ties the hands of future Iraqi leaders, and which threatens to squander the Iraqis' precious, exhaustible resource in an orgy of waste, corruption and theft.

Government officials, including the deputy prime minister, Barham Salih, have announced that the draft oil law is ready to be presented to the cabinet for approval. Salih was an enthusiast for the US-led invasion of Iraq, and the Kurdish militia-led administration he represents has signed illegal oil agreements that it is now seeking to legalise. Given that parliament has not been meeting regularly, it is likely that legislation will be rushed through after a deal brokered under the auspices of the US occupation.

Iraq's oil industry is in a parlous state as a result of sanctions, wars and occupation. The government, through the ministry of oil's inspector general, has issued damning reports of large-scale corruption and theft across the oil sector. Many competent senior technical officials have been sacked or demoted, and the state oil-marketing organisation has had several directors. Ministries and public organisations are increasingly operating as party fiefdoms, and private, sectarian and ethnic perspectives prevail over the national outlook. This state of affairs has negative results for all except those who are corrupt and unscrupulous, and the voracious foreign oil corporations. The official version of the draft law has not been published, but there is no doubt that it will be designed to hand most of the oil resources to foreign corporations under long-term exploration- and production-sharing agreements.

The oil law is likely to open the door to these corporations at a time when Iraq's capacity to regulate and control their activities will be highly circumscribed. It would therefore place the responsibility for protecting the country's vital national interest on the shoulders of a few vulnerable technocrats in an environment where blood and oil flow together in abundance. Common sense, fairness and Iraq's national interest dictate that this draft law must not be allowed to pass during these abnormal times, and that long-term contracts of 10, 15 or 20 years must not be signed before peace and stability return, and before Iraqis can ensure that their interests are protected.

This law has been discussed behind closed doors for much of the past year. Secret drafts have been viewed and commented on by the US government, but have not been released to the Iraqi public - and not even to all members of parliament. If the law is pushed through in these circumstances, the political process will be further discredited even further. Talk of a moderate cross-sectarian front appears designed to ease the passage of the law and the sellout to oil corporations.

The US, the IMF and their allies are using fear to pursue their agenda of privatising and selling off Iraq's oil resources. The effect of this law will be to marginalise Iraq's oil industry and undermine the nationalisation measures undertaken between 1972 and 1975. It is designed as a reversal of Law Number 80 of December 1961 that recovered most of Iraq's oil from a foreign cartel. Iraq paid dearly for that courageous move: the then prime minister, General Qasim, was murdered 13 months later in a Ba'athist-led coup that was supported by many of those who are part of the current ruling alliance - the US included. Nevertheless, the national oil policy was not reversed then, and its reversal under US occupation will never be accepted by Iraqis.

Prediction

By the time GW is out of office.:
1. There will be a full blown war in the Middle East including Iran and Syria.
2. The housing market will completly crash in the U.S.
3. Unemployment will jump several percent as the economy nose dives.
4. There will be at least on major "Terrorist attack" on american soil, designed to keep GW in
office and put the entire country under marshall law.

Calcite Crystal

Calcite Crystal tiruns green laser to orange

Pictures from last trip to see Erik

MPAA's frigging insanity

By the way, about that personal use 'loophole' (at least as the MPAA apparently views it) I mentioned before? Well, they're trying to close it. Get this: as reported by Slashdot about a month back, the MPAA is lobbying Congress with a proposed bill that would make unauthorized home theaters illegal. Home theater = any home with a television larger than 29", with stereo sound and at least two comfortable chairs, couch, or futon. Unauthorized = has not paid a $50 registration fee with the MPAA. Illegal = up to a $500,000 fine per movie shown. Quotes from the writeup:

The bill would require that any hardware manufactured in the future contain technology that tells the MPAA directly of what is being shown and specific details on the audience. The data would be gathered using various motion sensors and biometric technology..... The bill also stipulates that any existing home theaters be retrofitted with the technology or else the owner is responsible for directly informing the MPAA and receiving approval before each viewing.

And more quotes, these directly from MPAA godfather...err...head Dan Glickman:

"We didn't act early enough with the online sharing of our copyrighted content. This time we're not making the same mistake. We have a right to know what's showing in a theater.... Just because you buy a DVD to watch at home doesn't give you the right to invite friends over to watch it too. That's a violation of copyright and denies us the revenue that would be generated from DVD sales to your friends....Ideally we expect each viewer to have their own copy of the DVD, but we realize that isn't always feasible. The registration fee is a fair compromise."

Treating consumers as criminals. What a brilliant business model....not. I know I'm repeating myself, but....friggin' insanity, that's what it is....

 

In memory of our dear friend Erik Sandberg

Etched Glass


Stained Glass


Feb. 27, 1955 — Oct. 10, 2006
Erik (previously Lance L. Coursey)SANDBERG
With great sadness, the family of Erik Sandberg announces his passing after a long illness on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2006, at age 51.

Erik’s memory will be cherished by his sisters, Nannette and Marta Coursey of Bellingham, Wash.; two brothers-in-law, Raymond Pitzer, also of Bellingham, and Dale Lien of Madison, Minn.; and his many friends in Colorado as well as in Europe.

Erik was born Lance Coursey on Feb. 27, 1955, to Kenneth Coursey and Margaret Sandberg in Luverne, Minn.

He graduated from Longmont High School, later joining the U.S. Navy, in which he served until 1979.

He was briefly married to Deborah Leiker.

Erik was an eternal traveler and spent much of his younger years living and working in Europe.

He was an accomplished chef, spoke several languages, made his living as an electrical engineer and computer technician, and authored the popular book “Complete Guide to Motorcycle Travelers.”

His family will remember his gentle and kind soul, his willingness to help others no matter how hard his own life circumstances were, along with his easy laugh and tenacious belief that life would last forever.

Erik loved cats, cooking for others, playing music, his family and his friends. We miss him a great deal.

Services and distribution of his cremains will take place in Minnesota in the spring of 2007.
Memorial donations may be sent to the Lighthouse Mission, P.O. Box 548, Bellingham, WA 98227.

 


Toilet Paper from "ThenLongmont Zone"


Sugar the other white Drug from "The Longmont Zone"

The Longmont Zone Web Site.

Weather Bulletin - Denver

Up here, in the "Mile-Hi City", we just recovered from a Historic event--- may I even say a "Weather Event" of "Biblical Proportions" --- with a historic blizzard of up to 44" inches of snow in the last 3 weeks and winds to 90 MPH that broke trees in half, knocked down utility poles, stranded hundreds of motorists in lethal snow banks, closed ALL roads, isolated scores of communities and cut power to 10's of thousands.






FYI:

George Bush did not come.
FEMA did nothing.
No one howled for the government.
No one blamed the government.
No one even uttered an expletive on TV.
Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton did not visit.
Our Mayor did not blame Bush or anyone else.
Our Governor did not blame Bush or anyone else, either.
CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX or NBC did not visit - or report on this category 5 snowstorm. Nobody demanded $2,000 debit cards.
No one asked for a FEMA Trailer House.
No one looted.
Nobody - I mean Nobody demanded the government do something.
Nobody expected the government to do anything, either.
No Larry King, No Bill O'Rielly, No Oprah, No Chris Mathews and No Geraldo Rivera.
No Shaun Penn, No Barbara Striesand, No Hollywood types to be found.
Nope, we just melted the snow for water.
Sent out caravans of SUV's to pluck people out of snow engulfed cars.
The truck drivers pulled people out of snow banks and didn't ask for a penny.
Local restaurants made food and the police and fire departments delivered it to the snowbound families.
Families took in the stranded people - total strangers.
We fired up wood stoves, broke out coal oil lanterns or Coleman lanterns.
We put on extra layers of clothes because up here it is "Work or Die".
We did not wait for some affirmative action government to get us out of a mess created by being immobilized by a welfare program that trades votes for 'sittin at home' checks.


Even though a Category "5" blizzard of this scale has never fallen this early, we know it can happen and how to deal with it ourselves.


 

Picture

 

More Snow

Well it's snowing again here in broomfield. 6 inches so far and more falling. In the last 3 weeks we
have had more snow than all last year.