December 13, 2008
— Ace Pretty damn awesome.
The U.S. military has been working for a while on tiny, buglike drones — to serve as miniature flying spies, Defense Department robot-makers say. But this video, from the Air Force Research Laboratory, shows that the military is also interested in turning these "Micro Air Vehicles," or MAVs, into biomorphic weapons that can lie in secret for weeks at a time — and then strike an adversary with lethal accuracy.
Vid (of a CGI demo, not of the actual flyin' death drones) at the link.
Also awesome: Army wants to put robotic sniper rifles on mini-blimps, to loiter over areas and deliver death from above.
Wired's skeptical of this one (how do you stabilize a gun hanging under a drifting blimp?), but it's nice to dream.
Thanks to Arthur.
Awesome Pics from the Military: Collected here.
And more here. You can keep changing the last number in the URL -- which begins at 2, but goes to 3, 4, etc. -- to see more pages of pics.
Thanks to West.
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— Ace As suspected, the AG's curious creation of a judicial power to remove an elected governor is a bit self-serving:
[Illinois AG] Lisa Madigan's father is Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.He's another big time ward boss in the Chicago Machine.
Kass says, "They don't want a Blogojevich impeachment hearing which would basically allow Blagojevich to talk about all of the deals they've done."
The Chicago Tribune spins this as Madigan just wanting "ownership" of the issue, not wanting the legislature to "steal her thunder" by doing the task they are constitutionally charged with doing and she is not.
I think Kass is right that there's a bit more to it than thunder and ownership.
Meanwhile, Jesse Jackson, Jr. joins in the media-Democratic narrative that Blago is just kah-razy, and so, I guess we're to infer, cannot possibly be representative of Chicago machine politics.
And also: Jim Leherer actually asks of Blago's corruption, "What's the big deal?"
Yes, he really says that. He argues that political horse-trading goes on all the time in such matters.
Political horse-trading, perhaps, but not direct pecuniary benefit. One can always argue that political horse-trading is, um, politics. A favor for a favor, political priority in exchange for someone else's political priority.
One can't really argue it's "politics" when all we're talking about is stuffing money in someone's pocket.
I understand they fail to grok this distinction in Chicago. But need Jim Lehrer join them in obscuring distinctions? According to the Lehrer Test, paying a building inspector $5000 to overlook your building's problems is just an informal political donation.
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12:19 PM
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— Open Blog
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December 12, 2008
— Open Blog Update: Might as well be an overnight thread as well, now that Gabe's on the run from the Mexican Mafia. Treat yourselves to a flame war as well. It's overdue...haven't had one since before the election. It's a free for all. When I wake up, I expect to see no less than 500 comments, but hopefully less than half will be from WickedPinto.
(As presented by Newsweek authors Mike Isikoff and Mark Hosenball. I dare you not to to make fun of that last name…or the sporty ‘stache he has.)
The title of the piece is ”Breaking the Will.” Straightforward, but a few choice quotes:
:”The Senate Armed Services report concludes that waterboarding and other harsh interrogation techniques—including forcing detainees to stand naked, subjecting them to growling dogs and depriving them of sleep—were discussed by top members of the National Security Council and other senior administration officials inside the White House. Some officials expressed strong concerns about the legality of the methods. But the techniques were ultimately given the green light, based on government assessments that showed such methods were quick and effective in breaking down the resistance of U.S. military officers who were subjected to them in so-called Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape (SERE) classes.”
Stand naked and be subjected to growling dogs? Some people pay good money for that experience. Also reminds me of a very memorable scene from the movie “Caligula” (the Penthouse one), but no need to go there.
NewsweekÂ’s definition of waterboarding:
”Waterboarding is a method of simulated drowning that involves strapping down a subject and pouring water into his nose and mouth. As the subject gasps for breath, the water enters his lungs, inducing extreme panic within minutes. These and other SERE techniques were developed from methods used by Chinese Communists against American soldiers during the Korean War. At the time, the United States denounced the Chinese for violating the Geneva Conventions and international law.
Maybe IÂ’m confused (and if I am IÂ’ll retract or update), but if water enters your lungs, arenÂ’t you actually drowning? As opposed to simulated drowning? Honestly, I donÂ’t know exactly how it works. KSM apparently lasted 3 or more minutes under the practice and he didnÂ’t exactly look like a member of the varsity swimming team. (more like a cross between Al Sharpton and Bluto) If you doÂ…school us. And if water is entering your lungs, would panic ensue within minutes? How 'bout immediately?
Tagged on: "Fresh Air" notes, in the comments, the Christopher Hitchens article in Vanity Fair where he underwent his own waterboarding. It's a little whiny, and I suppose some water vapor might actually enter your lungs. But then again, it does so on any given misty day. The Newsweek article gives the impression you've been intubated (see, I watch ER...'cept it sucks now) with a firehose fully open. Not so much though...it's more like a wet washcloth over your mouth, but the panic probably mostly results from the fact that you're on your back, tilted on your "waterboard" head down, blindfolded and in the presence of people who will fuck you up at a moment's notice. And according to Hitch, listening to bad Eurodisco. That'd break anyone right there. The wet cloth over your face is just the cherry on top.
(Sorry to push down your post on the shot-up Bentley, Gabe. You were wearing gloves when you did thatÂ…werenÂ’t you? You might want to hide out for a bit until we can raise the funds to extricate you from the country. You like Mexican food, no? Not claustrophobic I hopeÂ…itÂ’ll be a tight squeeze for you in that little welded box we have beneath the Â’78 Chevy conversion van weÂ’re taking you across the border in.)
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— Gabriel Malor This proved to be something of a problem on my way to work this morning. Wrong day to decide to drive instead of taking my usual trip on the red line.
"This is a real whodunit," Police Lt. Paul Vernon said. With no immediate witnesses to the shooting and the victim in critical condition, detectives are focusing on the victim's mysterious car.It is a silver, two-door 2005 Bentley Continental GT with glittering silver rims valued at about $100,000, the ride of rap stars and other celebrities. Paris Hilton was arrested in hers. Jay-Z rapped about his. Shaq and Kobe had theirs customized.
Detectives checked the registration and asked downtown merchants if any Bentleys had been reported stolen. The Bentley was not registered to the victim and police do not believe it belonged to him, Vernon said. Police found temporary registration papers on the car and verified the owner through the vehicle identification number, but Vernon would not release the owner's name.
The car was shot up around 3:20am. My guess is that it was a gang-related theft that went wrong. The problem with that is no one's reported the car stolen. Perhaps the owner did the shooting?
Commenter Broken hearted writes:
As somebody who knows the victim's family, I can assure you that neither car was stolen nor that the owner did the shooting. Doesn't look like he's going to make it. Whatever it is, it isn't justice and to jump to conclusions like that makes me think I stumbled upon HuffPo by accident...
For what it's worth, Broken, I did say it was conjecture since the police have released very little information. You claim to know something, but aren't very specific yourself. Was this supposed to be a super-secret freeway altercation? Feel free to end all the jumping to conclusions.
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08:40 PM
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— Purple Avenger I'm told economics is considered a science of sorts. So, there you have it - the US auto manufacturers need to go chapter 11. Its "science".
...The US car industry will not be shut down, but it does need to be restructured. That is what Chapter 11 of AmericaÂ’s bankruptcy code is supposed to do...In unrelated news: Scandi fight! The Swedes are monumentally torqued that the Norwegians picked the American JSF fighter over the Saab Gripen.
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— Ace Will they give up their precious work rules?
Ever wondered what a UAW contract looks like? Here is all 22 pounds of it (in this case, FordÂ’s 2,215 page 2007 master contract...IÂ’ll tell you this much, those 2,215 pages donÂ’t include much regarding efficiency and competitiveness. What youÂ’ll find are hundreds of rules, regulations, and letters of understanding that have hamstrung the auto companies for years.
Picture at the site.
Most of these rules are deliberately anti-efficiency. You can't move a guy off the (say) window-installation line, where he's not working because frames aren't being put out quickly enough, to the frame-welding line. Because it's the rule. So everything slows down for no good reason.
These rules are mostly put in as coercive tools against management. Want to speed up that frame-welding line by diverting some window-installation workers to lend a hand? Well, maybe: But it will cost you. How much is it worth to you?
This sort of nonsense is killing American industry.
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03:32 PM
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— Ace NPR just laid off 64 people.
NPR reported its five highest paid employees were:
1. Managing Editor Barbara Rehm, $383,139
2. All Things Considered host Robert Siegel [pictured], $350,288
3. Morning Edition host Renee Montagne, $332,160
4. Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep, $331,242
5. NPR afternoon programming director Richard L. Harris, $190,267.The most eye-catching salary ever reported on an NPR tax form is probably the $505,132 paid to broadcaster Bob Edwards in FY2004, the year he was ousted as host of Morning Edition, quit, and went to XM Radio. He hosted his last NPR show in April, five months before the end of the fiscal year, so the half-million dollar salary (presumably including some kind of severance) seems to have been for just seven months work....
Management makes quite a bit more.
This is a government gig, no? Why are they making so much more than the President?
Something odd about this countercultural types living like Romanovs on the public's dime.
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02:44 PM
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— Ace what's better than the media's preferred narrative for handling Democratic scandals of "One Man's Crime"? How about "One Insane Man's Crime"?
The Democratic Party can't be held responsible for Blago's actions if even Blago himself isn't responsible.
He's just nuts, you see. And so's his wife, his chief of staff, his advisers, his fundraisers, his patrons, and the Jackson family too.
If he's literally crazy, obviously his actions cannot reflect on his fellow Democrats or fellow Chicago machine politicians such as Barack Obama.
As John Kass rebuts: There's nothing crazy nor even especially uncommon about Blago's behavior. This is what Chicago politics has always been about.
The Hill Reporter Offers Strange Excuse For Emanuel's Refusal to Hold a Press Conference: He's getting death threats, you see.
Wouldn't be safe.
On the other hand, he can attend his kid's school recitals without any fear of harm. But a high-security, press-only press conference? Too risky.
You know who wasn't crazy, by the way? Mark Foley. And Duke Cunningham. And Larry Craig. And of course Scooter Libby.
Blago Corruption Timeline Cheat-Seat: My, for a lunatic, he sure manged to fool the Chicago political establishment for a long, long time.
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01:47 PM
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— Ace Video report.
Earlier spin had Rahm Emanuel heroically calling Patrick Fitzgerald to blow the whistle on Blago's pay-for-play grasping.
If that's so, why is Emanuel hiding behind his kids to avoid answering questions?
Gag order requested by Fitzgerald? I don't think so. If that were the case, one would imagine that Fitzgerald would have given him the go-ahead to deliver a brief statement noting that he'd cooperated with the prosecutor but was now requested to remain silent about it, this being an active investigation and all.
Instead Emanuel is dodging questions like he has something to hide. If Emanuel were really the White Knight dime-dropper the earlier spin claimed he was, why would the prosecutor continue letting him twist in the wind looking all guilty 'n shit?
A middle possibility is that Team Obama ultimately decided to drop dime or at least refuse Blago's demands, but earlier explored the notion of playing ball... and if that's the case, it would explain why they don't want to answer any questions -- answering one leads to another, and another, until finally we get to the questions that make them look very bad.
The Tribune reports that businessmen planned a big fundraiser for Blago late in the campaign.
As Gov. Rod Blagojevich was trying to pick IllinoisÂ’ next U.S. senator, businessmen with ties to both the governor and U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. discussed raising at least $1 million for BlagojevichÂ’s campaign as a way to encourage him to pick Jackson for the job, the Tribune has learned....
Two businessmen who attended the meeting and spoke to the Tribune on the condition of anonymity said that Nayak and Blagojevich aide Rajinder Bedi privately told many of the more than two dozen attendees the fundraising effort was aimed at supporting JacksonÂ’s bid for the Senate.
...
That meeting led to a Blagojevich fundraiser Saturday in Elmhurst, co-sponsored by Nayak and attended by Jesse Jackson Jr.Â’s brother, Jonathan, as well as Blagojevich, according to several people who were there. Nayak and Jonathan Jackson go back years and the two even went into business together years ago as part of a land purchase on the South Side.
The crime of conspiracy requires an agreement to participate in a crime plus an overt step in furtherance of that conspiracy -- just yapping about doing a crime isn't enough. But actually going through with the fundraiser corruptly agreed upon? Conspiracy.
Jesse Jackson, Jr.'s brother, Jonathan, attended. Are we to believe that none of this was worked out with JJJr? Or Jesse Jackson Sr. for that matter?
I'm a little baffled how it can be that this much is known about the Jackson Family's involvement in the conspiracy and yet not a one of them has apparently received a letter putting them on notice that they're targets of an investigation. Is Fitzgerald afraid of the political fall-out in going after the Jackson mob? Apparently so.
Why Is the AG Asking the Illinois Supreme Court to Strip Blago of His Powers? This was noted earlier.
But why would the AG do this? Impeachment is the job of the legislature, not the courts.
Is it a speed thing? I doubt it. An impeachment can happen quickly, if so desired.
To toss out a possibility -- the legislature would prefer having someone else do this on their behalf, because too many of them fear what secrets Blago might let leak about them in retaliation. If it's just the AG and the Supreme Court -- hey, Blago, you know we were really on your side all along... Please don't mention the thing with the guy at the place. You know what I'm talkin' about.
John Kass: Blago isn't crazy. He's just a standard machine politician. This is the Chicago Way.
Kass notes that everyone from Daley to Obama is talking quietly about Blago because they don't want to piss him off -- and get him talking about their own corruption.
Thanks to CJ for that.
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