2006 weather sets a record in US

The warmest yet according to a report that is due to come out. Maybe this Congress will be more interested in the future of the planet.

The findings are preliminary, and a final review later this year could still put 2006 just below the previous record set in 1998, the National Climatic Data Center reported. But in any case, the two years are pretty much a tie in terms of hot ones since recordkeeping began in 1880.

Both years averaged around 55 degrees Fahrenheit - 2.2 degrees above the 20th century mean.

An inconvenient truth, indeed. Read the rest of this post...

Open thread

One of you recommended the other day that I look into getting better photographic panorama software. I've been using Photoshop's Photomerge function, but haven't been happy with it - it can't do a lot of the merges. So I looked around and settled on PTGui, which is scarily good. It has put together merges from photos photoshop couldn't even make heads or tails of.

The photo below, for example, was from a room at the Musee d'Orsay. It's a composite of 40 individual photos I took. Photoshop choked. PTGui wove them into one amazing photo. I'm stunned.


(click image for larger version)

And here is a composite from a view of the Seine I shot this summer - again, Photoshop couldn't do anything with it.


(click image for larger version.)

I'm now going through all my old photos, panoramas I gave up on, and discovering shots I never thought I had, or would have. Man I love computers. Read the rest of this post...

House overwhelmingly passes anti-terror legislation

From AP:

Anti-terror legislation sailed through the House on Tuesday, the first in a string of measures designed to fulfill campaign promises made by Democrats last fall.

Patterned on recommendations of the commission that investigated the Sept. 11 attacks, the far-reaching measure includes commitments for inspection of all cargo carried aboard passenger aircraft and on ships bound for the United States.

The vote was a bipartisan 299-128, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi took the speaker's rostrum to announce the passage of the first legislation to clear under the new Democratic majority.

Of course, Bush opposes it. Let's see him dare veto the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. It would be nice for Democrats to have both the White House and the Congress in 2 years. Read the rest of this post...

White House questions Americans' patriotism

George Bush's spokesman claimed he was talking about Democrats, but he was really talking about the overwhelming majority of Americans, Democrat and Republican, who think George Bush has made a disaster of Iraq. Rather than give us solutions, the White House can only question our patriotism. An ironic stance from a Republican White House that has killed 3,000 American soldiers for a lie, and now wants to send even more patriotic young Americans to their deaths simply because George Bush can't admit a mistake.

From the NYT:

As for Democrats, Mr. Snow said they must choose: “Number one, do you want Iraq to succeed? And if so, what does that mean? And number two, do you believe in supporting the troops, as you say, and how do you express that support?”

All the king's horses and all the king's men... Read the rest of this post...

Bush forced to withdraw 4 extreme conservative judicial nominees

This is what winning is like. Read the rest of this post...

Use eBay? Then you're supporting Jerry Falwell's favorite gay-hating presidential candidate, Republican Mitt Romney

Meg Whitman, the president and CEO of eBay is one of Romney's biggest supporters. Creepy. Also creepy is the fact that uber-liberal, super-pro-gay, former Massachusetts governor William Weld is another big Romney supporter. The eBay woman is obviously a religious right loving Republican (and she deserves what's coming to her company now as a result of her embrace of such extremist, bigoted politics). But since when did William Weld sell his soul? Sad. Another "moderate" Republican proves that he hasn't the courage of his convictions.

From the AP:

Romney named several regional chairs of his finance committee: Meg Whitman, president and chief executive officer of eBay, California...

Read the rest of this post...

Open thread

Blogger was down. Sorry about that. Back now. Read the rest of this post...

Photo of Bush and Abramoff surfaces

Massive kudos to CREW, who got the photo. Read the rest of this post...

Bush is pushing his escalation. The American people and Congress are pushing back.

Bush's approval rating on Iraq is 26% in the latest USA Today poll. With that in mind, Bush will address the nation tomorrow night to tell us not that he's figured out how to get us out of his war. Instead, he's making it worse.

Yesterday, Bush started his lobbying effort with Republican Senators. Only Republican Senators according to the Washington Post:

Only Republican senators came to the White House yesterday, a sign perhaps of the president's desire to rebuild his base on the eve of a critical speech. Several seemed mixed in their comments about the president's course.

"He seemed very confident," said Sen. Thad Cochran (Miss.), the ranking Republican on the Appropriations Committee, who was in one group. "I'm convinced he's come up with a proposal that he thinks will work."

But he said he was struck by the degree of discord at his meeting. "I think I was the only senator who acted like he would be supportive," Cochran said. "I was surprised that no one said it but me."

Bush is more concerned with the politics than the policy. Always has been.

While Bush is having meeting with just Republicans, the party in power on the Hill is starting hearings today on Iraq. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee isn't comprised of shrinking violets -- and the potential witnesses should make things interesting according to Bob Geiger:

The Foreign Relations Committee has already begun assembling quite a roster of witnesses to join Rice, including former national security advisers and secretaries of state, Brent Scowcroft, Sandy Berger, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Henry Kissinger, Madeleine Albright and George Shultz.

And, as if these hearings don’t already provide enough basis for drama, two other factors may make them even more compelling.

The first is the fact that the Foreign Relations Committee just happens to be stacked with people who may also be seeking the presidency in 2008. Also involved in these hearings with Biden will be John Kerry (D-MA), Barack Obama (D-IL), Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Chuck Hagel (R-NE). All of them -- in addition to Biden -- are against any escalation of U.S. involvement in Iraq and may also use the hearings as a high-profile springboard to their own presidential campaigns. Throw in freshman Senator (and highly-decorated Veteran) Jim Webb (D-VA) who has also been assigned to the committee, Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and there may be even more potential for some fiery rhetoric.

We need some fiery rhetoric -- and some fierce opposition to the escalation. Read the rest of this post...

Tuesday Morning Open Thread

Get it started. Read the rest of this post...

And yet another Saddam video from a mystery filmer

Is anybody in charge over there? These are the people Bush wants to support with more US troops and money?

A new video of Saddam Hussein's corpse, with a gaping neck wound, was posted on the Internet early Tuesday, the second leaked release of clandestine pictures from the former leader's hanging.

The video appeared to have been taken with a camera phone, like the graphic video of the hanging which showed guards taunting Saddam in the final moments of his life.

The footage pans up the shrouded body of the former leader from the feet. It apparently was taken shortly after Saddam was executed and placed on a gurney. He was hanged shortly before dawn on Dec. 30.

As the panning shot reaches the head region, the white shroud is pulled back and reveals Saddam's head and neck.

Read the rest of this post...