Miscellaneous: June 2005 Archives

New York officials have unveiled a revised design for the skyscraper that will replace the World Trade Center, following fears over security.

The Freedom Tower is being built on the site of the Twin Towers destroyed in the 11 September 2001 attacks.

Architects redesigned it after police expressed concern that the 1,776-foot (540-metre) building could be vulnerable to truck bomb attacks.

Under new plans it is further from the road and has a strengthened structure.

The redesign calls for a concrete and steel pedestal, clad in ornamental metalwork, and topped by a tower of glass.

The building is capped with a mast incorporating an antenna, which is meant to evoke the torch of the Statue of Liberty.

“This new design reflects a soaring tribute to freedom and a bedrock commitment to safety and security,” New York Governor George Pataki said. (source)

And yet, are we just building something big and bright to be just another bit target for a terrorist? Are we building this huge structure to be a memorial to those who died, and to be as functional as the World Trade Center?

It seems logical to me, that if a terrorist really wanted to make a statement, they would attack this building, on the same ground as the World Trade Center. I just worry that we are setting ourselves up for this to happen again.

We are in Washington, D.C. once again. Kent has a meeting here. I came along for the trip. We are staying at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, which is really nice, if you like lots of marble.

We arrived early yesterday afternoon. I’ll go back home Monday, and Kent will continue on with his meetings. This afternoon, Kent wanted to catch up on reading and do some writing, so I took the opportunity to go to a nearby Spa. I went to the Piaf Salon (yes, their website sucks, but the salon and spa are good), where I got a facial and a manicure. It was a nice treat to myself, and you should see my nails!

Tonight we had dinner at a restaurant called DC Coast. It was right across the street from our hotel, but was very highly rated. The restaurant is well done and I found the naked mermaid particularly provocative as we entered the restaurant.

I had the double pork chop, which was a really well known choice on their menu (which is probably why I’m up not and can’t sleep). I’m just not used to rich foods like that anymore. I did think it was a bit odd thought that she asked me how I would like that prepared. She asked if I would like it more medium rare. I always thought that you had to cook pork well.

Tomorrow, we are going to the arboretum. Neither of us has been there before. We have seen the monuments before, but I’d like to revisit the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, just a short way away, and the World War II memorial, which was not completed when I last visited the city. The last time I was here, I didn’t have my new Nikon D70. It will be interesting to see what I can do with it, especially in places like the Lincoln Memorial, with limited light.

This town is an amazing place.

I've been feeling a bit blah (is that a word?) today. Actually, I had several episodes on vacation with a molar that had a severe pain every time I would drink anything cold. I ignored it. Today, it was hurting while I was drinking warm coffee. My dentist wanted to see me right away.

So, I get there around noon. He does some testing and does an X-ray. He comes back in and tells me that I have in infection in progress. He also said that the nerve in my molar was infected and would die. That was the pain I am feeling now. The infection happened because the molar apparently is cracked.

So, it will have to completely be replaced and I will be looking at a root canal. Fun fun! I was in a fair amount of pain when I left his office. He gave me a prescription for the infection, and some Percocet for the pain today. The plan is that the pain will go away as the antibiotic works, so no more need for Percocet - although I have to admit, when you take Percocet and listen to Maria Callas, it's like you are singing with her. Totally awesome. In fact, I thought she was in the room with me. Also, Kent said he called me this afternoon, but I have no memory of the phone call.

I think I've had enough narcotics for awhile. I like to have my wits about me and be in control of my life.

For the fourth month in a row the military has failed to meet its recruitment quotas and less than one-quarter of all discharges under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” are from units deployed in support of war operations, suggesting the services are far less likely to discharge gays and lesbians serving on the frontlines when replacement troops are hard to come by. (source)

Shocking.

And then of course, this...

Army Recruiting More High School Dropouts to Meet Goals

Hi everyone!

It’s great to be back home again. We got home yesterday afternoon. We opened the door, and were greeted by two very lonely cats and a pile of mail almost a foot thick. I never realized that we received that much mail. Anyway, we sorted through it all, I went to the store, and we made a great meal last night - just the two of us relaxing after an exhausting vacation. I thought vacations were supposed to be relaxing. I’m going to also take tomorrow off just to finish up a few items.

I’m also going to be posting a few photos (quite a few) that I took on vacation in the next day or so. I thought you might get a kick out of a couple of bumper stickers I spotted while in Maine. They caught my eye.

We also stayed at this awesome bed and breakfast (they are a big thing in the East) called The Inn at Bath. Click here to see a few photos. The upper-left photo is the inn itself from the street. The upper-right photo is the dining room, and yes, the color was awesome! The bottom photo is the East Room, where we stayed.

I haven’t been writing much lately because we are on vacation up in Maine this week. We have been in Ogunquit on the coast for the last few days, and are on our way up to the Bath, Maine area for the rest of the week.

I’ve made it a point NOT to surf the Internet that much to see what’s going on (other than weather conditions). I’ve decided that I don’t want to be bothered right now with it. Although, I did get an email about the good people who now want to water down the Connecticut Civil Unions bill (to exclude religious institutions from honoring it) - before the bill even becomes law. I felt I had to say something about that. People still amaze me, and most of the time, not for the better.

But I’m not going to let that dampen my spirits. I’ve shut them out this week and we are enjoying the awesome beauty of this place.

I’m sure I’ll be writing more next week, after I get home.

President Bush - “I expressed my concerns about the case to President Putin because, as I explained to him, here you’re innocent until proven guilty, and it appeared to us, or at least people in my administration, that it looked like he had been judged guilty prior to having a fair trial. In other words, he was put in prison, and then was tried. I think what will be interesting -- and so we’ve expressed our concerns about the system.” (from President’s Press Conference on May 31)

I thought this was one of the great times for our President (and there aren’t many). Here, he was speaking up for the freedom that we have in this country. Let’s overlook the fact that in this country, you can indeed be imprisoned while waiting for trial, and during the trial, but I’m splitting hairs.

Then, Amnesty International accused the United States of running a gulag at Guantanamo Bay. The President responded with this:

“I’m aware of the Amnesty International report, and it’s absurd. The United States is a country that promotes freedom around the world,” and that Washington had “investigated every single complaint against (sic) the detainees.”

“It seemed like (Amnesty) based some of their decisions on the word and allegations by people who were held in detention, people who hate America, people had been trained in some instances to disassemble (sic) -- that means not tell the truth. And so it was an absurd report. It just is”. (source)

Ok. I don’t think anyone will accuse our President of being a great statesman. Moving on...

A day later, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld responded with this:

Rumsfeld said the US military has done more than any other force to liberate oppressed people and has gone to great lengths to ensure detainees are free to practice their religion: “That’s why the recent allegation that the US military is running a gulag at Guantanamo Bay is so reprehensible.”

The executive director of Amnesty International, William F. Schulz, issued a statement in response, saying Rumsfeld and other officials “continue to ignore the very real plight of men detained without charge or trial.” (source)

That’s the real problem. Those being held at Guantanamo Bay have not been given legal counsel or an opportunity for a trial. In other words, they have no way to gain their freedom. That sounds like a gulag to me. That, Mr. Secretary, is what “is so reprehensible”.

Secretary Rumsfeld can sidestep that issue all he wants by saying that all is well because we allow the detainees the freedom to practice their religion. With all due respect, Mr. Secretary, that is not freedom and it is not human rights.

The United States had better find a charge against these people individually, or the United States had better set them free. If we do less at Guantanamo Bay, then yes, our detention camp for these prisoners should be called the United States Gulag at Guantanamo Bay.

Amnesty International Fires Back at Bush
“Evidence continues to mount that the US operates a network of detention centres where people are held in secret or outside any proper legal framework -- from Afghanistan to Iraq and beyond. If President Bush and his administration are serious about freedom and human dignity they should recommit to the rule of law and human rights.”

I always said that President George W. Bush was looking for a reason to bring Iraq down. I will believe until the day I die that he used September 11, 2001 as an excuse to take Iraq out. He masqueraded it as going after Osama bin Laden and fighting terror, but did anyone really believe that?

I wanted to believe that, but deep down inside me, I didn’t trust him. Then, when bin Laden escaped, we didn’t follow. Now, with the outing of The Downing Street Memo, it all comes out.

The memo, which received sporadic reporting in major newspapers in the United States throughout May, has sparked an outcry from more than 88 Democratic members of Congress who have signed two letters to President Bush demanding a response.

Led by Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., the signatories are mostly representatives who opposed the war in Iraq and make up the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Conyers says the mainstream media have ignored the story and let President Bush off the hook. He noted that liberal blogs and alternative media have been keeping the story alive. “But these voices are too few and too diffuse to overcome the blatant biases of our cable channels and the negligence and neglect of our major newspapers,” Conyers said in a recent statement. (source)

Forget about letting President Bush “off the hook”. What about the truth? It’s sadly true that only liberal blogs and alternative media are keeping this story alive. So, that is why this is being posted. In time, I’m sure this entry will also be ignored. But the truth will remain the truth. In time, the facts will come out. If President Richard M. Nixon were still alive, you could ask him. I’m sure he’d probably agree with me now.

In time, our country will come to realize that this war was made up by Tony Blair and George W. Bush. And the sad part of it is, our boys who died in Iraq didn’t have too. They died as an act of retribution, not for the reason we were all told; to bring those responsible for September 11th to justice, but just for Bush’s private little war, and to establish ourselves militarily for years in that region. Giving the Iraqi people freedom (at least our brand of freedom) was only a side effect to our real goals. Only time will tell if the Iraqi people realize any true benefit from this.

I’m sure some will quickly label me as “unpatriotic”. The fact that I take the time to read and think about this only proves my patriotism and love for my country. The fact that I do this shows my commitment to those brave men in Iraq who gave up their lives for a fool.

Here’s the memo. The highlighting is my own.

SECRET AND STRICTLY PERSONAL - UK EYES ONLY

DAVID MANNING
From: Matthew Rycroft
Date: 23 July 2002
S 195 /02

cc: Defence Secretary, Foreign Secretary, Attorney-General, Sir Richard Wilson, John Scarlett, Francis Richards, CDS, C, Jonathan Powell, Sally Morgan, Alastair Campbell

IRAQ: PRIME MINISTER’S MEETING, 23 JULY

Copy addressees and you met the Prime Minister on 23 July to discuss Iraq.

This record is extremely sensitive. No further copies should be made. It should be shown only to those with a genuine need to know its contents.

Most of you know how the “macho” guys in the locker room talk. In my opinion, it’s mostly hot air, without any substance. I call it “testosterone talk”.

Last night, I go to the gym. I’m undressing from my work clothes into my workout clothes in preparation for what I hope will be a good workout.

While I am getting dressed, these two guys are talking in the locker room. They are both older gentlemen (in their mid-60’s I would say). They are talking about some guy who came out as “deep throat” who turned out to be Mark Felt, a 91-year-old retired FBI official. He was, along with others, responsible for leaking information to the press that eventually lead to President Nixon leaving office in disgrace.

One of the men in the locker room suggested that perhaps the guy worked with J. Edgar Hoover and probably even cross-dressed for Hoover, who was allegedly “in to” such things.

Then the guy said, “Well, they are everywhere these days ya know. Hell they can even get married now in Connecticut.” (much “good ole boy” laughter).

I got up and walked over to the guy and got up in his face, and said, “I am THEY. I am one of THOSE. And for the record, THEY will not be able to get married in Connecticut. THEY will only be able to get a civil union. And some of THEY, such as myself, has been with someone for 30 years, so THEY feel that just maybe THEY have paid their dues by having to put up with stupid remarks from PEOPLE LIKE YOU! I am the face of THEY.”

I was fully dressed by then. I grabbed my water bottle, thoroughly pissed off with adrenaline surging through my veins at this point, and walked out of the locker room, leaving the locker room quiet with everyone’s mouths dropped open.

But boy did I have a good workout - burned 550 calories baby!!

You know, I used to be more tolerant. I used to say that, “They just don’t understand because they don’t know anyone who is gay. If they did, they would see us as human.”

Now, I say, “I’m tired of your bullshit. I’ve lived my whole entire life waiting for you to understand and throw just a little bit of compassion and understanding my way. Instead, you are still beating people like me up, giving us second-class citizenship, and, in some cases, killing us. I’m tired of your bullshit and I’m really tired of you. The world will be a better place when you just die already and make room for someone who is decent.”

That’s honestly how I feel. I’m tired of waiting. It’s my time to be happy, and I shouldn’t have to deal with morons in my health club.

After all of that, we went to vote on the town budget, which failed...

June 1, 2005

COVENTRY -- Voters once again Tuesday rejected a proposed town budget, this time turning down a spending plan that would have raised taxes by 6 percent.

Voters did, however, approve the other referendum question on the ballot, endorsing a request for $2.5 million more to finish the sewer installation around Coventry Lake, by a vote of 1,469 to 1,001.

The town wanted authorization to increase the cost of the sewer project from $11.52 million to $14 million. The extra money will not affect town property taxes. Instead, the town plans to pay for the spending increase through federal and state grants as well as sewer assessments for properties that will benefit from the new sewers.

Voters rejected the town budget proposal by a 1,473 to 1,027 vote. The vote sends the $30.9 million budget back to the town council. Town council Chairman James Clark, who was present for the final count, said the council will likely meet Thursday to take the next steps.

Clark, who typically waits for the final votes to be tallied at town hall for every referendum, said he was disappointed by the outcome.

“They do not want to see their taxes increased,” he said. “You can put any spin on it, but it is an erroneous belief that you can put any number of cuts in the budget and still maintain services.” (source)

I don’t care either. I voted for the budget because I vote for the education of their children. But, I don’t have children of my own. I suppose, if they don’t care about their children’s education, why should I?

Oh, and Connecticut just passed a stem-cell research bill:

The House of Representatives gave overwhelming final approval Tuesday night to legislation committing $100 million to stem cell research in Connecticut.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell pledged to sign the bill and make Connecticut the third state to finance embryonic research opposed by President Bush and the Catholic Church. (source)