Cesar's Ramblings

2003-03-08T11:01:00.000-05:00

Every blog you make....

Gretchen has a topic that I think most bloggers need to consider before posting tons of personal information on their blogs.
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2003-03-08T00:57:00.000-05:00

Nuclear over nukular

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who goes NUCLEAR when Bush mangles the word.
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2003-03-08T00:36:00.000-05:00

Template not updating

For some reason updates to my template from w.bloggar and on blogger.com are not getting pushed to the servers.
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2003-03-08T00:32:00.000-05:00

Dubya's Press Conference

Between work and life, its taken me all day to be able to post about the President's "News Conference".

I'm not sure how many Presidential press conference I have watched, buty I know its been quite a few. This is the first one by George W. Bush that I've watched. All that said, this press conference was a bit bizzare. Not seeing Helen Thomas asking questions was afirst. As far as I could tell she wasn't even in the room. Not a huge surprise, considering Helen's opinion of the President.

I don't remember ever seeing a President having a list of reporters to call on and the order in which they would be called. From my what I remember reporters raise their hands and then get called on, in a seemingly random order. This "scripted" (Bush's word, not mine) format looks like a stage show. It begs the question, was the entire conference scripted?

As for content, I was extreamly disapointed. After all the rumors flying around about Osama's possible capture, I was hoping for an announcement. When that didn't come within the first few minutes, I figured, ok that was just rumormongering from the press. The problem was that Bush said absolutely nothing new. He wants to avoid war, but he will go to war if needed. He wants Saddam gone, and considers him a threat to our country. It is his job to protect this country. And he wants to avoid war. Remember 9/11. And he wants to avoid war. Remember 9/11. Nothing we hadn't heard before. No line in the sand, no deadline, no rallying call to the country, nothing. Not even some cool satellite pictures. And no evidence to link Saddam with 9/11. Same old rhetoric we've been listening to for the last six months.

As for Bush's delivery, it was as lifeless and dull as I've come to expect from him. Some columnists had serious concerns about why the delivery was as distracted and poor as it was.

Over all a very dissapointing speech to a country on the brink of war.
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2003-03-06T15:14:00.000-05:00

Whistle blows again

An open letter to FBI Director Robert Muller from Special Agent Coleen Rowley , the agent who blew the whistle on the FBI's failures pre 9/11.

She makes some really good points in the letter, including the difficulty that FBI agents in Europe will face if diplomatic relationships go down the tubes. She also calls into question the value of heightened terrorist alerts andof the round up of imigrants post 9/11.

As a self described "conservative on legal and policy issues regarding law enforcement", her opinions should carry some weight with those that dismiss any concerns about the potential fallout, usefullness and validity of a war with Iraq.
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2003-03-05T15:30:00.000-05:00

Office 2003 Beta released Monday

Microsoft's Office 2003 will be released Monday. I am actually looking forward to seeing the new XML features and OneNote. Since I am one of the few people who thought Office XP was half way decent upgrade that's not a big surprise. But two updates in as many years is a bit much for wallets to handle. It would be nice if Microsoft offered some of the XML functionality the've been promising in this version as add ins to XP. But if they did that, they wouldn't be Microsoft, would they?
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2003-03-05T14:50:00.000-05:00

Big Brother's Big Brother

The Nation reports on new legislation proposal that was leaked out of the White House. The Domestic Security Enhancement Act would go even further than the Patriot Act in reducing civil rights in this country. Under this proposal, even citizens would be punished for associating with groups who's activities, even if lawful are deemed as "terrorist" by Ashcroft and company.
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2003-03-05T08:12:00.000-05:00

Trekkie Personality

Gretchen Pirillo has a link to a Star Trek personality quiz.
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2003-03-04T14:54:00.000-05:00

Virtual Psychic

A simple layout masks a devilishly psychic power at The Flash Mind Reader page. You're presented with a list of every two-digit number, from 00 to 99, and a set of corresponding symbols that represent each number. You choose a two-digit number, add the digits together, then subtract the result from your original number and concentrate - concentrate! - on the appropriate symbol.

When you click the magic crystal ball, the page reads your mind and displays the symbol you were thinking of. Awesome! You have to try this for yourself - but not in a dark room... The Flash Mind Reader
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2003-03-04T13:23:00.000-05:00

Bush can run a chainsaw?

I'm not sure if the Secret Service would allow the guy in this column to run a chain saw right next to Dubya, but there are more things that are truly scary in this tale.

First off, if I was a praying man, I would be one of those praying for Dubya. I would be praying for the man to find some better advisors. Advisors that cared more about this country and its people than profits for their former employers. I would pray that a man who couldn't find Afghanistan on a map before September 11 would realize he was over his head. A prayer for Bush to slow down his hunger for war. But, i am not a praying man, so the point is moot.

Bush's disdain for "that bunch in New York -- the United Nations" is really scary. The fact that he is going to take us into war without most of our allies, the allies we will need to control Iraq once our inevitable victory, worries me.

2003-02-18T15:42:00.000-05:00

Here's a link for any of you who take your civil rights seriously. I'm not sure I believe that our government is Big Brother, but things like this and the Total Information Awareness Office, it takes a head-in-the-sand mentality to think that some of the freedoms we took for granted two years ago are not going to be as easy to ignore.Comment

2003-02-18T15:17:00.000-05:00

This morning I wake up extra early, drive in the crappy roads while more snow falls 45 miles to where I was supposed to fill in at another help desk. When I get there, to my surprise the person I was filling in for was there. "Oops, now one told you we didn't need you today?"

2003-02-17T04:29:00.000-05:00

OK, I lost today's earlier posts. Here's the intelligence test.

2003-02-17T04:14:00.000-05:00

It seems like some members of congress have read the Constitution. Maybe they can send one to Ashcroft by interoffice mail. Comment

2003-02-16T19:01:00.000-05:00

Now its 17 Inches. The Gov. has banned driving on state roads. I think that instead of tickets, anybody caught driving in this weather should be forced to go on TV and tell us why he or she felt that whereever they were going, it was worth putting themselves, other drivers and emergency crews at risk.Comment

2003-02-16T17:17:00.000-05:00

We are up to 15.5 inches.

2003-02-16T15:30:00.000-05:00

Well, is this bit of news going to change anything here? Just as I get used to something, it changes. Gee the world can be annoying like that.

2003-02-16T14:42:00.000-05:00

This is the story for today. Right now we are at 13" at our house. We'll probably get 6 or so more. So its stuck at home, watching movies and playing video games with the kids. Yeah, I know TV and video games rot your brain, but it's a snow day, it doesn't count. Plus I am getting serious about blogging today. I've had this blog for over six months and have done nothing with it. So, after reading some of the established blogs, including the most popular, and starting some linky love, I am going to get more serious about blogging.

2002-08-04T09:39:00.000-04:00

This will be where I post my opinions on various subjects.