Bush Personally Approved Torture

Ken AshfordWar on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

this seems like a big story: Document shows Bush guided CIA on detention The Central Intelligence Agency has acknowledged for the first time the existence of two classified documents, including one signed by President George W. Bush, that have guided the agency’s interrogation and detention of terror suspects. The CIA disclosed the existence of the documents in a letter Friday … Read More

Dems In New England

Ken AshfordElection 2006Leave a Comment

(1)  The recounting is done in Connecticut’s 2nd District, and Democrat Joe Courtney won — by 97 votes.  97.  Wow.  This means that there is only one Republican Congressman from all of New England (Chris Shays of Connecticut) (2)  Carol Shea-Porter is the new Democratic congressman from NH (who supposedly never stood a chance to win).  Her victory is explained … Read More

I Knew This Guy In Law School

Ken AshfordCrime1 Comment

Not well though.  He was in one of my study groups: Andrew Gardner’s body was found under a stand of trees in a bird sanctuary in tony upstate Bedford – a mile from the sprawling gray cedar-shingled Colonial home he no longer shared with his college-sweetheart wife and their three children. Gardner, a charming, socially connected lawyer with a prestigious … Read More

The War On Christmas ™

Ken AshfordGodstuffLeave a Comment

Iiiiiiit’s back!!!! Is it me, or does the "War on Christmas" season start earlier each year? UPDATE (11:15 p.m.):  Jon Stewart of The Daily Show stole my joke.  I want royalties.

I, For One, Welcome Our New Dolphin Overlords…

Ken AshfordScience & TechnologyLeave a Comment

Light blogging today, but it’s okay, because as far as I am concerned, nothing can top this news story: Dolphins sing ‘Batman’ theme Scientists have taught dolphins to combine both rhythm and vocalisations to produce music, resulting in an extremely high-pitched, short version of the Batman theme song.

A War Casualty That Doesn’t Get Tallied

Ken AshfordIraqLeave a Comment

Editor & Publisher Her name doesn’t show on any official list of American military deaths in the Iraq war, by hostile or non-hostile fire, who died in that country or in hospitals in Europe or back home in the USA. But Iraq killed her just as certainly.She is Jeanne "Linda" Michel, a Navy medic. She came home last month to … Read More

Arrest Googling

Ken AshfordCrimeLeave a Comment

I love it when someone gets arrested.  You can google their name and learn all about them. Today, for example, a guy named Chad Conrad Castagana was arrested for mailing white powder (fake anthrax) to Jon Stewart, David Letterman, Keith Olbermann, and prominent Democrats like Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. Doing a little "arrest googling" on Chad (who also uses … Read More

What The Hell?

Ken AshfordDisastersLeave a Comment

Looking at my "live webcams" on the right just now, I noticed this "live" picture from the webcam at the Nevada Seismological Lab. I don’t know much about earthquakes or seismographs, but that looks like one biiiiig and preposterously looooooooog earthquake. I think the machine is broken.  Can someone call them please?

NOVA Looks Good This Week

Ken AshfordRandom MusingsLeave a Comment

I still say some of the best programming is on public educational TV.  This week, Nova looks at the so-called "family that walks on all fours".  If you haven’t heard about them, it’s an interesting story. The Ulas family lives in a remote village in Turkey.  They are nineteen in all (it is a big family) which is unique in … Read More