I’ve done a far more extensive writeup on this over at Pandazing.net, but the basic idea is as follows:

A judge in New Zealand banned the use of the names of two murder suspects online, but allowed their use in the traditional media, causing outrage among bloggers and the online media.

Being an American and living in the US, I can post them as much as I want, so here goes:

In a purposeful and direct violation of a recent court order in New Zealand, I’m proudly posting the names Nathan Tuiti Reo Mutunga Williams and Daniel Bobby Tumata online! And guess what? There is absolutely nothing anyone can do about it!

The two men. Williams is at left and Tumata in the center.

For more of an explanation of this story and of my reasoning for posting the names, please check out my full article at Pandazing.net!

A bloodbath just south of the Mexican border has alarmed neighboring Arizona towns that have nervously monitored a rise in violence in the Mexican state of Sonora the past two months.

Mexican police killed 15 armed assailants in a fierce gun battle Wednesday after tracking a group that killed four policemen, leading to fears this morning that an armed outlaw convoy was headed to the U.S. border.

About 40 assailants apparently related to Mexico’s powerful drug gangs, drove in a convoy of up to 15 vehicles into the town of Cananea, 20 miles south of the U.S. border, to seize the policemen Wednesday. Mexican state police confronted the gunmen in the mountains 60 miles south of Cananea and reportedly killed 15 of the gunmen.

Source: WorldNetDaily

I’m really not sure what to say of this, but I guess it just goes to show further reasons that we need to be as careful as possible when it comes to border security and drug law enforcement. It seems to me that the best way to deal with these Mexican Drug Gangs would be to increase enforcement of our own laws and to more severely prosecute those who are caught smuggling drugs - or anything for that matter - across the border. Is that really too much to ask?

Then again, especially with Thursday’s travesty of an amnesty bill, I’m really not sure I have much faith left in our national leadership to make this happen. Even as Bush was pushing for immigration ‘reform’, I had confidence that the Republican congress would be smart enough to avoid it. When the Democrats took over, I was just about ready to start praying that they would never agree with Bush enough to get a bill through. Now that they all seem to agree, I guess the only option left is for public opinion to squash the bill - something I don’t see us having the power to do.

Yes, the proposed bill includes many security and enforcement procedures, but I refuse to accept any form on amnesty until every inch of the border is walled off with high fencing, barbed wire, and under video surveillance. Until every vehicle legally crossing is inspected and the cargo x-rayed, and until every police officer in the country is required to check immigration status when making an arrest. If all of this was done, then I’d be willing to discuss amnesty.

At the same time, I have to give props to the Senators for working out such a difficult agreement and, despite my many dislikes, making a number of important and needed reforms. Taking a look at the White House Fact Sheet, some of it actually looks decent.

• The plan establishes a merit based system for immigration, granting priority to the best of the best
• New English requirements and a push for greater assimilation
• An end to extended family (uncles, aunts, cousins, etc.) family migration benefits, which apparently account for nearly 2/3 of green cards issued
• Temporary worker program - although I don’t really support it, it seems like a good way to reduce future illegal immigration or at least track people - if we enforce the laws
• Increased sanctions on companies who hire illegal workers

Despite the good aspects, there are a few major things I still really want to see

• Recognition of English as the official language of the United States
• An end to the ‘birth right’ citizenship of the 14th amendment - you should be born a citizen if and only if one or both of your parents is a citizen
• Severe increases in the penalties for future illegal immigrants, including no-questions-asked deportation and a permanent bar from gaining a green card once that occurs, for both those who sneak in and those who overstay visas

If someone had a bill which included all that, I’d be ecstatic. Until then, down with amnesty and immigration ‘reform!’ Congress and President Bush, please give the American People what we want, don’t give in to illegals and huge corporations.

WASHINGTON: The Supreme Court on Wednesday narrowly upheld a federal law banning an abortion procedure, giving the anti-abortion movement one of its biggest legal victories in years.

The justices ruled, 5 to 4, that a law passed by Congress in 2003 and signed by President George W. Bush did not violate the Constitution by imposing an undue burden on a woman’s right to end a pregnancy. The majority said its ruling reflected the government’s “legitimate, substantial interest in preserving and promoting fetal life.”

“The act, on its face, is not void for vagueness and does not impose an undue burden from any overbreadth,” Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the court, rejecting key arguments by opponents of the law.

Source: International Herald Tribune

Needless to say, I’m pretty excited about this ruling. What it means to me is that one of, if not the, most barbaric procedures in medical history will no longer be taking place in the United States. There may only be three to four thousand of these particular procedures in any given year, but by all accounts, they are unbearably gruesome.

For those who think this will snowball into a larger trend toward limiting or removing a women’s ‘right’ to choose to legally murder another human being, I really don’t think you have to worry. The judges have made it pretty clear that this was upheld because it did not interfere with that ‘right’ and that the old precedents still stand.

Regardless, congratulations to the Supreme Court on making a very good decision, and congratulations to the thousands of babies whose lives are now safe.

If you want to read the actual ruling or get more information about the case, it’s all available over at FindLaw.com.

All right, as promised, the following is my interpretation of the State of the Union Address with a bit of commentary thrown in. I was typing this out as I was watching the Address on C-SPAN, so I do want to make it clear that I missed a few things. These, however, are what stuck out to me. I’ll be adding a video later.

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Introduction
As usual, I find the entry of all the officials a bit strung out and tedious, all the applause gets a tad annoying, but at the same time it is kind of nice.

Introduction seems to have the usual positive tone, as would be expected, but I’ll hold of my own comments for the real meat and potatoes of the speech.

It seems that Bush is calling out to the Democrats (and possibly fellow Republicans) to try for bi-partisan cooperation to do their best for our nation.

Economy
Forty-one months of job growth, wow, over seven million new jobs - the economy seems fairly decent. Balancing the federal budget gets a good set of applause, as does the goal to do so without raising taxes. He wants to cut earmarks through budget reform and cut the number and cost in half by the end of the session. Nice - I hope it works.

We need to keep Social Security and Medicare in tact and doing well for the children (such as myself). Bush thinks they can be fixed and saved, but how?

Education
We need to build on the success of the No Child Behind Act, through the right to choose to leave failing schools and special help for those who struggle. We need to strengthen math and science education, but he offers no real ideas how.

Healthcare
We need to increase availability of health insurance and make it more available, via a standard tax deduction, this will make it possible for people to purchase their own healthcare and make insurance more affordable.

Federal funding for states that provide free or discounted healthcare to the citizens in need, grants for the states.

We need to expand health savings accounts, make small business insurance cheaper.

Price transparency, medical liability reforms (a very good idea), make sure patients and doctors retain the right to make decisions.

Immigration
We need fair laws and secure borders. We are doubling the border patrol and increasing technology on the border.

Increase enforcement at workplaces, make verification easier.

No animosity and no amnesty, but we need to handle those already here. This means a call for comprehensive immigration reform.

Energy Policy
We need to lessen our dependence on foreign oil to protect our economy and national interests and security. We need alternative energy (solar, wind, nuclear), hybrid and clean diesel vehicles, new ethanol production methods.

He wants to reduce gasoline usage by 20% in the next 10 years - we will be able to cut imports by 75% from the Middle East. We also need to increase targets for alternative fuels and domestic oil production.

We need to double the capacity of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

We need to work to help reduce emissions.

Justice
Federal court nominees should be given fair hearings and prompt votes to get approved (great shot of only reps standing)

National Security, Terrorism, and Iraq
National Security and the debates on it are essential - to win the War on Terror, the fight must be taken to the enemy.

There is no way to know what the plots may hold, but the government has stopped a great many since September 11th.

Success against terror brings rejoice, but we must remember that this is a nation at war. The threat will not stop until we win the war. The enemy wants to overthrow government and cause our nation to retreat as a protector of democracy.

In the time since September 11 the dangers have not ended, we must use all lawful means to find the enemies and stop the attacks. This is an ideological struggle and a fine balance. We must remove the source of the terrorism - we need to continue to help moderates and reformers in the Middle East and around the world. We must for the sake of our own security.

Recent developments in Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Iraq are examples of what can happen when people are given a choice through free elections. In Lebanon terrorists took the life of the Lebanese Prime Minister and have tried to overturn the government.

Extremists are also destroying places of worship, causing waves of sectarian violence and placing world security at risk - it would not be like us to abandon it.

We need to find our resolve and become victory in Iraq. We need to work with the Iraqi government and reinforce our troops over there - we need to help the Iraqi government secure the national and end the extremist and sectarian violence. More troops will allow this to happen and we will be victorious as will the free Iraq.

The Iraqi leaders need to begin using their own troops and bring security to the nation - to do this; we must help them secure Baghdad. If the US pulls out too soon, Iraq will be overpowered by fighting and could pull the entire region into chaos - this is extremist goal and our nightmare. We cannot allow this to happen; we must remember the lessons of September 11th and not let this happen.

The nation is perusing a new strategy Iraq and we must support them and give them time to end the fighting in Iraq.

Both parties and both houses of Congress should work together - there should be a taskforce to help make Iraq truly work.

Increase the size of the Army and Marine Corps by 92,000 in five years. We should also form a Civilian Reserve Corps - giving a chance for more people to help.

We have to send a message to the world that we cannot and will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. We need to continue work with other nations to establish a Palestinian state.

We are working and need to continue to do so to prevent North Korea from doing anything with nuclear weapons and we need to stop tyranny around the world and the genocide in Darfur.

Foreign Affairs
We need to provide food and medical assistance around the world - including helping with HIV/AIDS in Africa. In three years the people getting drugs has gone from 50,000 to 800,000.

Two and a half billion dollars to help fight malaria.

Trade and debt relief to help lives and eliminate poverty.

These show the strength and generosity and reflect the spirit of our country.

Personal Honors
We are proud of those who come here and become citizens of the United States to make their lives better.

We are proud of our entrepreneurs and those who work to help protect our children.

We are proud of the heroes (even if they refuse the title) who save the lives of their fellow Americans even at the risk of their own.

We are proud of our troops who make sacrifices every day and who put our country ahead of their own lives. They have earned the gratitude and respect of our entire country.

We see the character and spirit of America in there people and others everyday - we must honor and respect them and thank them for their sacrifices.

Closing
The usual thank yous, fanfare, and handshaking as the President left the room.

News:

Views:
I agree that smoking is a disgusting habit and that secondhand smoke is a terrible nuisance. I tend to support laws which prohibit smoking in restaurants and businesses, as they provide for the health and safety of a great number of non-smoking employees. At the same time, I am against excessive and seemingly authoritarian laws that invade the lives of innocent people. Yes, smokers are disgusting, but they are still people.

What I really don’t like about the proposed law is that it limits the rights of people on their own property. From the article I gather that almost all smoking outside is to be banned - even on the private property that is not a single family detached home.

It is my guess that this law will be challenged within 30 seconds of the first ticket being handed out. I have no idea what the courts will say, being that this will be taking place in California, but it should be interesting.

In the end, it’s not the particular law that I disagree with, but the potential for a slippery slope that could form if it is upheld. How about we ban public consumption of sugar, it’s bad for you too.

Common Sense:
If you do smoke, please don’t do so around others who do not approve and try to quit as soon as possible

If you don’t smoke, never take it up. Smoking is a disgusting and dangerous habit.

I would have love to have gotten this up this morning, but I just don’t have that kind of time before school.

Farly early this morning (shortly after 6AM), we awoke to the sound of a large number (perhaps three of four) helicopters flying overhead. Thinking that this was more than a little strange, my dad turned on the TV and it all made sense: there had been a murder less than 1/4 of a mile down Bethany Boulevard (the main road in this area). Now remember, this is a low-crime suburb of $300,000+ homes - violent crime is not something we see a lot of.

The news reports were sketchy, with local television stations reporting between one and five people killed and having no real details beyond that. As luck would have it, it was about 7:05AM by then and my sister and I had to leave to catch the school bus.

As a result of the police work and the proximity of the murder, Bethany Boulevard had to be closed (and it remains closed at this time). As one can imagine, there were traffic problems and more than a few school buses were late as a result.

At school there were no official announcements, allowing the rumor mills to run at full capacity. I never heard any actual names, but I heard that one of the people shot went to Westview and another to Meadow Park (a local high school and middle school, for those of you who don’t know). There were rumors of names, but I never actually heard them. The only rumor that I heard was that the person was an ‘Asian break dancer’, a moniker that could fit any number of people. Enough with the rumors, let’s see what the latest info on the local news sites tells us:

• Three victims - a woman and her two sons, ages 12 and 16
• Is is believed that this was not a random crime - the killer likely knew the victims
• There was no sign of forced entry into the house
• A man who lived in the house [presumably the husband or boyfriend] found the bodies on returning from a night shift at his place of work
• The family had lived there for about two years, and tended to keep to themselves
• Bethany Boulevard is to remain closed for an indefinite period of time [presumably due to the investigation]

Sources: KATU TV and KOIN TV

Bethany is in yellow and Cornell is about an inch or two off the bottom of the image (less than 1/4 mile):

3:45pm - Just received an automated call from my school notifying all students that counseling is available if it is needed. I would consider this confirmation that the older boy was a student at Westview.

4:30pm - From KGW.com “They were identified as Melody Dang, 37, and her two sons, 16-year-old Steven Dang and 12-year-old Jimmy Dang, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.”

With that, I can confirm that I do not know these people.

News:

Views:

Although I’m not exactly sure that I’d want to eat whale in the first place, I see no real problem with Iceland’s decision to allow limited commercial whaling. Provided they severely punish those killing whales without licenses, thus allowing for sustainable populations to remain, there is really no downside to the decision.

I understand that endangered species need to be protected, but there are plenty of other animals that need more protection than whales. Scientists estimate only 1,500 Giant Pandas remain in the wild and around five to ten Northern White Rhinoceroses. According to the article, Iceland’s territorial waters alone have 43,000 minke and 25,000 fin whales - plenty to allow some minuscule whaling. Look at the numbers: nine fin and 30 minke whales are no more than 7/100 of one percent of the population in Iceland alone. I am not an expert, but it seems to me that so little a percentage is easily replaced be new calves.

Beyond the numbers, one must also look at the cultural significance of whaling in places like Iceland. Going back 1000 years and perhaps more, the Vikings tradition has included whaling. Why should exceptions be granted to Native American tribes and not other cultures with whaling ingrained - such as that of Iceland? I’d like to see a liberal give a good argument against that.

Regardless of everything else, it is my belief that international law has no real authority for regulating activities such as whaling that have no real impact/pose no real threat to other countries. Pollution, NBC weapons programs, genocide, acts of war, gross human rights violations; things like these are all valid reasons for international laws. In my mind, saving a whale (which is seemingly not all that endangered in Iceland) should not.

All I have left to say is thank goodness the International Whaling Commission has no apparent legal power and best of luck for Iceland in joining the elite club of whaling nations.

Common Sense:

Iceland and her fishing (er, whaling) vessels should be very careful of Green Peace and other environmental groups. It’s a sad reality, but violence and/or terrorism against whaling ships would not surprise me in the least.

News:

Views:

I find this story very depressing - how in the world can anyone possible turn on someone as important as their mother and take her life. I just don’t understand. At the same time, I have to wonder just how impaired his judgment was, after all, it was mentioned that he was drunk and high on LSD at the time.

Going off of that, I am disgusted that being drunk or on drugs qualifies as mitigating circumstances to lower the degree of murder or, as was true in this case, to reduce the sentence. I’ve said this and before and I’ll say it again: once you are old enough to know the difference between right and wrong (and 17 going on 18 certainly is) you should never be mitigated by circumstances you have direct and immediate control over. For example, drug use or terrible rage should not be valid defenses, but a heart attack causing a death on the road should be.

In my mind a 15 year sentence for such a blatant murder is really a bit of an outrage. If anything, the mitigating circumstances should keep the death penalty out of play - 30, 40, or 50 year sentences should still be an option. That’s what I hate about the American Justice System - we go too easy on many crimes and allow too many defenses and mitigating circumstances. And to those that say we need these ways defenses and other such matters, I have a simple message for you: IF YOU DON”T WANT TO GET IN TROUBLE, DON”T BREAK THE LAW.

On a more positive note, I’d like to offer a warm and hearty congratulations to the police department in charge of the case. “Thank You for helping to bring justice to your town and our nation.”

Common Sense:

Don’t murder - it’s really the worst of crimes, short of terrorism. Especially don’t murder your own mother - that’s wrong on an even deeper level.

News:
More than a week after British and American authorities foiled plans to detonate explosives on trans-Atlantic flights, the first formal charges have been filed in the case. British officials charged a total of 11 people with terrorism related charges, while another 11 remain under investigation.

The suspected terrorists, mostly from the London area, were charged with crimes including conspiracy to commit murder, possession of articles that could be used to prepare a terrorist attack, and failure to report information which could have prevented a terrorist attack.

Also revealed were numerous details about the investigation, including a listing of many objects taken in the search. Among these: suppliers for creating bombs and liquid explosives, 200 cell phones, 400 computers, thousands of pieces of digital storage media, suspicious books, suicide notes, and martyrdom videos.

(Source: The Associated Press)

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Views:
I can?t get over the amazing job that British and American security and intelligence officials did in foiling this terrible plot. It may be getting old, but such a true victory over terrorism seems to make all the extra added security over what has been almost the last five years truly worth it.But I digress. IT does not really come as much of a surprise that these charges were coming ? after all such a big bust is going to lead to a gamut of charges - but I was interested by some of the details of the investigation. I fully appreciate that something like this is going to take some planning, but the seizure of 400 computers and 8,000 pieces of digital storage media seems, perhaps, a tad excessive. I just hope that the authorities in the United Kingdom can find the evidence they need to bring these inhuman villains to justice.

On the other hand, some of the charges have me wondering. Specifically, the 17 year old who was charged with ?possession of articles that could be used to prepare a terrorist act? ? what the heck is that supposed to mean. More importantly, would those same items elicit similar changes if this person was not evolved in the plot? Not that it really matters, but one does have to wonder.

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Common Sense:
The biggest lesson to be learned from the charges is quite simple: if you have any information regarding a pending terrorist attack, report it to the authorities right away. Although it is not immediately clear how deeply involved the two charged with only failure to report the plot were, but it is possible that they would not have faced charges otherwise. Certainly, this is not something you want happening to yourselves, your friends, or your loved ones.