ShowMeBlog

The Three Trillion Dollar War

 I am watching BookTV (C-Span) on line at ViewMy.TV.  The book is "The Three Trillion Dollar War" and man it is chilling.  The book is written by Joseph Stiglitz and Linda Bilmes. 

The Three Trillion Dollar War: The True Cost of the Iraq Conflict

  They tell you in the book about the true costs.  There are lots of hidden costs that we do not hear about or understand.  One thing they talk about is that the entire cost of this war is on credit. 
 They talk about changes that we should make to our system for the next war.  
 My feeling is that the cost of this war is one of the major reasons that we are having problems with the stock market and housing.  We are going to be paying for the cost of war for 50 years.  If the war came to an end today and our troops all come home we will be paying billions of dollars for many many years.

   I love BookTV but I do not have cable TV.  I can get it on line right now and that is great.

Traveling to the stars has never been easier

"Traveling to the stars has never been easier
To help you explore the far reaches of our universe, we have teamed up with astronomers at some of the largest observatories in the world to bring you a new view of the sky. Using Google Maps this tool provides an exciting way to browse and explore the universe. You can find the positions of the planets and constellations on the sky and even watching the birth of distant galaxies as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope.

We are particularly excited about the ability to view the universe at different wavelengths, to see how it would look if our eyes worked in the x-rays or infrared. As you explore these new layers, play with the transparency to blend between the different wavelengths and see how different parts of the universe light up at different wavelengths

If you are interested in what's happening on the sky tonight or over the next few months then check out the podcasts from Earth and Sky or search for the position of your favorite planet."

 About Google Sky

The url for Google Sky is:  http://www.google.com/sky/

Ashley Dupre's Networking

(Credit: MySpace)

"For most people, updating your MySpace or Facebook profile is not news. Sure, it might appear in your news feed on the site, but that's just about as far as the story is likely to travel. For Ashley Alexandra Dupre, the woman who reportedly worked as an escort and whose clients included former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, not only has her social networking become a significant news item, but it's even possible that her life-long dream of becoming a professional singer may turn into a reality as a result of getting caught in the prostitution ring that brought down a New York Governor.

In a CNN article that's been updated on at least one occasion, Mallory Simon details the activity on Dupre's profiles at both MySpace and Facebook since the time her identity was publicized by the New York Times earlier in the week. According to Simon, "It seemed she was trying to stay one step ahead of journalists, attempting to limit what information they could access."

The damage control was not limited to deleting scantily clad photographs and embarrassing comments from the past but also involved deleting contacts in her network as well. Simon points out that both Facebook and My Space are used by journalists to gleam background information on their subjects and suggests that, "She was seemingly aware that the press would have access to her friends and every word, photo and comment on her profiles, so she began by deleting connections between her friends on Facebook."

In addition to citing the views of two experts on internet privacy, Mallory Simon provides what almost amounts to a play-by-play of Dupre's internet activity stating that "she was staying up all night cleaning up her profile," and outlining the posts she made at both 3:00 and 5:00 a.m. Simon concludes her account by noting that the profiles from both Facebook and MySpace had been deleted by 2:30 p.m. on Thursday but that they "reappeared Friday." It looks like only the MySpace profile is currently active so perhaps Simon is overdue for an update on her investigative profile.

This instantaneous obsession with Ashley Alexandra Dupre is insane, but it shouldn't come as a surprise. Back in 1995 when Hugh Grant was caught in a compromising position with Divine Brown, she too became a fleeting celebrity and was reportedly able to milk $1.65 million out of the controversy.

Clearly the culture is more infatuated with celebrities, both traditional and unconventional, than ever before and it seems that Ms. Dupre may be able to continue riding that wave for at least a while longer. Her single, "What We Want" has been downloaded by several million people and the track managed to get radio airplay in New York, but according to MTV News the song's radio play is already fading fast.

It's unclear whether Dupre will be able to sustain her role in popular culture, or even if she intends to try, but she's probably the only person not accused of a vicious crime who has ever had their online activity followed so closely by the media and she'll always have that, just like her and Eliot will always have Washington DC.

Then again, I'm sure he wishes he would've fallen sick and canceled the rendezvous. The question is:

Does she?"

The above was from Webware.

Odd and Ends of Stuff

I was glad that the doctors were cleared in the death of John Ritter.  I was following the story on line.
It seemed to the doctors did all they could in that case.  Yes there was an error made in not doing that important chest x-ray.
  My father had an aneurysm, he was about 60 years of age, and they did not know he had one.  They took him into the operating room to open him up and see what sort of problem he was having.  They looked for cancer and would cut into him and send what they took out to the lab to check for cancer.  Then the doctor saw something and cut into it.  It was an aneurysm and they almost lost him on the table.  He made it.  The family doctor told my mother and me that they messed up and made a big mistake etc.  We did not go to court.  We did not ask for money.
The Ritter family already got settlements of $14 million.

CNN has a story on "Hospital staff face firing for Britney snoop" and I know a little about that sort of thing from working in hospitals for years.  Hospitals try very hard to protect your confidential information.  Not just your medical records but everything about you. 
We are all glad that they do try and protect that information.  It is a problem often for hospital workers.  A friend or family member wants to know if your in the hospital or how your doing. 
But in the case of Britney Spears they should fire all of those people that accessed her medical records.
I worked at one hospital and nurse that worked at the hospital had filled out the form to get a copy of her own medical record on Monday.  It had been approved and she was going to pick it up on Monday.  She was working the weekend and she accessed her own medical record.  The hospital found out that she had looked at her own medical record and they wrote her up and almost fired her.  If anything like that happens again she is going to be fired.  I know of a nurse that was working an a hospital doctor was making his rounds and he asked the nurse what happened to the patient in room such and such.  She said the patient went home. The doctor said that he was asked about the patient by the patient's doctor and he was just wondering about the patient.  The nurse pulled up the medical record and told the doctor about the patient and the nurse was almost fired.
In the UCLA Medical Center case those employees need to be fired for sure.

The poor Tibetans.  They just want to have their own little nation and worship God in their own little way.  I do not understand why the Chinese even want Tibet.  You would think that China would just let them have their national life and leave them alone. 

Robert Alan Soloway

"A man once described as one of the world's top e-mail spammers pleaded guilty Friday to federal charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, and failure to file a tax return.

Robert Alan Soloway, 29, was dubbed "the spam king" by prosecutors who said he used networks of compromised computers to send out millions upon millions of junk e-mails since 2003.

He was arrested last summer and charged in a 40-count indictment. He agreed to plead guilty to the three charges and the rest were dropped, including e-mail fraud, aggravated identity theft and numerous other counts of mail and wire fraud.

Prosecutors said Soloway made hundreds of thousands of dollars from his spamming business, Newport Internet Marketing Corp. When he's sentenced in June, U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman will determine how much restitution he must pay.

The government already seized at least four of his bank accounts, and Soloway has agreed to take a polygraph test as to his remaining assets.

He could face up to 20 years in prison."

Yahoo News

Kettering University

  I do not know about you but I never heard of Kettering University.
I ran across some of their videos.  Here is an excellent video.

    Check out Kettering University. 
  "US News and World Report" ranked Kettering University as "the #1 University in the nation for Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering" in it annual "American's Best College Guide for 2008" so I should have heard about them.  US News Best Colleges

 

 

  They got a great web.   I did notice a little problem with their site and it was in finding out where in the hell they are located.  It was sort of funny.  They got an excellent site and have directions and map links but I had to pull up their map link to make sure it was in Flint, MI.

Stocks Tumble

  I was correct.  Stocks did fall today after President Bush made his speech.
The Wall Street experts did not mention President Bush and they say that stocks tumbled  because of news that Bear Stearns is broke and needs a bail out.  Bear Stearns stock fell 53% but they will get emergency funding from JPMorgan and the Federal Reserve Bank.
  The Federal Reserve Bank of New York will provide money to JPMorgan and JPMorgan will give the money to Bear Stearns.
  What do they always say about things like this?  Oh, it is follow the money.
  In this case the money comes out of tax payer's pockets and goes into the pockets of banks and Wall Street.

  Some homeowners are burning down their homes because of the foreclosure problems.

  Something needs to be done.  President Bush today was saying do not do too much. 
  I President Bush, because he is a Republican, is being just like President Hoover.
  No, I do not think we are going into a Depression like 1932.  I do think things are going to get bad. 
  Republicans do not have it in their DNA to deal with problems.  Republicans will always think what is best for corporations and big business.  They do not understand that the common working man is the backbone of the nation.
  The Republicans are fast to bail out a bank or a corporation.  They will give tax breaks or give them money but they do not want to do the same for you or the guy that lives next door to you.

Bush Economy Remarks

  President Bush is making a speech right now to The Economic Club of New York.  I cannot get it on my TV set.  It may be on National Public Radio. 
  I will just see news reports later.
  I bet the stock market does not go up.  I bet it goes down.
  I am sure all the people there are supporters.
  But I bet the stock market takes a big dip today.

   I could not find Bush on TV but I did find the local news. 
   I said I was not going to comment on the crazy police stuff down here...because I could fill this blog with it..but on the local news they reported on a story...all the details are not out but it looks like a local police officer shot a 17 year old kid by error...Then a story about one more police officer in a car crash.
   
   I feel pretty good today...maybe because I did not see President Bush making a speech.

Start of the day

  Russell, my grandson, has been up for a couple of days without sleep.  I am not sure when he is going to fall asleep.  But he may sleep for a long time.
  He walked up and got breakfast for us today.  It tasted so good.
  I had two Subways yesterday.  I think I do better when I eat fast food.
 
 

  I had the above for breakfast.  I had hash browns.  I did not eat the pancakes.  I am not a fan of pancakes.  I washed it all down with Coke Zero.
  I feel very good today.  I felt pretty good yesterday.
  It is almost 0900 hours here and the sun is out and it looks like it is going to be another great day.

Florida Primary V2.0

(CNN) -- "Florida Democrats want a do-over, and state party officials have a proposal for recouping the 210 delegates that the Sunshine State lost when it moved its primary ahead of the approved time frame.

The party is proposing a combination mail-in and in-person election to be held June 3. Fundraising and public comment would begin immediately.

"The plan would be inclusive of all Democratic voters," according to a memo accompanying the draft plan that was sent Wednesday night to party leaders, including Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, the party's candidates for the presidential nomination.

Any plan would need the blessings of the DNC and the Clinton and Obama campaigns..."