Study: Abortion waiting periods reduce suicides

Well isn't this interesting:

Proponents of laws requiring a waiting period before a woman can receive an abortion argue that these cooling off periods protect against rash decisions on the part of women in the event of unplanned pregnancies. Opponents claim, at best, waiting periods have no effect on decision-making and, at worst, they subject women to additional mental anguish and stress. In this article, I examine these competing claims using adult female suicide rates at the state level as a proxy for mental health. Panel data analyses suggest that the adoption of mandatory waiting periods reduce suicide rates by about 10 percent, and this effect is statistically significant. The result is robust to various attempts to control for unobservable heterogeneity and simultaneity.

[Hat-tip: The Volokh Conspiracy]

Chron editor is too busy for customers

As I've been reporting over the past couple months, Chron editor Jeff Cohen has been dodging questions from his customers. When I asked Chron reader representative James T. Campbell about it, he had this to say:

Well, since agreeing to do it, we've had two hurricanes and a World Series. I know he was close to finishing the questions I submitted to him but he got sidetracked by work.

I've got news for you, James: Keeping up good, honest relations with the people who keep you in business is work. It's certainly part of your job, and Cohen ought to consider it a big part of his job, too. It's not incredibly convincing to say "Gee, news got in the way." It's just bad business to promise something to your customers and fail to deliver. Besides, it's not like the questions were all that hard. Here's a smattering of the readers' inquiries:

• Why doesn't the Chronicle have an on staff convervative columnist to balance liberal Casey?
• why is it that the water level of the main river is never posted? Rio Grande River!!
• Why is it that the majority of business stories are AP/syndicated and not about Houston or written by Chronicle writers?
• Why don't you have someone in Iraq covering the war? Seems like a pretty Big Story.

See, those aren't too tough. Not a single math question in there. CORRECTION: The original headline misidentified Cohen as the Chron's publisher. Cohen is actually the editor and executive vice president. The real big enchilada is publisher Jack Sweeney. Sorry 'bout that, and thanks to Evil D. for setting me straight.

Islamists threaten Omar Sharif with death

Sharif don't like it:

Death threats to the Egyptian-born actor Omar Sharif have appeared in Islamist forums on the Internet, after Sharif's appearance as a Christian, Saint Peter, in an Italian biblical epic for television. A threatening message from user 'bachirma1' on one of the forums used by jihadi groups linked to al-Qaeda, reads:"In my view Omar Sharif is an infidel - enter here". Inside it continues; "He is a crusader who offends Islam and Muslims and is applauded by the Italian people. I give you some advice, my brothers, you should kill him."

I recommend that all appropriate Casbah-rocking action commence immediately.

Happy Halloween from Mattsapundit

Happy Halloween, folks, from all of us at Mattsapundit Central Command. Time to scare the piss out of you. Look at this. Yikes.

Wes D got totally shot

Wes D got totally shot down by a fairy chick. And yet, he 'don't give a damn.' What a weenie.

Speaker of the House starts blog

After being stunned and impressed with the journalistic quality and unimpeachable integrity of Lone Star Times, the Speaker of the House of Representatives decided to take a shot at this whole blogging thing:

This is Denny Hastert and welcome to my blog. This is new to me. I can’t say I’m much of a techie.

You're kidding. Hastert goes on to attack those EEEVIL oil companies who dare to charge us $2.55 for an explosive product that's extracted from a two-mile-deep hole in a politically unstable country, shipped halfway around the world, taxed exorbitantly and run through a heavily regulated billion-dollar refinery:

Speaking of the Hurricane season, renewed attention has been brought to the way we refine gasoline in this country. Today, energy companies started reporting their 3rd quarter earnings, and while Americans paying were record prices at the pump, energy companies were making record profits. This is America. And Republicans don’t believe in punishing success.

You know what's coming next. The "But..." Monkey:

But what are these oil companies doing to bring down the cost of oil and natural gas?

Hastert, you're a Republican. Try rewording that statement with other commodities.

• "But what are these farmers doing to bring down the cost of sugar?"
• "But what are these lumber mills doing to bring down the cost of two-by-fours?"
• "But what are these gold miners doing to bring down the cost of gold?"

The speaker ends by threatening promising to send us more pearls of wisdom:

I’m going to keep updating this from time to time. It’s not that bad.

Trust me, Denny, it was a lot worse from this end.

Tom DeLay sends letter to constituents

Embattled former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Sugar Land) has sent a letter to thousands of his constituents and supporters in Fort Bend County. Here it is:

To the voters of District 22: It has been over a month since Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle acted out his political revenge and indicted me for crimes that don't exist. And over the last month, we have seen such a litany of prosecutorial misconduct that even the national media is questioning his motives. Look at who is studying this circus-like investigation and you'll see that journalists and legal experts are acknowledging these charges are baseless, partisan, and nothing more than revenge for my work to provide the people of Texas with a fair and constitutional congressional representation. I am being attacked not for doing anything wrong - I'm being attacked for being effective and standing up for what's right. I have had the honor of representing Fort Bend for over 20 years, and in that time I have always been truthful and forthright in everything from my positions on immigration and tax reform to my involvement in local politics. Not everyone agrees with my conservative brand of politics. My plainspoken style might ruffle feathers from time to time. But you always know where I stand, and I always stand up for what I believe. It's no secret that on top of the deep sense of responsibility I have for advancing the interests of this congressional district, I have also worked to help elect fellow Republicans. Without a unified team of conservative leaders, many of the remarkable changes we've seen in government would never have occurred. Without Republican majorities, we would never have ended a generational welfare system, reduced overbearing tax rates, or created an economic environment for small businesses to flourish. Because of their decade of defeat, Democrats have now dropped to the least common denominator - the politics of personal destruction. They held power in state and federal politics for so long, they can't fathom Republican control of elected offices. They simply don't understand that we win election after election because our ideas, our agenda, and our values are more representative of the voters and the American dream than theirs. And instead of re-evaluating their position on key issues like immigration, taxes, national security, and government spending, they have chosen a path of personal destruction. Look at the attacks thrown at our strong Republican leaders - Karl Rove, Senator Bill Frist, and especially President Bush - and it becomes quite apparent that liberals are trying to divert attention from their own political problems, so they try to turn the tables on us. They call us criminals. They demand investigations, file lawsuits, and mock-up mugshots. They say we should be serving time in jail, not in public office. But they still won't win. What we're fighting is so much larger than a single court case or a single District Attorney in Travis County. We are witnessing the criminalization of conservative politics. Here in Texas, we take our ideas and our ideals very seriously, and we fight for what we believe in. You have that right. I have that right. Ronnie Earle has that right. But these fights are meant to take place at the ballot box, not the jury box. Just because a rogue Democratic prosecutor doesn't agree with some political tactics doesn't make them illegal or even wrong. He has an opinion, but he doesn't make the law. Ronnie Earle is wrong on the facts. He's wrong on the law. And he has abused his position, the taxpayer dollars, and our justice system throughout this process. I've listed below just a few instances of Mr. Earle's misconduct (you can go to my website www.tomdelay.com for a more complete rundown and to sign up for e-mail updates): * Earle's indictments are based on non-existent laws, and non-existent documents. * Earle went to three grand juries in four business days in a desperate attempt to salvage his deteriorating case. * For two years, Ronnie Earle assisted in the filming of a documentary movie about Mr. Earle's planned prosecutorial efforts targeting me. * In May 2005, Earle used his investigation to raise $102,000 for a Democrats' PAC that was formed to take back the Texas State Legislature. * Past is prologue - In 1993, Ronnie Earle used his office to attack newly-elected Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison on baseless charges of misconduct. We have fought and won many battles together, united and determined in the justice of our cause - and we will fight and win many more. While they may have made me step aside for now, they can never make us stand down. That's why I am asking you to stand with me, fight these unjust attacks, and remember that while our victories may come at a price, they're always worth the fight. Sincerely, Tom DeLay Member of Congress

[Hat-tip: Chris Elam]

Official Mattsapundit Voting Guide

Okay folks, I know you've been waiting for me to issue marching orders voting recommendations on the proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution. Here they are:

• Proposition 1: Against. We don't need another government agency with the power to borrow money and give it to private companies.
• Proposition 2: For. Texas must not become a laboratory for gay-rights activists eager to change social mores for the nation.
• Proposition 3: Against. We must rein in "economic development grants" which can become little more than unpoliced giveaways to the politically connected.
• Proposition 4: For. If you violate bail once, you shouldn't get it again.
• Proposition 5: For. Commercial borrowers are big boys; they don't need the Legislature to protect them from themselves.
• Proposition 6: For. Increased public oversight of the judiciary is just fine with me.
• Proposition 7: For. If Grandma wants to borrow money, why should the state get in her way?
• Proposition 8: Abstain. I don't even know, off the top of my head, where in the hell Smith or Upshur Counties are.
• Proposition 9: Against. Longer terms for mobility board members would only make them even less accountable to the public than they currently are.

Feel free to print out your own copy of the Official Mattsapundit Voting Guide, make a few thousand copies, and hand them out to everyone in your precinct.

Mattsapundit: Guiding Our Democracy, So You Don't Have To.®

Why Houston is better than Dallas: Part 4,623

We don't have poop-encrusted baked goods.

A Dallas cab driver is in big trouble for getting caught on tape sprinkling dried feces on pastries. 49-year-old Behrouz Nahidmobarekeh is on trial for allegedly throwing fecal matter on pastries at a Fiesta grocery store. Police said they found a pile of human feces by his bed. He would dry it, either by microwave or just letting it sit out and grate it up with a cheese grater and then sprinkle it at the store, officials said.

What would Pepe the Parrot think?

HUGELY SHOCKING BREAKING NEWS FLASH

A WNBA player is a lesbian.

[Hat-tip: The lovely, talented and straight Anne Linehan]

Cindy, don't tease me like that!

She's gonna have a "die-in."

"I'll be laying down and not getting up," Sheehan said to a small crowd of protesters.

Where have I heard that before?

Hannity cold-cocks House Dem with sneak move

This was pretty good. On Hannity and Colmes last night, Sean Hannity was talking with Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY):

HANNITY: I'm listening to what you're saying. So you're saying when the President told the nation that Saddam's nuclear threats are a real grave danger to America and Saddam's WMDs are a threat to America, you're saying that George W. Bush purposely lied to America? Is that what you're saying? HINCHEY: I'm saying whoever wrote that speech gave false information to the Congress. Whether or not the President knew it when he gave the speech, I'm not sure. Whoever wrote that speech certainly did. HANNITY: The only problem is, Congressman, the words I just said to you were John Kerry's words. John Kerry said that to America. You voted for John Kerry. Now I'll ask you, did John Kerry give false information to America? HINCHEY: John Kerry, I think, made a mistake and voted for the resolution — HANNITY: Oh, he made a mistake and Bush is a liar.

Heh. NRO's got the video.

USA Today adds demonic effect to Condi photo

Michelle Malkin points out what is either a tacky or incompetent photo editing job. An AP photo of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is normal, but USA Today's version gives her really weird eyes:

Real Condi.	EEEVIL Condi.

Iranian president calls for destruction of Israel

It turns out that the new president of Iran is a complete wacko. Big shocker, huh?

"Anybody who recognizes Israel will burn in the fire of the Islamic nation's fury, (while) any (Islamic leader) who recognizes the Zionist regime means he is acknowledging the surrender and defeat of the Islamic world," Ahmadinejad said. Ahmadinejad also repeated the words of the founder of Iran's Islamic revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who called for the destruction of Israel. "As the imam said, Israel must be wiped off the map," said Ahmadinejad, who came to power in August and replaced Mohammad Khatami, a reformist who advocated international dialogue and tried to improve Iran's relations with the West.

Just in case you're curious what form the "fire of the Islamic nation's fury" will take, we're treated to this:

Iran announced earlier this year that it had fully developed solid fuel technology for missiles, a major breakthrough that increases their accuracy. The Shahab-3, with a range of 810 miles to 1,200 miles, is capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to Israel and U.S. forces in the Middle East.

Boy, it's a good thing Mohamed El-Baradei is doing such a great job keeping nukes out of the hands of crazies.

Maybe Cindy Sheehan isn't so bad after all

Expect to see a lot less of Cindy Sheehan after this little episode:

Cindy Sheehan, who became the face of anti-war sentiment after her son died in Iraq, urged foes of the war to thwart Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's political aspirations unless the New York Democrat opposes the conflict. "I believe that any candidate who supports the war should not receive our support," Sheehan said Tuesday in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "It doesn't matter if they're Senator Clinton or whoever."

"After she met with me, she said she has to make sure our sons didn't die in vain," Sheehan said. "That is a totally Republican talking point."

Bye, Cindy. It's been fun. Say hello to the Secret Service for me.

New 007 outs self as anti-gun weenie

Do behave, 007:

Daniel Craig will have a problem playing the new James Bond - because he hates guns. The actor will wield 007's famous Walther PPK in the movie Casino Royale. But he revealed in OK! magazine: "I hate handguns. Handguns are used to shoot people and as long as they are around, people will shoot each other.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the only stupid thing to appear in this story. You see, the reporter is also a complete moron:

Nor does the 37-year-old share Bond's love of Martinis shaken and stirred.

Congratulations, Evening Standard. You just screwed up one of the most famous lines in cinematic history:

Shaken, not stirred.

NOT stirred! NOT STIRRED!! By the way, Bond-style martinis are good for you. Take two and call me in the morning.

Fred Phelps caught praising London bombers

Hopefully this guy will shut up now, but I wouldn't bet the ranch:

The Sky Report has secretly filmed one of America's most controversial Christian ministers praising the London bombings. Fred Phelps says that terrorist outrages and natural disasters such as Hurricane Rita are examples of God's wrath against countries such as America and Britain for tolerating homosexuals and homosexuality. Fred Phelps, who set up the controversial Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, told our undercover reporter about the attacks, which killed 52 people: "Oh I am so thankful that happened. My only regret is that they didn't kill about million of them. England deserves that kind of punishment, as does this country (America)". The church, which has 150 followers, recently started picketing funerals including those of American soldiers killed in Iraq, waving banners such as "Thank God 9/11", "God Hates Fags" and "Aids Cures Fags".

Maybe I'll print up a sign of my own. How about "God Hates Dumbasses?"

UK cops give candy, not tickets, to speeders

Yesterday, I told you about London's $8,000 traffic tickets. In North Worcestershire, they're going to the other extreme:

As part of a recruitment drive, North Worcestershire, UK police are handing out chocolates and balloons to speeders instead of tickets in the Wyre Forest district. "We hope it will encourage people to think not only about speed and road safety related issues but also about becoming a Special," North Worcestershire Specials Commandant Chris Cookson told the Express and Star. Specials are part-time volunteers who wear a uniform and carry full police powers while doing support work for paid police officers.

Those wacky limeys.

Rosa Parks, 1913-2005

Bobby over at Progressive Texan pretty much sums it up:

I can't help but admire how one simple but fearless act helped to thrust the civil rights movement into the public spotlight.

Yep.

Ruthless fascist employers block access to blogs

John Wagner, who blogs about PR and corporate communications, issues a dire warning:

Blogs are under attack! Apparently Corporate America believes that blogs are harmful to your health, so they're taking steps to protect you. First, from Ad Age (registration required) comes word that American workers will waste a lot of time reading blogs this year. Waste time? I thought we were all "knowledge workers?" Next, Wired magazine reports that lots of companies are using firewall software to block employee access to blogs.

Can you imagine the nerve? What reasonable employer would deny invaluable cutting-edge journalism to his staff?

Spike Lee claims Bush blew up NOLA levees

I think this qualifies as the incoherent ramblings of a crazy man:

Spike Lee: "Exactly. It's not far-fetched. And also I would like to say it's not necessarily blow it up. But, the residents of that ward, they believe it, there was a Hurricane Betsy in '65, the same that happened where a choice had to be made, one neighborhood got to save another neighborhood and flood another 'hood, flood another neighborhood.

Lee: "Let me ask you a question: Do you think that election in 2000 was fair? You don't think that was rigged?" [audience applause] Martin: "It's not a question of not being fair, it's a question of-" Lee: "If they can rig an election, they can do anything!"

When asked about the levee conspiracy theory, which apparently has gained credence among some New Orleans blacks, Mr. Lee said that "it's not too far-fetched to think that, look, we got a bunch of poor black people here. We got to save these other neighborhoods. What we got to do, dump this in this ward, boom. I believe it." And when interviewer Daryn Kagan asked whether Mr. Lee really believed that theory, the director replied: "I don't put anything past the United States government."

Then again, what do you expect from a Knicks fan?

AstroWorld to close forever, after this weekend

Six Flags AstroWorld will be no more after this weekend:

Come this Sunday, October 30th, Houston's Astroworld will close its gates for the final time. On Monday, October 31st, employees will be busy shuttering the park and prepping every ride and every attraction for dismantling. That's right, Houston... the era of summer fun that has been with us since 1968, has come to an end. Earlier this year, Six Flags, Inc, made the decision to close it's primary Houston park, Six Flag's Astroworld. Astroworld, which contains one of Houston's two main water parks, Waterworld, has provided millions (perhaps even billions) of Texans a place of summer fun for thirty-seven years. Citing lowered profit margins, Six Flags, Inc decided that it would be more profitable to sell the park's land as office and retail space, than to keep it open for further years. Once again, the removal of a Houston icon came down to the all-mighty dollar. At this point, it is impossible to save Astroworld, it has entered it's final days.

Get on down there and take the rickety old Texas Cyclone for a spin. Sit in the last car; it shakes and jumps the most.

Where are Houston's 'focal points?'

Tory at Houston Strategies has a post about "focal points," meaning places you'd naturally go to find someone you're trying to meet:

You are meeting someone in New York on a given day, but don't know a time or place. Where would you go and when? The surprisingly common answer is "under the clock at Grand Central Station at noon." Interesting variants include the country (Washington Monument in DC?) or the world (the entrance to the United Nations in New York?). So, of course, this got me thinking about Houston. What's our focal point? And I think I'd like to propose two variants:

1. Where would two locals most likely meet?
2. Where would two people from out-of-town most likely meet?

Tory suggests the water wall at Williams Tower, or the Galleria. It's a thought-provoking discussion. So what's your focal point for the Bayou City?

Sensitivity, Metro-style

I'm still shaking my head at this one.

WSJ: Hollywood awful on race, sex equality

Well, look who's not practicing what they preach:

In a town full of dirty little secrets, the composition of writers in Hollywood rises to the level of scandal. Though Tinsel Town pays lip service to liberalism and equality, women and minority film and television writers get work and get paid with a disparity that is striking. The 2005 Hollywood Writers Report found that among film writers, women represented just 18% of employment while minorities combined stood at 6%. The median earnings gap between men and women, and minorities and white men in film work widened from $12,500 to $19,000 since the WGA's last report was released in 1998. In television, women accounted for 27% of writers and minorities represented just under 10%. And both are more likely to hold the lower-status title of "staff writer." About 10% of all shows in the 2004-05 season had no women writers on staff, unchanged from the WGA's comparative assessment of the 1999-2000 season. Pay for TV writing was an average of $12,000 more for men than women. Minority TV writers in 1998 earned on average $8,500 less than white men; this gap jumped to nearly $18,000 in the 2005 report.

Read the whole column; it's by Bridget Johnson, whose blog is called GOPVixen. Rawrrr!

[Hat-tip: Don, LST tipster extraordinaire]

Chron screws up Big XII football schedules

What schedule is the Chronicle sports department looking at?

Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson's ailing right ankle is improving, and he should be ready to go this week against Iowa State.

Oklahoma plays Nebraska this week (and doesn't play Iowa State at all this season). Iowa State plays Texas A&M. Houston is the largest city in Big 12 territory, and its only major newspaper screwed up the schedules for a third of the conference. Nice work, Chron.

[Hat-tip: Ashley the Aggie]

British banks to ban piggy banks amid pressure

Another dispatch from the brilliant Dhimmi Watch.* It seems some British banks are scrapping the piggy bank:

British banks are banning piggy banks because they may offend some Muslims. Halifax and NatWest banks have led the move to scrap the time-honoured symbol of saving from being given to children or used in their advertising, the Daily Express/Daily Star group reports here. Muslims do not eat pork, as Islamic culture deems the pig to be an impure animal. Salim Mulla, secretary of the Lancashire Council of Mosques, backed the bank move. "This is a sensitive issue and I think the banks are simply being courteous to their customers," he said.

This is freakin' ridiculous. First of all, I doubt any pious Muslim would walk into one of these banks and have a fit because he's given a piggy bank to take home to Junior. That's because Islam has strict laws against paying or collecting interest. This is like a steakhouse banning leather shoes to avoid offending PETA.

*Dhimmi is an Arabic term meaning "protected people." Under Islamic rule, Dhimmis are relegated to second-class citizenship. They're free to practice their religion and culture, but only in private. The Koran mandates that people conquered by Islam must "pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection." (Surah 9:29)

Update: Bombers wanted to kidnap journalists

It looks like the terrorists who attacked the Palestine Hotel today didn't acheive all their objectives:

Iraq's National Security Adviser, Mowaffaq al-Rubaie, said the bombings were designed to show that insurgents were still active after what he called a string of successes by Iraqi security forces during a constitutional referendum and last week's start of Saddam's trial for crimes against humanity. "The plan was to try to penetrate the defenses of the Palestine hotel by blowing up cars and firing rocket-propelled grenades and light arms to occupy the hotel and kidnap the journalists," he said.

You'd think al-Qaeda would treat its supporters better than that.

"When the lights go on again..."

Power's been restored, and Mattsapundit Central Command is back in business. Sweet.

Scientists achieve adult stem cell breakthrough

In a development likely to offer hope to countless LST bloggers, scientists have successfully repaired human livers using adult stem cells:

Until now, the only hope for persons with irreversible liver failure from such diseases as cirrhosis, which kills about 27,000 Americans yearly, was transplantation. This requires permanent use of immunosuppressive drugs which can lead to opportunistic infections and cancer. Most importantly, it requires a new liver. About a thousand Americans are now on a waiting listfor one and many will die there. But scientists from London's Imperial College report in The New Scientist repaired patients' own damaged livers by using bone marrow adult stem cells collected from their own blood. Five were injected with a drug that stimulated their marrow to produce extra stem cells that were then injected into a blood vessel leading directly to the liver. It worked. Both liver function and overall health of three out of five treated patients improved significantly within only two months of treatment. The two patients whose health did not improve were left no worse off.

Meanwhile, embryonic stem cells offer the "promise of hope" for the embryo-massacring industry.

[Hat-tip: Byron Hood]

Terrorists attack journalists' HQ in Baghdad

Publicity stunt, Qaeda-style:

At least two enormous bombs, including a cement-mixing truck packed with explosives, blew up near an Iraqi police checkpoint outside the Palestine Hotel — home to many foreign journalists in Iraq. Iraqi police said 11 people were killed and 13 wounded. A second bomb exploded inside a car not far from the checkpoint on the northeast side of Firdous Square and more than 100 yards east of the hotel grounds. Both were believed to be suicide attacks. It did not appear that anybody was killed inside the hotel. Three of the wounded were in the hotel but were not hurt seriously. Three others were at a U.S. military checkpoint at the northwest corner of the hotel compound.

Maybe this will piss off enough reporters that they'll issue some honest reports about global jihad. And maybe I'll be nominated to the Supreme Court.

London creates Olympic-sized traffic tickets

You think we've got some radar-gun-happy cops eager to line the coffers of small towns in Texas? Check this out:

Automated cameras will begin snapping photographs and mailing tickets worth £5000 (US $8870) to any motorist that accidentally strays into new "Olympic" lanes to be set aside for the 2012 Olympics in London, UK. Department for Transport officials will take traffic lanes away from general use so that 55,000 people designated as special can use them. Their numbers will include athletes, the media, government officials, corporate sponsors and their guests.

"The last thing we are after is people's money -- we simply want to get everyone to their venues on time," a spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport told the London Times.

Yikes.

Saudi government to allow first cinema in decades

Saudi Arabia is allowing movies to be shown. Sort of:

Some 20 years after public screenings of films were banned, the first cinema will open next month in ultraconservative Saudi Arabia, but showing only cartoons, a source from the firm handling the project said on Sunday. The cinema will open for women and children at a Riyadh hotel at the Eid Al Fitr feast at the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan on November 2 or 3, said the source who requested anonymity.

I'm guessing the lineup will be heavy on Wile E. Coyote blowing stuff up, and light on Porky Pig.

Dammit.

"Darker than a black steer's tookus..."

Shitty CenterPoint just decided I and my neighbors don't really need electricity. It's cold and Game 2 is on. Awesome. I love the 19th century.

Texas bloggers unite, fight Instaheretic's BBQ slam

Glenn Reynolds (of Instapundit fame) might be the 800-pound blogging gorilla on the block, but that doesn't mean Texans will cower from him. Quoth the pundit:

IT'S THE SMELL OF TEXAS HOME COOKIN' -- and I don't mean that beef stuff they pass off as barbecue.

That's it, Reynolds. This means war.

UPDATE: The lovely and talented Anne Linehan pledges to muster her forces, even going so far as to lure invite Reynolds in for a devious trap meal.

UPDATE 2: Laurence Simon joins the fight.

UPDATE 3: Josh Wills set up a blog to battle the Instadeception.

Nero would be proud of FEMA's Brown

Remember Michael Brown, former director of FEMA? Take a look at his staff's emails. This is what he was up to as New Orleans died.

Here's some free advice to government officials:

During a crisis, the words "wait service from the restaurant staff" SHOULD NEVER ENTER THE DAMN PICTURE.

N.C. State professor calls for genocide of whites

This is more than a bit troubling:

Dr. Kamau Kambon, who taught Africana Studies 241 in the Spring 2005 semester at North Carolina State University, also said this needs to be done “because white people want to kill us.” Addressing a panel on “Hurricane Katrina Media Coverage,” broadcast in its entirety on C-SPAN, Kambon told the audience that white people “have retina scans, they have what they call racial profiling, DNA banks, and they’re monitoring our people to try to prevent the one person from coming up with the one idea. And the one idea is, how we are going to exterminate white people because that in my estimation is the only conclusion I have come to. We have to exterminate white people off the face of the planet to solve this problem.”

Oooookay, psycho. He's still on the list of faculty at the Africana Studies department, by the way. Why not drop department chair Dr. Craig C. Brookins a line and let him know what you think of his employee?

[Hat-tip: Michelle Malkin]

UPDATE: Protein Wisdom has secured a (fictional, but funny) interview.

Rice researchers build 'nanocar'

It gets 100 gajillion miles per gallon.

Scientists at our own Rice University have constructed a 'nanocar,' barely the width of a DNA strand:

The nanocar consists of a chassis and axles made of well-defined organic groups with pivoting suspension and freely rotating axles. The wheels are buckyballs, spheres of pure carbon containing 60 atoms apiece. The entire car measures just 3-4 nanometers across, making it slightly wider than a strand of DNA. A human hair, by comparison, is about 80,000 nanometers in diameter.

The experiment hit a snag, however, when the car broke down on 59, and was towed by a microscopic Safe Clear wrecker.

OMG!!! Harriet Miers has her own blog and it RULZ!

Harriet Miers wants the public to support her nomination, so she's launched a blog:

Hi everyone!! I'm really excited!!! Here's why, I realized that its no use waiting around, its time to Make This Happen and you can help!! If you want something done you have to do it yourself, and so I'm asking for everyone to join in. Announcing... the Call You're Senators campaign. Step one is, I need you're help to make a logo. It should have a picture of me, the name of the campaign (CALL YOU'RE SENATORS!!) and my name (Harriet Miers duh!!), and 202-225-3121. Email the logo to me, harriet.miers at gmail.com. (at = @.) I'll put the submissions on my blog and have a Vote, best logo wins! After all its a democracy!!

Heh.

The greatest toothbrush in the history of civilization

For months, Tommy has been touting the benefits of his Sonicare toothbrush. I blew it off. It's a toothbrush. How good could it be? Well, I kept hearing about how great the damn thing is. So I broke down this week and bought one. I actually paid eighty bucks for a toothbrush. I'm pretty sure that's more than my lifetime manual-toothbrush budget to date. Holy crap. This toothbrush freakin' rules. (Yes, I realize how ridiculous that sentence sounds.) Turn it on, and little microscopic sonic dwarves vibrate the bristles a million times a second, or something. It runs for two minutes and beeps every 30 seconds to let you know it's time to switch dental quadrants. Pretty clever. And so I'm proud to award the coveted Matthew F. Bramanti Seal of Approval to the Sonicare sonic toothbrush. Use anything else, and you might as well be brushing your teeth with a dog turd on a stick.

DeLay booked, photographed, fingerprinted

In an event that likely sent newsgasms rippling through the Chron newsroom, former House Majority Leader (NOT Speaker of the House, as the Chron reported) Tom DeLay was booked today. Here's his mugshot:

I like it. I like the idea of smiling to spite your politically motivated enemies. He might as well have been holding a sign that read, "Kiss my ass, Ronnie Earle."

This line from the Chron story is also pretty funny:

DeGuerin said the Harris County site was selected in part because his own offices are based in downtown Houston. But the surrender in Harris County allowed DeLay to avoid news media coverage. Journalists had been staking out the Fort Bend County sheriff's office since Wednesday.

Translation: "Tom DeLay's lawyer is smarter than us, and we're pissed about that." One quick question for the Chron writers and editors. Can you be consistent? DeLay's photograph is called a "mug," a "mugshot" and a "mug-shot." Just flip open the AP Stylebook. There has to be one around there somewhere. BENZION ADDS-- The shot looks great; nicely done. My only regret is that DeLay's press office declined the (unsolicited) advice I offered them this morning-- namely, that he show up for the booking wearing a "Houston Astros 2005 National League Champions" t-shirt.

BENZION UPDATES-- Let's just go ahead and make it official.

Coburn moves to demolish Bridge to Nowhere

Remember the Bridge to Nowhere? For those that don't, it's a proposed $223 million bridge linking a town of 8,000 people to an island with 50 inhabitants. And one Senate Republican has found a great way to re-task that money:

Today the amendment, by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), to change the language of the original transportation bill by striking "for the construction of a bridge joining the Island of Gravina to the community of Ketchikan in Alaska" and inserting "for the reconstruction of the Twin Spans Bridge connecting New Orleans, Louisiana, and Slidell, Louisiana" will be considered.

Take that, Don Young.

Chron to dispatch 'citizen reporters' to Series

The Chron is embracing citizen journalism:

If you're going to the World Series, we want to hear from you. Chron.com is looking for "citizen journalists" to report on the scene in the stands at Minute Maid Park and U.S. Cellular Field. * Use your cell phone to send us pictures of you and your friends at the game. * Text us with updates on how you're enjoying the game. * Drop us e-mails with your latest reports. How do you get involved? Send us an e-mail at yourstories@chron.com, and give us a pitch on how you would be one of our "Fans In The Stands." Earn your piece of Internet fame!

Putting the average Joe on the scene, without the benefit of editors or a Columbia journalism degree? It's just crazy enough to work.

CP Houston: Always relevant, always timely

Chron editorial cartoonist Clyde Peterson , aka "CP Houston," drew the following cartoon for today's paper, which brilliantly captures the #1 news story in the minds and hearts of Bayou City news consumers:

Astros? Nah.

Good work, CP!

WWII airman found frozen at icy crash site

There's a great line in "Top Gun" when Goose talks about Iceman:

It's the way he flies. Ice cold, no mistakes.

Well, this iceman made at least one mistake:

It was a plane crash back in 1942 that wasn't discovered until 1947. Now, hikers made a frozen discovery in connection with a World War II plane crash. Hikers found the frozen body of an airman while scaling Mount Mendel Glacier in the Sequoia National Park. Now, the military is working to find out who this airman is and whether he was ever reported missing. It's believed the airman has been frozen in the glacier for decades until a pair of climbers got much more than ever imagined on a hike.

Time to open up those cold case files. UPDATE: Protein Wisdom covers this story with typical Protein Wisdom brilliance:

Which, now that I think about it, this reminds me of a time back in ‘91 or ‘92 when the same kind of thing happened to me—only, y’know, instead of a dead airman frozen in glacial ice found 13000 up on Mount Mendel, it was some fat guy passed out under the table at Friday’s from one too many shots of Sambuca whom I happened to find when I tried to slide my foot up Heather Cornbleuth’s sarong, only to wind up with my big toe jammed in the drunk bastard’s terribly dry mouth.

That's just disgusting. Sambuca, I mean.

Chron heavies know where to turn for news

From sportswriter John Lopez to features editrix Kyrie O'Connor, nine out of ten* Chron bigshots rely on Lone Star Times for hard-hitting news, analysis, commentary, sports, weather, and arguments about Geddy Lee. *Statistic fabricated.

Sharia Update

Let's take a spin around the Islamic world for a tour of its legal system.

From LGF:

In a new survey by a Turkish university, almost 40% said a woman who commits adultery deserves to be murdered. More than 20% apparently thought the death penalty was too harsh, but cutting off noses or ears would be appropriate.

From The Scotsman:

Islamic militiamen stormed a video studio in Mogadishu where Bollywood films were being dubbed into Somali, destroying equipment and arresting employees. The gunmen, loyal to the Union of the Islamic Courts, smashed television monitors and escorted six members of staff from the studios in the Somali capital. The courts consider watching films, listening to music and dancing un-Islamic.

From Dhimmi Watch:

Sharia Alert from Sudan, from the Sudan Tribune with thanks to Twostellas:

Oct 17, 2005 (KHARTOUM)— The Sudanese government has affirmed that it has reservations on some articles of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), particularly those which contradict Islam. The minister of justice, Mohamed Ali al-Maradi, said in a press statement following his meeting with the special rapporteur on human rights in Sudan, Ms Sima Samar, that Sudan would not accept any article that contradicts the Islamic religion. He added that women rights are guaranteed in all legislation and the constitution which enable women to assume public work and posts on equal footing with men.

Other than the extrajudicial mob executions, brutal punishments, crushing of dissent, lack of political rights for men and all rights for women, persecution of ethnic and religious minorities, and state-enforced mandatory religious observance, Sharia sounds pretty sweet.

Wilma develops into Cat 5 monster hurricane

Hurricane Wilma is now a Category 5 storm, poised to devastate South Florida before heading up the eastern seaboard:

Yikes.

Here are the stats:

• Maximum sustained winds: 175 mph
• Minimum central pressure: 882 mb
• Hurricane-force wind radius: 50 miles
• Position as of 11:00 a.m. EST: 17.4 north, 83.2 west
• Movement: West-northwest at 7 mph

Do you have your essential hurricane supplies ready?

Safeway to close 15 area Randalls stores

They're closing my 24-hour Randalls, and a lot of other stores:

Safeway said this morning that it will close 15 struggling Randalls stores in the Houston area by the end of the year. Safeway, the owner of Randalls for the last six years, said 36 Randalls stores will remain open in the Houston area.

Safeway purchased Randalls and Tom Thumb from the Onstead family for about $1.8 billion in 1999, when Randalls was the No. 2 chain in Houston, with a 20 percent market share. Since that time, Randalls' market share in Houston has fallen to 10.8 percent, with a quarterly drop of more than 1.5 percent, according to the September issue of the Shelby Report.

I'm stunned Randalls' market share is so low. I would've guessed something like 20 percent. Then again, what the hell do I know? Here's a list of the stores to be shuttered:

Miers' questionnaire available online

Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers' response to the Senate Judiciary Committee's questionnaire is available, thanks to the folks at National Review Online.

This is my favorite part, under "Published Writings, Testimony and Speeches":

"Recommended Reading: Issues for the Multijurisdictional Lawyer where pro hac vice Admission Does Not Apply," Arkansas L. Notes 131, 2001.

I wanna party with this chick.

60-year-old Stallone to star in 'Rocky VI'

The LST Sports Desk has been hard at work the last few days, covering everything from the Astros playoff run to teenage girls playing golf. The logical extension of all this is fictional boxing. Well here you go:

Do you still remember this boxer named Rocky? Sylvester Stallone is ready to one more close-up in a role that first brought him to the spotlight in 1976. He will direct and star in Rocky VI, which probably starts filming this December in Los Angeles. In the film, lonely and retired boxer Rocky Balboa is back on the ring to take part in a few low-profile local fights. But then he is offered to challenge the reigning heavyweight champion, enigmatically named Mason "The Line" Dixon, and that’s where Rocky finds himself in the middle of the media frenzy.

I know what you're thinking: "But Rocky V sucked!" And you're absolutely right. That's why I think this one will be much better. There's no way Stallone will bring the Stallion out of retirement for a stinker. It also begs the question: What's your Rocky lineup? Clearly, "Rocky" was the best of the series, and "Rocky V" the worst. But how does the middle stack up? Here's mine:

1. Rocky
2. Rocky IV
3. Rocky II
4. Rocky III
5. Rocky V

What do you think?

Did ancient man possess MSG technology?

The Chron's SciGuy reports on a 4,000-year-old batch of Chinese food. No, it wasn't discovered in the back of my fridge:

The discovery of a pot of thin yellow noodles preserved for 4,000 years in Yellow river silt may have tipped the bowl in China's favor. It suggests that people were eating noodles at least 1,000 years earlier than previously thought, and many centuries before such dishes were documented in Europe. "These are undoubtedly the oldest noodles ever found," says Houyuan Lu at China's Institute of Geology and Geophysics in Beijing.

Researchers are still digging, hoping to find a millenia-old packet of duck sauce.

Wilma set to enter Gulf as tropical storm

I just took Ranger One, LST's smuggling hurricane reconnaissance aircraft out for a spin around the Caymans, and it's not looking good out there. Tropical Depression #24, currently hovering over the western Caribbean, is expected to strenghten into Tropical Storm Wilma today. Unfortunately, the National Hurricane Center has it heading into the Gulf later this week:

Maybe we'll get to see whether Ray Nagin learned anything.

Here's the NHC's take. Here's the skinny from the Weather Channel. Weather Underground puts Wilma on track to graze the Yucatan, though the models suggest otherwise.

Wilma is the last name on the Center's 2005 list. If more storms develop, they'll be named frat-boy style. Thus, the season's 22nd storm would be named Alpha, just to remind us all that the NHC is a government organization.

Stay tuned to LST's SuperDopplerStormTrackerSkyWatch coverage, where we don't have to fake it.

ScrappleFace predicts Bush loss or arrest

Heh:

If a presidential election were held this year, George Bush would either lose to an anonymous Democrat or win and be jailed for violating the term-limit provision found in the 22nd amendment to the Constitution, according to the latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup/Nabisco/Toys R Us Poll released Tuesday. In the hypothetical matchup between the increasingly-unpopular two-term president and an unnamed Democrat, 75 percent of respondents said they liked the views, character and personal hygiene habits of the unnamed opponent better than those of the illegally-incumbent president.

CLOUT-backed candidates cut Friendswood taxes

Will wonders never cease?

For the first time in seven years, Friendswood has lowered property taxes. The city council also approved the first reading of an ordinance that would freeze such taxes for senior citizens and handicapped homeowners. The cuts could be the first of many, city officials say.

Although property values went up in Friendswood this year, residents overall should be paying slightly less because of the significant decrease.

It's good to see efforts paying off.

Why editorialists shouldn't write about sports

The Astros deserve better than the crap the Chronicle editorial board is dishing out:

The omens going into this series couldn't be more promising. The winning game against the Braves put the team on the front page of The New York Times and won Houston a new legion of believers around the country.

That's an omen? I didn't get the memo about this, but apparently the New York Times -- instead of telling us what happened yesterday -- is now an all-seeing oracle.

The 18-inning affair displayed the strengths that have allowed the Astros to rise from a 15-30 grave in May to become October contenders for baseball's world championship.

Guess who etched the tombstone on that grave.

Lance Berkman, slowed by a pulled muscle, reached deep and found the swing that sent a grand slam over the left field wall when the team was down 6-1.

Knee surgery, guys.

It also doesn't hurt to have three of the league's strongest starting pitchers in Clemens, Roy Oswalt and Andy Pettite, tonight's starter.

Does it hurt to spell Andy Pettitte's name correctly?

In an otherwise uninspiring sports fall...

Maybe if these guys would peel themselves away from the New York Times front page once in a while, they'd notice that the Texas Longhorns are doing pretty well, two other Texas teams are in the Top 25, and the Rockets beat Philly to start the preseason.

Chron editors, stick to things you know about. Like international diplomacy, leftovers and plagiarism.

Paging Mr. Cohen...

Hey, remember when Chron reader representative James T. (the T is for Timely) Campbell asked Chron readers to submit questions for editor Jeff Cohen?

Here's a timeline:

• August 28: Campbell asks for questions. Pledges response "during the week of September 5."
• Week of September 5: Nothing happens.
• Week of September 12: Nothing happens.
• September 15: I email Campbell asking about the questions. His response:

I'm going to post on your question tomorrow.

• September 16: Nothing happens.
• Week of September 19: Nothing happens.
• September 30: Campbell discloses he's waiting on Cohen's answers. Apparently the boss man is etching them in marble, by hand.
• Week of October 3: Nothing happens.

Time to get on the stick, Jeff. Pretend like you're selling a high-quality product to customers with high expectations in a competitive market.

Happy White Male Imperialist Aggressor Day!

The Blogfather has a great excerpt from Samuel Eliot Morison's Admiral of the Ocean Sea : A Life of Christopher Columbus:

At the end of 1492 most men in Western Europe felt exceedingly gloomy about the future. Christian civilization appeared to be shrinking in area and dividing into hostil units as its sphere contracted. For over a century there had been no important advance in natural science and registration in the universities dwindled as the instruction they offered became increasingly jejune and lifeless. Institutions were decaying, well-meaning people were growing cynical or desperate, and many intelligent men, for want of something better to do, were endeavoring to escape the present through studying the pagan past. . . . Yet, even as the chroniclers of Nuremberg were correcting their proofs from Koberger's press, a Spanish caravel named Nina scudded before a winter gale into Lisbon with news of a discovery that was to give old Europe another chance.

Patty Hearst lectures U.S. on fear

Oh, this is rich:

Patty Hearst has a message for folks who are worried about terrorist attacks: Stop wringing your hands, people! "I was kidnapped by terrorists. It's not like I'm numb to this and think it can't happen. But get real!" Hearst admonished. "There's so much weeping and wailing and memorializing, my feeling is it'd be a lot healthier if people didn't externalize so much and kind of bucked up a little bit."

"What good is our government if they can't keep our level of fear at a point where we can think about what's really going on?" she told Lowdown. "We are a nation with the most frightened people on the planet. People who come over here just laugh at us."

Forgive me if I can't stomach being lectured about fear by a convicted bank robber and former member of a murderous terrorist organization.

Private auto racetrack to open near Angleton

Benzion needs to spring for an LST membership to this place:

There's a new 380 acre piece of land near Angleton that's a haven for people who want to see just what their cars can do. The black top is 2.4 miles long and has 16 turns. A Lamborghini owner we spoke with says Motorsport Ranch Houston is just what he's been looking for. "There's no better rush than being out here and actually being able to test these kinds of vehicles the way God intended them to be driven," said auto enthusiast Lee Tillman. If you want to drive on the ranch, it will cost you. Membership dues are $7,000 plus $150 in monthly fees. The track should be completed next month.

Hell yeah. I want to take this bad boy for a spin.

C-store manager goofs, sells gas for 29 cents

Whoops:

One gas station manager's mistake paid off for Lincoln drivers who were in the right place at the right time Friday. For 30 to 45 minutes, three of the Kabredlo's Convenience Store's four pumps sold premium unleaded gas for 29 cents a gallon. Gas hasn't been that cheap since 1955, according to AAA Nebraska.

What would The Donald do?

Kemah raises tax rate a 'slight' 21 percent

LST reader and commenter "Maltboy!" (gotta love the name) brought this one to our attention. The Citizen, a small local newspaper, reports Kemah's enormous tax hikes:

Kemah City Council passed a $3.573 million budget during its Sept. 29 meeting, while also slightly raising property tax rates from $.172 to $.208545 per $100 valuation.

Slightly? That's more than 21%. Try calling a 21% hike in anything else "slight." That's like a gallon of gas going from $2.89 to $3.50, or an August day going from 96 to 116 degrees, or the federal speed limit going from 70 to 85. 21 percent is not slight. Of course, if we're talking about less government, the situation is dire:

The city slashed the municipal court budget by $30,172, bringing that department's total budget to $211,661.

That's a 12.5% "slash," while a 21 percent tax hike (that's before appraisal creep) is "slight."

Morgan Ensberg: Sluggin' for Jesus

Banjo Jones over at the Brazosport News has some interesting quotes from Astros third baseman Morgan Ensberg:

“The entire reason that I play baseball is so that I get a chance to speak about Christ. Because my job is high-profile doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s greater than any other job, but it puts me out in front of some people. I realize that I do all of this so that I can show more people what Christ has done.” Like that game earlier this season when Morgan hit three out of the park. “It was probably that day where I really took a step in my faith -- not because I had found success in hitting three home runs and getting four hits, but more so in the fact that I knew that it wasn’t me. I knew that it was the Holy Spirit working.”

“No. 1 is I make sure that I’m always obedient to Him. I’m constantly praying. I just want Him to know that whatever His will is, is what I’m all about. We play 162 games. You’re bound to have some terrible games, and whenever there’s a time like that where you’re really struggling, I picture Christ’s face. I just picture myself looking right at Him and saying ‘Whatever you want.’”

Good for Morgan. He's on the right side in this thing.

Chris Bell extends time for modest fundraising goal

Well, Chris Bell is at it again. Forced with the harsh reality of not being able to raise $25,000, Bell's campaign shut down his fund drive, asking instead that money be used to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Wow, what a nice guy. But I guess all the hurricane victims can fend for themselves now, because Bell is again asking his supporters to contribute. Maybe now they can actually get to $25,000. Also, he's selling Tom DeLay indictment t-shirts. It's a very limited edition:

To commemorate the $190k allegedly mishandled by DeLay and TRMPAC, only 190 of these shirts will be printed. Get yours today!

And to commemorate yet another failed Chris Bell run, 184 of these shirts will still be sitting in cardboard boxes when Rick Perry is inaugurated.

Washington Monument evacuated

If you're reading this post from the Washington Monument, get your butt out of there. UPDATE: Never mind, all clear.

Zogby slams DeLay as Zionist conspirator

James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute has a column out this week. In it, he attacks Tom DeLay for his non-support of the Palestinians:

It goes without saying that Arab Americans and those concerned with Middle East peace will shed no tears over DeLay's fall from grace. The Congressman has long been a fierce opponent of all things Palestinian and Arab. In the 1990s he opposed President Clinton's proposal to provide aid request to the West Bank and Gaza.

So far, so good. Back to Zogby, who just happens to be a member of the DNC Executive Committee:

When President Bush proposed $20 million to support Palestinians elections, DeLay reprogrammed the money to pay an Israeli utility bill. He even forced humiliating conditions on President Bush's recent aid designed to strengthen Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Those humiliating conditions included completely unreasonable elements like "quit buying brand-new Audis while your people starve" and "stop blowing up buses." Let's hear again from Zogby:

De Lay, who once called himself "an Israeli of the heart," also rejected President Bush's support of a Palestinian state, calling it a "sovereign state of terrorists," and he even denied that there is any such thing as "occupied territory."

How dare Tom DeLay suggest that the Palestinians are not peace-loving people?

Toothless nuke 'watchdog' wins Nobel Peace Prize

Well, it's official: the Nobel Peace Prize is completely meaningless. You see, those Norwegian geniuses have decided to award the Prize to Mohamad El-Baradei and the International Atomic Energy Agency:

In the nuclear non-proliferation regime, it is the IAEA which controls that nuclear energy is not misused for military purposes, and the Director General has stood out as an unafraid advocate of new measures to strengthen that regime.

Okay. Let's see how ol' Mohamed is doing. He assumed his post in 1997. Here are a few highlights during his tenure:

• May 1998: Pakistan and India each successfully test nuclear weapons.
• October 2002: North Korea acknowledges its nuclear program.
• December 2002: North Korea kicks out international inspectors.
• January 2003: North Korea withdraws from Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
• June 2003: El-Baradei declares that Iran has failed to report nuclear activities, but does not declare a breach of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
• August 2003: North Korea and Iran agree to jointly develop long-range ballistic missiles.
• June 2004: Iranian foreign minister Kamal Kharrazi says "Iran has a high technical capability and has to be recognised by the international community as a member of the nuclear club."
• July 2004: Iran breaks IAEA seals on uranium-enriching equipment and gets back to work.
• February 2005: North Korea announces it has the bomb.

Good work, Mohamed. I quote Gordon Gekko in Wall Street:

"If this guy owned a funeral parlor, no one would die!"

Officials worry about New York subway threats

The Big Apple might be in trouble:

The New York City Police Department is investigating what it deems a credible tip that 19 operatives have been deployed to New York to place bombs in the subway, and security in the subways will be increased, sources told ABC News. While the police department is taking the threat seriously, it is also urging the public not to be alarmed because – while the source is credible – the information has not been verified. According to sources in intelligence, emergency services and police headquarters, when three Iraqi insurgents were arrested several days ago during a raid by a joint FBI-CIA team, one of those caught disclosed the threat. Because it slipped out during the arrest, the plot was deemed credible.

This comes just a week after New York transit officials turned down a federal offer of funding for more police dogs:

The Department of Homeland Security is spending $2.7 million to provide 30 bomb-sniffing dogs, along with training for their police handlers, to 10 transit agencies, including the subway systems in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington.

But New York's subway system, by far the largest and busiest in the country, is not one of them. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority turned down an invitation to apply for the money, officials said yesterday, because the grant would have come with restrictions that they called cumbersome and because the dogs could have been withdrawn and used elsewhere during a national emergency.

Houston, naturally, doesn't need dogs, because we have an elite Israeli-trained Metro counterterrorism commando squad.

Berger lasted two days before violating probation

Sandy Berger, the guy who thought he could get away with jamming classified documents in his pants, was busted. Again:

Two days after he was placed on probation last month for taking classified documents, former national security adviser Sandy Berger was accused of reckless driving in Virginia by police who said he was traveling 88 miles per hour in a 55 mph zone.

He was stopped on Sept. 10, and two days later he informed the probation office of the U.S. District Court that he had been speeding because he was late to a meeting and was unaware of how fast he was traveling.

Why even try to explain yourself, Sandy? Do you really think the judge who sentenced you for stealing government secrets is gonna buy your excuse for going 33 mph over the limit?

SportsPickle reports upgrade at Minute Maid Park

Gotta love the guys over at SportsPickle:

Hoping to give their bland, cookie cutter ballpark a bit of flare before the playoffs begin, the Houston Astros installed a 40-by-190-foot pond in the outfield of Minute Maid Park on Monday. “Sure, our left field fence is only Little League distance from home plate. And sure, we have a pointless, manmade hill with a flagpole stuck in it in centerfield. And sure, we have a giant choo-choo train drives around the perimeter of the field, but the novelty of that stuff has worn off since we opened the stadium six years ago,” said Houston general manager Tim Purpura. “It was time to change things up a little bit again.”

Purpura said the team’s plan to install a giant Ferris wheel behind the pitcher’s mound was scrapped due to construction delays.

Heh.

Boomer Sooner

This weekend, during the Oklahoma-Kansas State football game, a student killed himself with a suicide bomb outside OU's football stadium. OU officials were quick to dismiss the event as the action of a screwed-up kid, not a terrorist:

"We know that he has had what I would call emotional difficulties in the past. There is certainly no evidence at this point which points to any other kind of motivation other than his personal problems," said University President David Boren over the weekend.

But it looks like there may be an Islamic terror connection after all, according to WorldNetDaily:

Doug Hagmann, a seasoned investigator, told WND he was informed by multiple reliable law-enforcement sources familiar with the investigation into the incident that authorities recovered a "significant amount" of "jihad" materials, as well as Hinrichs' computer. Hagmann also said those same sources indicated police and federal agents "had pulled additional explosives from [Hinrichs'] house," including triacetone triperoxide, or TATP, "homemade explosive [that is] very potent but relatively easily manufactured." TATP was also used in the July mass transit bombings in London, CNN reported, and was used by attempted bomber Richard Reid, who packed his shoes with the compound in an unsuccessful attempt to destroy a U.S.-bound American Airlines flight in December 2001.

Maybe Osama is a K-State fan. Meanwhile, the kid's family is in denial:

His sister, Berkeley Hinrichs, says her brother said he wasn't sure what he wanted to do with his life. She also says it's possible her brother was doing an experiment and didn't mean to kill himself.

All in all, this is a sad, frightening story that should've been covered better by the national media.

[Hat-tip: Don the Übertipster]

Earle hits DeLay with new indictment after first flops

Via Fox News:

A Texas grand jury indicted Rep. Tom DeLay on a new charge of money laundering Monday, less than a week after another grand jury leveled a conspiracy charge that forced DeLay to temporarily step down as House majority leader.

I'll get a PDF of the indictment up as soon as I can find one.

Oh no, there goes Tokyo! Go go Barbzilla!

You really do not want to click this link. You've been warned.

From the 'France Sucks' file, item #7,348

Well, it looks like the French can be tough after all. Not on dictators or terrorists, of course.

On puppies.

Chron bigshot lets subordinate twist in wind

As you know, well over a month ago, Chron reader representative James T. Campbell asked readers to submit questions for his boss, executive VP and editor Jeff Cohen, pledging:

I will pose your questions to Cohen and post his replies sometime during the week of September 5.

At long last, Campbell has identified the bottleneck in the Houston Chronicle Publishing Company's question-answering system:

The questions have been selected and forwarded to Mr. Cohen. I am awaiting his answers.

You'd think Cohen would want to take the heat off his reader representative, rather than letting him twist in the wind for a month, fielding criticism from increasingly frustrated customers. I guess you'd be wrong.