An internet mystery: Where did Obama’s statement about H.R. 6304 come from?

By now everyone is talking about the big shocker. Senator Barack Obama has reversed his previous opposition to FISA from back in February and now supports the FISA Amendments Act of 2008. The Obama statement has echoed around and around the echo chamber that is the blogosphere and everyone is reprinting it along with expressions of shock and dismay. How could Obama support retroactive immunity for the telecoms, they say? How could Obama support warrantless wiretapping and searches of offices and homes?

Only one thing bothers me. Where did Obama say it? Was it part of a speech or a question and answer session? It sounds too formal and tightly written to be off the cuff. Was it an official press release? Then why can’t I find it posted on either the Obama election website or the Obama’s official senate website? The mainstream media isn’t reporting it, and there isn’t even one video out there. I’m on the Obama email listserve–nothing there, just another “contribute” button.

The first blogger to post the statement seems to be Glen Greenwald–most blogs point back to that one. But does Greenwald speak for Obama? Where did Greenwald get the information?

Unicorns to return to Jordan’s Wadi Rhum

You gotta love the Jordanians’ use of diplomatic language.

“Some animals died: either they fell over heights, or simply due to the difference between Wadi Rum and Shomari environment and climate,” explains Jamal Zaidaneen, head of the Nature Conservation Department at Wadi Rum Nature Reserve. He is explaining what happened to the 10 Arabian oryx that were once brought to Wadi Rhum from the Shomari Wildlife Reserve near Azraq in the north of Jordan.

Ha ha ha ha ha

حا حا حا حا حا

I can tell you what happened. My bedouin buddies in Rhum, the ones who try to make a living taking tourists around, shot the oryx for sport while they were out roaming around the desert with their Landrovers and their guns. The locals in Shomari would do the same thing if the oryx weren’t fenced in.

The Arabian oryx–translated in the Bible as “unicorn”–is extinct in the wild, but a few still survive in captivity. Now Wadi Rhum, in the south of Jordan, is about to receive 40 more Arabian oryx.

Why shoot the oryx? Shrug. Aren’t they protected by law? If the Jordanian government comes around and tries to stop us, they will get killed too. They know not to mess with us. But they’re almost extinct. Don’t you want to save them? Shrug. Is oryx good to eat? Slowly came the answer. Yes. But I bet that particular oryx wasn’t eaten; it was killed for sport. How do you convince someone from another culture of the value of preserving an entire species? What about tourists? If you have oryx here, won’t more tourists come and you will make more money showing them around in your landrover? No answer. Hmmm.

And the new Oryx project?

The project’s first phase includes designating a 21-kilometre fenced area, where the animals will be set loose, Zaidaneen said, explaining that the herd needs first to adapt to its new environment, climate and plants.

“There is no time frame for this stage, but it is expected to extend over two to three months, during which the oryx will be given the time to adjust to their new habitat which will ensure its survival chances,” Zaidaneen added.

Ah, the uses of words. While the oryx are adjusting in their new corral, no doubt my Bedouin friends will also have a chance to adjust to the oryx. Let’s hope it happens during tourist season and that some sweet young Western women will have fascinating conversations with the bedouins (Arab women do not talk to men unless they are relatives) and that the Bedouins will come to see the survival of the oryx as a crucial part of their tourist gig. Maybe they will even pick up some environmentalist rap to impress the ladies with.

Then what happens to the oryx?

Twenty animals will be flown from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar, Zaidaneen said, adding that the environment and climate of these countries is similar to Wadi Rum, which will raise their survival chances.

These animals, which form the first and main herd, will be released early next year into the wild and will be monitored by satellites which will follow their movement and behaviour.

“Under the second phase, satellites will be installed to monitor the herd. The Arabian oryx walks around 60 kilometres daily looking for food; using this advanced technique will save us time and effort and ensure the animals’ safety,” Zaidaneen noted.

The third phase includes bringing another 40 heads, in two batches, to be also released into the Jordanian wild.

Ha ha ha ha ha

حا حا حا حا حا

Tracked by satellites! Excellent!! Let’s see the bedouins try to take out a satellite while they’re out tearing around in the desert with their Landrovers and their guns and their cellphones.

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From The Jordan Times May 1, 2008, jordantimes(DOT)com

Easter Sunrise Service Fashion Statement in Chicago’s Daley Plaza–Lime Green Jersey Barriers

The Easter 2008 sunrise service in Chicago’s Daley Plaza might have been drab except for the lime green plastic jersey barriers cleverly utilized as a wind break from the fierce Lake Michigan winds that rage down Washington Avenue in March.

Three F-words for a Sunday afternoon

Faith. What is central and right for your life.

Focus. What will still be important a hundred years from now.

Flight. The movement of the moment.

That’s the philosophy of photojournalist John H White, who never takes his finger off of life’s shutter button. He’s always ready to experience that moment he knows has been created especially for him–and capture its image on film.

He will be at a Chicago presentation “The photojournalist: Celebrating 30 years of PJ Love” on Saturday April 12, 2008 at Columbia College, 1104 S Wabash 8th Floor from 9-3.

Camo Underwear-Just Say No

Today I was in the local dollar store and took a little stroll around to see all their merchandise.  In the underwear department was a set of camouflage underpants. Across the back of one pair was printed the words “major cutie”.  Now, who in their right mind would want that written on their rear end?

Walking around a little more, I spotted camo hoodies, camo pants, camo sweatshirts,  and little camo jammies for children. Now correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t the purpose of camouflage to keep someone from being seen in a war area?  In fact,  camouflage is a military necessity, an accessory of war and killing, along with guns and stuff.

When did killing become a fashion statement?

Department of Labor Inflation Calculator

How much is $100 worth in 1960 dollars?

Now you can go to the U.S. Department of Labor consumer price index page and figure it out with their inflation  calculator.

Gems in the Spam Sewer

Every once in a while I go diving in the Spam filter just for kicks. Once I found a real comment that had gone there by accident. Another time I found a meme that had traveled from the blogosphere to spam being generated in an Amsterdam group of IP addresses. This time I’m not sure what I’ve found. They are a group of quotations, all from the same IP with a U.S. origin. They look like advertisements, but if you try to follow the links, all you get is “server not found”.

Here is the collection so far:

Sep 24, 11:29 AM, posted to “Ship of the Desert at Wadi Rhum (photo)”

Midnight allegation | Midnight@allegation.cz | web-hoster-reviews.info | IP: 209.9.237.21

It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong — Voltaire

web hosting review

Sep 24, 11:27 AM, posted to “Welcome”

Violent mountain | Violent@mountain.co.uk | life-extension-technology.info | IP: 209.9.237.21

Everybody’s worried about stopping terrorism Well, there’s a really easy way: stop participating in it — Noam Chomsky

alcor life extension foundation

Sep 24, 11:24 AM, posted to “Ship of the Desert at Wadi Rhum (photo)”

brutish whole | brutish@whole.cn | playstation-mods.com | IP: 209.9.237.21

Arms in the hands of citizens [may] be used at individual discretion… in private self defense… JOHN ADAMS, A Defense of the Constitutions of the Government of the USA, 471 (178

ps2 mod chip

Sep 24, 11:14 AM, appears to have tried to attach to an attachment of a Tom Vilsack t-shirt

goatish involvement | goatish@involvement.co.kr | cell-phones-for-sale.info | IP: 209.9.237.21

It is the policy of the United States that activities in space should be devoted to peaceful purposes for the benefit of all mankind.

cell cheap phone sale used

Sep 24, 10:49 AM, posted to “Welcome”

Profound athlete | Profound@athlete.ms | business-cards-4-u.info | IP: 209.9.237.21

It is the job of thinking people not to be on the side of the executioners — Albert Camus

artistic business cards

I’m still not sure exactly what to make of this. Is it an unsuccessful spambot, or some other vile technology run amuck? But what spambot quotes Chomsky? Or for that matter, Voltaire? Perhaps it’s yet another conspiracy.

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Related posts:
‘Thinking Blogger Meme’ enters Spamland.

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Armaggedon in different traditions–and can “Operation Straight Up” make troops ‘rapture ready’

NPR has been running a series about end times religious thought, or “eschatology” from the perspectives of different religious traditions.

Particularly interesting was the Iranian belief in the messianic return of the 12th Imam as a precursor to Armageddon and how Christian thought regards this appearance of the “Mahdi” as the “anti-Christ”.

Another interesting detail: the Pentagon’s “Operation Straight Up”, which attempted to provide the American troops in Iraq with proselytizing material advocating a rapture type religion from the Left Behind book series–before publicity killed the deal. Troops were set to receive religious “taken up” materials in Arabic and a “left behind” type video game whose object is to kill non-born-again civilians.

Email registration site protects your real email address from spam

I have just discovered a site for hiding your email address.

http://spam.la/

It’s supposed to be used for throwaway site registrations to prevent sites from getting your email address and sending you a lot of spam, but it looks like people are using it for adult sites too. An Email send to anyaddress@spam.la is supposed to be publicly accessible so if you register for something you (or anyone else) can go to the site a few seconds later to read the email or retrieve a password. The recipient does not see your Email address because you don’t give it out.

‘Thinking Blogger Meme’ enters Spamland.

It’s rough to be a spammer these days. Newer and more powerful programs block out even the most persistent forms of spam. Most bloggers don’t take time to go through the literally thousands of pieces of comment spam looking for genuine comments. Spammers keep trying harder and harder to convince the few people who venture into the spam holding cell they have a real comment and are not just trying to sell you viagra or painkillers.

“Your site has made me smile”, says an insurance spambot, and posts a smilie. “Your site is also very interesting, very calming effect just reading it…” says a spambot selling diet pills. “I Googled for something completely different, but found your page…and have to say thanks. nice read….” sounds almost human, until you see that this week everyone is using it. There is even a dangling modifier English-is-not-my-first-language version of it from another diet pill spambot: “I found your website after I have been surfing the internet to be useful”. Or the mindless sycophant-bot:”I have admire your unselfishness in taking the time to make this web site.” This last one seems to have missed something in the translation: “Hi. Yes, interesting surrender all are described. I recently read about this article in on the other resource.”

Then, this comment spam from a certain “doctor pp” pill spambot stopped me up short:

Hello, I just wanted to say you have a very informative site which really made me think, Thanks ! A site with a wealth of info.!…thanks very much! Have a nice Day!!

Holy catfish. That’s the Thinking Blogger Meme. Back in February it was started over at:

http://www.thethinkingblog.com/2007/02/thinking-blogger-awards_11.html

and now it’s being used by some spammer in Milton, Australia. Do you suppose it’s about to go ….viral?

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Related posts:

Gems in the Spam Sewer

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