Bush bypasses Senate to name ambassador - Yahoo! News

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Bush bypasses Senate to name ambassador - Yahoo! News
WASHINGTON - President Bush named Republican fundraiser Sam Fox as U.S. ambassador to Belgium on Wednesday, using a maneuver that allowed him to bypass Congress, where Democrats had derailed Fox’s nomination.
The appointment, made while lawmakers were out of town on spring break, prompted angry rebukes from Democrats, who said Bush’s action may even be illegal.
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Thanks to azzy23 form livejournal for bringing this to my attention.

This man must be stopped - it seems like every day I hear of some new travesty he has initiated. Absolutely no respect for the Constitution or the people. He needs to be impeached and removed. Damn Pelosi for taking Impeachment off the table.

VOA News - Director of Classic Christmas Movie Dies

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VOA News - Director of Classic Christmas Movie Dies
U.S. filmmaker Bob Clark, who directed the classic A Christmas Story, has been killed in a head-on car crash at the age of 67.
Clark and his 22-year-old son were driving along a major highway near Los Angeles Wednesday afternoon when their car was struck head-on by another vehicle.  Clark’s son was also killed in the crash.  Authorities say the driver is facing charges in the case.
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Sad news. I love that movie.

Unusual Allies in a Legal Battle Over Texas Drivers’ Gun Rights - New York Times

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Unusual Allies in a Legal Battle Over Texas Drivers’ Gun Rights - New York Times
HOUSTON, April 4 — Keith Patton was driving home one night in February when police officers pulled over his red Ford Explorer for a traffic stop.
His license and insurance form were in his gym bag on the floor near the back seat. Under the bag was a .357 Magnum.

Mr. Patton, 51, an oil-field geologist, software tester and martial arts instructor from suburban Katy, told the police about the gun, which he said he had bought hours before from a co-worker for target shooting. Moments later, he was handcuffed and on his way to jail, facing a charge of unlicensed carrying of a weapon.

The arrest might have been routine elsewhere, but this is Texas, where a code rooted in the days of the highwayman recognizes the right of travelers to be armed, and the Legislature has repeatedly endorsed that principle.

Defiant police officers and prosecutors, however, saying they retain law enforcement discretion, have continued arresting and bringing cases against motorists like Mr. Patton found with unlicensed handguns.

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Leave it to the cops to decide what we need and don’t need. The Second Amendment is there for a reason. And it isn’t the job of the cops to ignore it.

Pet food recall expands to dog biscuits 1:01 PM CDT | Dallas Morning News

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Pet food recall expands to dog biscuits 1:01 PM CDT | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Latest News
Pet food recall expands to dog biscuits 1:01 PM CDT

01:04 PM CDT on Thursday, April 5, 2007

Associated Press

WASHINGTON – The recall of pet foods and treats contaminated with an industrial chemical expanded Thursday to include dog biscuits made by an Alabama company.

The Food and Drug Administration said Sunshine Mills Inc. is recalling dog biscuits made with imported Chinese wheat gluten. Testing has revealed the wheat gluten, a protein source, was contaminated with melamine, used to make plastics and other industrial products.

Also Thursday, Menu Foods, a major manufacturer of brand- and private-label wet pet foods expanded its original recall to include a broader range of dates, the FDA said. Menu Foods was the first of at least six companies to recall pet foods and treats made with the contaminated ingredient.

The FDA knows of no other pet product companies planning recalls, agency officials told reporters.

Sunshine, of Red Bay, Ala., sells pet foods and treats under its own brands as well as private labels sold by grocery, mass merchant and dollar stores, according to its Web site. A list of recalled products was not immediately available.

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I’m way ready for this to end.

In England, Security Cameras That Scold | News.blog | CNET News.com

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In England, security cameras that scold | News.blog | CNET News.com

British authorities are installing talking security cameras in 20 locations throughout the country to try to crack down on offenders, the BBC is reporting.
The cameras, already in use in Middlesbrough, England, warn miscreants via a loudspeaker about minor offenses such as littering. Workers in control centers there monitor 12 cameras and can talk directly to citizens when they spot violations. Officials say they have prevented fights and cut litter levels.

Authorities in the U.K.–the country that gave the world Nineteen Eighty-Four author George Orwell and his critique of surveillance societies–also use self-activated “speed cameras” to monitor driving habits.

Privacy advocates were troubled by the idea of a Big Brother-ish voice hectoring passers-by.

“Apart from being absurd, I think it’s rather sad that we should have faceless cameras barking at us on orders from who? Who sets these cameras up?” said opponent Steve Hills.
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Seem that the UK is even further along, in some ways, on the slide to fascism than we are.

Bill O'Reilly Loses His Mind

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Whoa. Angry.