Legal Jeopardy is hosted by Patrick Fitzgerald

Image concept: EJ Moore

Mass whale deaths tied to U.S. Navy sonar

EXCERPT - The U.S. Navy's deployment of active sonar to detect submarine activity is believed to have been responsible for at least six incidents of mass death and unusual behavior among pods of whales in the last 10 years, according to a recent U.S. Congressional Research Service report.

In one of the most serious incidents, 150 to 200 melon-headed whales were observed milling in Hanalei Bay off Hawaii's Kauai Island during a Rim of the Pacific Exercise on July 3, 2004, after midfrequency sonar was used, the CRS report said.

Known as RIMPAC, the naval exercise included the participation of Japan and other U.S. allies in Asia and the Pacific.

The CRS report also listed five other incidents in which smaller whales, such as goose-beaked whales, harbor porpoises and killer whales, were found beached and dead in groups of a few to nearly 20. Many of the dead mammals had damaged hearing organs, and all five incidents coincided with U.S. naval exercises in the areas, the report said.

Full story here.

FURTHER READING:
Sonar threat to whales by Steve Conner
Government Withholds Info on How Sonar Affects Whales by Brendan Coyne

A Couple Of Reminders

And fine ones at that. First from Abe Lincoln: "Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side..."

Second from Garry Wills.

Encouraging Freedom of Speech

Thanks to GrokGov at Daily Kos, everyone now has an opportunity to personally express their gratitude to Harry Taylor for his wonderful demonstration of free speech. Please visit Thank You Harry Taylor, where the site goal is to gather at least one million congratulatory messages.

[Postcard: Stella Mars]

Say It Again, Ron
And again, and again, and--

"I forget who it was who wrote that Bush has quit on us because he's accomplished everything he came into office to do. It's true, though. The rich have been handed a financial windfall that will ensure their position for generations, the government was drowned in a hurricane rather than a bathtub, oil prices are astronomical and will stay that way, our nation is dumber and more contentious, and there is no protection for citizens against the ills of corporate power."
~Ron Drake~

Give Him Hell, Harry

I've a big crush on Harry Taylor. Even though I've never met the man, I'm in serious love with his character and his courage. Because Harry Taylor is the American patriot who today voiced what the majority of Americans have been thinking for quite a long time.

During a routine Bush spinfest at Central Piedmont Community College, Harry boldly stood and, looking down on Bush from his balcony seat, told President Bush exactly what he thought.

TAYLOR: You never stop talking about freedom, and I appreciate that. But while I listen to you talk about freedom, I see you assert your right to tap my telephone, to arrest me and hold me without charges, to try to preclude me from breathing clean air and drinking clean water and eating safe food. If I were a woman, you'd like to restrict my opportunity to make a choice and decision about whether I can abort a pregnancy on my own behalf. You are --

THE PRESIDENT: I'm not your favorite guy. Go ahead. Go on, what's your question?

TAYLOR: Okay, I don't have a question. What I wanted to say to you is that I -- in my lifetime, I have never felt more ashamed of, nor more frightened by my leadership in Washington, including the presidency, by the Senate, and --

AUDIENCE MEMBERS: Booo!

THE PRESIDENT: No, wait a sec -- let him speak.

TAYLOR: And I would hope -- I feel like despite your rhetoric, that compassion and common sense have been left far behind during your administration, and I would hope from time to time that you have the humility and the grace to be ashamed of yourself inside yourself. And I also want to say I really appreciate the courtesy of allowing me to speak what I'm saying to you right now. That is part of what this country is about.

THE PRESIDENT: It is, yes.

TAYLOR: And I know that this doesn't come welcome to most of the people in this room, but I do appreciate that.

THE PRESIDENT: Appreciate --

TAYLOR: I don't have a question, but I just wanted to make that comment to you.

THE PRESIDENT: I appreciate it, thank you. Let me --

TAYLOR: Can I ask a question?

THE PRESIDENT: I'm going to start off with what you first said, if you don't mind, you said that I tap your phones -- I think that's what you said. You tapped your phone -- I tapped your phones. Yes. No, that's right. Yes, no, let me finish... [WH Transcript]

Following was the same old Have-To-Protect-The-Murcan-People-From-Terra rhetoric. And then Junior wrapped it all up with his pretty denial bow: "But you said, would I apologize for that? The answer -- answer is, absolutely not."

In pre-coverage of the event, AP reporter Nedra Pickler wrote: Outside, Bush's motorcade came within site of at least a couple hundred protesters outside the hall. They chanted, "Do your job!" and held signs with phrases such as "Liar" and "Worst President Ever."

And this grand event happens on the same day it was revealed in court documents that Scooter Libby had testified about Vice President Cheney telling him that Bush had authorized the leak of portions of the National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq. [Source:CNN]

Ah, the hits just keep on coming. Yet one thought is troubling: If this entire Plame leak drama was orchestrated by the Bush administration (with promises of pardons to come, no doubt), then just what was the smokescreen meant to cover up?

The Joy of Irony

On May 14, 2004 the Departments of Justice, the FBI, and Homeland Security announced a child pornography file-sharing crackdown.

This crackdown included demands that Google and other major search engines turn over search data to federal authorities. And Google was the only company that refused.

Perhaps the DOH should have cleaned up their own backyard before entering the fray, because it is now known that Brian J. Doyle, the DOH deputy press secretary, was doing a wee bit of personal pressing.

Doyle was recently arrested in a child pornography sting. Arrested in his suburban Washington home, literally fresh from his hobby of teen screening, Doyle was charged with "23 counts related to using a computer to seduce a child and transmitting harmful materials to a minor."

But an odd turn in this incident is that Doyle confessed. I believe that makes him the first Republican in recent history who refused to deny the truth.


At least Doyle has a dead ringer to play his role in a movie of the week. Think Ian Holm will accept?

Has The Hammer Been Nailed?
The House pest self-exterminates

Time Magazine is reporting that Rep. Tom DeLay has announced he will not seek reelection, and that he will be dropping out of the race within months.

From the story: "He notified President Bush in the afternoon. DeLay and his wife, Christine, said they had been prepared to fight, but that he decided last Wednesday, after months of prayer and contemplation, to spare his suburban Houston district the mudfest to come."

Spare the district?? More like conserve his finances. I've the feeling he's going to need every last penny come sentencing time. Then, after Bush pardons him, Delay can return to his former occupation in cockroach management.


Image concept: EJ Moore

An early IBM punch card used by the SS for ethnic profiling

IBM and Adolf Hitler
Following Up On Old News

Of course, now it's no secret whose technology caused the trains in Nazi Germany to run on time, but I've been wondering what progress has been made on the 2004 lawsuit brought by a Gypsy group against IBM. So, today I did a bit of research, and guess what I found?

Nothing.

At least, no updates since an initial announcement of the lawsuit. If you've run across anything more recent, please alert me via comment, because I'm very curious to know of the lawsuit's outcome.

Should you be unfamiliar with this tidbit of Holocaust history, please visit IBM and the Holocaust and the Jewish Virtual Library for further enlightenment.