Silverboard

US Gun Statistics

2005-02-15T00:23:00.000-08:00

US Gun Statistics Various Sources 2-2-05

Physicians
(A) The number of physicians in the U.S. is 700,000.
(B) Accidental deaths caused by Physicians per year are 120,000.
(C) Accidental deaths per physician is 0.171. (Statistics courtesy of U.S. Dept. of Health Human Services)

Guns
(A) The number of gun owners in the U.S. is 80,000,000. Yes,that is 80 million.
(B) The number of accidental gun deaths per year, all age groups, is1,500.
(C) The number of accidental deaths per gun owner is 0.000188.

Statistically, doctors are approximately 9,000 times more dangerousthan gun owners. Remember, "Guns don't kill people, doctors do."FACT: NOT EVERYONE HAS A GUN, BUT ALMOST EVERYONE HAS AT LEAST ONEDOCTOR.

Please alert your friends to this alarming threat. We must ban doctors before this gets completely out of hand!

Out of concern for the public at large, I have withheld the statistics on lawyers for fear the shock would cause people to panic and seek medical attention.
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Police to Experiment with Microwaves to Stop Car Chases

2005-02-14T11:36:00.000-08:00

Most cars built since 1982 have computer chips that operate many functions in a car, including fuel injection. Police and scientists have long dreamed of using a source of energy that when aimed at a car, would disable the electronics in that car, causing it to stop.

While in theory this is possible, the problem has always been how to make a device that is portable enough to be used within a police car or helicopter, which would allow the police to pursue and then stop, a fleeing suspect. Well, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department will begin to experiment with just such a device later this summer. The device will reach out 300 feet and cause a car to simply stop accelerating. This would be much safer than present methods of using spike strips, which can cause a driver to loose control of a fast moving vehicle.

Another advantage for the police is that they could use the device whenever a suspect would be in a limited position to bolt and run, such as on an overpass. How the device will be aimed (it is still rather large) and its affect on other cars in the immediate area, are still unknown.

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That’s the way the cookie crumbles

2005-02-04T17:33:00.000-08:00

Frightened neighbor sues teens over late-night gift — and wins

DURANGO, Colo. - Two teenage girls who surprised their neighbors with homemade cookies late one night were ordered to pay nearly $900 in medical bills plus court costs
	Taylor Ostergaard, left, and Lindsey Zellitti on Thursday display cookies the two made for neighbors last summer.

for a woman who says she was so startled that she had to go to the hospital.

La Plata County Court Judge Doug Walker declined Thursday to award punitive damages, saying he did not believe the girls acted maliciously but that 10:30 was fairly late at night for them to be out.

Taylor Ostergaard, then 17, and Lindsey Jo Zellitti, then 18, baked the chocolate chip and sugar cookies one night last July. They made packages with a half-dozen cookies each and added large red or pink construction-paper hearts that carried the message, “Have a great night” and were signed with their first initials: “Love, The T and L Club.” Then they set off to make their deliveries.

The Denver Post reported Friday that the girls had decided to stay home and bake the cookies rather than go to a dance where there might be cursing and drinking. It reported that six neighbors wrote letters entered as evidence in the case thanking the girls for the cookies.

‘Shadowy figures’ and no answer to ‘Who’s there?’
But Wanita Renea Young, 49, said she was at her rural home south of Durango around 10:30 p.m. when she saw “shadowy figures” outside the house banging repeatedly on her door. She yelled, “Who’s there?” but no one answered, and the figures ran away.

The teens said they did not answer when the woman called out because they wanted the treats to be a surprise.

Frightened, Young spent the night at her sister’s home, then went to the hospital the next morning because she was still shaking, had an upset stomach and feared she had had a heart attack.

Apologies called insincere
The teenagers’ families offered to pay Young’s medical bills, but she declined and sued, saying their apologies were not sincere and were not offered in person.

The girls declined comment after the ruling. Taylor’s mother said her daughter “cried and cried.”

“She felt she was being punished for doing something nice,” Jill Ostergaard said.

Young said the teenagers showed “very poor judgment”

“The victory wasn’t sweet,” Young said. “I’m not gloating about it. I just hope the girls learned a lesson.”

The two were ordered to pay $871.70 plus $39 in court costs. They paid the judgment Thursday, a court clerk said Friday.

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American Media - I can't take it anymore

2005-01-30T22:11:00.000-08:00

When is our media going to get it? I can’t take it anymore. We are fed bad news about the war in Iraq all day long. Here are some of today’s headlines:

44 Die in Attacks!

Bush Hails Iraqi Vote, but warns of more fighting ahead

Iraqis defied threats of violence and calls for a boycott to cast ballots in Iraq’s first free election in a half-century Sunday, and insurgents struck polling stations with a string of suicide bombings and mortar strikes.

However, we didn’t hear about the 14.2 MILLION voters who turned out. 44 (including bombers) people out of 14.2 million is about .00003%. (Less than our margin of error for elections)

How many Americans voted in our last presidential election? About 53%!

Try this on for size:
The total number of votes cast (in the US 2004 Presidential election) was 115.7 million…(out of)…213.8 million eligible voters. (source: US Census Bureau)

There was also no confirmation of voter turnout among the country's 14 million eligible voters, but officials said they thought it

appeared higher than the 57 percent that had been predicted.

(Source: MSN.com)

Why do we focus on the negative? Why are we not asking, “why do more Iraqi’s vote, with terrorist threats no less, than American’s?”

Why do we focus on “44 Die In Attacks” rather than “14.2 Million Iraqi’s Vote!”

How many American’s die each day in our own country in car accidents? Drug overdoses? Random acts of violence?

Think about this:

The human cost of medical errors is high. Based on the findings of
one major study, medical errors kill some 44,000 people in U.S.
hospitals each year. Another study puts the number much higher, at
98,000. Even using the lower estimate, more people die from medical
mistakes each year than from highway accidents, breast cancer, or
AIDS.

Moreover, while errors may be more easily detected in hospitals, they
afflict every health care setting: day-surgery and outpatient clinics,
retail pharmacies, nursing homes, as well as home care. Deaths from
medication errors that take place both in and out of hospitals - more
than 7,000 annually - exceed those from workplace injuries.

Let’s encourage our American media to be shallow and continue to feed us the bad news of the work of our soldiers and the regrowth of the Iraqi society. Let’s allow them to ignore the problems of this country to criticize the Commander In Chief of the World’s most powerful nation.

Could our media, as a whole, withstand being in a giant sandbox instead of our soldiers? Could they operate a country 24 hours a day? Could they live in the limelight day in and day out without being called a failure?

A beautiful part of this country is the ability to protest against the things you disagree with and advertise those you do agree with. Stop using your RIGHTS to complain about the very tool that gave you those rights in the first place.

Let’s hear some equal coverage of what is ACTUALLY happening around the world and in our mighty Country.

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Jilted Man Begs for Wife's Return in $17,000 Ad

2005-01-27T19:11:00.000-08:00

Yahoo! News - Jilted Man Begs for Wife's Return in $17,000 Ad: "MIAMI (Reuters) - A Florida man has tried to win back his estranged wife with a full-page, $17,000 newspaper ad begging her to give him another chance.

Dubbed 'Lonesome Larry' by the Florida Times-Union, the man told the newspaper that his wife of 17-1/2 years had moved out, changed her cell phone number, refused to return his calls, barred him from entering her parents' gated community and ignored the five dozen roses he sent.
So Larry took out an ad addressed to 'Marianne' on Tuesday.
'Please believe the words in my letter, they are true and from my heart. I can only hope you will give me the chance to prove my unending love for you. Life without you is empty and meaningless,' the ad reads. 'Please, please, please call me. I love you with all my heart!'
The ad prompted calls from readers curious to know how things turned out, the newspaper said on Wednesday. It did not identify the man because of an advertiser privacy policy, but contacted him to learn what prompted the ad and whether Marianne had relented.
Larry told the newspaper that he knows his wife saw the advertisement because a relative is still speaking to him.
'She said my wife read the ad and started crying. But so far I've had no response from her,' the newspaper quoted Larry as saying."
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Devious New Phishing Attack

2005-01-27T16:36:00.000-08:00

PCWorld.com - Privacy Watch: Devious New Phishing Attack Outsmarts Typical Defenses

A vulnerability in Windows lets phishers hijack your browser--even when you type the URL yourself.

Andrew Brandt
From the March 2005 issue of PC World magazine
Posted Friday, January 21, 2005

You might think that you know how to protect yourself from phishing: Don't click the links in e-mail that purports to be from banks or other institutions. But that defense is no longer ironclad: Phishers have found a new way to snare data without your clicking a link.

Anyone with an inbox has seen a standard phishing attack: You get an e-mail warning you that something terrible has happened to your bank account and asking you to go to the bank's site to reenter your personal data. If you click the link in the e-mail, however, you go not to your bank but to a server run by a criminal who gathers all the data you enter. The best advice has been to ignore the link in the e-mail and instead type the URL of your bank's site into your browser. But that was then. Now--without protection--you can't even trust your browser when you type the address yourself.

Here's how the new phishing scam works. You receive an HTML e-mail message, and you open (or even just preview) the message in your e-mail client software. Windows PCs lacking one particular Microsoft security patch (available here) will run a tiny JavaScript applet as the client renders the HTML. The QHosts Trojan horse applet modifies the PC's Hosts file so that when you type in a bank's URL you actually go to a site controlled by the fraudsters. Since phishers have gotten very good at mimicking real sites, you may never know you're at the wrong one.

Spybot Search & Destroy lets you "lock" the Hosts file, preventing any other program from changing it. The Options tab in WinPatrol causes that program to pop up a dialog box if software attempts to change your Hosts file. And in the paid ZoneAlarm Pro firewall or ZoneAlarm Security Suite, you can enable an option in the Privacy Settings menu called Hosts File Protection that both locks the Hosts file and alerts you when something tries to change it.

While the impact of QHosts has been limited so far, phishers are likely to use this new technique much more in the near future. The fact that the Hosts file is easy to protect will be cold comfort to future victims who get hit with the next QHosts-like phishing scam.

--Andrew Brandt

Andrew Brandt is a senior associate editor for PC World. You can send him e-mail at consumerwatch@pcworld.com.

L.A. train crash suspect charged with murder

2005-01-27T10:27:00.000-08:00

GLENDALE, Calif. - The suicidal man who authorities say caused the chain-reaction train derailment that killed 11 people has been charged with multiple counts of murder and could face the death penalty, the district attorney said Thursday.

Why does it seem dumb to punish a suicidal man with the death penalty?
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MSNBC - 2 many txt msgs bad 4 yr health, doctors say

2005-01-24T09:38:00.000-08:00

MSNBC - 2 many txt msgs bad 4 yr health, doctors say:
Furious typing could lead to acute tendonitis

"ROME - Excessive text messaging may be bad for you, or at least for your fingers.
advertisement

That's what some Italian doctors think. They are telling people, particularly the young, that furious typing on mobile phones could lead to acute tendonitis.

Italian newspapers La Repubblica and Il Messaggero dedicated about half a page each to the problem on Monday.

A 13-year-old girl in the northern Italian city of Savona needed treatment from an orthopaedic specialist after typing at least 100 short message services (SMSs) a day.
She was prescribed anti-inflammatory medicine and ordered to rest her hands.

According to a recent study conducted for children's rights group Telefono Azzurro, some 37 percent of Italian children are "cell phone addicts." Irritability and mood swings were other symptoms linked to very frequent cell phone use among the young.

The message is clear: MayB U shd stop B4 its 2 L8."

Apprentice 3 - Coming Tonight

2005-01-20T18:26:00.000-08:00

MSNBC - Can Apprentice 3 rescue the concept?:
By Sarah D. Bunting
MSNBC contributor

Despite what series star Donald Trump might try to tell you about the ratings for Season Two, the show didn't do nearly as well in its second season as it did in its first, for a number of reasons first among them the casting. Part of the attraction of reality TV is its frequent resemblance to a human train wreck, it's true, but in order to make said wreckage compelling, a reality show needs to give audiences someone to root for.
The first season's merry band of Boardroomians had its share of the obnoxious (Heidi), the tactlessly inept (Jessie), and the downright certifiable (Omarosa). But it also had Troy forthright, innovative, folksy, and almost universally beloved and a final two, Bill and Kwame, who knew how to get things done and behave professionally at the same time. Viewers who rooted for one of them could still get behind a victory for the other.

By contrast, the second season's final two came down to a choice between the lesser of two evils: smug micromanager Kelly, or manipulative idler Jennifer M. The contestants fired before them didn't exactly cover themselves with glory either, between orchestrating the catty and groundless firing of Stacie J. (all the women except Jen M.), dissolving into tears over perceived slights (Elizabeth and Maria), and not knowing how to pronounce Carolyn's name (Bradford). Oh, and dropping trou on the street (oh, Ivana).

"The Apprentice" did well in its first season because it at least faintly resembled a real job interview; the performance of the competitors on tasks and in the boardroom had some relevance to who did or didn't get fired, and we viewers loved armchair-quarterbacking the process from the perspective of our own work experiences.

[...]

Viewers often root for the plain-spoken, results-oriented "street smarts" type of contestant; Troy and Sandy both became audience favorites. But Trump is biased towards book-larnin'. So what happens if street smarts consistently beats book smarts?

Because it's not just a question that comes up on the show; it's a question that comes up in real life, too, all the time. It's a question job applicants have to prepare an answer for: why they should be hired instead a more qualified, or more educated, candidate.

Constructing the teams this way brings the hiring/firing process of the show back to something viewers can relate to, and how Trump reacts to the result is going to govern the show's fate.

If street smarts mops the floor with book smarts, but Trump still finds an excuse to favor the Ivy Leaguers, any credibility "The Apprentice" still had will be destroyed.

If he pays attention to actual accomplishments, and favors contestants based on ability and performance instead of interpersonal melodrama, he can once again call his show the best program on TV.

But only if the season finale is a manageable length next time. Dear Donald: One hour, no Regis, or you're fired.

Virgin Plans to Put Casinos in the Sky

2005-01-19T18:10:00.000-08:00

Virgin Plans to Put Casinos in the Sky:

"With seats for 500 passengers, Virgin's A380 could be slightly less spacious than Qatar's, but founder and chairman Branson suggested it might make up for that in other ways.
'We'll also have a lot more double beds, so alongside our casino you'll have at least two ways of getting lucky on a Virgin flight,' he said."

MSNBC - Tsunami death toll rises above 225,000

2005-01-19T09:12:00.000-08:00

JAKARTA, Indonesia - Indonesia's Health Ministry raised the country's death toll from the Dec. 26 tsunami to 166,320 on Wednesday, pushing the total number of people killed in the disaster above 225,000.

A Health Ministry statement said the new figure was based on latest reports from the provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra, which were directly in the path of the killer tsunami spawned by a magnitude-9 earthquake the day after Christmas.

The new death toll — a jump of more than 50,000 on the ministry's last figure — includes many people who were previously listed as missing, a senior ministry official told Reuters.

Big Dismal :: Home

2005-01-17T19:52:00.000-08:00

Big Dismal :: Home

HOT! This band is totally hot. With an awesome mix of rock and Christian, they sound mainstream and offer some amazing sounds. Check 'em out.

VICCI MARTINEZ - This gifted teenager singer-songwriter has talent to burn!

2005-01-17T19:50:00.000-08:00

VICCI MARTINEZ - This gifted teenager singer-songwriter has talent to burn!

VICCI MARTINEZ, SINGER: 'As an artist, you have your people that you look up to.'

Vicci Martinez was 14 years old when Dave Matthews changed her life.

The Tacoma teen had just started learning to play guitar when a friend invited her to a Dave Matthews Band concert at the Gorge Amphitheatre in Grant County. Martinez was only a marginal fan at the time and owned a copy of Matthews' "Crash" album. But what she saw that day made her a true believer. She was blown away by her new idol's energetic delivery and the sincerity of his expression.

Check out her CD, personal favorite? "Nature Of Love"

Streamload - Share Videos and Photos - Online MP3 Access

2005-01-17T19:47:00.000-08:00

Streamload - Share Videos and Photos - Online MP3 Access

A company called Streamload is offering consumers a free 10 gigabyte online storage locker for multimedia files, potentially raising the stakes for larger companies such as Yahoo and America Online.

Streamload typically provides online storage space for a price, making it one of the few companies to survive in that business through the dot-com shakeout. However, it is increasingly competing with larger companies that offer online homes for digital photographs, and even the huge archive space provided by Google's Gmail service.

Company executives say the offer of big online storage lockers, once used only by advanced computer users, is now more relevant to a broader public that has large collections of digital photographs and MP3 files.

"It seems to have come to appeal not only to the hard-core early adopters, but to mainstream users," Streamload CEO Steve Iverson said. "It's no longer a novelty to have an MP3 player, and even having a place online to store MP3 files so you can fill up your iPod on the road has become more common."

Get Mail Icons

2005-01-12T10:03:00.000-08:00

Create your own email icon here.

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Our Heros

2005-01-10T15:37:00.000-08:00

A very nice piece about our American Heroes:

http://www.clermontyellow.accountsupport.com/flash/UntilThen.swf

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Divorce Court

2005-01-08T16:52:00.000-08:00

DIVORCE COURT: A case in Spokane County has gotten national attention, but probably not the kind Superior Court Judge Paul Bastine might want.

The judge is catching holy heck from women’s groups, the ACLU and advocates for domestic violence victims after denying pregnant Shawnna Hughes a divorce until after she gives birth.

Bastine says he made his decision based on state law designed to preserve the rights of children and enable the state to seek reimbursement for welfare money. Bastine’s critics say he’s misinterpreting the law, and unless overturned his ruling could set an unfortunate precedent for pregnant victims of abuse.

What makes this case doubly interesting is that Hughes’ husband, who served time for beating her and is now in jail on federal drug charges, apparently is not the child’s father and had agreed to the divorce. Without a divorce, Hughes can’t marry the man she says is the child’s father – who is in jail for a gang-related drive-by shooting.

Although the legal aspects of the case are confusing, one thing can be said regarding Hughes’ taste in men: She sure can pick ‘em.

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So Gregoire only had to win one game to become the winner?

2005-01-08T16:51:00.000-08:00

TONY SCHWARTZ; Puyallup
Last updated: January 8th, 2005 09:04 AM

In regards to the Washington gubernatorial race, an analogy if you will:
If the Seattle Mariners lost every game of the 2005 regular season but won the last game of the season, then without doubt they are clear-cut winners of the American League West division and should rightfully be in the World Series.

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Rossi files suit for a new vote

2005-01-08T10:15:00.000-08:00

USA - Republican Dino Rossi formally contested the November election yesterday, claiming that errors, negligence and misconduct have made it impossible to know who really won the closest governor's race in U.S. history. In a lawsuit filed in Chelan County Superior Court, Rossi asked that Gov.-elect Christine Gregoire's 129-vote victory be nullified and a new election ordered.

"The number of illegal votes counted, and the number of valid votes improperly rejected in this election, are so great as to render the true result of the election uncertain and likely unknowable," the lawsuit claimed.

Gregoire, who is set to be sworn into office Wednesday, has maintained that the idea of a re-vote is "ludicrous." But she said yesterday that she respects Rossi's right to have his day in court.

"I don't take any of this personally," Gregoire said. "I respect the right of others to file an action in court. That's their right."

Rossi, seeking to become the state's first Republican governor since John Spellman left office 20 years ago, won the initial Nov. 2 tally by 261 votes of nearly 2.9 million cast. He then prevailed in an automatic recount by 42 votes, before the state Democratic Party demanded and paid for a third and final count, this time by hand, resulting in Gregoire's 129-vote victory.

Rossi based his election challenge heavily on the fact that county records around the state show more votes counted than people credited with voting.

...Thank God!

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Dead voted in governor's race

2005-01-07T13:58:00.000-08:00

USA - At least eight people who died well before the November general election were credited with voting in King County, raising new questions about the integrity of the vote total in the narrow governor's race, a Seattle Post-Intelligencer review has found.The evidence of votes from dead people is the latest example of flaws in an election already rocked by misplaced votes and allegations that there were thousands more votes counted than actual voters.

County officials say they are investigating the cases pointed out by the P-I. "These are not indications of fraud," said Bill Huennekens, King County's elections supervisor. "Fraud is a concerted effort to change an election."

You're right, Sir. The fact that we have 3,000 new votes for our "winner" after 3 recounts does not raise any suspicion of fraud. ("Fraud is a concerted effort to change an election.")

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NBC's 'Fear Factor' Sued for Rat-Eating Episode

2005-01-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Watching contestants eat dead rats on NBC's gross-out stunt show "Fear Factor" so disgusted a Cleveland man that he has sued NBC for $2.5 million, saying he could not stomach what he saw.

In a handwritten four-page lawsuit filed in federal court in Cleveland on Tuesday, paralegal Austin Aitken said, "To have the individuals on the show eat (yes) and drink dead rats was crazy and from a viewer's point of view made me throw-up as well an another in the house at the same time."

His suit added, "NBC is sending the wrong message to its TV watchers that cash can make or have people do just about anything beyond reasoning (sic) and in most cases against their will."

He said the show caused his blood pressure to rise so high that he became dizzy and light-headed, and when he ran away to his room, he bumped his head into the doorway.

In a brief telephone interview with Reuters, Aitken said, "I am not at liberty to discuss the complaint unless it is a paid-interview situation."

A spokesman for "Fear Factor" said the show would have no comment until it sees a copy of the complaint. The spokesman said the program did feature a rat-eating scene in New York's Times Square on Nov. 8.

Over the years, contestants on the program have eaten some weird things, including ground-up spiders and live worms.

Here's an idea. DON'T WATCH THE SHOW.

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The Tide Changes In Rossi's Favor

2005-01-04T08:32:00.000-08:00

Rossi given fresh hope as 'mystery voters' grow

USA - Thousands of "mystery voters" in the counties of King, Pierce, Snohomish, Clark and Kitsap appear to be Republican Dino Rossi's best prospect for challenging the legitimacy of the closest and most contentious gubernatorial election in the state's history.The state Republican Party yesterday called on county election officials to explain what the GOP says is a nearly 8,500-vote discrepancy between county vote tallies and the number of people credited with actually voting in the election.

"People ask me what would fraud look like? It would look like this," said state Republican Party Chairman Chris Vance.

County auditors and election officials say Republicans have based their conclusions on there being many more votes than voters on preliminary lists, and they say much of the deviation would be accounted for as voter lists are updated.

But they do not dispute that the numbers don't add up.

Fight Rossi! Fight!

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Washington Now Lead By Circus-Master

2004-12-31T18:23:00.000-08:00

I did not think it was possible for me to get more upset on this issue. How can she force this state into THREE counts of the votes, each recount with MORE votes than the first, always saying "we will find the 'truth'" and then make the comment in bold. Her leadership style is a slap in the face to every voter in the state and should not be rewarded with the PRIVLAGE of leading this state for 4-years. I do not want a leader who holds her own interests above those of the people who elected her in the first place.

Gregoire, you have done this state wrong and your two-faced tactics are absolutely asinine. Your personal agenda, lying, and deceit has make this state a laughing stock of the country. Best of luck leading this clown car into your personal circus. I would venture to say no one supports the way you slime-balled your way into OUR Governor’s mansion..

USA - OLYMPIA -- Democrat Christine Gregoire was declared Washington's next governor yesterday, but Republican Dino Rossi refused to quit the race and cited thousands of "mystery voters" in King County as ample ammunition for continuing the fight.The state Republican Party obtained a list of the people who voted in King County as part of a larger request for information designed to show systemic problems with the election.

The data showed that 895,660 people voted in the state's largest county. That's a problem, Republicans said, because King County tallied 899,199 votes -- 3,539 more votes than there were voters.

"We want the names of those people now," Rossi said. "You shouldn't be able to certify an election with 3,500 mystery voters."

Gregoire said mistakes made in the election have been corrected, it's been certified and it's time to forge ahead.

"In the beginning, this was an election about issues but in the end, the election itself became the issue," Gregoire said. "We proved that Washington state is not Florida and now we move forward."

After certifying the election results, Secretary of State Sam Reed said the discrepancy in King County would likely be accounted for when the voter lists are updated. He added, however, that if the county is not able to explain the problem it could be grounds for contesting the election.

King County Elections Director Dean Logan said the voter lists were preliminary and had not been completely reconciled.

Poll books and absentee ballot data had not been carefully compared and updated yet, according to county officials. Another factor is unreconciled data about voters who are part of the state's Address Confidentiality Program.

Reed said there are about 1,000 voters in King County who participate in that program, which is designed to shield people from potentially abusive spouses or partners.

The county normally reconciles the lists shortly after the election is certified in November. But because of the two recounts, that work was postponed. Election officials said it could be updated by next week.

State Republican Party Chairman Chris Vance said King County officials are "in defense mode" and dragging their feet.

"If King County can't explain it, this could be the bombshell that blows up the election," Vance said. "This is the most glaring thing that we've see so far, if it is not adequately explained. You got more votes than you've got people."

When he certified the election yesterday, Reed, a Republican, said that to his knowledge it had been conducted fairly.

"I do not feel like this is a botched election," Reed said. "This is such a close election that there's no question that between these counts that we have some shifting but it was just a minute percentage ... that happens every time there is a close election like this. That is the nature of the beast."

Gregoire won a statewide hand recount by 129 votes out of more than 2.8 million cast -- believed to be the closest governor's race in U.S. history. Rossi won the original count by 261 votes and the mandatory machine recount by 42.

"Anytime something is this close, and you put the magnifying glass on the election, you are going to see some of the warts of the system and some of the glitches." Reed said.

"I saw serious mistakes made around the state of Washington in the election. I saw them being corrected. That's part of our process. ... The system itself has worked well."

But Reed said that does not exclude the possibility that the election could be challenged.

"I would not say that somebody ought to be conceding at this point," he said, adding that Rossi has every right to contest the election "and I would fully expect that to occur."

Rossi would not commit yesterday to challenging the election, but said he's still evaluating the evidence.

"We're going to have to have a very strong case where people just couldn't look the other way," Rossi said.

"That's what we are going to look at and see if it rises to that level and then I'll make a decision as to whether we go forward or not."

State Sen. Bill Finkbeiner, R-Kirkland, joined Rossi in calling for a second election because he fears that Washington voters have "lost faith in the integrity of the process."

"There is no question that King County's election process was biased in favor of Christine Gregoire," Finkbeiner said.

"The King County elections process, run by an appointed elections official who reports to the Democratic King County executive, pushed the envelope repeatedly until they had the votes necessary for a Gregoire victory."

A legal challenge would have to be filed by Jan. 22, 10 days after Gregoire's scheduled inauguration.

Grounds for contesting the election include misconduct by an election board or illegal votes.

Gregoire, who would be only the second female governor in Washington history, was a top official in the Attorney General's Office before then-Gov. Booth Gardner tapped her as state ecology director. In 1992 she was elected to the first of three terms as attorney general.

She made her mark as lead negotiator between the states and America's tobacco industry, winning a landmark settlement that should bring the states more than $200 billion.

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Cell Phone use on Planes

2004-12-20T11:13:00.000-08:00

The FCC is going to ask for public comment about removing the ban on use of cell phones on airplanes, and approved having multiple carriers for seat-back phones, which may eventually provide a wireless Internet connection at the seat.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=528&e=3&u=/ap/20041216/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/fcc_air_travelers

http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1035_22-5491802.html

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,118969,00.asp

Planes will never be quiet again.
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Washington State Politics

2004-12-19T16:29:00.000-08:00

As if I need to step into the political-thang, I will soon be launching my blog focused on Washington State politics and the lack thereof we are experiencing.

Stay tuned for more...

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New Blogs -- Coming Soon

2004-12-19T16:28:00.000-08:00

I am getting ready to launch my first commercial blog. I will be entitled "Building Your Online Empire", my company, StormFront Development will be the sponsor. It will focus on doing business online.

Interested?

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2004-12-19T16:24:00.000-08:00

Ever thought about how much smaller our country is?

Think about it, my generation has text messaging, instant messaging, free nationwide long distance, and the internet. We can talk to someone in Spain as if they were in the same room.

When was the last time you wrote a letter with a pen and paper, addressed it by looking up the address, put a stamp on it, and put it into a real metal mailbox?

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Why!?

2004-11-20T23:03:00.000-08:00

Why are people so dumb!? This is taken from a friend of mine who is only 17.

***NAME REMOVED*** says:
hey
Shaun Eric says:
hello
***NAME REMOVED*** says:
i just got arrested
Shaun Eric says:
for what
***NAME REMOVED*** says:
mallicious mischief, and MIP MIC
Shaun Eric says:
what the hell were you doing!?
***NAME REMOVED*** says:
where do u want me to start
Shaun Eric says:
I don't know.... it is a little frustrating
***NAME REMOVED*** says:
im sorry
***NAME REMOVED*** says:
want me to tell u some other day
Shaun Eric says:
not really
Shaun Eric says:
honestly -- do you think I want to hear about it?
Shaun Eric says:
Trust me -- I am holding back what I really want to say
***NAME REMOVED*** says:
???
Shaun Eric says:
what?
***NAME REMOVED*** says:
when did u want me to tell u
Shaun Eric says:
I don't know
***NAME REMOVED*** says:
k
***NAME REMOVED*** says:
well this is what happened... yesterday night my friend bought eggs, and egged cars ...but we used my car to do it, and it got reported...and tonight my friend was driving and i was drinking, and we got pulled over by ofcr hellyer so he could tell me that he needed to talk to me about a mal misc...and then tony didnt have his license on him...so we both had to step out of the car
***NAME REMOVED*** says:
then
***NAME REMOVED*** says:
the reserve was all u can come with me...then shane started to search my car and i was like u need a warrant for that and started to walk towards him..then the reserve grabbed me, and put me in a arm lock and i resisted against him...then they put me in the patrol car next to the k-9....and i started kickin and punchin the doors...and the dog went psyco so then shane came back and red me my rights
***NAME REMOVED*** says:
and said i was under arrest...etc...
***NAME REMOVED*** says:
then they searched my car, found alcohol and tony and i got taken to the pd
***NAME REMOVED*** says:
im gonna go talk to mike
***NAME REMOVED*** says:
bye

Am I just too old to understand the reasoning!? I have seen and arrested too many young people who are just screwing up their lives for NO REASON.
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2004-11-20T22:59:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine wrote this, I thought it was good.

Dreams
The desires of our hearts and mind, our dreams could be mean or kind. Digging deep to find the thought, that our hearts one day fought. To be all that we can be, one day you will see. The beauty of our desires seem, all to be just a dream
~Lissy

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Humans: Directions Needed

2004-11-17T22:52:00.000-08:00

Some examples of why the human race has probably evolved as far as possible. These are actual instruction labels on consumer goods...

On Sears hairdryer:
Do not use while sleeping.
(Gee, that's the only time I have to work on my hair!)

On a bag of Fritos:
You could be a winner! No purchase necessary. Details inside.
(The shoplifter special!)

On a bar of Dial soap:
Directions: Use like regular soap.
(and that would be how?)

On some Swann frozen dinners:
Serving suggestion: Defrost.
(But it's 'just' a suggestion!)

On Tesco's Tiramisu dessert: (printed on bottom of the box)
Do not turn upside down.
(Too late! you lose!)

On Marks & Spencer Bread Pudding:
Product will be hot after heating.
(Are you sure? Let's experiment.)

On packaging for a Rowenta iron:
Do not iron clothes on body.
(But wouldn't that save more time?)

On Boot's Children's cough medicine:
Do not drive car or operate machinery.
(We could do a lot to reduce the construction accidents if we just kept those 5 year olds off those fork lifts.)

On Nytol sleep aid:
Warning: may cause drowsiness.
(One would hope!)

On a Korean kitchen knife:
Warning: keep out of children.
(hmm...something must have gotten lost in the translation...)

On a string of Christmas lights:
For indoor or outdoor use only.
(As opposed to use in outer space.)

On a food processor:
Not to be used for the other use.
(Now I'm curious.)

On Sainsbury's peanuts:
Warning: contains nuts.
(but no peas?)

On an American Airlines packet of nuts:
Instructions: open packet, eat nuts.
(You know somebody got paid big bucks to write this one...)

On a Swedish chainsaw:
Do not attempt to stop chain with your hands.
(Raise your hand if you've tried this...)

On a child's Superman costume:
Wearing of this garment does not enable you to fly.
(Oh go ahead! That's right, destroy a universal childhood belief.)
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Stuff that bugs me...

2004-11-17T22:45:00.000-08:00

Stuff that bugs me ...

:: People who point at their wrist while asking for the time. I know where my watch is buddy, where the hell is yours? Do I point at my crotch when I ask where the bathroom is?

:: People who are willing to get up to search the entire room for the TV remote because they refuse to walk to the TV and change the channel manually.

:: When people say "Oh you just want to have your cake and eat it too". Duh. What good is a cake if you can't eat it? What, should I eat someone else's cake instead?

:: When people say "It's always in the last place you look". Of course it is. Why would you keep looking after you've found it? Do people do this? Who and where are they?

:: When people say, while watching a movie "Did you see that?" No nerd, I paid $9.00 to come to the theater and stare at the frigging ceiling up there. What did you come here for?

:: When something is "new and improved", which is it? If it's new, then there has never been anything before it. If it's an improvement, then there must have been something before it.

:: When people say "Life is short." What the...?? Life is the longest freaking thing anyone ever does!! What? Are they going to do something that's longer?

:: When people ask "Can I BORROW a piece of paper?" Sure, but please don't return the favor! It's one piece of paper!

:: When you are waiting for the bus and someone ask you "Did the bus come yet?" If the bus came I would not be standing here now would I?!

:: People who ask "Can I ask you a question?" You didn't really give me a choice there, did ya buddy?

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No, you pay me....

2004-11-17T15:21:00.000-08:00

Taken from someone else:

why is it that we pay for something we absolutely abhor? why do we insist on paying colleges and universities thousands of dollars to have us write 10 page papers and wake up at ridiculous hours of the morning? those hours could be spent sleeping soundly in our nice warm beds. with that in mind, i say we start a revolution, i say we demand schools to pay us to go to their "prestigious learning facilities."

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Powell to leave cabinet

2004-11-15T11:54:00.000-08:00

Powell and three others leaving Cabinet

AP Photos/Photo Illustration

Clockwise from upper left, Secretary of State Colin Powell,
Education Secretary Rod Paige, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman and
Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham.

Read the story

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Halo 2

2004-11-11T13:41:00.000-08:00

Halo 2 came out, for those of you that love Halo 2 and have mastered it already, check out the Halo2 challenge at Puyallup Foursquare (601 9th Ave SE) on Friday at about 7:00.

Cover is $7. Cash prizes will be awarded.

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The $15 Purchase

2004-11-11T13:21:00.000-08:00

Did you know spending one hour in Office Depot and $15.76 will purchase exactly 8 solid black G-2 Pilot pens and 4 colored G-2 Pilot pens. I do.

Sorry it has been so long since the last post. I didn't know so many people read this.

I got to talk to my friend in Conn today, that was cool. On the phone is always better than online.

Gotta go!

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Rossi widens lead, but race stays tight

2004-11-11T13:11:00.000-08:00

Rossi widens lead, but race stays tight

USA - Republican Dino Rossi slightly widened his slim lead in the governor's race yesterday, despite the fact that many of the newly counted votes came from King County, where Democrat Christine Gregoire dominates. The numbers remain inconclusive nine days after the election, and some observers said it was decreasingly likely that a winner would be declared before Wednesday, when counties must certify their tallies.

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Moma Stortini's

2004-11-01T18:14:00.000-08:00

Visited the grand opening of a very nice little Italian place tonight, it was full of interesting experiences.

First, the largest ice block I have ever seen was split in two just outside the door.

Second, the owner, Joe Stortini, was greeting everybody in the place (all 10 of us) for most of the night. If there was room, Stortini would pull up a chair and chat with the patrons for a bit.

The wait staff was slightly clumsy; it was almost comical the way things were happening. I felt as if I was there to judge waiters. Nothing to exciting, just plate slammed on the table, misunderstood orders, lack of refills – their hearts were in the right place!!

I will certainly visit again.

Stortini’s actually has quite a history even before opening its doors here in Puyallup:

Moma Stortini’s was a well established restaurant in Tacoma. The government of Tacoma wanted to change a particular area of Tacoma to be more “visitor friendly”. They choose to close the building Momma’s was in.

Moma’s closed after umpteen years and moved to Puyallup.

Visit them at: http://www.mamastortinis.com

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From the mind of two girls

2004-10-27T10:35:00.000-07:00

Written by a friend ...

Tuesday, October 26, 2004

What's the point? By Jen and Sarah

#1. What is the point of whistling at girls when they're walking down the street???? You just look like an idiot... and we really do make fun of you deep down :)

#2. We don't care how much money you put into your car.... We don't care about the exhaust or whatever you call it.... Don't try to show it off, cause the only thing that matters is if the car actually runs and dosen't leave us stranded when we're on dates with you. Try talking about something other than your car.

#3 Don't ask to see our asses.... cause if you were our boyfriend, you can see it all you want... if not, keep your comments to yourselves... oh yes, no touching please! :)

#4 Sorry if we're not a size 2..... we're beautiful the way God made us, and if you were a real man, you'd accept us for who we are. Besides... we got more ass and body to keep you occupied in the long run. Appreciate it!

#5 Don't try too hard to impress us. Just be yourself... trying too hard makes us wanna run away as fast as we can... and we never wanna look back.

#6 Don't play mind games with us. If you have something on your mind... get the balls God gave you and tell us how you really feel. In the end, you'll benefit definately :)

#7 Most girls would rather be viewed beautiful or cute... rather than hot... it just seems more feminine :)

#8 Don't put yourself down, as part of the conversation.... Remember, confidence is what keeps us interested.... Don't show off by talking about yourself like you're God's hands either... that will make us mark you off our list forever... you'd never know what hit you

#9 We love compliments! Some girls just fish... we on the other hand.... we love who we are... if you love us too.. let us know! It's better knowing that you feel wonderful around us, because you want to.. not because we forced you to

#10 Don't talk about us women like we're pieces of ass... that just makes us want to rip your balls off and stick them in a realllllllly realllly small jar

#11 Sex is something that we don't view as a hobby.... it's a privilage and you must show that you're worth it... Other than that, don't expect that much from us. We won't give it up, no matter how hard you try. No matter what cheesy ass line you use.... or any other way you get girls in the sack. That only works on easy girls. We stand our guard.

Thanks! Love Jen and Sarah

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DUI does not just ‘happen’ to anyone

2004-10-25T23:41:00.000-07:00

Monday, October 25th, 2004 12:01 AM (PDT)

Sheri Badger made a statement after her DUI arrest (TNT, 10-20) that was noteworthy. She was quoted as saying, “It can happen to anyone.”
I find this insulting to every safe driver in America. DUI does not just happen. It is a result of a chain of events set in motion by the perpetrator drinking too much.

I don’t drink. I haven’t ever been arrested for DUI. See the connection? By minimizing the event, Badger undermines all work she has done as DUI task force leader. She has to take responsibility for her actions.

If you drive hammered, prepare to get nailed.

Sheri Badger WAS the head-cheese of the DUI Task Force here in Pierce County. She was recently arrested for .... yep. DUI. You would think, by being the DUI Task Force coordinator, you may have some self-control for things like: driving while under the influence of intoxicants. But, maybe I am assuming too much.
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My friend: Jen P.

2004-10-25T22:39:00.000-07:00

Here is my friend Jen, she is one of the coolest people ever.

We met at my old job. That is about it.

Check out her little spot on the internet here:

http://profiles.myspace.com/users/6133227

Jen P.

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Got the Invite!

2004-10-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the help - I got my GMail account.

I am going to post it here, write to the address below if you are interested.

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GMail Invitation

2004-10-25T09:34:00.000-07:00

I would love an invitation to GMail. No reason in particular, just interested in seeing what it is all about. If you happen to have one, please sent it my way.

It is dumb that people are selling them. IN ADDITION, the site gmailswap.com is dumb since it doesn't work right. It just sends me in a loop of frustration.

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Finally - someone who GETS IT.

2004-10-20T22:02:00.000-07:00

After talking about why Bush shouldn't be judged for the "mistake" in Iraq regarding WMD, the writer says this (really, a good way of looking at it):

"When a police officer shoots a hostage taker who is threatening a hostage’s life with a gun, the officer is not guilty of murder because it is subsequently discovered that the gun was empty or malfunctioning. The appropriateness of the officer’s conduct is judged based on the information available to him at the time he makes a decision to shoot the hostage taker. Holding the police officer liable for murder would discourage police from taking reasonable action and result in the deaths of more hostages."

Well said.

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Another quick one... when will it end

2004-10-20T21:56:00.000-07:00

This gentleman goes on for way to long talking about how the newly-formed police department in the newly-formed city of Lakewood is a waste of money.
When said newly-formed police department requested a newly-build police station, they were met with this reply from a concerned citizen who will probably never have police respond to his house.

"So where are the savings? We do not need to build another facility, Why not utilize the old Safeway building? Why not have the police on the streets instead of sitting in fancy buildings."

Kiss your protection good-bye, Mr. Paul Nimmo.

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We got ourselves a quick one ...

2004-10-20T21:49:00.000-07:00

Is this lady even American?

After several paragraphs of "Bush-Bashing", Mrs. Barbara Gorzinski says this,

"My recollection is that there was never an American declaration of war on Iraq. The Senate voted to authorize the use of force at the discretion of the president, a power I think he already had."

Umm, Ma'am, read the news. Shortly after this country was bombed with our own planes, we (the President, after being authorized by the Senate) declared war on countries housing or harboring known terrorists - a.k.a. - those in, or believed to be in, possession of weapons of mass destruction - a.k.a. Iraq.

Oh yeah, the President DOES NOT have the power to declare war. Read the Constitution.

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Well Said - dumb cell phones

2004-10-20T21:45:00.000-07:00

BEN W. GILBERT TACOMA
Sunday, October 17th, 2004 12:01 AM (PDT)

Bill Raspberry’s column (TNT, 10-11) highlighted a very real problem” the potential annoyance of the looming wider use of cell phones on airplanes.
Cell phones have become omnipresent and omni-annoying. One can hear errant cell phone voices in the supermarket, along Ruston Way, in theater lobbies, at gathering public meetings and many other places. Some motorists even divide their attention between driving and their cells.

Once upon a time, telephone conversations were considered private affairs. It was unmannerly to eavesdrop, even inadvertently. The technology is not the problem. It is with the righteous way that too many cell phone carriers use it.

...well said, Ben

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2004-10-20T16:52:00.000-07:00

What a waste of a day. It was so long but I don’t really know what I got accomplished. Strange. I have a meeting tonight, that will be interesting and fun. It has to do with work, that is always fun.

I am not really in the writing mood, sorry. You’ll have to wait until next time.

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Shopping Carts on the Loose

2004-10-19T17:29:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, October 17, 2004, the Tacoma News Tribute published an article saying the cities of Kent and Federal Way would begin charging shopping centers (like Safeway and Albertsons) for carts found off of their property.

The cities say a fine ranging between $5 and $50 PER cart would be imposed upon these stores.

Apparently, it is SUCH a problem in these fine cities that emergency vehicles are being blocked by said runaway carts and city officials feel the only way to manage the out of control aisle vehicles would be to charge their loving owners for anyone found wondering out of the yard.

Moreover, the cities are offering this other mind-blowing solution to the shopping centers. Install $170 (per cart) radio transmitters on the $150 carts. This would cause the wheels on the cart to lock if it were to travel outside of the designated area.

Why don’t we start charging Honda when we recover the stolen Civic? It would make sense to the fine elected officials in Kent and Federal Way.

If it makes you feel better? A couple other cities are looking to pass this same motion if it is greeted with outstretched arms.