The United States Senate on Wednesday November 15, 2002, passed and sent to the president legislation designed to give the Defense Department a broad exemption from the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which protects 850 species of birds from harmful practices.

Ok, so here's the deal. The Military gets to destroy whatever kinda bird it wants. They're always in the way, you know, of those huge smart bombs that seem to go in all directions at once. Now, you may think that this is an ok deal--I mean the administration is heading toward perpetual war, and what's a few boobys dying in the process? But here's the dumbass thing "a government lawyer argued that bird lovers benefit when the military kills birds because "bird watchers get more enjoyment spotting a rare bird than they do spotting a common one."

Perhaps the same should be said of politicians.

Story from the LA Times [registration required]

If the Homeland Security Act is not amended before passage, here is what will happen to you: Every purchase you make with a credit card, every magazine subscription you buy and medical prescription you fill, every Web site you visit and e-mail you send or receive, every academic grade you receive, every bank deposit you make, every trip you book and every event you attend — all these transactions and communications will go into what the Defense Department describes as "a virtual, centralized grand database."

Such a nice thought. It's not like the Nazi's at all, Or the Ruskies. Nah, it's just common sense. Remember what they said as Hitler's jackbooted thugs made the rounds "If you don't have anything to hide, why worry?"

Story from the NY Times by worrywart William Safire.

The Army Corps of Engineers dumps 200,000 tons of "toxic sludge" through the C&O Canal National Park and into the Potomac, a designated American Heritage river, every year in violation of the Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act. The Corps began the discharges in 1989 under a permit issued by the EPA, but the permit expired in 1993. The Corps was allowed to continue dumping under the expired permit until this year. A new permit was issued in March.

Ok, so maybe they just need to get rid of a little bit of effluent they've produced over the year. Fine. But here's Army Corps' reason that this is good for you and those pesky fish:

(Dumping the toxic sludge) "actually protects the fish in that they are not inclined to bite (and get eaten by humans) but they go ahead with their upstream movement and egg laying."

Now, isn't that precious? And it probably costed them millions to come up with this shit. (Don't worry, it keeps the money out of the hands of the poor, and we wouldn't want it going there, would we? That'd be so goddam Liberal, wouldn't it?)

Story from the Washington Times.

I'm outta here. You got more of this kinda crap, send it on.