Obama Halts Trial of USS Cole Bomber

The Obama Administration has indefinitely postponed the trial of a major Al-Qaeda figure, one Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri.  Al-Nashiri was involved in the bombings of two U.S. embassies in East Africa in 1998 and who is accused of organizing the attack on the USS Cole in Yemen in 2000.

The Washington Post has the story:

The decision at least temporarily scuttles what was supposed to be the signature trial of a major al-Qaeda figure under a reformed system of military commissions. And it comes practically on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the attack, which killed 17 sailors and wounded dozens when a boat packed with explosives ripped a hole in the side of the warship in the port of Aden.

In a filing this week in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, the Justice Department said that "no charges are either pending or contemplated with respect to al-Nashiri in the near future."

Read it all here.

And they wonder why so many people believe Obama is either a traitor, a Muslim or a fool.
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Obama on Stimulus Data Errors: "Accounting is an Inexact Science"

Fox News reports:

President Obama brushed off criticism over his administration's inaccurate reporting on job creation Wednesday, telling Fox News the accounting is an "inexact science" and that any errors are a "side issue" when compared with the goal of turning the economy around. He said job growth is his No.1 responsibility. 

Well as an accountant, I can confirm that it is true:  accounting is an inexact science.  Unfortunately for Ken Lay, the court didn't accept that as a valid excuse for the massive Enron fraud.  Nevertheless, it's true.  So when it turns out that government run health care is not "deficit neutral" but actually breaks the bank, well, refer to the accounting truism noted above.

There are some interesting implications of this theorem of accounting inexactitude.  Here are some practical applications of this rule:  "Accounting is an Inexact Science."

1.  The IRS audits you and finds out you substantially understated your taxable income.  What is your excuse?  Refer to the theorem.

2. You retire as trustee of your company's pension fund and take a healthy percentage of the fund with you to the Bahamas.  When the cops show up at your door, yep, just recite the accounting theorem of inexactitude.

3.  You are a mechanic and you tell a customer that his car repair will cost $500.  When it's finished, you give him a bill for $2,500.  When the customer screams, you gently remind him that "accounting in an inexact science."

Yes, as an accountant, I can tell you that accounting is an inexact science.  But not THAT inexact, for pete's sake.

Read it all here.

Viva Democracia?

Cartoon about Honduras,

via: Fausta's Blog

The only person missing among the supporters of dictators is Barack Obama.