Top 10 HDTV Myths: Fact vs. Fiction, Hi-Def Style

By Popular Mechanics

High-definition television (HDTV) has evolved from an early-adopter indulgence to a mainstream technology in less than a decade. Enthusiasm for HD everything is driving the sales of flat-panel TVs and has inspired a next-gen DVD format war. It's showing up in camcorders and on your local TV news.

Yet HDTV remains a widely misunderstood technology, muddled with misconceptions and half-truths born of marketing mumbo jumbo and senseless jargon. The advertised specifications read like bewildering math ematical equations with "variables" such as 1080i, 720p, 4:3, 1080p and 16:9. To clear the air of confusion we've examined some of the most wrongheaded bits of received wisdom in the world of HD.

Myth #1
You need a cable or satellite TV subscription to watch HDTV programs.

Fact: If you live in or near a city, it's likely there are several over-the-air local TV stations broadcasting HDTV programs, which you can watch for free. ABC, Fox, NBC, CBS, PBS, and CW networks all offer HDTV programming (local HD listings are available at antennaweb.org). You can receive them with the tuner in your HDTV set or an external DTV set-top receiver, but you need an external HD antenna.

Myth #2
You can buy a flat-panel HDTV with 1080i resolution.

Fact: Much of the confusion on this one comes from the difference between broadcast formats and display resolution. Some networks broadcast using a 1080-line "interlaced" (refresh every other line every other frame) signal, while others broadcast a 720-line "progressive" (refresh every line every frame) signal. But all flat-panel TVs display video progressively, regardless of the source signal. The way to assess the resolution of a plasma or LCD set is to check its total pixel count (e.g., 1280 x 768, 1920 x 1080, etc.).

Myth #3
HD video can't be recorded to regular DVDs.

Fact: Yes it can. New blue-laser discs such as Blu-ray and HD-DVD have high capacities, up to 50GB, but conventional red-laser DVDs can hold hi-def, too. Recording capacity is about 30 minutes for an HD program with the MPEG-2 digital compression system in widespread use today. But efficient codecs such as MPEG-4 and Windows Media can fit entire HD movies onto conventional DVDs that play back on computers and some DVD players.

Myth #4
A 1080p TV is always better than a 720p TV.

Fact: A 1080p set (one with at least 1920 x 1080 pixels) does have higher resolution than a 720p (at least 1920 x 780) set. But the importance of those extra pixels depends on the size of your TV and the distance you are away from it. If you are sitting more than 8 ft. from a 42-in. HDTV or more than 10 ft. from a 50-in. set, you won't notice the difference. If you mostly watch standard-def TV and DVDs, an expensive 1080p set makes no sense — a 720p set will work fine.

Myth #5
An HDTV set automatically converts all programs it receives to HDTV.

Fact: HDTVs can stretch a stand ard definition (SDTV) image to fit their screens, but they can't magically add resolution. Since SDTV has only 640 x 480 pixels, hi-def TVs tend to magnify the fuzziness of standard-def video — sometimes making it look worse than it would on a non-HDTV set.

Myth #6
All flat-panel televisions are high-definition.

Fact: To make sure you get HD resolution, you need to do pixel math. Many 42-inch plasma TVs are sold with 1024 x 768 pixels. But the two high-definition broadcast standards are 1280 x 720 (720p) and 1920 x 1080 (1080i). So 1024 x 768 plasmas give you only 85 percent and 38 percent of the pixels, respectively.

Myth #7
To get the best-quality HD, you need expensive cables.

Fact: Not true. If the cables running from your DVD player or cable box aren't particularly long, you should be fine with inexpensive video cables. The extra shielding in expensive cables that prevents interference in analog equipment won't improve the image of digital video through HDMI or DVI cables — the signal either comes through or it doesn't. And the savings can be huge: 6-ft. HDMI cables range from $20 to $160.

Myth #8
HDTV means consistent picture quality.

Fact: Definitely not true. To transmit HDTV programs, cable system operators, satellite com­panies and over-the-air broadcasters compress their signals. And some shows are compressed more than others. To fit more programming into existing bandwidth, broadcasters often take a channel designed for one HD program and squeeze multiple SDTV and HDTV programs into it. That can lead to squirmy backgrounds and other compression "artifacts." Unfortunately, there's not much that average viewers can do about this — except to complain to their cable or satellite providers.

Myth #9
All 1080p HDTVs accept 1080p input signals.

Fact: There are a few "1080p" HDTVs out there that have 1920 x 1080 pixels and can display 1080i television signals, but can't accept an external 1080p signal from a scaling DVD player or HD-DVD and Blu-ray players. Always check the manufacturer's specifications for signal compatibility.

Myth #10
Blu-ray and HD-DVD discs always offer the highest possible resolution.

Fact: That depends on how the discs were mastered from the original movie. Some discs are transferred from an early-generation digital copy, while others are scanned from a later-generation film print of poorer quality. There's no labeling on the Blu-ray or HD-DVD packaging to give customers a quantitative measure of relative video quality, but it's worth scanning reviews on enthusiast Web sites such as highdefdigest.com

U.S.A.F. Gen. Lorenz on leadership: At war in cyberspace

Hat Tip to AFPAA off twitter
Commentary by
Gen. Stephen R. Lorenz
Air Education and Training Command commander

12/23/2008 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) --

"The stark reality is that the bad guys are winning and our nation is at risk."

That's what retired Air Force Lieutenant General Harry Raduege, Jr., writes in an insightful article about cyberspace titled, "Evolving Cybersecurity Faces a New Dawn."

As he describes our many challenges in cyberspace, General Raduege observes that "the list of concerns is growing and endless: rampant cybercrime, increasing identity theft, sophisticated social engineering techniques, relentless intrusions into government networks, and widespread vulnerabilities continuously exploited by a variety of entities ranging from criminal organizations and entrepreneurial hackers to well-resourced espionage actors."

Over the last few weeks, we have focused on the security of our computer networks, and we have found that we have big challenges.

The bottom line is that we are at war in cyberspace...today...all the time.

Our enemies are attacking our network -- the same network you use to send e-mails, share documents and access the internet. They are using stealth and surprise to insert malicious code into our network in order to gain intelligence. What is our enemy's intention? We don't know, but it's not friendly.

Chief Master Sergeant Rob Tappana, our command chief, said something that caught my attention. He observed that if our front gate was under attack, we would do something about it. We would reinforce the guards with our security forces, convene the battle staff, increase patrols and raise awareness levels throughout the base. Chief Tappana then pointed at the computer on a nearby desk and said, "We must realize that that's our front gate too."

He is right. We need to think and act like warriors in cyberspace. That's where leadership is essential.

General Raduege describes four stages in our journey to secure cyberspace. The first stage is ignorance. We don't know what we don't know about cyberspace attacks. We are past that stage now. If you didn't know about our vulnerability in cyberspace, you do now.

The second stage is awareness. We now realize that we are at war in cyberspace, and we are vulnerable. We no longer take access to the network for granted -- we realize that it can be taken away unless we take steps to defend it.

The third stage is actualization. We share a sense of urgency that we need to do something about the attacks on our network. We will learn more and more about cybersecurity. We will all work together to reduce our vulnerability and defend the network from attack.

The final stage is the "cyber mindset," where we think and act as warriors in cyberspace just as we do in air and space. We will train to protect ourselves and our networks from attack. We will all be "on patrol" as we look for new threats. Leaders at all levels will measure our vulnerability and direct defensive actions to counter the enemy.

To get to the fourth stage, we are going to have to work through a paradigm shift about security in cyberspace. Many of us, including me in the past, have taken the network for granted. We can't do that anymore. Every computer connected to the network is part of the battlespace. Every person that has access to the network is operating in a combat environment. Everyone must act responsibly, or it opens a hole in our defense.

As I've written before, I believe you are all leaders, because you all have influence over other people in your workplaces, your families and your communities. It's going to take your leadership to help us make this paradigm shift. How do you lead others through change? You work through the stages of change faster than the people around you.

So, as leaders, I ask that you move from awareness to actualization as quickly as possible. Talk to our experts, beginning with our communication professionals. Set the right example by following the procedures and not taking shortcuts. Learn about and use the tools we have today. I promise that more tools are on the way.

I am working through the stages as fast as I can. We are improving the security of our computers at our headquarters, and I have directed that no one is exempt from security measures, including me. If my computer has to restart while I'm in the middle of something, so be it. We must be willing to accept a moderate amount of mission degradation to secure ourselves against the enemy "at the gate."

General Raduege writes that, despite the challenges facing us in cyberspace, he is optimistic that we are "on the verge of a new dawn for cybersecurity." I am optimistic as well, because we are fortunate to have you to help lead us through this change in our mindset. We are at war in cyberspace and we will all need to apply our warrior skills to prevail. Fight's on!

David Spade Donates $100,000 To Phoenix PD For 50 AR-15s

The Phoenix Police Department has gotten some high-powered goodies courtesy of actor David Spade.

The one-time Phoenix resident donated $100,000 so that the department can buy approximately 50 AR-15 rifles.

Spade said he wanted to make the donation after seeing a TV news report about Phoenix officers having to buy their own rifles. Spade grew up in the Phoenix area and graduated from Arizona State University.

Phoenix Police Sgt. Alan Hill says the rifles will be given to patrol officers and that the agency was grateful for the gifts.

"These guys need to be able to do their jobs and I am just happy I could help," Spade said in a statement released by his publicist.

The Phoenix Police Department is out gunned, mainly because of the Mexican drug cartels presence in the city. Earlier this year, the drug cartels carried out a hit in Phoenix with what were suspected former members of the Mexican military.

Conservatives look to Flake to rescue GOP or is He ?

by Dan Nowicki
- The Arizona Republic

Jeff Flake is positioning himself as
Arizona's Republican
maverick for the future.

Once considered almost a novelty for his relentless one-man attack on House GOP spending practices and push for Cuba policy reform, many conservatives now are looking to the five-term congressman for guidance in rehabilitating the tarnished Republican brand.

And Flake, 45, recently laid the preliminary groundwork to follow two other Arizona Republican mavericks - John McCain and Barry Goldwater - into the Senate if McCain decides to retire instead of seeking re-election in 2010 or Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., chooses not to run again in 2012.

In recent years, Flake has grown closer to McCain and is a loyal ally of the 2008 presidential candidate on priorities such as comprehensive immigration reform and in the battle against pork-barrel politics. He also hasn't ruled out a possible 2010 run for governor.

"I don't think I'm heir apparent to anything, though," Flake said.

Flake is taking on a more prominent role in statewide politics, partly because he is dismayed by the single-minded obsession some of his fellow Republicans continue to have toward illegal immigration.

Like McCain, Flake is a strong supporter of a comprehensive reform approach that would include a temporary-worker program and the legalization of undocumented workers already in the country. That stance has drawn Flake the enmity of GOP immigration restrictionists.

"I've been concerned about where the state is going and our inability to attract votes statewide. My fear is the tone, particularly on immigration, is relegating us to minority status for a long time unless we change it," Flake said. "Unless we get off that kick, we're doomed as a party statewide. ."

GOP 'star power'
Flake would hardly be a shoo-in GOP successor to Kyl or McCain. Rep. John Shadegg, R-Ariz., another McCain ally, also is interested in moving to the upper chamber, and other Republicans likely would consider entering a competitive primary for what would be the first open Senate seat in Arizona since 1994.

But some local Republicans already acknowledge the easy-going and good-humored Flake's "star power," or at least the potential for it.

"He embodies what a lot of people are looking for in Republican leadership right now," said Jaime Molera, a senior consultant to Kyl's successful 2006 bid for a third term and a McCain supporter. "Here's a guy who is incredibly intelligent, who brings a strong vision of a real conservative and who is just very charismatic. A lot of people have thought about Jeff as a gubernatorial candidate, as well."

Flake toyed with the idea of running for governor in 2004 and recently demonstrated an acute interest in state politics. Last month, Flake took the unusual step of inserting himself into the internal machinations of the state House Republican caucus. He made calls to GOP lawmakers lobbying for the election of state Rep. Kirk Adams, R-Mesa, as Arizona speaker of the House. Adams unexpectedly ousted incumbent House Speaker Jim Weiers, R-Phoenix.

"We needed a change in focus and a change in tone and a change in just about everything," Flake said. "And I think that Kirk will do a better job."

In McCain's footsteps
Besides representing McCain's old congressional district (though hardly recognizable after two rounds of redistricting), Flake from the start of his congressional career displayed not only an independent streak reminiscent of McCain's but also similar reformist tendencies.

They have teamed up on McCain's long crusade to end the murky budget process known as earmarking, and they have united in the bipartisan push to revamp U.S. immigration policy.

More often, Flake has gone off on his own:


• He drew the ire of House GOP leadership and President Bush's White House with his vocal opposition to the decades-old ban on U.S. travel to Cuba. A free-trader, Flake still wants to dismantle the economic embargo on Cuba and hopes President-elect Barack Obama will take a fresh look at U.S.-Cuba relations.


• In 2006, he was instrumental in stopping disgraced former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, from returning to his leadership post.


• Flake sharply criticized McCain on campaign-finance reform, and McCain foes within the party tried to draft Flake to take on McCain in his 2004 Senate primary.

By constantly blowing the whistle on dubious spending projects and refusing to pursue any for his own constituents, Flake has long annoyed and even angered GOP appropriators and other colleagues who believe bringing home the bacon is a way to ensure re-election.

Flake is continuing to rattle with another request for assignment to the House Appropriations Committee, arguing that Republicans have become "indistinguishable" from Democrats on federal spending and "voters simply no longer associate us with limited government."

"With the executive and legislative branches under Democratic control, the primary focus of Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee needs to be on the oversight of federal expenditures, rather than merely the dispensation of them," Flake wrote in a letter to House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio. "Wouldn't it make sense to have at least one member on the Committee who doesn't seek earmarks?"

Fiscally conservative activists and bloggers are championing Flake's cause, but few seriously expect him to get a seat when new committee assignments are announced in January.

Flake's needling of the big spenders could help distinguish him in a future race.

"Not being well-liked by appropriators isn't a bad thing in a GOP primary," said Jennifer Duffy, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report's senior editor.

A new media darling?
It also didn't take Flake long to learn from McCain's example that there is always media demand for a Republican who takes on his own party's leaders.

For Flake, it's paying off.

In its November issue, Esquire magazine named Flake one of the 10 best elected officials in Washington.

"A true conservative, Flake is as rare as the dodo. Republicans should learn from him, and liberals and libertarians will find in him a strong privacy-rights ally," Esquire said. On Nov. 5, the day after McCain lost the White House and the Republican Party lost multiple Senate and House seats, the Washington Post published an opinion essay by Flake in which he called for fresh House Republican leadership and a return to the principles of limited government, fiscal responsibility and free markets. Its headline was, "A way out of the wilderness."

Flake said he was disappointed with the re-election of Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, as House GOP leader.

"I said in 2006 that it's not impossible that the same leadership will have an epiphany and know where we've gone wrong but that it's highly implausible that you'd see the same leadership go in a different direction. And that's proven to be the case," Flake said. "Let's face it, we've really not run on a message for years."

Making fans, enemies
Like McCain, Flake's maverickism has drawn criticism from local Republican factions, particularly those who consider his support for a guest-worker program and other immigration reforms as too liberal.

"Jeff has not been one of my favorite people because of his stand on illegal immigration, which I think would hurt him around the state unless he decides to change that," said retiring veteran state Sen. Karen Johnson, R-Mesa.

Flake's anti-pork stand and vote against the economic bailout legislation could help him with some conservative activists, while his support for international free trade agreements could hurt him with others, Johnson said.

"That, to me, is sovereignty-destroying stuff. He continues to get re-elected, but I oftentimes think it's because he has never had anybody of real substance run against him," Johnson said.

Flake's public persona has taken some dings, as well.

He originally ran for Congress with a promise to limit himself to serving only three consecutive terms but broke that pledge since taking office. "As much as I hate to admit making a mistake, I made a big one here," Flake said in announcing his bid for a fourth term. Flake faced no retribution from voters; he didn't even have a Democratic challenger in the general election in 2006.

Test driving the Web
This year, faced with a weak Democratic opponent, Flake had the luxury to experiment with advertising on political-junkie Web sites such as the Drudge Report, RealClearPolitics.com and Townhall.com. He also advertised on the Web sites of the Tucson-based Arizona Daily Star and other newspapers, putting his name and face in front of potential voters far outside his congressional district.

Those people who contributed money or signed up for additional information would become part of a fundraising base for a statewide run.

"I tell you, that's one area where we (Republicans) just got slaughtered in this election: technology," Flake said. "We have so far to go. I thought it would be better to spend money actually building the infrastructure to take advantage of that. A lot of it was testing it, too, to see how we did. We're pleased with the response."

State and USAID spend borrowed money from China to make “green improvements” to Chinese cities

Hat Tip to my U.S. Senator (Dr.) Tom Coburn from twitter

The U.S. State Department and USAID increased the national debt, much of which is owned by China, for deficit spending to finance "green and efficient buildings" in Chinese cities.

This increase to the national debt, now nearing $11 trillion, is for unproven remedies to curb an unproven problem, man-made "global warming." The combined value of the awards is $2.97 million.

Lt. Gen. Victor Krulak R.I.P.

Lt. Gen. Victor Krulak, who headed all Marine forces in the Pacific during part of the Vietnam War, has died. He was 95.

Lt. Gen. Krulak died Monday at the Wesley Palms Retirement Community in San Diego, The cause of death was not immediately known.

Krulak commanded about 100,000 Marines in the Pacific from 1964 to 1968 — a span that saw the United States dramatically increase buildup in Vietnam.

Krulak, nicknamed "Brute" for his direct, no-nonsense style, was a decorated veteran of World War II and the Korean War.

After retirement, he often criticized the government's handling of the Vietnam War. He wrote that the war could have been won only if the Vietnamese had been protected and befriended and if enemy supplies from North Vietnam were cut off.

"The destruction of the port of Haiphong would have changed the whole character of the war," he said two decades after the fall of Saigon.

Krulak once summed up the U.S. dilemma in Vietnam by saying, "It has no front lines. The battlefield is in the minds of 16 or 17 million people."

Before assuming command of Fleet Marine Force Pacific, Krulak served as principal adviser on counterinsurgency warfare to then-Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and the joint chiefs of staff.

"I never got enthusiasm out of war, and I'm convinced that the true pacifists are the professional soldiers who have actually seen it," Krulak said many years after retiring from the post.

During World War II on the island of Choiseul, Krulak led his outnumbered battalion during an eight-day raid on Japanese forces, diverting the enemy's attention from the U.S. invasion of Bougainville.

Krulak's troops destroyed hundreds of tons of supplies, burning both camps and landing barges. He was wounded on Oct. 13, 1943, and later received the Navy Cross for heroism along with the Purple Heart.

At age 43 he became the youngest brigadier general in Marine Corps history up to that time. Krulak received the second of two Distinguished Service Medals when he retired from the military.

He wrote the book "First to Fight," an insider's view of the Marine Corps.

His son Charles Krulak served as commandant — the Marines' top post — from 1995 to 1999.

Mexican wanted in sexual-assault cases arrested (deported ten times)

A Mexican national with a history of immigration violations and arrests has been taken into custody as a suspect in a series of sexual assaults, authorities said Tuesday.

Carlos Ceron Salazar, 30, was booked into jail Monday in San Diego on suspicion of assault with intention to commit rape, mayhem and sexual battery in connection with an attack in December 2006 on a woman jogging at Miramar Lake, San Diego police said.

Escondido police arrested Salazar on charges of public intoxication about 1:30 a.m. Dec. 22 on North Escondido Boulevard near West Valley Parkway, Escondido Lt. Bob Benton said.

While Salazar was at the Vista jail, officials ran a routine immigration check and found that he had extensive violations. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Lauren Mack said he had multiple apprehensions and had been deported or voluntarily returned to Mexico 10 times.

Further checks discovered that San Diego police and sheriff's detectives suspected him in several sexual assault cases.

ICE agents turned him over to San Diego police, Mack said.

A DNA sample taken from Salazar matched DNA collected from the attack at Miramar Lake as well as DNA taken from an assault in September 2004, authorities said. In that case, a woman jogging along a trail near Community Road in Poway about 8:30 a.m. was raped by a man who came up from behind her and threw her to the ground, said sheriff's Detective Jose Baltz.

Salazar also is a suspect in an attempted sexual assault in December 2005 when a woman was attacked at Lake Poway, Baltz said.

Additional charges of rape with a foreign object and attempted rape will be sought against him, Baltz said.

Sheriff's Department records show that Salazar also had been arrested in 2005 and 2006 on driving-under-the-influence charges.

Salazar is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in San Diego Superior Court. He is being held without bail.

21 percent more illegal immigrants removed from region

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say the number of illegal immigrants removed from Oklahoma and the Dallas area has increased by 21 percent.

ICE spokesman Tim Counts says 16,370 people were deported during the fiscal year ending Sept. 30.

That's up from 13,544 deportations during the previous fiscal year.

Counts says 221,000 illegal immigrants have been found in jails in the U.S. compared with 161,000 in the previous year.

He says task forces for border security and training for local law enforcement agencies are helping identify more illegal immigrants.

American Minute - Dec. 31 - MLK, Jr. & JFK

American Minute
with
Bill Federer

On DECEMBER 31, 1955, Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, and founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, led a nonviolent protest by boycotting the city buses of Montgomery, Alabama. Rev.

King stated:

"If you will protest courageously, and yet with dignity and Christian love, when the history books are written in future generations, the historians will have to pause and say,

'There lived a great people...who injected new meaning and dignity into the veins of civilization.'"

At the end of the year, 1962, President John F. Kennedy stated:

"We mark the festival of Christmas which is the most sacred and hopeful day in our civilization.

For nearly 2,000 years the message of Christmas, the message of peace and good will towards all men, has been the guiding star of our endeavors...the birthday of the Prince of Peace."

President Kennedy continued:

"To the one million men in uniform who will celebrate this Christmas away from their homes...and to all of you I send my very best wishes for a blessed and happy Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous New Year."

American Minute - Dec. 30 - Rudyard Kipling & Ronald Reagan

American Minute
with
Bill Federer

"Oh, East is East, and West is West, And never the twain shall meet, Till earth and sky stand presently, At God's great judgment seat" wrote Rudyard Kipling in Ballad of East and West.

Born DECEMBER 30, 1865, in Bombay, India, he was sent back to England at age 5 for schooling.

Poor eyesight ended hopes of a military career, so at age 16 he returned to India as a journalist, winning acclaim for his poems.

He fell in love with his friend's sister, Caroline Balestier, while visiting in America.

They married and settled in Vermont, where two of their children were born.

There he wrote Captains Courageous and The Jungle Books.

Once back in England, he declined King George V's offer of knighthood, Poet Laureate and Order of Merit, though accepting the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907.

His works include: Kim, Wee Willie Winkie, Baa Baa Black Sheep, and Gunga Din.

President Reagan said, December 13, 1988:

"As I prepare to lay down the mantle of office...I cannot help believe that what Rudyard Kipling said of another time and place is true today for America:

'We are at the opening verse of the opening page of the chapter of endless possibilities.'

Thank you, and God bless you."

Oklahoma Governor Burrage ? Governor AWOL ?

Although he has never been elected to a statewide office, State Auditor and Inspector Steve Burrage on Monday found himself running the state.

Gov. Brad Henry, Lt. Gov. Jari Askins, Senate Pro Tem designate Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, and House Speaker Chris Benge, R-Tulsa, were all out of town.

Thus, the duties fell to Burrage, a Democrat. But Burrage doesn't have any big plans in mind.

"I am just going to keep doing what I am supposed to do," Burrage said.

Burrage said he was told he will be in charge until Wednesday.

In July, Henry appointed Burrage to fulfill the remaining term of Democrat Jeff McMahan, who resigned the office after he and his wife Lori were convicted of one count of conspiracy and two counts of bribery. They await sentencing.

Democrats Henry and Askins were in San Diego to attend the Holiday Bowl featuring Oklahoma State University and Oregon. Coffee was also attending.

Burrage plans to attend the Jan. 8 BCS National Championship Game in Miami featuring the University of Oklahoma and Florida.

The Drudge Report Meets Twitter: The #TCOT Report

Hat Tip to my Twitter Buddy emzanotti

The Drudge Report Meets Twitter:
The #TCOT Report

Antonin Scalia - Justice and Democracy

Obama get a 'F' on Transparency

Hat Tip to DOWNSOKC from twitter

Lynn Sweet, a Chicago Sun-Times Columnist, say that The Obama team, pledging the ''most open and transparent transition in history,'' gets an ''F'' when it comes to revealing transition meetings with groups. Contrary to its own ''seat at the table transparency policy,'' meetings are not posted on a Web site.

During the presidential primary campaign, then candidate Obama, still an Illinois senator, made a pledge I heard for the first time on Oct. 24, 2007. In a school gym in Dover, N.H., Obama said if president, he would post his meetings on the Internet. That was interesting to me because Obama's Senate staff had been very selective about what Obama Senate-related meetings they disclosed and seemed to be guided by a ''less is best'' policy.

A month after the election, on Dec. 5, John Podesta, a transition co-chair, issued an Obama transparency policy. When it comes to meetings, ''the date and organizations represented at official meetings in the Transition headquarters or agency offices'' would be ''posted on our Web site,'' at www.change.gov.

Indeed, the ''seat at the table'' section states ''on this page, you can track these meetings, view documents provided to the Transition and leave comments for the team,'' but the statement is only partly true.

What is posted are materials -- for example, briefing or position papers -- submitted by groups in connection with a transition meeting.

There is no list of meetings on the site, with a meeting defined in the policy as having three or more participants.

Transition spokesman Nick Shapiro, asked why the meetings are not posted despite the policy, said, ''This policy is part of President-elect Obama's commitment to run the most open and transparent transition in history. The transition staff has been instructed that this is a floor and not a ceiling. No transition has ever attempted to implement such disclosure requirements, and as we continue to evaluate the policy, refinements will be made to it."

FREE Chick-fil-A: Ring in the New Year

Make any purchase on January 1 (10:30 am to 6:00 pm) and get a FREE chicken biscuit on your next visit

American Minute - Dec. 29 - HANUKKAH with Presidents

American Minute
with
Bill Federer

The first President to light the National Menorah, Jimmy Carter, speaking of hostages held by Islamic terrorists in Iran, 1979, said:

"Commitments to be free are ever present in the hearts of all Americans because 50 of our fellow citizens are not free."

Ronald Reagan, the second President to give a HANUKKAH Message, 1983, remarked:

"Whether we be Americans or Israelis, we are all children of Abraham, children of the same God. The bonds between our two peoples are growing stronger, and they must not and will never be broken."

In his 1991 HANUKKAH Message, George H.W. Bush stated:

"When Judah Maccabee and his followers prepared to rededicate the Temple in Jerusalem, they found...only enough oil to light the menorah for one night. Miraculously, it lasted eight."

Bill Clinton, in his 1993 HANUKKAH Message, said:

"The eternal lesson of HANUKKAH-that faith gives us the strength to work miracles and find light in times of darkness."

President George W. Bush said in his 2001 HANUKKAH Message:

"For the first time in American history, the HANUKKAH menorah will be lit at the White House residence...America and Israel have been through much together...

A better day is coming when this Festival will be celebrated in a world free from terror."

American Minute - Dec. 28 - Woodrow Wilson & Armenia

American Minute
with
Bill Federer

Armenia was the first nation to become Christian, with its capitol of
Ani called the "city of a 1,001 churches."

Muslim Turks began invading in the 11th century, making Christian
second-class citizens called "dhimmi" and forcing boys to convert and
serve the Muslim army as "Janissaries."

When the Ottoman Empire declined in the 1800's, Greeks, Serbs and
Romanians won independence, but Armenians were trapped by Sultan
Abdul Hamid, who killed 100,000.

During World War I, "Young Turks" murdered over a million men, women
and children in a jihad, marching them into the desert without water,
throwing them off cliffs or burning them alive.

Armenian cities of Kharpert, Van and Ani were leveled.

Russia came to their aid till the Bolshevik revolution began.

Armenia's pleas at the Paris Peace Conference led President Wilson in
a failed effort to make Armenia a U.S. protectorate.

Woodrow Wilson, who was born DECEMBER 28, 1856, told Congress, May
24, 1920:

"The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations has established the truth
of the reported massacres and other atrocities from which the
Armenian people have suffered...

Sympathy for Armenia among our people has sprung from untainted
consciences, pure Christian faith and an earnest desire to see
Christian people everywhere succored in their time of suffering."

Extra second added to 2008...

Those eager to put 2008 behind them will have to hold their good-byes for just a moment this New Year's Eve.

The world's official timekeepers have added a "leap second" to the last day of the year on Wednesday, to help match clocks to the Earth's slowing spin on its axis, which takes place at ever-changing rates affected by tides and other factors.

The U.S. Naval Observatory, keeper of the Pentagon's master clock, said it would add the extra second on Wednesday in coordination with the world's atomic clocks at 23 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds Coordinated Universal Time, or UTC.

That corresponds to 6:59:59 p.m. EST (23:59:59 GMT), when an extra second will tick by -- the 24th to be added to UTC since 1972, when the practice began.

UTC is the time scale kept by highly precise atomic clocks around the world, accurate to about a billionth of a second per day, the Naval Observatory says. For those with a need for precision timing, it has replaced Greenwich Mean Time, or GMT.

The decision to add or remove a second is the responsibility of the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service, based on its monitoring of the Earth's rotation.

The goal is to make sure clocks vary from the Earth's rotational time by no more than 0.9 seconds before an adjustment. That keeps UTC in sync with the position of the sun above the Earth.

Mechanisms such as the Internet-based Network Time Protocol and the satellite-based Global Positioning System depend on precision timing.
The first leap second was introduced into UTC on June 30, 1972. The last was added on December 31, 2005.

They have been added at intervals ranging from six months to seven years, Daniel Gambis, head of the IERS Earth Orientation Center at the Observatoire de Paris, wrote in an explanatory piece this month.

Among the reasons for Earth's slowing whirl on its axis are the braking action of tides, snow or the lack of it at the polar ice caps, solar wind, space dust and magnetic storms, according to the U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology, another timekeeper.

By contrast, a leap day, February 29, occurs once every four years because a complete turn around the sun -- our year with all its seasons -- takes about 365 days and six hours.

In 1970, an international agreement established two time scales: one based on the Earth's rotation and another on highly accurate atomic clocks.

The U.S. Naval Observatory's master clock is based on a system that now includes 50 atomic clocks, 36 based on the element cesium and 14 known as hydrogen masers.

American Minute - Dec. 27 - Johannes Kepler

American Minute
with
Bill Federer

An attack of smallpox when he was four-years-old left him with crippled hands and poor eyesight.

Overcoming those handicaps, he studied Copernicus' works and at age 23 became a professor of astronomy.

His name was Johannes Kepler, born DECEMBER 27, 1571.

His laws of planetary motion, known as Kepler's Laws, helped Newton formulate the theory of gravity.

In his work, "The Harmonies of the World," book five, Kepler stated:

"O, Almighty God, I am thinking Thy thoughts after Thee!...The book is written, to be read either now or by posterity, I care not which. It may be well to wait a century for a reader, as God has waited six thousand years for an observer."

In comparing celestial orbits of the planets with polyphonic harmonies in music, Kepler wrote:

"Holy Father, keep us safe in the concord of our love for one another, that we may be one just as Thou art with Thy Son, Our Lord, and with the Holy Ghost, and just as through the sweetest bonds of harmonies Thou hast made all Thy works one,"

Kepler continued:

"and that from the bringing of Thy people into concord, the body of Thy Church may be built up in the Earth, as Thou didst erect the heavens themselves out of harmonies."

American Minute - Dec. 26 - General Washington & the Battle of Trenton

American Minute
with
Bill Federer

The first six months of the Revolution saw the Continental Army chased from New York, New Jersey and into Pennsylvania.

Ranks dwindled from 20,000 to 2,000 exhausted soldiers- most leaving at year's end when their six-month enlistment was up.

Expecting British invasion, the Continental Congress fled Philadelphia and sent the word

"until Congress shall otherwise order, General Washington be possessed of full power to order and direct all things."

In an operation with the password "Victory or Death," Washington's troops crossed the ice-filled Delaware River at midnight Christmas Day.

Trudging in a blinding blizzard, one soldier freezing to death, they attacked the feared Hessian troops at daybreak DECEMBER 26, 1776, capturing nearly a thousand in just over an hour.

A few Americans were shot, including James Monroe, the future 5th President. Washington wrote August 20, 1778:

"The Hand of Providence has been so conspicuous in all this-the course of the war-that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and more wicked that has not gratitude to acknowledge his obligations;

but it will be time enough for me to turn Preacher when my present appointment ceases."

US urging calm over Pakistan troop moves

U.S. officials watched with growing concern today as reports suggested Pakistan was massing troops to the India border.

Such a move raises double-barreled worries: A possible confrontation between two nuclear powers and a shift by the Pakistani military away from battling the Taliban along its western Afghan edge.

U.S. intelligence and military officials were still trying to determine what Troop Formations are on the move, and, what Pakistan's intent may be.

Officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters.

Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, was in Pakistan twice this month, and as many as seven times in the past year. In recent meetings with senior Pakistani leaders he has urged restraint and encouraged both sides to find ways to work together.

One senior military official said today that the U.S. is monitoring the issue, but still could confirm assertions from Pakistani intelligence officials that some troops were on the move, heading to the Indian border.

A key concern for U.S. officials is that some of those troops may have been stationed along the volatile Afghan border, and were being diverted to the Indian side.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Mullen, who have both been in the region in recent weeks, have expressed the hope that Pakistan would stay focused on fighting militants in its mountainous northwestern Federally Administered Tribal Areas, or FATA.

Pakistan 14th Division move toward Indian border

The Pakistan Army's 14th Division is being redeployed to the towns of Kasur and Sialkot, close to the Indian border.

Analysts said the redeployment is likely meant as a warning to India not to launch missile strikes against militant targets on its territory. It is not likely an indication that the two countries are about to descend into war, analysts said.

"They should concentrate on the real issue: how to fight against terrorists and how to fight against and bring to book the perpetrators of [the] Mumbai terrorist attack," said Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met with the chiefs of the army, navy and air force to discuss "the prevailing security situation," according to an official statement.

India warning citizens unsafe to go to Pakistan

India is warning its citizens that it would be unsafe to go to Pakistan amid heightened tension.

Pakistan Army moving troops toward India

Pakistan has begun moving thousands of troops away from the Afghan border toward India.

Pakistan has moved Major Formations of the XVI Corps (Nagrota Corps) to the Line of Control (which divides Pakistani and Indian portions of Kashmir).

Pakistan Army had moved its 10th Division to Lahore.

Infantry out of South Waziristan on the move.

The 3rd Armoured Brigade is heading towards Jhelum.

Warplanes flying over major cities.

Pakistan cancels military leave

Pakistan canceled leave for members of its armed forces Friday, beefing up its military strength in case of conflict with India over the deadly Mumbai attacks, a senior military official said.

The military remains on alert, but it has not moved additional troops to the Indian border, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

In response, India said it had not canceled any time off for its military. "People are taking leave, no problem," said Indian Defense Ministry spokesman Sitanshu Kar. "We have an optimum number, which is always maintained."

Pakistan accused Indian fighter jets of violating its airspace on two separate occasions more than a week ago, raising the possibility of conflict. But Pakistani officials subsequently played down the incidents, saying the violations, which India denied altogether, were likely accidental.

Pakistani fighter jets have flown over several of the country's major cities in recent days after the alleged airspace violations.

Pakistan and India have fought three wars since their independence from Britain in 1947, but the stakes are even higher now that both countries have nuclear weapons.

American Minute - Dec. 25 - Christmas with Eisenhower, Carter & Reagan

American Minute
with
Bill Federer

President Hoover wrote in 1932:

"Your CHRISTMAS Service held each year at the foot of a living tree which was alive at the time of the birth of Christ...should be continued as a further symbol of the unbroken chain of life leading back to this great moment in the spiritual life of mankind."

President Eisenhower remarked in 1960:

"Through the ages men have felt the uplift of the spirit of CHRISTMAS. We commemorate the birth of the Christ Child by...giving expression to our gratitude for the great things that His coming has brought about in the world."

President Carter commented in 1977:

"CHRISTMAS has a special meaning for those of us who are Christians, those of us who believe in Christ, those of us who know that almost 2,000 years ago, the Son of Peace was born."

President Reagan stated in 1983:

"CHRISTMAS is a time...to open our hearts to...millions forbidden the freedom to worship a God who so loved the world that He gave us the birth of the Christ Child so that we might learn to love."

Reagan continued:

"The message of Jesus is one of hope and joy. I know there are those who recognize CHRISTMAS DAY as the birthday of a wise teacher...then there are others of us who believe that he was the Son of God, that he was divine."

American Minute - Dec. 24 - Christmas Eve with Christopher Columbus & Harry S Truman

American Minute
with
Bill Federer

On Christmas eve, DECEMBER 24, 1492, Columbus' ship, the Santa Maria, ran aground on the island of Haiti.

Columbus left 40 men and named the settlement la Navidad, promising to return the next year. He wrote that day to Spain's King and Queen:


"In all the world there can be no better or gentler people. Your Highnesses should feel great joy, because presently they will be Christians, and instructed in the good manners of your realms."

On DECEMBER 24, 1946, lighting the National Christmas Tree, President Truman said:

"Our...hopes of future years turn to a little town in the hills of Judea where on a winter's night two thousand years ago the prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled.

Shepherds keeping watch by night over their flock heard the glad tidings of great joy from the angels of the Lord singing, 'Glory to God in the Highest and on Earth, peace, good will toward men.'"

President Truman continued:

"If we will accept it, the star of faith will guide us into the place of peace as it did the shepherds on that day of Christ's birth long ago...Through all the centuries, history has vindicated His teaching."

Truman concluded:

"In this great country of ours has been demonstrated the fundamental unity of Christianity and democracy."

American Minute - Dec. 23 - Thomas Paine & The American Crisis

American Minute
with
Bill Federer

After the Continental Army was driven out of New Jersey, an article titled "The American Crisis" was published in the Pennsylvania Journal, DECEMBER 23, 1776.

Written by an aide-de-camp to General Nathanael Greene named Thomas Paine, General Washington ordered it read to the troops:

"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country...

Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph."

Thomas Paine continued:

"What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly....Heaven knows how to put a price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated...

God Almighty will not give up a people to military destruction...who have so earnestly...sought to avoid the calamities of war."

Paine concluded:

"The whole English army, after ravaging the kingdom of France, was driven back...by a few broken forces headed by a woman, Joan of Arc. Would that heaven might inspire some Jersey maid to spirit up her countrymen...

'Show your faith by your works,' that God may bless you...I thank God, that I fear not."

Speaker Announces House Committee Assignments

Oklahoma House Speaker Chris Benge today announced committee assignments for the 2009 and 2010 legislative sessions.

“This is obviously going to be a challenging session given our economic outlook, but I believe the members of the House are up to the job and look forward to beginning committee work in January,” said Benge, R-Tulsa. “We have a very diverse membership with a wide range of experience and insight that will prove invaluable as we develop new policies and the state budget.”

The committee assignments for the
Oklahoma House of Representatives
are as follows:

Appropriations & Budget
Ken Miller, Chair
Scott Martin, Vice-Chair
Jeff Hickman
Lee Denney
Guy Liebmann
Doug Cox
Ron Peters
Dale DeWitt
Randy Terrill
Weldon Watson
Mike Jackson
John Auffet
John Carey
Joe Dorman
Larry Glenn
Chuck Hoskin
Danny Morgan

Human Services
Pam Peterson, Chair
Wade Rousselot, Vice-Chair
Weldon Watson
Fred Jordan
Mike Reynolds
Sally Kern
Mark McCullough
Jason Nelson
Al McAffrey
Mike Shelton
Ben Sherrer

Government Modernization
Jason Murphey, Chair
David Derby, Vice-Chair
George Faught
Scott Martin
T.W. Shannon
Leslie Osborn
Bill Nations
Anastasia Pittman
Seneca Scott

Higher Education & Career Tech
Todd Thomsen, Chair
Bill Nations, Vice-Chair
Lee Denney
Harold Wright
Skye McNiel
Marian Cooksey
David Dank
Sally Kern
Lewis Moore
Mike Brown
Rebecca Hamilton
Anastasia Pittman
Jabar Shumate

General Government
Lisa Billy, Chair
Dennis Johnson, Vice Chair
Scott Martin
Mike Christian
Sue Tibbs
Charlie Joyner
Phil Richardson
Wallace Collins
Larry Glenn
Jeannie McDaniel
Jerry Shoemake

Energy & Utility Regulation
Mike Thompson, Chair
Weldon Watson, Vice-Chair
Shane Jett
Marian Cooksey
Dennis Johnson
John Trebilcock
Ron Peters
John Enns
Steve Martin
Colby Schwartz
Gus Blackwell
Dan Kirby
Mike Sanders
Mike Jackson
Paul Wesselhoft
Neil Brannon
Wes Hilliard
Steve Kouplen
Lucky Lamons
Jerry McPeak
Danny Morgan
Eric Proctor
Wade Rousselot
Ben Sherrer
Purcy Walker

Wildlife
Phil Richardson, Chair
R.C. Pruett, Vice Chair
Mike Sanders
Earl Sears
Dale DeWitt
Jeff Hickman
Skye McNiel
Fred Jordan
Terry Harrison
Brian Renegar
Glen Bud Smithson

Public Health
John Trebilcock, Chair
David Derby, Vice-Chair
Charlie Joyner
Lisa Billy
Colby Schwartz
Ron Peters
Jason Nelson
Pam Peterson
Mike Ritze
Pat Ownbey
Randy Terrill
Corey Holland
Lee Denney
Ed Cannaday
Larry Glenn
Rebecca Hamilton
Terry Harrison
Wes Hilliard
Ryan Kiesel
Jeannie McDaniel
Seneca Scott

Administrative Rules and
Agency Oversight
John Wright, Chair
George Faught, Vice-Chair
Dan Kirby
Mike Reynolds
Earl Sears
Steve Martin
Jason Murphey
John Auffet
Mike Brown
Samson Buck
Joe Dorman

Veterans & Military Affairs
Gary Banz, Chair
John Carey, Vice-Chair
Ann Coody
Paul Wesselhoft
Rex Duncan
Don Armes
Randy McDaniel
Mike Christian
Neil Brannon
Chuck Hoskin
Scott Inman
Paul Roan

Judiciary
Rex Duncan, Chair
Fred Jordan, Vice-Chair
Mark McCullough
Daniel Sullivan
Jason Nelson
Randy Terrill
Marian Cooksey
Scott Inman
Ryan Kiesel
Lucky Lamons
Richard Morrissette

Transportation
T.W. Shannon, Chair
Charlie Joyner, Vice-Chair
John Wright
Mike Christian
Eddie Fields
Gary Banz
Charles Ortega
Ken Luttrell
Al McAffrey
Ryan McMullen
Eric Proctor

Public Safety
Sue Tibbs, Chair
Steve Martin, Vice-Chair
Mark McCullough
Jason Murphey
Randy McDaniel
Leslie Osborn
Todd Thomsen
Mike Ritze
Wallace Collins
Chuck Hoskin
Paul Roan
Glen Bud Smithson

Agriculture & Rural Development
Don Armes, Chair
John Enns, Vice-Chair
Eddie Fields
Dale DeWitt
Leslie Osborn
Charles Ortega
Mike Sanders
Phil Richardson
Harold Wright
Dennis Bailey
Steve Kouplen
Ryan McMullen
R.C. Pruett
Brian Renegar

Common Education
Ann Coody, Chair
Sally Kern, Vice-Chair
David Dank
Tad Jones
Earl Sears
Doug Cox
Daniel Sullivan
Gus Blackwell
Samson Buck
Ed Cannaday
Joe Dorman
Jeannie McDaniel
Jabar Shumate

Rules
Gus Blackwell, Chair
Mike Jackson, Vice-Chair
Tad Jones
John Trebilcock
Mike Thompson
Guy Liebmann
Charles Key
Joe Dorman
Richard Morrissette
Cory Williams
Jerry Shoemake

Business & Economic Development
Daniel Sullivan, Chair
Randy McDaniel, Vice-Chair
George Faught
Pat Ownbey
Lewis Moore
Charles Key
Skye McNiel
Ron Peters
Guy Liebmann
John Auffet
John Carey
Danny Morgan
Mike Shelton
Jabar Shumate

International Relations & Tourism
Shane Jett, Chair
Purcy Walker, Vice-Chair
Jeff Hickman
Doug Cox
Corey Holland
John Wright
Todd Thomsen
Gary Banz
Dennis Bailey
Ken Luttrell
Jerry McPeak
Cory Williams

Appropriations Subcommittee on
Revenue & Taxation
Jeff Hickman, Chair
Neil Brannon, Vice-Chair
Randy McDaniel
Dan Kirby
Tad Jones
John Trebilcock
Pat Ownbey
Weldon Watson
Jerry McPeak
R.C. Pruett
Ben Sherrer

Appropriations Subcommittee on
Education
Lee Denney, Chair
Earl Sears, Vice-Chair
Sally Kern
Todd Thomsen
Ann Coody
Harold Wright
David Derby
Corey Holland
Eddie Fields
Ed Cannaday
Wes Hilliard
Jeannie McDaniel
Bill Nations
Jabar Shumate

Appropriations Subcommittee on
General Government & Transportation
Guy Liebmann, Chair
Colby Schwartz, Vice-Chair
Gary Banz
Mike Thompson
T.W. Shannon
Shane Jett
Mike Jackson
Steve Martin
Mike Reynolds
Mike Brown
Steve Kouplen
Ken Luttrell
Ryan McMullen
Eric Proctor

Appropriations Subcommittee on
Public Health & Social Services
Doug Cox, Chair
Paul Wesselhoft, Vice-Chair
Mike Ritze
Lisa Billy
John Enns
Charlie Joyner
Gus Blackwell
George Faught
Samson Buck
Rebecca Hamilton
Lucky Lamons
Anastasia Pittman
Mike Shelton

Appropriations Subcommittee on
Human Services
Ron Peters, Chair
Marian Cooksey, Vice-Chair
Pam Peterson
David Dank
Dennis Johnson
John Wright
Sue Tibbs
Charles Ortega
Dennis Bailey
Wallace Collins
Al McAffrey
Wade Rousselot
Cory Williams

Appropriations Subcommittee on
Natural Resources &
Regulatory Services
Dale DeWitt, Chair
Skye McNiel, Vice-Chair
Phil Richardson
Jason Murphey
Don Armes
Lewis Moore
Leslie Osborn
Charles Key
Terry Harrison
Brain Renegar
Seneca Scott
Jerry Shoemake
Purcy Walker

Appropriations Subcommittee on
Public Safety & Judiciary
Randy Terrill, Chair
Mark McCullough, Vice-Chair
Mike Christian
Rex Duncan
Mike Sanders
Fred Jordan
Daniel Sullivan
Jason Nelson
Scott Inman
Ryan Kiesel
Richard Morrissette
Paul Roan
Glen Bud Smithson