Charles Krulak Denounces Cheney's Torture Policy

"What has empowered al Qaeda is the knowledge that their actions and complaints create a rift in our own country between people who live in a fantasy world of Utopian ideals and people who understand the reality of war." -------------------------------------------------- Comment on post #3 -- It may be more accurate to say " . . . people who live in a fantasy world of war and people who understand the reality of Utopian ideals." Does might make right? I don't think so. In the end, I believe we will see that Ms._Clara_Barton_was_right. Don, thanks for initiating this blog discussion.
— September 15, 2009 9:31 a.m.

Orange County Register Parent to File Bankruptcy: Report

Don -- you may not see it in your lifetime or mine, but China will rule the world eventually. I'm not talking about economic bubbles. I'm talking about sheer numbers of people in that part of the world, combined with the nuclear threat, and humanity's history of the rise and fall of empires. The United States was not always an empire, but it grew to dominate the world. It's not the Chinese people, per se, it's the inexorable push of empire by the human species. Look at the entire journey of recorded history -- empires everywhere, succeeded by other empires. There will be chaos geopolitically in the next 20-50 years, and China will step in (and on others) to suppress it. It's inevitable. Tiananmen Square was a preview. ----------------------------------------- And how about that NATO airstrike in Afghanistan last week? From the AP: "After touring the bomb site — where villagers' yellow fuel cans still littered the river bank — (NATO Commander General) McChrystal paid a somber visit to the Kunduz hospital, where he stooped low to talk with a 10-year-old boy whose arms and legs were swathed in gauze. "While I was going to get the fuel, on the way I heard a big bang, and after that I don't know what happened," said the boy, Mohammad Shafi. McChrystal whispered "tashakor," -- thank you in the Afghan language of Dari -- to the boy and left the room. "Anytime anybody is hurt it is something that gives pause to everybody, particularly when they're young people, still children. And so you take it very seriously," McChrystal said. "So I take this entire effort as something that is a responsibility of our command, and a responsibility of mine, to try to protect Afghans." ----------------------------- Each one of these people killed or maimed in that NATO airstrike has a name and a life story to tell, just like those Americans killed on 9/11 whose lives were so eloquently eulogized on the pages of The New York Times. Empire will begin to cease to exist as a trait of the human species when the weight of the horror of what we do to one another becomes too great a burden to bear for humanity. And I believe that time will come too.
— September 7, 2009 6:10 a.m.

Orange County Register Parent to File Bankruptcy: Report

Well, eventually when China rules the world, here's what we may have to do when we post online. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/06/world/asia/06ch…
— September 6, 2009 9:33 a.m.

Orange County Register Parent to File Bankruptcy: Report

Response to post #14: I know, Don -- it was partly a rhetorical question. I was hoping someone would drop a clue to make it more fun. In a way, I don't want to know.
— September 3, 2009 11:39 a.m.

Orange County Register Parent to File Bankruptcy: Report

Okay -- I'll take the bait -- who's Mrs. Abbot?
— September 3, 2009 7:40 a.m.

U-T to Stay in Mission Valley for Now; Vows Return to Profitability

Don, in answer to post #65, it was this decade -- early 2000's. Here's something more -- an excerpt from the flyer that was posted all over the building in Mission Valley during that particular year's survey period. ----------------------------------- "Don't forget to complete our "Attitude & Opinion" survey this week. . . . Remember, we're counting on you so please do your part and tell us candidly what we do well and what we need to improve. Thanks for your input!" ----------------------------------- I am sure the "business as usual" folks had a good laugh at that.
— August 19, 2009 7:17 p.m.

U-T to Stay in Mission Valley for Now; Vows Return to Profitability

Going through some old files today, I came across something I wrote for a U-T employee survey earlier in this decade. ------------------------------------- Political intrigue, gamesmanship and "survivor" mentality at the highest levels of this organization eat away at the heart and soul of our potential to thrive. Although considered business as usual by some, eventually the cumulative effect poisons the atmosphere and undermines morale. The suggested improvements are a willingness to consider the impact of the behavior on the lives of employees and an attempt to create a truly open and direct environment that builds trust. I believe it would make a significant difference. I think it's something a newspaper organization should be able to strive for. -------------------------------------- I wonder what they did with that feedback?
— August 19, 2009 2:48 p.m.

U-T to Stay in Mission Valley for Now; Vows Return to Profitability

Looks like those page view counts are about to take a dive. ----------------------------------------------------------- August 18, 2009 9:40 pm Note to Readers: SignOnSanDiego.com is experiencing technical difficulties with its database, resulting in periodic outages of some pages. We are working to resolve the issue and apologize for any inconvenience.
— August 17, 2009 9:49 p.m.

U-T to Stay in Mission Valley for Now; Vows Return to Profitability

I would echo Don's comments in post #13 -- "Be careful. Be skeptical." I would add -- don't let anyone know you're skeptical. From the E&P article referenced above, here's their disclaimer: "(Nielsen Online and E&P share the same parent company.)" The credibility of the data, the data mining methodologies, and the purported analyses of said data should never be accepted unquestioningly. I think people would be shocked at how sloppy the data can end up. Or put another way, who is auditing the audit and research bureaus?
— August 17, 2009 6:24 p.m.

U-T to Stay in Mission Valley for Now; Vows Return to Profitability

Just for yucks, let's reminisce: ---------------------------------------------------------- "Careers at The San Diego Union-Tribune and SignOnSanDiego.com The San Diego Union Tribune and SignOnSanDiego.com are always searching for individuals who support our values. We believe that CUSTOMERS always come first, QUALITY is our foundation for success, PEOPLE are our greatest resource, JOURNALISTIC EXCELLENCE is our commitment to our readers, and our workplace fosters a spirit of TEAMWORK." ---------------------------------------------------------- Ouch. That hurts.
— August 17, 2009 10:06 a.m.