Target Centermass

Author: Gunner

  • Upping the Ante

    I’ve previously posted about the $10,000 challenge. Checking back, I see that the author has been deluged with people contacting him.

    Amazingly, my email was flooded with not only people trying to claim the prize, but individuals who so strongly shared my belief that the documents were forgeries that they too, pledged significant amounts of money to the challenge. As of now, including my initial $10,000, the amount pledged stands at $37,900.

    Also, the challenge has spawned another web page, stop60minutes.com, which is still in its infancy.

  • Another Expert Weighs in on the Forgery

    Hat tip to LGF for this tidbit by Joseph M. Newcomer, a self-described pioneer of electronic typesetting with a long list of credentials. He opens with this broadside:

    There has been a lot of activity on the Internet recently concerning the forged CBS documents. I do not even dignify this statement with the traditional weasel-word “alleged”, because it takes approximately 30 seconds for anyone who is knowledgeable in the history of electronic document production to recognize this whole collection is certainly a forgery, and approximately five minutes to prove to anyone technically competent that the documents are a forgery. I was able to replicate two of the documents within a few minutes. At time I a writing this, CBS is stonewalling. They were hoaxed, pure and simple. CBS failed to exercise anything even approximately like due diligence. I am not sure what sort of “expert” they called in to authenticate the document, but anything I say about his qualifications to judge digital typography is likely to be considered libelous (no matter how true they are) and I would not say them in print in a public forum.

    Newcomer then proceeds, at length and with graphic examples, to dissect and destroy CBS’s defense against the MS Word argument.

  • ‘Large cloud’ Seen Over North Korea

    CNN is reporting a mysterious cloud in North Korea that may or may not be the result of a nuclear test.

    A large cloud appeared over North Korea in satellite images several days ago, but a U.S. official told CNN it is “no big deal” and not the result of a nuclear explosion.

    South Korea’s Yonhap news agency is reporting a mushroom cloud over two miles (4 km) wide and a massive explosion in North Korea’s northernmost province on September 9 — the 56th anniversary of North Korea’s founding.

    South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Sunday the government was aware of the reports and is checking them.

    The U.S. official said the cloud could be the result of a forest fire.

    None of North Korea’s known nuclear sites are in the country’s northernmost provinces.

    However, The New York Times Saturday reported that President Bush and his top advisers recently received intelligence reports that could indicate North Korea is preparing a nuclear test, citing senior officials with access to the intelligence.

    With so little definate, I’ll refrain from comment at this time other than to say I doubt little will be made known about this any time soon. I also note that the American official suggests forest fire while CNN’s URL includes “blast.”

  • Remembering 9/11

    I recommend this:
    9/11

    I also prefer to remember this, my alma mater’s first home game post-9/11. The color-coordinated shirts were the idea and hard work of a small handful of students. Thousands of dollars were raised for victims’ charities.
    Red, White and Blue-Out at Kyle Field, 9/22/01
    (image from the Houston Chronicle)

  • Luxembourg Holds Massive World War II Liberation Celebrations

    Luxembourg celebrates, remembers and thanks.

    Luxembourg was only a brief stop for American forces sweeping through France on their way to Germany in World War II. But the liberation of the tiny country of 450,000 left strong memories.

    There were bands, speeches, church services, and commemoration medals as this small country looked back to remember the day that its precious freedom was restored from German occupation.

    In one ceremony at Luxembourg’s American military cemetery, where General George Patton is buried, Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker hailed the American contribution.

    “This is a day of thankfulness to these brave American soldiers who from the other side of the ocean came to Europe, and came to this tiny country, to liberate this country,” the prime minister said.

    Luxembourg invited 20 American veterans who took part in the liberation 60 years ago, to return to the country for observances. The oldest of those, 90-year-old John Colligan of New York, said recognition means a lot.

    “These people, 60 years later, they’re doing it because of appreciation,” he said. “And that’s a long time to keep your mind set that you want to show your appreciation. I admire them for that.”

    Pretty good stuff. And then I came to this:

    Luxembourgers have their own perspectives on the war. For 82-year-old Victor Fischbach, it was unique. He was forced into the German army like many other able-bodied Luxembourg men. But he later escaped, and, with the help of a priest, spent 13 months hiding in a Luxembourg church with several of his countrymen. Mr. Fischbach says liberation will never be forgotten by Luxembourg.

    “When an American speaks about Europe he must think that Luxembourg is, maybe, the best friend, the strongest friend,” said Mr. Fischbach. “And we’ll never forget what we are owing to America. From time to time, I go to the military cemetery, the American cemetery. I go alone and I cry, I cry. I can’t help, I cry. And I say, go there. If you don’t believe any more in America. Go there, and you will find again, and see again what they have done for us.“

    Not all have forgotten or, rather, have chosen to not remember.

  • The $10,000 Question

    Hat tip to Wizbang! for finding this challenge about the new CBS documents:

    So, for anyone still willing to consider that these documents are anything other than cheap, childish forgeries, I am offering $10,000 right now to anyone who can find for me a typewriter from 1972 that could have reasonably made those documents. Payment will be made in the form of a cashiers check to the first individual who can do this. The typewriter must be using the same proportionally spaced font as the CBS documents, the same curly-quotation marks, the same impossible superscripted “th”s, the same 13-point line spacing, and create a document that looks as much (or more) like the alleged forgeries than does a Microsoft Word document with default fonts and margins.

  • Old vs. New II

    According to the often-but-not-always accurate Drudge Report, CBS is launching an internal investigation after today’s fun-filled activities. It seems the work of the new media is sending the old media into a rather confused situation.

  • Old vs. New

    Media, that is. It was certainly an exciting day in the blogosphere.

    If you missed it, Little Green Footballs, Power Line, INDC Journal, Allah and others squared off against none other than Dan Rather, 60 Minutes and CBS News.

    It’s not a knockout yet, but it was a 10-8 round for the bloggers. And the mainstream media need to remember to not have the AP as their cutman in the corner.

  • City Falls to Muslims

    Afghanistan is moving towards elections. Iraq pacification and democratization is in motion. Whither next in the war on Islamic terror? So many targets to consider. Syria. Iran. Sweden.

    Sweden?!!

    This read is as disgusting as it is alarming. (hat tip to Rusty Shackleford)

  • Confusion Over Fate of French Hostages in Iraq

    The terrorist scum holding two French journalists are apparently claiming that they neither asked for a $5 million ransom nor set a 48-hour deadline.

    An Internet statement purportedly from the Islamic Army in Iraq militant group holding Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot dismissed a statement that appeared on the Web on Monday in the name of the militants.

    “There is absolutely no truth to the statement carried by the media on the Internet … comprising financial and other demands,” said the statement, posted on a Web site identified as belonging to the Islamic Army in Iraq.

    Another statement on the same Web site said the group was warning “any party whatsoever from interfering” in the case of the French hostages, who were both seized on Aug. 20.

    “The Islamic Army’s legal committee will announce its decision soon, God willing,” said the statement.

    France, oblivious to the reality that is the global threat of Islamist terror, remains befuddled.

    France was stunned by the kidnappings because it had opposed the U.S.-led war in Iraq and has not sent troops to the country.

    I’ve searched, but it seems there’s no truth that a new Maginot Line is being constructed. Apparently, even that would be taking too strong a stance.

    Can we please stop referring to France as an ally? Two-plus centuries ago, fine. Since then, only at their need, not ours. Hell, they bailed out of the military side of NATO in the darkest hours of the Cold War.