Blog: Celtic Design Symbols

1172
Again the hU IT censors are tweaking thing by not allowing me to post even shorter entries. . .

1640 --

MIT HR:

Title: Financial Assistant II
Req Number: mit-00003942
Department: Office Of The President
Location(s): Cambridge MA
FT/PT: Part Time
Employment / Payroll Category: Support
Work Shift:

FINANCIAL ASSISTANT II, Office of the President (part-time, 28 hrs/wk.), to perform complex and diverse financial duties. Will set up, reconcile, and monitor activity in multiple departmental cost objects using knowledge of MIT financial systems and own discretion to resolve discrepancies; monitor expenditures against approved budgets and perform monthly reconciliation of MIT accounting statements; independently research and resolve expense discrepancies; use SAP financial systems (while following MIT policies and procedures) to approve and create requisitions, perform budget transfers, authorize invoices for payment, process journal and travel vouchers, and verify MIT Procurement Card purchases; develop and maintain reports using SAP for various projects, activities, events, and accounts; assist with budget preparation and account projections for multiple cost objects; work with outside vendors to facilitate payment and obtain documentation; negotiate pricing for goods and services; maintain financial records and files for all accounts within the office; maintain all service contracts; interpret Institute policies and procedures related to financial monitoring and review; advise department managers of any changes in procedures; and attend Institute training and information sessions as needed.

REQUIREMENTS: 4.5 years of direct/related experience, ability to deal effectively with all levels of personnel, customer service orientation, and strong communication skills. Must be able to work independently, exercise good judgment, exhibit initiative and resourcefulness, and multitask a high volume of work. A strong commitment to following policies and procedures expected. Demonstrated attention to detail and organization required. Must be able to maintain confidentiality and use discretion. Knowledge of SAP desired. Advanced computer skills needed, including Word and Excel. MIT-00003942-5

(The Money Trail! The Money Trail!)

Title: Lab Assistant II
Req Number: mit-00003110
Department: Broad Institute
Location(s): Cambridge MA
FT/PT: Full Time
Employment / Payroll Category: Service (RDTEU)
Work Shift:

LAB ASSISTANT II, Broad Institute-Detection, to follow established protocols and procedures to prepare and execute moderately complex laboratory techniques in a high-throughput sequencing laboratory. Will operate, maintain, and troubleshoot automated laboratory equipment; perform data and reagent quality control procedures and maintain detailed laboratory records; update and communicate results effectively, adjusting data as needed; and participate in optimization and troubleshooting experiments. Troubleshooting can involve performing routine maintenance and minor repair of laboratory equipment along with making recommendations for new protocols and root cause analysis data. Will also be expected to adjust to new processes and technologies as required and improve upon current workflow processes with minimal instruction; assist team members; and perform other tasks as requested so that sequencing production goals are met.

REQUIREMENTS: a high school diploma or equivalent; a minimum of two-years' laboratory experience or an associate's degree; experience with computers and computer databases; and ability to organize work, multitask, resolve problems, and show attention to detail. Must be receptive to instruction and demonstrate an aptitude for learning new technologies. Knowledge of automated systems in high-throughput sequencing a plus. Should be able to lift heavy items of up to 30lbs. Bachelor's degree preferred. MIT-00003110

HU HR:

Requisition Number 29537
Title Curriculum Services Specialist
School / Unit Harvard Business School
Department Baker Library
Location Boston
Full Or Part Time Full-Time
Salary Grade 057
Date Posted 03/21/2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Duties And Responsibilities Works with faculty to leverage Baker's material and human resources in program development, curriculum design, course development, and information support services. Builds strong relationships with MBA, Doctoral, and Executive Education program administrators, curriculum program chairs, faculty unit heads, course heads, and individual faculty. Collaborates with other Baker Library departments to develop new services to meet HBS curricula needs and fulfill Baker's strategic objectives. Builds and maintains individual capabilities/knowledge base in business management education, business information resources, higher education, and adult learning. Utilizing environmental scanning practices, identifies best practices in the area of curriculum development in higher education; implements as appropriate in support of HBS curriculum. Other appropriate duties as assigned in support of Baker Library's strategic plan.
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Required Education, Experience and Skills MLS, M.Ed, or equivalent. Experience in developing courses or teaching in higher education or a corporate business research training program. Experience with business management and the use of information in making business decisions. Experience with project and relationship management. Extensive knowledge of business information resources and research methodologies. Advanced knowledge of a diverse range of business information resources in the assigned area(s) of subject matter expertise. Strong understanding and knowledge of adult learning, higher education curriculum design, and the use of information in course development. Excellent customer relationship management skills and ability to work on cross-functional teams Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills. Computer technology and Web literacy.
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Additional Web Position Listing Our expectations are that employees of HBS adhere and represent our Community Standards. They are: Respect for the rights, differences, and dignity of others; Honesty and integrity in dealing with all members of the community; Accountability for personal behavior.

and

Requisition Number 29538
Title Program Director, Narrative Journalism Program
School / Unit University Administration
Department Nieman Foundation
Location Cambridge
Full Or Part Time Full-Time
Salary Grade 057
Date Posted 03/21/2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Duties And Responsibilities The Director of the Nieman Foundation's Program on Narrative Journalism is responsible for fulfilling the foundation's mission as a major influence in the development of narrative skills among journalists in all forms of news media. Organizes and manages an annual narrative conference for journalists from print, digital, film and broadcasting. Organizes and manages an annual conference for editors and producers of narrative journalism. Teaches narrative writing to Nieman Fellows. Oversees the preparation of online content for the Nieman Narrative Digest. Creates and edits Nieman Foundation publications on narrative journalism. Contributes articles to other print and online publications about narrative journalism. Collaborates with a network of leading practitioners worldwide, and leads outreach efforts for the Nieman Foundation to serve journalists globally who seek to improve their knowledge and skills in the narrative form.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Required Education, Experience and Skills Basic Qualifications: Bachelor's degree required. Five plus years of experience as a teacher and practitioner of journalism. Must have a demonstrated record of effective teaching, writing and publishing in the field of narrative journalism, including newspaper and magazine articles and books. Additional Requirements: Excellent written and oral communication; strong organziational skills; attention to detail: flexibilty to adjust to changing needs; sensitivity to cultural differences; ability to set priorities, take initiative, and work collaboratively in a team environment. Proficiency in MS Office applications preferred.
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Additional Web Position Listing This is a two-year term appointment, with possibility of extension

(I think this is a repost). . .

and also:

Requisition Number 29539
Title Recruiting Specialist, Career Services
School / Unit Harvard Business School
Department MBA Program
Location Boston
Full Or Part Time Full-Time
Hours Per Week
Days And Hours Monday 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Days Off Sunday
Saturday
Salary Grade 053
Union HUCTW
Eligible for Overtime
Date Posted 03/21/2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Duties And Responsibilities As part of MBA Career Services, the Recruiting Specialist provides customer service to both companies and students regarding recruiting activities and career services programs. S/he is responsible for the seamless delivery and management of the following recruiting services to a portfolio of over 200 corporate accounts. Will serve as primary liaison for a portfolio of company accounts including heavy phone and e-mail interaction as well as personal meetings. Assists in setting strategy for companies in portfolio, including targeting "at-risk" companies and sharing best practices. Maintains database of company information and approves job descriptions. Coordinates recruiting briefings. Manages the scheduling of approximately 1,000 interviews. Involved in additional Career Services initiatives including: workshops, career fairs, resume collection, career survey and report. Trains and provides direction to a Customer Service Specialist who will assist them in the delivery of these activities. Assist supervisors with new initiatives to enhance MBA Career Services. Maintains and enhances Career Services' Web sites and supporting databases. Responsible for general office management and other duties as assigned.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Required Education, Experience and Skills BA/BS or equivalent exp. required plus 3 - 5 years of professional experience. Proven ability to work autonomously and as a team member. Excellent oral and written communication skills, as well as strong attention to detail required. Customer service experience strongly desired. Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Access and Excel desired. An interest in technology is preferred and HTML skills are a plus.

(Ah - the Sloan, HBS Exec Edu programs I mentioned. . . ). . .

foxnews.com:

House Panel Approves Subpoenas for White House Aides
Wednesday, March 21, 2007

If subpoenas are issued demanding White House aides testify on the firing of eight former U.S. attorneys, then President Bush will have no choice but to withdraw his offer to have his staff meet with congressional lawmakers informally, Press Secretary Tony Snow said Wednesday.

Presumptively, that would include any remaining unreleased documents from the White House over the dismissal of the federal prosecutors.

Snow spoke after a House panel authorized subpoenas for at least five White House aides, including political director Karl Rove and former counsel Harriet Miers. The move is the latest in a brewing battle between congressional Democrats and Bush over the extent to which the assistants should respond to inquiries.

Snow said subpoenas will make evident that the president's offer to have the aides answer questions about their roles in the decision to fire the federal prosecutors has been rejected.

"There is an important distinction between authorizing subpoenas and issuing them. And we hope members of Congress, as they have an opportunity to think this through, are going to realize that they've got a deal before them that enables them to find out what the truth is," Snow told reporters.

"We are doing this in a way that not only preserves presidential prerogatives but also creates an atmosphere that's going to be conducive to working together and to proceed in a manner that's dignified, thorough and accurate," he said.

Snow also suggested that the Democrats are looking for a fight rather than the truth.

"This is not a hearing. It's not a trial. It's an interview. ... We have offered them everything that gives them access to the facts and truth. If they do not accept the offer, it lifts the veil on some of the motivations, which means that people are less interested in the truth than creating a political spectacle," Snow said.

"It appears that there is more an effort to try to single out individuals rather than to try to isolate the truth," he continued.

The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law on a voice vote approved the panel chairman's authority to compel the president's top aides to testify publicly and under oath about their roles in the firings.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., is now able to issue the subpoenas should he choose. He may also force the White House, the subpoenaed presidential aides and Department of Justice to turn over documents.

"We have worked toward voluntary cooperation on this investigation, but we must prepare for the possibility that the Justice Department and the White House will continue to hide the truth," subcommittee chairwoman Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., said before the vote.

"This Congress respects executive privilege as a safeguard for the internal deliberations on the legitimate creation of policy. However, the White House has begun claiming executive privilege as a blanket excuse against any oversight into potential abuse of power or political misconduct," she added.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to follow suit on Thursday. Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy would then consult with ranking member Arlen Specter about issuing subpoenas, but the ultimate power to issue them would reside with the chairman.

Specter indicated on Wednesday that he could oppose authorization, and called an emergency meeting of committee Republicans to discuss the subpoena issue.

In calling for the subpoenas, Democrats appear to be rejecting the offer made by Bush late Tuesday to allow Miers and Rove — as well as deputy White House counselors William Kelley and J. Scott Jennings and Rove deputy Sara Taylor — to speak to judiciary panel members and staff. The president insisted that the consultations be given privately and not under oath.

Bush said his aides are free to speak with lawmakers and their staff to explain how the decisions to oust the prosecutors were made. He also agreed to release "all White House documents and e-mails involving direct communications with the Justice Department or any other outside person, including members of Congress and their staff, related to this issue."

The president said any efforts by Democrats to go on a "partisan fishing expedition aimed at honorable public servants" will be met with resistance. He said he would "absolutely" take the matter to court if it went that route.

"It will be regrettable if they choose to head down the partisan road of issuing subpoenas and demanding show trials when I have agreed to make key White House officials and documents available. I have proposed a reasonable way to avoid an impasse. I hope they don't choose confrontation. I will oppose any attempts to subpoena White House officials," Bush said.

Shortly before the panel authorized subpoena power for its chairman, Snow warned, "You don't need a showdown here."

Snow said the offer to make the advisers available for interviews is generous and reasonable. He asked, "What's more important, the truth or a spectacle?"

Before the vote on the subpoenas, Conyers turned up his nose at the offer.

"Well, we could meet at the local pub to have that kind of a gathering. I love conversations, especially with veteran lawyers and people associated with the White House. It'd be a great conversation, but in my judgment, it would not advance us toward uncovering the simple truth in this matter," he said.

He also urged Republican panel members to join Democrats in the authorization and said the subpoenas would be held in abeyance if the White House continued to cooperate with members of Congress.

Republicans weren't biting. Florida Rep. Ric Keller, the ranking Republican on the subcommittee, said the panel has a right to subpoena Rove and Miers, and Bush has a right to invoke executive privilege to protect them. Snow also said the White House will only provide documents about the fired U.S. attorneys if Democrats accept the restrictions.

The Fight Over Appearances

Democrats put out talking points after the president's remarks listing some of the 74 times "in recent history" that they say presidential advisers have testified to Congress, including 47 instances during the Clinton administration when Congress was led by Republicans.

Without a public hearing, record of testimony in the form of a transcript or a statement made under oath, argued Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., nothing will be accomplished.

"We Democrats want to resolve this issue quickly. We want to get the facts, we want to find out what went wrong, and it's clear many things did. We want to correct them and move on. But when the president gives an offer that really doesn't allow the truth to be gotten — no oaths, no transcripts, no public testimony — it doesn't serve the purpose of finding out what happened, resolving (it) quick in a fair and unpartisan way and moving on," Schumer said on the Senate floor Wednesday.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has been battered by Democrats and some Republicans over the various explanations given as to why the federal prosecutors were fired. At one point, Justice Department officials said the firings were performance-based. The attorneys, who serve at the pleasure of the president, claimed the removals were political.

"Now that the record is out there in black and white for the rest of the country to see, the argument that we were fired for 'performance related' reasons (in the words of Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty) is starting to look more than a little wobbly," fired Attorney David Iglesias wrote in Wednesday's New York Times.

Click here to read Iglesias' op-ed.

Calls for Gonzales' resignation have been abundant among Democrats, and even some Republicans have said they would like him to go. On Wednesday, however, GOP Conference Chairman Adam Putnam stopped short of asking for Gonzales' resignation, but said Gonzales "is standing in the center of a tornado of his own making." He said much of the attorney general's future rides on his testimony when he finally does end up on Capitol Hill.

Speaking to reporters, Bush also thanked the dismissed attorneys for their service but said nothing is unusual about his decision to replace any of them.

"The start of a second term is a natural time to discuss the status of political appointees within the White House and with relevant agencies, including the Justice Department. In this case, the idea was rejected and was not pursued," Bush said.

While the administration has rejected the service of the eight prosecutors, the White House announced Wednesday that the president plans to nominate another U.S. attorney, Michael J. Sullivan of Massachusetts, to be director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives at the Department of Justice. Sullivan has been acting director since September 2006.
-------------------

Here's sully again. . .

If Congress issues the subpoenas, is the administration's employees not required by law to testify? They're aids. And the office of the president is not above the law. . .

Is there a tie in between the problem here and the finances of MIT's president? Recall - Bush's "We can get insiode the mind of a terrorist" (January, 2005) and it appears a lot of Harvard and MIT researchers at the neurobiological level and at the shared institutes at MIT and Harvard are doing stuff just like that. . . if it's the case, might not the Air Firce MKULTRA laydown have been a feint. . . ?

Did I post this from MIT HR?:

Title: Financial Assistant II
Req Number: mit-00003933
Department: Graduate Students Office
Location(s): Cambridge MA
FT/PT: Full Time
Employment / Payroll Category: Support
Work Shift:

FINANCIAL ASSISTANT II, Graduate Student's Office (GSO) (temporary), to provide support services for the Graduate Student Council (GSC) on financial matters and for the programs and operations of its committees. Will create requisitions, reconcile credit cards, negotiate with vendors to purchase goods and services, process reimbursements and journal vouchers, and maintain an e-commerce shop front; provide support to the GSC executive committee and several standing committees to plan, coordinate, and review activities/events; provide regular financial reports to the executive and standing committees; support the GSC orientation committee in collaboration with other staff; be responsible for marketing and sales of the official graduate ring in collaboration with the GSC ring committee and the manufacturer; maintain security for the GSC office, including furnishings, equipment, computer hardware and software, and audiovisual equipment; respond to internal and external inquiries regarding graduate student issues; develop and maintain effective collaboration with other GSC staff and relevant administrative offices throughout MIT, e.g., Student Activities Financial Office, Campus Activities Complex, Campus Police, etc.; and maintain appropriate files and historical records to promote continuity of GSC committees and programs. Will work in collaboration with the financial assistant in GSO headquarters to ensure synchrony in all financial matters.

REQUIREMENTS: excellent financial skills, attention to detail, and ability to communicate effectively with a broad array of people. Familiarity with MIT accounting procedures and practices highly desirable. Must demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work creatively and independently within a team environment. Ability to function effectively in a busy environment despite frequent interruptions essential. Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience preferred. MIT-00003933-5

This is a temporary position through October 1, 2007.
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Out of nowhere the eppiglotis just let liquid into my lungs. . . thanks HUMF (and your neurobiological basal/brain influence'd attempts to assassinate or embarrass or incapacitate). . .

* * *

1706 --

from washingtonpost.com:

E-Mails Reveal Tumult In Firings and Aftermath

By Dan Eggen and Amy Goldstein
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, March 21, 2007; A01



On the morning of Feb. 7, the day after a combative Senate hearing over the firings of eight U.S. attorneys, Deputy Attorney General Paul J. McNulty was looking on the bright side.

"Paul reports this morning that he's hearing good reports from the Committee," a senior Justice official reported in an e-mail. "In particular, Sen. Schumer's counsel told him that the issue has basically run its course."

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, traveling 5,000 miles away in Buenos Aires, did not agree. "The Attorney General is extremely upset with the stories on the US Attys this morning," a press aide wrote. "He also thought some of the DAG's statements were inaccurate."

The e-mail exchange -- part of about 3,000 pages of internal documents turned over to Congress this week -- show a confused and divided Justice Department under siege in a political crisis largely of its own making. The crisis now threatens Gonzales's tenure as the nation's chief law enforcement official.

The documents also show that the White House was more closely involved than had been known in attempting to contain the controversy as it began to spin out of control in recent weeks. Just two weeks ago, on March 5, White House lawyer William Kelley personally oversaw a meeting called to prepare and edit testimony by William Moschella, the principal associate deputy attorney general. Moschella told the House Judiciary Committee the next day that the White House was only tangentially involved in the dismissals.

With an attorney general seemingly focused on other matters, McNulty and other senior Justice officials struggled to cope with pressure from increasingly agitated lawmakers. A Justice spokesman sought to mislead a reporter by questioning the accuracy of his sources, as other officials revised the administration's story and deflected queries from Congress about the firings. The dismissals would eventually be revealed as the result of a two-year-old plan, hatched in the White House, to sack U.S. attorneys seen as disloyal to the administration.

The dismissal process itself, the documents show, was chaotic and spiked with petty cruelties. Two senior officials joked caustically about U.S. Attorney Carol Lam in San Diego -- who prosecuted the corruption case of former congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-Calif.) -- calling her "sad" and saying her record was "hideous."

McNulty also admits he is "skittish" about the firing of a Nevada prosecutor, whose file he has never read; he approves the dismissal anyway. Through it all, the fired prosecutors are baffled and increasingly embittered by their removal and the Justice Department's shifting explanations.

"This makes me so sad. Why have I been asked to resign?" U.S. Attorney Margaret M. Chiara writes to McNulty on Feb. 1. A month later, she scolds him in an e-mail: "It is abundantly clear that this regrettable situation could have been better managed if the reasons for the dismissals were initially communicated to the affected United States Attorneys."

The new e-mails and other documents, provided to the House and Senate Judiciary committees late Monday night, focus primarily on the Justice Department's reasons for firing the prosecutors and its stumbling efforts to justify the dismissals since they were carried out in December.

For all their vivid detail, the e-mails and other records shed little light on the Bush administration's motives for carrying out the firings in the way it did. The new documents also provide little evidence that Justice officials sought to interfere with public corruption probes, as many Democrats and some of the prosecutors have alleged.

Along with documents released last week, the new records show that the firing lists drawn up by D. Kyle Sampson, a former Gonzales aide who resigned last week, frequently changed, rarely including the same group of allegedly inferior U.S. attorneys. Only four of those fired were included on an initial March 2005 ranking chart.

The new records show that Sampson called one prosecutor, David C. Iglesias of New Mexico, a "diverse up-and-comer." Sampson listed Iglesias as a candidate for three important jobs in 2004: the U.S. attorney in Manhattan; the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia; and the head of the Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys, the division that would eventually fire him.

Iglesias was not added to the firing list until last fall; he has called his dismissal a "political hit." He told Congress he was improperly pressured in pre-election telephone calls from Sen. Pete V. Domenici (R-N.M.) and Rep. Heather A. Wilson (R-N.M.) about a corruption investigation he was heading at the time.

Repeatedly in the months leading up to the firings, Justice officials derided the U.S. attorneys who would lose their jobs in often sharp terms, the internal e-mails show.

Brent Ward, director of a Justice Department obscenity task force, opposed sending FBI and Justice officials to Las Vegas last August to persuade then-U.S. attorney Daniel G. Bogden to pursue more cases: "[T]o go out to LV and sit and listen to the lame excuses of a defiant U.S. attorney is only going to move this whole enterprise closer to catastrophe."

A month later, after a Seattle newspaper quoted then-U.S. Attorney John McKay lamenting budget constraints on his office, McNulty aide Michael Elston fired off a note to senior counsel Monica Goodling: "Even when he is in Ireland, he causes problems!"

The Justice Department's statements to lawmakers contrast markedly with officials' private judgments, the e-mails show.

Last June, for example, Justice officials painstakingly drafted soothing responses to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), who had expressed concerns that Lam was not aggressive enough in prosecuting immigration violations in her San Diego district. "Please rest assured that the immigration laws in the southern district of California are being vigorously enforced," said a draft of a letter from Moschella to Issa.

But e-mails show that senior Justice officials were angry at Lam for her immigration record and planned for months to remove her. William Mercer, now third in command at Justice, exchanged a flurry of e-mails with Elston last July mocking Lam, writing at one point in her voice: "You're right, I've ignored national priorities and obvious local needs. Shoot my production is more hideous than I realized."

At first, before the administration sought to justify the firings as being based on performance, several of the U.S. attorneys let Justice officials know they would leave quietly. "I assure you my call will be pleasant and respectful," Iglesias wrote McNulty on Jan. 3.

In January, an assistant to Kevin V. Ryan, who had been fired as U.S. attorney in San Francisco, passed along that "he wanted us to know that he's still a 'company man' " and was "doing his best to stay out of this," according to an e-mail.

But as the weeks after their firings wore on, several prosecutors grew markedly more negative in tone -- most notably Chiara, 63. She carried on an e-mail exchange with McNulty and others in which she bemoaned her dismissal, noted financial difficulties and pleaded for help finding employment.

"The notoriety of being one of the 'USA-8' coupled with my age being constantly cited in the press is proving to be a formidable obstacle to securing employment," Chiara wrote McNulty on March 4. "I ask that you endorse or otherwise encourage my selection for reasons discussed in previous e-mails."

With the scandal escalating and with congressional Democrats announcing oversight hearings, Sampson told colleagues on Jan. 25 that McNulty should testify. "We need to be serious and hit back hard," he wrote.

"Are you crazy? No way. You ask him!" Moschella replied 11 minutes later. Elston responded next, saying that McNulty had already chosen Moschella to be the witness. Moschella replied: "Are you serious? I was going to be in El Paso on Wednesday."

The documents reveal that, in preparation for his testimony about limited White House involvement on March 6, Moschella was at a planning meeting organized by Kelley, the deputy White House counsel, the previous evening.

Kelley, who was frequently briefed by Sampson on the firings over the past two years, called the White House session to "go over the administration's position on all aspects of the US Atty issue, including what we are going to say about the proposed legislation and why the US Attys were asked to resign."
---------------------

washingtonpost.com:

Pentagon Investigates Conditions at Armed Forces Retirement Home

By Steve Vogel
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 21, 2007; 4:14 PM



The Pentagon began investigating conditions for veterans at the Armed Forces Retirement Home today after the General Accounting Office reported allegations of serious health care problems at the facility in Northwest Washington.

A four-person team visited the home today to view conditions and to speak to officials and residents at the historic facility, a Pentagon spokesman said

The team was appointed by the Department of Defense on Tuesday in response to a letter sent the previous day to Secretary of Defense Robert M Gates by David M. Walker, the comptroller general for the General Accounting Office.

The letter reported that the GAO had heard allegations from medical personnel who treat residents at the facility, including a rising number of resident deaths, resident rooms spattered with blood, urine and feces, and veterans suffering from bed sores and, in one case, maggots in a wound.

Senators Carl Levin, (D-Mich.) and John McCain, (R-Ariz.) sent a joint letter to Gates Tuesday saying they were "dismayed" by the GAO letter and calling on the Department of Defense "to immediately undertake an independent investigation of the quality of health care and other services provided by the Armed Forces Retirement Home."
-----------

If this is true - then the vets in the military's retirement homes are no better off than the vets I know from homeless shelters. . .

For shame, for shame. . . or, to (near)quote not-quite-Conrad: "The dishonor. The dishonor."

washingtonpost.com:

Senate Bill Would Mandate Disclosure of Data Mining

By Ellen Nakashima
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 21, 2007; D03



The Justice Department is opposing bipartisan Senate legislation that would require federal agencies to disclose to Congress data-mining programs they use to find patterns of criminal or terrorist activity, saying that it duplicates a reporting requirement mandated in the 2006 renewal of the USA Patriot Act.

The department, however, missed the March 9 deadline to report on its data-mining programs as required by the law. Senate Democrats, who have pressed for disclosure to ensure that privacy and civil liberties were not violated, are not pleased.

"This is more stonewalling by the administration to avoid congressional oversight," said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), who co-sponsored the data-mining provision with Sens. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.) and John E. Sununu (R-N.H.). "We specifically placed sunshine provisions in the Patriot Act reauthorization to ensure some reasonable checks on the department's data-mining activities that affect millions of Americans," Leahy said.

The 2006 Patriot Act mandated a one-time report on Justice data-mining initiatives. The Senate proposal would establish a yearly reporting requirement for all federal agencies.

A Justice Department inspector general's report revealed recently that the FBI improperly gathered telephone and financial records of U.S. residents using administrative subpoenas called national security letters, and in some cases merely by citing "exigent circumstances." The report, released two weeks ago, was mandated in the reauthorized Patriot Act over the Bush administration's objections. The report also found that the FBI "significantly understated" to Congress the number of national security letters it had issued.

In January, Leahy asked Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales whether the Justice Department would produce a report on its data-mining activities. He received no reply.

But Friday, with the department trying to contain fallout from the inspector general's report and a controversy over its firing of eight U.S. attorneys, Richard A. Hertling, the acting assistant attorney general, wrote Leahy that the department was "working diligently" to complete the report and send it to Congress "as expeditiously as possible."

In a Feb. 28 letter to Leahy, Hertling said the legislation is "largely duplicative" of the Patriot Act requirement and that its scope is "potentially quite broad" and "might be read to include a wide range of normal, everyday investigative techniques."

Hertling said the Department of Homeland Security "has many of these same concerns."

The Senate passed the data-mining measure last week as part of a Homeland Security bill. There is no similar provision in the House version of the larger bill and differences between the two bills will have to be resolved in a conference committee.

Jim Harper, director of information policy at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, said that the administration's opposition to reporting on data-mining programs appears to reflect on one hand "simple, bureaucratic intransigence . . . less oversight is better for a bureaucracy." On the other, he said, in light of the inspector general's report, Justice Department officials might fear that data-mining oversight "would reveal a great deal more that offends privacy."

The Justice Department "appreciates the importance of congressional oversight on these critical matters," said Dean Boyd, a spokesman.
-------------

The country's government law enforcement agency is "opposing" the country's government lawmakers. . . sounds like the coup already happened. . . see previous entries. . .

* * *

1724 --

Presidential finances. . . the Humanities faculty cipy center I worked at, I was told, was financed - or my temp opportunity there was financed - through the Office of the President. . . I heard that form the same man that told me coffee runs to Barker would entail the building manager calling HUPD on me, he also being the man of the "very clean smell" runups this past summer. . . Nice enough guy, but rather puppet-like in the HUMF respect, I'm afraid. . .

from yahoo.com.news:

AP: VA hospitals beset with problems By HOPE YEN, Associated Press Writer
46 minutes ago



The Veterans Affairs' vast network of 1,400 health clinics and hospitals is beset by maintenance problems such as mold, leaking roofs and even a colony of bats, an internal review says. The investigation, ordered two weeks ago by VA Secretary Jim Nicholson, is the first topdown review of the facilities conducted since the disclosure of squalid conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

A copy of the report was provided to The Associated Press.

The report found that 90 percent of the 1,100 problems cited were deemed to be of a more routine nature: worn-out carpet, peeling paint, mice sightings and dead bugs at VA centers.

The other 10 percent were considered serious and included mold spreading in patient care areas. Eight cases were so troubling they required immediate attention and follow-up action, according to the 94-page review.

Some of the more striking problems were found at a VA clinic in White City, Ore. There, officials reported roof leaks throughout the facility, requiring them to "continuously repair the leaks upon occurrence, clean up any mold presence if any exists, spray or remove ceiling tiles."

In addition, large colonies of Mexican Wing-tailed bats resided outside the facility and sometimes flew into the attics and interior parts of the building.

"Eradication has been discussed but the uniqueness of the situation (the number of colonies) makes it challenging to accomplish," according to the report, which said the bats were being tested for diseases. "Also, the bats keep the insect pollution to a minimum which is beneficial."

In other findings:

_In Oklahoma City, secondhand smoke from an outside smoking shelter sometimes infiltrated the building through the women's restroom.

_Deteriorating walls and hallways were common, requiring repair, patch and paint in 30 percent of patient areas in Little Rock, Ark.

_Numerous unspecified "environmental conditions" affected the quality of the building in New York's Hudson Valley, with the private landlord repeatedly refusing to fix problems. The VA is taking steps to relocate to another facility.

_Roof leaks or mold at facilities such as Hudson Valley; North Chicago, Ill.; Indianapolis; Puget Sound, Wash.; Portland, Ore; and Fayetteville, Ark.

In response, Nicholson this week ordered "immediate corrective action" to fix problems, with full accounting provided to the VA. He noted that an overwhelming majority of the issues were normal "wear and tear" items.

In many cases where there were roof leaks or mold, officials had begun action to order patches or repairs, the department said. In some instances, they were moving to new facilities.

"The level of detail in the reports and the corrective actions enumerated demonstrate your responsiveness to my request," Nicholson wrote in an order Monday to VA medical center directors.

In interviews, VA officials said they were somewhat reassured by the report, which they said indicated no red flags rising to the level of problems at outpatient facilities at Walter Reed in Washington, D.C., one of the premier facilities for treating those wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Walter Reed is a military hospital run by the Defense Department. Critics long have said problems of military care extend to the VA's vast network, which provides supplemental health care and rehabilitation to 5.8 million veterans.

"There was no imminent threat of harm to patients," said Louise Van Diepen, chief of staff to VA's acting undersecretary for health, Michael Kussman. "We have no indication to lead us to believe there is a smoking gun."

"Could it happen? Yes. But we're doing everything we can prospectively to monitor the situation," she said.

Three high-level Pentagon officials have been forced to step down after the disclosures last month at Walter Reed. The controversy also has led to investigations by congressional committees, a presidential task force and the Pentagon.

A separate review of the VA system for handling disability claims is under way to determine how to cut through bureaucratic delays, confusing paperwork and long appeals process as thousands of veterans return home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Investigators this month determined that the system was strained to its limit, with backlogs of more than 400,000 and delays and appeals that could take years.

___

On the Net:

Department of Veterans Affairs: http://www.va.gov/
==================

Recall last summer the vet at the southern campsite. . . was he sent to chipper me up? was he checking me out? I hope the association doesn't hurt him - he said he was food services at the VA in Jamaica Plain. . .

Only some pretty sad government and military neglect and inaction for a long time could let things get so bad for so many US veterans . . . makes you wonder: where does the military money actually go?

boston.com:

Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Patrick asks commission for candidates to fill SJC vacancy
By Jonathan Saltzman, Globe Staff

Governor Deval Patrick said today that he has asked a commission to recommend six to eight candidates to succeed Supreme Judicial Court Justice Martha B. Sosman, who died March 10.

As he prepares to make his first judicial appointment, Patrick announced that he had completed appointing the 21-member Judicial Nominating Commission and had directed the panel to immediately begin considering candidates to succeed Sosman on the state's highest court.

"The work of the Supreme Judicial Court is essential to protecting the rights of our citizens and preserving our constitutional democracy," he said in a statement. "We are committed to finding a nominee of the highest credentials to fill this important role."

Patrick said the commission will accept applications for the high court through April 24. After he receives recommendations, he is expected to select one as his nominee.

Sosman died this month of respiratory failure after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005. She was one of three SJC judges who voted against the court's landmark 2003 decision legalizing gay marriage in Massachusetts.

In January in his first executive order as governor, Patrick reconstituted the Judicial Nominating Commission, which screens applicants for judgeships, and appointed the chair and two vice chairs. He named the other 18 members today.
----------------------------------------------------

I hope they're careful about this. . .

boston.com:

Soldier pleads to role in rape, murders
By Kristin M. Hall, Associated Press Writer | March 21, 2007

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. --A Fort Campbell soldier pleaded guilty Wednesday to being an accessory to the rape and murder of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and the slaying of her family.

Pfc. Bryan Howard, 20, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obstruct justice by lying to his superior officers about the attack last year in Mahmoudiya, 20 miles south of Baghdad. It was one of the most shocking atrocities committed by U.S. troops in the Iraq war.

Howard could get up to 15 years in prison at a sentencing hearing that began Wednesday afternoon.

Five soldiers were charged in the rape of Abeer Qassim al-Janabi and the killings of her, her parents and her younger sister. Two of the soldiers previously pleaded guilty and said Howard's role was minimal.

Howard told the judge Wednesday he was left behind at a checkpoint while four other soldiers went to rape the girl. Howard said he overheard the four planning the attack.

Howard said he only started to realize that someone had been killed after the soldiers returned about 10 minutes later. He said the four soldiers were in a "hectic state and hyper."

Howard said he saw blood on one of the soldier's uniforms, but he didn't remember which one.

"I was slowly starting to believe what they had done, that they had committed the crimes, the rape and the murder," Howard said.

Spc. James P. Barker and Sgt. Paul E. Cortez, who have pleaded guilty to rape and murder, have said they took turns raping the girl while Pfc. Steven D. Green shot and killed her mother, father and younger sister. Green then shot Abeer in the head, they said.

Green, who is accused of being the ringleader but was discharged from the military before being charged, will be prosecuted in a federal court in Kentucky. He pleaded not guilty to charges including murder and sexual assault in the March 12, 2006, attack.

Barker said Howard and another soldier charged, Pfc. Jesse V. Spielman, did not participate in the rape and killings, but he said they were at the house when the assault occurred and had come knowing what the others intended to do.

Howard, of Huffman, Texas, was initially described as a lookout for the crime and other soldiers from the 101st Airborne have said he was not directly involved.

During Wednesday's hearing, Howard said Cortez and Green bragged about what they had done after they returned.

Howard said he knew Green shot at least one person, but he didn't know how many. Howard said he learned how many people had been killed when the battalion commander started to ask him about the attack.

Howard said he told investigators that he didn't believe the soldiers were involved, but "I told them Green was probably crazy enough to do it."

Howard said he implicated Green to draw the investigators' attention away from Barker, Cortez and Spielman.

Barker was sentenced to 90 years in prison and Cortez received 100.

Lawyers for Spielman have said he was not involved in the planning of the murders and rape. His court-martial is scheduled for April 2.
-------------------------------------------------------------

US soldiers are sent to do things they;re not well trained to do. They;re not the "best supplied army in the world" over there - too much $ getting profit-mongered diverted - and they're sometimes in over their heds. . . atop that, recall Guthrie from "Alice's Restaurant," no longer is the full compliment of inductees "moral enough" for service, such the standards have been lowered. . . but perhaps that's part of the Plan, for them perhaps the more immoral of hte soldiers the military is accepting now would not complain so much about hte poor treatment they'd receive as vets in need of medical attention when they, if they, finally make it back to the US. . .

boston.com:

Biomedical lab evacuated
Smoke emergency renews safety debate
By Raja Mishra and John R. Ellement, Globe Staff | March 21, 2007

Firefighters evacuated hundreds of people from a 10-story Boston University biomedical research building yesterday after white smoke wafted through a laboratory that houses vials of highly infectious bacteria, renewing concern about the danger of studying potentially deadly pathogens in a densely populated area.

The smoke set off alarms in the ninth-floor lab of BU's Center for Advanced Biomedical Research in the South End, where scientists keep samples of the Francisella tularensis bacterium, which causes what is commonly known as rabbit fever.

After scientists and others fled, a hazardous materials team in gray biohazard suits and green boots went inside to search for the source of the smoke. The smoke disappeared as soon as firefighters shut off electricity to the building, leading them to tentatively conclude that an electrical problem was the cause. The hazardous materials team found no contamination.

Fire Commissioner Roderick J. Fraser Jr. said the public was never in danger. "All of the safety and security precautions that the laboratory takes were taken and were still in place" when firefighters arrived, he said.

Still, the incident fueled the fears of opponents of another BU lab, under construction nearby, where researchers would work with the world's deadliest germs, including Ebola, plague, and anthrax.

The Biosafety Level-3 lab where the incident occurred stands on Albany Street roughly 100 yards from the construction site for the controversial $178 million Biosafety Level-4 lab, the first in Boston. The evacuated building is also adjacent to another BU lab where three workers were mysteriously infected by the same tularemia bacteria in 2004.

Klare Allen, a community organizer who opposes the proposed Level-4 lab, said that the incident underscored the inevitability of accidents, which opponents say could be deadly in Boston. "Stuff happens," she said. "Nobody's perfect, and people make mistakes."

Fire and BU officials, however, said the incident demonstrated that the city was well prepared to protect the public. Many of the firefighters who responded had previously toured and inspected the lab and knew their way around, said Stephen Morash, BU's manager of emergency planning and response. The tularemia bacteria, stored in a double-locked freezer, were never threatened, he said.

"Even if there was a fire, it would likely have simply destroyed the bacterium," Morash said. "It's not a very hearty organism."

John R. Murphy, a BU researcher, said the three researchers who work in the ninth-floor lab do not use flammable chemicals. They were working on the bacterium that causes rabbit fever, which is contracted through the bite of an infected tick or deer fly or by handling infected animal carcasses, especially rabbits; by eating or drinking contaminated food or water; or by inhaling airborne bacteria. Symptoms include sudden fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, joint pain, dry cough, progressive weakness, and pneumonia. In rare cases, it can be fatal.

Last September, Boston became the first major city in the United States to pass regulations allowing city officials to monitor research in labs working with potentially deadly biological agents. The city's Public Health Commission required licenses for Biosafety Level-3 and Level-4 labs, the federal government's two highest risk designations.

Boston has six other registered Level-3 labs, at Tufts University School of Medicine, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School, Children's Hospital Boston, and Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Under normal circumstances, the one-alarm incident yesterday would have been minor. But the presence of a potentially dangerous pathogen transformed it into a large-scale operation.

Shortly after the lab's fire alarm sounded at 11:40 a.m., Albany Street was choked with fire trucks. Firefighters donned hazardous material suits in the middle of the street and set up a decontamination shower, though it would not be used.

People in the building were evacuated in waves. At first, only those on the ninth floor were told to leave, but the entire center was emptied when fire officials declared a Level-3 hazardous material response.

Deputy Fire Chief Robert J. Calobrisi said tests of air samples found no evidence that the air in the lab had been contaminated by chemicals or biological agents. He said the cause of the smoke was still under investigation. BU officials said the building would not reopen until after the Boston Public Health Commission ensures the safety of workers.

Last evening, Health Commission spokesman Tom Lyons said a three-person team found no dangers in the lab, though it would remain closed for several days until results of other tests come back.

"There's nothing obvious that would indicate any risk to anybody who works in the building," he said.

Despite the statements from fire and BU officials, some community activists said yesterday's incident underscored the risks of such research.

"They keep saying that everything is safe," said community activist Mel King, who has filed a lawsuit to stop construction of the Level-4 lab. "They deny the reality that they don't have any way of guaranteeing that the things they are working on will not spread."

A more in-depth environmental review of the Level-4 lab, which will look at several hypothetical worst-case scenarios, is scheduled to be completed next month. Last October, a federal judge overseeing the opponents' lawsuit against the lab ruled that construction could continue while that review is underway. The metal skeleton has been erected for the lab, to be known as the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories.

Michael F. Flaherty, a Boston city councilor who has taken issue with the Level-4 lab in the past, said yesterday's incident helped ease some of his fears.

"It makes me feel good that, in the event that something major happened, we have great experienced professional firefighters at our disposal," he said.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------Reposted from:
http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/news/state/16691686.htm

Thanks to Bret for sending this story our way.

TOPEKA, Kan. - New, evolution-friendly science standards for Kansas' public schools were adopted Tuesday by the State Board of Education, replacing ones that questioned the theory and generated international ridicule.

The new guidelines reflect mainstream scientific views of evolution and represent a political defeat for advocates of "intelligent design," who had helped write the older standards being jettisoned.

Some scientists and science groups believed the board's latest action was significant because it turned back a subtle attack on evolution that encouraged schools to teach about an evolution "controversy," rather than mandating that creationism or intelligent design be taught. Intelligent design says an intelligent cause is the best way to explain some complex and orderly features of the universe.

"What we're seeing around the country is more attempts to qualify or downgrade evolution," said Eugenie Scott, executive director of the National Center for Science Education in Oakland, Calif., which fights efforts to undermine the teaching of evolution. "The 'evidence against evolution' is the creationism du jour."

But John West, a senior fellow with the Seattle-based Discovery Institute, which supports intelligent design research, predicted the Kansas board's vote would have little effect nationwide - just as states didn't follow Kansas' lead when the board adopted its previous standards in November 2005.

"It's not going to be a precedent in other states," he said. "Education is largely a state and local matter, so states are going to do what they think is best and so are local school boards."

Nor do people involved in Kansas' debate think the board's 6-4 vote Tuesday settles the issue. State law will require the board to update the standards again by 2014, and elections before then could give conservatives a majority again.

"I think we're good for two years," said board member Janet Waugh, a Kansas City Democrat who supported the new standards. "Who knows what the election will hold in two years?"

The state has had five sets of standards in eight years, with anti- and pro-evolution versions, each doomed by the seesawing fortunes of socially conservative Republicans and a coalition of Democrats and moderate Republicans. The moderate bloc had a 6-4 majority after elections last year; conservatives prevailed when the board adopted anti-evolution guidelines 15 months ago.

Although other states have seen debates and court fights over evolution, Kansas' back-and-forth have brought it additional attention. Scott also blames images others have of Kansas from "The Wizard of Oz."

"It's the centrality of Kansas as middle America and generic America that made this front-page news," she said. "You aren't unique, unfortunately."

The board on Tuesday removed language suggesting that key evolutionary concepts - like a common origin for all life on Earth and change in species creating new ones - were controversial and being challenged by new research. Also approved was a new definition of science, specifically limiting it to the search for natural explanations of what's observed in the universe.

"Those standards represent mainstream scientific consensus about both what science is and what evolution is," said Jack Krebs, an Oskaloosa math and technology teacher who helped write the new guidelines. He is also president of Kansas Citizens for Science.

But the board's conservative minority said the new standards will limit the relevant information students get about evolution.

"There seems to be a pattern," said board member Steve Abrams, an Arkansas City Republican. "Anything that might question the veracity of evolution is deleted."

Many Kansans harbor religious objections and other misgivings about evolution, even 198 years after British naturalist Charles Darwin's birth, which was Monday. The Intelligent Design Network presented petitions with almost 4,000 signatures, opposing the standards the board eventually adopted.

"Let's have an open mind and question things," Rebecca Hoagland, a research statistician from Osawatomie, said during a public hearing before the board's vote.

Hoagland said she home-schools her daughter and three sons. She believes public schools don't teach students how to think critically about such subjects as evolution, and "I don't see it changing."

Greg Lassey, a retired Wichita-area biology teacher, said the new standards also undermine families by "discrediting parents who reject materialism and the ethics and morals it fosters." And others, including John Calvert, a retired Lake Quivira attorney who help found the Intelligent Design Network, accused the board of promoting atheism.

But the Rev. Douglas Phenix, a retired Presbyterian minister from Topeka, welcomed the rewriting even though he acknowledged that, "The doctrine of creation is absolutely central to my belief system." He said the standards being replaced were "fraudulent" and suggested students had to choose between faith and evolution.

"I feel personally offended," he said. "It is a false choice."

The state uses it standards to develop tests that measure how well students are learning science. Although decisions about what's taught in classrooms remain with 296 local school boards, both sides in the evolution dispute say the standards will influence teachers as they try to ensure that their students test well.

Wichita Superintendent Winston Brooks said anti-evolution standards might have influenced teaching had they remained in place. But he and other educators had anticipated the old guidelines might be short-lived.

"We haven't changed our science books. We haven't changed our science curriculum," Brooks said. "I guess it's one of those things, if you wait long enough, this too shall pass."

Lisa Volland, a biology teacher at Topeka West High School, saw the board approving new standards as "housekeeping."

"I am glad that they are putting things back to the way they should be," she said. "I think the teacher shortage and the alarming state of affairs in science is where the focus needs to be now."

There were debates or legal battles in California, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Ohio, Nevada and South Carolina over evolution and "intelligent design."

But none has inspired comedians' jokes or parodies like Kansas' ongoing battle has, such as the four-part "Evolution Schmevolution" series in 2005 on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show."

A conservative-led state board deleted most references to evolution in rewriting the standards in 1999; two years later, a less conservative board returned to evolution-friendly standards.

Conservative Republicans skeptical of evolution had a 6-4 majority when the standards came up for review again in 2005.

Hearings that year drew journalists from Canada, France, Great Britain and Japan. The National Academy of Sciences, the National Association of Science Teachers and the American Association for the Advancement of Science condemned the board's actions.

But moderate Republicans captured two seats from conservatives in GOP primaries last year, guaranteeing a return to evolution-friendly guidelines.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat re-elected last year, cited embarrassment caused by the board's past decisions on evolution as a reason to strip it of its power to set education policy.

"Gov. Sebelius has consistently said that we need more science education in our schools, not less, so she is relieved to see the State Board of Education take this action," spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran said.


Associated Press Writer John Milburn also contributed to this report.

On the Net:

Proposed science standards, including a comparison with the existing guidelines: http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid144