My parents are in town, and I'm taking a long weekend, so don't expect to see too many new posts until after Labor Day.

Have a safe and Happy Holiday!

Newsmax points out some of the goings on at the UN Earth Summit in South Africa. World leaders attending the summit are "gorging on mountains of lobster, oysters and filet steak at the Johannesburg conference," and washing it down with "the finest champagnes and wines." Meanwhile, "desperate kids in nearby shanty towns queued for water at standpipes," and "South Africans are starving in slums just a few miles away."

Also, "Reuters reported that activists vowed to press ahead with a banned protest march Saturday from a slum to the U.N. fatcats in Sandton. South African police warn they will crack down 'very, very firmly'." The Sun notes that "in another ironic twist, hundreds of trees have been felled around the conference centre so fleets of limousines will have unhindered access."

"Senate Panel: Ignorance, Ineptitude Plague FBI" Fox News, August 28, 2002.

So what is the Senate's excuse?

"Hollywood hunk Leonardo DiCaprio has cancelled an appearance at the World Development Summit - despite calling on American President George W. Bush to attend," says the IMDB. This provides further evidence that celebrities like DiCaprio prefer not to remain silent and be thought a fool, rather to open their mouth and prove it.

In addition, major media outlets continue to lap it up, by printing the opinions of celebrities as if they are an expert on the subject. My guess is that they figure celebrities making idiots of themselves will help draw bigger ratings.

It is reminiscent of when CNN-Money took financial advice from singer, Billy Joel, quoting him as saying investors "have a good reason to be scared." This is in spite of admitting that he'd just "checked out of a substance abuse and psychiatric hospital after a 10-day stay -- said he does not have that much exposure to stocks in his own portfolio and said he is generally distrustful of large corporations."

Are Jessie Jackson, Al Sharpton and company civil rights leaders or black's rights leaders? Currently whites are being kicked off their farms in Zimbabwe, yet the silence from the supposed 'civil rights' activists is deafening. You can bet that if the situation were reversed, and blacks were being booted off of their farms, there would be nothing but outrage and contempt voiced on a daily basis.

The sad fact is that the citizens of Zimbabwe are bound to suffer. Zimbabwe is already having trouble producing enough food to stave off a famine, and taking farmland away from the few productive farmers is only going to make the situation worse. Large plantations are going to be divided up and given to multiple black families, with no thought to just how they are supposed to farm the land. Not only do they not know much about farming, but there is insufficient infrastructure in place to make the smaller farms productive. The UN estimates that up to 6 million people in Zimbabwe will soon go hungry. When that happens, look for Jessie and Reverend Al to make an appearance on the media circuit, looking for handouts.

The problem with people like Jackson and Sharpton is that they are too reactionary. Since the press is better when people are dying, they will continue to wait and bide their time. It would be nice to see Jackson and Sharpton be proactive by standing up for the citizens of Zimbabwe sooner rather than later. The election in Zimbabwe was marked with human rights abuses, fraud, intimidation, and murder. Thousands of people, blacks as well as whites, were kept away from the polls, yet Jackson and Sharpton made no public outcry, and coverage in the media has been sparse. What are they waiting for?

A Canadian couple is suing Air Canada for $5 million for losing their tabby cat. "It's not about the money," claims Andrew Wysotski who is suing for negligence, negligent infliction of emotional distress, fraud, and false advertising.

According to the story, the cat's cage had a hole in it, and the front door was broken open upon arriving in California. The couple feels that the airline didn't take care and responsibility when transporting the animal, however I think it is entirely probably that the cat summoned super-feline strength, and decided to liberate itself from bondage. Five million for a 15 year old cat seems a bit steep, regardless of emotional ties. The fair market value for a common tabby cat is about $8. If you add-on a tripled award for punitive damages, you end up with $32 total. If they pay careful attention to signs posted in their neighborhood, they could probably score a brand new tabby kitten for free.

Radley Balko writes a nice op-ed piece about taxes and paycheck withholding. Not many people know that this was one of the biggest 'bait and switch' cons ever pulled on the American public. While repealing the war-time law passed in 1943 wouldn't be that difficult, it could prove to be a nasty headache for the IRS and US Treasury.

Balko writes that tax collection shouldn't be easy. "When tax collection is easy, spending tax dollars becomes easier, too. And government grows." While I agree with him 100%, the skeptic in me tells me that it'll never happen. Congress is too power hungry, and the special interests are too eager to get their hands on my tax dollars.

A Slovakian man was arrested for endangering the public, when he used a cigarette lighter to try to peer into the gas tank of his car to see how full it was. The resulting fire destroyed his vehicle and much of the gas station.

The security screener who missed a loaded handgun and ammunition clip at Atlanta Hartsfield was fired today. This seems like a reasonable reaction to a gross dereliction of duty.

Something I want to note, is that if this employee had been 'federalized' they would never have been fired. A federal union employee could wave a gun around, and probably shoot a few passengers and not be fired, because of union protection. The worst that would have happened to a federal worker is they would have been reassigned, or suspended with pay.

A woman who dialed a wrong number didn't let that stop her from trying to trade perscription drugs for crack cocaine. Even though the wrong number she dialed was for the St. Tammany Parish sheriff's office.

Those of you that follow Star Wars, probably have heard about devoted fans putting 'Jedi' down as their religion on census forms. Although Australia has stopped short of fining people for putting 'false information', they have lumped some 70,000 followers of the religion into a 'not defined' category.

This brings up the question of just what defines a religion? What exactly are the criteria to become an officially recognized religion? My libertarian viewpoint is that people should be allowed to worship what they want, as long as it doesn't deprive anyone else of life, liberty, or property. To tell someone that your religion is sacred, while theirs is 'bunk' is just plan intolerant. If you want to believe in UFOs, commit suicide, and ride the Hale-Bopp comet up the 'heaven', then so be it. I'll even loan you my helmet to guard against alien mind control.

"Though other factors like the decline in consumer spending have played a role, Cary Sherman, President of the RIAA, said that illegal music downloading was the main culprit in the drop in sales." -- PWC, lobbying for the Recording Industry Ass. of America.

The RIAA continues to blame customer's incessant greed for all of their financial woes.

Neal Boortz posts this email from a reader:

I was making a flight connection in Atlanta on Thursday night on my way to Tampa and saw a young couple getting the "extra security search" at the gate for my flight. While going through the young man's carry on bag, the "security agent" found a small jewelers ring box and said "what's this?". The young man replied "Dude, come on!". The "security agent" then opened the box and the young lady saw the ring. The engagement ended up taking place on the jetway instead of on the end of a pier overlooking the sunset on the Gulf of Mexico Thank you very much Transportation Security Administration for an engagement I'm sure that young couple wont forget.

Have you ever arrived at your destination, and had to sit on the taxi-way for a few minutes because no one is at the gate to help park your airplane? Now imagine the same scenario, but instead of not being able to park, you aren't able to LAND because the bone-headed air traffic controller decided to take an extra days vacation.

If this happened in the US and he was a government worker, he wouldn't be fired, he'd be reassigned.

Spoon's tells a heart-warming story about meeting a chick online.

Democrat's greed is ok.

Take a look at this CNN-AP article demonizing corporations, and praising Democrats. There are logic flaws o' plenty that need to be addressed.

"Democrats have made it clear: We're on the side of the American families, taxpayers, investors and businesses that pay their fair share and play by the rules." -- Democrats have made it clear that they are on the side of confiscatory taxes for those that can "afford" it, to buy votes by giving benefits to those that "need" it. Karl Marx would be proud that Democrats want to play by his rules.

"We'll close the loopholes that allow the big corporations to avoid their responsibilities and shelter taxes overseas." -- Since when is paying higher taxes a responsibility? Corporations are always portrayed by Democrats as nameless, faceless entities that have an obligation to pay more than anyone else. This idiotic statement is analogous to trying to shame homeowners for itemizing their deductions and reducing their tax burden. Shareholders are people too. Those who own the corporation, ONLY have responsibility to increase profitability and shareholder value. In fact, lower corporate taxes benefit everyone. Customers benefit with lower prices, employees benefit with higher wages, and shareholders benefit with increased profits and shareholder equity.

As a state senator in Maine, Pingree sponsored a bill creating the Maine prescription law, in which the state is authorized to negotiate lower drug prices with large manufacturers in order to reduce prices for 300,000 residents. -- Ask any economist and you'll find out that there is NO FREE LUNCH. Somebody must pay. Customers outside Maine will pay higher prices. Customers inside Maine will pay with less availability of drugs. Employees will pay with lower wages, and shareholders will pay with lower stock prices. Also, all Americans will pay with less research and development of new drugs and drug treatments.

Democrats continue to assault and demonize American corporations, and hamper their ability to compete in the global market. Corporate profits are currently double taxed at a rate approaching 60%. American corporations that generate revenue in foreign countries, using foreign resources, developing foreign products for foreign markets, are double taxed in the US and overseas. When they try to separate these foreign units in an attempt to compete with foreign companies who are taxed at much lower rates, Democrats accuse them of trying to shirk their "responsibility" to pay high taxes. It has become very clear that Democrats are continuing to shift more and more of the American tax burden to a minority of the population. In return, this money is used to buy votes, keep Democrats in power, and keep people dependent on the government.

It looks like I won my first real award, since starting this weblog. I am "Site of the Day" according to the Peoples Republic of Seabrook. I don't think that this award comes with any virtual trophy, or a trip to Europe, or anything, but I appreciate it just the same. This award is especially nice, since up until now, we have rarely agreed on anything.

Here are a few of the search keywords that hit on my site. The "java retractable ear piece" seems to me, to be the most unusual.

java retractable ear piece java
Jenn with two "n"s
fox news bogus story
hate accountants
WWII buzzbomb
friends pictures tickle
fake shark attack pictures

Look what having a few Congressmen on your payroll can do. The Motion Picture Ass. of America, and the Recording Industry Ass. of America now have the US DoJ at their disposal, according to Fox News. In the digital age, where a DVD movie cost $10 to $15, and the CD soundtrack cost $20 to $25, the RIAA continues to insist that the decline in album sales is solely attributed to customer piracy. Customers, who are routinely demonized, denigrated, and denied their fair use rights, now face arrest and jail time. Customers may as well throw that MP3 player they purchased in the trash, because the RIAA and MPAA are coming, and they have the DoJ as their attack dog.

Am I being over-dramatic? Consider this. Legislation is currently in the works to permit the RIAA and MPAA to snoop your computer, and internet connection without probable cause. If they suspect that you are violating any of their copyrights, they will have the right to hack your internet connection, or computer, or both. As if that wasn't enough, you will lose your right to sue them for damages in a court of law. Thank you Senator Hollings, D-SC. Some ISPs are combating this by banning the RIAA from their network.

In addition, the RIAA is pushing for legislation mandating that digital rights technology be implemented into everything with a power cord. TVs, computers, radios, hair dryers, and everything else would have to have technology added that would ensure the RIAA's copyrights are protected. This would mean big price increases for even the most basic consumer electronics.

Media companies would have you believe that you are not purchasing a product, but merely licensing content, and they are protecting that license. If somebody breaks into my home and steals my CDs, who is supposed to call the police? Me, or the RIAA? You need to realize that this is about more than profit. The media companies are trying to control the way content is delivered to you. Rather than adapt to the new technologies and channels of content delivery, they are trying to force customers to fit their models of distribution, and payment.

I guess I should point out that I won't be going back to Oktoberfest this year. While I have the money, it is simply too late in the year to start planning it. Entries will still be accepted for the Free Vacation Offer, however it is still in the planning stages and the destination may change.

Two thieves actually did a Chicago restaurant a favor by stealing an empty ATM machine, reports the Chicago Sun Times. The bank owning the machine had gone bust back in 2000, and the restaurant had been wondering how to get rid of the machine. Police caught one of the would-be robbers when they spotted them driving down the road with the machine sticking out of the back of their car.

"Court Rebuffs Ashcroft... ...saying officials misused the law and misled the court dozens of times." -- Washington Post, August 23, 2002.

Rush points out that the heart of the criticism is 75 applications for search warrants and wire-taps. Although the 75 applications were requested back in mid-2000 while Janet Reno was Attorney General, and Ashcroft was busy running for re-election to the Senate, you'd never know it to read the article. Reno's name is never even mentioned.

"Who cares if I've had sex? It's nobody's business. Trust me, I'm not going to have a press conference to announce it." -- Britney Spears

If I have sex with Britney Spears, you can damn well bet I'm gonna hold a press conference.

Time has jumped on the global warming bandwagon like chicken little screaming the sky is falling. They have a neat little infographic describing the "trouble spots", with the US is listed as public enemy number one. They have a huge graphic of a fireball right over Missouri, and have us listed as producing more "greenhouse" gases than any other country in the world. They also list CO2 production levels produced in all the "trouble spots", and state that arctic ice melting will cause the oceans to rise and flood coastlines around the globe.

Since when did CO2 become a bad thing? Years ago it was CFCs, now it's CO2, which is something that every human produces. Am I supposed to feel guilty for breathing. Perhaps I shouldn't exercise, because that produces a lot more CO2 than if I lounge around on the couch. CO2 is what plants breath, and increased levels will cause plant life to flourish. Also, where do they get off spreading lies about the oceans rising? The Arctic ice cap floats on the Arctic Ocean. It is like a large floating ice cube in a glass of water. When the ice melts, the water level remains the same. I'm tired of these environmental wackos that have the arrogance and ignorance to think that we have so much power to fuck up the world.

Next they'll be wanting us to do something to stop plate tectonics. North America and Asia are going to collide with each other in several billion years. We should act now to stop this cataclysmic collision.

College football starts this weekend, with several "pre-season" games. Virginia Tech begins a long season this weekend, hosting Arkansas State for the Hispanic College Fund Football Classic in Blacksburg, Va. VT plays an astonishing 13 games this season, capping it off December 7 in Miami. One of VT's biggest problems will be at QB. Grant Noel, who wasn't all that spectacular last year will be playing with a torn ACL. Their backup QB is unproven, and Marcus Vick plans to redshirt this year. The good news is that star running back Lee Suggs will be back, having missed almost all of last season after being injured in the first game. Several Hokies were ill early last week, and practice was canceled. Lets hope that their play this Sunday isn't affected.

Should we attack, should we not attack? We have lost the support of most of Europe, Canada already has their 600 troops tied up with the war on terror, and about 30% of the US people are "undecided". About 2% of Republicans don't want us to attack Iraq, and 100% of Democrats want us to wait until after the November election. Domestically, there seems to be a growing appeasement movement out there that thinks Saddam Hussein isn't all that bad after all. Some appeasers are sticking their head in the sand while others are attempting to rewrite history.

So just what is so bad about Saddam? So, he's violated a few UN peacekeeping agreements that just happen to have his signature on them. Maybe he's killed a few hundred thousand Kurds, that is just a fraction of murders compared to such leaders as Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Ghengis Kahn, Mau Tse Tung. Saddam isn't even in the Top 10. So, maybe he tried to have G.H.W. Bush assassinated, and perhaps he's funded a few terrorist attacks. That is no reason to hate the guy. And now, he's just doing a little R&D work on nuclear and biological weapons of mass destruction. Just what does "mass destruction" mean anyway? It's not like he'll be able to take out an entire city or anything. Well, certainly no city larger than Topeka.

Saddam is very popular with his people. After all, he's been "president" for over 20 years, and he won the last election with 99% of the vote. Even though that is a common margin of victory for most dictators, it shows that democracy is working just fine in Iraq.

I agree with appeasement. We have no right to try to "topple" Saddam Hussein. I think we should wait until Saddam directly murders some Americans before we act. Lets pick a number. How about 50,000. Once Saddam murders at least 50,000 Americans, we'll attack. It's an easy attitude to have. As long as you aren't one of the 50,000.

Do environmental wacko's know? They are attacking Bush's "healthy forests" plan, as opening the door to "big logging". I always thought logging was like farming. You plant trees, harvest them, and then plant more trees. If you didn't, we'd have run out of trees long ago.

"Kocur, 39, was arrested in July 2001 for driving a riding lawnmower while intoxicated. It was his fifth drunken-driving offense, the first involving a lawn mower." -- CNN, August 22, 2002.

I am definately missing something on this one. I didn't know it was illegal to ride a lawnmower after having a few beers. The AP report doesn't ellaborate any further about the lawn mowing arrest. I guess they just assume that people already know it's illegal.

I used to have fond memories of Jamie Lee Curtis. (taking her top off in Trading Places) Now they have been shattered. I had heard about this on the news, but was trying to avoid seeing the actual image. Unfortunately, my friend Jenn with two 'n's blind-sided me with the URL, and before I could close the window, there she was. Remember guys, this is not for the squeamish. Jamie Lee is presented in a leotard with NO MAKEUP whatsoever. Sigh. Women nationwide are thrilled that these Hollywood glamour perceptions are being shattered.

In traditional political correctness style, the U. of Arizona is removing the pistols from their beloved Wildcat mascot, Wilbur. Even though this will leave Wilbur completely defenseless against rival ASU's mascot's trident, political correctness must march onward. The PC movement must expunge everything that may be offensive to someone somewhere. That is, unless you are offended by politically correct intolerance.

While it is easy to make light of silly movements like this, it is a perfect illustration of just how delusional the PC Nazi's can be. These people honestly believe that animated mascots wearing pistols has an impact on reality. They believe that the "cartoon character" shouldn't have pistols, because children are so impressionable, they will take up arms against each other and become mass murderers.

This was virtually the same argument used to change the name of the Washington Bullets basketball mascot to the Wizards, which has had resounding success. Crime in DC is way down, drug use is non-existent, and people are safe to walk the streets again. If it weren't for changing the name of their basketball mascot, you'd probably have many more muggings, killings, and rapes in the District than across the river in Virginia. Now gangs are flying around on brooms like Harry Potter, rather than shooting each other in the streets over drug money.

In fact, people that live in DC are afraid to go into Virginia after dark, lest they be at the mercy of their loose gun laws. Virginia has a "Dodge City" attitude, where private citizens are entrusted to own evil guns. They'd much rather be back in the bosom of DC, where they are safe from the random violence that gun proliferation causes.

Anti-smoking Nazi's don't think twice about stepping on the rights of other people. The most common argument is that they want to protect their right to go out to a restaurant or bar without having to breath your smoke. This is the biggest fallacy in the entire anti-smoking campaign.

First off, lets be clear on just whose rights anti-smokers are stepping on. They are NOT stepping on the rights of smokers, rather than the rights of restaurant owners. Restaurants are in business to make money, and if there is a large enough segment of the population that WANTS smoke-free restaurants, you are going to have plenty of smoke-free restaurant options. Laws of economics dictate that someone will provide that benefit to the public if there is a real demand for it. If there are NO smoke-free restaurants, then you should open one, and make a fortune catering to the smoke-free crowd.

The same principle works in reverse. A place like California, where smoking in restaurants will land you a night in the pokey, has a HUGE demand for smoking restaurants, and absolutely no supply. If you could disobey the law, and open a smoking restaurant, you'd probably make money hand over fist from smokers looking for a safe haven.

Second, there is a big misconception that restaurants and businesses are public property. In fact, they are private property that happens to be open to the public. Aside from discriminating against protected classes, business owners should be free to do business with whom they please. Mandating that business owners not allow smoking in their businesses is a blatant violation of their rights. The economic law of supply and demand should dictate the benefits that business owners offer to consumers, not the state legislature.

So, California wants to be the first state to raise the smoking age to 21. At the same time, they plan on raising the cigarette tax by $2.13 to balance their budget. It seems counterproductive to me. If they are serious about balancing the budget, they'll lower the smoking age to 12. They would also let people smoke in bars, restaurants, parks, and any place else they choose to light up.

I have never understood politicians that will send a boy off to fight a war at age 18, yet take away their right to smoke, drink, and be merry. But then again, this is California we are talking about. I don't feel there is any relationship between smoking and the smoking age. I grew up in Virginia, and have always been able to buy cigarettes. Up until the Imperial Federal Government forced states to raise the smoking age to 18, there was no age limit in Virginia.

So, what kept me and most of my friends from smoking? One major factor for me was my father. Although he smoked, he'd beat my ass if he caught me doing it. Another factor was my mother. I didn't need her nagging the shit out of me to quit smoking, like she did my old man. A third factor was my desire not to smell like an ashtray. I have enough social problems without having to worry about people turning their nose up whenever I walk by.

Sure, I don't smoke, and I hate coming home from bars smelling like smoke. But, I'm not about to whine to the government to take away other people's right to puff their life away.

"Somewhere tonight, a man is making himself a bed of newspapers and cardboard on the sidewalks of the city" -- Cynthia McKinney, in her concession speech.

I wonder is she was referring to this guy:

"We were told $70 to $100. I did my part of the bargain. I want my money." -- Adrian Jones, one of 200 homeless workers, hired by the McKinney campaign to carry signs, attempting to collect his money.

Ananova reports that "a group of whitewater rafters in Canada have been rescued after spelling out the word 'Help' with toilet paper on a riverbank when they had an accident." (emphasis mine)

If this dog owner can teach his German Shepherd to add and subtract, why can't teachers get our kids to learn? Every time I go into a store and try to give them a few pennies to make the change come out even, the kid behind the counter looks at me like I'm an alien, or Steven Hawking. I actually had one kid ask my how I figured it out the change in my head. He was completely amazed that I could subtract without a calculator. Another kid called for the manager because she didn't know how to add my three pennies to the 97 cents that the register showed she owed me.

I want to offer my two cents on a growing trend of soliciting donations from weblog readers. Some sites out there have a discreet little paypal, or amazon button where readers can donate money to "the cause", while other sites openly and shamelessly solicit donations. While I won't mention any names, I hear that this has been somewhat lucrative for some people. Now, I don't really see anything wrong with this practice. Basically, I am a strong believer in capitalism, and I think that people should earn whatever money they can. If you are providing someone a benefit, be it entertaining conversation, political rants, or whatever, and they are willing to freely stuff a few bucks into your tip jar that is just fine with me. However, don't look for any tip jars to be popping up on my site any time soon.

First, I feel that accepting tips from people, would morally obligate me to continue doing what I'm doing, day in and day out. While I have no plans to quit publishing and maintaining my weblog, I want the freedom to just say "screw it" one day and chuck the whole thing. Had I accepted $20, $10, $5 or even $1 donations from readers, I would feel ever so guilty about packing it in one day. I'd feel as though I were somehow indebted to those loyal readers. Second, I feel this would also obligate me to be entertaining. While I try to be somewhat amusing, (sometimes with miserable results) I don't want anyone paying me any money, and not feeling they got value for what they paid for. So, by refusing donations I have the freedom to be both boring, and lazy.

Also, I think that some people don't understand just what it costs to run a weblog. My biggest investment is time, and since most everything is automated, I don't really spend much time updating it. Typically, I don't write more than a few paragraphs, and it doesn't take much time to do even that. As for the monetary investment, it is only a few hundred dollars a year. In fact, I could run this entire site for free, but chose not to. Having my own domain name cost about $12 a year, and hosting it is another $60. I could easily eliminate both of these costs by dumping the domain name and going to a free ad-based host. I don't do this, because I like the speed, reliability, and flexibility of a private host. Subscribing to Blogger Pro only cost $35, and even they have a free option.

Weblogging for me is strictly a hobby. I have gainful employment, and I do ok for myself, so don't expect me to be begging for bucks any time soon. For now, I'll pay the $107 a year, and devote a little time and effort, and keep this a donation and advertising free area. I will continue providing mediocre content to the masses free of charge. And remember that if you don't like the content that I publish here, you are simply getting what you paid for.

How many people read the Terms and Conditions of software they install? How many people read T & C of software updates they install? This tidbit can be found in the legalese of Microsoft's Service Pack 3 for Windows 2000.

"You acknowledge and agree that Microsoft may automatically check the version of the OS Product and/or its components that you are utilizing..."

"By using these features, you explicitly authorize Microsoft or its designated agent to access and utilize the necessary information for updating purposes. Microsoft may use this information solely to improve our products or to provide customized services or technologies to you. Microsoft may disclose this information to others, but not in a form that personally identifies you."

Speaking of not doing things for ratings, I caught this tidbit on the O'Reilly Factor last night. Opie and Anthony are the two NYC shock jocks who solicited a Virginia couple to have sex in St. Patrick's Cathedral. Bill O'Reilly asked, almost rhetorically, if the show was about money. Opie and Anthony said no, it isn't about money. Then they declared that they are artists.

What a load of crap! O and A are either ignorant or stupid if they believe that money isn't the reason they are on the air. Their sole purpose in life is to keep people glued to their radios so that the radio station can sell advertisements. If they didn't get good ratings, they'd be ripped off the air in a New York minute.

CNN paid $30,000 for al-Qaeda training videos. They claim that the money absolutely, definately, and most certainly did NOT go to al-Qaeda. Can we believe them? I don't know, but they also say that they are not airing the videos for ratings. This is absolutely, definately, and most certainly a LIE.

Just what did they spend $30,000 for? If they are playing these tapes for the greater good of the American public, why are they exclusive to CNN? So, CNN thinks that it is important to show America what al-Qaeda is capable of... but only on CNN, and it's not for ratings, and the money didn't go to any terrorist groups. I think that clears everything up.

"I must say that this country would be much better off, and freedom would be in safer hands if women did not vote."
-- Neal Boortz, asking for trouble by pointing out that women are more likely to trade freedoms for a promise of "security". (last note from 8-21)

"In her loss, McKinney joined Rep. Earl Hilliard, Democrat of Alabama, as the second black lawmaker targeted by Jewish groups to lose a re-election bid in the post-September 11 era." -- CNN, August 21, 2002.

Even though I am no longer an Atlanta resident, I am happy for the citizens of my former home that they no longer have Cynthia McKinney embarrasing them in Congress. While I admit that I underestimated the crossover voter turnout in Dekalb county, I'm not exactly unhappy about being wrong.

For updates on the McKinney congressional race, check out the AJC. The early results are showing a huge turnout for the Democratic primary but light turnout for the Republican primary. That means that crossover voters just might ruin McKinney's chances for re-election.

Several people have suggested she'll try to run as a write-in candidate if she loses. That would be ideal, because she may split the Democratic vote. Regardless, if Cynthia McKinney loses, look for there to be lawsuits, and cries of racism.

Earlier, I went out on a limb and said McKinney will win. I hope I'm wrong, and end up having to eat crow.

Rachel Lucas has written a wonderful piece about Hillary Clinton and the anti-tax-cut talk of the left.

Thanks to LGF for pointing this one out. According to Sky News, "Libya is to be elected chair of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights - despite its links with terrorism and torture."

They also noted that Britain did nothing to stop it. I guess Blair is trying to shake that "Bush's lapdog" image that George Michael has of him.

A naked Frenchman on a Air France flight apparently stripped naked, and then tried to force his way into the cockpit. After an emergency landing, he was arrested, and later released without being charged.

The article reads like nobody on the plane even tried to stop the guy. I wouldn't want to grab him either, once he was naked, but I'd sure as hell toss a smaller passenger at him. That screaming kid that's been sitting behind you kicking your seat for the last hour would make a nice projectile.

I think French pacifism has something to do with it. Try doing that on a flight in the US, and the passengers will beat you senseless, and then take your wallet. In the end, he wasn't even charged. I'd bet that it isn't even illegal in France.

MSNBC has a crime and punishment page. Prominently featured on their page is a section called "Guns in America". MSNBC starts out by saying there are 200 to 250 million guns in America. After a quick mention of workplace and school shootings, they venture into statistical wonderland by saying that "experts" predict that within 5 years, gun accidents will overtake motor vehicle accidents as the number one killer of children. You are then asked "what should we do about gun violence?"

Lo and behold, in typical liberal fashion, the only options presented are more gun control laws. MSNBC offers up seven different changes in gun manufacturing, such as "smart" guns and trigger locks. They also offer information on gun control lawsuits, and states where school shootings are an "epidemic". Ironically, their own guide shows that possession of guns in school is declining nationwide. Overall however, their "Interactive Guide" is nothing more than a one-sided diatribe supporting gun control.

What is missing from their report is the entire other side of the argument. The section is called "crime and punishment", yet the only ones MSNBC wants to punish are law abiding gun owners. There is NO mention of tough enforcement, and strict penalties for violating existing laws. There is NO mention of stepping up enforcement of existing laws. There is NO suggestion of ways to get illegal guns out of the hands of criminals. Instead, there is an underlying assumption that the mere proliferation of guns causes gun violence, and an ignorance that gun locks and smart guns are going to stop criminals from committing crime.

MSNBC even goes so far as to say "Shootings in the workplace. Threats at school. Like it or not, most Americans have the right to carry firearms." Not only is this deplorable grammar, but it is a non sequitur. Since most workplaces (at least every place I've ever worked) bar employees from bringing guns to work, and ALL schools ban guns, an Americans right to carry a firearm is not even relevant to the situation. If someone is caught illegally possessing a gun at school or work, ARREST THEM. It is just that simple. Banning firearms for everyone just to keep them out of schools, is analogous to banning cars to keep people from parking illegally.

The sad thing is that MSNBC presents all this editorial content as news. Instead, it is a perfect illustration of liberal bias in the media.

I don't pretend to understand women, and I don't think I ever will. I had a nice chat with a friend today, and she mentioned moving in with a few roommates. One of her roommates apparently has a boyfriend with a bit of a rage problem, and she mentioned being concerned for her safety. This guy has apparently thrown her roommate through a window and broken her nose in the past.

First off, men that beat women are scum. They are cowards that prey on weakness, and they generally need a good ass-woopin'. I give all of these men an open invitation to come beat me up whenever they get the urge to hit their spouse or girlfriend. Second, I told her that if she was fearful, she should get a gun and learn how to use it. This suggestion was immediately dismissed, as she declared "no guns in my house." I don't understand why a woman with a real fear of being assaulted wouldn't want to learn how to defend herself. I pointed out to her that firearms are the great equalizer, and that they allow a 5' 120lb woman to fend off an attack from a 6' 5" 300lb man. Her response was "on that note, I'd better get going... Chat with you later."

I think women put too much faith in the 911 system, and are easily scared by claims of the anti-gun lobby. I can only wonder about what her actual thought processes are, but it probably has something to do with constantly being told that women are not capable of using a firearm to defend themselves. In fact, firearms are not that complex, and a few hours of training can make anyone moderately proficient. Also, merely brandishing a firearm at an attacker is typically necessary to scare them away.

I pointed all this out back in July, and I will reiterate it here. This article by the Independent Women's Forum should be required reading of all women who are coming of age. They need to learn that women don't have to put up with shit from abusive men, and that putting total faith in the 911 system might prove to be fatal.

"This is happening because of money from the Jews. That's right ... J-E-W-S. The Jews." -- Cynthia McKinney's father referring to the threat of crossover voters voting against her in the GA Democratic Primary elections.

There is a lot of buzz over the competition that Cynthia McKinney faces in Georgia's Democratic Congressional Primary. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that McKinney will probably win the election. As a former Atlanta resident, I am somewhat familiar with politics in Georgia. First of all, the Georgia Democratic party completely redrew McKinney's district after the 2000 census. This was done to protect McKinney and remove most Republican neighborhoods her district. Second, people in McKinney's district just don't care. There is a hope that some Republican's will crossover to the Democratic Primary, and vote her out, but I don't expect this to happen. In fact, this strategy may backfire by bringing out McKinney supporters in record numbers. Also, Republican voters are never greeted very warmly at the polls in McKinney's district. In 2000, they were met at the polls illegally with bull horns blaring in their face.

UPDATE: Neal Boortz points out this automated phone message sent to Republican voters in McKinney's district:

"This is an official notice for republican voters. It is a violation of State and Federal law to attempt to vote in a Democratic primary without proper documentation. State and Federal enforcement officials will be monitoring the polling places closely tomorrow for violations of the law. Do not risk violating the law by trying to vote in a Democratic primary without proper documentation."

Also note that Andrew Young does not support McKinney this year. That didn't stop her from pulling an ad from his endorsement of her 2000 campaign and airing it.

I just wanted to wish Hunter a happy birthday. Her birthday was actually yesterday, but I hear she celebrates it on the following Monday like Lincoln and Washington.

I actually got to have dinner and drinks with Hunter last Monday, while she was in Ohio visiting her mother. It was nice to see her again.

I wonder if Laurence Simon of Amish Tech Support has seen this yet. Apparently there is a serial killer on the loose in Italy, and he is targeting the neighborhood felines. Perhaps they should check to see if any new restaurants have opened up recently. I hear cats are a staple diet in some parts of the world.

Motorbike bride followed by six bridesmaids on mini-wheels

A carjacker got an unwelcome surprise when he targeted a van full of Judo wrestlers.

Here is a PMS-NBC article on blogging. I think they get the motives all wrong. I don't do this to feed a need for attention, or because I'm afraid of being a 'potato'. I also don't think that everything I post is 'vitally important'. If I did I wouldn't have posted this.

"But I don't think hunters are the kind of people that you can call responsible anyway. They're not decent people if they kill for fun." -- Nancy Bogenberger, voicing support for a ban on hunting, and a ban on putting up signs supporting hunter's rights.

Apparently, Bogenberger, hopes repeal both the 1st and 2nd Amendments to the US Constitution in Kittery, Maine. She has put up signs supporting a ban on firearms in the Town Farm Forest, while at the same time, complained to police about others putting up signs supporting hunting. I will also note that banning hunting creates an abundance of animals, particularly deer. This in turn will increase the spread of lyme disease, increase auto accidents, and cause many deer to starve to death due to lack of food.

"If a racist white dictator were creating conditions that starved millions of black Africans, the Congressional Black Caucus would have demanded severe sanctions, and a long line of African-American celebrities would be lining up to picket the nation's embassy, taking turns getting arrested and handcuffed for the TV cameras. But Mugabe's thuggery has barely roused America's black elite." -- Cynthia Tucker, AJC Columnist, on Zimbabwe's dictator seizing farms from whites to give to blacks.

I want to step onto my libertarian soap box for a minute and point out a study on red light cameras. The study shows that "safety" may not be the goal of some communities installing red light cameras. Many local governments have begun to realize that millions of dollars can be raised from these cameras, and decreasing the number of violations actually jeopardizes that revenue stream. In fact, the study finds that at many intersections, yellow lights are actually shortened so that the camera can be more profitable. Until red light cameras came along, the time tested method of reducing red light infractions had always been to increase the length of the yellow light. This gives motorists in the "dilemma" zone the chance to proceed through the light safely.

Proponents of red light cameras are quick to point to statistics of intersections with decreased violations as a measure of good results. However, there is usually no mention of the whether or not rear end collisions at these intersections has increased. An Australian study showed that motorists are often so afraid to run the red lights with cameras equipped, that they make abrupt, unsafe stops at intersections increasing the number of rear end collisions. The study goes on to show that while camera enforcement may cut down on the number of violations, the number of rear end collisions increases.

Another fact that is usually kept from the public is how the cameras are paid for. In many instances, private companies actually pay to install and maintain cameras in exchange for a percentage of the revenue. Those companies recognize just how profitable these cameras can be, and are willing to invest heavily in them. This presents a huge conflict of interest for politicians who are campaigning in the name of "safety".

Basically, this all comes down to a question of intent. If your intention is to increase safety and reduce accidents at intersections, increasing yellow light times remains the tried and true method. If your intention is to protect a revenue stream and pad your local budgets using red light cameras, then decreasing the number of violations is actually counterproductive. Not to mention the right to due process considerations.

Suspected thief drowns, weighed down by loot. According to this Reuters report, a thief tried swimming away from police carrying over 50 pounds of stolen goods. The thief not only had a duffel bag filled with stolen cameras and CDs, but his pockets were filled with stolen goods as well.

My question for Reuters is that if the perpetrator was found with 'stolen' cameras and CDs, why was he only a 'suspected' thief?

"I want to go up to the closest white person and say 'You can't understand this, it's a black thing' and then slap him, just for my mental health." NYC Councilman Charles Barron, speaking in favor of reparations for slavery, to a crowd of 2,000 to 3,000 demonstrators.

I just watched the Tua v. Moorer fight on HBO three times and it only took a minute and a half. Tua knocked Moorer out with a hard right hook in exactly 30 seconds. Having won, Tua should have a chance at Lennox Lewis for a title shot. Lewis won't have much film to look at to prepare for the fight.

Police in Florida are dressing up as highway surveyors to catch speeders. "Operation Hardhat" as it was dubbed, is the brain child of FHP Maj. Grady Carrick.

I wonder if their motivation is safety, or the double fines they collect from speeders in "work" zones. Skepticism is to be expected, as AAA has pointed out that some communities in Florida are known to generate 95% of their annual budgetary revenue from traffic fines collected from tourists. Doubling fines in areas where men in orange vests stand along side the road and drink coffee would only serve to reward such practices.

Speaking of Nationalized health care, check out this photo of an elderly New Zealand man that didn't want to wait six months to get the surgery he needed. It's not for the squeamish.

It looks like things are going to heat up prior to this year's election. Both Congress and the President want to reduce the budget deficit, but look for their differences on just how best to do it to become a major battle. Last week, several Democrats criticized the Bush Administration on their "accounting" practices. Today, Bush announced that he wanted to reduce budget deficits by cutting the fat out of government programs, and reining in Congressional spending.

Look for Democrats, and perhaps even Republicans who are vulnerable this election cycle, to attack this suggestion with election year politics. Cutting spending is not what they had in mind, as they had wanted to raise taxes to pay for all that extra spending they've been doing lately. To cut spending during an election year, is political suicide for Congressmen, who depend on government give-aways to buy them votes back home. Just look at the massive farm subsidies and free drugs that have been a favorite among those up for re-election.

The major budget problem this year has been that rather than keeping Democrats in check, Republicans have been holding the door to the treasury open for them, and helping them load up the car with taxpayer booty. Democrats would like nothing more than to shift this budget burden to the "rich", while keeping the "less fortunate" sucking on the government teat. Republicans, on the other hand have been looking the other way in fear of losing big this off year election.

Either way, it is a rough time to be libertarian. Sigh.

The Recording Industry Ass. of America is suing ISPs to force them to block websites they have issue with, according to The Reg. Apparently they are having trouble locating the owners of some sites they say are violating their copyrights. Not being satisfied with the taxpayer funded enforcement of the DOJ, they are suing the ISPs to force them to do their dirty work.

The implications here are large, because as a general rule, ISPs in the US don't filter content. Reminiscent of China or Saudi Arabia, the RIAA would have "special interests", have control over what websites you are permitted to access. It is amazing what a small industry with a few congressmen in their pocket can do.

So, two beers a day keeps the doctor away!

Twelve beers a day must keep a gaggle of doctors away. (or is it a pack, or herd?) Anyone know what a "flock" of doctors is called?

"Constitutional rights may not be infringed simply because the majority of the people choose that they be."
-- Supreme Court of the United States, Westbrook v. Mihaly

While I'm not normally one to root for failure, I find it very pleasing to see that Julia Roberts, who still won't step on an airplane after 9/11, has served up a dud in Full Frontal. I can only hope that people will finally start to see just how overrated and self-absorbed an actress she is.

Click here for the "I hate Julia Roberts" club.

Is it more disturbing that NASA lost another space probe, or that they call the $159 million piece of equipment "low cost"? Lets hope this isn't another newtons-kilograms blunder like the Mars lander.

The MRC points out that Diane Sawyer recently criticized the Bush administration for not spending enough, and spending too much.

Seconds after ABC's Diane Sawyer demanded of Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill that the government spend more to save private companies -- "Are you prepared to do what it takes to bail out the airline industry?" -- she suddenly became concerned about spending, asking how much the economic summit is "costing?"

Richard Gesell, 49, of Green Castle went just a little bit nutty this week when he got too much junk mail in his mail box. According to Borderland News, Gesell allegedly splashed several gallons of white paint on a reception desk in the lobby of a direct marketing firm, after his requests to halt the mailings went unanswered. After splashing the desk, a computer, the walls, and an employee, Gesell fled in a white 1991 Ford Ranger. He was pulled over shortly thereafter, and taken into custody.

Also found in Gesell's truck were a handgun, and a small white dog, who was also taken into custody by animal control officers. Gesell was charged with aggravated assault, felony criminal mischief, and unlawful possession of a handgun. Charges have not yet been filed against the dog.

A week late, the NY Times admits a huge blunder:

An article on Aug. 8 about speeches by President Bush and Vice President Cheney defending the administration's stewardship of the economy referred incorrectly to the 2001 recession and to the direction of the stock market on Aug. 7. Economists agree that the recession has ended, not continued. The Dow Jones industrial average rose the day of the speeches, by 182 points; it did not decline.

I saw my friend Ken at his sister's wedding in June, and something he said really stuck with me. He told me that by cutting out his daily drinking habit, he had lost at least 20 pounds. I started to calculate just how many calories a day I was drinking, and it wasn't very pretty. I hadn't been gaining weight, but I wasn't losing any either, despite regular exercise. When I ran out of beer two weeks ago, I decided not to buy any more, and give Ken's "diet" a try.

So far, the results have been very predictable. I don't think I've lost a single pound. I haven't had beer in the house now for over two weeks, I've only drank two days in the past 14, and everything seemed to be going well. I still get the shakes every now and then, but they go away after I bang my head against the refrigerator door a couple of times. I still get my regular couch to fridge exercise, but instead of grabbing a brewski, I just open the door and cry for a few minutes. I don't keep any actual food in the fridge, aside from some three day old pizza and a carton of eggs that I'm afraid to open, so snacking isn't a problem. The only thing in there now is a case of bottled water and some diet coke. I've cut down on eating out when about two weeks ago, I realized that everyone I had met since moving up here was a bartender. That pretty much only leaves take-out, which is almost as much of a chore as cooking is. Not having a decent supply of restaurants doesn't help either. Basically, having to eat every day sucks. Perhaps I'll try anorexia.

A poll released today shows that Elvis is still the King of Rock and Roll. Luckily for the constituents of Rock and Roll, it is only an honorary title, and Elvis has no real power.

Nineteen football players at my alma matter, Virginia Tech, have come down with some sort of flu, reports CNN. Practice was canceled, and players were separated from each other to prevent spreading of the sickness. Lets wish them a speedy recovery.

I would also like to see an investigation. I'd be willing to bet that Tech rivals at the University of Virginia had something to do with this, or perhaps Arkansas State is worried about their August 25th preseason game against the Hokies.

Contrast LA's position on prostitution to that of France. The French Interior Minister wants to expel non-EU prostitutes to protect the interests of the home-town girls. French prostitutes have been complaining that the non-EU immigrants pose an unfair competition, because they don't pay taxes, and have virtually no standards in the types of John's they pick up.

A Los Angeles anti-prostitution law that targets men's cars will deny due process to John's picked up for pandering. Under the proposed legislation, vehicles will be seized for 30 days, 60 days, and then permanently for first, second, and third offenses, without the hassle of having to hold a trial.

"I have a great concern for everyone's civil rights but I have a greater concern for everyone's neighborhood rights," claimed City Councilman Tom LaBonge. LaBonge finds it easy to sacrifice one person's Constitutional rights to benefit the majority, especially when he is in the majority. LaBonge also pointed out that similar laws have already been blessed by California courts, so the US Constitution shouldn't be in the way. It's nice to see politicians are still taking a tough stance on what is essentially a victimless crime.

Intel is developing a portable video recorder/player that can store up to 70 hours of movies and other programs. Calling it "an MP3 player for video," an Intel spokesman said Tuesday that users would be able to download programming from either a computer or a personal video recorder. Intel declined to provide further information about the technology that would make such a device possible.

Look for the officials from the Motion Picture Ass. of America to try to block this technology in the name of "protecting" consumers from themselves.

Every month, I invest hundreds of dollars in the stock market. Every month, my portfolio seems to hover around the same dollar value. Overall, my portfolio has lost 40%, even though it is diversified. A large majority of that loss, is due to my company stock, which has plummeted over the past two years. Still, just about every one of my stocks has lost money since I started investing in them, and some people would ask me why I continue to invest.

My answer is that I am not spending disposable income. I don't live payday to payday, and can afford to sit on the investments long term. Also, there are just way too many bargains out there to sit on the sidelines. The fundamental law of investing is buy low, sell high. Well, right now the stock market is low, and snapping up lots of shares at a low price seems to make sense. My greatest risk is that one of the companies I invest in will not recover. That is a risk I'm willing to take. The stock market has been declining for two years now, which indicates that a turn around is immanent, and I'll be right there waiting for it.

Almost 40 years after civil rights marches in Selma, Alabama, the town is once again under scrutiny. The democratic party is hauling dozens of white residents before a Democratic Executive Committee panel to try to find out who voted for whom in the democratic primary. Voters that refuse to answer to the subpoena, are threatened with jail time.

At the center of the controversy, according to Fox News, is LaTosha Brown. Brown, who is black, lost to Yusuf Salaam, a black Muslim democrat, by a mere 138 votes. Brown claims that a number of Salaam voters were actually people that had crossed over from the Republican ballot in the June 4th primary to the Democratic ballot in the June 25th runoff. While "crossover" voting is legal in GOP primaries, Democratic primary rules forbid it. Several seasoned citizens were afraid they were going to be thrown in jail by the 5 member panel, and have said that they are afraid to vote ever again.

Remember when Hillary Clinton tried to nationalize our health care industry? It doesn't seem to be working too well over in the UK. Wouldn't you love to have to wait 10 months for an operation or a routine check up? The government solution of higher taxes and more funding doesn't seem to be working either. Go figure.

Yesterday the WSJ pointed out an organization called Jugglers Against Oppression. Specifically, the group opposes any form of "homophobia, racism, sexism, ableism, classism, ageism, gender oppression, biphobia and other forms of discrimination and oppression." Interestingly, this group's own narrow definitions of these terms itself are discriminatory.

The group defines sexism as "beliefs and practices that privilege men and subordinate women." Racism is defined word-for-word as "the systematic subordination of members of targeted racial groups who have relatively little social power... ...by the members of the agent racial group who have relatively more social power (white)."

As if you aren't smart enough to get their meaning, they emphasize it by adding "white" in parenthesis. Why do the Jugglers bother beating around the bush and just state the real definition of racism. Merriam-Webster's dictionary clearly states that racism is "the white man trying to keep a brother down," and everyone already knows that only whites can be racist, and only men can be sexist.

Ironically, they denounce "privilege" and define it as resources that are "only readily available to some people because of their social group membership," yet white men are the only ones privileged enough to apply to their definitions.

According to a recent Zogby poll, if the Democratic primary were held tomorrow, Democratic voters would choose Algore with an overwhelming 41% of the vote. Leiberman is a distant second at 6%, and Reverend Al Sharpton is tied for third with 5%. Dick Gephardt is among those that share third place with Sharpton, and Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-SD. is almost dead last, behind "other" and "undecided". This is a pretty good illustration of just how out of touch both Gephardt and Daschle are. Perhaps stalling legislation until after the election isn't the best strategy after all.

From cigarettes to cell phones, NYC continues the assault on bad manners. NYC councilman Phil Reed (D) wants to make it illegal to not turn off your cell phone in a theater or Broadway show. According to Fox News, Mr. Manners defended his position by claiming that his bill "protects the people who are talking, so they don't look so stupid."

If he is so interested in taking away people's right to look stupid, perhaps he could do something about politicians that raise their own salary, and then increase taxes to pay for it. If this new bill succeeds, look for Reed to try to ban nose picking, and chewing with your mouth open.

A federal appeals court got this one right, and upheld the dismissal of a $33 million lawsuit against a video game company, porn site, and movie studio that claimed they were responsible for a 1997 school shooting involving Michael Carneal. The suit alleged that the companies exposed Carneal to violent and sexual images which sparked his shooting rampage that killed three students, reports the AP. The judge correctly recognized that it was Carneal who exposed himself to those images, and Carneal who pulled the trigger, and that the plaintiffs were simply going after the people with the deepest pockets.

We can only hope that the judge will also stick the plaintiffs with the defendant's legal bills for bringing forth a frivolous and baseless lawsuit, and then bitch slap them for wasting the courts time, and driving up the cost of goods for consumers.

The Best of the Best of the Web today:

"Leonardo DiCaprio, calling the United States the world's biggest polluter, urged President Bush to make a statement in favor of the environment by attending the Earth Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, later this month," the Associated Press reports. The dispatch doesn't say who this DiCaprio guy is, but if his comments are this newsworthy, he must be a high-ranking official of the Italian government or something, right?

Senior Israeli official taken off U.S. flight -- CNN Travel, August 12, 2002.

CNN reports that a senior Israeli official was pulled from a flight yesterday because there were questions about the paperwork for a sidearm that his armed guard was attempting to carry on board. CNN points out that FAA regulations permit the pilot this sort of discretion, and that once the paperwork error was corrected, the official was allowed to continue. Overall, the news report was concise, to the point, and a good piece of reporting.

Now, if you think back to last December, a very similar event happened to an Arab-American Secret Service agent. Walied Shater, a plain clothes Secret Service agent was in route to Crawford, TX to meet up with President Bush's security detail on Christmas Day, 2001. Shater was barred from flying because of an error in the paperwork required to take his sidearm on the plane.

A search of CNN.com shows that they ran no less than 6 separate stories on the event stretching from December 27, through at least January 7. Take a look at some of the headlines and inflammatory innuendo that they contained.

Pilot barred Arab-American Secret Service agent -- The pilot was troubled by "inconsistencies" in the paperwork required for the agent to carry a weapon on the aircraft, an American Airlines spokesman said. -- CNN US News, December 27, 2001.

Pilot acted in 'best interest' in removing agent -- CNN Law Center, January 3, 2002.

Witnesses: Secret Service agent didn't act angry -- made the flight crew "uncomfortable." -- CNN US News, January 4, 2002.

Notice the use of the 'scare quotes' around 'inconsistencies', 'best interest', and 'uncomfortable'. This is similar to what Reuters uses around 'emotive' terms such as 'terrorism', because after all, "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter." Also notice that the stories about Shater are in the US NEWS and LAW CENTER sections, while yesterday's story was buried on the TRAVEL page.

Iran, a charter member of the Axis of Evil, called US foreign policy in response to 9/11 'angry', according to this Fox News report. Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, who has been criticized by government officials of the "Great Satan" for allowing safe passage for Al-Qaeda officials, recently handed 16 suspected al-Qaeda fighters over to Saudi Arabia, in hopes of deflecting some of the criticism that he deems is unwarranted. "This is rather like reading a headline during World War II that says "Italy Is Said to Give Up Nazis" and then finding out it sent them to Germany," quips Op-editors at the Wall Street Journal.

Secretary of State Colin Powell pointed out that Iran was simply responding to having been labeled a member of the Axis of Evil. He added that we should expect similar name calling by Cuba, Libya, and Syria, all of whom were recently added to the Axis. In a direct response to the Iranian President's remarks, Powell said that "Khatami's mother wears combat boots."

-- Really, we aren't biased
Offering further proof that the NY Times is fair and balanced, they appointed Carolyn Curiel as an editorial writer yesterday. According to her bio, "Ms. Curiel, [is] a former United States ambassador to Belize and a speechwriter for President Bill Clinton, [and] has served as a visiting fellow on The Times' editorial board this summer."

-- Termite extermination completed in record time
In an extreme measure to get rid of termites, an explosion early Tuesday leveled a house that had been tented for extermination and damaged as many as 20 others, littering the neighborhood with debris. The house was reduced to a 2-foot-high pile of rubble, and the termite death toll was estimated to be in the tens of thousands.

The exterminating company's only comment, in a written statement released moments ago was "Oops."

Elvis - $37 Million
Charles Schultz - $28 Million
Earnhardt - $20 Million
Lennon - $20 Million
Harrison - $17 Million
Tupac - $7 Million

It is nice to know that dead people are still able to rake in the cash, although it is a bit unsettling to think that you still have to continue paying taxes even after you die.

You'd think these people would be in the highest tax bracket, after all, they certainly don't need the money.

Gray Davis and the big spending legislature can't control the budget, look to raise taxes instead

Upon entering the governor's mansion three years ago, Gray Davis inherited a $7 billion budget surplus. Today, despite being one of the highest taxed states in the nation, California faces a $23.6 billion budget shortfall. One might conclude that state spending needs to be addressed. But Davis and his friends in the legislature are pushing for a massive tax increase instead.

Aparently a suicidal Thai woman had a close encouter with a crocodile. I bet it gave the tourists some interesting video.

I wonder if crocodiles get heartburn after eating Thai like people sometimes do.

Two former Taliban members have reported to Newsweek that bin Laden was sighted as recently as February. One of the men was unable to get a photograph, because he had traded his camera for a nubile young goat that he'd had his eye on.

The other man did secure this picture of bin Laden walking through the Afghan forests, but it is very fuzzy. While his body is turned away, bin Laden's head is turned to face the camera, and you can barely make out his trademark beard. Further proof is provided by this photo of the tracks bin Laden left behind. The Taliban member also had found some of bin Laden's droppings which would have provided valuable DNA evidence, but he was forced to eat them to keep from starving to death in the frigid Tora Bora mountains.

Here is an interesting concept. A US judge has ruled that Evan Brown must surrender ideas out of his mind that he had while working for DSC/Alcatel. His ideas, even though they were never written down, are considered company property, and must be surrendered, according to this Register article. That'll teach him for having independent thoughts while on company time.

I had to read this article in my Popular Science magazine three times, because I couldn't believe that Popular Science would fall for such a ruse. The hypothesis is that child suicides by gun are higher in states where are large percentage of households own guns, while non gun suicides remained almost the same. This leads researchers to believe that more guns yields more suicides.

The problem is that actual numbers of the number of households that own guns is very difficult to calculate. The Harvard Injury Control Research Center who performed the study chose to use a proxy called Cook's index rather than actual statistical sampling. In other words, to support their claim, researchers extrapolated the percentage of households with guns from among other things, the number of gun suicides in the state. The circular logic is astounding. The study concludes that gun suicides are higher based on the number of households that own guns, BUT the number of households that own guns is calculated directly from the number of gun suicides.

Researchers also failed to use collectively exhaustive outcomes, by assuming up front that the number of suicides is directly proportional to the prevalence of guns. In simple terms, this means that the study categorized states into two groups: states with a low proportion of gun suicides and low prevalence of guns and states with a high proportion of suicides and high prevalence of guns. In fact there are two other possibilities that cannot be ignored, states with a low proportion of gun suicides and high prevalence of guns, and states with high proportion of suicides and low prevalence of guns. Ignoring these possibilities guaranteed that the research would show a linear directly proportional relationship between suicides and gun ownership.

It is sad that Popular Science seemed to buy into it. I also notice that this is the second anti-gun article in three months, which makes me wonder if the ideological views of the editors are starting to shine through.

Click here for a greater analysis of the statistics. This is an old study, and it has been debunked by several organizations.

Today's Best of the Web reports on Tuesday's annual memorial service held in Hiroshima, Japan for those who died as a result of the WWII bombing. Apparently lists of names of the 226,870 people who died as a result of the 1945 atomic bombing, included 4,977 people who died in the past year.

"It sounds as though the Japanese are blaming America when bombing 'victims' die of old age," remarked the WSJ.

Alec Baldwin was allegedly caught red handed trying to cheat an auction house for a signed Norman Rockwell print according to this IMDB report. The report cites an upcoming report in the New York Post's tabloid magazine The Star, as claiming that Baldwin allegedly tried to lower the reserve price of the print so that he would have a chance to purchase it at a lower price. They list Baldwin's recent financial woes as a possible motive for the scam. Is this a form of upper class shoplifting? If I was in that much financial trouble, I'd cut back my spending on Norman Rockwell prints. Given the source, I wonder how much truth there is to the story.

However, this may provide an answer to the question of what Baldwin is doing here in the first place. I guess these financial woes are also the reason that Baldwin hasn't kept his promise to leave the country if Bush got elected. Hey Alec, I'll personally pay for your passage to the foreign country of your choice as long as you guarantee that you will not to come back.

I have a knack for finding the strange and unusual on the web. Check out this latest group of oddities.

Mulletsgalore.com - Everything you never wanted to know about mullets.
Gay or Eurotrash? - Lesbian or German Lady? - Can you tell the difference?

And of course we always have the strange but true news stories:

Thieves ditch stolen car in police parking lot - Suspects face charges of stupidity
Cow thief tries to pass calf off as a person - It worked on TV.
Beach-goer ends up with barnacle stuck to his penis - At least he didn't get crabs.

Algore and Tipper tried to score some free tickets to see the Boss according to this Fox News report. Apparently Tipper tried to get free tickets for the Gore's and their entire staff, but they just weren't available. After some persistence, she was finally offered the opportunity to purchase 4 of the extremely rare tickets for the face value of $75. Gore balked at having to pay, and turned down the offer.

What do you want to bet they were prime seats too, not the ObsVu seats that I usually end up with. And why do they even have a staff?

The latest hikes on cigarettes are a perfect illustration of just how short-sighted politicians can be. State and local governments have gone on a binge of cigarette tax increases lately. They seemed to be under the impression that the tax increases were a win-win scenario. Tax revenues would go up, or smoking would decrease, or both.

It would seem as though they completely missed, or shall we say failed to see, the likelihood of a third outcome. Some politicians today continue to deny that it is very likely that while some cigarette smokers will kick the habit, others will turn to smuggling, or buying on the black market, to evade state and local taxes. The new tax legislation will undoubtedly increase crime, as the demand for black market cigarettes increases. As this demand increases, hijackings and theft of cigarettes and cigarettes shipments will increase. This may put a strain on law enforcement, in a time where our efforts are better spent fighting the war on terror.

While I personally am not a smoker, I can see that the real agenda of anti-smoking advocates is to either control behavior, or increase revenue from those who would not be controlled. Sin taxes have been around for decades, and you'd think that our lesson would have been learned during the prohibition years. The governments attempt to outlaw the manufacture, sale, and consumption of liquor was a dramatic failure, and served as a springboard for organized crime. As the price of legal cigarettes goes up, so does the profitability of black market smokes, and this will prove to be too tempting for some criminals to simply ignore. I wonder how many people will die from the increased hijackings and hold ups. What will the price of cigarettes be then?

Take a look at the mission of the far-left. Matrix Masters, which features the writings of far-left America haters such as Noam Chomsky, Robert Fisk, and Edward Said, lists their goal as nothing less than controling the world. Just take a look at their mission statement. (emphasis in italics is mine)

Our aim is to provoke an unmuffled, ungagged, and unsilenced generation of world citizens into speaking up and taking the actions necessary to wrest control from the privileged few and to reclaim this planet in the name of all the humans, animals, plants, and other forms of life who share its bounty

Lets look at some other definitions that they fail to mention:

Wrest: 1: to pull, force, or move by violent wringing or twisting movements; 2: to gain with difficulty by or as if by force, violence, or determined labor.
Master: 1: one having authority over another; 2: one that conquers or masters

Well, that sounds noble and friendly, now doesn't it?

"I choose to live in what I think is the greatest country in the world, which is committing horrendous terrorist acts and should stop." -- Noam Chomsky on why he continues to live in the USA.

An oldie but goodie from Stupidity Watch in the Opinion Journal.

Approximately 40,000 environmental wackos will be gathering in South Africa for this year's Earth Summit, where world leaders will discuss how best to go about saving the planet from certain doom. Reuters quotes Reverend Desmond Lesajane, chief organizer of the forum, as saying that "there should be a clearly identified funding mechanism. World leaders must answer the question, 'who will fund what actions'." Lesajane adds that implementation should be compulsory.

The Greens seem a bit hypocritical, burning all that jet fuel, and creating all that waste in an effort to push their environmental beliefs on other people. They are also arrogant in thinking that people can even have such an impact on the planet. First of all, the planet isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Second, when the Earth is ultimately destroyed, billions of years from now, we probably won't be around to see it. I'm not anti-environmentalist, but they need to tell it like it is. Efforts to improve our living conditions here on Earth should be labeled as such, and the benefits should be properly weighed against the costs. Not everyone thinks that forcing people to pay $5.00 for a gallon of gas in an effort to control their behavior is necessarily an improvement in our living conditions.

Newsmax points out that according to Philip Hamburger, Professor and legal scholar at the University of Chicago, the doctrine of separation of church and state owes more to the Ku Klux Klan than to Jefferson or the American Civil Liberties Union. According to this professors research, the 19th century and early 20th century Klan was more anti-Catholic and anti-Semitic than racist. The KKK was the pioneer of the "separation" movement that many people are still trumpeting today.

I think it is remarkable that liberals who supposedly promote and support "tolerance" aren't very tolerant of other peoples beliefs.

Marxism is alive and well in Seattle according to this USA Today report. Activists in Seattle, home of Starbucks coffee, are hoping to pass a 10 cent tax on gourmet coffee to subsidize day care for low income families. This reinforces the cliche that no good deed goes unpunished, in that Starbucks already gives millions of dollars to early learning and childhood development programs.

Dayna Dealy, a Seattle real estate developer who supports the income redistribution plan, quips "the people who drink espresso drinks are in a higher-income group, and 10 cents isn't going to hurt them." Such naivety is common among liberals. Rather than stick a gun in your face and take your money, they empower the government to do it for them.

The AJC has in interesting report about a Bob Barr fundraiser. Rep. Bob Barr-R Ga. was at a fundraiser when Bruce Widener handed him a loaded antique pistol and it fired, taking out a plate glass window. This eerily resembled the plot of Arliss last week on HBO, when Kirby shot Arliss with a local congressman's loaded antique pistol. The major difference is that on Arliss the congressman was a hypocritical gun control nazi whose motto was "No guns for everyone, except me."

According to the report, Widener profoundly exclaimed that "nobody was in any danger. We were handling it safely, except that it was loaded." I've got news for you Bruce, that IS NOT HANDLING IT SAFELY! Also, shame on Bob Barr for not asking or making sure it was unloaded before taking it! People like this lend credence to the arguments of the gun grabbers. The left leaning AJC has already proclaimed that the gun just went off by itself, a physical impossibility. Widener at least admits that "one of us hit the trigger," but according to the AJC the gun acted on its own.

This type of reporting parallels the anti-SUV bias that is so prevalent in the news, where SUVs are blamed for accidents rather than their drivers.

"You're gonna kill innocent people at the same time, but we've never fought a damn war anywhere in the world where they didn't kill innocent people. If the newspapers would just cut out the shit: 'You've killed so many civilians.' That's their tough luck for being there." -- Paul Tibbets, pilot of the Enola Gay, when asked if he'd nuke the terrorists.

Amen to that!

Congratulations to Chris and Laurie on their engagement. I've known Chris (aka Meathead) for about 25 years now.

There is a growing movement for paid family leave. Many pundits of unpaid family leave predicted this move back in 1993 when the Family Medical Leave Act was first passed. Proponents predict that paid family leave will only cost employees and employers and additional $50 per year in taxes each. I'm not sure where they arrived at this figure, but I'd bet they are sandbagging. The usual method for getting new taxes approved always consists of low-balling the estimate.

The argument for paid family leave always starts with bleeding heart stories. Mary Margaret of Dimplewood, California wanted to take time off to bury her dead father, but her big mean corporate company chained her to her desk and told her to get back to work. Some of the biggest arguments in favor of paid family leave stem from people making poor life decisions. The Christian Science Monitor cites the story of Laura Foster. First Laura's father died, and she had to bury him. Then she had to sort out all of his financial affairs. All this time off used up her vacation, and interfered with her decision to adopt an infant. When they finally received their new "tricycle motor"*, she didn't have any paid vacation left, and had to return to work. She qualifies for unpaid leave, but cannot afford to lose the pay, as her husband is cutting back on his traveling salesman work.

I hate to have to be the one to sound unsympathetic, but she should have thought of that before adopting. It sounds to me like both her and her husband want to take time off to stay home with the baby. If they cannot afford it, then they shouldn't be trying to adopt a child. As long as their child isn't being neglected, I don't have any problem with women with children continuing to work if they want to. While it would be preferable for at least one parent to stay home and raise the child, it isn't my kid, so I don't really care. However, when someone expects other people to pay them to not work because they chose to have a kid, it becomes my problem! I am so tired of hearing people whine about having to face the consequences of their actions. You had the kid, you deal with it. Bringing a child into the world when you cannot afford it, is child abuse.

* terminology borrowed from Neal Boortz

This weekend I was watching what I thought was a nature special on TV with my buddy Steve. They were showing a graceful mountain lion jumping from tree to tree, and clambering up limbs. The narrator was talking about the grace and agility of the beast. You can imagine my surprise when suddenly, BLAM! a shot rang out and the mountain lion fell dead out of the tree. Steve and I just looked at each other befuddled, and then burst into laughter when we figured out it was a hunting show. Their footage and narration really blurred the line, and had us both fooled.

Probably not. But according to this Time Magazine article, Bill "It depends on what the meaning of 'is' is" Clinton gave Dubya a fast track plan to shut down the al-Qaeda terrorist network, and Bush is the one that dropped the ball.

What is even more amazing is that we haven't heard anything about it up until now. Nobody in the Clinton administration has mentioned this, yet they have all had plenty to say about 9/11. We all know that had this really happened, Bill Clinton himself would have announced it on September 12. In fact, at a February 15 luncheon, Clinton has acknowledged personally nixing plans to get bin Laden. First he admitted killing a plan that would have used helicopters, because he feared the US couldn't get proper air space clearances. He also admitted to turning down a plan that would have used cruise missiles, for fear that innocent Afghans would have been hurt. Also, don't forget that bin Laden was offered up to Clinton in the 90s by the Sudan, and Clinton refused.

Blogger Filethirteen points out that Clinton is simply trying to cover his ass, and that we should "be on the lookout for statements from Clinton saying that he shouted 'DUCK!' at Kennedy and Lincoln".

My thoughts are that Clinton is desperately trying to resurrect his legacy, and will do anything to stay in the limelight. It is actually pretty pathetic.

"In France, demonstrators held posters aloft saying "Death to Jews." It all raises a question: Does the ferocious moral condemnation of Israel mark a recrudescence of that most ugly of Western diseases, anti-Semitism? Or is it legitimate, if crude, criticism of a nation's policies?" -- NY Times August 4, 2002

It sounds a lot like anti-Semitism to me.

A few years ago, TWAOL (Time Warner-AOL) purchased a company called Mirabilis. Mirabilis had pioneered a product called ICQ which was a powerful, feature rich, instant messaging program. When AOL took it over, my first thoughts were "Uh Oh".

Sure enough, easy advertisements starting popping up all over the place, and they littered the interface with "easy just got even easier"-type buttons. When I went to install this latest version of easy ICQ, I was dismayed to discover that AOL was hijacking my contact list. Now all of my contacts are stored in their easy database, probably to be used for marketing analysis.

In addition to this, their easy software has invaded every nook and cranny of my PC and every software application that I have. I didn't ask it to do any of this, nor was I offered a custom installation opportunity to opt in or out of it. First there were the eighteen easy new icons they placed on my desktop, most of which were trying to compel me to sign up for AOL. These easy free offers and advertisements also found their way into my start menu, program menu, "Quick Launch" menu, system tray, favorites list, links list, and signatures for both Outlook and Outlook Express. My tools menu, and search utility have also been hijacked.

Every program I open now has a toolbar for easy ICQ and asks me to sign up for easy AOL. I managed to remove it from Internet Exploiter, I mean Explorer, and it managed to come back as if to say "Why did you do that Dave?" and "Why haven't you signed up for AOL?"

They also tried changing my homepage to AOL.COM, and my bank recently notified me that AOL had attempted to convert my checking account over to AOL EZ-bank 5.0, another AOL subsidiary. Sure, AOL may be "easier than easy" if you simply allow them to control every aspect of your life, but undoing the damage caused by installing their software has proved to be very very difficult.

According to this BBC article, the EU has proposed legislation to favor cyclists in accidents between them and motor vehicles, no matter who is at fault. Outrage has been sparked in Britain, where drivers are innocent until proven to be at fault.

Now, this story doesn't affect us too much over here, because bicycling is still mostly a recreation, not a mode of transportation. The interesting part of the story lies not in the meat of the argument, rather the relationship between Britain and the EU. Similarly, the US is being pressured by the UN to subject our citizens to their regulations. The UN would love for the US to sign on to Kyoto, the International Criminal Court, and other various treaties and legislation. So far we have been able to resist these efforts, but there are many people in this country who would have us subject our citizens to such an organization. Many people don't realize that if an organization like the UN were to gain any sovereignty over our nation, we might as well tear up our constitution.

The entire point for having localized governments is to best represent the will of the people. Your local government is more representative of you, than your state government. Your state government is more representative than the federal government, and so on. For instance, people that live in Philadelphia don't care much about farming. Likewise, a citizen of rural Pennsylvania doesn't care much about inner city problems. The state government should allow local governments to take advantage of economies of scale, and just stick to problems and solutions that are best handled at the state level. Likewise for the federal government. Economies of scale means that every state doesn't need to raise an army, grow corn, or refine oil. Through specialization, they can purchase those benefits from other states or the United States, cheaper than they can produce them independently. To borrow the cliche, the whole should be greater than the sum of the parts.

Problems arise when large entities like the federal government or the UN try to solve people's problems using a one-size fits all solution. People in rural Pennsylvania don't want Philadelphians imposing their will on them, just like Pennsylvanians don't want Californians doing it. Likewise, as US citizens, we shouldn't have Europeans forcing their laws on us.

Remember this the next time the President vetoes some UN resolution, or state representatives vote against a proposal for a new federal law. With respect to Kyoto, its not that the US doesn't want to clean up the environment, its that we don't want the rest of the world telling us how to do it.

Fox News reports that parents suing teachers for failing their children is becoming more and more prevalent.

I wonder if these parents are thinking about the message they are sending their children. When these children grow up and enter the real world, they are in for a rude awakening. One Ohio mother filed suit claiming that the school's grading process penalized her child for frequent tardiness and absences. She claimed that since her daughter had excuses for being late and absent, she shouldn't be penalized. Try telling that to your boss when you are late for work the third time this week. I hope this girl is pretty, or marries into money, because her work ethic isn't going to carry her too far in the business world. Ignorance was the excuse for parents and students in Kansas, where school administrators overruled a teacher and gave kids a second chance because they didn't know what plagiarism meant. Try pleading ignorance to the IRS or to the police and see if you get a pass.

What a great message to teach kids. When things don't go your way, whine and complain. If that doesn't work, haul them into court.

"We don't have to worry about him being rehabilitated. We don't have to worry about the Supreme Court. He is deceased." -- Kern County Sheriff Carl Sparks commenting on the shooting death of Roy Ratliff, who kidnapped, raped, and was preparing to murder two California teens.

You gotta love it when a man speaks his mind.

My sister's birthday is today. Happy 33rd, sis.

" 'I'm just as angry as Israel is right now,' he told reporters, although he didn't explain the reason for his anger." -- MSNBC article trying to figure out why President Bush is so upset at a Hamas attack that killed 7, including 5 Americans.

Here is a picture of Palestinians celebrating the murder of 7 people, including 5 Americans, at Hebrew University. Is that kid wearing a Nike shirt?

"Your actions and failure to act led to violations of Senate rules" -- Senate Ethics Committee findings on Sen. Bob Torricelli's taking gifts from David Chang.

"It is now clear from the committee's extensive review and findings that the sensational allegations made against Senator Torricelli by Mr. Chang have been proven false and without foundation." -- Senate Majority Leader, Tom Daschle, D-SD.

If David Chang is serving a prison term for giving illegal gifts to Sen. Bob Torricelli, D-NJ, why did Torricelli get a pass yesterday from the Senate ethics committee? Could it have anything to do with the one-seat majority?

Paul Craig Roberts takes a look at how crime in Britain has been increasing over the years. Violent crime in England is spiraling out of control, and victims often get longer jail sentences for defending themselves, than perpetrators do.