Gee, I thought it was our foreign policy that was pissing people off all over the world. Turns out it is actually Hollywood. How's that for a kick in the teeth to those Hollywood limousuine liberals.

FOX News reports on a Boston University study (and you know how much I hate studies) that shows that "Hollywood sex, violence and arrogance are causing young people around the world to despise Americans."

Paul Bond of the Hollywood Reporter shrugs off the allegation. "Most of them conclude, 'We're not responsible.' We put out entertainment for people to enjoy and it's not our problem if people watch it and get a negative image of America.'"

I guess we can blame 9-11 on Hollywood then, and not our imperialist unilateral foreign policy of fascist isolationism. All this time they've been blaming Bush and 'the administration', and it is actually all their fault.

Police in Santiago, Chile were surprised to find the getaway driver for an armed robbery (no pun intended) didn't have any arms or legs.

The man drove the getaway car by tying his knees to the steering wheel and controlling the pedals with sticks tied to his neck and elbows.

What is it about policemen and doughnuts? Ananova reports that Austrian police have actually raided several bakeries and filed charges against the proprietors for not filling their doughnuts with enough jam.

Austrian law mandates that 'fasching' doughnuts be proportionately filled with at least 15% jam. 'Testing' (seriously) showed that some donut's jam filling only made up 10-12% of the doughnut. Consumer protection councillor Gabi Burgsthaller said: "About one-third of the doughnuts were against regulations. The jam proportion was under 15%."

Although there was no mention of it, presumably the illegal doughnuts were confiscated and uh.. 'disposed' of.

UPDATE: Coincidentally, the always on top of things, Laurence Simon has a different story on cops and doughnuts.

"I realized almost immediately after the taping of the final episode last November that it wasn't meant to be." -- Zora of 'Joe Millionaire' fame.

TRANSLATION: What do you mean he doesn't have $50 Million?

Michele at A Small Victory is collecting money and CDs to send Tunes to the Troops.

I hope she makes sure they have a CD player before she sends them a bunch of CDs.

"Head Start works. It has a proven record. [Abandoning it] to the 50 winds of this country is a major step back for the children of this country." -- Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass. quoted in the Washington Times.

I think that Kennedy's allegation of the incompetence of state (and local) governments is characteristic of most Congressmen, especially the Liberal Democrats in the Senate.

I think it is further evidence for a need to repeal the Seventeenth Amendment, and put the States back into the national legislative process.

Hootie Johnson may have met his match in the Augusta National hoopla, and it isn't the despicable Martha Burk. As a matter of fact, it isn't anyone taking up Martha's 'cause' either. No, it may just be the infamous Ku Klux Klan who has sided with Augusta and their freedom of association that is the downfall.

I agree that Augusta has a freedom of association. I also think that Martha Burk has been exploiting the situation for publicity, and really isn't doing much to further women's rights. Still, when it comes to causes, having the KKK stand up and offer support can be a death knell. With friends like that, who needs enemies.

I don't know how active the KKK is in Georgia, and I wonder how many people would actually show up. If I remember right, Georgia has an anti-mask law (for just such organizations), so the KKK will not be able to hide behind their masks. Still, when they marched through Blacksburg (VA) in the 1990s, they didn't seem to mind people knowing who they were.

Burk was quick to take advantage of the publicity. "I'm sure the Augusta National welcomes the support of the Ku Klux Klan because they seem bent on discriminating against women at any cost," claimed Burk.

While I know it won't happen, I think Burk should be publicly condemned for drawing a moral equivalence between denying women membership to one of the most prestigious golf clubs in the world, and stringing people up from trees and burning crosses in their yard.

California bureaucrats have auction fever when it comes to all those items confiscated at the airport. Rather than try to reunite items with their rightful owners, California is hocking them on Ebay.

Nicola Place, who flew out of Oakland is not too happy about he sound of that. Screeners seized from her a Swiss Army knife that her father had given her 20 years ago. "It broke my heart," she said. "It had been everywhere with me."
Thinking about it ending up on EBay, she said, "It makes me sad. . . . It irks me that they can take it away and make money off us. It's bad enough they take it away."

I'm inclined to agree. I think that anyone who has something seized should get the option of having it placed into an envelope, marked, and sealed right there at the security counter. It should then be shipped to the owners address at their expense, or held for a temporary period, so that they have a chance to come back and reclaim it. Another option would be to allow the person to merely check the item, and give it back to the person at baggage claim.

That actually happened to one of my co-workers several years ago when he showed up to the x-ray machine with a complete tool kit issued him by our company. The tool kit contained everything from pliers and screwdrivers to a hacksaw. Confiscating the items was never even a thought, the screener simply handed everything back to him and told him to go check the items at the counter.

The idea that items are to be confiscated with no possibility of reclaiming them disturbs me. Last year, TSA screeners tried to take away a veteran's Congressional Medal of Honor. I've also heard the horror stories out of corruption plagued Atlanta Hartsfield, where screeners confiscated jewelry and charms off of charm bracelets. The items suspiciously never made it to the 'lost and found', and presumably ended up as someone's Christmas gift.

I'm not saying that all screeners are dishonest, but you must admit there is plenty of temptation. Now that temptation has spread to the cash strapped People's Republic of California.

CNN reports that Sen. Bob Graham, D-FL has stepped forward and announced his 2004 candidacy for President of the United States, the first such announcement in nearly 72 hours, a new record. The span shattered the previous record of 53 hours between the announcments of Rep. Richard Gebhardt, and former U.S. Senator Carol Moseley-Braun.

All kidding aside, CNN reports that Graham did bypass the traditional democratic 'exploratory committee', and unceremoniously went straight into campaigning and fund raising. This gives him the jump on all the other candidates that are still stuck in committee, so to speak.

Graham further cemented his dedication by announcing that he would not run for re-election to the U.S. Senate.

The AP reports 'Nevada Considers Taxing Prostitutes'. (Why is the AP just now picking up this story? I remember hearing about it a month ago.)

Any way, the tax hike proposal covers entertainment in general, including "movies, professional sporting events, adult cabarets, strip clubs, art galleries and beauty contests, among others, as subject to the tax."

"Brothels are not listed in the blue ribbon commission's 1,100-page report on which [Nevada Governor] Guinn based his proposal - but they also are not listed among the exempted businesses, which include massage, yoga and golf."

Why not simply reclassify prostitution from 'professional sporting event' to 'massage'? That seems to work in places like California and New York where prostitution is illegal, but 'massages' are given all the time.

(link via ATS)

It was nice to see the federal government flatly reject a higher cigarette tax. Health and Human Services Secretary, Tommy Thompson said, "We are not contemplating it. This administration does not raise taxes." I guess those steel tarrifs don't count.

Still, that didn't stop Reuters from weighing on the pro-tax platform. Most of the article was dedicated to why we should raise tobacco taxes, including a poll that shows most people are in favor of a tax hike. It's nice to see a leader that doesn't lead by what the polls say. Majority rule does not make it right, and frankly I'm a little tired of seeing polls.

I was deeply saddened to hear that Mister Rogers died early today.

Is it just me, or does anyone else think that actively campaigning for an Academy Award cheapens the whole event? IMDb reports on the efforts of Catherine Zeta-Jones:

"She is desperate to win and knows she has a great chance. She was bitterly disappointed when she didn't get one last year. She needs it for credibility because at the moment a lot of people think she owes her success more to who she has married than for her own talents." An insider adds, "She and Michael have been greasing the palms of the important people in Hollywood with plush formal diners, and one of L.A.'s top publicists is spearheading her campaign. The film company Miramax is also applying its own pressure for her to win and she believes it is going to be her year."

If you are German or French, you aren't welcome in Aage Bjerre's Pizzeria.

Aage Bjerre, who owns Aage's Pizza on the island of Fanoe, said he's tired of French and German attitudes toward the United States.

He says Germans will be allowed in if their country joins a war on Iraq, but the French will have to endure a lifetime ban.

He added: "Frenchmen have a lifetime ban here. Their attitude toward the United States will never change."

World Net Daily reports that freedom of association is under fire in the City of Angels.

The Los Angeles County Bar Association wants to ban judges from having any membership or relationship with the Boy Scouts of America. The argument for the ban is based on the position of the Boy Scouts, that it is not advisable for homosexuals to be taking young boys off into the woods on camping trips.

Now, I have nothing against homosexuals, and I've actually known and been friend with a few. Still, I think the Boy Scouts has a freedom of association, just like Augusta National Golf Club. In fact, the SCOTUS has already ruled that the Boy Scouts have a constitutionally protected right to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.

Passing a regulation forbidding someone to associate with any private organization is just plain wrong, no matter how you slice it. It is one thing to use your Constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression to cast ire on them. However, when you want to pass a law, and use the police power of the government to enforce your views, that is where I draw the line. Besides, what is to stop them from forbidding membership in the Catholic Church, or other organizations with similar views on homosexuals?

When I was a Boy Scout, our organization was mainly about boys learning to tie knots, camp, shoot, and light fires without matches. There was also an underlying reverence toward God, but we were never involved in the rigmarole of American politics. Today, I feel rather sorry for the Boy Scouts, and any other organization that the PC Gestapo are trying to dismantle.

A Small Victory reader Robert Modean gave quite an inspirational speech on the 'Boobies for War' effort. (Quick, someone grab that domain name!)

With all due apologies to Gen. George S. Patton and the 3rd Army...

Michele, et al, at ease Ladies.

Now I will not stand before you and claim that there is no ulterior motive in my adopting, neigh, advocating a Pro-War Boobies posture. I am a man. Like any red blooded American male few things move me more deeply, more passionately and more fully, than a really Bodacious set of Ta-Ta's.

Saddam has gained support from fifth column elements within the Anglosphere, you know them as "peace advocates". These "peace advocates" have found a chink in our armor. They are exploiting our healthy American libidos. They know that no true American could ever listen to the crap they spout and believe a turd of it. So when some poor, mis-guided, mush brained boy or girl gets near, they disrobe and - my God it makes ill to think of them, unwashed and unshaved - expose their boobies for "peace". I say again - they are baring their bongos to confuse the issue.

Now all the crap anti-war, pro-Saddam, neo-commie peacenick bastards have been spouting about Americans not wanting to fight, about the people wanting us to stay out of Iraq and avoid a war, well it's all a load of horseshit. We are Americans. All real Americans love the sting of battle. When you were a child did you play "Hide the Weasel up Froggy's Ass" or did you play "Kill the man with the ball"? Well the other team has just greased up a weasel, so do we bend over or do we take of our shirts and show them what sweater kittens really look like?

As children, who among us did not admire the strongest, the fastest, the most gifted athletes? We emulated them. We aspired to be them. We didn't snivel into our momma's skirts and cry about how unfair it was we weren't as good! We just tried harder. That's what Americans do, we try harder. The enemy's advocates have upped the ante. We know their sportin' a pair and it's time we called their bluff in the buff with our Bouncing Betties.

We are at war. We will need every resource for what's ahead, every man and every woman, every shoulder to wheel and every shoulder boulder to the fore, because this isn't just any war, this is our war. And wars are won with Teamwork. We have to live, sleep, eat, and fight as a team - showering as a team may also be required. Now those namby pamby pinkos like Max "Speaks to an empty room" Sawicky who talk about the deaths of innocents and the burden that the Iraqi people will pay, are shoveling shit against the tide. The bilious bastards who write that crap don't know any more about real battle than they do about a sock full of shit. We have the finest equipment, the best food, the greatest men of any army ever assembled. And now it is time, for the once and all, for us to show the enemy's advocates that our team has the best breasts in the west!

We have seen the enemy and they don't shave! We can smell the enemy because they don't bathe! Modesty in the service of the enemy is no virtue, Nudity in the cause of liberty is no vice! I say again, we must bare any burden, for the price of victory is ne'er so dear as the cost of defeat.

Yay, the Carnival is here!

Well, not here, but here.

Hey, whaddaya know, I'm number 6 on Yahoo for 'fuck gray davis'.

In more disturbing news, I'm number 6 on Google for 'sissified by ex girlfriend'.

Yesterday, I theorized that pretty soon teachers wouldn't even bother to grade papers any more. Well, the Tennessean reported yesterday, that metro schools are considering wiping out half of the grading scale.

A proposal is on the table to effectively wipe out all grades between 0 and 50. The lowest failing grade given will be a 50. Now, proponents will argue that these are just the youngest kids, and we don't want to crush them with ultra low failing grades.

When I think back to my own childhood, there was a time when we didn't receive letter grades. We received Outstanding, Satisfactory, Unsatisfactory, etc. At some point in time during our development, the scale was switched to a 100 point letter scale. I guess you could argue that switching to a 100-50 point letter scale is a good intermediary, but I disagree.

The main reason I disagree, is because I don't think it will stop there. I feel that this is merely a single step in the overall coddling of our nation's children. This coddling will not effectively prepare them for college, nor the real world. Sometimes you get a failing grade, and all you can do is take it, and make the best of a bad situation. (Now-a-days, kids are being taught to sue, instead.)

I am reminded of my 'Ancient and Medieval Philosophy' class in college. I was taking it to satisfy one of my fine arts electives. Grading consisted of three components. One third of your grade was based on weekly quizzes, the second third on your mid-term thesis, and the third third on your final exam. I had a C to C- average for the quizzes, with which I was happy, considering how tough the course was. On my mid-term thesis*, however, I scored a FOURTEEN. (Yes, 14. Out of 100.) To say the least, I was pretty upset.

During my meeting with my professor, I was told that statistically, there was a very slim chance I could even pass the course. If I aced every quiz from there on out, aced the final, I could probably pass with a 60 which was a D-. Since it was too late to drop the class, and since he didn't offer any extra credit, my professor recommended that I devote my time to other classes.

I had to admit that it was profound advice. Instead of telling me to hang in there, and try to tough it out in a situation that was essentially hopeless, he taught me to recognize a failing situation for what it was, and make the best of it. In that case, making the best of it meant taking the F, and devoting my spare time to my other classes.

Sure, I may have failed his course, but the lesson he taught me was invaluable.

*By the way, the thesis gave us a partial script that was found on some tablet of unknown origin and unknown age, and told us to figure out who wrote it. The answer, which I never did figure out, was Alcmaeon.

Tom Dienhart of The Sporting News has the skinny on Big East Football this year.

VT-Miami is set to be the conference game of the year, but who knows. They've said that the past two years, and Tech always seemed to pull up lame in November. VT loses points for playing UCF, James Madison (div II) and soon to be Big East football member Connecticut. On a brighter note, the Texas A&M-VT game should be a good Thursday night match up, and the Big East continues to develop as a conference.

With their first four games at home, November will be VT's real challenge, with Miami, at Pitt, at (cough) Temple, BC, and in-state rival, Virginia.

(thanks to Ravenwood's Universe staff writer Marnette)

The latest from ScrappleFace:

Bush Rejects Saddam Debate, Offers Chili Cookoff
(2003-02-24) -- U.S. President George Bush today dismissed Saddam Hussein's invitation to debate, but the former Texas Governor challenged the Iraqi dictator to a chili cookoff.

The next time someone tells you that smoking 'causes' cancer, or that fatty foods 'cause' heart disease, remind them of the late John McMorran. As FOX News reports, McMorran died Monday at the age of 113. He was the fourth oldest person in the world, and the oldest American. He also smoked cigars until he was 97, ate fatty foods, and drank beer most of his life, which is proof enough that there is no causal relationship between 'sin' products and longevity.

Before all you nit pickers start jumping all over me, read your definition of causation. While people who smoke may be more susceptible to lung cancer, it isn't the same as saying smoking 'causes' cancer.

Even if it does, so what? It is my body to do with as I please. I'll take living fast and happy over slow and dull any day.

Neal (fourth item) asks you to put yourself in the shoes of a terrorist. You have just heard that police at Hartsfield International Airport will be searching ALL trucks, vans, and SUVs approaching the airport, but only SOME of the cars. Which type of vehicle will you chose to load your explosives into?

This week's Carnival of the Vanities will be hosted at Kesher Talk.

Since I was hospitalized most of the day yesterday, and doped up on pain medication last night, I ended up missing the deadline. We'll see if my excuse is good enough to bend the rules. If not, there is always next week.

A Knoxville area man was shot twice and wounded when he brought a knife to a gunfight. An unidentified intruder was shot in the arm and the leg when he allegedly attempted to rob James Petty, 64, and his wife Wanda. They were closing up shop at a Merita Bread Bakery Outlet, when the suspect allegedly entered the store and attacked Petty with a knife. The robbers wounds were not life threatening.

My advice to Petty is to aim for the chest next time.

ABC News reports that several internet web sites are guilty of selling drug paraphernalia to children, including "bongs, marijuana pipes, 'roach' clips, miniature spoons and scales". Are these those collectible spoons, like the state commemorative ones? Devices like scales definitely have a dual use, and 'roach clips' are known to regular people as 'tweezers'. Even bongs and pipes can be used for legitimate tobacco smoking, although it is unlikely.

Now, I've never been a fan of the war on drugs. I think too much money is spent trying to control people that are only damaging their own bodies. Casual drug users are typically no more dangerous to society than a casual alcohol drinker. Most of the violence tied to drugs comes with it's classification as a controlled substance.

But, I digress, because that isn't really my point. I am reminded of the RAVE act, featured in this old Fox News story where congressmen and the DEA want to classify bottled water and glow sticks as drug paraphernalia. It would seem as though they are commonly found at 'raves' where club drugs like ecstacy are prominent. Of course, they are also commonly found at carnivals and amusement parks across the nation.

FOX News reports that a California school district is doing away with valedictorians.

"If they are not number one, it could get their feelings hurt if they are self-motivating and high-achieving students," said Principal Bill Black.

Sorry for the lack of blogage today. I took an embarrasing but nasty spill yesterday on the ice and sprained my ankle. The pain kept me up most of last night, and got worse today, so I went to the doctor and got some good meds. The doctor gave me a buttload of vicodin, and some super motrin. I figure the vicodin will fix my sleeping problem tonight.

What are the odds that CBS will follow up on their Grammy threat? Well, none now. NY Newsday reports that CBS has backed down. Some had theorized it was merely a publicity stunt to garner more viewers. I guess those of us that aren't watching it will have to wait and find out tomorrow how big of an ass the stars make of themselves.

I've seen this quiz circling around.

I'm not sure what that means.

NY Newsday reports that there have been four intruders shot in NY so far this year. Of those, three were shot using illegal firearms. In most cases, the occupants are facing charges for illegal firearm's possessions. What is most disturbing is this statement from Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes, regarding the case of Ronald Dixon: "We're not disputing that Mr. Dixon had a right to shoot the person who broke into his house. But he had no right to have that gun."

No right? So much for Second Amendment protections. According to the DA, Dixon should have shit himself, called the police, and hoped for the best. The fact is that New York's restrictive firearms laws place homeowners in a lose-lose situation. They can break the firearms laws and risk criminal prosecution, or take their chances that an armed goblin will spare their lives.

What bugs me most is that prosecutors try to take the moral high ground and act as if getting a license is actually a viable option. In fact, a license to merely possess a handgun in your own New York City home costs in excess of $200, requires a mountain of red tape, and an interview with the proper authorities. Then, only if they deem your need appropriate, will you be granted government permission to possess a handgun in your own home. The permit to merely possess a long gun in your home is a bit cheaper, but requires just as much red tape. Practically speaking, it is impossible for people without political connections to get a license.

In the case of Manuel Falquez, whose mother recently won $100,000 in the lottery, he'd have been shit out of luck. Rather than risk waiting months for a permit that would probably never be granted, Falquez illegally purchased a 9mm handgun to protect his family's new found fortune. The hunch paid off, because Falquez fatally shot an intruder Tuesday night, and will undoubtedly face charges. Had he chosen to comply with the law, they'd probably be packing him into a pine box right about now.

The restrictive laws of New York and most of the north east, save Vermont, are what keep me from living there. It just isn't worth living in a place where you either cannot feel safe at night, or have to make yourself a criminal to do so.

And then she was gone.

Jack Burton of the Pork Chop Express goes the extra mile to debunk recent deceptive poverty claims.

Don't let the charts and graphs give you a headache. Basically, the purveyors of lies and misinformation took a magnifying glass to the lower eschelon income brackets, to drive their point home. Studying the populace as a whole, Burton correctly points out that while the number of people below the poverty line increased, so did the number of people above the poverty line.

Kudos to Jack.

Attention VRWC members. (All others please ignore.) Right Wing News reports that the spring line of commemorative cutlery is in.

I recently had an argument with my credit card company that went something like this:

Credit Card Company Rep: Sir, I am calling because it has come to our attention that your billing address is a bill payment service. For security reasons, we need to change your address back to your home address. Do you still live at: [my old Atlanta address].

Ravenwood: Why, no I don't. My company moved me three times last year, and I may be moving again in the future. It is much easier for me to have my billpay service ensure that all my payments are made promptly and efficiently.

CCCR: Well sir, we do have the 'quickpay' option that you may want to take advantage of.

Ravenwood: I'm not giving you access to my checking account.

CCCR: Well sir, the 'quickpay' is easy and con..

Ravenwood: [cutting her off] I said, I'm not giving you access to my checking account.

CCCR: Well sir, I need to change your address back to your home address for security reasons.

Ravenwood: [gruffly] Ok then, please cancel my account. If you cannot meet my needs as a consumer, than I don't want your business.

CCCR: Well sir, we are sorry to see you go. If that is your decision, than I will transfer you to our cancellations department.

Ravenwood: I'm not going to wait on hold.

CCCR: Well, I'm sure the hold will be brief, and I am not authorized to cancel your account for you. I work in the security department.

Ravenwood: Well, I'm not going to let you change my address, and I'm not going to be put on hold. You are going to have to pass my sentiments on to the cancellations department.

CCCR: I cannot do that sir. [She finally sees the impasse I've worked her into] You can always call back and cancel when it is more convenient.

Ravenwood: Ok, that is what I'll do. [click]

Still, I firmly believe the customer is always right. I usually get my way, and since I don't carryover a balance on the card, I am prepared to cancel it if I don't get my way. Besides, I'm not about to give out my credit card information to someone that calls me. In my opinion, that is a huge security risk as well.

And if they think I'm calling them back, they're nuts.

As someone who was born and bred a Virginian, and as a history and Civil War buff, I thoroughly enjoyed Gods and Generals. Obviously, I'm biased toward a film like this. It was told from the Confederate perspective, which is a nice change from typical Civil War films, but had plenty of sub plots on the Union side as well. The setting was mostly in the Fredericksburg and Manassas area, and the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

Specifically, the film featured great Virginians such as Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee, and A.P. Hill, although it centered around Lee and Jackson. (Mostly Jackson) Stephen Lang and Robert Duvall were perfectly cast as Jackson and Lee. Jeff Daniels was brought in to reprise his role as the Union Lt. Colonel Chamberlain, and did a magnificent job. I thought the film properly portrayed the Southern point of view, and how slavery began to become an issue on both sides. Too many of today's historians revisionists deliberately try to convey that the Union was fighting to abolish slavery, and that Confederates were fighting to preserve it. It is this ignorance and deliberate revisionism that plague southern history, and whitewash the accomplishments of the men who fought and died during the war.

While the film was over 3 1/2 hours, it had an intermission in just the right place, and the pace seemed to move rather quickly. Still, the IMDb reports that it is getting it's share of negative reviews. In the films defense, I'd like to point out that critics love drivel like Titanic, and hate anything as it relates to history. Especially when the facts fly in the face of the liberalism that the NY Times and LA Times love to disseminate.

You may be interested in the following: Virginia Center for Civil War Studies; Unofficial Gods and Generals Home Page; Books by James I. Robertson (Historical Consultant for Gods and Generals, Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech, Founder of Virginia Center for Civil War Studies, and my former professor)

Drudge reports that CBS may cut the mic if this weekends Grammy ceremony gets too political. "I would hope the artists will remember they are on stage because of their music," a top CBS source told the DRUDGE REPORT Friday morning.

I'd rather see them use that big hook.

Is it just a coincidence that I am 10 years removed from my teens?

Anti-smoking crusaders are taking it a step further. Now a man is being sued for smoking on his own patio. Undoubtedly, the plaintiff will get a lot of sympathy because he claims to have asthma. Still, closing your window would seem a bit easier than filing a lawsuit.

The lawyer for the defense says that this opens the door for all sorts of silly lawsuits, and that vegetarians suing non-vegetarians is next.

(link via RWN)

Gods and Generals, which I first wrote about way back in November, is finally here. I'm thinking of taking time away from my busy schedule to go see it today.

I thought that is what women were for. (among other things)

Health and Human Services Secretary, Tommy Thompson, is reported to be mulling a federal cigarette tax hike from $0.38 to $2 per pack.

Personally, I wish the fed would go ahead and outlaw tobacco. (Either that, or raise the taxes to $100 per pack.) The resulting lawlessness and bootlegging will not only be entertaining, but will negate all cigarette legislation (such as age limits) currently on the books.

Cigarettes are less accessible to teens than marijuana, and the reason is government regulation. You want to change all that, just keep on keepin' on.

Believe it or not, as part of the ready.gov campaign, a Richland county (OH) spokesman just went on the radio and recommended that every family have a disaster supply kit that they can grab in case of an emergency. He also recommended that we have a place where we can lock ourselves into for 2 to 3 days, just in case.

Duck and cover! Duck and cover!

An Indiana lawmaker is trying to ban firearms. State Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary has introduced three separate firearms bills to the Indiana House. HB 1016 and 1017 toughen the CCW requirements by raising the age to 21, adding a safety course, and adding a waiting period. They don't really much matter, if his other bill passes though. The real kicker is HB 1011, which says:

A person who owns or possesses knowingly or intentionally: (1) manufactures; (2) imports into Indiana; (3) sells; (4) purchases; (5) possesses; or (6) transfers possession of; a machine gun, an automatic weapon, a semiautomatic weapon, or ammunition for any of those weapons commits a Class C felony.

Will this bill make it out of committee? Probably not. Still, it scares me to even think about it. And just how do you tell if a .45 ACP round is intended for a revolver or a semi-auto?

(link via Mr. D of packing.org thread)

Evan Coyne Maloney offers a wonderful video of on the street interviews with peace protesters. Some of the non-answers and blank stares are worth a thousand words.

(BROADBAND ALERT: video is 18MB)

UPDATE: After being featured on Boortz, Rush, and probably several other places, brain-terminal.com is down. I thought about serving the movie here locally, but I don't want to tread on copyright laws, nor does the thought of serving an 18 MB file appeal to me.

My advice is to just keep trying. Eventually the traffic should die down.

The Washington Post reports that President Bush has proposed a budget that increases spending by almost 8%.

President Bush will sign legislation this week setting a 2003 budget that raises federal spending by 7.8 percent over last year, capping a remarkable two years in which the federal budget increased by 22 percent.

They appear to have tax cuts listed as an expense to the tune of $1.5 trillion. Are they counted that as part of the budget increase? I don't see how letting Americans keep more of their own money can be counted as an expenditure. It also says there is an 'overall freeze in domestic spending', which is good, although look for liberal democrats to call that a 'cut'. The only increases listed are for defense, prescription drugs, and anti-terrorism.

I also note how the Post boldly labels their chart 'a record $307 billion deficit." I guess in terms of dollar amount, it is a record. However, in relative terms, as a percentage of the total budget, it is quite small at just under 3%.

"I start with this basic belief: Government takes too much money from the American people." -- My former Senator, and favorite democrat, Zell Miller, D-GA in today's AJC.

If only more politicians (republicans as well as democrats) thought that way.

For once, a celebrity that is making some sense. The Force is strong in this one.

"All people have to be prepared. If we are going to be the police, we also have to be the guardians. We can no longer play games. I was not against the war in Bosnia. I was against it taking so long. I was not against the war in Somalia. Again, it took too long, and we didn't finish the job. We should've stayed and finished the job. About this pending war, I just think we should've finished that war the first time." -- James Earl Jones in the Fayetteville Observer

When the space shuttle Columbia burned up on entry this month, a common thread coming from the Arab world was that Allah had destroyed the vessel to avenge American imperialism. Well, God is getting even, as CNS News reports He has swatted an Iranian airliner out of the sky, killing all 302 on board. Aside from the plane's crew, all the passengers on board were members of the Iranian military, including some units that sponsor terrorism.

Allah has yet to respond.

Nothing like overreacting:

Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies evacuated about 15 neighboring homes Monday because two bank agents foreclosing on the house reported seeing numerous firearms and explosives inside, along with some canned goods.

It was later determined that the resident, Robert Walters, 46, is an avid gun collector. The weapons, which included an inactive hand grenade and an inactive mortar, were all legal, sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said. No charges were filed.

Still, it is moments of stupidity like this that are the reason I only keep up to 50 cans of tuna in my house. The rest are kept in my unabomber-style shack out in the woods.

(link shamelessly harvested from Greeblie)

Rep. Dick Gebhardt, D-MO announced his bid for the 2004 Presidency, and followed it up with a platform that assures he'll lose.

Rep. Dick Gephardt, seeking the presidency after eight frustrating years as House Democratic leader, said Wednesday that if elected he would repeal the vast majority of President Bush's "patently unfair" tax cuts to finance an ambitious new health care initiative.

"Without the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, we can finish the unfinished business of providing high-quality health coverage to everyone who works in America saving billions and stimulating one of the biggest sectors of our private economy."

Of all the things they could have gotten daddy to sue over, these Taxachussets teens are upset over the Selective Service Act.

The SCOTUS ruled on the act back in 1981, but the plaintiffs say times have changed, and women should have to register too.

Fat chance of getting it overturned.

NEW YORK, USA -- Champions of the Kyoto Convention and Protocol at the United Nation's building in New York have come under recent fire for the detrimental effects of the international treaty. Ironically, the Kyoto Treaty was supposed to help the environment, but recent scientific studies have shown that the treaty is actually lowering levels of carbon dioxide, a crucial resource for plant life.

Nathaniel Greene, of the Greene Center for Environmental Policy notes that with the decline in carbon dioxide, plants are literally suffocating to death. "We expected Kyoto to help the environment, but if you look at levels of carbon dioxide, they are actually going down, instead of up. Plants need carbon dioxide to live, and Kyoto is cruelly starving them of that precious life-giving resource," claimed Greene

Rebecca Bacon of PETA (Plants want Ethical Treatment Also) is saddened by the animal-centric environmental movements. "Animals get all the attention," laments Bacon. "With the increase in veganism, and the so called 'conservationist' movement, that hopes to fight carbon dioxide, plants are quickly becoming endangered."

Bacon was able to back up her statements with scientific data. "The number of vegetarians increased 7% last year alone. Combine that with the health craze, and people trading in their hamburgers for veggie-burgers and salads, and you have a recipe for disaster." According to Bacon, plant life has decreased 10% over the past 5 years, and with creatures like the massive Blue Whale gobbling up plant plankton by the ton, it may already be too late. "Those whales devour tons of plant plankton, and the only thing they give back to the environment is whale sized poop. We used to use them for perfume, but now even that is taboo."

Kyoto has apparently made the problem worse. Nathaniel Greene notes that plants systems, which rely on only four basic needs, are very fragile. "Plants only need sunlight, nutrients (like from the soil), water, and carbon dioxide. If you tried blocking out the sun, or polluting the soil or water, people would complain. Why then, aren't they complaining when policies like Kyoto deny them of carbon dioxide?"

� Ravenwood's Universe, all rights reserved.

And with America's litigiousness, the pratical joke goes the way of the dinosaur.

Next up, a class action lawsuit against the producers of Joe Millionaire for making everyone wait an extra week to see who the winner is. I'm sure a jury will sympathize with the severe emotional suspense caused by the show. A separate lawsuit will be filed just for that one-hour 'pre-game' show, where they brought back all the bitter women.

The People's Republic of Seabrook is hosting this week's Carnival.

Archimedes and Darwin claimed another one, when a 13 year old boy tied a heavy chain around his waist before trying to swim across a 15 foot deep pond.

The incident is being blamed on the imitation of a movie that showed a surfer who trained by running across the ocean floor toting a huge rock.

Too bad the young boy hadn't seen any wiseguy films, or he'd have known that men who wear cement shoes end up sleeping with the fishes.

In general, I don't like news tabloids like Dateline or Primetime. They try to pass themselves off as journalists, when in fact they are nothing but entertainment venues. Their sole purpose is to generate ratings to sell advertisements, but they make it sound like they're performing a public service.

I've never really trusted Dateline, since they strapped explosives incindiary devices to those GM pickups to show how easily they catch fire in an accident. That is why I am overjoyed to read this FOX News report that Dateline's tabloid journalism has sunk to new lows.

The laundry list includes:

• Dateline chastising Fox for paying for the Michael Jackson outtakes, but failing to mention that NBC offered up $5 Million for the same tapes, and offered to bump Dateline off the air if Jackson cut a deal.
• Dateline also made a big deal out of the producer F. Marc Schaffel, having produced porn videos. No mention was made that the use of porn directors is common place for performers, specifically Britney Spears and Counting Crows.
• Perhaps most damning, was the report that NBC largely relied on supermarket tabloids for their sources. Much of their report relied on information from the parent company of The National Enquirer, The Star, and The Globe, and was taken at face value without checking the source.

Will the spam ban work as well as their gun ban has?

How do they intend to sue spammers who phreak their IP address? When the law of unintended consequences rings in, look for innocent people to be sued, while the spammers turn to phony IP and email addresses.

NY Daily News reports that a record 19 inches of snow fell in Central Park.

Is this why we don't hear too much about 'global warming' lately? Don't worry, the doomsdayers will be back this summer.

For some reason, I just find this really, very scary.

Set aside the politics of London charging everyone �5 to enter the city. What scares me is how they enforce it.

All the figures are approximate and the 700 cameras scattered around the zone capture about 90 per cent of vehicles and number plates which are then checked against payment records.

Is there any place you can go in England without the government looking over your shoulder?

I knew the French were weasels, but I didn't think they were this bad. The AP reports that Chirac is letting aspiring EU nations know how disapproving he is of their support for America. He claims that it is hurting their chances of joining the Union altogether.

"It is not really responsible behavior," said Chirac during a news conference. "It is not well brought up behavior. They missed a good opportunity to keep quiet."

"Romania and Bulgaria were particularly irresponsible to (sign the letter) when their position is really delicate," Chirac said. "If they wanted to diminish their chances of joining Europe they could not have found a better way.

"When you're in the family you have more rights than when you're knocking on the door."

The Washington Times reports that with 2 feet of snow on the ground, it wasn't econobox owners who were giving rides to essential hospital personnel. There were no Honda Insights delivering meals to sick AIDS patients.

It was all those gas guzzling, baby killing, terrorism sponsoring SUV owners.

Owen Courreges authors probably one of the finest anti-SUV refutations that I've seen.

I am convinced that gun grabbers know absolutely nothing about the firearms they attempt to ban. Literally days after releasing the Smith and Wesson .500 Magnum, Gun Grabbers are capitalizing on the publicity to further their anti-gun agenda. CNS News reports that one politician is already calling for a nationwide ban.

"It's hard for me to rationalize any particular need or purpose" for the 500 Magnum, said Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.). "I think guns are made to kill people. That's my opinion."

"If you live in a place like Chicago, and you know the amount of violence that is perpetrated by individuals who grow-up with the idea that having, handling and using a gun is a way-of-life in terms of establishing yourself on the streets or as part of the culture, then I'm afraid that many of these individuals will, in fact, acquire this weapon," Davis said.

Bend over Danny, and I'll show you wear to stick your opinion. How about we ban moronic congressmen that have more opinions than they do common sense. Besides, Chicago already bans all guns, and we see how well that is working out.

The idea that gang bangers are going to give up their cheap 9's and .38 specials for a .500 Magnum is ridiculous. In fact, the reasons for NOT using the .500 Magnum as a gang-land tool are numerous.

First of all, there is the price tag. At nearly $1000, criminals are going to be hard pressed to get their hands on them. Sure, criminals typically use stolen guns, but they've got to have guns to steal. The $1000 price tag means the .500 Magnum won't be nearly as popular with the public as a cheap 9mm. Those that are in the hands of private owners will probably be locked away with regular hunting gear. It certainly won't be stashed in a night stand drawer, or in the glove box of their car for protection.

Second, there is a slight ammo problem. Ammo for the .500 is not just going to be expensive, it's going to be very expensive. Not only is it a big round, but it's proprietary. The .500 rounds simply won't be produced in the volumes that 9mm ammunition is. Not to mention that it only holds 5 shots.

Third, there is a big concealment problem. At nearly 5 lbs, and with an 8 1/2 inch barrel, the gun is simply too unwieldy to be a preferred firearm of choice for criminals. The .500 Magnum is 15 inches long overall, and won't exactly tuck into your pants too well. Not to mention you'll need two hands to shoot the thing.

Overall, the idea that criminals have been waiting for a powerful handgun like this is stupid. If that were true, criminals would have been using .44 magnums and .50 caliber Desert Eagles already. Instead, smaller, cheaper 9mm's are more popular than both of those firearms.

Rep. Davis is proud of his ignorance in not knowing of any uses other than killing humans. While it is true that more people hunt deer with a rifle than a handgun, there is still a large segment of handgun hunters out there. They hunt everything from squirrels to elephants. Plus, when hunting large game like bears or elephants, stopping them with your first shot is very important. If you go bear hunting with a .38 special, you're more likely to be mauled to death.

(link via Greeblie)

Robert Alt and National Review take on Mary Landrieu. It would seem that during her re-election bid this fall, Landrieu claimed to support the Miguel Estrada nomination in order to woo hispanic voters. Now she's supporting a filibuster of Estrada's nomination.

"We need a senator that understands the needs of our community, economy, culture and society. Mary Landrieu has worked close to the Hispanic Community... ...Mary Landrieu, ALSO SUPPORTED THE CANDIDACY OF THE HONDUREAN MIGUEL ESTRADA FOR THE FEDERAL COURT OF APPEALS." -- a fall re-election campaign ad paid for by the 'Friends of Mary Landrieu'.

"Unfortunately, some of my supporters in the Hispanic community who helped us produce this commercial misinterpreted my neutrality as a statement of support. I take personal responsibility for the error and I apologize to anyone who was mislead by these ads, which ran for less than two weeks on one radio station in New Orleans." -- official statement from Mary Landrieu on her sudden reversal of support for Estrada, and her support of a filibuster of his nomination.

Alt goes on to say that when Landrieu said,

"I believe we need a diversity of qualified judges on our bench, both African-American and Hispanic. And I've been very proud of that, and I think it's the right thing to do."

If a politician speaks and no one hears her, does she make a sound?

UPDATE: The AP took this photo and said that Moseley-Braun was speaking in front of a 'small group'.

I guess liberals aren't satisified with having just NPR, now they're looking for a liberal Rush Limbaugh.

Personally, I cannot wait until they come up with something. I only hope that it is a call-in show.

UPDATE: I'll take Oliver Willis over Al Franken any day.

The snow is as high as my knee in spots, yet still my apartment complex maintenance guys were out there at 6 AM clearing the sidewalks and pathways. I know, it's their job, but this southern transplant is still impressed by their efforts. At the rate it is snowing, they'll be covered back up in a little while any way.

ACK! Oliver Willis has been hacked!

In early March of 1861, Illinois was enjoying an early spring. Although warm weather had come early that year, it wasn't the climate that was on Chicago native Nathaniel Chester's mind. Chester worked in the printing room of the Chicago Tribune. He saw first hand that the newspapers were full rhetoric about an impending war. The Crittenden Compromise had failed, and South Carolina had seceded from the U.S. only a few months ago. Several other states quickly followed suit, and federal forts across the south had been seized. Munitions were salvaged, and the new states were banding together with a common army. They had even elected their own President.

Four other states, Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, and North Carolina were contemplating secession. Votes for secession in those states had failed, but issue was far from dead. Virginia could be a problem. Virginia was not only full of resources, but it had manufacturing capability. It was also just across the river from the national capital.

Just days before, a new President, Abraham Lincoln, from Chester's very own state had been inaugurated. Already, Lincoln was talking about preserving the Union, and using troops to re-take forts in the South. To many northerners, this was about slavery and preserving the Union. They didn't really understand the southern way of life, and many of Chester's fellow Chicagoans saw slavery as an evil institution.

Nathaniel Chester saw things differently. Slaves were considered valuable property, and were rarely mistreated by their owners. They were provided a good home, with food and clothing. They got to work outdoors in the warm sun, and they were often surrounded by family and friends. Slaves were provided a time and place to worship, and overall, didn't lead too bad of a life. Chester felt that certainly, their life was no worse than that of the homeless beggars that plagued the streets of Chicago.

With the Union on the verge of war, Chester felt that he had to do something. Chester had access to the Tribune's printing presses and supplies. He printed and distributed fliers protesting the military build up, and the holding of Fort Sumter and Fort Pickens in the South. With the surrounding of the forts by Confederate troops, giving them up seemed to be a good way to diffuse the tension and open up negotiations.

Although they were still a vast minority, Chester found that he had the support of hundreds, perhaps thousands of fellow Chicagoans. Lincoln's plans to re-supply the surrounded forts and send military aid to federal troops stranded in the south were clearly an act of aggression. War was so immanent that even General Winfield Scott, a chief advisor to Lincoln, sent him a letter asking him to abandon the federal outposts to avert a bloody war. He could only hope that his anti-war message would sink in. Why should northerners spill their own blood for the freedom of others? Why try to preserve a union of states that did not want to remain?

Despite the protests, marches, and attempts to stop aggression toward the south, Lincoln pressed forward with the re-supply of Forts Sumter and Pickens. The re-supply order forced the Confederate's hand, and with the shots fired at Fort Sumter, the Union and Confederacy were plunged into Civil War.

Was Chester wrong? Was slavery an evil that northerners should dispel with their own blood and guts? Was preserving the Union so important?

I can only surmise that these are the questions that most pacifists face. Today, as anti-war protesters march in support of Saddam Hussein, I think of Nathaniel Chester and his misgivings about the institutions of slavery. Some people are ignorant and close-minded to the horrors of oppression. And, after all, if it doesn't affect them directly, what is the big deal?

For some reason, I missed this one last week. The AP reports that Rep. Paul Smith, D-Rome (GA) is pushing for a state wide ban on smoking in your vehicle when there is a young child present. In its current form, it only covers cars where a child is strapped into a child seat. (Will the law of unintended consequences yield a lower usage of car seats?)

To me, the really scary part is that Smith says, "We've got to start somewhere." What does that mean? Does he plan to extend the ban to your home? You bet he does.

Anti-smoking laws originally started with separate smoking sections in airplanes. Over time, they have evolved into not only a ban on airplanes, but a ban in many towns, restaurants, clubs, and work places. Soon you won't be allowed to smoke in your car, and eventually your house. Every year, we get closer to a prohibition of tobacco. Now it is even starting to spread to fatty foods and other pleasures.

Anyone who remembers history knows that prohibition doesn't work. In fact, prohibition spreads crime and takes the government regulation that is so coveted by liberals, completely out of the equation. With prohibition comes the black market, which will open up cigarettes to anyone with the money to buy them. Ironically, prohibition will undo the smoking age limit that anti-smokers pushed so hard to get passed.

Will they ever learn? Probably not.

The Ohio Supreme Court will hear arguments April 15 on the Constitutionality of Ohio's ban on concealed carry.

A 27-year old Buffalo woman got a sucking chest wound when she allegedly tried to rob 88-year old Willie Malone outside his home.

No charges have been filed against Malone, and he had a permit for the firearm. Considering he lives in NY state, he must either reside in one of the few counties that allows permits, or he's had it for about 60 years.

Nice shooting Willie. Next time try a double tap, to make sure she won't be coming back for you.

Remember Madelyne Toogood? She was the woman who was taped viscously beating her daughter back in September. The beating included punches to the face of the infant child who was strapped in a child seat.

Well, USA Today reports today that she got a pass. She walked with a one year suspended sentence, a year probation, and a $500 fine.

As if that isn't bad enough, she claims to be the victim. "I've pretty much been crucified by everything that's happened," Toogood said. "I don't know if my life will ever be the same. I've been persecuted by the press."

Reuters somehow manages to take Saddam seriously when he announced he was banning the import and production of weapons of mass distruction.

Someone sent me this recently. I have posted only an excerpt on the weblog, but you can read the full text by clicking here.

A COMPLETE MILITARY HISTORY OF FRANCE

Gallic Wars - Lost. In a war whose ending foreshadows the next 2000 years of French history, France is conquered by of all things, an Italian.

Hundred Years War - Mostly lost, saved at last by female schizophrenic who inadvertently creates The First Rule of French Warfare; "France's armies are victorious only when not led by a Frenchman."

Italian Wars - Lost. France becomes the first and only country to ever lose two wars when fighting Italians.

American Revolution - In a move that will become quite familiar to future Americans, France claims a win even though the English colonists saw far more action. This is later known as "de Gaulle Syndrome", and leads to the Second Rule of French Warfare; "France only wins when America does most of the fighting."

French Revolution - Won, primarily due the fact that the opponent was also French.

The Franco-Prussian War - Lost. Germany first plays the role of drunk Frat boy to France's ugly girl home alone on a Saturday night.

World War I - Tied and on the way to losing, France is saved by the United States. Thousands of French women find out what it's like to not only sleep with a winner, but one who doesn't call her "Fraulein." Sadly, widespread use of condoms by American forces forestalls any improvement in the French bloodline.

World War II - Lost. Conquered French liberated by the United States and Britain just as they finish learning the Horst Wessel Song.

War on Terrorism - France, keeping in mind its recent history, surrenders to Germans and Muslims just to be safe. Attempts to surrender to Vietnamese ambassador fail after he takes refuge in a McDonald's.

UPDATE: A source has been found. What I thought was just another email forward was actually crafted by BigWig at Silflay Hraka just last month. (Thanks Lair.)

I don't know why major media outlets like CNN continue to kowtow to Bill Clinton. Clinton is repeating what democrats have been repeating for the past three months. He feels that the U.S. "should not take action against Iraq without guidance from chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix and the support of Europe." Of course, Korea is still fair game. Clinton says they are the real threat.

CNN didn't provide any statements from Bush 41, Carter, Ford, or Reagan.

Just who did coin the phrase? The New York Post likes it so much they commonly use it on their front page. There is even an AxisofWeasels.com that was registered to a 'Jacque Chirac' (sic) on January 31st. Most bloggers, however give Scott Ott credit for coining the phrase on January 22nd, with this delightful bit of satire.

Still, there is some protest as to the Scrappleface connection. A few days after Scott Ott used the phrase, an anti-war blogger (and anti-phrase stealing blogger) got upset because he thought he'd coined the phrase. He even jokingly asked for a lawyer to sue Ott, because he stole it fair and square back on January 18th from an anti-war protest sign. He even admits to seeing it on LGF back in November of 2002.

I was unable to find the LGF comment, but I did find a usage back on February 20, 2002 at Citiblog. Assuming that the author hasn't back-dated the post, (I don't know why anyone would), that is the first usage I can find.

So, I guess it comes down to how you define 'coined the phrase'. Miriam-Webster define it to mean 'create' or 'invent'. By that definition, who knows who really first came up with the phrase.

Still, I give Scott Ott credit for creating it in it's current meaning. After all, Ray Garraud, the author of Citiblog meant for it to be an alternate usage for the 'Axis of Evil'. The jokingly bitter Max Sawicky of Nowarblog meant for it to refer to the Bush Administration. Scott Ott was arguably the first person to apply it to France and Germany, and thus 'created' it's current definition.

Smith and Wesson is releasing the most powerful revolver in the world. The .50 caliber Magnum, 5 shot revolver has three times the muzzle energy of the famed .44 Magnum.

The AP reports that it will retail for $989.

I guess we'll have to wait a few more years for Danny Vermin's .88 Magnum that "shoots through schools".

The BBC reports on 115 economists sending a letter to Congress backing the tax cuts. They also note that 400 economists placed an ad in the New York Times (naturally) warning against tax cuts.

This reminds me of the cold war. Are conservatives facing an 'economist gap'?

Here is the latest doom and gloom from the LA Times. Naturally, they feel that a tax cut will mean the end of the world, or as they put it "trillions in deficits."

Of course they use the opinions of Nobel laureates and Alan Greenspan to present their opinion as fact. Are these the same Nobel laureates that gave Yassir Arafat and Jimmy Carter a peace prize? As for Greenspan, he's only one man. I still blame his multitude of interest rate increases during the Clinton administration as the harbinger of the dot-com bubble burst.

While the LA Times claims to have 10 Nobel 'laureates' on their side, the BBC claims that 3 Nobel economists (together with 112 other economists) back the Bush tax cut. So which is it?

This is too cool. Under 6000 ft of water, a robotic saw is cutting a 3mm wide slit in a pipe. There is no pressure inside the pipe, and 2700 psi outside the pipe. Check out the video of what happens when a crab walks by.

(Shamelessly stolen from Dean's World)

Oliver Willis continues to impress me. Now he debuts his video weblog.

Grade Inflation at UVa? Hmm.. It just breaks my heart.

Susan Lee of the Opinion Journal tackles Libertarianism. She describes Libertarianism:

Libertarianism is simplicity itself. It proceeds from a single, quite beautiful, concept of the primacy of individual liberty that, in turn, infuses notions of free markets, limited government and the importance of property rights. In terms of public policy, these notions translate into free trade, free immigration, voluntary military service and user fees instead of taxes. Sometimes these policies are argued in a totally unforgiving way so that it's not easy to separate the lunatics from the libertarians. But it's a snap to separate libertarians from conservatives.

They admit to one moral principle from which all preferences follow; that principle is self-ownership--individuals have the right to control their own bodies, in action and speech, as long as they do not infringe on the same rights for others. The only role for government is to help people defend themselves from force or fraud. Libertarians do not concern themselves with questions of "best behavior" in social or cultural matters.

As a Libertarian, I am basically for individual responsibility, and less government intervention in my life. I don't see the need to have the government dictate how many gallons of water my toilet uses, or how many guns I'm allowed to purchase, or whether or not I wear my seat belt. Basically, I just want to be left alone.

The Toledo Blade reports that another Ohio judge has struck down the state's concealed carry ban as unconstitutional. Judge Michael Kelbley is the fifth Ohio judge, and second County judge to find the ban unconstitutional.

The Ohio Constitution clearly states, in Article 1, Section 4, that "The people have the right to bear arms for their defense and security ..." Judge Kelbley of the Seneca County Common Peas Court wrote in his decision that, "The statute deprives Ohio citizens of an effective means of self-defense. The Ohio Constitution affirms the right to self-defense, even by the use of arms."

"An innocent person is subject, under the statute, to prosecution for a felony ... In other words, she is presumed guilty unless she can somehow prove herself innocent," Judge Kelbley wrote.

Kelbley also dismissed felony charges against a woman who was arrested near Fostoria for carrying a loaded 9mm pistol under her car seat. She claimed that she had been raped twice, and was afraid for her safety.

County Prosecutor Ken Egbert, Jr., wants her convicted, and said that he would appeal the decision to the 3rd District Court of Appeals. OFCC reports that in the meantime, Egbert plans to enforce the ban with due diligence. "The law of carrying a concealed weapon is still going to be enforced," said Egbert.

The Carnival is being hosted over at Dissecting Leftism this week.

As tax time approaches, and states are cutting programs to make ends meet, I thought about a tax-form I saw a while back that liberal tax-hikers may want to use.

IRS Form W-UR4KD will allow pro-tax liberals to return their tax rebates, and even throw in a little extra if they want. Next time some moron wants to vote to raise your taxes, feel free to hand them this form.

(Inspired by Owen Courreges)

The AP reports that another white guy got hired for an NFL head coaching job.

Start the clock and see how long it takes Johnny C to start raising hell.

My Aunt gave me a pocket pistol that had belonged to her sister. After some research, it appears to be a Colt 1908 "Vest Pocket" .25 Automatic Pistol. According to this guy, it was manufactured in 1921. It is in fair condition, (see photo) so I have no idea of what it's value is. I estimate somewhere between $200 and $400. Does anyone have any idea what it could be worth?

San Francisco is creating a 'sobering center' for "chronic public inebriates", reports the San Francisco Examiner. It is estimated that drunks currently comprise about 20% of emergency room patients, and the idea is to keep them from tying up expensive emergency room services. Instead of going to the hospital, paramedics will now take drunken patients directly to the 'sobering center', where they will have up to 24 hours to come down from their high.

Why don't they just go back to the old fashioned method of throwing them in the drunk tank at the city jail? You never saw Otis being taken clear over to Mt. Pilot for emergency medical attention.

Canada has not only banned most guns in their country, but now they are banning the word as well. After the parents of a seven year old girl complained, the word 'gun' has been removed from spelling tests.

"The word gun is synonymous with death. I'm racking my brain trying to figure out why a seven-year-old would need to learn this word," said Amanda Sousa, a self professed Canadian pacifist.

Grenville County Trustee Joan Hodge said, "It's still a word and it can be used in different ways like a squirt gun or gunning your engine. Our children don't live in bubbles. Not talking about it isn't going to make it go away."

Hodge is correct. What's worse, is that by not knowing what a gun (or even death) is, Sousa is actually putting her child at a greater risk. If the kid finds a gun laying around, and has no idea which end is the business end, she's more likely to injure herself or someone else.

Still, I must agree that there are plenty of words a seven year old doesn't need to know. Learning to spell 'car' and other such words can wait, and some words don't need to be taught at all. I can think of several words that can be added and removed from spelling tests.

Poll: Ecstasy's no worry to most teens -- NY Daily News, Feb 11, 2002

Woman takes Ecstasy on birthday, dies -- Canadian Press, Feb. 10, 2003

I guess death isn't much of a worry to teenagers.

Check out this blurb from the Media Research Center:

Underwhelming consistency on unemployment, example three. When the unemployment rate jumped 0.3 percent to 6 percent for November, ABC's World News Tonight pounced on the development, but when it fell back to 5.7 percent for January, Friday's show ignored the good news. Plus, CBS, NBC and CNBC dismissed the relevance of the plunge. CBS's Anthony Mason warned: "It's not as good as it looks."

It's bad enough they are editorializing rather then reporting, but the fact that they tend to trumpet bad news and ignore the good news is pretty clear. Is this part of the Vast Left Wing Conspiracy, or are they just derelict in their duty to report the facts?

Actor Richard Gere, best known as a John picking up prostitutes in 'Pretty Woman', slams Bush and insults Americans. World Net Daily reports him as saying:

"We have to say 'stop.' There's no reason for a war. At the moment Hussein is not threatening anybody.

"It'd be different if he was staring somebody down with a loaded gun in his hand. But there doesn't seem to be any indications whatsoever that this man poses an immediate threat to anybody.

"America has never paid any attention to other people, so it's absurd for Bush to say that it's all in the best interests of the Iraqi people."

I, for one, and offended that Gere has chosen to speak for me. I could give a shit what the U.N. does or doesn't do. They have been nothing but Anti-American since they were founded, and it is my personal belief that they should be kicked out of the U.S.

I don't have much to say about Gere's assertion that Hussein is a good guy just minding his own business. I guess we can overlook gassing the Kurds, murder, rape, and torture. I mean, how can you have tyranny without a few crimes against humanity. Besides, it's not like those people are members of the Richard Gere fan club, or have ever been to one of his movies.

So, why should he care about them?

As if it wasn't bad enough that celebrities are lining up to denounce the U.S. and speak out in favor of tyrannical despot, Saddam Hussein, now Madonna the singer and B-Movie actress hopes to profit from it.

Reuters gleefully reports that Madonna will release and anti-war video, due to be released in March, a month before her latest album. (How convenient is that?)

Not only will her pro-rape and pro-genocide message get plenty of air time over the next few months, but she'll be able to rake in some cash hawking overpriced CDs.

Madonna's spokesman, Liz Rosenberg, claims that "this is not a Madonna statement against George Bush. It's certainly an anti-war statement and a statement about the horrors of war." The video "expresses a panoramic view of our culture and the looming war through the view of a female superhero portrayed by Madonna." Madonna's new album is called 'American Life', something that she apparently knows nothing about.

If the war doesn't start right away, perhaps our troops can blast Saddam with Madonna's new tunes to get him to evacuate his palace. Either way, I'm sure we'll be hearing more about the horrors of Madonna's video in the future.

Scott Ott does it again.

U.S. President George W. Bush has withdrawn his original 5-volume budget proposal to Congress, and resubmitted the spending plan as a 5-page document.

"I feel confident we will meet our constitutional obligations with this budget," said the President. "Plus we'll allow people to experience something they haven't tasted in more than 100 years...freedom."

That headline (I can't remember where I saw it) is the only quirky thing about the 'Dell Dude' getting busted for pot.

Personally, I think that using police resources busting some stoner who is best known for hawking dell computers for buying a dime bag of weed is a complete waste. Reporting it as national news is also a big waste.

Isn't there any real crime (or real news stories) out there?

Also, while Dell will probably fire him, they shouldn't. Him getting busted will probably sell more Dell computers than all of his stupid ads put together.

Rumsfeld's pacifist German family has decided to disown him for his hawkish ways. (Actually, I think they just wanted free publicity.)

Don't sweat it Rummy. You've always got a cold beer waiting in my fridge.

I couldn't help but get a chuckle out of this.

"There is no question in the universe that can be answered with more guns. The District of Columbia is clear on this: We oppose guns." -- Kathy Patterson (D-Ward 3), head of the D.C. Council's Committee on the Judiciary.

"Who knows -- maybe one day the District of Columbia will decide to oppose crime, instead." -- Glenn Reynolds, head of Instapundit.com

I have to side with the Southwest pilot on this one. Until now, I had never heard it claimed that 'Eenie, meenie, minie, moe' is a racist expression. We used to use it to pick teams, or figure out who was 'it' in tag. (Oh yeah, children's games are outlawed now too.)

Naturally, the two plaintiffs are suing for unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. Another reason we either need a loser pays legal system, or we need judges who will start exercising their power to nip frivolous lawsuits in the bud.

Even had the pilot said 'Bitch, sit the fuck down', I don't think it merits a multi-million dollar payday. Why do people think 'emotional distress' is reason enough to sue someone? How long before girlfriends start suing ex-boyfriends who quit returning their phone calls?

Tequila overflows into city's sewer system. Perhaps I should head on down to Kentucky to help them with the 'clean up'.

Having been a ULC Clergyman for almost 5 years now, it may soon be time to invest in my own little Inflatable Church. If that doesn't work out, they also have an inflatable pub and nightclub.

(Shamelessly stolen from Brother Dave at Greeblie)

It looks like both Acidman and I are under fire for our shared position on the use of credit checks for employment screenings.

It would seem there are two schools of thought. I share Acidman's view that a good credit rating is an asset. It takes hard work and diligence to make sure that your bills are paid on time, you aren't over extended, and any problems are cleared up quickly and efficiently. I liken it to good grades in school. Whether or not you got an A in freshman English may not really matter a whole lot when you are applying for a job. But if a prospective employer wants to use it as a way to measure your personal habits, so be it. At the very least, it would seem to be a good indication of your personal habits.

My perception of the opposing school of thought is that they seem to think that credit is something that just happens. People with bad credit are 'victims' of the system, and shouldn't be judged when applying for a job.

There also seems to be an undertone that being considered for employment is an 'implicit right' that employers are clearly violating. Some readers have even gone so far as to try to liken the use of credit checks to racial bigotry. Dawn Olsen even called the practice 'morally reprehensible'.

I don't really know what more to say about the issue. Still, you'll find plenty of wonderful comments in the posts on all three sites.

UPDATE: Jack Cluth has rung in on this as well. I disagree with Jack's opinion. While I could care less if people responsibly use illicit drugs, I feel employers still have a right to test for it. The bottom line is that a person has a choice. They can use drugs, neglect their finances, whatever. But when it comes to applying for a job, they may have to pay the piper for their lack of responsibility.

PETA is decrying Palestinian terrorism, but not because they are killing innocent Israeli women and children. No, PETA is upset because the terrorist groups are using donkeys as a delivery vehicle. The PETA letter to Arafat shows no mercy or compassion for innocent humans that were killed:

I am writing from an organization dedicated to fighting animal abuse around the world. We have received many calls and letters from people shocked at the bombing in Jerusalem on January 26 in which a donkey, laden with explosives, was intentionally blown up.

All nations behave abominably in many ways when they are fighting their enemies, and animals are always caught in the crossfire. The U.S. Army abandoned thousands of loyal service dogs in Vietnam. Al-Qaeda and the British government have both used animals in hideously cruel biological weaponry tests. We watched on television as stray cats in your own compound fled as best they could from the Israeli bulldozers.

Animals claim no nation. They are in perpetual involuntary servitude to all humankind, and although they pose no threat and own no weapons, human beings always win in the undeclared war against them. For animals, there is no Geneva Convention and no peace treaty-just our mercy.

If you have the opportunity, will you please add to your burdens my request that you appeal to all those who listen to you to leave the animals out of this conflict?

I was happy to participate in the First Annual Warblogger Awards . The results are in.

I heard back on a civilian position that I applied for in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, they don't have enough lead time to get me the required security clearance. The recruiter said that they'd keep me in mind for any civilian jobs with longer lead times. I'd love a chance to go to Kuwait or Afghanistan to support our military communications infrastructure.

(My dad's only response was to tell me that I could enlist, and ensure I'm over there in 8-10 weeks.) Um, no thanks.

'60 Minutes' started off their expose with a story about how ballistics tests linked a recently confiscated firearm to a recently committed crime. Analysis of markings on shell casings was used to find the proverbial 'needle in a haystack'. They then transferred this good detective work to the grand idea of cataloguing every gun in the nation in a huge database.

Their first witness to the benefits of ballistic fingerprinting was Pete Gagliardi, whose company, Forensic Technology, Inc. has developed ballistic fingerprinting hardware and software that they hope to sell. Gagliardi is not exactly an unbiased proponent. CBS also gave air time to NRA Veep, Wayne LaPierre, and his views. Although CBS acknowledged LaPierre's claim that it is very easy alter a gun 'fingerprint', they demonized the NRA for putting out a how to video on the subject. (As if a criminal couldn't figure out how to file down the barrel and firing pin.) Next up was AGS clown spokesman Matthew Bennett. His only defense on how easy it was to defeat ballistic fingerprints was to claim that criminals won't bother to alter their guns. (Riiight, because criminals never try to conceal their crimes.)

CBS contends that no long guns would be included in the database, and no names. Only new handguns would be required to be added. They admitted that it does amount to a national firearms database, but concluded that Americans were just as resistive when fingerprint technology emerged decades ago. (As if we currently have a national fingerprint registry.)

Overall, I would have liked to see CBS play the part of a skeptic a bit more. I thought that is what journalism was all about.

First of all, there are no guarantees that a national database would only apply to new handguns, and wouldn't include names. New laws almost always lead to more restrictive laws. The game plan of using a failing program as an excuse to expand the program is time tested, and pretty clear. Failure of all government programs is almost always met with a cry to expand the program and add more money and more resources.

Second, CBS only mentioned in passing that ballistic databases in Maryland and New York haven't solved a single crime. The fact is that they haven't managed to link a single cartridge to a single firearm; stolen or otherwise. This is a huge caveat, that CBS failed to trumpet. Instead, they simply admitted that opponents point to this fact as a failure, while proponents claim that it illustrates the need for a national program.

Third, very little time was spent discussing the failures of such a database. While the California study was very briefly mentioned, CBS failed to point out any of the findings. The California study found that cartridges among a specific manufacturer were subject to a 38% failure rate. When differing manufacturers were added, the failure rate climbed to a staggering 68%. None of this was discussed in the '60 Minutes' expose.

Fourth, nothing was said about the cost to taxpayers and gun owners of the cost of a registry. Paul Januzzo, VP of Glock, admitted that test firing and cataloguing the cartridges is expensive. This cost is ultimately passed on to the gun purchaser. Meanwhile, the cost of the database is ultimately passed on to all taxpayers. Given the prohibitive costs, and the likelihood of very little return, you would think that CBS would have at least mentioned it.

Fifth, there was no mention that even police organizations like the FOP admit that ballistic fingerprinting is a pipe dream. It was reported last October, when the FOP issued a statement saying that "the FOP does not support any federal requirement to register privately owned firearms with the federal government." Their main reason is that the funds are best spent on other proven methods of law enforcement. Management of a database, and checking tens of thousands of records would also spread them pretty thin.

Sixth, CBS never once mentioned that the ballistics of a firearm are not constant. The characteristics change over time with the wear and tear over repeated firings. Instead, their initial illustration, where a recent shell casing was compared to a recently confiscated firearm was taken as proof that the comparison does work. Never was there an attempt to analyze a recently fired shell casing with one that had been fired years before, as would be the case with a national database.

Seven, there was no challenge to the motives behind the opponents and proponents. Gagliardi has obvious motives in wanting to sell his technology, and the NRA's motives are to preserve civil liberties. Those were somewhat obvious. However, Americans for Gun Safety, masquerades behind the idea of being a proponent of gun safety. In fact, AGS is a gun control lobbying firm, with an agenda for making firearms ownership more difficult for everyone. Ballistic fingerprinting is merely one of their tools, and does nothing to promote 'gun safety'. In fact, I'd be willing to argue that the NRA and its members are more interested in gun safety than AGS.

In the end, I found CBS to be biased. Their lack of a challenge to the technology, and failure to discuss real numbers on cost and probability of success, might as well have been a ringing endorsement. Ballistic fingerprinting is a pipe dream that proponents hope to fund with millions, perhaps billions of taxpayer dollars. It is also tantamount to firearms registration, which has proven time and time again to lead to confiscation. Given the pros and the cons, why should Americans be so quick to sign away their Second Amendment protections? Given the gravity of the argument, why didn't CBS investigate it more?

Tonight, '60 Minutes' has a presentation on 'Ballistic Fingerprinting'; the miracle science that is supposed to eliminate crime. I'm interested to see if they present it fairly, or present a one sided view filled with delusions of grandeur. Knowing CBS, my bet is on the latter.

Well, I originally didn't plan on writing about this, but Dawn has asked me for my view on Pre-Employment Credit Checks. Whenever I think about pre-employment credit checks, I think about employee horror stories I've witnessed first hand. We had a contract firm that didn't check a candidates references good enough, and he ended up stealing his rental car, our laptop, and all of our test tools. There was another contractor that left us with a $1000 fuel bill with the rental car agency. Rather than use a credit card to fill up the tank, he simply turned the car back in, to get a new car filled with gas. Both of these scenarios, probably could have been mitigated with a proper credit screening.

When employers hire someone new, they take a pretty big risk. The costs associated with hiring a new employee are often as much as $10,000. The new employee is usually granted access to sensitive information, and given access to physical corporate assets such as keys to the office building, and a personal computer. When employers decide to take that risk, it helps to know as much as you can about the candidate prior to hiring them.

A person's credit report is often times a good reflection of how they meet their day to day obligations. While there is no direct insinuation that a person in financial trouble is apt to start embezzling funds, it is an insightful look into how they handle responsibility. A person with poor credit is probably more prone to tardiness and calling in sick. Someone in the habit of procrastinating about their phone bill is more likely to continue that habit on their work assignments. On the other side of the coin, a person with exemplary credit is more likely to be proactive and more detailed in their work.

Obviously there are exceptions. A poor credit report doesn't automatically translate into a poor work ethic. It is also possible that someone with exemplary credit can be just as indolent or slothful in their duty as the next guy.

Now to address the notion of something catastrophic affecting your credit report. The insensitive libertarian in me points out that while the death of a spouse, or the sickness of a loved one is impossible to predict, it is not impossible to plan for. If the death of a spouse would severely affect someone's financial position, then they ought to have sufficient life insurance coverage. There is also insurance for medical bills, disability, accidental death and dismemberment, and any number of unforeseen incidents. There are even umbrella policies to cover any unforeseen personal liabilities, such as a lawsuit.

When it comes to selecting an employee, do you really want to hire someone who didn't have the foresight to have an effective car insurance or medical insurance policy? Even in the event that planning is not enough, or in the event of poor planning, there is room in a credit report for a person to speak to their transgressions. Comments and excuses can be added, and poor credit marks can be challenged with any credit agency.

I could spend a lot of time playing 'what if', and probably come up with several examples of someone unfairly turned down for employment based on their credit report. Sometimes life isn't fair. (Sometimes a person stopped for speeding, really wasn't speeding.) Still, you have to take your lumps in life and move on. Just as prospective employees have the right to pick and choose where they want to work, employers have the right to use a credit screening as part of their application process. Sure, it may lead to turning down a worthwhile candidate, but that is the price they pay for being too picky. Are pre-employment credit checks perfect? No they aren't, but they aren't Morally Reprehensible either. I'll save my moral reprehension for the wife beaters and child molesters that truly deserve it.

The SF Chronicle (last item) offers up some interesting postcards to send to your loved ones.

You know, usually I enjoy boxing on HBO. Tonight the first fight was a 2nd round knockout, and the second fight was a disappointing 'no contest' stoppage in the 3rd round after a headbutt. I don't mean to complain, but less than 5 rounds of boxing over 2 fights doesn't make for a very exciting evening.

A Texas man returned home with his wife and three children to find a knife wielding intruder hiding in his home.

A 26-year-old suspected burglar was fatally shot last Sunday night by a Katy area homeowner after the intruder reportedly attacked him with a knife.

The intruder was hiding in a bedroom when the the family returned home, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Department.

"When you talk about advocating public policy that supports self-determination, self-reliance, those are Republican agendas. The Democratic Party, in my opinion, advocates a policy that supports dependency." -- Charleston South Carolina Councilman Kwadjo Campbell, who first left the Democrat Party to become an independent two years ago, and recently joined the Republican Party.

The same could be said for Libertarians, and I'd rather have seen him join our party.

UPDATE (2/11/03): Reader, Wyethwire points out that Campbell has a few transgressions on the home front. He's been a bit behind in his child support payments, and he's had a run in over drug possession. As a Libertarian, I can forgive him being busted for less than a half ounce of weed while he was in college. Actually, I could name more than a few politicians that could use some mind altering substances. As for the child support, he's gotta get that straightened out. It's none of my business, but not taking care of your responsibilities is no way to get on my good side.

Whenever I venture over to Dawn's site and see things like this, it makes me realize that although she and I are neighbors geographically, we are worlds apart in our views of the world.

"If all the young people in America were to act as you intend to act, the country would be defenseless and easily delivered into slavery." -- Albert Einstein, in a 1941 letter to a pacifist.

For those of you that missed this AP blunder, Blogjam offers a mirror of an article the AP published a bit prematurely.

I've conquered the number one spot on Google, and Yahoo.

I'm also number 4 on Lycos, 9 on Excite, and 18 on Altavista

"Senator Clinton, I'm sorry, your husband did nothing for AIDS for eight years." -- Richard Gere, (second item) speaking openly to Hillary Clinton at the American Foundation for AIDS research event.

It's just too bad that Gere waited until Senator Clinton had left the event to make his ballsy remark.

Marc L won a lottery of sorts. He got a free trip to Georgia, AND dinner with the infamous Acidman, and all he had to do was help an old girl-friend move by driving her big ol' truck back to Ohio.

I wonder if this will prompt Rob Smith to start selling 'Dinner and Drinks with Acidman' on his website.

You've heard of those people you love to hate, right? Well these are celebrities that I 'Hate to Love'. Those celebrities that are otherwise wonderful performers, until someone sticks a microphone or camera in front of them and they open their mouth. Then, their wackiness takes over and you start shaking your head. Some part of you still wants to love them and their body of work. However, you are somehow less likely to admit it, now that their Arrogance, America-bashing, Capitalism-bashing, and general wackiness have been made public.

10. Sheryl Crow - When the music is playing it is hip and upbeat. However, when the music stops, the lyrics change from "If it makes you happy" to "The best way to solve problems is to not have enemies." (And I think the best way to solve poverty is to have money.)
9. Robert Altman - Altman, who brought us lovable movies such as 'MASH' and 'Popeye', has a habit of biting the hands that feed him. One of his latest outbursts included this gem: "When I see an American flag flying, it's a joke. There's nothing in America that I would miss at all." He wouldn't even miss all those American movie patrons whom he uses to make his fortune.
8. Robert Redford - Sundance is a decent screen actor, and draws them in at the box office. Still, his work with EMA (Environmental Media Association) and his attempted lecturing of George Bush make him someone you hate to love. Why can't actors like Redford who have to much time on their hands go make salad dressing or something useful, and keep their hands off my SUV.
7. Norman Lear - Lear brought us wonderful shows like 'All in the Family', 'Good Times', and 'The Jeffersons'. Still, not satisfied with being inviting into your living room, he's invaded your garage and is keying your shiny new SUV. Lear, who owns a 21 car garage, is a primary sponsor of those SUV/Terrorism ads that have been running lately.
6. Danny Glover - Glover, who has starred in numerous big Hollywood thrillers, blames American imperialism for spreading violence in the world. His on-screen excitement is tempered with his off-screen antics and wild claims of government sponsored slavery and oppression. The kicker was when the 'Lethal Weapon' and 'Predator 2' star claimed, "I've been an advocate for peace my whole life."
5. Ed Asner - As a life long fan of the Mary Tyler Moore show, Ed Asner is a wonderful comedic actor. When the laughter stops, however, Asner gets on his soap box and starts spouting off against our war on terror. I've always thought that peaceniks have their place in life, and that place is France.
4. Dustin Hoffman - Hoffman is a quality actor. Kramer vs. Kramer, the Graduate, Rainman, and most of his other films are quality pieces of work. Unfortunately, sometimes when Hoffman is awarded for his achievements, he starts to delve into the political foray, as if we actually care what he thinks about foreign policy.
3. George Clooney - TV's 'Booker' from 'Roseanne', is a quality actor filled with wit and charm. Despite his decent performances in 'A Perfect Storm', 'Three Kings', and TV's 'ER', Clooney stuns fans off the screen with his wild claims and antics. His recent assertions that he is "graphically and fully informed about world events", and should therefore be taken seriously, and his poking fun at Alzheimer's Disease and 'Moses' from 'The Ten Commandments' makes him someone I really hate to love.
2. Robin Williams - Williams used to be a cutting edge comedian. His jokes were hilarious and timeless. Yet his recent televised specials have consisted mostly of cheap, dated, political one-liners. Political comedians like Dennis Miller and Jay Leno do their work on a nightly or weekly basis, and are usually pretty fresh. Williams' reversion to a Dennis Miller style is just pathetic and sad.
1. Barbra Streisand - Barbra is the queen of wackiness. While I don't personally enjoy her singing, there is no doubting her talent and her fan following. Still, it pains me to even look at wacky web site where she spouts her strange political views. Highlights of her wackiness over the past few years include a strange letter to Dick 'Gebhardt', mistaking Iraq for Iran, and mis-quoting Shakespeare.
1. Michael Jackson - If Barbra is the queen, then Michael is the King. The story of Jackson is known oh so well. For all his talent and entertainment value, it is sad to see the wacky man he has become. Over the years he tried purchasing the elephant man, and he opened his own private amusement park. Recently he's admitted to sleeping with children, and he insists he's had only one or two plastic surgeries on his face. His recent ABC interview concluded that he is a man that is far removed from reality, as if we didn't know that already.

That is all I could come up with. I'm sure I missed some, so feel free to add your suggestions in the comments.

I am delighted to hear the news of my fellow libertarians giving away toy guns to children.

The "Guns for Tots" program was part of a protest of a wacky New York proposition to ban the toys.

Shakira, for her Best Miss America 'World Peace' speech:

"I just feel that there are always pacifist solutions, and I think that the leaders know the exit to the conflict, it's just that sometimes they don't want to use them," she said. "They just want to continue playing their little game of power. And I feel that us people have the responsibility and also the obligation to demand to our leaders to give us the pacifist solutions. To give us a world in peace."

"I think that if a third war takes place, nothing is going to be left on the face of earth."

Useless facts that no one ever bothered to ask about me:

• Intelligence and personality are what I look for in a woman.




• Women don't realize just how stupid that sounds.




• I once had a chick pass me her phone number on the interstate.




• We were doing 70 miles an hour when she handed it to me out the window.




• My cousin's wife is related to actor, Luke Perry.




• He had to tell me who Luke Perry was.




• I'll drink almost any premium beer, but especially like Budweiser, Coors Light, Heineken, Amstel, and anything German.




• My 'Beer Master' certificate from the Anheuser-Busch Beer School used to hang in my office at work.




• I have the Anheuser-Busch pledge from the Budweiser logo committed to memory.




• I cannot remember the license plate number on my car.




• I think that dogs are loving and loyal, but cats are good with melted butter or ketchup.




• Shopping on the internet is more fun that shopping in the mall. The stores are more interesting as well.

Read the full list

"Surprise, suprise. Paul Wellstone, who basically believed that SOMEBODY ELSE should pay for anything anybody even THOUGHT he/she might need, didn't pay workman's comp insurance for his own employees and left the state holding the bag when four aides died with him in a plane crash.

Just what Paul would have wanted. Somebody Else's Money." -- Acidman on the revelation that the State of Minnesota was left paying the lion's share of death benefits to Paul Wellstone's departed aides and campaign workers.

John Fund looks at the idea of booting California Gov. Gray "out" Davis out of office. Fund explores the motivations, and the specifics of the 'recall' process, that has yet to be used to remove a statewide politician from office. Fund does a good job, but I think that he fails to ask one vital question.

Why would anyone want the job?

Inheriting a $35 Billion deficit is not something to be taken lightly. With the struggling California economy, mounting debt, and an exodus of people unable to find work, the odds for governing success are slim.

There is no doubt in my mind that California will eventually rebound, one way or another, but how many political careers will be ruined in the process? While there will undoubtedly be many people lining up to take over Davis' term, what are their motivations? Are they political martyrs, offering themselves up for sacrifice?

I don't think that California's problems can be fixed overnight, or even in a single term. Regardless of who takes the helm, the process is probably going to piss off a lot of voters. Democrats who don't want cuts to the government programs that they worship, and Republicans who want bigger cuts and no more tax increases are both likely to be unhappy in the years to come.

They used to say you can't please everybody, but for California the question is, 'Can you please anybody?'

What is it with these actors lately? It seems as though every time one of them receives a petty award, they are spouting off against the U.S. Major media outlets, of course, are right there to lap it up. Now, Ananova reports that Dustin Hoffman has joined the political foray. Hoffman, known for his work in Ishtar and Tootsie, had this to say:

"For me as an American, the most painful aspect of this is that I believe that that administration has taken the events of 9/11 and has manipulated the grief of the country and I think that's reprehensible.

"I believe - though I may wrong because I am no expert - that this war is about what most wars are about: hegemony, money, power and oil."

I don't understand how these people can give Saddam Hussein a complete pass. He is responsible for countless murders, rapes, and crimes against humanity. He is a genocidal maniac, who rules his nation with an iron fist, yet somehow it is always America who is the bad guy.

If there is one thing Hoffman and I do agree upon, it is this:

"If I was asked what is the most important aspect of being a politician, I would say getting re-elected. And when that's the goal, then all bets are off with the truth".

Still, the idea that they are using war as a political tool, simply to satisfy the blood lust of Americans seems ridiculous to me. If that was true, we'd bring back the gladiators. New York would have a large Romanesque arena where conquered Taliban and al Qaeda would meet each other with swords and maces. George W. Bush himself would sit in the arena and determine who died and who had fought well enough to live.

Actually, that doesn't sound like a bad idea for pay per view.

Did anyone see Powell's presentation today? Are those Star Trek universal tranlators those guys were wearing on their ears?

Bones and Kirk using their hand held universal translators when on trial by the Klingons

Ambassador to the U.N. Sergei Lavrov (L) and Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Igor Ivanov (R) at the U.N.

The NY Times is telling me I need start watching less TLC and History Channel and more Fox:

On a recent episode of "Fastlane," a "Miami Vice"-like cop show on Fox, the luscious detective played by Tiffani Thiessen went undercover to investigate two lipstick lesbians; she passionately kissed the blond suspect while all three women frolicked topless in a hot tub.

The AP reports that CNN won the ratings war on the recent shuttle coverage.

While it probably has more to do with availability in the number of households, it could be that more people are tuning in to see stuff like this.

Do you drink more water or Coca Cola?

Carnival is over at Plum Crazy this week.

I didn't get an entry in on time, but there is still plenty of goodies over there.

This doesn't surprise me at all. I figured I'd be either this or OS/2.

(link via Quit That)

I love fan mail like this. (adults only!)

(shamelessly create your own)

"That kind of information isn't wrong. It just looks stupid." -- Carol Rogers, who compiles census data for Indiana University's Business Research Center, upon the revelation that census data reports that hundreds of people take the subway, trolleys or ferries to work in Indianapolis.

Indianapolis has no subways, trolleys, or ferries.

Bush submitted a $2.23 Trillion Budget Plan to Congress, proving that Republicans are pretty much as pro-big government as are the Democrats.

Despite a slow growth in tax revenues, the government continues to increase spending by 4%. Given that the total GDP is only $10.5 trillion, that means the government seizes and spends over 21% of our hard earned dough. The budget also projects a deficit of $307 Billion. While this number is larger than previous deficits, at only 2.8% of total expenditures, it is dwarfed by the 1983 and 1992 deficits of 6.0% and 4.7%.

Despite the increase in spending, cutting taxes is still the right thing to do. Not only does it boost the economy, and thus should help boost the GDP, but it helps to keep government spending in check. When we had a budget surplus, liberals were chomping at the bit to spend that extra money. A deficit should put pressure on liberals to curtail their spendthrift habits.

As a libertarian, I'd still like to see a decrease in spending. Many American families and businesses had to curtail spending in the face of declining incomes and revenues, since we don't have the police power of government to simply go out and seize more money.

While Republicans have firmly cemented themselves as the party of tax-cut and spend, Democrats are continuing their tax and spend pursuits. (As a Libertarian, choosing between them is a bit like being asked if you want to be shot in the arm or the leg.) Still, at least the Republicans are trying to boost the economy. Democrats, meanwhile, are still hoping to keep the economy in the tank until the 2004 election.

Michael Jackson admitted in a London interview that he sometimes sleeps with children.

"I have slept in a bed with many children," including actor Macaulay Culkin and his brother Kieran.

"When you say 'bed,' you're thinking sexual," Jackson said. "It's not sexual, we're going to sleep. I tuck them in. ... It's very charming, it's very sweet."

News Max reports on the ranting of David Clennon, star of the CBS television show, "The Agency".

"I'm saying that the moral climate within the ruling class in this country is not that different from the moral climate within the ruling class of Hitler's Germany," Clennon told nationally syndicated radio host Sean Hannity.

When Hannity asked if Clennon was comparing the U.S. president to the Nazi leader, the CBS star replied, "I'm not comparing Bush to Adolf Hitler - because George Bush, for one thing, is not as smart as Adolf Hitler. And secondly George Bush has much more power than Adolf Hitler ever had."

(link via RWN)

For anyone that is interested, Good Times is being released on DVD today.

Conspiracy Theorists are having a field day with the Columbia disaster.

Middle Easterners claim Allah was getting vengence on the great satan.

Democratic wackos blame George Bush.

Why has no one pointed out (or perhaps they already have) that it was the left wing that was supposedly damaged.

Rachel Lucas and I share anguish over the case of Robert Dixon. Dixon shot the career burglar to protect his infant son, but New York insists on prosecuting Dixon on a weapons charge.

As the NY Daily News reports:

[Brooklyn District Attorney Charles] Hynes will not budge from his tough anti-gun policy.

"If you get caught with a gun in Brooklyn, you're going to do jail time," said Hynes, who has held that stance since taking office in 1990, when, he says, "Brooklyn was like Dodge City."

In this case, Dixon was gunning them down in his infant child's bedroom, but that doesn't bother Hynes. He'd rather see your family murdered, your child raped, and your grave danced upon before you are allowed to defend yourself with a firearm.

Fuck you Hynes, and all other gun grabbers like you.

Michele is holding a contest for the grossest refrigerator item.

Unfortunately, that means you'd have to have actual food in your fridge to participate. One look at my fridge shows a typical bachelor's refrigerator. You'll notice that fridge mostly contains nothing but Diet Coke, Diet Coors, and Diet Spring Water. Even the veggie drawer is filled with liquids. The only food in the fridge is in that pizza box, which I just picked up from Little Caesar's tonight.

The door has the ubiquitous condiments, but very little actual food. You'll note the bottom rung has broken off, which cuts my condiment space in half.

Sorry Michele.

UPDATE: Jack Cluth reports on a similar Web Fridge Project

A belated thanks to John Hawkins of Right Wing News for including me on his "Most Underrated Blog" list.

I am honored to be listed among the eight well written weblogs included in the list. In case you missed it, you should check out all the sites on that list.

I told you, cats are evil.

(No, I don't hate cats. I think they are delicious; especially with melted butter.)

Apparently Brandon Vedas, 21 wasn't invincible.

Bragging in the hour before he died, Brandon Vedas ingested large doses of Klonopin, Methadone, Restoril and Inderal, along with marijuana and 151-proof rum.

The Lincoln Jounal Star [Neb.] editors have decided to stop publishing Indian monikers or names. Teams like the Washington Redskins will be referred to as simply 'Washington'. Cleveland's Chief Wahoo has also been banned, as well as any other 'native' mascots. Also anyone that does any 'fighting' (like the 'Fighting Illini') will be toned down as well.

However, immigrant mascots (and others that portray people) are still fair game. The local college team will still be referred to as Cornhuskers, and there is no word on a ban of the 49ers, 76ers, Angels, Athletics, Brewers, Buccaneers, Canadiens, Canucks, Cavaliers, Celtics, Clippers, Cowboys, Devils, Giants, Irish, Islanders, Kings, Knicks, Lakers, Mariners, Mavericks, Mets, Oilers, Pacers, Packers, Padres, Patriots, Raiders, Rangers, Royals, Saints, Senators, Spartans, Spurs, Steelers, Texans, Titans, Trail Blazers, Trojans, Vikings, Warriors, Wizards, and Yankees. (to name a few)

A friend from my past, Steph, was on the Today Show (link also has video) last week. She is working as a Director at Camp Kingsmont, which got some press last week for fighting obesity in children and young women.

Oddly enough, I noticed that they always capitalize 'Woman' and 'Women'. I wonder if that is some sort of self motivation tool, or just bad grammar?

Any way, you can see some photos of Steph from her wilder years on my website. (like this one.)

(Thanks to Ravenwood's Universe Staff Writer, Jenn with two 'n's for her contribution on this report)

While I am wholeheartedly behind the idea of dismantling NASA, and privitizing space exploration, I am not anti-space. I think that the manifest destiny of man can be carried out in the hands of private explorers, the same way it has been done for centuries.

Site traffic decreased in January, mostly due to my instapudit and blogdex traffic from the Christmas Carnival held here.

Here are some raw numbers: 3765 visitors (7325 in December), 7361 page views (17163 in December), 89111 hits (99973 in December), and 1.91 GB (1.75 in December).

The Ravnwood.com page counter also went over 30,000 in January, with very little fanfare.

There were 171 posts in January (including 2 guest posts) up from 131 times in December, 186 posts in November, 157 posts in October, and 155 in September.

Leave it to politicians to use on a national disaster to try to further their political agenda. I see this as an excuse to cut funding to the bloated make-work organization, while others say 'NASA needs more money! Get rid of the tax cut!'

The Post calls this guy a 'key moderate', whatever the hell that means. "We're looking at a $670 billion tax cut," said Sen. John Breaux (D-LA) "I mean, you know, that's money that could be used, or at least a portion of it, to rebuild NASA."

So, we lost another shuttle and another seven astronauts. Since I hate to see good men die serving their country, I'm going to keep the NASA jokes to a minimum. (I remember when the Challenger exploded in 1986, jokes had proliferating by lunch time.)

Still, I am not going to go soft on the NASA organization. In not so many words, I hate NASA. NASA is a huge governmental make-work organization. While I agree that the space race to the moon had some desireable political consequences during the cold war, since then it has been all about maintaining funding levels for the huge government monopoly. NASA routinely shoots a full crew into space to do the work that a single unmanned rocket could do. They even try to sensationalize their work by launching the Thanksgiving Day spacewalk or an all woman crew. In my opinion, they exist solely to justify their budget. Of course, I've already conveyed my criticisms of NASA.

NASA is a government run monopoly on space exploration, research, and activity. Their annual budget is over $13 Billion. While some of the research is no doubt invaluable, I don't think it needs to be government funded and monopolized. After all, most inventions come out of the private sector. Seizing taxpayer money at the point of a gun to send up the first gay black female astronaut with a dog named skippy just for publicity purposes seems a bit out of whack to me. Apparently, I'm not the only one that thinks so.

I had to leave town unexpectedly due to a death in my family. I'm back now, but exhausted. I'll try to resume normal blogging whenever I regain consciousness tomorrow.

Driving over 1000 miles straight through is exhausting. Sixteen hours on the road is my absolute limit.