Sheesh

There's a female reporter at the White House press briefing that is just obsessing on whether the President has watched the bombing footage of Baghdad. "How will he know of the impact of the bombs?" she asked press secretary Ari Fleischer. To which he quipped, "The President doesn't need to watch to know of the impact of war."

Uh-oh

Bill Gertz and Rowan Scarborough relay information from US intelligence officials that Iraqi artillery probably have shells capable of carrying chemical and biological agents.

via Drudge

I Hope This Is True

According to the Drudge Report, there are eyewitness reports claiming that Saddam Hussein was injured during the initial bombing of Baghdad and that he had to be removed on a gurney with an oxygen mask.

B-52's Taking Off From UK

I guess they are going to Iraq to sing "Love Shack" repeatedly to drive the Iraqi military to surrender.

Canadian Provinces

To take a break from the war for a moment, here's some Canadian provincial and territorial slogans:

Prince Edward Island: Where potatoes can vote.

Newfoundland: Nothing but thousands of drunk unemployed cod fishermen

Nova Scotia: Too pretentious to be called "New Scotland"

New Brunswick: Where at the extra Newfoundland drunk unemployed cod fishermen go.

Quebec: Like France, but with more lumberjacks and maple syrup.

Ontario: Other provinces? You mean there are other provinces?

Manitoba: Right smack in the middle of the nuthouse that IS Canada.

Saskatchewan: Yeah, we can't spell our name either.

Alberta: Oil: tastes great, less filling.

British Columbia: Home of the finest weed in Canada.

Yukon Territory: Where gold digging is a proud profession.

Northwest Territories: Unimaginative name, unimaginative land

Nunavut: No, we don't all live in igloos.

Look, Mama, I'm in the Paper!

Yours truly is in today's Daily Mississippian, quoted in an article on student reaction to the war in Iraq. Notice that I am a master of brevity.

The Coalition of the Willing

For thoses of you keeping score at home, the list of countries supporting us in our "unilateral" action consists of:

Afghanistan, Albania, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom and Uzbekistan.

Yet Another Test

I taste like Bread. I am a staple in almost everyone's diet. Friends like me are a complement to any other friends I get on with almost everyone, remaining mostly in the background, but providing substance when it would otherwise be lacking. What Flavour Are You?

via Lee Ann

On A Completely Non-War Related Note

If you are looking for a new web browser, try out Opera.

From the Jackson, MS Clarion-Ledger

We Can Walk and Chew Gum at the Same Time

1000 troops in Afghanistan have launched a raid in search of al-Qaeda bad guys. So Iraq is a distraction from the pursuit against the al-Qaeda terror network, eh?

Fisking Time!

It’s been a while since I’ve done a Fisking (meaning an item by item take down of an opinion column or other pieces of writing.) But John Waterman, writing in Tuesday’s Daily Mississippian, has provoked me into correcting some of his ideas. [His words in italics]

This is not the way the world should be.

In any sane world, 18-year-old kids would not be yanked out of college to go take part in a war started by a president they weren't old enough to elect.
In a sane world, they would be enjoying their first real taste of independence, struggling through early classes, and drinking loads of cheap beer.

Instead, many of them are being forced to pack two pairs of civilian clothes and ship off to the Persian Gulf.
Sound melodramatic? It happened to my cousin last week. I was at her going away party. She smiled, and she was brave; and when my grandmother insisted on taking endless family pictures, she started to cry.

Well, I’m glad that some members of his family have at least some sense about them. I proudly salute his cousin’s service to our country. But I do think it is unfair that she was drafted. Oh, hold on a second…that’s right! There is no draft anymore; therefore, I can safely deduce that she volunteered for duty.

That's what CNN's "Showdown: Iraq" has come to.

There’s your problem! A little dose of Fox News Channel will help immensely.

Saddam Hussein is a terrible man who does terrible things. But he is not a threat to America. Nearly every aspect of his power is dedicated to keeping his people oppressed. Linking him to Al-Quaeda is tantamount to accusing North Korea of starting the Vietnam War.

Check your facts, Mr. Waterman. I suggest that you check out Rush Limbaugh’s Essential Stack of Saddam Stuff which provides a wealth of information including a link to this article from the UK Guardian, hardly a hawkish conservative publication:

His friends call him Abu Amin, 'the father of honesty'. At 43, he is one of Iraq's most highly decorated intelligence officers: a special forces veteran who organised killings behind Iranian lines during the first Gulf war, who then went on to a senior post in the unit known as 'M8' - the department for 'special operations', such as sabotage, terrorism and murder. This is the man, Colonel Muhammed Khalil Ibrahim al-Ani, whom Mohamed Atta flew halfway across the world to meet in Prague last April, five months before piloting his hijacked aircraft into the World Trade Centre.

Evidence is mounting that this meeting was not an isolated event. The Observer has learnt that Atta's talks with al-Ani were only one of several apparent links between Iraq, the 11 September hijackers and Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network. Senior US intelligence sources say the CIA has 'credible information' that in the spring of this year, at least two other members of the hijacking team also met known Iraqi intelligence agents outside the United States. They are believed to be Atta's closest associates and co-leaders, Marwan al-Shehri and Ziad Jarrah, the other two members of the 'German cell ' who lived with Atta in Hamburg in the late 1990s.

And the politicians who advocate military action for the sake of the Iraqi people are the same ones who levied sanctions that kill thousands of Iraqis every year, most of them being children.

Again, this is a false argument. Robert Stewart, a former Army intelligence officer, wrote in December 2001 at NRO about myths of the effects of sanctions. He states that the numbers of those who died because the sanctions are based on numbers provided by Iraq.

The Food and Agricultural Organization study, for example, contains an estimate by the Iraqi Ministry of Health that 109,000 people died annually due to sanctions, though the ministry admitted it had no objective method to confirm this figure.

In 1995, the UN proposed to Iraq a plan that will allow it to sell $2 billion in oil to be used only for food and medicine for the Iraqi population.

Saddam Hussein rejected the (rather generous) proposal as an imposition on Iraqi sovereignty, preferring instead to press for a complete removal of sanctions — despite his failure to comply with the U.N. plan he had agreed to follow.

A master of propaganda, Hussein has many convinced that were it not for the sanctions, his people would be living in health and prosperity. He has given a perverse twist to Potemkin Village tours, showing journalists and sympathizers the "effects" of sanctions. But even while his people starve, Hussein and his inner circle are getting the best food, housing, and medical care available. Make no mistake: Resources are available in Iraq.

In fact, Kurds protected by the no-fly zone have contravened Hussein's public-relations efforts by actually using the oil money for food and medicine, rather than new altars to the Iraqi leader.

So the only one to blame for the misery of the Iraqi people is Saddam Hussien.

The diplomatic minefield that has brought us to this point has been largely navigated by people like Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, aging relics from the cold war who wish to compensate for the fact that they never got to nuke Moscow.

Forget preventing Saddam from obtaining a method to deploy his weapons of mass destruction. Forget destroying the chemical, biological, and possibly nuclear weapons under the Butcher of Baghdad’s Forget desiring to free the Iraqis from the boot heel of Hussein’s tyranny. Rumsfeld and Cheney just yearn to compensate for the missed chance to blow the Russkies to kingdom come; it’s just that simple.

What is amazing to me is Mr. Waterman’s ability to attribute the actions of this administration to the absolute worst motives he can imagine.

The show is being run by George W. Bush, whose third-rate Gary Cooper act has put our country in a very dangerous place.

At least he didn’t say “acting like a cowboy.” Anyway, perhaps it was Iraq developing weapons for mass murder that he could use to blackmail the Civilized World that has put us in a hard place. Should we instead just pat Saddam on the head and say “nice doggie”?

We have a gung-ho President who is threatening to rip apart the United Nations by his actions.

The United Nations has contributed quite nicely to its own demise by its own inaction and unwillingness to curb the threat of Hussein over the last dozen years. And remember this is the same organization that allows Libya to sit as the head of the UN’s human right’s commission.

He is backed by a cabinet that includes people neck-deep in the most shameful aspects of American foreign policy since Vietnam.

Shameful? Please re-read my “Forget…” passage above.

American pride is not worth the lives of American children.

Pride has nothing to do with this. The goal is to ensure that Saddam Hussein will cease to be a threat to the US (and the rest of the world for that matter) and the citizens of Iraq.
Those who are serving in the armed forces aren’t children; young, yes; but not children. They are brave men and women protecting our freedom and security.

I know few people who support this war. The ones that do speak in favor of it do so with the grim determination of those who will never set foot on a battlefield.

Sorta reminds me of the line in Bernard Goldberg’s book Bias on how a New York columnist was baffled that Richard Nixon won the 1972 election in a landslide because she didn’t know of anyone who voted for him. As for the other remark about those who support that speak "with the grim determination of those who will never set foot on a battlefield", i.e. chicken hawks, I'll let Jonah Goldberg make my argument:

The "chicken hawk" argument is a fine debating point as far as it goes, but as a matter of substance it's pretty dumb. If taken literally, only those who've served in uniform can ever speak authoritatively about foreign policy, which is not exactly what the founders had in mind when they devised civilian control of the armed forces. Just as advocating tough anti-crime policies puts more policemen in harm's way, I see no reason why I should be soft on crime because I've never been a cop
.
Nevertheless, not a day goes by where I don't receive an e-mail saying something to the effect of "What do you have to say to the brave men and women risking their lives for a war you wanted? This is the easiest answer of them all. To the brave men and women who've voluntarily decided to defend the United States of America and risk their lives in the process, I say in all sincerity: Thank you, you make me proud and I am grateful. Thank you, a thousand times, thank you.

The politicians who start this war will be able to sit back and watch people like my cousin put in harm's way on CNN every night.

First of all, I don’t think Bush and company watch CNN, I think they like their news fair and balanced if you catch my drift. Secondly and more importantly, the President and the cabinet have spent months agonizing over the decision to put our troops in harm’s way. Do you think Bush woke up one morning with a hankering to attack Iraq? But that’s right, Bush and his band of war-hungry advisers who wish bathe in the blood of Iraqi children want to invade a country for their entertainment.

This war does not have to happen. Even though bills like the Patriot Act have started a downward spiral, this is still a democracy. It is not, as George W. Bush called it in a recent speech, "his government."

Well, as I write this, this war is a-happenin'

You are still Americans.

Thanks to the sacrifice of thousands in the military over the years.

You have a say in what this country does.

Start acting like it.

Put your politics aside and think of what this war could mean for the people who will have to fight it. Our military does not decide when it gets to go to war.

Isn’t that the way it should be, with the military under civilian control?

Our soldiers deserve better than to be at the whim of a reckless and mean-spirited government.

Ah, Republicans are running the executive branch and they are nothing but reckless and mean-spirited. This build up for the war has been going on for several months now, despite the Left’s rhetoric that we are “rushing to war.” If any serviceman wished to not to fight he could have resigned.

I don't like it.

Apparently.

And neither should you.

Well, the problem is that they aren’t at the whim of the malevolent leader. There are under the command of a man who is willing to defend this country from the very real threats from nations and organizations that seek our down fall.

To end on a positive note, I sincerely pray that his cousin returns home safe and sound. And ask for everyone to pray for the well-being of all our troops in the area, their families, and for the Iraqi people.

The Text of the President's Address

The text of the president's speech:
My fellow citizens, at this hour, American and coalition
forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free
its people and to defend the world from grave danger.

On my orders, coalition forces have begun striking selected targets of
military importance to undermine Saddam Hussein's ability to wage war. These
are opening stages of what will be a broad and concerted campaign. More than 35
countries are giving crucial support -- from the use of naval and air bases,
to help with intelligence and logistics, to the deployment of combat units.
Every nation in this coalition has chosen to bear the duty and share the honor
of serving in our common defense.

To all the men and women of the United States Armed Forces now in the
Middle East, the peace of a troubled world and the hopes of an oppressed people
now depend on you. That trust is well placed.

The enemies you confront will come to know your skill and bravery. The
people you liberate will witness the honorable and decent spirit of the American
military. In this conflict, America faces an enemy who has no regard for
conventions of war or rules of morality. Saddam Hussein has placed Iraqi troops
and equipment in civilian areas, attempting to use innocent men, women and
children as shields for his own military -- a final atrocity against his
people.

I want Americans and all the world to know that coalition forces will make
every effort to spare innocent civilians from harm. A campaign on the harsh
terrain of a nation as large as California could be longer and more difficult
than some predict. And helping Iraqis achieve a united, stable and free country
will require our sustained commitment.

We come to Iraq with respect for its citizens, for their great civilization
and for the religious faiths they practice. We have no ambition in Iraq, except
to remove a threat and restore control of that country to its own people.

I know that the families of our military are praying that all those who
serve will return safely and soon. Millions of Americans are praying with you
for the safety of your loved ones and for the protection of the innocent. For
your sacrifice, you have the gratitude and respect of the American people. And
you can know that our forces will be coming home as soon as their work is done.

Our nation enters this conflict reluctantly -- yet, our purpose is sure.
The people of the United States and our friends and allies will not live at the
mercy of an outlaw regime that threatens the peace with weapons of mass murder.

We will meet that threat now, with our Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard and
Marines, so that we do not have to meet it later with armies of fire fighters
and police and doctors on the streets of our cities.

Now that conflict has come, the only way to limit its duration is to apply
decisive force. And I assure you, this will not be a campaign of half measures,
and we will accept no outcome but victory.

My fellow citizens, the dangers to our country and the world will be
overcome. We will pass through this time of peril and carry on the work of
peace. We will defend our freedom. We will bring freedom to others and we will
prevail.

May God bless our country and all who defend her.

AIR RAID SIRENS ARE GOING OFF IN IRAQ

The President is to speak at 9:15 PM.

Quick Links

Here's a good idea

Ya know, since when do liberals complain about how tradition isn't respected?

Campus Nonsense has a new slick design, but the substance is as potent as ever.

The Senate rejected oil-drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Reserve 52-48.

Five Democrats voting in favor of drill: The two Daniels of Hawaii: Inouye and Akaka, Louisiana's duo of John Breaux and Mary Landrieu, and DINO Zell Miller of Georgia

The eight spineless wonders Republicans voting against helping the US obtain energy independence: The Weak Sisters of Maine: Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, RINO Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, Gordon Smith of Oregon, Mike DeWine of Ohio, ingrate Norm Coleman of Minnesota, "maverick" John McCain of Arizona, Peter Fitzgerald of Illinois.

And remember there's a guest map at the the bottom sidebar.

TIME'S UP, SADDAM

Keeping an Eye on Howard Raines

The Media Research Center has setup a brand new site, called TimesWatch.org monitor the liberal bias of the Gray Lady. The bonus is that former blogger and Mississippi boy Clay Waters is its director.

Was Susan Dropped As A Child?

Lloyd Grove (sounds like a quaint little town, doesn't it?) of the Washington Post reveals that Susan "Not In Our Name" Sarandon's mother, Lenora Tomalin, is a staunch supporter of President Bush and the war against Saddam.

Of Sarandon's anti-Bush activism, Tomalin said: "That's a given. That's the way she thinks. That's what Hollywood thinks. We don't agree, but I respect her -- more than she does me." But surely, we suggested, Tomalin's 56-year-old eldest child respects her mother's opinions. "Wanna bet?" Tomalin scoffed. Sarandon's office didn't respond yesterday to our detailed message and fax.

"When I visit Susan, I tread on eggs," Tomalin said. "The most difficult time was during the election of 2000. I live in Florida, and I was a Republican poll-watcher in Polk County. Afterward, I was sitting at the breakfast table with Jack Henry, my then-13-year-old grandson, and he looked over at me, with the sweetest little smile on his face, and said, 'I hear you voted for Bush.' I looked up at Susan, who's standing at the sink, and she says, 'All he wants to know is: How could you have voted for Bush?' And I thought, 'I'm not going to discuss my politics with a 13-year-old who has been brainwashed!' But I just let it go -- even though I have never been as rabid as I have been during the past few years."

Last Nerve

I've decided to switch to Enetation for my commenting needs. Haloscan was down way too much to be of any use.

News Alert

President Bush will address the nation tonight at 7:00 PM Central Time.

I imagine it will go something like this: "My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you I just signed legislation which outlaws Sadddam Hussein forever. The bombing begins in 5 minutes."

Yet Another Test



Which OS are You?

Or you could check out all the possible responses. The ones for Windows 1.0 and Windows ME are priceless.

via Ben Domenech

For Conservative Sweet Tooths

Finally, there's a right-wing ice cream alternative to the two hippies from Vermont: The Star Stangled Ice Cream Company. Their flavors include "Smaller Governmint", "Nutty Environmentalist", and my personal favorite, "I Hate the French Vanilla." And instead of giving money to various Kumbayah outfits, it donates 10% of it's profits to charities that support our armed forces personnel.

Happy St. Patrick's Day



This holiday is near and dear to my heart for some reason or another. True story: when I was a little 'un I actually thought that St. Patrick's Day was named after me.

#11. You think that the ensemble of FOX and Friends should have their sitcom.

The ever clever and lovely Miss Lee Ann, who's blog is sporting a new design, gives us a top ten list of how to tell when you've watched too much Fox News.

Be Forewarned

You might not want to see this picture of former Clinton Secretary of Labor.

Tyner's True Colors

Sid Salter sheds some light on last-minute GOP Mississippi gubernatorial candiate Mitch Tyner:

Let's recap here, boys and girls. Tyner was fond enough of Democratic Gov. Ronnie Musgrove to give him $1,000 in campaign funds in 1999, but he's running against Barbour for the chance to unseat Musgrove in 2003.

Wonder what's different today — other than Musgrove's 2002 decision to back tort reforms opposed by trial lawyers like Tyner who in 1999 were his largest block of campaign contributors?

Senor Holtsberry provides an excellent fisking of a LewRockwell.com article.

Election 2003

Haley Barbour, former RNC chairman, has launched his campaign site for the 2003 Mississippi gubernatorial race.

New on the Menu

Cafeterias for the US House of Representatives will now be serving freedom fries instead of french fries, and freedom toast in place of french toast.

North Korea Test Fires Missle into the Sea of Japan

A Random Thought

If Charley Reese were a political cartoonist...

The Maltese Vote.

Malta, a small island nation in the Mediterranen, held a referedum Sunday on whether to join the EU. The came out to be around 54% in favor of joining with 46% opposing. Whether it will miss opportunities to keep quiet about global affairs when French President Jacques Chirac wants it to, is a different matter entirely.

Let's Talk Turkey

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the de facto leader of Turkey, has won a by-election for a Parliament seat. Erdogan has until now been barred to take office because he was convicted of "inciting religious hatred." But since his Justice and Development Party took power last November, it has changed the constitution to allow him to run for office. Once he's sworn in as Prime Minister, he plans to shake up the Cabinet and take another vote on whether to allow US troops to deploy from Turkey.

Let's hope that the vote will be held speedily; the attack on Hussein's regime is going to start in the next few weeks, I believe.

Surrendering Fast Enough to Make a Frenchman Jealous

A group of rather confused Iraqi troops tried to surrender British paratroopers last Monday. The Iraqis mistakenly believed that the war had started when they heard the practice artillery and mortar rounds being shot off by the Brits during training in Kuwait. The Brits told 'em that they weren't firing at them and; therefore, it was too early for them to surrender.

The Amazing Technicolor Twenty Dollar Bill

The Treasury Dept. will unveil a new $20 bill on 27th March that will be released this fall. The new bills "will introduce a predominant but subtle color into the background" in an effort to thwart counterfeiters. I hope that we're not on the road to make our money look like the neon toliet paper that Europe dares call money.

via Kyle Still

On the Road Again

I'm heading home for Spring Break in the next few hours, so blogging probably won't resume until tomorrow at the earliest. I just know you're waiting in suspense.

A piece of good news for me is that Dad had DSL installed at the house a few weeks ago, so no more sorry 26kps dial-up connection from Compu-net. Which means I'll be able to blog more during the week. Hooray!

A Simple Economics Lesson

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) is calling for an investigation to see if the Evil Gas Stations are responsible for her state's recent gas price spikes. The fact that we are about to go to war in an oil-rich region, the fact that Venezuela, one of the world's leading oil-producers is having severe civil unrest, the fact that there is a phasing out of one gasoline additive in favor of another, and the fact that there is an annual switch between winter and summer formulas of gasoline...are meaningless since the greedy oil barons are just out to screw over the poor little consumer, right?

Sheesh, if there is less supply of a product and demand remains the same or increases, then prices increase. It's not hard to figure out.

Top 10 List

But this one isn't from Letterman, instead The Weekly Standard's Fred Barnes lists top anti-war objections and answers them soundly.

I especially like #10:

(10) Bush is seeking a new American empire. This is a favorite accusation of Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, the man who once recited the Gettysburg Address in Donald Duck's voice. I'll let Secretary of State Colin Powell answer this one. When hectored by a former archbishop of Canterbury on this subject recently, he said: "We have gone forth from our shores repeatedly over the last 100 years . . . and put wonderful young men and women at risk, many of whom have lost their lives, and we have asked for nothing except enough ground to bury them in." Well said.

New to Me Blogs

The Rattler and Dave's Supergalatic Megafantastic Blog-o-rama are both good blogs worth checking out, especially because they have the good taste to have linked to me.

The Continuing Saga of the Computer Wars

Microsoft is releasing a budget-sized version of their Windows Server 2003 called Server 2003 Web Editon priced at $399, as opposed to the $999 of the standard version. The Gates Empire may rule the world of personal computer operating systems (for the time being, anyway), but it has had a devil of a time establishing itself in the web server OS market. That area is the domain of the Unix/Linux Confederation because of its inexpensiveness, reliability, and flexibility. Mircosoft is aiming for smaller businesses with small server needs that it hopes will stick with the Big M as their requirements increase.

Big Speech

Bush will have a news conference at 7 PM (Central) tonight where he will discuss "the successes in the war against terror as well as the importance of disarming Saddam Hussien."

Also, Secretary of State Powell is scheduled to make another and probably final trip to the UN on Friday to advocate the adoption of "use of force" resolution backed by the US, UK, and Spain. Mr. Powell's warm-up act will by everybody's favorite Swede since the members of ABBA, Hans Blix who will call for more inspectations over next several months.

Bad for Bid'ness

Mark Byron highlights this story of Canadian corporations being none to pleased with the anti-American insults hurled by a couple of Liberal MPs. I'm sure some Lefties are squealing that those MPs right to dissent is being squashed.

Has It Been That Long Already?

One year ago today, I started this little blog. What has been the biggest surprise I that some people have actually read it. I would personally like to thank all those who have stopped by during the year, and especially those who have linked from their own blogs to this page. Perhaps the best thing about this blog is all the wonderful people that it has allowed me to meet (electronically, at least).

Ugh. Another Murderous Suicide Bomber

15 people in Haifa, Israel were killed when a Palestinian blew himself up on a crowded bus.

Yee-ha!

Charlie Daniels, yes that Charlie Daniels, reads the Hollywood anti-war crowd, especially Sean Penn, the riot act.

The people of Iraq will only get the things they need when Saddam is six
feet under the sand. He is the problem, he is the cause of the misery
the Iraqi people are going through.

I did not even hear the words Saddam Hussein come out of your mouth, how
can you be so blind? The Iraqi people’s problems didn’t start with the
American embargo or even the first Gulf War. They started when Saddam
came to power.

Election 2003

Mitch Tyner, a Madison County lawyer, will challenge ex-RNC Chairman Haley Barbour for the Republican nomination in the Mississippi governor race. In his statement, Tyner jabs at Barbour's Washington connections by saying that, "I didn't come home to run for the office of Governor of Mississippi, I am at home." Since leaving the RNC gig, Barbour has been a pretty successful lobbyist in DC, but has returned to his home in Yazoo County most every weekend.

Tyner could appeal those who aren't exactly thrilled with the "Washington Insider" vibe of Barbour. However, considering the greater name recognition and the fundraising ability of Barbour, it's hard to see Tyner reaching above 20% in the August primary.

It Probably Was Running Windows ME

A man fustrated with his laptop locking up, blasted a few shots into it while he was at a local restaurant. I can say that I had similar urges to inflict harm on my previous computer running Windows 95. But fortunately, I have had a Dell laptop for over a year and a half that has Windows 2000, which is pretty stable... as far as a Microsoft OS can be.

Coolness

El Rushbo has an amazing photograph of Earth from the Space Shuttle Columbia's last misson. While your there, you might want to check out his Stack of Saddam Stuff.

Well, y'all, I'll be heading out of town for the weekend within the next few hours, so there won't be an update 'til probably Sunday mid-afternoon. And I apologize for the sparse posting, I had two major tests on Wednesday that wore the heck out of me.

RIP

Mister Rogers died today at the age of 74. His program was perhaps one of my favorite programs to watch when I was a li'l'un (that's Southern for "little one").

Very interesting...

Karl Rove cancels a speaking engagement in New Hampshire scheduled for the 12th of March.

Comments

Haloscan says that it's working on its servers, which they have apparently been doing for some time. This means that my comments aren't showing up on a regular basis. Ya know, if I had wanted a commenting service that cut out on me regularly, I would have stuck with YACCS.

Yet Another Test

Take the test, by Emily.

Moby

Everybody's favorite bald-headed vegan DJ, Moby, is starting to question in his online journal some of the thinking (and I use the term loosely) of the "give inspections a chance" crowd:

ok, one last practical question about disarmament...
suppose the arms inspectors continue in iraq and suppose they have extra u.n troops helping them and suppose they make sure that iraq has no weapons of mass destruction.
then what?
then they leave, right?
and, here's the very serious question, then what?
in a couple of years the arms inspectors leave and what's then to stop saddam hussein from re-building his arsenal of weapons of mass destruction?
just a practical question that is worth addressing right now.
i think it's safe to say that saddam's logic might be:
'ok, we put off our weapons programs for a few years. we accomodate the un and get them to lift sanctions. and then in a few years we have no sanctions, tons of money from renewed oil contracts with france and russia, and the ability to build a brand new arsenal of weapons of mass destruction.'

I have to say that's a pretty dang good way to frame the situation in Iraq. If it weren't for the e.e. cummings approach Moby adopts, you would think Victor Davis Hanson wrote that.

i'm not advocating war, but i do think it's naive to think that saddam hussein wouldn't build weapons of mass destruction once the inspectors leave.
and does the un really plan on having a permanent and extensive and diligent cadre of weapons inspectors in iraq for the next 100 years?
if we're going to be pacifists we can't be naive pacifists. we can't see this situation in naive and unrealistic and short-sighted terms. saddam hussein has had extensive systems of weapons of mass destruction ever since he came to power in the early 80's. do you really think that he wouldn't re-build weapons of mass destructions once the inspectors leave?
how are the u.n (and france and germany and russia) prepared to deal with this issue in the long term?

I do wonder what Moby would advocate instead of war to rid the Iraqi people of Saddam. Hussein has made it clear that he has no intention in relinquishing power any time soon, so what other way is there to ensure that the Butcher of Baghdad doesn't use his WMD's and develop more of 'em?

Parodies of Ready.gov

Owen Courreges has a hilarious parody of Ready.gov. Inspired by my fellow blogger, I have a parody of my own.

Today's Howler

From the South African Daily Dispatch Online "Namibian President Sam Nujoma yesterday urged reconciliation between Zimbabwe and its main critic, Britain, and said he knew of no human rights abuses under Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe."

Theme Song for Anti-War Folks



by Marshall Ramsey of the Clarion-Ledger.

A Ray of Bitter Sunshine

Debbie Dawkins, Democratic State Senator from south MS, avers to the world, "I can't be a prissy, country club b---h when I represent a 33 percent African-American district,"

To quote the Church Lady, "Well, isn't that special?"

BTW: I stole the title of this post from the slogan of the Dilbert Newsletter written by Scott Adams

MS AG Declines to Run for Re-election

Mississippi Attorney General Mike Moore, who spearheaded the effort to sue The Evil and All-Powerful Tobacco Companies during the 90's, has officially announced that he will not seek re-election to the office that he has served in for 16 years. The Magnolia Report has the announcement online and lists possible contenders for the open post.

Fortunately for you, dear readers I have provided a quick summary:

1.) Thanks all those that have supported him during the years.
2.) Thanks his hard-working, dedicated staff members
3.) a.) Highlights his "accomplishments" especially bringing The Evil and All-Powerful Tobacco Companies to there knees which will
b.) Help The Children live longer and healthier lives.
4.) States that he misses spending time with his family
5.) Lists a few of the chartiable organizations he'll be involved with
6.) Leaves the door open to run again for political office (say, Senate in 2006 or 2008?)

...you know, the typical stuff.

"...no matter how the political winds blow in Washington...one thing always remains constant: Sen. Lott's hair." --Lt. Governor Amy Tuck

Among other barbs delivered at the roast, Lt. Governor Tuck also quipped that the hairspray bottle is "liquid concrete in a can."

Links and Musings

Bad news for the "Girls Gone Wild" people.

One of Saddam's henchmen, Iraqi PM Tariq Aziz, refuses to answer a question from an Israeli journalist. At a press conference in Rome, Israeli newspaper reporter Menachem Gantz asked, "Are you considering any kind of attack as a possibility against Israel in case of an American attack?" "When I came to this press conference it was not in my agenda to answer questions by the Israeli media. Sorry," replied Hussein's lackey. Yea, it's a pain when those pesky Zionists show up and have the unmitigating audacity is ask you a question. Man, what is this world coming to?

"Iraq relinquishes disarm panel chair": Iraq today stated that it will not take its turn in the rotating presidency of the Conference on Disarmament, declining to replace Iran which had also bowed out. The presidency rotation is based on alphabetical order, leaving Ireland to assume control, ironically on St. Patrick's Day.

I'm going to really mad when the Sci-Fi Channel decides to stop running 4 reruns of Stargate SG-1 on Monday nights.

Bill Whalen details the recall effort against California Governor Gray Davis and its ramifications. At least Davis can claim that he has united a wide range of people from business leaders, soccer moms, union thugs, to activists of all stripes. Unfortunately for him, they all want to throw him out.

John Nowacki sets the record straight on Bush nominee to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Miguel Estrada. Perhaps TAPPED should take a gander.

Speaking of the Estrada battle, doesn't it seem that Senate Democrats are trying to make two contradictory points about why they are holding up the nomination? They say that he hasn't answered their questions about his judicial philosophy and, therefore, they don't know enough about him to vote for him. But, simultaneously, they aver that he is a radical right-wing idealogue unsuited for the benched. If you don't know enough about him, how can you declare he's too conservative?

VH-1 needs to remember that it's supposed to play music videos, not movies.

Does This Really Surprise Anyone?

Poetry

Lee Ann Morawski comments on the White House poetry cancellation and the state of modern poetry.

Those That Don't Know History...

TAPPED, the blog of the Leftist publication The American Prospect, makes a rather impolite, even for its standards, remark toward conservatives:

DON'T RUN, HILLARY. For months, Tapped has watched, with some amusement, conservatives feverishly speculate about Hillary Clinton running for president. For us, the booming market in Hillary-gossip perfectly illustrates the way extra-chromosome righties have become practically co-dependent on the Clintons.

emphasis mine

"Extra-chromosome righties"? If that phrase sounds very familiar, it should. In the 1994 Virginia Senate race then-VP Al Gore addressed a campaign rally for incumbent Democrat Chuck Robb where he called Republican challenger Oliver North's supporters, "the extreme right wing, the extra chromosome right wing." Unbeknowst to Gore (and I am being charitable here), those with extra chromosomes suffer from Downs Syndrome. After this was pointed out in the press, Algore ended up writing a letter of apology for the comment.

It seems that the hacks folks at TAPPED, like Gore at the time, know that throwing "extra chromosomes" in front of a noun is an insult, but aren't aware of what having a surplus of chromosomes actually means. If I were in a cynical mood, I would believe both Gore and TAPPED full well knew what the term meant, but didn't think anybody would call them out on it.

Of course, it isn't hard to predict how it would phrase its apology.

As Heard on Leno

"Well, it's now February, the shortest month of the year. Especially if your name is Saddam."

Happy Birthday, President Reagan!

Today is the 92nd birthday of Ronald Reagan, 40th President of these United States. He basted Mr. Peanut, slashed taxes, defeated the Soviet Union, and kicked the crud out of some Commies in Grenada (the Caribbean island, not the mid-Mississippi city).

Good job, Gipper!

"Anti-war = pro-Saddam?"

Yep.

OpinionJournal's Best of the Web points out a section of the interview given to Saddam Hussein by BritLefty Tony Benn:

BENN: There are tens of millions, maybe hundreds of millions of people in Britain and America, in Europe and worldwide, who want to see a peaceful outcome to this problem, and they are the real Americans in my opinion, the real British, the real French, the real Germans, because they think of the world in terms of their children.

I have ten grandchildren and in my family there is English, Scottish, American, French, Irish, Jewish and Indian blood, and for me politics is about their future, their survival. And I wonder whether you could say something yourself directly through this interview to the peace movement of the world that might help to advance the cause they have in mind?

SADDAM: First of all we admire the development of the peace movement around the world in the last few years. We pray to God to empower all those working against war and for the cause of peace and security based on just peace for all.

10 More

Ten eastern European countries are planning to support President Bush's stance against the Hussein regime.

For those keeping score at home, there are now 18 European nations that support removing Saddam's thugocracy. And let's not forget Australia (who's sending its special forces), Qatar, Kuwait, and Turkey (all three allowing troops to be stationed there). At least 22 countries now "got our back;" kinda puts a dent in the whole "Bush is an unilateralist cowboy" mantra. Of course, that won't keep the Unwashed Left from repeating it.

An Annoyance

Haloscan, the service I use for my comments on this blog, is apparently down for the time being. So if there is anything that you wish to share with me, please feel free to e-mail to me.

Welcome to the 21st Century



Dude!

Letterman's Top Ten List

The MRC highlights the Top Ten List from Letterman's Monday show. Sailors aboard the USS John C. Stennis, a Mississippi Senator, read the list. I especially liked #7.

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

Christopher Hitchens says in Doublethink, a quarterly conservative magazine, that he would vote for George W. Bush if the election were held today. And he lambasted Senator John "Millionaire Trial Lawyer" Edwards' Champion of the Everyman® routine: "Oh, that's all [bleep]. . . . Spare us the false populism."

But to get fully in my good graces, Hitchens needs to lay off Mother Theresa attacks and the whole anti-Christianity schtick.

From the "Would You Like Some Cheese With That Whine?" Dept.

Todd Gitlin decries how Fox News is, horror of horrors, excelling. Mr. Gitlin makes the typical liberal arguments;
1.) Fox News is gaudy in graphics and raucous in attitude, unlike the noble newscasters of yore such as that dreamy Walter Cronkite.
2.) CNN and et. al. aren't liberal enough.
3.) There needs to be a "liberal Fox News"
4.) Alan Colmes is Sean Hannity's patsy.
5.) Conservatives can get away with anything, why? (see #2)

New Map Time!

Yugoslavia will now be known has Serbia and Montenegro, with the two constituent parts forming a loose union. In an arrangement enacted by the now defunct Yugoslav parliament, both republics will have the right to vote for independence in 3 years time. Also, in a move to be more inclusive and modern, Montenegro will change its name to Monteafricanamerican.

Okay, I made that last part up.

Must Read

Dean Esmay points out this article from the New Yorker, hardly a bastion of blood-thirsty neoconservative warmongers, that deals with the intellegence community and how it now suspects links between al-Qaeda and Saddam Hussein.

In October of 2002, when Bob Graham was the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, [CIA Director George] Tenet wrote to him, explaining the C.I.A.'s understanding of the Iraq-Al Qaeda connection. It is a curious letter, which begins with a statement that "Baghdad for now appears to be drawing a line short of conducting terrorist attacks with conventional or CBW"—chemical and biological weapons—"against the United States." At the same time, Tenet said, Iraq has "provided training to Al Qaeda members in the areas of poisons and gases and making conventional bombs." Tenet added, "Credible information indicates that Iraq and Al Qaeda have discussed safe haven and reciprocal non-aggression," and he suggested that, even without an American attack on Iraq, "Baghdad's links to terrorists will increase."

Yet Another Quiz




What cartoon dog are you?

Brought to you by the good folks at sacwriters.com.

It's down right eerie how accurate these quizzes can be.

Via Mark Byron

New Blogs (To Me, At Least) Alert

I'm adding Michael Borland's blog and Jawsblog to my blogroll. Good stuff, good people.

Jawsblog points out this from CNN. No wonder I prefer my news fair and balanced.

Fun wit' Referral Logs

Google Search: conservative ignorant redneck

Number 1, baby!

Ole Miss Students Protested War




Last Wednesday, a group of students called the University of Mississippi Actvist Coalition, protested in front of the Student Union against going to war with Saddam. As you can see, it's a mighty throng. And what do these noble protestors have to say?

"I think our sanctions have done enough damage to the Iraqi people, and I don't think war is the answer," first-year graduate student and UMAC member Josie Tracy said. "I'd like to see more money go to social programs, domestically and internationally, then go to bombs."

And so what do you propose we do? If we lift the sanctions on Iraq freely selling oil, Saddam is definitely going to invest nearly all of the revenues on a wide assortment of nasty weapons. But if we get rid of Hussein, the people of Iraq will no longer have to live in fear of a brutal despot and there will be one less madman running around threating US security.

Unfortunately, there's gonna to be more to these people Feb 15 at the Oxford Square as "peace" groups from across Mississippi participate in a nationwide protest against the war against Saddam.

[Yes, yes, I know this is a few days old...]

Having Fun At The Expense of Nigerian E-mail Schemers

I received this e-mail over the week-end which I present "as is":

FROM: THE DESK OF ORIRI MICHEALS
DIRECTOR, CREDIT CONTROL,
UNION BANK OF NIGERIA PLC. UNION BANK OF NIGERIA
TEL: 234 802 3088979 BIG, STRONG, RELIABLE
PRIVATE EMAIL: oriri1@netscape.net

STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL

I KNOW THIS PROPOSAL WILL COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE EXPECIALLY WHEN YOU DO NOT KNOW THE WRITER,CONDSIDERING THE HUGE SUM OF MONEY INVOLVED WHICH COULD MAKE ANY APPREHENSIVE.

LET ME START BY INTRODUCING MYSELF TO YOU, I AM ORIRI MICHEALS I DIRECTOR CREDIT CONTROL, UNION BANK OF NIGERIA PLC. LAGOS. I SAW YOUR CONTACT DURING MY PRIVATE SEARCH AT THE INFORMATION CENTRE HERE IN NIGERIA CHAMBER OF COMMENCE AND INDUSTRY AND I WANT TO BELIEVE THAT YOU WILL BE VERY HONEST, COMMITTED AND CAPABLE OF ASSISTING IN THIS BUSINESS VENTURE.

FIRSTLY, LET ME EXPLAIN THE SOURCE OF THIS FUNDS AND WHAT YOU ARE EXPECTED TO DO. A FORIGNER LATE ENGINEER THEOPHILUS BAKER, AN OIL MERCHANT/CONTRACTOR WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA, UNTIL HIS DEATH, OVER A YEAR AGO, WAS A VICTIM OFA KENYA AIRWAYS: BUS
(A310-300) FLIGHT KQ430 PLANE CRASH. THE DECEASED, ENGNIEER THEOPILIUS BAKER, BANKED WITH US AND HAS A CLOSING BALANCE AS A JULY 2000 WORTH $4.5M (FOUR MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOSAND USD). WHICH MY BANK, NOW EXPECTES A NEXT-OF-KIN TO CLAIM AS THE BENEFICIARY OF THE FUNDS, EFFORTS HAS BEEN MADE BY UNION BANK OF NIGERIA TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE BAKER'S FAMILY OR RELATIVE BUT TO NO SUCCESS.

BASED ON THE PERCEIVED POSSIBILITY OF NOT BEING ABLE TO LOCATE ENGNIEER THEOPILUS'S NEXT-OF-KIN, THE MANAGEMENT UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF OUR CHAIRMAN AND THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ARE MAKING ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE FUNDS TO BE DECLARED UNCLAIMED AND CHANNELED TO AN UNKNOWN ACCOUNT.IT IS BASED ON THIS THAT WE HAVE CONTACTED YOU TO STAND AS THE NEXT-OF-KIN OF LATE ENGR. THEOPILUS BAKER SO THAT THE FUNDS, WILL BE RELEASED AND PAID INTO YOUR ACCOUNT AS THE BENEFICIARY AND THE NEXT-OF-KIN TO THE DECEASED.

ALL DOCUMENTS, AND PROOF TO ENABLE YOU GET THE FUNDS HAVE BEEN CAREFULLY WORKED OUT AS WE HAVE SECURED FROM THE DIFFERENT OFFICES CONCERNED FOR THE SMOOTH TRANSFER OF THE FUND TO YOUR NOMINATED ACCOUNT.IT HAS BEEN AGREED THAT THE OWNER OF THE ACCOUNT WILL BE COMPENSATED WITH 20% OF THE REMITTED FUNDS, WHILE WE KEEP 75% AND 5% WILL BE SET ASIDE TO OFFSET EXPENSES BOTH LOCALLY AND INTERNATIONAL.

IF THIS PROPOSAL SATISFIES YOU, PLEASE REACH US ONLY BY MAIL OR PHONE, FOR MORE INFORMATION. IT MIGHT BE DIFFICULT TO GET THROUGH TO ME, BECAUSE OF POOR TELECOMUNICATION SYSTEM HERE. PLEASE KEEP TRYING YOU WILL DEFINITELY GET THROUGH. YOURS FAITHFULLY,

ORIRI MICHEALS

Considering the time and effort that went into this letter, I decided to respond in kind:

DEAR MR. MICHEALS:

WHY IT'S SO GOOD TO HEAR FROM YOU! I MUST SAY THAT'S AN INTERESTING NAME. MOST PEPLES I KNOW SPELL IT "MICHAELS"!

AND AS TOO YOUR LETTER...

STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL? I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT MEANS. I ASKED MY FRIEND ROBBIE JO MCDUQUE AND HE DIDN’T KNOW AND I ASKED ASKED MY FRIEND BOBBIE JOE MCGILLDICUTTY AND HE DIDN'T KNOW. ACTUALLY I MUST HAVE TALKED TO A BUNCH OF MY FRIENDS AND ASKED THEM WHAT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL MEANS. BUT NOT OF THEM KNEW. OH WELL.

IM GLAD THAT YOU THINK THAT I AM SO HONEST COMMITTED AND CAPABLE OF HELPING YOU IN THIS VERY IMPORTANT MATTER OF MONEY! I LOVE MONEY! MONEY! MONEY! MONEY! IM HAPPY THATYOUARE GIVING ME ALL THAT SWEET, SWEET MONEY! IM SURE GLAD THAT MAN DIED AND HAD NO FAMILY! THAT MEANS THAT I GIT THE MONEY!

I KNOW THAT YOU WANTED ME TO CALL OR SENT A MAIL, BUT I COULDN'T. WHEN I TRY TO DIAL THE PHONE, I PUSH THE BUTTONS TOO FASTLY AND PUSH THE WRONG ONES BECAUSE IM SO EXCITED OVER GETTING ALL THAT MONEY! THE SAME THING HAPPENS WHEN I TRY A LETTER! I GET A PEACE OF PAPER AND A PENCIL AND I TRY TO WRITE, BUT I END UP SCRIBBLING BECAUSE I RIGHT TOO FAST BECAUSE IM SO EXCITEDLY TO GET THAT MONEY! MONEY! MONEY!

THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME GET THAT CURRENCY! THAT'S ANOTHER WORD FOR MONEY! I CAN NOW BUILD A LARGE TUB THAT I CAN FILL WITH DOLLARS AND TAKE SWIMS IN MY MONEY! BUT I CAN PUT IN COINS BECAUSE I MIGHT GET HURT WHEN I DIVE IN.

GOODBYE!

Ledeen Takes On Mandela

Micheal Ledeen pens a brief, yet powerful, critique of Nelson Mandela and his moronic remarks towards President Bush:

Most Americans rooted for South Africa under Mandela, and American businessmen poured into the country with offers of help. In the event, Mandela turned out to be a great inspirational speaker but a failed national leader. Instead of taking the opportunity to shut down the vast networks of corruption put in place by the white leaders of the country, he permitted his own cohorts from the Africa National Congress to wallow in the same troughs. Instead of insisting on the creation of a first-class educational system for all South Africans, he simply presided over the installation of a quota program that gave most of the slots in the best schools to the majority black population. Instead of taking the great influx of foreign aid to build adequate housing for the masses of poor people, that program sputtered along without ever taking off.

But foreign policy was his greatest failure. Mandela had a great opportunity to lead a democratic revolution in Africa, but he never even gave voice to cries for freedom for all Africans. Indeed, he lavished grotesque praise on many of the world's dictators, from Castro to Khadaffi, and repeatedly failed to intervene decisively at major potential turning points in countries like Zaire and Zimbabwe. Even now, an elderly retiree, he cannot bring himself to demand the removal of the mad tyrant Robert Mugabe, and he continues to genuflect before the dictators who supported the ANC in the bad old days.

Boxer Contenders

Barbara Boxer, that is, the Democratic senator from California who is up for re-election in 2004. Two popular radio talk show hosts, Dennis Prager and Michael Reagan, are rumored to be considering a challenge against the incumbent. Both of them would have a good shot at unseating Boxer, having honed public speaking skills, well-defined policy positions, and name recognition; though Boxer and her minions could easily dig up a quote from their shows use it out of context.

Idiotarian Watch

Tony Benn, a former British minister and member of the Labour Party, interviewed Saddam Hussein for a TV program yet to be aired. He won't discuss any of the answers provided by the Butcher of Baghdad until the show airs, but he did reveal a few questions he asked.

He told reporters he had asked Saddam whether Iraq possessed any weapons of mass destruction, and whether it had any links to the al-Qaeda network.

Wow, why didn't anybody think of this before! Just ask him if he has any WMD's and connections of al-Qaeda; no need to have the inspectators running around Iraq looking like Keystone Kops. I'm sure Saddam the Sadist (oops, I mean Saddam the Happiest!) will tell us the truth. Mr. Benn, I salute you and your brillance!

"Iraqis Call Shuttle Disaster God's Vengeance"

Wrong answer, y'all, wrong @#$@# answer.

Fun wit' Google!

Google Search: panamanian women wallpaper

I'm #17

A Day of Tragedy

The space shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon it's descent to Earth this morning. All seven crew members were lost. Please pray for the families and friends of these brave men and women along with all the NASA personnal who are perhaps one the worst days of there lives. Fox News has short profiles of the crew.

As you may know, this was the first space flight of Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli in space and who was a part of the Israeli bombing of Iraq's nuclear reaction in the early 1980s. He had remarked during orbit, "The world looks marvelous from up here, so peaceful, so wonderful and so fragile."

Fair and Balanced

Helen Thomas, White House correspondent, told the writer of this syrupy paean of her thoughts on George W. Bush:

“This is the worst president ever,” she said. “He is the worst president in all of American history.”

If I were a lesser man and had a tendency to make sarcastic remarks, I would say, "Well, she should know; she's lived through all of them."

But, of course, I shall refrain from doing so.

Ugh

Iraq it set to take the presidency for a couple of months of the Conference of Disarmament, a UN-related body (meaning, according to the eUNuch quoted in the article that it's "a unique, multilateral negotiating disarmament body within which international, binding legal agreements are negotiated." and reports to the General Assembly but isn't for some reason actually under UN auspices.) The presidency of the conference rotates alphabetically with Iraq's term beginning in late May and ending in July. The article contains many priceless quotes:

"I think the main public relations concern is, What does it do substantively?" [U.N. spokesman Farhan] Haq said. "Since it's not exactly a body that has been meeting to deal with issues substantively for several years, the main worry is not about a procedural issue such as who is the chair; it's about what it can do."

If it's not been "meeting to deal with issues substantively for several years," why hasn't it gotten around to them?

"Whatever Iraq is doing, or its state, life goes on," [United Nations Disarmament Commission Deputy Secretary Timur Alasaniya] said. "International legal instruments are still working. We cannot suspend them because of something that is happening in accordance with the rules. Unless they will be altered by the members themselves, they will remain the same. The rules say chairmanship goes by rotation in alphabetical order."

Apparently it's too much trouble to have a li'l rule that says "If your regime seeks to develop nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons of mass destruction in order to threat the Free World, no high-falutin postition on conferences supposedly aims at stopping you from getting these things in the first place."

Sheesh

Link Love

Owen Courreges (sorry, Owen, I just too lazy to put an accent mark over the first "e") has a brillant list of why Saddam needs to be kicked out.

Goodness Gracious Alive

According to the United Nations, one man approached the hotel's security gate with a metal instrument before Iraqi guards wrestled him to the ground. He was found to have three knives, the United Nations said.

About 40 minutes later, another Iraqi man stopped a U.N. vehicle outside the headquarters, pleading "Save me! Save me!" in Arabic, according to the United Nations.

The man, apparently unarmed, forced his way into the driver's seat of the stopped vehicle. As an Iraqi guard struggled to pull him out, a U.N. inspector watched from the passenger seat.

Are you an Iraqi and think about defecting? The UN inspectors ain't the ones to go to.

After a long hiatus, I've posted an item at CampusNonsense.com

Anniversary of Roe v. Wade

Since today is the 30th anniversary of that historic decision, I would like to ask this simple question to the pro-abortion crowd: Why would the overturning of Roe v. Wade be so awful? Let's think about it. What did this legal decision do? The answer is that it invalidated the abortion laws, all passed by duly elected legislatures, of the 50 states. If the Supreme Court were to today strike down Roe, it would not mean that abortion would be automatically be outlawed; the states would once again be allowed to enact or not enact abortion laws. Some states will restrict abortion, others will keep the status quo, and the rest might extent abortion "rights." The point is that the residents of the individual state would be allowed to either vote on referenda deciding the legality of abortion or elect governors and members of their state legislatures that will pass and sign laws concerning abortion. Why would the pro-abortion Left, who loves to proclaim its devotion to democracy and the "will of the people," be so against letting the people choose?

Maybe they are afraid that the result wouldn't be to their liking...

On this day in history

Jefferson Davis, Senator from Mississippi, resigns his seat on 21 Jan. 1861 after Mississippi passes an ordinance of secession.

Quick Links

Did you hear something? That's the sound of Jonathan Adler laying the smack down on the anti-S.U.V. crowd.

If you're in San Franscisco, that might be the sound of the windows being broken by a group of anti-war protestors. Um, I guess they missed a memo...

Reason #1,543,693 why the U.N. is a sorry joke of an organization: Libya was voted overwhemingly to chair United Nations Human Rights Commission. Keep this factoid in mind when someone says we need U.N. approval to go into Iraq.

Speaking of Iraq, the UK plans to send a 25% of its army might to the Persian Gulf.

State Representative Larry Baker of Senatobia has announced that he will switch from being a Democrat to a Republican. This is the fourth legislator to have changed his party affiliation since Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck switched. Welcome aboard, Mr. Baker!

How about "Love Me Tender"?

Two state senators here in Mississippi, Alan Nunnelee and Delma Furniss, are working to change the state song. Well, it's about time someone did! The current song, "Go, Misssissippi" is an absolute abomination that I remember having have to sing in elementary school. Just imagine the worst show tune you ever heard, then multiply that agony by ten. You would then have a miniscule taste of how awful the song truely is. You would think a state with such a rich musical heritage could do better.

"...huge karmic retributions..."

No, that's not the name of the lastest rock band according to Ms. Sheryl Crow, it's what will happen to America if it goes in to take out the Butcher of Baghdad.

Speaking of Defections...

Mississippi State Representative Herb Frierson (106th House District) officially announced that he has switched from the Democratic to the Republican Party. Also, on the 30th December, State Senator Terry Burton declared to switch. His decision brings Senate Republicans within 5 seats of gaining control of the Mississippi Senate.

4 To Watch

Four Democrats in the House didn't vote for Pelosi to be Speaker yesterday. And all of 'em are from the South and lean more to the Right; Charles Stenholm and Ralph Hall from Texas and Ken Lucas of Kentucky voted merely "present" with Mississippi's own Gene Taylor casting a vote for "pro-defense, pro-life, pro-gun Democrat" John Murtha of Pennsylvania. Just how conservative is this gang of four? Here's a look at their American Conservative Union ratings:

Name	2001	2000	YOS	Life
Stenholm	64	52	23	73
Hall	96	88	21	83
Lucas	76	60	3	67
Taylor	64	52	13	74

YOS = Years of Service

Should we set a timer to see how long before they jump aboard the Republican ship? I think Lucas would be the first since he's been in Congress for only 3 years and wouldn't be as committed to the House Democrats. The three others, in constrast, have invested a significant number of their Congressional years being on the Democratic side, so they probably aren't as eager to leave that behind without major conjoling from the GOP.

via Rush Limbaugh

"The Snows of Mount Kilimanjaro"

Drudge points out a rather heated exchange between Babra Steisand and former GWB speechwriter David Frum:

Former Bush speechwriter David Frum details his showdown with citizen Streisand in his new book THE RIGHT MAN, hitting racks Tuesday.

"So tell me: Why did Bush flip-flop on emissions standards?" Streisand asked Frum during a heated argument about Global Warming at a gathering on the eve of the Kyoto repudiation.

"I know why he did it," she continued. "It was because of all the campaign contributions he got from Enron."

ME Never mind that Enron supported Kyoto.

When Streisand learned what Frum did for a living, she released a disdainful "Ewwwwwww."

ME: Funny, that's the same sound I make when I hear her "pontificate."

'"The snows on top of Mount Kilimanjaro are melting. There's no disagreement about that," Streisand argued.

Frum: "Look, I don't know about that. I'm no kind of expert on climate change. But, Miss Streisand, I strongly suspect that neither are you. For you, this is religion, not science."

ME: Yes! Bravo for Mr. Frum!

Streisand looked at Frum with "utter revulsion."

"I know what I'm talking about. I give a lot of money to environmental causes," she huffed and left Frum standing.

ME: So giving money to a cause = excellent knowledge of those causes. Perhaps if Mrs. Brolin would close her mouth instead of spouting off a bunch of Leftist drivel, there will be less hot air causing global warming.

Happy New Year!

"And just where have you been?" you might be asking (or not, just go along with it, please.) Well, the answer is: Georgia. My dad, our dog Anne and I went to Dublin, GA, located smack in the middle of Peach State. Come to think of it, it was the first time I had been to Georgia. Anyway, my mama is working at the hospital there on a 13 week contract (it has now been extended 2 weeks) via a placement company she has signed up with. She was off on Christmas Eve and Day but had to work the Monday before, so it wasn't feasible for her to make the 7+ hour drive to Clarksville; we went to her to spend the week there. We all had a nice time, but I'm glad to be back home sleeping on my own bed instead of an air mattress.