King of Fools

Goodbye, Blogspot

2003-10-09T09:09:00.000-05:00

This is my last post on this blog...because I have decided to move to my own domain. Please click this link to go to king-of-fools.com. If you have a link to this blogspot blog, now would be a great time to change that.

Blogspot is not that bad of a service for the price. If I was paying for it, I would be dissatisfied, but for free it was a great starting point. My main reason for moving is to use Movable Type as well as eliminate downtime. If king-of-fools.com is not working for you yet, I apologize. The DNS update should be complete by Friday.

Again...Go here:

king-of-fools.com

The King

Free Reading Material

2003-10-08T13:03:00.000-05:00

Bored? Need something to help pass the time or battle insomnia? Try these:

The Carnival of the Vanities, where people submit their best posts.

The Bonfire of the Vanities, where they submit their worst.

Kindergarten, for Men

2003-10-08T09:15:00.000-05:00

Is this a passing oddity or an emerging trend? Only time will tell:

BERLIN (Reuters) - German women fed up with their partners' grumbling on weekend shopping trips can now dump them at a special kindergarten for men offering beer and entertainment.

"The women are issued a receipt for their partners when they hand them in and can pick them up again when they return it to us later," Alexander Stein, manager of the 'Nox Bar' in the northern city of Hamburg told Reuters on Tuesday.

The men are given a name badge on arrival and for 10 euros ($11.80) they get two beers, a hot meal, televised football and games.

Stein said the idea for the Saturday afternoon men's creche, or "Maennergarten," came from a female customer who thought it would be a good way of getting shot of her husband so she could shop in peace.

"She found it all too stressful and thought this might be the solution. Both were very happy with the way it turned out.

"Last week the men had a remote control car to play with. Next week there's going to be a mini racetrack," said Stein.

They are also offering a drilling workshop.

"It beats sitting around in shoe shops, that's for sure," one man told the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.

The funniest part of the whole thing is the name badge and the receipt which is required to collect your man. What would happen if some woman would (accidentally!!!) lose her receipt?

Acidic Commute

2003-10-08T08:46:00.000-05:00

Houston drivers are facing a difficult commute this morning:

About 4:30 Wednesday morning, the driver of an SUV lost control of his vehicle during a tire blow out and struck the 18-wheeler carrying Hydrochloric Acid.

The 18-wheeler rolled on its side, spilling the load of hazardous material on the northbound side of Interstate 45. The spill has closed the northbound side of I-45, the HOV lane, and the northbound feeder of I-45.

HCl is a pretty nasty substance. Hazmat teams are working on the problem, but how do they deal with this kind of problem? Do they actually remove the acid or just use a base to neutralize it? If they do neutralize it, what is the resulting product and how do they deal with that? The news will undoubtably inform the city when the clean-up is complete, but it is doubtful that they will explain what it takes to pull it off.

Dems Need to Forget the Recall

2003-10-08T08:36:00.000-05:00

Hugh Hewitt is spot on once again in this Weekly Standard article:

WITHIN MINUTES of the release of exit polls from California last night, Democrats had wheeled as one and began the hopeless attempt to spin the disastrous verdict. Senator Dianne Feinstein led the charge, but the refrain echoed throughout the party: This was a verdict on Davis's handling of the budget, a handling very similar to the fiscal mismanagement on the national level.

Howard Dean had the message on his website 18 minutes after the polls closed:

'Today's recall election in California was not about Gray Davis or Arnold Schwarzenegger. This recall was about the frustration so many people are feeling about the way things are going. . . . Tonight the voters in California directed their frustration with the country's direction on their incumbent governor. Come next November, that anger might be directed at a different incumbent . . . in the White House.'

The comparison of Grey Davis to Bush is a very interesting tactic. The Democratic party defended Grey and all his policies to the end, but now that he has fallen, they have completely reversed themselves. Now they are proclaiming that Bush's policies are horribly flawed just like those of Davis and 2004 is not really a Presidential election but actually a recall election. I guess when life gives you lemons...try to put a sour face on your opponent too. What is interesting is the potential result from this strategy:

This delusional spin is great news for Republicans across the country. Gray Davis was booted from office because he imposed a massive tax hike on all California drivers while fecklessly allowing illegal aliens to get drivers' licenses. Davis was all Clinton-Carville when it came to the politics of personal destruction, and he didn't bother to disguise his total dependence on Sacramento's iron triangle of special interests: Indian gambling, trial lawyers, and public employee unions.

All of which is obvious. But when Democrats reflexively reject even the obvious conclusions, they demonstrate a capacity for political suicide reminiscent of Britain's Labour party in the late '70s and early '80s. The refusal of Dean and other senior Democrats to understand Tuesday's vote is an almost certain indication of electoral disaster ahead.

So far, everything out of the Presidential challengers has been the anti-Bush platform. "If he is for it, we are against it." It will be interesting to see if this changes at some point - possibly once someone wraps up the nomination.

UPDATE: Weintraub makes a similar observation:

Several of the Democrats I spoke to were in strong denial about the message sent by the voters, the message being that they, and Davis, have been poor stewards of state government. They see this is an isolated event, a venting, that will quickly pass while they fight to maintain everything they have done the past five years. My gut tells me they are wrong, that there is something deeper here, a desire for fundamental change in the way the state does business and in the way politics works, or doesn’t work, in California.

(Hat-tip to Instapundit)

Hard Disk 'Airbag'

2003-10-07T09:04:00.000-05:00

Here is a fascinating new development from IBM engineers:

The world's first laptops incorporating automatic protection against the damage caused by a drop have been launched by US computer maker IBM.

The new ThinkPad systems use an onboard accelerometer to detect a sudden fall. If an impact seems imminent, then within a tenth of a second the computer's hard drive stops writing data and the read/write head is retracted to a safe position.

This is a pretty amazing idea. Anything to prevent the dreaded "low altitude read" which is so hard on the disk surface, not to mention the read/write head. Sometimes it feels like very large companies such as IBM have lost the ability to innovate. This is a good sign that the corporate culture is not stifling creativity.

Current Project

2003-10-06T10:05:00.000-05:00

You may have noticed that I haven't been blogging much lately. There is a good reason for that. I am currently working on a hosting solution which will allow me to move off of BlogSpot and onto my own domain. I am also working on a site redesign and have developed some extremely cool Movable Type templates.

My new URL will be king-of-fools.com but please don't go there yet...

French Missiles

2003-10-04T16:29:00.000-05:00

Does this news really surprise anyone?

FRENCH-made anti-aircraft missiles built earlier this year have been found in Iraq.

Government officials in Paris were last night struggling to explain how, despite a UN arms embargo being in place for more than 20 years, hi-tech French weaponry made its way to Baghdad.

The sale of French missiles to Iraq at a time when Saddam Hussein was trying to bolster his defences against the looming US invasion threatens to derail efforts to repair the diplomatic damage suffered as a result of Paris's refusal to support military action.

France opposed U.N. involvement in Iraq and President ChIRAQ stands in opposition to the new resolution to rebuild the country. With this new find, it is as clear as ever who France is allies with.

UPDATE: It appears that the Poles were mistaken. It also appears that there is some bad blood developing between France and Poland.

The Council has Spoken

2003-10-03T09:50:00.000-05:00

The Watcher's Council has met and has voted on the posts of the week:

Winning Council Entry:
Money is NOT the Answer! by Alpha Patriot

Winning Non-Council Entry:
Michael Moore's Call to Arms by Brain Terminal

The Indecisive Executive

2003-10-03T09:18:00.000-05:00

Something is happening with the Bob Graham campaign, but no one knows exactly what:

Initially, the Graham campaign announced a news conference for 2 p.m. Friday, suggesting he would quit the race

Ok. Bob Graham is quitting the Presidential race.

But late Thursday, the campaign and the Florida Democratic Party said there would be no news conference.

"Senator Graham has decided to soldier on," said Florida Democratic Party Chairman Scott Maddox.

Maybe not. In the spirit of Strong Mad, he is going to "keep it going".

At least one staffer left amid the speculation about Graham's future.

"This was just the right time for me to move on," said Jamal Simmons, who served as spokesman for the campaign.

Hmmm. His campaign spokesman has quit - maybe he really is leaving the race!

Graham, leaving one of several staff meetings, said, "We'll make a decision shortly."

I understand now. He just hasn't decided yet.

Graham called off a fund-raiser Thursday night in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Spokesman Paul Anderson said Graham canceled the event in hopes of making a Senate vote.

Canceled fundraiser? He is definitely quitting.

A Friday evening fund-raiser in West Palm Beach will still go on, Anderson said.

What? Why continue to raise funds if you are quitting the race?

I think the entire Bob Graham campaign only leaves one possible conclusion: This man (running for president or not) does not have the decision making capability required of any executive position. Running or not, he is already out of the race. What is not known is if it will take him as long to decide to quit as it took him to decide to run?

Flying Dinars

2003-10-03T07:52:00.000-05:00

New Iraqi Dinars are being flown into the country and guarded by troops from Fiji:

CARGO flights are ferrying Iraq's new currency into this northern airbase daily in preparation for its launch later this month, a senior US military officer said today.

He said the new dinar banknotes were being guarded by a contingent of Fijians in a remote corner of Camp Qayyarah, 350 kilometres north of Baghdad, which was once used by ousted president Saddam Hussein's airforce.

"That's affirmative, the currency is being delivered here and looked after by the Fijians but it's a separate operation and has nothing to do with us," the officer, from the 101st Airborne Division, told AFP.

The old dinar, with Saddam's smiling face etched upon it, is destined for the dustbins of history within the next two weeks.

Additional information on how the dinars will be phased in is here:

On 15 October, new Iraqi dinar banknotes will be available. They will replace the existing Iraqi “print” dinars at parity. After 15 October there will be three months to swap the existing notes for new ones.

Of course, if a person was interested in a "Saddam dinar", the are still available...at least on Ebay.

The Disenfranchisement of the U.N.

2003-10-02T15:40:00.000-05:00

It appears that the sovereignty of the U.N. has been snubbed, and the Secretary General is not taking it sitting down:

Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Thursday a new U.S. draft resolution on Iraq does not follow his recommendation for a quick transfer of power to an interim Iraqi government.

A quick transfer would facilitate the United Nations' work in Iraq and make it easier for other countries to contribute troops and money without having to go through the U.S.-British occupation authorities.

The revised resolution endorses a step-by-step transfer of authority to an Iraqi interim administration but sets no timetable for the handover of sovereignty and leaves the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority in overall c control until elections are held at some future unspecified date.

So Mr. Annan is complaining because his own suggestions for Iraq are not being followed. If his recommendations were followed back in early 2003, the regime of Saddam Hussein would still be in power and would still be doing this. It is not entirely clear why he thinks his ideas would carry weight with the United States and Great Britain, since they violated the U.N. Charter when they liberated the people of Iraq.

It sounds like the Secretary General is just trying to find a way to legitimize himself. After all, his primary claim to fame are the diplomatic relations he had with Saddam Hussein in 1990, again in 1998 and finally (and most unsuccessfully) in 2003. The U.N. does need to find a new cash cow to replace the Conflict of Interest (also known as the Oil-for-Food program) program which is going away in November.

Or perhaps the U.N.'s demand to control all humanitarian aid in Iraq is to protect themselves. They may want to just roll the existing Oil-for-Food program into a new Iraq Humanitarian program. This would be much superior to actually closing the books on the largest of all U.N. programs because the books are starting to look a little Enronesque:

With less than two months until the UN is due to hand over control of Iraq's multi-billion dollar oil-for-food programme to the US-led coalition in Baghdad, US officials say they have yet to ascertain exactly where all the money is.

Any readers interested in the differences between the two draft resolutions can find details here.

UPDATE: Not wanting to miss the whine festival, the French have gotten into the act as well:

France has criticised the United States' latest draft resolution on the future of Iraq, saying it does not deal with its concerns.

"The revised text does not address our wishes," France UN ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere said after the Security Council met to discuss the document.

Remember the French? They are the folks who voted against any type of action against Saddam Hussein, and most likely engaged in illegal trade with a sanctioned Iraq. They profited greatly from the oil-for-food program and balked about lifting those same sanctions once Saddam was deposed (although they did grudgingly agree in the end).

The Iraqi people have been rejoicing for 8 months that the actions of the Coalition did not address the wishes of the French.

War on Terror

2003-10-01T05:21:00.000-05:00

Here is a round-up of recent global news regarding terrorism:

Israel: Israeli commandos arrest a leader of the militant Islamic Jihad (hiding under a car) as well as 14 other wanted Palestinians
Belgium: Belgium convicts a former professional soccer player who joined the al Qaeda terrorist network for plotting to bomb a NATO base
Philippines: Philippines appoints anti-terrorism ambassador
Bali: Bali Bomber Begs President for Lighter Sentence
Britain: Britain arrests 11 North African men on suspicion of terrorism
Australia Australia and Japan build counter-terrorism ties
Kenya: Nairobi Police Interrogate Two Terror Suspects
Spain: Interpol Plans Anti-Terrorism Database

Terrorism is obviously a global problem, not just a U.S. or Israeli one.

Arianna Leaves in a Huff

2003-10-01T04:37:00.000-05:00

Does anyone else find this amusing?

Facing single-digit poll support, commentator-turned politician Arianna Huffington pulled out of the race to replace Gov. Gray Davis -- and then abruptly vowed to fight to keep him in office.

Arianna's political run has been full of entertaining ironies. She has railed against the 'evil' gas-guzzling SUV. She drives a Toyota Prius, but her last vehicle was a Lincoln Navigator. She has proclaimed that she wanted to "look at the way that our taxes don't fall equally on the privileged elite". Good for her, except then the facts about her own tax situation emerged: she paid no state income tax and $771 in federal taxes over the last two years. Now, after campaigning to recall Grey Davis and replace him with herself, she bows out of the race and proclaims that he is the best choice after all!

Huffington, who was one of Davis's harshest critics on the campaign trail, on Tuesday urged her supporters to vote against the effort to remove the Democratic governor as 'the only way now to defeat Arnold Schwarzenegger.'

There may have been a reason for her continuous single digit polling: the credibility factor.

Call Me...Call Me...You Can Call Me Anytime At All...Call Me!

2003-09-30T10:19:00.000-05:00

If you are following the Federal Registry formerly known as "Do-Not-Call", here is an update:

The legal wrangling over the national do-not-call list intensified yesterday even as telemarketers said they would stop calling those Americans who put their numbers on the list.

Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer yesterday declined the telemarketing industry's request to stop the Federal Communications Commission from enforcing the rule that would impose fines on marketers who call any of the more than 50 million telephone numbers now on the list.

Yet hours later, a federal judge in Denver issued an order saying the FCC was not to use the list. The decision, from the same judge who ruled the do-not-call list unconstitutional last week, is just one more legal twist in the increasingly bitter fight over the government's anti-telemarketing rules.

The more information that comes out, the more it seems this decision is less about free speech and more about Edward W. Nottingham:

After U.S. District Judge Edward W. Nottingham banned the FTC last week from enforcing the list, the FCC said it would take control of the registry. But last night Nottingham issued a new order saying the FCC should do no such thing. In his order, he said the FTC should stop 'trying to skirt' his earlier decision. 'A person enjoined cannot do indirectly through another what it is prohibited from doing directly,' he wrote.

It is apparent that free speech violation is not at stake here. Every business in the United States is free to talk about their products. They are even free to give their sales pitch into the telephone for as many hours as they choose. They just can't dial my number before doing it (but I'm sure the dial tone is more than happy to listen!)

I'd Like to Thank the Academy...

2003-09-30T07:56:00.000-05:00

Each week Truth Laid Bear has a New Weblog Showcase. I submitted an article last week and the results are in:

King of Fools: Caucasian Club ( 44 links)
Tom's Nap Room: I hate cruelty to animals ( 21 links)
Simon world: Big Bad Bill ( 9 links)
citizen lehew: Who Ate My Democracy? ( 8 links)
Patriot Paradox: The Death of Holly Patterson: RU-486 Claims Another Victim ( 4 links)
Random Fate: Good advice ( 3 links)
The Populist: Reaganomics at War ( 2 links)
Freedom In Iran: Freedom In Iran ( 2 links)
Economists for Dean: Welcome to Economists for Dean! ( 1 links)

This more than makes up for the Watcher's Council last week, where I submitted the same article and received nary a vote. Thanks to those who did link to me and also for all the extra traffic you have brought me over the last few days! I realize that most of it won't stick, but I'm still appreciative.

U.S. Credibility

2003-09-29T10:00:00.000-05:00

This article presents a novel attitude towards the Iraq war, at least for a major media organization:

When a beloved cleric was murdered at a holy shrine in the Iraqi town of Najaf and suspects got caught boasting about it at an Internet cafe, the outraged townspeople didn't lynch them - instead, they got marched off to the police. It's a small but telling hint that despite decades of Saddam Hussein's brutality, the Iraqi people have the potential be a bulwark of Mideast democracy - and also a clue to the logic behind President Bush's policy.

The cover of this week's Time magazine blares: 'Mission Not Accomplished' - as if the Iraq war has suddenly morphed into a total failure. But is that true?

The mission was to get rid of Saddam. He's gone from power. It's an ongoing frustration that he hasn't been caught, but his removal has already brought a major shift in the Middle East, the center of terrorist threats.

Oddly enough, Saddam's exit has been most quickly accepted in the Arab world. The famous 'Arab street' didn't erupt. Al-Jazeera TV lost some credibility. And post-Saddam Iraqi leaders were welcomed into OPEC and the Arab League.

It hasn't led to instant Arab-Israeli peace, but it has enormously reduced the potential support for Mideast terror. Saddam is no longer there to bribe the families of homicide bombers. No one but terrorists regrets his fall.

And others, notably Russian President Vladimir Putin this weekend, have joined Bush in warning the other two nations with Iraq in his 'Axis of Evil' - North Korea and Iran - against any nuclear-weapons ambitions.

All of which suggests that Bush's action against Iraq strengthened America's credibility around the world, rather than weakening it as critics claim.

After Bush spoke to the United Nations last week, the loudest foes of the Iraq war - France and Germany - rushed to snuggle up to the president and say they'd like a role in postwar Iraq.

There is no action that the United States can take which will quell the hatred of her enemies. Despite billions of dollars of foreign aid and assistance, a large portion of the world still considers the U.S. as infidel and there is nothing that can change that. If one cannot gain the love of your enemies, the next best thing is their respect. That is why the credibility which has been gained through U.S. action in Afghanistan and Iraq will work toward achieving peace in the future. Mr. Teddy Roosevelt's big stick is only of value when the other party understands it is more than just a prop.

Phone Wars

2003-09-29T08:49:00.000-05:00

At the end of the latest Howard Kurtz column, this little gem resides:

CNN's Tucker Carlson thought he was having a bit of fun when, during a 'Crossfire' segment in which he defended telemarketers, he was asked for his home number but recited the number of the Fox News Washington bureau instead. Fox retaliated by posting Carlson's unlisted Virginia number on its Web site.

After his wife was deluged with obscene calls, Carlson says, he went to Fox's Capitol Hill bureau Friday to complain, and was told his number would be taken down if he apologized on the air. Fox spokeswoman Irena Briganti says Carlson was 'completely irresponsible' and that the bureau was 'inundated' with 'vicious phone calls. . . . CNN threw the first punch here. Correcting his mistake was good journalism.'

Carlson, who apologized on 'Crossfire' but also criticized Fox's form of retaliation, now says: 'They're a mean, sick group of people. Don't harass my wife and kids. Even the Mafia doesn't do that.'

Demanding a correction was a pretty smooth move for Fox. It is amusing that Fox got visious phone calls but even more amusing that they were intended for Tucker Carlson. It seems only fair that these callers should be able to air their complaint to their intended target. Also, why does Carlson knows the Fox News number by heart?

Nigerians for Arianna

2003-09-28T07:24:00.000-05:00

If I had been drinking something when I read Hugh Hewitt this morning, I would be needing a new keyboard:

Finally today, Arianna went to Fresno to declare, according to the Fresno Bee, that 'she has received several thousand e-mails from women saying they felt empowered after watching her in Wednesday night's debate.' Arianna went on to say that she was suprised by the size of the viewing audience in Nigeria, and that she expected to be able to fully fund her campaign for the final ten days based on offers of support she had received in these e-mails.

Checking History

2003-09-28T07:16:00.000-05:00

In 1948, the American people didn't decide that Germany was a quagmire and feel the need to 'Bring 'em home!" This nifty comparison of Post-Saddam Iraq to post-WW2 Germany is illuminating both in the rate of progress and the backbone of the American people today vs then:

We have made solid progress: Within two months, all major Iraqi cities and most towns had municipal councils -- something that took eight months in postwar Germany. Within four months the Iraqi Governing Council had appointed a cabinet -- something that took 14 months in Germany. An independent Iraqi Central Bank was established and a new currency announced in just two months -- accomplishments that took three years in postwar Germany. Within two months a new Iraqi police force was conducting joint patrols with coalition forces. Within three months, we had begun training a new Iraqi army -- and today some 56,000 are participating in the defense of their country. By contrast, it took 14 months to establish a police force in Germany and 10 years to begin training a new German army.

For those who could relate better to a more recent conflict, there is this:

Or take Kosovo. A driver shuttling international workers around the capital earns 10 times the salary of a university professor, and the U.N. administration pays its local staff between four and 10 times the salary of doctors and nurses. Four years after the war, the United Nations still runs Kosovo by executive fiat, issuing postage stamps, passports and driver's licenses. Decisions made by the local elected parliament are invalid without the signature of the U.N. administrator. And still, to this day, Kosovar ministers have U.N. overseers with the power to approve or disapprove their decisions.

Our objective is not to create dependency but to encourage Iraqi independence, by giving Iraqis increasing responsibility, over time, for the security and governance of their country. Because long-term stability comes not from the presence of foreign forces but from the development of functioning local institutions. The sooner Iraqis can take responsibility for their own affairs the sooner U.S. forces can come home.

Read the entire article, even if you don't care for the author. It seems that men of war, such as Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, also possess an understanding of peace.

(Hat-tip to On the Third Hand)

Hello?...First Amendment?

2003-09-27T13:27:00.000-05:00

On Thursday, the United States House of Representatives and Senate responsed in a most amazing manner to the ruling of an Oklahoma Judge's ruling the Federal Do-Not-Call Registry. Perhaps they were a little too early:

Minutes after both houses of Congress concluded a remarkable scramble Thursday to make a popular "do not call" registry pass muster with a federal judge, a second jurist ruled the program has deeper problems: It violates telemarketers' First Amendment rights.

The surprise ruling by U.S. District Judge Edward Nottingham in Denver handed the telemarketing industry its second legal victory this week and put in doubt the future of the Federal Trade Commission's national registry.

Although Nottingham's ruling is certain to be appealed, legal experts said that at the very least it will delay implementation of the program, which was scheduled to start Wednesday.

The first amendment defines Freedom of Speech in this country. Does that mean that a salesperson has the right to burst through my front door at dinner time and tell me about a vacation package I have won or perhaps a new credit card they have pre-approved just for me? If that happened, and I called the Police, would the response would be "I'm sorry sir, but we cannot remove them from your premises because it might violate their first amendment rights"? I was channel surfing the other night and flipped right past the Home Shopping Network...did I violate their first amendment rights also? If an infomercial airs, and no one watches, are rights being violated? In the future, will telephone or even television ownership going to be required to help protect these rights? Will it be illegal to wear earplugs in the future because of the potential of suppressing free speech?

A little research yielded the following explanation for this judicial ruling:

For the Federal Trade Commission, Judge Edward W. Nottingham's ruling invalidating the nationwide do-not-call registry illustrates the adage that no good deed goes unpunished.

Nottingham voided the FTC registry because it offered consumers the option of banning unwanted calls from for-profit businesses but not calls from charitable organizations, which, the judge reasoned, are just as intrusive. This 'content-based' discrimination between two otherwise indistinguishable forms of speech, Nottingham ruled, violated the First Amendment.

Is that the only problem? That can be resolved without even thinking. Simply extend the ban of unwanted calls to all organizations. Nearly one half of all residential phone numbers have signed up for the Do-Not-Call Registry. It is extremely apparent that most Americans do not want their telephone to be a sales tool used against them. I pay for my telephone services and I have every right to limit its use to the purposes I desire.

Telemarketing is dead. They need a new business model (or maybe just a legitimate line of business). One suggestion: if you insist on using the telephone as a marketing tool, then set up a service where you pay for a portion of a household's telephone service in exchange for occasional sales calls. I honestly do not know anyone who would go for such an arrangment, but I'm sure some people would.

As long as you didn't call them during dinner to discuss it.

Terrorists...In Iraq?

2003-09-27T12:50:00.000-05:00

This article is an interesting breakdown of some of the foreign resistance fighters captured in Iraq:

Foreign fighters captured in Iraq include 19 suspected al-Qaida members, and 123 of 248 non-Iraqis being held are Syrians, U.S. administrator L. Paul Bremer disclosed Friday.

Iranians and Yemenis account for the next largest number of foreigners being held by U.S. forces, Bremer told reporters at the Pentagon. He was unable to provide precise numbers.

Foreign Islamic terrorists and "mercenaries" who have infiltrated into Iraq from Syria and Iran constitute a large part of the threat to U.S. troops, along with backers of former dictator Saddam Hussein's regime, Bremer said.

The suspected al-Qaida members were identified in interrogations and by examining confiscated documents, he explained, adding that some of those who have entered Iraq from Syria "may also be al-Qaida."

"Several hundred" members of a terrorist group called Ansar al-Islam, which U.S. officials say is allied with al-Qaida, also have re-infiltrated Iraq and pose a major threat, Bremer said.

"They're a very dangerous terrorist group, and that's a lot of terrorists," he said.

Iraq has nothing to do with terror? The former regieme sponsored Palestinian suicide bombers. Training camps for terror organizations have been found in Iraq. The only resistance U.S. Troops are facing in Iraq is coming from both home-grown and foreign terrorists. It is certain that the Islamic world expected a Mogadishu response to terrorism in Iraq, just as they expected the same type of weak response to 9/11. It is fortunate for the people of Iraq that the assumption of a weak U.S. resolve, shaped by Beirut and Somalia, was not correct.

And how successful have these terror attacks been?

Bremer said terrorist acts and attacks on U.S. troops, however, have failed to obstruct reconstruction efforts in Iraq. More than 8,000 projects, from repaving roads to repairing water and electric systems, have been completed by the Coalition Provisional Authority and allied troops, he said.

Starting on 9/11/2001, the United States and her close allies have taken a new approach to dealing with terrorism. As a result, it has lost its ability to achieve results. It used to be the tool of choice for those movements never able to attain their goals by conventional means. Now it is simply desperate action, death throes, of organizations fading into obscurity.

NL Central

2003-09-26T10:04:00.000-05:00

And then there were three.

Houston and Chicago are all tied up in the National League Central with three games remaining. The pennant race has been fun, especially in Pejman's comments every time the Cubs lose, which has not been often enough for my tastes. So to satisfy my curiousity, and possibly irritate Mr. Yousefzadeh, here is a detailed analysis of the remaining games for the two division leaders:

Houston vs. Milwaukee
Team	Avg	Slg	OBP	OPS	Runs	ERA	Runs	Wins	Vs.
Houston	.262	.429	.336	.766	790	3.82	655	86	8
Milwaukee	.256	.418	.329	.747	692	5.02	858	66	6
Difference	.010	.011	.007	.019	98	1.20	203	20	2

Chicago vs. Pittsburgh
Team	Avg	Slg	OBP	OPS	Runs	ERA	Runs	Wins	Vs.
Chicago	.259	.416	.323	.739	711	3.86	676	86	8
Pittsburgh	.268	.422	.338	.760	746	4.64	788	74	7
Difference	.009	.006	.015	.021	35	0.78	112	12	1

Statistically, Houson is a slightly stronger team than Chicago, and their opponent (Milwaukee) is significantly weaker than Chicago's (Pittsburgh). Unfortunately, statistics do not win ball games. My gut feeling on this is both leaders will go 2-1 in their final series and finish the season tied. This will require a one game playoff which will be held in Chicago (unfortunately). If it does come to that, then look here on Monday morning for a head-to-head statistical analysis of Houston vs. Chicago.

The Council Has Spoken

2003-09-26T08:26:00.000-05:00

The Watcher's Council has met and has voted on the posts of the week:

Winning Council Entry:
Approaching Iran by Spiced Sass

Winning Non-Council Entry:
The New Uncle Wiggle Wings by Dean's World

There was another tie this week, in the Council category. (I didn't receive a single vote with what I thought was a pretty good article. I'm gonna attribute it to the fact that BlogSpot pulled down the archives and permalinks for a few days.)

Judicial Restraint

2003-09-25T11:41:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled that the FTC commission that created the Federal Do-Not-Call Registry overstepped its bounds. Today Congress is taking action to ensure that the judiciary knows that such authority has been granted to the FTC by the Congress:

Lawmakers are moving swiftly to defend the popular national do-not-call list from a court ruling that may jeopardize the promise of peace and quiet for people fed up with telemarketers.

The Senate and House were expected to consider legislation Thursday that would ensure the free government service goes into effect as scheduled next week, deflecting unwanted sales pitches to more than 50 million registered phone numbers.

A flood of congressional proposals defending the list came only hours after an announcement Wednesday that a federal judge in Oklahoma City had ruled the Federal Trade Commission overstepped its authority by creating the registry. Telemarketers who sued to block the list stopped short of declaring victory because there was uncertainty about how the ruling would affect the FTC's plans.

Consumers may continue signing up for the list despite the ruling, FTC spokeswoman Cathy MacFarlane said.

If you are not already signed up, do it before October 1st. The telemarketers are only required to check the list every three months, so missing the deadline could be costly as far as time goes. The phone here received roughly 5 telemarketing calls per day. Assuming one minute of lost time per phone call over a period of three months comes out to 7.5 hours of wasted time.

Screened Passion

2003-09-25T10:12:00.000-05:00

Mel Gibson's movie which details the crucifixion of Jesus Christ continues to be shown to select screening audiences. Keith A. Fournier gives his review in this article in Christianity Today. He is amazed at the charges that the movie is anti-Semitic:

At the end of the film, after we had all had a chance to recover, a question and answer period ensued. The unanimous praise for the film, from a rather diverse crowd, was as astounding as the compliments were effusive. The questions included the one question that seems to follow this film, even though it has not yet even been released. 'Why is this film considered by some to be 'anti-Semitic?'

Frankly, having now experienced (you do not 'view' this film) 'the Passion' it is a question that is impossible to answer. A law professor whom I admire sat in front of me. He raised his hand and responded 'After watching this film, I do not understand how anyone can insinuate that it even remotely presents that the Jews killed Jesus. It doesn't.' He continued 'It made me realize that my sins killed Jesus'

I agree. There is not a scintilla of anti-Semitism to be found anywhere in this powerful film. If there were, I would be among the first to decry it. It faithfully tells the Gospel story in a dramatically beautiful, sensitive and profoundly engaging way. Those who are alleging otherwise have either not seen the film or have another agenda behind their protestations.

This article is a must read, just as this movie will be a must see. The most amazing part of the screening was the state of the audience once the movie ended:

When the film concluded, this "invitation only" gathering of "movers and shakers" in Washington, D.C. were shaking indeed, but this time from sobbing. I am not sure there was a dry eye in the place. The crowd that had been glad-handing before the film was now eerily silent. No one could speak because words were woefully inadequate. We had experienced a kind of art that is a rarity in life, the kind that makes heaven touch earth.

A very interesting take on the controversy surrounding this movie comes from conservative Jewish Rabbi Daniel Lapin:

As an Orthodox rabbi with a wary eye on Jewish history which has an ominous habit of repeating itself, I fear that these protests, well intentioned though some may be, are a mistake. I believe those who publicly protest Mel Gibson's film lack moral legitimacy. What is more, I believe their actions are not only wrong but even recklessly ill-advised and shockingly imprudent. I address myself to all my fellow Jews when I say that your interests are not being served by many of those organizations and self appointed defenders who claim to be acting on your behalf. Just ask yourself who most jeopardizes Jewish safety today, Moslems or Christians?

There is no need to say anything else, Lapin has said it all.

Good Morning Humor

2003-09-25T09:14:00.000-05:00

I needed a laugh this morning and found it at Snooze Button Dreams. Somehow he took a technical discussion about operating systems dealing with legacy applications and transformed it into a hilarious skit which parodies U.N. politics. Thanks for the Thursday morning cheer!

Whose Line is it Anyway?

2003-09-24T15:43:00.000-05:00

Last week, I received a most annoying phone call. I work from home, so I am around the majority of the time. I answered the phone and the lady thanked me for staying at Fairfield Inn, a subsidiary of Marriot hotels. She wanted to let me know about special vacation packages I was eligible for. I politely told her that I was not in a financial position to take a vacation. She insisted on going over the package with me, so I politely explained that that I did not have time to listen. She asked when she could call me back. At this point I said quite firmly that I did not care to accept her offer and that I was on the Federal Do-Not-Call Registry and asked her to remove my phone number from her list.

This is where things got interesting. She declared quite defiantly that because I was their customer, they had every right to call me regardless of my presence on the Do-Not-Call list. I'm usually a pretty calm person but this really got me hot under the collar. I argued with her a bit and she continued to insist that it was her right to pester me at home because I had once stayed in one of their hotels. She was no longer trying to sell me anything except the fact that the Do-Not-Call list did not include her calling me. I finally just hung up and I honestly expected her to call right back to continue the conversation.

A word to companies who may not be technically violating the letter of the law but are truly violating its intent: People like myself may have been your customers in the past, but there is no way I will do any business with you over the telephone. I may even choose not to do any business with you in the future. If this is the way that you treat your customers, then I choose not to be one.

Today, a federal court has reversed the do-not-call registry per this New York Times article:

A federal district court has ruled that federal regulators overstepped their authority in establishing a national do-not-call registry, a decision that would appear to block the registry — containing 48 million phone numbers — from taking effect on Oct. 1. Under federal rules, telemarketers could be heavily fined for calling those numbers.

The ruling, issued on Tuesday in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma and made public today, found that Congress had not given authority to the Federal Trade Commission to establish the national registry.

It is amazing that in just a few short months, 48 million phone numbers have been placed on this list. I do not know how many phone numbers there are in the country, but there are approximately 109 million households (per the U.S. Census Bureau). Many houses have multiple phone lines, but it would be a safe bet that at least 25% of all U.S. households have signed up for the Do-Not-Call Registry. If the issue was put to a popular vote, the registry would be overwhelmingly supported. The only people I have ever seen in opposition to it are those who do business as telemarketers (and even they don't like to be called at home).

Over at Free Republic, this thread was started when news of this development first came out. It is interesting to see how frustrated this news is making people. Someone posted the number for the court which made the decision and encouraged others to let the court know how they felt about it. Member xtargeter posted about his call to the court:

I called and the woman that answered sounded like she was in tears. I explained politely that I was upset with the ruling and she said they had been getting calls all morning and that some of the courthouse workers had received calls at home. Some of the calls had not been "very nice." She said that was going too far. I responded that I get numerous calls all day long, and that since I worked nights, I didn't appreciate getting them during the day when I was sleeping. She said she would pass the message on the judge.

Sounds like they didn't anticipate the storm.

There is no doubt that millions and millions of Americans who pay for their own phone lines in their home do not wish unsolicited sales calls throughout the day and into the evening. If you would like to call the court and let them know (politely please) how you feel about this decision, here is the number:
(405) 609-5000.

Blogger/BlogSpot Woes

2003-09-24T09:34:00.000-05:00

My archives are broken. Actually, they are not all broken...two of them work: August 24th and September 7th. Strange, huh? This issue is affecting all Blogspot blogs so I don't even have the honor of being singled out.

Anyways...if you are here for the Watcher's Council or for the Truth Laid Bear's New Blog Showcase or The Carnival of the Vanities, I must regretfully inform you that the true link to my submissions are down right now. However, the article is at the end of this page...here is a shortcut to get there: Caucasian Club

Oops...I almost forgot about The Bonfire of the Vanities. The temporary link to my submission there is here: Tihs Is Inetertsnig.

UPDATE: As of 5:30pm on Wednesday, the archives are working again. They were only down for about 24 hours. You do get what you pay for.

Resolution as Leverage

2003-09-23T13:25:00.000-05:00

One paragraph in this quote from the previous post is very troublesome (source: MSNBC):

What Clark meant, his aides scurried to say, was that he would have voted aye only to pressure Saddam Hussein into allowing more inspections, and as a way of scaring the United Nations into taking more action. But that was the rationale many Democrats in the Senate (including Kerry and Clinton) used to justify their yes vote. Dean, by contrast, agreed with Gore: that a yes vote on the resolution was tantamount to giving Bush a strategic blank check, sanctioning the president's theory of pre-emptive war. Dean says he would have voted no; Rep. Dennis Kucinich actually did so.

In October of 2002, the U.S. Congress passed this resolution which explicitly authorized the use of U.S. Armed forced in Iraq. The resolution passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 296-133 and the U.S. Senate with a 77-23 margin. Nearly a year later, several prominent (Democratic) Representatives and Senators have come out and declared that they did not really vote for a resolution to use force. Wesley Clark has also declared that he would have voted for this resolution but only as leverage to help achieve a U.N.-based solution.

This whole "Resolution as Leverage" idea is intellectually dishonest. When the vote was taken in 2002, it was politically expedient to vote in favor of the resolution. Now that the Presidential campaign is in full swing, these candidates are trying to appeal to their base constituency by stating that they only voted for it as diplomatic leverage but has no intention to go to war. It is an untenable position to declare support for the resolution and in the same breath condemn the war.

Here is a portion of the text they overwhelmingly approved:

SECTION 3, ARTICLE B

(b) PRESIDENTIAL DETERMINATION - In connection with the exercise of the authority granted in subsection (a) to use force the President shall, prior to such exercise or as soon thereafter as may be feasible, but no later than 48 hours after exercising such authority, make available to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate his determination that

(1) reliance by the United States on further diplomatic or other peaceful means alone either (A) will not adequately protect the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq or (B) is not likely to lead to enforcement of all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq;

(2) acting pursuant to this resolution is consistent with the United States and other countries continuing to take the necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations or persons who planned, authorized, committed or aided the terrorists attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.

There is no ambiguity in this language. The President was fully authorized to use force in Iraq by the Congress if diplomatic means failed. Was there ever any doubt that diplomatic means would fail miserably? There were numerous U.N. Resolutions against Iraq since the first gulf war and each one produced zero progress in dealing with the beligerance of Saddam Hussein and the oppression of the Iraqi people. Diplomacy was and always would be ineffective against Saddam because no one was willing to enforce it prior to March, 2003.

In order for "Resolution as Leverage" to work, there must be true resolve behind the resolution. There also must be a track record of action when the "lever" does not accomplish its desired result. U.S. foreign policy under the Clinton Administration was heavy on talk and light on action. Talk is acceptable when the objectives are being achieved but when talks break down and no action follows, the "lever" becomes flaccid and powerless. Nothing illustrates this better then the words of Uday Hussein a few days into Gulf War II:

"This time I think the Americans are serious. Bush is not like Clinton. I think this is the end."

Forward March or About-Face?

2003-09-23T11:14:00.000-05:00

This MSNBC article looks closely at General Wesley Clark's entry into the Presidential race:

More seriously, Clark managed to create confusion about his position on the war in Iraq - opposition to which was supposed to be his calling card. Pressed by reporters, Clark said he "probably" would have voted last year for the congressional resolution that authorized George W. Bush to go to war. Suddenly, the Democratic establishment's beau ideal - a four-star foe of the war, a MacArthur who could not be branded a McGovern-seemed to fade into just another wishy-washy pol.

Clark's new spinners blamed the confusion on reporters' refusal (or inability) to understand fine distinctions - and on Clark's own naivete about the brutish simple-mindedness of the campaign press corps. Lacking infrastructure (his new press secretary was using her husband's cell phone), Clark personally printed from his computer a sheaf of his writings showing his passionate opposition to the war per se. "We screwed up, but we're learning," one aide said. In Iowa, he declared he "never would have voted for the war," though war was precisely what the resolution he "probably" would have supported authorized.

It is very interesting that Clark has muddied the water in the one arena where he should have an advantage over the other candidates. There have been some very interesting Clark discussions over at Baldilocks, especially in the comments on this post and this one too.

Censorship?

2003-09-23T10:13:00.000-05:00

This just in:

Iraq's Governing Council today banned the Arab satellite television stations Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya from covering official activities here for two weeks, a statement said.

It said the ban was a warning to the stations and other broadcasters for inciting anti-United States violence.

'Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya will temporarily be excluded from any coverage of Governing Council activities or official press conferences, and correspondents of the two channels will not be allowed to enter ministries or government offices for two weeks,' the statement said.

Al-Jazeera's response?

Al-Jazeera spokesman Jihad Ballut said: "We regret this decision, but we will continue our work as usual until we are officially notified."

The world is becoming more and more aware what their 'work as usual' is.

It seems that western media is trying to do the same thing, would it be possible to ban them also?

''It's the nature of the business,'' Time's Brian Bennett says. ''What gets in the headlines is the American soldier getting shot, not the American soldiers rebuilding a school or digging a well.''

The Baghdad that Bennett sees is a city where gunfire erupts every night and dozens of Iraqis are reported dead in the morning. Looting and robberies are common. ''There is a mounting terrorist threat, and the people who want to kill American soldiers are getting more organized,'' he says.

But he also sees a city where restaurants are reopening daily, where women feel increasingly safe going out to shop, where more police means intersections aren't as clogged as they were this summer. ''My neighbors are nice,'' he says. ''My street is a pretty quiet place.''

When Bennett visited the USA a few weeks ago, he realized that, five months after the U.S. invasion, the Iraq he lives in doesn't mesh with the bleak picture that friends here are getting from the media.

It is high time the news organizations got over they false concept that "bad news" sells. What sells is the truth, and if they fail to report the truth, there will come a time when nothing they report will sell.

(Hat-tip to Hobbsonline A.M. for the second link)

Iranian Sentiment

2003-09-23T08:27:00.000-05:00

Duncan Beatty traveled to Iran recently and posted some highlights from his trip. His take on the sentiments of the people is very interesting:

Many of the people in the cabs in Tehran had the similar thoughts. "Tell George Bush to come and get rid of the mullahs for us." I was shocked by the openness of that statement. With one fellow I tried to discuss it with him in more detail to see if he really meant it or was just talking. I told him that if George Bush came and got rid of the Mullahs, it would not be to help the people of Iran; he would be coming for the oil. The fellow replied, "He can have the oil, its not doing us any good anyway and at least then we would be free."

The further outside of Tehran I was the less political and less critical of the government people were, although not completely without regard. They did not like the situation but were less inclined to openly complain about it.

When I was riding in cars in Shiraz with my friend Ali many of the people had questions for me. They often wanted to know what I thought about their country. They were very proud and they were concerned that I would think less of Iran, and them, since it was not as modern as America and economic conditions were not as good.

I sensed a strong identity with America from many of the people. I think this is because of the success and power of America, and also because of the feeling that in America anyone who wants to work hard can be personally successful, which is a value that they respect. I think many people in Iran feel that their country could and would achieve the same success if not for the leadership of the clerics.

This insight into the way the Iranian people think gave me a new perspective on the foreign policy of the USA. Think about it like this. Let's say that over 50% of the people in Iran would like to get rid of their government of mullahs (I believe the number would really be over 90%). In a democratic system, with over 50% wanting something they would get it. So if an outside influence (USA) helped them get what they want, isn't the outside influence doing the democratic thing?

Of course I realize that this issue is not so simplistic and the opportunity for abuse by the outside influence is huge, but at any time is it ok for an outside influence to help shape another country if it is the desire of the majority in that country? I have never been to Iraq, but I wonder what the majority of people there want?

(Hat-tip to American Realpolitik)

Witness Protection

2003-09-22T18:28:00.000-05:00

I promised myself to never post on the Kobe Bryant sexual assualt case. That was before the case has turned into an international soap opera. The Swiss contribution is as follows:

A Swiss body-building coach was charged with offering to kill the woman who accused US basketball superstar Kobe Bryant of rape, prosecutors said.

Patrick Graber, 31, was arrested in Los Angeles on Thursday after allegedly claiming to be a Russian mobster willing to kill the Colorado teenager for $US3 million ($A4.44 million) on Bryant's behalf.

This kind of insanity is really not that surprising. It is fully expected to continue until the trial and its subsequent appeals are over. What is surprising is the lack of neutrality on the part of the Swiss.

She's Running

2003-09-22T15:29:00.000-05:00

Interesting poll results were released today which will have a major impact on the Presidential race in 2004. The poll had nothing to do with the numerous Democratic candidates but instead looked at a future Senate race:

Nearly two-thirds of New Yorkers want former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani back in public office, according to a statewide poll released Monday.

Hypothetical matchups found the Republican beating both of the state's Democratic senators, Hillary Rodham Clinton (news - web sites) and Charles Schumer, if the elections were held today.

The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion found 62 percent of registered voters want Giuliani to return to public office, while 32 percent felt Giuliani should stay in private business.

...

In a hypothetical matchup for the U.S. Senate against Clinton in 2006, the poll found 57 percent favoring Giuliani over 40 percent for the incumbent Democrat. Giuliani would beat Schumer 51 percent to 45 percent if the 2004 election were held today, according to the poll.

It is no secret that Hillary Clinton has her eye on the Presidency. The only question is will she run in 2004 against an Incumbent Bush or wait until 2008. There are two risks if she decides to wait. First, there is the risk that the Democratic Party Nominee might actually become President. Second, if she waits, it is critical that she keep her seat in the Senate. If she loses the Senatorial election in 2006, she will never be President.

The result of this poll, as premature as it is, indicate that if Ms. Clinton wants to run for President, it will have to be in 2004. She is already in the race and Clark is pegged to be her running mate. It will be interesting to see if she can win the Primary, let alone the General Election. It will also be interesting to see which one will top the ticket.

Saddam Negotiations

2003-09-21T15:48:00.000-05:00

This is a most intriguing development (if true):

SADDAM Hussein has been in secret negotiations with US forces in Iraq for the past nine days, we can reveal.

The Iraqi dictator is demanding safe passage to the former Soviet republic of Belarus. In exchange, he has vowed to provide information on weapons of mass destruction and disclose bank accounts where he siphoned off tens of millions of dollars in plundered cash.

President Bush is being kept abreast of the extraordinary talks by his National Security advisor Condoleezza Rice. She is co-ordinating negotiations in Baghdad which are led by Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the commander of American forces in Iraq.

The United States has vowed never to negotiate with Saddam and want to take him dead or alive, but the White House hopes the clandestine talks will allow them to pinpoint the tyrant's exact location.

This kind of information makes one think the former Iraqi dictator will be captured sooner rather than later.
(Hat-tip to argghhh!!)

UPDATE: U.S. Military Denies any contact with Saddam in this article (per Instapundit)

New Weblogs Showcase

2003-09-21T15:45:00.000-05:00

The best (IMHO) from Truth Laid Bear's New Weblog Showcase:

McDonald's to Launch Adult Happy Meals at Argghhh!
Clark's Anti-War Credentials? at SEQUITUR/NON
The WTO disaster and the security threat within at Crazy Thinking
We Like Broccoli (or "Stupid Human Tricks") at Snooze Button Dreams

Judicial Ethics

2003-09-21T10:06:00.000-05:00

Hugh Hewitt points out a glaring ethics violation in the judicial leg of the California Recall:

I was reminded of this when Priorities & Frivolities pointed me to an astonishing statement by Ninth Circuit Judge Harry Pregerson in this morning's Los Angeles Times. Judge Pregerson is glum about the chances of his outlandish decision, taken with two others to cancel the California recall, being upheld by 11 of his colleagues. Pregerson points to the make-up of the panel, which has been described by others as moderate to conservative by Ninth Circuit standards. This is an admission by Pregerson, of course, that his and the others' first decision is so nakedly political that its reversal by a center-right court is assured. But it is the Judge's breach of an obvious requirement of ethics to remain silent that is newsworthy. That obligation is obvious and intuitive for anyone trained in the law, and he should have known better. In fact, I suspect he did know better, but couldn't be bothered by such considerations. His conscience must have made him do it.

Eugene Volokh illuminates the issue further with:

The L.A. Times quotes him as saying, in an interview: "You know who's on the panel, right? Do you think it's going to have much of a chance of surviving? I wouldn't bet on it. . . . Judge Paez, Judge Thomas and I — we did the right thing," Pregerson said. "We're there to protect people's rights under the equal protection clause of the Constitution, no matter who's involved, and a lot of people don't like it. That's their problem, not mine." But Canon 3(A)(6) of the Code of Conduct for United States Judges says:

A judge should avoid public comment on the merits of a pending or impending action, requiring similar restraint by court personnel subject to the judge's direction and control. This proscription does not extend to public statements made in the course of the judge's official duties, to the explanation of court procedures, or to a scholarly presentation made for purposes of legal education.

Moreover, the official Commentary makes clear that this isn't limited to cases that are still before the judge, or for that matter to cases that involve the judge's own court: "The admonition against public comment about the merits of a pending or impending action continues until completion of the appellate process. If the public comment involves a case from the judge's own court, particular care should be taken that the comment does not denigrate public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary in violation of Canon 2A." As Beldar points out, none of the exceptions in the Canon apply here; hard to see the Pregerson statement as anything other than a Code of Conduct violation.

This leaves two judicial questions hanging. First, will the new panel from the 9th circuit reverse the delay for the recall election? Second, will there any penalty for Judge Harry Pregerson's Code of Conduct violation? My predictions are Yes, and No respectively.

Tihs Is Inetertsnig

2003-09-20T12:14:00.000-05:00

This may be debunked here at Snopes but it is still very amusing:

Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteres are at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a tatol mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe.

It really does work. A co-worker and I communicated all day long using this method. Reading it is no problem at all, but writing it takes considerable effort and leaves the spellchecker irate.

Posts of Note

2003-09-20T08:43:00.000-05:00

Sensing over at One Hand Clapping deals with senseless opinions on Iraq body counts.
Matt Margolis takes on RU-486 as well as the issue of parental consent.
Michael Williams deals with the liberal utopia with Idealistic Fools
Ismael (er...Drezner) waxes poetic about Income Equality
Belmot Club has Three Sobering Conjectures for us all.
Obesity Waivers are becoming reality, per Reason Hit & Run.
Judicious Asininity has Iraq News from people who are actually there.

U.N. Relevance (Oxymoron)

2003-09-20T07:42:00.000-05:00

Joyfulchristian looks at the ever increasing irrelevance of the U.N. and nails the issue right on the head. The proposed solution perfectly deals with the dry rot that consumes the U.N.:

I propose a new international body: The Association of Free States. The emphasis here is squarely on the word 'free.' This body should be formed with the aim of protecting, preserving, and promoting freedom, liberty, and self-determination.

If I had my way, the US would leave the UN and begin to negotiate a treaty that would form the basis of a new international body with a core of allies who are all dedicated to the promotion of liberty. At first, this should be a relatively small group of nations, not to exceed 10. I would say that this core group should definitely include the US, Great Britain, and Australia. Until recently, I would have said Canada, but they've gone wobbly lately. Other possibilities would be Japan, India, Spain, Israel, Italy, maybe even Poland. (Poland has certainly shown a strong dedication to freedom over the last few years.)

Exclamation point! Is it any wonder that a body of 191 member nations cannot make or carry out decisions when the majority of member nations are self-serving dictatorships? The number of human rights violators in the U.N. greatly outnumbers the number of free nations. This is why the U.N.'s actions against human rights violators is a joke. They are powerless to oppose such violations except against a country that is disliked by a majority of members. This means that the Palestinians can murder innocent civilians without comment from the U.N., but Israel is censured for taking out known terrorists or for choosing to exile Arafat.

It would be refreshing to belong to the group joyfulchristian describes. An organization which seeks to promote freedom and liberty will actually be able to do something, provided that its members have the same goal.

Texas Redistricting Map Advances

2003-09-19T16:10:00.000-05:00

After 5 days of work, a new redistricting map has been approved by the Senate Jurisprudence Committee. As expected, the minority party is not happy with the result:

A Senate committee on Friday approved a congressional redistricting map, setting the stage for a showdown between Republicans and Democrats next week on the Senate floor.

The Senate Jurisprudence Committee approved the map on a 4-3 vote along party lines. The committee chairman had estimated it could give Republicans between 18 or 19 seats in the congressional delegation that is now ruled 17-15 by Democrats.

The vote in committee came after Democrats voiced their opposition to the plan.

'The redrawing of congressional district lines, in spite of overwhelming public opposition, amounts to the commission (of) an enormous abuse of the public trust,' said Sen. Mario Gallegos, D-Houston. He said 90 percent of the people that testified at redistricting hearings around the state had opposed the redrawing of the district lines.

What Senator Gallegos doesn't seem to understand is that elections are not based upon those who testify at hearings. They are determined by those who vote in the general election. In the last general election, cumulative(1) votes statewide for U.S. Representatives were 53.3% for Republicans and 44.1% for Democrats. Using these percentages as a guide, 17 of the 32 Texas Representatives should be Republican, 14 Democrats and 1 Independent.

The reason the seat ratio does not match the voting demographic is the redistricting done by the Democratic legislature back in 1991. Mr. Gallegos should remember this as he was a freshmen representative in the Texas House of Representatives at the time. The redrawing of congressional district lines is a legislative duty every 10 years, regardless of public opinion. Performing one's duty as assigned by the State Constitution is not an abuse of the public's trust but rather a keeping of it.

1. Credit Haight Speech for adding up the numbers.

The John Whitmire Treatment

2003-09-19T14:05:00.000-05:00

John Whitmire was not well known prior to his boycott busting return to Austin, TX from Alberquerque, NM. Oddly enough, he is now very popular among Senate Republicans, but has lost some standing among his Democratic Party peers.

"We feel he obviously compromised his position," said Sen. Mario Gallegos, a Democrat from Houston who has called Whitmire his best friend. "We'll continue to be friends, but it'll never be the same."

Sen. Judith Zaffirini said: "I don't believe that he will ever regain the trust and respect, but time will tell, and most importantly, his constituency will determine his future. He is a hero to the Republicans, but his action was detrimental not only to the Democrats and his constituents, but also to the restoration to civility."

I understand her position that having everyone in the same chamber to work out their differences is not nearly as civil as when 11 members flee and hide in another state to avoid legislation. At least when the citizens of the state have taken senate control from her own party and placed it into the hands of her opponents.

As one of those Texas citizens, I am glad that Mr. Whitmire returned to fulfill his obligation to represent his constituents.

Ahoy, matey!

2003-09-19T09:41:00.000-05:00

Avast! Let it hereby be known that this be Talk Like A Pirate Day. If ye scurvey dogs and buxom beauties be needin' lingual help, ye can smartly click here or here.

The Council Has Spoken

2003-09-19T09:23:00.000-05:00

The Watcher's Council has met and has voted on the posts of the week:

Winning Council Entry:
The Relief of 9/12 by Commiewatch

Winning Non-Council Entry:
Radiation Contamination in Iraq by USS Clueless

The amazing part is that the voting in both categories resulted in ties which were broken by the Watcher of Weasels.

Caucasian Club

2003-09-18T12:26:00.000-05:00

Racism is such a difficult issue to broach because those who bring it up are usually skewered for what they say. I have somehow managed to hold my tongue thus far, but I now prepare to be vilified. I have been told many times that I cannot truly understand racism because of the paleness of my skin. I disagree. My own experiences, observations and conclusions are not automatically discounted because I do not possess a certain skin color. To do so would be discrimination. If you think that I have nothing to add to the discussion because you have been discrimated against more than I have, then you are free to stop reading now. The rest of you are free to judge my opinions and conclusions by their content instead of by the race of their author.

Humans mentally classify people into different groups. There are people who are enjoyable to be around and those who are unpleasant. Some people are trustworthy while others are not. This classification is automatic and it is a matter of survival. Sharing secrets with the wrong person can leave to embarrassment or conflict. Asking someone who doesn't care about anyone but themselves for assistance is wasted breath. Spending time with someone who is a threat may result in injury or death.

There is an incredible quantity of people that each individual must interact with or at least form opinions about. To save time and effort, there is a tendency to bulk-categorize identifiable people groups. Although such groupings typically do use stereotypes, there are some reasonably accurate groupings that can be made. Used car salesmen in general are usually not trustworthy. People with kids of their own can usually be trusted with other children.

This kind of categorization is useful as long as there is the understanding that these stereotypes are only valid for a preliminary opinion and are not always correct. Any evidence that an individual does not fit the sterotype must superceed the preliminary categorization. There are used car salesmen who are honest, and there are parents who should not be trusted with even their own children.

Dividing people by racial lines is done primarily because it is easy. Different races are often easily identifiable by physical characteristics or mannerisms. It is also patently wrong because, unlike the generalizations above, race is so broad that it is not helpful in quantifying an individual. Judging a person by their race makes a much sense as judging them by the thickness of their glasses or the amount of hair on their back.

If a real estate agent told me the house next door was for sale and asked what kind of neighbor I wanted, my answer would not be a white neighbor or a black neighbor or a hispanic neighbor. If I could choose, I would want a neighbor who is responsible and trustworthy. Someone who doesn't play loud music at night and who takes care of their yard. The color of my neighbor’s skin matters about as much as the color of my neighbor's car.

The whole point of this post is to look at a hot issue in a California high school. Lisa McClelland, a "Freedom" High School student, has stirred up a hornet’s nest with her proposed new student club (per this Contra Coasta Times article):

The 15-year-old freshman at Freedom High School says her campaign to start a Caucasian Club on campus is an effort to bolster diversity, not promote bigotry.

'It's not racist because we're not excluding anyone, and we're just trying to solve the issues of racial disparity,' says Lisa, whose ethnic background is American Indian, Latino, Dutch, German, Italian and Irish.

Lisa says she and many of her friends feel slighted by other school clubs that cater to specific cultures and races, such as the Black Student Union and the Asian Club.

The Caucasian Club would be open to everyone of all ethnic backgrounds, she says. She envisions activities such as fund-raisers and field trips to places that emphasize history, such as museums.

The Caucasian Club is a ridiculous idea, but the reason why she is doing it is obvious. She recognizes the culture’s approval of anything that would advance minority races. She also knows that anything which even hints at praising Caucasians is decried as racist. She states her intention is to "solve the issues of racial disparity" because she recognizes that discrimination against any race, even whites, is bigotry. The reaction to her proposal is most likely exactly what she anticipated:

Darnell Turner, first vice president of the East County chapter of the NAACP, said he believes the Caucasian Club will create racial division.

"It will not allow us to heal that divide that we've tried to overcome in the past couple of years," said Turner, who spoke out during the 2002 Liberty High incidents. "If her motivation is to bring harmony, as she alleges, this is not the way to go."
...
The NAACP's Turner said the club's concept sounded similar to former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke's 1989 election campaign when he claimed his National Association of the Advancement of White People was also about harmony. Turner added that organizations such as his and other ethnic clubs have never been associated historically with bigotry.

"It was a way to identify the members of that group and unify," he said. "When we use the word 'white' or 'Caucasian' or whatever, it has always been associated with racial bigotry. Using that term opens up old wounds, and we don't need to go there."

According to Mr. Turner, black student organizations provide an identity for black students and a way for them to unify. Yet a white student organization is not acceptable because it will cause racial division. I take extreme offense to his statement that the words ‘white’ and ‘Caucasian’ have always been associated with racial bigotry. This is coming from a leader within the NAACP. He explains how non-bigoted his organization is and then in the same statement declares that even the name of another race has always been associated with bigotry. It almost appears as if he could be prejudiced against all Caucasians because of their race.

Mr. Darnell Turner, I refuse to judge you by the color of your skin, but the hypocrisy you proclaim does reduce my opinion of you. I have no problem with the advancements of blacks and applaud that part of your organization’s purpose. I take no offence to the narrow focus of your organization trying to advance only the black race. What I take exception to is that you cannot tolerate anything that would advance people of another race.

Personally, I would never join a Caucasian club or even a Black Student Union, if I should qualify for that. I don’t see people as members of a specific race but as individuals. They may have characteristics from the race to which they belong but it plays only a small role in defining who they are. What amazes me is that those who make the most noise about racial prejudice are also those who insist on being identified as a specific race.

The truth is that there is only one race that matters: the human race. Here in the United States, the advancement of individuals and even groups is not a zero-sum game. I don’t gain when you lose, and vice-versa. A rising tide floats all boats…let us float together, people.

Define 'Truce' Please

2003-09-17T13:49:00.000-05:00

It sounds like Israel's new approach to terrorism is working: Hamas signaling willingness to observe truce

When without a previous understanding the enemy asks for a truce, he is plotting.
Sun Tzu

Under the Radar

2003-09-17T11:39:00.000-05:00

Stealth News (aka Good News) continues to demonstrate its amazing low-radar profile and consistent ability to avoid detection by the major media. The latest secret out of Afghanistan is:

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- A former top Taliban commander was been killed in a shootout with Afghan forces.

Government and security officials told The Associated Press Hafiz Abdul Rahim was killed late Sunday in Kandahar province, along with other fighters. The man was a police chief with the Taliban before the regime was ousted. He was also suspected of leading attacks against Afghani government troops in southern Afghanistan.

It is important to note that the people doing the cleaning up in this case are Afghan forces, and not U.S. Troops. Another bad guy has departed from this world but it just wouldn't be proper to interrupt the Quagmire News and the "Young Osama" film reruns. It is most certain that if a U.S. Soldier was injured in the operation, that would not be newsworthy either.

Dirty Hands

2003-09-17T10:59:00.000-05:00

As a person who spent time in the restrooms of three different airports yesterday, this scares me:

Results of a new survey announced today at the 43rd Annual Interscience Conference of Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) show that many people still aren't washing their hands in public places, exposing others to the risk of infection, despite recent outbreaks of infectious diseases.

Although illnesses as deadly as SARS and as troublesome as the common cold or gastric distress can be spread hand-to-hand, the survey sponsored by the American Society of Microbiology (ASM) found that many people passing through major US airports don't wash their hands after using the public facilities. More than 30 percent of people using restrooms in New York airports, 19 percent of those in Miami's airport, and 27 percent of air travelers in Chicago aren't stopping to wash their hands. The survey, conducted by Wirthlin Worldwide in August 2003, observed 7,541 people in public washrooms in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Miami, and Toronto.

As a side note, both Little Rock and Dallas (Love Field) had really cool motion-sensing paper towel dispensers. You just wave your hand in front of them and out shoots your paper towel. There is no need to pull a lever or turn a crank so this should increase sanitation. At least for restroom patrons who do wash their hands.

Not So Virtual Employee

2003-09-17T10:40:00.000-05:00

I work from home. Always. Well, except for when I travel, which is a rare occurrence. Most companies know better than to put programmers in front of clients, because so many of us have difficulty communicating with non-technical humans. That said, I somehow found myself in Little Rock, Arkansas visiting a client. I'm not anti-social or anything like that, but when you spend almost all your time by yourself, being around people takes some adjusting to. The airport was full of people although the airplane was mercifully empty. I'm convinced that Houston to Little Rock is no honey run.

I'm not trying to sound like a hermit, because I'm not. When school gets out, my family comes home which is the highlight of every day. I'm very involved in church and spend time with friends and neighbors (and neighborhood kids). Yet I do spend most of my time sitting at my desk, physically alone except for this infernal machine next to me. (No - not the computer...the telephone!) I enjoyed the trip, but does take some adjustments when changing from a virtual employee to an onsite employee. I am usually very comfortable interacting with people, even strangers.

My first night there, we went to eat a late dinner at Cracker Barrel. I usually get their Country Fried Steak w/ mashed potatos, although the spicy catfish is always so tempting. I shared this information with the Project Manager I was dining with. The waitress was a fairly young girl with a strong Arkansas accent, blonde hair and freckles. My co-worker ordered her meal, and then the server looked at me. I was in a playful mood so I said "I'll have the regular." Blank look. More blank look. It was as if I had spoken in another language. Deciding not to press the issue, I just told her what I wanted which she wrote down, and which I later received and then ate.

The flight home was a direct flight with a layover in Dallas. I think direct just meant that my plane started in Little Rock and ended in Houston. On the first leg, the stewardess took drink orders and I requested Dr. Pepper. (Southwest Airlines gets special bonus points for carrying Dr. Pepper - some airlines do not.) When we landed in Dallas, I had a serious hankering for a milkshake. I spend 5 minutes trying to find my boarding pass, which had migrated to a point underneath my seat. Once I finally located it, and received permission to deplane, I was delighted to find a Dryer's stand strategically located just outside my gate. I would have been even more excited if it had been open. I almost considered getting a 'shake' from the nearby McDonald's, but instead wandered back to the gate and stood in line with the Dallas people going to Houston.

The second leg was hosted by the same stewardess. When she asked for my drink order, I could not help myself. With a smile on my face, I said "I'll have the regular." At least she responded to my statement. She looked confused and said "Excuse me?" I laughed, explained that I was just kidding and asked for another Dr. Pepper. She immediately understood what I had meant at first and said that she should have remembered. A few minutes later she returned with drinks for the passengers in my section. Each person got a glass of carbonation, except for "Mr. Regular." To me she gave a glass full of ice, an full can of Dr. Pepper and a big smile. I'm starting to think I will order "the regular" at every restaurant from now on.

Recalled Recall

2003-09-16T13:50:00.000-05:00

I was traveling yesterday so I was not aware that the 9th District Appeals court had postponed the California Recall until late today. The reason behind it is very interesting - they felt like the election would disenfranchise as many as 40k voters because punch card ballots are error prone.

It seems strange that they cannot hold an election because punch card ballots are too inaccurate. It seems that by this same logic, the result of all prior elections using said ballots should also be invalidated (which would include 2000 and 2002). I guess it is important to protect the rights of those who might not be able to vote accurately by denying all citizens of the state the opportunity to cast a ballot.

False Pontif

2003-09-16T12:01:00.000-05:00

Here is a creative excuse to use when the police pull you over:

A drunken motorist tried to claim spiritual immunity when traffic police stopped him near Baarn on Monday evening. He claimed to be Pope John Paul II, refused to get out of his car and turned the radio up loud.

The biggest question this presents is "What kind of music would the Pope listen to loud?" The whole excuse would work much better if your car actually resembled the "Popemobile". A really tall hat in the passenger seat would also lend a little credibility.

Journalistic Integrity (An Oxymoron?)

2003-09-16T11:13:00.000-05:00

Editor & Publisher has an interesting article detailing with corruption in the Iraq press pool while Saddam was still in power. The first-hand accounts from John Burns are very revealing:

There were correspondents who thought it appropriate to seek the approbation of the people who governed their lives. This was the ministry of information, and particularly the director of the ministry. By taking him out for long candlelit dinners, plying him with sweet cakes, plying him with mobile phones at $600 each for members of his family, and giving bribes of thousands of dollars. Senior members of the information ministry took hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes from these television correspondents who then behaved as if they were in Belgium. They never mentioned the function of minders. Never mentioned terror.

In one case, a correspondent actually went to the Internet Center at the Al-Rashid Hotel and printed out copies of his and other people's stories -- mine included -- specifically in order to be able to show the difference between himself and the others. He wanted to show what a good boy he was compared to this enemy of the state. He was with a major American newspaper.

It is interesting that small news sources, especially independent ones, are so scorned because of their lack of accountability. Matt Drudge was considered a fluke and perhaps a fad by big media when he started the independent web-publishing revolution. The blogosphere continues to grow in size and in quality (the cream rises to the top) and ultimately in relevance. Independent writers know full well who they are accountable to - their readers.

Bonfire

2003-09-16T07:56:00.000-05:00

If you want some fresh reading, head on over to this weeks Bonfire of the Vanities, hosted this week at wizbangblog.

Baldilocks

2003-09-16T07:32:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite daily reads is Baldilocks. She posted yesterday with her take on the murder of Yetunde Price. So tragic yet I appreciate her candor, no matter how it breaks my heart.

Molech

2003-09-15T07:58:00.000-05:00

The man walked down the path, his first-born son in his arms. His wife trailed behind, trying to hide her tears. The valley ahead was still too far off for him to see their destination, but the smoke rising in the distance assured him that all was ready. The dusty soil swirled around their feet as they walked, evidence of the extended drought upon the land. Eventually they reached the rim of the basin and started down the narrow path. Below them, they could see the idol and the crowd around it. They continued to the floor of the valley and approached the statue.

The drums began to pound slowly, with the beat increasing in frequency and volume as the man approached the status with its extended arms. The throng began to dance and shriek with anticipation. The man paused a few steps from the idol. He could hear his wife behind him, begging him not to do what was required. He clenched his jaw and approached the red-hot hands of Molech. This close to the statue, the pain in his heart was joined by the agony of heat on his exposed skin.

He took a breath of stifling air, raised his boy to heaven and tossed him into the hands of his god. The pounding drums and the singing of the people behind nearly covered the screams of his son, just a few feet away. The boy thrashed on the heated brazen hands, trying to escape their searing touch. Finally, mercifully, he rolled down the arms and into the hollow statue filled with fire.

Molech was an ancient deity, worshipped throughout Canaan and Phoenicia. Called the god of the Ammonites, Molech is essentially identical with both Chemosh of Moab and Melquart of Tyre. The idol of Molech was a brass image in human form yet with the head of an ox. The statue was hollow and had outstretched hands to receive offerings. The image was heated from below by fire and the sacrifice, a small child, was placed in the god's outstretched arms. The thrashing of the sacrifice would cause it to drop into the hollow statue and be consumed by the fires below.

The worship of Molech has mercifully fallen out of practice. Yet, in the same region of the world where the ashes of Molech's offerings lie, a new cult of death has emerged. One where parents willingly sacrifice their own sons and daughters, blinded by their hatred toward their enemy. Their young children play with real guns and the heroes they model themselves after are murderers. Their teenagers accessorize not with fashion but with explosive belts. They produce martyrs but no dreamers.

The Palestinians look to a future without any Israel and then sacrifice the next generation in an attempt to achieve it. They do not fathom that they are blowing up their future rather than securing it. Former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir was exactly right when she said:

We will have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us.

The true question is not "Will there be a future for the Palestinians?" but rather "Will there be any Palestinians left to participate in their future?" The key to peace in the region is not a new Prime Minister, 'roadmap' or cease-fire. The key to peace in the region is when the Palestinian people are taught and understand that their human sacrifices do not advance their cause. They are as futile and self-damaging as the offerings once made to Molech.

Water War

2003-09-13T14:48:00.000-05:00

After a particularly grueling day of work, I wandered outside to get some fresh air. I snatched a basketball from the garage and began shooting baskets. Within a few minutes, a group of neighborhood kids had congregated. We grabbed another ball, drew chalk shooting lines and played game after game of "Knockout". The game is very simple: Everyone lines up, the first two people in line have basketballs and each person shoots in turn. Once you make your shot, you get the ball, pass it to the first person in line and go to the back of the line. If the person in line immediately behind you makes their shot before you do, you are knocked out. The winner is the last person left. Then everyone lines back up in the order they placed and it all starts again. It is pretty fast moving and great exercise. It's much more interesting than horse and playable with people of all skill levels.

After 20 games or so, it was time to wash up for dinner. I hopped in the shower and started rinsing the sweat off. After a little while, the water got very cold. I gritted my teeth and tried to wait it out, assuming that someone had jumped into the other shower. I showed great restraint in not adjusting my own water temperature and it eventually returned to a comfortable warmth. I washed my hair and was rinsing the shampoo out when my scalp started burning. The continued increase in temperature encouraged me to rinse quickly and get out of the steaming shower as fast as I could.

At the dinner table, my oldest son asked me how my shower was. The sly grin on his face explained everything. He had known that I was taking a shower at the same time he was, so he decided to have some fun. He described turning the water to the hottest setting and trying to avoid the hot water for a while. Then he turned it normal and washed up quickly. Finally, when he was rinsing the soap off, he turned his water to cold. He said it was freezing and not very fun except for the fact that he knew I was getting scalded. I pretended to be mad at him, but could not do it for long without laughing. I'm sure this is a stunt I would have pulled on my brother or sister when I was his age.

News From Iraq

2003-09-12T13:20:00.000-05:00

Two interesting pieces of news have come out of Iraq over the past 24 hours.

The Bad News: This NY Times article details more casualties both of U.S. Troops and of Iraqi police officers.

In a rash of violence against American-led coalition troops in Iraq, two coalition soldiers were killed and 10 were wounded by rebels in three separate incidents in the past 24 hours, the American military said today.

And in a fourth incident, American troops apparently misidentified the members of an allied Iraqi security force today and fired on them, killing eight Iraqi policeman and wounding five other people, news agencies reported.

As always, any word of death is tragic - friendly fire incidents even more so. Yet, combat losses will happen while the United States remains at war. The war over Iraq may be over but the war against terror is not. Both solders who died were involved in a raid on Saddam loyalists, who obviously still have weapons and are still fighting. These remaining thugs are not an army; they are terrorists. They wait for a convoy to pass by and then launch a RPG at it. Then they turn tail and run for a crowd in an attempt to disappear. They fear the troops, and for good reason. Sweet is freedom and so bitter the blood that was, is and will be shed to preserve it.

Friendly fire incidents are so sad, yet very common in combat. A close friend was in Panama during the Noriega situation and told about a group of U.S. Soldiers getting off of a helicopter on a remote airfield at night. They were exiting both sides of the aircraft, placing troops on each side of the runway. One weapon fired accidentally and both groups immediately took cover and returned fire. After a few minutes of fighting, someone figured out that they were fighting each other. Fortunately, there were no casualties.

More than 23% of all Gulf War I deaths were caused by friendly fire. The second Gulf War has seen a serious reduction in friendly fire incidents over the first. This does not lessen the tragedy of each death - combat, non-combat or friendly fire.

The Good News: This NY Post article explains that U.S. forces in Iraq captured 80 foreign fighters from 5 different middle eastern countries yesterday. It seems the "Bring 'Em On" strategy is working. It is far superior to deal with these terrorists in Iraq then on U.S. Soil:

U.S. military forces in northern Iraq captured 80 foreign fighters from several Arab countries on suspicion that they are part of a new al Qaeda offensive against American troops, officials said yesterday. Pentagon officials said the suspected terrorists were nabbed by the Army's 101st Airborne Division and the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment between Mosul and the Syrian border.

Military officials said the foreign fighters came from Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Sudan and Syria, and were carrying machine guns and rifles, as well as $75,000 in Iraqi dinars.

U.S. officials suspect they are part of a growing al Qaeda foreign legion whose members are being recruited at mosques and over the Internet throughout the world to undermine U.S. rebuilding efforts and drive coalition forces out of Iraq.

Now for the comparison between the two stories: Using Google News as a guide, there are 534 articles relating to the two soldiers lost in combat plus the friendly fire incident. Searching for articles related to the capture of 80 foreign terrorists in Iraq yielded a mere 2 articles.

News bias? Absolutely...biased towards bad news it would seem.

The Council Has Spoken

2003-09-12T13:16:00.000-05:00

The Watcher's Council has met and has voted on the posts of the week:

Winning Council Entry:
Proud to Boycott by Alpha Patriot

Winning Non-Council Entry:
Don't Tell Me This Is "Progress" by Electric Venom

As always, fantastic entries and difficult voting choices. If you find any posts you think should be considered, please let myself or another council member know.

Hamas restraint

2003-09-11T07:51:00.000-05:00

USS Clueless has a very insightful article about Hamas and the "restraint" they have shown:

The idea that Hamas had somehow been practicing restraint in selection of targets is laughable. The reason Hamas hasn't been targeting homes is that they're lousy targets for the kind of attacks Hamas has primarily been making.

Besides which, they have been targeting homes all along.

The kind of bombing campaign they are carrying out is distinctly low-resource. They cannot deliver many bombs, and the ones they do deliver are not very powerful because they must be carried by a single person without detection. That limits the size, weight and shape of the weapon, and they've settled on the "explosive belt" as the best compromise. This is a ring made up of a couple of kilos of plastic explosive around the midriff of the bomber, with a layer of metal fragments (e.g. ball bearings, nails) on top. When the explosive goes off, shrapnel spreads out horizontally in all directions. The entire thing probably doesn't weigh 10 kilos and can be comfortably worn under loose clothing (which is common there). It doesn't cause the bomber to move differently (by weight or physical obstruction) and doesn't create any unseemly lumps under the clothing. It can be reliably detonated electrically, using a simple switch.

In terms of maximizing destructive ability within the essential constraints of stealth, it seems optimal, especially if one doesn't care about the fate of the operator. But as military weapons go, it isn't really very impressive, except for the sophistication of the delivery system. It's a "smart weapon" but the warhead is tiny. The weapon's lethality range upon detonation is pretty small, and the shrapnel is easily stopped by any kind of significant physical barrier. The only way such a bomb can be effective is if it is used near (or in the middle of) concentrations of people in a single space.

The post is quite long but high quality from start to finish. Highly recommended reading! (Hat-tip to Joyful Christian)

The Truth of 9-11-2003

2003-09-11T06:49:00.000-05:00

The following essay was written by Jerez2 at Free Republic. It was originally posted here and she has graciously given me permission to post it today (9/11):

On September 11, 2001, the United State was attacked by jihadi terrorists, zealots intent on destroying our open, free and prosperous society. Two years later, our country has awakened to the frightful fact that war has been declared upon us, and we are deeply involved in fighting and winning that war.

The aptness of the battlefields we have chosen is proven every time we uncover another connection between the shadowy forces of Al-Quaeda (simply "The Base") and its many allies around the world. These groups go by different names in different countries, but ties of communication, doctrine and deadly method have been well-established. In turn, the support of these groups by countries such Afghanistan and Iraq – the countries where we have taken the fight – has also been well-established.

Osama bin Laden was able to use the entire country of Afghanistan as his base and training ground. He and members of his Al-Quaeda visited Saddam Hussein's Iraq for supplies and training, such as practicing taking over large passenger jets in the camp at Salman Pak. In fact, bin Laden bragged about his success in the 9-11 attack, while Hussein openly sent huge payments to those who carried out the terrorist murders he so desired. There now can be no doubt that the horrendous events of 9-11 can be laid at both their feet. They were indeed among the many perpetrators of that deed – and many more.

And now they are both dead, or in deep hiding. As President Bush has said, "They aren't leading any parades lately." The world is better for their absence. To say otherwise is anti-human, anti-civilization, and anti-reason.

Yet there are those who do say otherwise, who dispute the wisdom of this war that was so suddenly thrust upon us. Why they would say so is open to question, for it is difficult to credit that they could actually believe that Iraq, Afghanistan, the United States and the world would have been better off had we just allowed these two villains their will.

Unfortunately, those carrying this dishonest story are among the most influential voices in our society: left-leaning politicians and the mainstream media who support them. And the only possible answer to the question "why?" is the simple one-word answer: "Politics." Those on the left are so set against President Bush, against any Republican serving in nationwide office, that they would undermine their own country's strength in order to undermine his.

So they tell lie after lie, about President Bush, his actions, his motives. More cruelly, they tell lies about the brave men who are fighting and dying for our security in deserts halfway around the world from home. The US Armed Forces valiantly destroyed the base of Al-Quaeda and their allies, the Taliban of Afghanistan. They then brilliantly drove up the heart of the country of Iraq and in a matter of days took the capital Baghdad. In both cases, they took great care to minimize the impact on civilians, not only in terms of precious lives, but also of essential infrastructure.

Now they are rebuilding both countries, reopening schools and hospitals, repairing plants and lines for water, gas and oil. Even more importantly, they are building relationships with local citizens, gathering information on where the continuing threats are coming from, and teaching those who want to build their country how to be police and firefighters, leaders and legislators. Both countries are physically well on the way to restoration, and politically more free and representative than ever before.

Meanwhile, in this country and around the world, we are tracking, finding and stopping jihadi terrorists who are still intent on killing us and destroying our civilization. Over 1,000 proven terrorists have been captured, and many more killed. And although the terrorists have enjoyed some bloody successes, over 100 intended attacks have been thwarted. Despite threats and attempts, no further major attack has occurred in America. This has been done with a minimum of disruption to our own lives, and even with sensitivity to non-jihadist Muslims.

Yet still we hear the constant drumbeat of negativity from the hostile media. Why are they so loath to pass on the good news? Why don't they want Americans to be proud of their own country, and solicitous for her security? Could it be, could it possibly be, that they are so small-minded that they would rather see us suffer than to see George Bush prosper and be popular?

Fortunately for us, President Bush himself is of opposite mind. If he had to do something unpopular in order to protect our country, so unpopular that it would cost him re-election, he would do it in a moment. He is better and finer than his opponents in this: his country is more important to him than that word, "Politics."

The truth of 9-11-2003 is that we are, as President Bush told us two years ago, in a war that will be long and hard-fought. The truth is that we are winning that war, and winning it honorably. The truth is that we are taking the fight to the terrorists' back yard, instead of letting them bring it to ours. And, the truth is, no matter how hard the Left tries to spin it, that we are winning that war because of the leadership of President George W. Bush.

Carnival of the Vanities

2003-09-10T11:57:00.000-05:00

The 51st Carnival of the Vanities is posted at Admiral Quixote's Roundtable. No matter what your tastes are, you will find something there to interest you.

Microsoft Fights Crime

2003-09-10T07:34:00.000-05:00

Interesting events in a Decatur, Georgia courthouse:

An inmate found himself before a judge sooner than he expected when he fell through the courthouse ceiling into the judge's chambers while trying to escape Monday.

The judge was in the courtroom at the time, but a computer technician was in the room. He took a break from repairing the judge's computer and called for security officers. The inmate was captured in the hall outside the office.

If the computer didn't have a problem, then the inmate would have fallen into a vacant room and might not have been caught. (Especially if he had found an extra robe in the judge's closet.) The big question this leaves is who should get the credit. Microsoft takes most of the blame for viruses written by mailcious hackers, so they get the credit for this one.

Spitting On Their Graves

2003-09-10T05:50:00.000-05:00

From the latest must read article from Michelle Malkin (Townhall.com):

Across the nation, public officials will strike somber poses and shed television-friendly tears and bow their blow-dried heads in memory of the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

They'll hold hands, light candles, and pass around a plateful of platitudes: 'Never forget,' they'll intone. 'Let's roll,' they'll thunder. 'God bless America,' they'll warble in perfect harmony.

They'll assure us that they are committed to fighting terror and securing our borders and doing whatever it takes to protect the homeland from another horrific mass murder at the hands of freedom-hating fanatics. And then?

And then what? Go read the article and find out.

The Knot-Man is Crying

2003-09-10T05:11:00.000-05:00

With Autumn come changes in every arena of life. Recently, the Queen (may she live forever) changed from the world's most beautiful homemaker into the world's most beautiful music teacher. Her early departure time has transferred new responsibilities onto my worn shoulders. In addition to my role as King of Fools, I have also become the Duke of Dishes, the Magnate of the Made Bed and the Prince of Pony Tails. The coffee can full of hair bands, ribbons and barrettes has been annexed into my domain; although the ribbons continue to confound my bow-impaired hands.

One recent morning, I was attempting to remove the tangles from the long blonde hair of my daughter. In an attempt to distract her from the pain I was causing, I asked her where the tangles come from. She had no suggestions, so I speculated about the existence of the Knot-Man, a miserable creature who sneaks into houses at night and ties people's hair into knots as they sleep. Her response was "Daddy, that's silly!"; a sentiment often aired within our residence.

Through the course of the next several days, I continued to express disdain for this nocturnal fiend as I removed the offending knots from her hair. Soon, she was playing along too. One morning she told me that she thought the Knot-Man was invisible, although I am at a loss to accurately represent her charming pronunciation of the word.

It wasn't until one Saturday morning, when I discovered my recent invention had evolved into legend. Our neighbor came over and before I knew it, I had two four-year old girls chasing me around the house, calling me the Knot-Man. I complied by chasing them back and messing up their hair from time to time. Eventually, I moved on to more mundane tasks, but their game continued with an imaginary antagonist. As they played, my oldest boy heard my daughter tell her friend that the Knot-Man was crying. Curious, he inquired why our invisible friend was so sad. Her response:

"He is crying because daddy doesn't have enough hair for him to tie knots in."

At the time, I was not sure if she was referring to the length or lack of hair on my head. Within a few hours, the answer became apparent. She was sitting next to me as our family ate lunch together. During the meal, I heard her tender voice ask "Daddy?" I turned to see her staring at me and she continued her statement.

Daddy, you are running out of hair."

The Oslo Difference

2003-09-09T18:25:00.000-05:00

The American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise has a table of all Major Palestinian Terror Attacks since Oslo posted here. This list does not include the two bombings today. Ten more dead, four in Jerusalem and six near Tel Aviv.

UPDATE: The death toll from the two bombings has risen to 14 as of 9:48pm C.S.T.

Early 9/11 Party

2003-09-09T09:24:00.000-05:00

If you have not read Allah's blog, you should head on over and take a look. This entry describes their annual 9/11 party:

Then there were the decorations. On one side of the room were large banners glorifying the magnificent 19 and their American supporters, and on the other side were posters alleging that the Zionist entity was behind it. So for the entire night shahids were forced into retarded conversations like, 'We drink to those who rained fire and death upon the Great Satan!' 'To Mossad!' 'NO! To Osama! . . . who was, uh, framed by Mossad?' What was even more retarded was that Allah took the mike at one point and TOLD THEM to stop being so stupid, that of course it was the mujahedeen who had done it. And still they could not quite believe it! What can Allah say, infidels, except that you can't teach old anti-Semites new tricks. Eventually a consensus was reached that Osama had somehow hypnotized Mossad into doing it and people seemed happy with that.

Allah does seem a bit grouchy most of the time. Could it be the strain of having to come up with so many virgins in such a short time due to Israel's new Hamas instant martyrdom plan?

Abbas Departs

2003-09-08T13:47:00.000-05:00

The Washington Post weighs in on the resignation of Palestinian Prime Minister Abbas:

More violence. The revival of Yasser Arafat. Assassination attempts on Israeli cabinet ministers. The strengthening of Ariel Sharon. More violence. The expulsion of Yasser Arafat. More violence.

That's what's in store for the Middle East in the wake of the resignation of Palestinian prime minister Mahmoud Abbas, according to online commentators in the region. The exit of Abbas, in combination with Israel's attempted assassination on Saturday of Sheik Ahmed Yassin, spiritual founder of Hamas, is widely seen as the demise of the Bush administration’s 'road map' for peace.

It is interesting that the article fails to mention the abject failure of Abbas to exercise control over the Palestinian terror organizations. It does not mention that the ceasefire was violated by Hamas in violent fashion. If the roadmap is dead, it is because terrorists have instead decided to take the conflict off-road.

The failure of the peace process has nothing to do with the resignation of Abbas; however, the resignation of Abbas has everything to do with the failure of the Palestinians to uphold their agreed responsibilities under the "roadmap". It is obvious that Abbas is not entirely to blame for this failure. Arafat refused to cede the necessary control to his puppet Prime Minister, and the terror organizations Hamas and Islamic Jihad could not control their lust for Jewish blood for the requisite two months.

The article ends with this telling quotation:

With only slight hyperbole, Islam Online , a Persian Gulf Web site, says "The situation is on the verge of explosion."

Nonsense. The explosion started with the bombs going off in pizza parlors and busses at at security check points. If one particular explosion is to have any significance, it is not one coming in the future but the one that claimed 22 lives on August 19th. That bus bombing, during a cease-fire no less, started the action against terror organizations by the IDF. The civilized world is praying that it continue until the terror organizations are completely wiped out. Only then can any road be mapped, and only then can it be traveled without fear of land mines.

Interview

2003-09-08T09:52:00.000-05:00

Patriot Paradox is running an interview series called Conservative Views. Today's interview is with your humble king, under my Free Republic name: ChewedGum. If you want to know a little more about me, you can read it here. (But be forewarned, it is a pretty long read.)

Peacekeepers in Name Only

2003-09-06T15:19:00.000-05:00

The U.N. might not be the peace keeping force they are purported to be:

SOME CRITICS fear that a bulky, unwieldy U.N. force, divided by language and culture and dependent on the United States for equipment, supplies, intelligence and transportation, would be more hindrance than help and could even drag the Iraqi operation down into a bloody stalemate.

“If it looks like war, then it does not look like the United Nations,” said Kenneth Allard, a retired Army officer and professor of military history at Georgetown University.

Allard was dismayed that the administration had reached a point where it had no recourse but the United Nations. “I look on this as a very clumsy piece of American statecraft,” he said.

It was the United Nations that was kicked around by insurgents in Somalia a decade ago, with a U.N. combat force pinned down at the Mogadishu airport until American Marines arrived. And it was a U.N. peacekeeping force in Bosnia that in 1995 was overrun by rampaging Serb troops who took some peacekeepers hostage, then stormed down the road into Srebrenica — which was under official U.N. protection — and massacred some 8,000 Muslims.

U.N. forces often come from desperately poor nations like Bangladesh and Guatemala, which earn hard currency for “renting out” their soldiers. And often the troops show up with no gear — not even underwear, in the case of some Guatemalans assigned to peacekeeping duties in Haiti in 1994.

U.S. soldiers have enough to do in Iraq rebuilding infrastructure and dealing with isolated terror incidents. They do not need to add "babysit and supply untrained and unequipped U.N. troops" to their job description. Add jurisdiction and language barriers to the mix and this quickly becomes a recipe for disaster. As recently as last May, the value of U.N. intervention was demonstrated in the Democratic Republic of Congo:

Dead bodies litter Bunia's empty streets. From some the blood still drips from machete slashes, spear thrusts and bullet wounds. Others are two weeks old and stinking, half-eaten by the packs of dogs flopping lazily about the once-prosperous north-eastern capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

There are women's bodies scattered in Bunia's main market place; a baby's body on its main road; two priests' bodies inside one church. Last week, a burning corpse was tossed on to the main UN compound's lawn, to show 700 Uruguayan peacekeepers what they were missing while they cowered under fire behind its razor-wire perimeter, unauthorized to intervene in the latest massacre of Congolese civilians.

Is it possible to comprehend what was happening in this situation? The U.N. troops took refuge in their compound while civilians were massacred. The reason? They did not have authorization to intervene. What exactly did they have authorization for? It matters not what country the troops are from - the key issue is the body from which the troops derive their authorization.

The 191 member nations of the U.N. find it difficult to make any decisions, let alone difficult ones. It probably took months of debate to agree on the imposing baby blue color for their helmets. (Is it supposed to be camouflage that renders you invisible against a cloudless sky?) The organization somehow agreed to send troops to Congo but could not consent to authorizing military action. It is difficult to believe that troops would be sent but given orders to do absolutely nothing. There is no need to point out what a waste of U.N. funds (25% of which is provided by the United States) this "action" was.

If U.N. troops do come to Iraq, their command and control must come from the U.S. and the U.K. These liberating countries know what the current situation is and what needs to be done. They have a mission and the authorization to carry it out. Hope has started to emerge in the people of Iraq, but that will disappear quickly if it depends upon peacekeepers with a vague mission determined by a 191 member council. The U.S. must always remember that several U.N. member states are nations which manufacture and export terror. If those countries "assist" by determining policy and by sending troops, then all the work that has been done to date will probably have been in vain.

Telling Time

2003-09-05T12:04:00.000-05:00

This is a way cool clock! (Hat-tip to Volokh Conspiracy)

Republican Backbone

2003-09-05T11:43:00.000-05:00

Some remarkable displays of intestinal fortitude are taking place this afternoon in Austin, Texas (per the Houston Chronicle):

AUSTIN -- State Sen. John Whitmire plans to hold a news conference today in a Senate room he is barred from using until he pays $57,000 in fines levied against him by Republican senators.

Whitmire, D-Houston, broke ranks with fellow Democratic senators earlier this week by announcing he was quitting a Senate boycott. He said he would return to Austin from Albuquerque, N.M., in an effort to negotiate a deal to end a stalemate in the congressional redistricting battle with Republicans.

Whitmire's staff announced the news conference without booking the Lieutenant Governor's Press Conference Room.

But Senate spokesman Mark Miner said that unless he pays his fines, Whitmire will be told he cannot use the room when he shows up.

'The press conference room is not available,' Miner said.

Senate Republicans passed a resolution last month issuing fines and sanctions against 11 Democrats who fled the state July 28 to break the Senate quorum and kill a Republican congressional redistricting plan.

The resolution specifically banned the missing Democrats from booking news conference rooms until after they had paid their fines for deadlocking the second special session.

'No reservations for conference rooms, press conference rooms or meeting rooms will be allowed,' according to a letter Senate Secretary Patsy Spaw sent to the boycotting senators Aug. 15 after the Senate vote.

This is a very refreshing sight, especially in light of Miguel Estrada withdrawing his nomination just yesterday. Time to get out the batting helmets - they (Perry, Dewhurst and Miner) are playing hardball in Austin.

Abbas rejects use of force

2003-09-05T09:08:00.000-05:00

On Thursday, prime minister Abbas rejected the use of force (per South Africa's News24.com):

Ramallah, West Bank - Palestinian prime minister Mahmud Abbas ruled out Thursday resorting to force against hardline groups to stop them launching attacks on Israel as Hamas said it had resumed talks with his government.

'We do not deal with the opposition in a militaristic manner but through dialogue,' Abbas told a key meeting of the Palestinian Legislative Council.

On Thursday, Israel (who had just completed years of unsuccessful negotiation with their opposition through dialogue) used force and got results - Hamas Commander Killed in Raid (per Swiss Politics.org):

NABLUS, West Bank (Reuters) - Israeli commandos has killed a West Bank commander of the militant group Hamas in a raid that could deal a blow to reformist Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas's battle for political survival.

An Israeli soldier was also killed and four wounded in the operation in the city of Nablus, which ended when soldiers blew up an apartment building where Mohammad al-Hanbali had been holed up, making 28 families homeless.

It is possible to visualize Reuters licking their lips as they anticipate international condemnation against Israel for the destruction of an innocent apartment building. It is assumed that they merely forgot to mention the fact several years of bombings by the palestinians have left many Israeli homes family-less.

UPDATE: Check out this picture from a palestinian demonstration (courtesy of Yahoo News). Re-enacting bus and pizza bombings where cililians were both targeted and killed tells everything about their methods and purposes.

The Council Has Spoken

2003-09-05T08:32:00.000-05:00

The Watcher's Council has met and has voted on the posts of the week:

Winning Council Entry:
California's Air by Alpha Patriot

Winning Non-Council Entry:
That Vision Thing by One Hand Clapping

Another week of fantastic entries and difficult voting choices. If you find any posts you think should be considered, please let myself or another council member know.

Obesity Lawsuit Dismissed

2003-09-04T16:45:00.000-05:00

The obesity lawsuit against McDonalds has been thrown out. Details are here at CNNMoney.com. Sweet justice from a justice named Sweet.

Thursday Review

2003-09-04T11:41:00.000-05:00

Here are a few interesting posts on a variety of subjects from a variety of places:
   Death to the Hyphen from One Hand Clapping
   $14,625 from Aaron's Rantblog
   Tale of the Gun from The Spoons Experience
   Liberals for the Status Quo from joannejacobs.com
   A poor workman blames his tools from Patio Pundit
   Don't Try This At Home - Or Anywhere Else from Give War A Chance

Mink with the Munchies

2003-09-04T08:15:00.000-05:00

Sultan area farmers (Washington State) are having to deal with more than just the weather and feed prices. Ecoterrorists released (stole) 10,000 domestic mink into the wild from a nearby farm and now ducks, chickens and even cats are starting to disappear. Per this article in the Seattle Times, there may be long-term ecological damage because of this action:

State biologists warn that the situation could likely get worse. If a few of the farm-raised mink survive the winter, they could breed with each other or with wild mink native to the area.

If that happens, expect a decline in local populations of small mammals, waterfowl, birds and farm-raised ducks and chickens, said Ruth Milner, a district biologist with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The mink were released Monday morning from the Roesler Brothers Fur Farm when someone cut through a fence and opened numerous cages. The Animal Liberation Front (ALF), a group classified as a domestic terror organization by the FBI, has claimed responsibility in an e-mail to the media.

This was a brilliant idea. Save these domesticated mink by releasing them into the wild to be run-over and killed by predators. Granted, some will survive due to the sheer number of mink released (ten thousand!), at least until the easy prey like the tame ducks and chickens are gone. And if some of these escapees manage to survive, then the ecological balance has been turned on its head for the whole area. Not to mention the fact that these terrorists (that is what they are) have probably destroyed one farmer's livelihood and possibly that of several others.
(Hat-tip to Drowning at 2 Feet Sea Level)

Estrada Withdraws

2003-09-04T05:14:00.001-05:00

In today's Wall Street Journal Online (subscription required), this article states that appellate court nominee Miquel Estrada is withdrawing his nomination today:

At 41 years old, Mr. Estrada couldn't keep his legal career in suspended nomination forever. "The time has come to return my full attention to the practice of law, and to regain the ability to make long-term plans for my family," the Honduran immigrant will tell President Bush today, in a letter we obtained from a source other than the author.

His withdrawal should embarrass Republicans who have been outwitted on judgeships by Ted Kennedy and Hillary Rodham Clinton, who are orchestrating the first filibusters of appellate-court nominations in American history. Democrats have paid no political price for raising the "advice and consent" standard for Senate confirmation to 60 votes from a simple majority.

I attribute this to a strategy error. I think the Democrats took a calculated risk by filibustering judicial nominees. Why did the Republicans choose the strategy of allowing a passive filibuster when they had several other options at their disposal? I believe they felt this was the least risky option. They had hoped to continue to make political hay by showing how the nominees were being obstructed from a fair vote by the Democrats. This approach also did not risk the possibility of a very visible defeat the way forcing a true filibuster or trying a rule change could.

What they did not consider was the toll this tactic was taking on the nominees themselves. The 'least risky' approach ended up resulting in a very visible and costly defeat. Will there be any bright side to this result? Only if it puts a little backbone into the Senate Republicans and spurs them to action on the remaining nominees. (If they need a case study on how to fight, they should take a look at the current Texas Redistricting battle.)

I do wish the Honorable Miguel Estrada well, and appreciate him hanging in there for a long 28 months. I hope that the remaining judicial nominees can receive their 'consent' quickly, before they too are forced to follow in Estrada's path.

UPDATE: This finally hit the news wire at about 8 am C.S.T. USA Today has an article here, for those who do not have WSJ online subscriptions.

Letter from Baghdad

2003-09-03T08:32:00.000-05:00

Another must read letter out of Baghdad. This one is from Ken Joseph Jr., who went to Baghdad before the war as a peace activist. He escaped from his minders and met with the people there. After speaking with Iraqis and seeing first-hand what Baghdad was really like, he realized that war was not the problem but rather the solution and admitted that he was wrong.

Here is a portion of his recent letter (per the Washington Times):

Despite the recent bombings, Baghdad looks dramatically different. The stores are full of supplies. The streets are crowded with people and cars. The buses are working and police are on the streets, directing traffic.

At night the streets are full of pedestrians, many families with children. I am at a loss to reconcile what we see on the ground with what is being reported.

The "regular people" are much better off than they were. Security has improved with Iraqi police everywhere, telephones are starting to work, electricity, while off and on, is relatively stable, the stores are full of food, and, little by little, people are getting jobs back.

Pensions have been paid on time. The schools are working and people for the first time have hope and a future.

When I was here before the war what was most awful for people was that they had no future -- nothing to look forward to. For us who have never experienced that situation, it is difficult to understand, but it is akin to being in prison without the possibility of parole.

They would look at me and say, "Sure we have food, a place to live, a job. But can you understand what it is to live with no tomorrow? It is like living in prison."

Now -- for the first time in 35 years -- they have a hope and a future. What most impressed me was to see Iraqis really hustling. They are thinking of starting companies and importing goods.

Again, this is required reading. Click the link above and read the letter in its entirety.
(Hat-tip to On the Third Hand)

And Then There Were Ten...

2003-09-03T07:41:00.000-05:00

One of the 11 Texas Senators in exile has returned home (per the El Paso Times).

Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, the longest-serving senator, slipped back to his hometown during the Labor Day weekend despite telling colleagues that he would visit New Orleans. He went back to Albuquerque briefly Monday before taking a flight to Houston.

'After being in my district for five days, I have concluded my constituents are opposed to redistricting, but they also believe the fight should be on the Senate floor,' Whitmire said before heading back to Texas.

Whitmire complained that Democrats lacked 'an exit plan.'

His return increased pressure for Democrats to end their 38-day standoff in Albuquerque.

It will take just one of the 11 boycotting Democrats to return to the Legislature to create a quorum necessary for the Senate to return to business.

If Governor Perry does call a third special session, the addition of Whitmire does mean the senate will have the required quorum to meet and deal with redistricting. The response of his fellow exiles was frustration:

Democrats couldn't budge Whitmire from his decision to leave Albuquerque, El Paso Senator Eliot Shapleigh said. Future relationships with Whitmire will be different "from the one that existed yesterday," Shapleigh said.

"He has indicated he desires to go home. All of us want to go home. But for us, representing our people's future is more important," Shapleigh said.

The people of Texas are still trying to figure out how their elected officials can represent them and their future from a hotel in a neighboring state.

In a radio interview, Whitmire said something to the effect of 'There is a point where staying in New Mexico becomes unproductive.' It is pretty obvious that the unproductivity started when their chartered airplane first crossed the state line.

One Hand Clapping

2003-09-02T17:12:00.000-05:00

One Hand Clapping has a fascinating history lesson as he examines this statement by Wesley Clark:

In a Newsweek article about Clark's presidential potential, the general is quoted as saying of the Iraq campaign and aftermath,

'You can't win without a vision, and that means working with allies.'

Why? I would like to read Gen. Clark's explanation of why without allies, there is no vision.

The history alone makes it a must read, but he also throws in what is alarming about Clark being Commander-in-Chief.

Magazine or Bible?

2003-09-02T13:27:00.000-05:00

Bibles targeted at certain groups have been around for years. There are Bibles targeted at men, women, children, leaders, students and kids. Thomas Nelson's latest offering targets Teen Girls in a unique way. Revolve is a complete New Testament (NCV - New Century Version) but in a magazine format (392 pages). It also includes plenty of extras: Q & A sections, 12 month calendar, issue articles, basics of Christianity articles, quizzes, beauty secrets, relationship articles and devotional reading plans.

In the Detroit Free Press, David Crumm describes giving a copy to two teenage girls for a week. Here are their responses:

'At first, I was really skeptical,' Ashley said as she gave me her final report Monday. 'But, then, I got a really good vibe. It's got the Bible in there, but it's also got all this great stuff on the sides of the pages just like a magazine: Q and As, advice boxes, top-10 lists. And I really liked these Bible Bios on women in the Bible.

'Then, I showed it to my friends, and they started whipping through the sections. Then, they asked me where they could pick it up, too. So, it's definitely cool.'

Ashley's friend Nancy agreed. For her first and second years in high school, Nancy attended Rochester Adams High, where she said once in a while people treated her like a geek because of her faith. This fall, Nancy is joining her friend Ashley at Oakland Christian School in Auburn Hills where Bibles are not only accepted -- they're required.

Nancy said she wishes she'd had Revolve last year at Adams. 'You wouldn't look completely ridiculous pulling this out at lunch. It's not like some big, black Holy Bible you're pulling out. It's a magazine. A lot of people read magazines.'

It is certain that many will immediately point this out as a godless marketing attempt. Others will see it as an attempt to water down the gospel or integrate the world into the church. It is the opposite of that - an attempt to move the Bible and its truth into a world that desparately needs it. If the package does not contradict the content, it is a valid expression of the truth it contains. The online reviews at Amazon ( here ) indicate that this approach is connecting with its target audience.

FBI Agent Fined

2003-09-02T08:33:00.000-05:00

Strange things happen in Las Vegas all the time, but this story from the Las Vegas Sun gets extra points for (possibly alcohol induced) creativity:

Police reports indicate that Hanson, who was in Las Vegas to attend an accounting seminar, was caught on surveillance cameras firing his .45-caliber handgun into the walk-in cooler. No one was inside at the time, although there was a lobster.

Hanson was charged only with a misdemeanor because of the late-night time of the incident, and the fact that the freezer was in a back area with no one inside, District Attorney David Roger said.

'The only victim in that case was a lobster, and Nevada statutes don't provide for attempted murder of a lobster,' Roger said.

The amount of his fine? Only slightly more than the cost of a nice lobster dinner - $105.00. (Ok, he did have to pay $12,517 for damages to the cooler.)

Legal Wrangling

2003-08-29T07:52:00.000-05:00

In today's Houston Chronicle, there is more news on the Texas Redistricting Saga:

Democrats' hopes of winning court relief in their congressional redistricting battle dimmed further Thursday after a judicial panel of two Republicans and a Democrat was named to hear their voting rights lawsuit. U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals Chief Judge Carolyn Dineen King named fellow appellate Judge Patrick Higginbotham and U.S. District Judges George P. Kazen and Lee Rosenthal to the panel to hear the Democrats' case.

It is interesting that this article immediately assumes that the judges will vote along partisan lines and that the panel is stacked against the Democrats. It does neglect to mention that the judge who appointed the three to the panel is a 'Democratic' judge, appointed by Carter in 1979. The role of this panel is to judge if this lawsuit has merit. They will do this by comparing the claims of the suit against what the law actually says. This subtle advertisment of the party affiliation of the justices is designed to explain away a negative ruling as a partisan act rather than simple jurisprudence.

The senators left Texas after Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst decided to change a key Senate procedure for the special session.

The procedure had allowed minority legislators to block passage of a Republican redistricting plan in the first special session.

In their lawsuit, the Democratic senators argue that the change of procedure is a violation of the federal Voting Rights Act because it could dilute the influence of minority voters.

Kazen told Democratic lawyers that he believes the Voting Rights Act would apply to any plan passed by the Legislature but not to the process of passing the plan.

The article neglects to identify which of the panelists are of which political party. Judge Patrick Higginbotham was nominated by Ford and then to the Fifth Circuit by Reagan. Judge Lee Rosenthal was nominated by George W. Bush. Kazen, who is quoted above, was nominated by Jimmy Carter. Notice that it is the Democratic judge who has doubts about the lawsuit because he does not see the Voting Rights Act applying to Senate procedures. Where is his sense of partisanship?

Renea Hicks, a lawyer for the 11 Democrats, on Thursday asked Kazen for a temporary restraining order to prevent the state from arresting the senators if they return to Texas. Hicks also asked that Kazen order Gov. Rick Perry to give the runaway senators 72 hours' notice before convening another special session.

"The Legislature is not in session now, and it makes perfect sense to allow our senators to return home to their families and their jobs pending the outcome of a hearing before the three-judge panel," Hicks said.

Then comes the pity plea. Notice the stragetic use of the words 'allow', 'families' and 'jobs'. No one is preventing these elected officials from coming home. They made the decision to leave and are staying away on their own accord. It is very unfortunate that they are separated from their families and are unable to perform their jobs. Most Texans (62% in the most recent poll) would prefer them to come home, stay home, and do their jobs. Especially the one they were elected to do.

Watcher's Council

2003-08-29T04:28:00.000-05:00

The Watcher's Council has met and has voted on the posts of the week:

Winning Council Entry:
Endgame / Reality Check by Exultate Justi

Winning Non-Council Entry:
The Long Road Home by L.T. Smash

The entries were fantastic this week and deciding which post to vote for was very difficult. (Although I did vote for both winners so I must have good taste!) If you find any posts you think should be considered, please let myself or another council member know.

Rough Day

2003-08-29T04:14:00.000-05:00

Rough is a bit mild in describing the past day which the earth’s rotation has mercifully ended. An hour into my workday, I wiped out a portion of a new client’s data. I was cleaning up some issues and found a configuration problem in the test dataset. I deftly resolved that problem and realized that it may have corrupted a few files in the live dataset. This was not a problem; the live dataset is not being used yet as the client is not “live”. I jumped over to the live directory and blew away the offending data. The document tracking file also had content, but a few keystrokes later that was also no longer an issue.

I glanced at one other related file and saw entries there too…and then the light went on as the acid valve in my stomach opened. A quick call to the project manager (onsite) to ask the question, “They aren’t posting data into the live system yet, are they?” Her affirmative response confirmed my fears but it could have been much worse. She said she would take care of the problem.

A few hours later, I was informed that a key functionality was not functional. The issue was a core function which was configured to happen automatically but did not happen at all when using my custom module. Although I had never seen this particular function before, it needed to be operational for a demo within three hours. It was not relevant that there was no documentation, design specs or even file layouts to assist me.

I knew that I would ultimately have to create these records myself, so my first goal was to create a sample record which I could dissect. After mucking around in programs I had never used before, I managed to create a “Clinical Task” and started looking in the raw data to resolve the following mildly important information: What file are these “Clinical Tasks” records stored in, and what data elements does each record contain. This approach to my problem is called Reverse Engineering. I studied engineering in college, and I am of the opinion that a course dedicated to this approach to problem solving should be part of every undergraduate program. After three hours of frantic analysis, coding and testing, the manually automated creation of “Clinical Tasks” was both functional and installed.

I ended the day performing a demo for the client of all the latest features (bug fixes) and the portions of the module which they had not yet seen. They received it fairly well, although the demo/meeting went very long. Ending the call at 7:00pm, I rushed to the kitchen to find my family finishing up their dinner. Mine was cool but very palatable. The topic of discussion was the package which had arrived today. My parents had sent birthday gifts. The Queen’s (may she live forever) special day was last Monday and Number Two Son is turning 10 on Saturday.

My son, being finished with his dinner, opened the package and found several presents inside. My mom has a habit of sending a minor gift for each child whose birthday it is not, which is a great idea and well received by my kids. There were serious presents for the birthdays as well as small gifts for the remaining two kids. No, there was not anything for me - save an empty box, now filled with tears. (It’s ok Mom – you can make it up on my next birthday!)

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Eco Madness

2003-08-28T12:42:00.000-05:00

Eco-terrorists damaged 4 Los Angeles hummer dealerships last week, burning one of them down. Early this morning, bombs went off at a biopharmaceutical research firm, doing minor damage. Here is a summary from this Kansas City Star article:

Two small explosions shattered windows on the campus of biopharmaceutical research firm Chiron Corp. early Thursday, officials said.

No injuries were reported in the blasts, which hit around 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. outside two separate buildings, Chiron spokesman John Gallagher said.

The employment of terrorism to achieve a goal is wrong, regardless of what that goal may be. Al Qaeda was wrong. Hamas and Islamic Jihad continue to be wrong. ELF (who claimed responsibility for the H2 vandalism) and the culprit for this crime are wrong. Those who would kill or maim abortion practitioners are wrong. The cause or motive does not justify the action when the action is morally and legally wrong.

ELF needs the Al Qaeda treatment. Their assets need to be frozen and their members need to be questioned. Organizations that provide their funding need to be checked out as well. Groups like PETA and ELF are free to hold any ideology they desire. They are free to assemble and lobby for legislation that favors their views. However, they are not free to infringe on the property rights of others. The War on Terror applies to these organizations too.

Legitimizing Terrorism

2003-08-27T15:12:00.000-05:00

Alan Dershowitz is brilliant in this must read article from today's L.A. Times (registration is required):

For more than a quarter of a century, the U.N. has actively encouraged terrorism by rewarding its primary practitioners, legitimating it as a tactic, condemning its victims when they try to defend themselves and describing the murderers of innocent children as 'freedom fighters.' No organization in the world today has accorded so much legitimacy to terrorism as has the U.N.

He then details exactly how the U.N. has legitmized terrorism. (Hat-tip to Broken Masterpieces)
We are still waiting for Allah's official response to this article.

The Good Book Says...

2003-08-27T11:05:00.000-05:00

This is a list that shouldn't be missed: 22 things about the Bible that drives the left crazy. A few choice examples:

Of course Cain killed Abel. He was obviously suffering either from bipolar disorder, low blood sugar, emotional abuse as a child, or societal neglect.
"The Last Supper" didn't offer an option for people on gluten-free diets, and the fat content on the food was not labeled.
God should have spent the seventh day not resting, but rather going around putting warning stickers on all potentially dangerous, really pointy things.

(Hat-tip to Right We Are)

Canadian Passports

2003-08-27T10:09:00.000-05:00

New passport photo regulations from the people to the north per this Yahoo News article. (Hat-tip to Four Right Wing Wackos)

MONTREAL (AFP) - Canada has banned the public from smiling or frowning for passport photos, the foreign ministry announced.

Canadians must send a photo with 'a neutral expression -- that means no laughing, smiles, frowning,' said ministry spokeswoman Suzanne Meunier.

'The mouth must be closed,' she added. "

The purpose of using "Swiss smiles", is because the International Civil Aviation Organization thinks this makes it easier to recognize passport holders. This is probably true. With all the obstacles which must be hurdled (high ticket and gas prices, heightened security, delays, etc.), today's travelers are leaving their smiles at home.

Tuesday Review

2003-08-26T12:03:00.000-05:00

Here are a few interesting posts on a variety of subjects from a variety of places:
California schools to curtail homework from Four Right Wing Wackos
   Amnesty by Another Name from Junkyard Blog
   NHS 'should offer free IVF' from Samizdata.net
   Quotes, context, and spin from The Volokh Conspiracy
   Open Range - a review from One Hand Clapping
   Dept. of Our Collapsing Schools from The Smallest Minority

Saddam's Gold - Update

2003-08-26T10:45:00.000-05:00

This King of Fools entry on August 9th referred to a captured oil truck in Iraq. This tanker was unique in that it was filled with gold, but not of the black variety.

If you want to see pictures of the gold, Strategy Page has posted them here. (Hat-tip to VodkaPundit)

Open Internet Access

2003-08-26T08:24:00.000-05:00

Wired News reports on a new Internet cafe in Tikrit, Iraq. They have had internet before but at that time, any political or opposition site was blocked. This connection is unfiltered, and how are they using it?

TIKRIT, Iraq -- The first words Ahmed Abdullah typed in the Google search engine were 'George Bush.'

The 19-year-old wanted to access the president's website, something he couldn't do under restricted and tightly controlled Internet service during Saddam Hussein's rule.

The cafe charges $1 per hour and has seen up to 30 visitors a day in its first five days. Similar projects are planned for three other cities. The Iraqi people getting a larger glimpse of the world beyond their borders will only help change the tone and aid in reconstruction. (Hat-tip to Alpha Patriot)

UPDATE: Power Line has a picture of the cafe here.

Three Reactions

2003-08-25T20:46:00.000-05:00

Three deadly bombings in three countries within seven days: Jerusalem, Baghdad and now Bombay. Each one carried out by Islamic terrorists with the intention of destroying peace.

Israel responded with force, killing principals in the offending organization. The U.N. responded by blaming the United States. Now the Indians have responded with caution per this FT.com article:

Large-scale terrorist attacks in India - such as Monday's two car bomb blasts in Bombay, which claimed at least 45 lives - are usually followed by a momentous political response. But the reaction even of L.K. Advani, India's hawkish deputy prime minister, was relatively subdued, and few sought to point fingers.

Mr Advani said earlier bomb attacks in Bombay had been carried out by the banned Students Islamic Movement of India, in conjunction with the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist group.

But this time he appeared to caution against the apportioning of instant blame. "We must await the findings of a full police investigation," he said.

His relatively muted reaction contrasts with the immediate response to earlier incidents.

In December 2001, a suicide attack on India's parliament that claimed 12 lives was immediately blamed on Lashkar-e-Taiba. The attack was followed by a tense nine-month stand-off with Pakistan that twice almost led to war.

Similarly, an arson attack last year on a train, which killed 58 Hindu passengers, was blamed on a suspected Islamist group. The incident was followed by some of the worst communal strife in India's recent history.

The latest attack comes in the midst of what Atal Behari Vajpayee, India's prime minister, has called his "third and final" attempt at peace with neighbouring Pakistan. Although the four-month-old initiative has been slow to produce results, Mr Vajpayee is believed to be strongly committed to its continuation.

With the intention of destroying the peace, these terrorists don’t care what response they get. If their enemy responds with force, then the peace has been broken. If the attacked government refuses to respond, then its people live without peace, wondering when the next attack will come. And the next attack will come; this response is seen as an invitation for further attacks.

Diplomacy will never be successful with those who choose not to abide by the rules. They respect neither the rules of civilized warfare, nor the rules of negotiated peace. To these people, cease-fire is literally translated as “reload your weapon”.

Everyone has seen the western or the action thriller where the villain is on the ropes and the hero shows mercy. Instead of getting what he deserves, this scoundrel is granted another opportunity to reform. Yet the only opportunity that is taken is one last attempt to kill the hero once his back is turned. Reform never was an option.

So it is in this situation. Reform does not seem to be an option. The hearts of those who have been surrounded by this culture of death and raised for the purpose of hate and destruction are as black as coal and as hardened as diamonds.

What is the appropriate response? It has to be fierce unrelenting pursuit against those who would perpetuate evil, coupled with an equally fierce support for those who would opt to exit the cycle of ruin. Provide no hope for those who would choose evil, and unlimited hope for those who would not. This is the U.S. goal in Iraq. Take out the bad guys with deadly force while rebuilding the schools and infrastructure so those who choose to trade their weapons for a plow can improve their situation.

The Volokh Conspiracy

2003-08-25T08:43:00.000-05:00

David Bernstein (The Volokh Conspiracy) is in Israel this week and gives some first hand observations in this post:

The main reminder of the 'situation' are the security guards posted at the entrance to restaurants, shopping malls, university entrances, and the like. Women show the contents of their handbags, while men, especially heavier men whose girth might turn out to be a bomb belt, get checked for explosives with an electronic device. My impression is that on a day to day basis the average Tel Avivian is more concerned about the awful economic situation (unemployment over 10%, and lots of recent cuts in government programs) than about negotiations with the Palestinians, for which very little hope is held out.

The most striking statement here is that the profiling of persons of larger girth seems so ordinary. Yet why would it not be that way? It is in the best interest of all the people, including larger people, to locate all persons carrying an explosive vest.

Weapon of Choice

2003-08-24T20:20:00.000-05:00

It seems the abundant weapons U.S. troops keep finding in Iraq are not going completely to waste. This AP article (per the Raleigh News-Observer) shows that many of our troops prefer the plentiful AK-47 to their issued M-4 assault rifles:

The AK is favored by many of the world's fighters, from child soldiers in Africa to rebel movements around the world, because it is light, durable and known to jam less frequently.

Now U.S. troops who have picked up AKs on raids or confiscated them at checkpoints are putting the rifles to use - and they like what they see.

Some complain that standard U.S. military M16 and M4 rifles jam too easily in Iraq's dusty environment. Many say the AK has better 'knockdown' power and can kill with fewer shots.

Some soldiers think the weapon is easier to maintain, and they also like the psychological bonus of firing on the enemy with their own weapons. Ammunition is also not a problem - they just pick it up on any raid or from any confiscated weapon.

Eroding Credibility

2003-08-24T19:13:00.000-05:00

Voters Don't Want Bush Re-Elected - Poll is an interesting headline for this Voice of America article. The first paragraph is even more interesting:

The majority of American voters would not like to see President Bush re-elected to another term according to a poll by Newsweek magazine.

The survey released Saturday showed that 49 percent of registered voters would not back the president for a second term if the vote were held now. Forty-four percent would support Mr. Bush's re-election.

The headline is misleading enough, but the "majority" statement leaves only two possible conclusions: either they do not know the meaning of majority; or they believe their readership doesn't.

The Courage of Daniel Pipes

2003-08-23T10:30:00.000-05:00

A fantastic op-ed by Lee Harris (Tech Central Station) ends with two amazing paragraphs:

If one day our children, or our children's children, can look back at this epoch in history, and facilely conclude that al-Qaeda and Hamas did not 'really' stand for Islamic culture, it will be thanks to yet another handful of courageous men, both in the West and in the Muslim world itself, who, like Dr. Pipes, have insisted that Islamic culture could not be reduced to the pretensions of terrorist gangs and their apologists.

But if, tragically, such a day should never come, it will be in no small part because of those men and women who today are attacking Daniel Pipes and his work, as well as those politicians -- like Senators Kennedy, Harkin, and Dodd -- who permit hysteria and slander to guide where reason and judgment should rule.

(Hat-tip to American Realpolitic, who always also has great cartoons!)

Council of Watchers

2003-08-23T10:18:00.000-05:00

The Watcher of Weasels has put together a council to evaluate blog posts and come up with a list of outstanding posts each week. From the list of outstanding posts, the council will also vote and choose the best one. The Council of Watchers is explained in complete detail here.

This is an excellent idea in my opinoin, but I'm just a little extra juiced about it because I have been awarded membership on the council. My side bar on the right now has a link to the blogs for all other council members. This should be fun and provide an opportunity to see posts that I would not otherwise have come in contact with. If you find (or write) an extraordinary post that you want me to see, feel free to contact me.

Grade: C+ in Obesity

2003-08-22T17:50:00.000-05:00

This Northwest Arkansas Times article is a week old, but not much has been said about it yet:

With the new school year just days away a new legislative act that will require schools to record a student’s body mass is attracting support and criticism from parents and school officials in Washington County.

Passed in April by the Arkansas General Assembly, Act 1220 of 2003 has only recently become an issue as parents get their children prepared for the first day of school Monday.

The law demands that school personnel figure each student’s body mass index — calculated using a formula that uses height and weight and compares it to other children — for inclusion on the student’s report card each year. Schools are also required to provide pamphlets and other materials that explain the health effects of the body mass index.

This is insanity. Somewhere along the way, the notion that schools exist to educate kids has been lost. Students are graduating without adequate reading or math skills yet the schools still feel the need to take time out to make sure they know everyone's body mass index so obesity warnings can be delivered to kids who are the wrong size. The public school system in this country continues to major in minors and minor in majors.