The Weigh In

Posted 8/09/2002 01:32:00 PM by Justin
CLOSING EARLY TODAY... BUT WITH GOOD REASON: I'll be spending the remainder of my free time today building up The Weigh In's new home. I expect that I will be ready to start posting to it this coming Monday! I'm pretty psyched, it's looking very nice thus far...

I will have the new link posted here on Monday or Tuesday. (My intent is to begin posting to the new site as soon as it's presentable, and at some point shortly thereafter move all my Blogger archives over.)

Have a great weekend.

Posted 8/09/2002 01:01:00 PM by Justin
SAUDI = ENEMY: I'm quickly becoming a big fan of Ralph Peters. Much like Ann Coulter (but with better-prepared arguments), he effectively articulates his anger with current leaders' attempts to ignore facts and common sense. His latest column, taking President Bush to task for kowtowing to corrupt Saudi Arabia as did his predecessors, is just another example of his abilities.

'The royal family doesn't do its own dirty work, of course - no more than they fight their own wars. Like mafia dons, they put out contracts. Some of those contracts are for oil deals or public-relations blitzes, or to buy influence-packing lobbyists inside the Beltway. Others involve money handed to terrorists to spread the cruelest imaginable perversion of a great world religion - in the end, the Saudis are even greater enemies to the future of the Islamic world than they are to the United States.'

IN ADDITION: Deroy Murdock of NRO thinks that Saudi Arabia is worse than Iraq- and he's got some proof.

Posted 8/09/2002 10:06:00 AM by Justin
MUST-READ OF THE DAY: Speaking of Cold Fury, Mike Hendrix wrote a damn amazing screed yesterday, which simply blew me away. I've read it a few times now, and it's already a classic. It's about lies. Not the small white ones that we all tell, but the large-scale denials that most of our leaders and citizens use to avoid conflict and actual facts. I would love to post the entire thing, but here's one passage-

'I'm sick of having people like Norm Mineta and Tom Ridge running a multiheaded hydra of a Homeland Security system that refuses to acknowledge the reality of who our enemies really are because of slavish obeisance to a wholly-discredited 60's hangover known as "political correctness." But the larger nauseated-fatigue-inducer here is this one: I'm sick of the lie that is the foundation of political correctness in the first place. This lie is one of the most insidious of all - the notion that certain realities of life need to be glossed-over and whitewashed for the consumption of people who are too fragile to deal with the world as it is; the idea that the world will become more like we wish it to be if we just get rid of certain words and substitute other, less "offensive" ones in their places; the idea that all people and cultures are essentially just alike and the world will be a better place if we refuse to acknowledge the reality of our differences - or worse yet, celebrate all cultures, no matter how backward, no matter how repressive or just plain invalid, as being the equals of our own. You will never convince me that a culture whose greatest achivements came over 500 years ago, that brutally oppresses women (and I have yet to see a pseudo-hippy college professor willing to face up to that one), that has a code of law that requires the hacking off of limbs or other inhuman punishments for minor offenses, and that has progressed not one iota since the Crusades is the moral or practical equal of our own. Likewise, I am not willing to concede that sub-Saharan tribal peoples whose principal musical achievement consists of blowing through a hollowed-out tree-limb or beating rhythmically on a big log and whose diet consists of bugs and, in some cases, dirt, is in any way to be considered on a par with the culture that produced Mozart, Beethoven, and tiramisu.'

Posted 8/09/2002 09:58:00 AM by Justin
SAY HELLO TO LEWIS W. NAPPER: Who I've learned is the author of the "Bill of No Rights" that I posted earlier. Cold Fury has tracked down some other writings from this fellow, and there quite cogent and convincing.

Take a look at them here.

Posted 8/09/2002 09:49:00 AM by Justin
THAT SOUND YOU HEAR IS THE CHATTERING: Daniel Henninger (WSJ) rightly worries about our country's return to complacency...

'Instead of congressional hearings on missile "throw-weight," we now have hearings, based on old-fashioned security leaks, about the order of battle in Iraq. And while prominent Senators such as Messrs. Biden and Daschle make clear their "support" for the "basic" thrust of the Bush policy, they also manage to convey their concerns about what is "advisable" on Iraq.

This is not the mood of a country whose people are under mortal threat. This is the mood of a country having a nice, interesting policy debate.'

Posted 8/09/2002 09:26:00 AM by Justin
HEY SNOTS, WE'RE ON TO YOU:

'A new book, A Reader's Manifesto: An Attack on the Growing Pretentiousness in American Literary Prose, by B.R. Myers, says today's critically acclaimed American writers use complicated language to trick readers into thinking they have something important to say.'

Most college professors are guilty of this as well, I might add.

Posted 8/09/2002 09:24:00 AM by Justin
THE BILL OF NO RIGHTS: Thanks to WeekendPundit for tracking down this gem-

'We, the Sensible of the United States, in an attempt to help everyone get along, Restore some semblance of justice, avoid any more riots, keep our Nation safe, Promote positive behavior and Secure the Blessings of debt-free Liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great grandchildren, Hereby try one more time to Ordain and Establish some common sense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt-ridden delusional, and other liberal, commie, pinko bedwetters.

We hold these Truths to be Self-evident, that a whole lot of People were confused by the Bill of Rights and are so dim that they require a Bill of No Rights...'

Posted 8/08/2002 03:46:00 PM by Justin
OUCH: NRO has posted Rich Lowry's prescient February 2002 takedown of our enemies, the Saudis.

'...it never experienced any of the beneficial touches of European civilization. It instead has always been characterized by its backwardness and irrationality. Slavery was abolished only in 1962. Sheik Bin Baz, eventually the grand mufti of Saudi Arabia, issued a fatwa in 1966 ruling that the world is flat. Compared with most modern nations, Saudi Arabia is a lunarscape: no political parties, no trade unions, no movie theaters.'

Posted 8/08/2002 01:59:00 PM by Justin
THE ANSWER TO MY TRIVIA QUESTION: Posted yesterday, can be found here. See the movie if you can, and you'll thank me (or want to strangle me) later...

Posted 8/08/2002 01:51:00 PM by Justin
FSU-"LET'S ROLL" UPDATE: Thanks to Ben at Beaverhausen Blog for pointing me to this excellent Keith Olbermann column on Bobby Bowden's decision to use "Let's Roll" as his football team's slogan this year.

Look, Bobby Bowden's an ass. A well-known and well-publicized one. A greasy, corpulent one. But there's no reason I can think of why he can't use Todd Beamer's statement, though there may be a legitimate issue about royalties to be paid to the Beamer family. No matter. I only wish someone classier and more aware of the situation and its potential fallout had been the one to appropriate that phrase for motivational (and likely financial) gain.

Posted 8/08/2002 12:32:00 PM by Justin
NOW THAT'S AN IDEA:

'As New Yorkers prepare to commemorate the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history, radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh is addressing the notion of an American assault on Iraq timed for Sept. 11 of this year.

"I think it would be fabulous," Limbaugh said during his national broadcast yesterday. "I think a 9-11 act on Saddam ... you talk about getting this country up!"'

We all need some genuine good news, that's for certain. I'm growing weary of this kind of good news.

Posted 8/08/2002 10:09:00 AM by Justin
MUST-READ OF THE DAY: I know it's early, but just the same...

Jay Nordlinger's latest column (which I linked to below) also discusses what probably is Hillary Clinton's favorite short story, Kurt Vonnegut's dystopian "Harrison Bergeron."

READ THIS STORY. I'll bet Al Gore keeps a copy on his night table.

Posted 8/08/2002 10:00:00 AM by Justin
ALL THE BIAS THAT'S SHIT TO PRINT, III: The next entry in this new series that I just can't help but post incessantly about, Ann Coulter contributes mightily with an op-ed on the Times' astoundingly unbalanced coverage and anti-war tack regarding Iraq-

'It is as if the Times operates on Islamic holy logic — what should be true, on grounds of faith, must be taken as true, and hard evidence establishing the contrary can be dismissed as mere fact. There's a reason that reading The New York Times these days is like reading a newspaper published in Saudi Arabia.'

UPDATE: Jay Nordlinger has some additional examples of the Times' petulance in his latest "Impromptus."

Posted 8/08/2002 09:12:00 AM by Justin
AND DON'T CALL ME SHIRLEY: "Airplane!" has been voted the funniest movie of all-time by an E! Online readers poll. Rodger Schultz has a few corrections to make.

Pretty accurate list, though I would have had "Dumb and Dumber" a bit higher, as it's my all-time favorite comedy.

Posted 8/08/2002 08:58:00 AM by Justin
WHILE I REALLY DON'T AGREE WITH THIS: I can't generate a solid argument against it either-

Florida State Football coach Bobby Bowden has decided to adopt the phrase "Let's Roll" as his team's motto for the upcoming season.

It would be unfortunate for that silly old man to line his pockets with the merchandise that will be sold with that phrase on it, but I agree with Eric McErlain, Dan Lewis and James Taranto that it's patriotic and has precedent with other sports teams.

Posted 8/08/2002 08:45:00 AM by Justin
FURTHER OPINIONS ON IRAQ: Though I've come out as a full-force hawk on removing Saddam Hussein immediately, perhaps there are reasons for the delay. Jim Hoagland (WaPo) suggests offers his analysis-

'This cacophony on Iraq is not unhelpful to Bush. He can let Saddam Hussein twist in the windstorm of words through the rest of the year. A well-managed war of nerves raises the pressure on the Iraqi dictator. It could even gain some of Bush's objectives before the shooting starts.'

Elsewhere, the Weekly Standard argues that Baghdad will not be another Mogadishu.

Posted 8/08/2002 08:28:00 AM by Justin
SMELLY RED SOX LOSE IN SHOCKING FASHION: And your humble blogger celebrates wildly-

'Terrence Long figures it was the best catch of his career. He wasn't getting any arguments from the team he robbed. Oakland's center fielder raced to the right-center field fence, reached into the Boston bullpen and made a game-ending, backhanded catch that robbed Manny Ramirez of a three-run homer and preserved the Athletics' 3-2 win over the Red Sox on Wednesday night.'

Posted 8/07/2002 04:19:00 PM by Justin
COMMENTS, TIME TO MAKE THE COMMENTS: Hello readers; I've noticed over the last few weeks that my commenting system has been getting less use than Michael Moore's brain.

I added the commenting system for all of you readers, to agree/ disagree/ love/ hate me. Please feel free to use it early and often! Even just to say hello.

Unless my writing and choice of topics that I post on are so awful that I'm losing all my diehard readers... in which case, I still need to know, still need to hear from you!

Posted 8/07/2002 03:05:00 PM by Justin
FOUND ON BLOGGER'S HOME PAGE:

'Interesting factoid I just calculated for a journalist: During the month of July, there were 1.5 Blogger blogs created per minute (on average).'

Dear Blogger,
Allow me to point out that this factoid may have contributed to your and Blogspot's massive server problems and many deserters from Blogger in July. Scaling your system properly before you continue to add more and more users is a thought.

Yours truly,
The Weigh In

Posted 8/07/2002 02:39:00 PM by Justin
A PHRASE I COULD LEARN TO LOVE: The Axis of Feeble, which applies to "the EU, UN, and appeasement-loving lefties everywhere."

Courtesy of Mike Hendrix, aka "Cold Fury."

Posted 8/07/2002 02:17:00 PM by Justin
TRIVIA BREAK: Who remembers this classic Halloween movie?

I watched it countless times during my youth, but it hasn't been aired in years... throw me a comment if you know the answer!

Posted 8/07/2002 01:47:00 PM by Justin
IT'S ALMOST TIME: For the new television season to start up! TV Guide has some general spoilers for the upcoming season of "Buffy" - don't worry, there's nothing too juicy.

Posted 8/07/2002 10:53:00 AM by Justin
I GUESS SAUDI ARABIA WANTS TO BE NEXT:

'Saudi Arabia has made clear to Washington – publicly and privately – that the U.S. military will not be allowed to use the kingdom's soil in any way for an attack on Iraq, Foreign Minister Prince Saud said Wednesday.'

Funding terrorists, defending murderers. Oh yeah, they're next. Soon-to-be good riddance.

Meanwhile, the professor raises a good question-

'Why are the arguments offered by those opposing the war of such generally poor quality? I can make up better, more coherent arguments against the war than those who seem to have made it their mission to oppose it.'

Posted 8/07/2002 10:16:00 AM by Justin
ALL THE BIAS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT, II: I'm ashamed of how I once respected and enjoyed to read the New York Times. But the wheels are falling off, and their grade-school level "news" coverage is shining through. Using large words and complete sentences doesn't a respectable newspaper make. But this ongoing development is better for all of us, so we can actually see the kind of wacko left nonsense that is spit on us every day by the Times and other media.

John Cole makes an interesting observation about the Times' coverage of stock market swoons.

And Mark Steyn has an excellent op-ed on the closed-mindedness of many liberals-

'The left has an hilarious bumper sticker: "Celebrate Diversity." In the newsrooms of America, they celebrate diversity of race, diversity of gender, diversity of orientation, diversity of everything except the only diversity that matters: diversity of thought.'

Posted 8/07/2002 09:33:00 AM by Justin
ON A SERIOUS ROLL: Steven Den Beste has been razor-sharp of late. In his latest essay, he replies to a reader on why deterrence won't work against Saddam Hussein.

'With respect to a nuke, let's be clear that there is no direct defense. There are ways that such a weapon can be delivered to an American city which are virtually certain of succeeding, and almost impossible to detect. (No, I'm not going to say what they are.) If someone out there has a bomb and truly decides to use it against us, one of our cities will go away. The idea that we'd be able to stop the attack is not credible; we cannot rely on defense to save ourselves. We'd try, but we would probably fail.

The best way to stop such an attack is earlier in the chain. Once such weapons are in the hands of groups willing to make suicide attacks, our deterrent doesn't work against them. We have to stop the source of supply, and by far the most probable source of supply is Iraq.'

UPDATE: Joe Katzman says it best-

'This isn't a court of law, folks, this is the international arena. The game is played for keeps, for survival. We learned that anew on September 11, 2001. Euro-fantasies aside, there are no rules accepted by all parties - and no enforcement mechanism other than the weapons you bring yourself. The evidence threshold is therefore reasonable suspicion. We have that, and far more.'

Posted 8/07/2002 09:21:00 AM by Justin
ADVENTURES IN COMMON SENSE: Heather Mac Donald (bless her heart) doesn't buy all the liberal hype about widespread racial profiling by police officers-

'So I set out to talk to black cops and commanders from eight police departments across the country about why they became policemen and how they view today’s policing controversies. What I found was a bracing commitment to law and order, a resounding rejection of anti-cop propaganda, and a conviction that racial politics are a tragic drag on black progress. The thoroughly mainstream views of these black cops are a reminder that invisible behind the antics of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are many black citizens who share the commonsense values of most Americans.'

Posted 8/07/2002 08:37:00 AM by Justin
JAPAN NEARLY HAD ITS OWN BOMB: Strange news, especially with the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing yesterday. And they would have used it against the U.S. in World War II, writes Lowell Ponte in Front Page magazine. Do all you doves think Saddam Hussein will wait to use his once it's ready?

Regarding the Japan story, James Taranto may be on to something (read the 3rd post down, "Our Friends the Japanese")-

'Time was when history was written by the victors. Today, it seems, it's written by the victims.'

Posted 8/06/2002 05:13:00 PM by Justin
DAD OF THE YEAR: Just look at what this guy built for his kids... (Link via Jacob Proffitt)

Posted 8/06/2002 05:07:00 PM by Justin
MORE ON WAR: Steven Den Beste replies to a reader on why war with Iraq is a better option for the U.S. than containment-

'The problem with containment is that the pressure will grow. The longer we wait, the more dangerous Iraq's stock of WMDs will become, and the higher the price ultimately of defeating him. I do not think that a peaceful solution is possible; it will only be settled by war. Unlike Cuba, I do not think we can wait Iraq out. The chance of Iraqi WMDs being leaked to terrorist groups is too great, and will only rise as time goes on. As such, it's best to fight such a war at the time when the cost is least, and my opinion is that this means the sooner the better. It's as simple as that.'

I think he's got it. So does Garry Kasparov, chess god-

'No shield, no airport checks, no intelligence budget will be sufficient if militant Islam retains its foothold, its access to cash, training and propaganda. It is easier and cheaper to execute a terrorist attack than it is to prevent one: The price of a successful attack against America may be $10 million or less; the price to America would be many times that. Time and expense work in favor of terrorists, so the longer it takes to root out terrorists, the greater the likelihood of another attack on American soil.'

Posted 8/06/2002 01:06:00 PM by Justin
TRULY REPULSIVE:

'Arab and Muslim states lined up Monday to call for a General Assembly resolution that would term Israel's actions in Jenin in April "atrocities" and "grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention."'

Can you believe this? It helps to explain why the United States will never follow or adhere to the decrees of an international body. And it helps to clarify how the U.N. and the Arab World truly regard Jewish people and the idea of truth.

'U.S. and Israeli representatives wondered aloud why they were debating Israel's culpability in a "massacre" that the U.N. itself said never took place.'

Screw the U.N. and that puppet Kofi Annan. And the German chancellor can kiss my ass, too. If these people and their countries possessed anything of value or consequence, then they'd also be targets for the Islamoidiots and might even have to defend themselves...

Posted 8/06/2002 12:25:00 PM by Justin
HIDING OUT: Hey all, I will be posting here and there for the remainder of today, maybe tomorrow as well. I'm finally getting around to learning the ins and outs of my blog's soon-to-be new home. I'll be back.

Posted 8/06/2002 10:12:00 AM by Justin
ALL THE BIAS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT: The New York Times has been acting lately like the once-cool kid in school who has been so exposed as a fraud that he resorts to calling names and throwing tantrums for attention. Dishonest, painfully-slanted articles and headlines are now the norm. I'm truly embarrassed to say that I actually used to enjoying reading this newspaper. Now I wouldn't let my pet parrot shit on it (and I don't even have a pet parrot).

Take a look at a couple of op-eds on the subject for more discussion. Here's Benjamin Zycher (National Review) writing about the Times' unbalanced stance on war with Iraq.

And Erin Sheley (Weekly Standard) chronicles the anti-Bush drivel that the Times is serving up with way too much enthusiasm.

Posted 8/06/2002 08:51:00 AM by Justin
MUSIC TO MY EARS:

'A briefing given last month to a top Pentagon advisory board described Saudi Arabia as an enemy of the United States, and recommended that U.S. officials give it an ultimatum to stop backing terrorism or face seizure of its oil fields and its financial assets invested in the United States.'

It's about time for the U.S. to get in the face of these spoiled tyrants, but Spoons might have it right after all.

Victor Davis Hanson writes in the WSJ (registration required) that America must begin to break our alliances with duplicitous nations-

'Saudi Arabia, the womb of Sept. 11, is considered equally restrained because it subsidizes terrorists covertly rather than publicly, and relegates its government-sanctioned anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism to zany clerics and unimaginative bureaucrats. Thousands of our troops stationed in the desert there are prevented from venturing into Iraq, and are not to fly out to hunt down the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Instead our female soldiers remain veiled as our guns and planes protect the sheiks -- but from whom and what?'

Posted 8/05/2002 03:57:00 PM by Justin
CAN "BUFFY" HELP US FIGHT TERRORISM?: Quite possibly yes.

'What "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and her gang don't do is create plans, learn from mistakes or pause to think about what they're up against. And in these regards, they are a lot like us, or so says Anthony H. Cordesman, the holder of the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a longtime ABC News military analyst.' (registration required)

Posted 8/05/2002 02:03:00 PM by Justin
SADDAM UPDATE: I hope this story doesn't have legs-

'An Iraqi politician says President Saddam Hussein will soon use weapons of mass destruction.

Opposition Iraqi National Congress leader Ahmad Chalabi warned: "Saddam has advanced chemical weapons, he has advanced biological weapons, and he has produced and engineered biological weapons which contain a combination of viruses such as smallpox and ebola."'

Posted 8/05/2002 01:59:00 PM by Justin
MUST-READ OF THE DAY: David Brooks has an outstanding new mega-piece in the Weekly Standard, on the migration to "Sprinkler Cities," America's new suburbs. Sounds pretty nice, maybe me and the better half should consider a move to one of these cities...

'Sprinkler Cities are the fast-growing suburbs mostly in the South and West that are the homes of the new style American Dream, the epicenters of Patio Man fantasies...'

'If you stand on a hilltop overlooking a Sprinkler City, you see, stretched across the landscape, little brown puffs here and there where bulldozers are kicking up dirt while building new townhomes, office parks, shopping malls, AmeriSuites guest hotels, and golf courses. Everything in a Sprinkler City is new. The highways are so clean and freshly paved you can eat off them. The elementary schools have spic and span playgrounds, unscuffed walls, and immaculate mini-observatories for just-forming science classes.'

Posted 8/05/2002 12:46:00 PM by Justin
BUT PRIESTS WHO RAPE BOYS ARE JUST FINE:

'Reinforcing its opposition to female priests, the Vatican said Monday it had excommunicated seven women, including a nun, who were ordained in June in a ceremony on a boat in Austria.'

Bill O'Reilly's latest column laments the disgrace also known as organized religion.

Posted 8/05/2002 09:55:00 AM by Justin
YOUR WAY ISN'T WORKING: I'm very disheartened by the news today, just flat out of it. Posting will resume this afternoon.

But before then, I pose a question to the anti-war crowd, anti-Americans, hardcore liberals, European whinosnots, terrorist apologists, and the rest of you know who you are: If you're so upset with the steps that the Bush administration (and the majority of Americans) wants to take to protect our country, what's your alternative?

If you haven't noticed, your way isn't working. Treaties, discussions and debates, concessions. Years and years of it, without no discernable change in world affairs. Nothing but inflated egos and sense of self-importance. It's not working. Come up with a better plan of action, or at least a reasonable, thoughtful dissent to the current plans of action, or get the f$%k out of the way. It's not enough to cry "Racism!" or "We're losing our civil liberties!" or "America is too brash!" anymore.

On a related note, Patio Pundit challenges the now-pathetic paper of record-

'Do the bigwigs at the New York Times think that we should sit idly by while Saddam acquires weapons of mass destruction? If they don't trust law-abiding citizens with handguns, why do they trust unbalanced dictators with nuclear weapons?'

Posted 8/05/2002 08:45:00 AM by Justin
HOW WILL THE WEST RESPOND: To the horrific suicide attacks from this past weekend? Israel is being pushed closer to an endgame, and thousands of Palestinians are going to pay severely for the actions of their uncontrollable animal segment of the population. Bastards.

Nick Denton makes the case for war with Iraq.

John Hawkins suggests renaming the "war on terrorism."

David Gelernter (Weekly Standard) thinks Israel should keep cameras away from the suicide bombers' murder scenes.

Andrew Sullivan is pitch-perfect regarding 9/11 and the NY Times' dishonest anti-war efforts-

'The hard left knows that this event changed the American discourse profoundly and they know that if they are to prevail in the months ahead, they must do all they can to minimize its importance.'

And last but certainly not least, Steven Den Beste takes apart the anti-war case, and points out the danger of not using enough force when in war.

Posted 8/02/2002 02:59:00 PM by Justin
MUST-READ OF THE DAY: The inestimable John Derbyshire has given himself over to the dark side for his latest column-

'...to tug my conservative American friends back towards a properly gloomy outlook on events, I have given over today's column to a list of unpleasant truths. This is stuff you don't want to hear, but that, if you are a true conservative, you cannot dispute.'

Posted 8/02/2002 12:56:00 PM by Justin
MASSACRE MY ASSACRE, II: Sometimes, words fail me. Thanks to Charles Johnson for this simply astounding news item-

'A prominent human rights group says a U.N. report that probed Israeli attacks on a Palestinian refugee camp is a failure because it did not examine the lawfulness of the soldiers' actions.'

So basically you're telling me the report is a 'failure' because it exonerated the Israeli soldiers.

I don't know who to be angrier with, the terrorists or their apologists. Terrorists attack sporadically, but their supporters must be dealt with on a regular basis.

Posted 8/02/2002 10:18:00 AM by Justin
BACK TO THE GRIMNESS: Sorry, but I'm on a decidedly serious tack this week... Victor Davis Hanson uses his latest column to discuss anti-American sentiments, both domestic and abroad-

'Professed hatred toward America for millions too often cloaks an inner desire for the very culture of freedom, material security, and comfort of the United States — like Saudis smirking over bin Laden as they push their carts in faux-American supermarkets among Pepsis and Sugar Smacks. In that regard, it all reminds me of tenured academics, who send their kids to private schools, vacation in Europe, and live in tasteful tree-lined suburbs — and then in the lounge damn the very institutions that have provided their universities with such bountiful capital to make their lives so comfortable. They are perennially unhappy because what they castigate has given them everything they treasure, and they are either too weak — or too human — to confess it.'

Posted 8/02/2002 10:13:00 AM by Justin
CYBORGS, INSECTS AND CLONES, OH MY!: Tim Radford of the Guardian takes a brief tour of literary history to help him create a guide to the science of the "B movie."

Posted 8/02/2002 09:32:00 AM by Justin
MORE ON IRAQ: Mark Steyn writes in the National Post that we should "pencil in Iraq this August"-

'First things first: It's not strictly necessary for a new regime in Iraq to be better than its predecessor, only different. That sends the important message that whose fingernails you rip out in the dungeon of the Presidential palace is your affair but start monkeying with us and you've written your last bodice-ripper. That's the first and critical Anglo-American war aim.'

In addition, Andrew Sullivan has an op-ed in the New York Sun (Yes, they now have some content online) discussing the NY Times' blatant anti-war efforts and growing irrelevance. Mickey Kaus also comments on this sad development.

Posted 8/02/2002 09:02:00 AM by Justin
RAVE REVIEWS FOR "SIGNS": Probably the next movie I'm taking in. Just look at the praise...

Salon.com: "M. Night Shyamalan does spooky thrills and chills better than any other Hollywood filmmaker to emerge in the last two decades."

The Weekly Standard: "M. Night Shyamalan's latest feature gives a jolt to a lazy summer."

Roger Ebert: " M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs" is the work of a born filmmaker, able to summon apprehension out of thin air."

Posted 8/02/2002 08:50:00 AM by Justin
ON WAR WITH IRAQ: Steven Den Beste lays out a compelling argument for why the United States is hated by Islam and why killing off Saddam Hussein is necessary and justified. Check out the entire piece.

'There's no fairness or symmetry in international affairs. There never has been. Within our nation we try to live as civilized beings, but the world is a jungle, and despite what we'd all like to believe, it is a hostile and dangerous place where only force or the threat of force are truly effective. In a better world this would not be so, but we don't live in a better world. We live in a world full of Mugabes and Saddams.

Asking what "right" the US has to attack America is not a meaningful question. Wars aren't based on right and wrong, or on entitlement. Participation in wars is always, always based on rational self interest by the nations in question.'

UPDATE: The Economist is calling for war. Wow. Turns out they actually took a look at Hussein's track record.

Posted 8/02/2002 08:35:00 AM by Justin
ROT IN HELL, ANIMAL:

'Two girls who were abducted at gunpoint from a teenagers' party spot early Thursday morning were just moments away from being killed and dumped in the high desert when police rescued them and shot their kidnapper dead, the local sheriff said.'

I'm not the least bit conflicted about being utterly ecstatic that the police killed this scumbag rapist pig. I'm sorry they only shot him 7 times.

As I've repeatedly said, you simply cannot talk or negotiate with terrorists, child molesters, rapists, etc. You have to kill them, remove them from our society, prevent them from hurting someone else. Can you imagine the circus that would be developing now had he survived? I'm willing to bet that some publicity-seeking lawyer will crawl out from under his rock to claim that the police didn't have to shoot him.

Posted 8/01/2002 03:41:00 PM by Justin
REALLY ASKING FOR IT: James Taranto of "Best of the Web," regarding how the United States should respond to the latest suicide bombing in Israel, which had American casualties (2nd item down)-

'At the very least, could we have a moratorium on talk by U.S. officials of a Palestinian state? A people that takes to the streets to celebrate the wanton murder of civilians simply is not capable of self-government at this time. The Sun is right to point out that the root cause of the Middle East war is not the lack of a Palestinian state, but the existence of a Saudi state, an Iraqi state, an Iranian state and so forth that fixate on hating the Jews in order to divert attention from their own manifest incompetence, corruption and evil.'

The Professor has uncovered another disturbing story about our so-called "friends." Unbelievable. I genuinely can't wait until it's Saudi Arabia's turn to get bitch-slapped...

Posted 8/01/2002 03:09:00 PM by Justin
THIS JUST MAKES MY DAY:

Posted 8/01/2002 02:21:00 PM by Justin
TOO MUCH TIME ON THEIR HANDS: These are the kind of problems that develop only among the spoiled and pampered...

'A spectator bit off another man's earlobe and an infant girl was knocked from her mother's arms during a postgame brawl at a teenage baseball tournament, police said.'

And,

'In a city where the politics and the coffee come strong, a November ballot initiative requiring cafes to sell only environmentally and socially conscious brews has given some caffeine fans a jolt.' (Link via USS Clueless)

Posted 8/01/2002 02:16:00 PM by Justin
RUMSFELD ON FRIEDMAN: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld gave a short speech in May celebrating the 90th birthday of economist Milton Friedman. National Review Online has a copy of the transcript here. An excerpt-

'Milton is the embodiment of the truth that "ideas have consequences." Over the course of his career, he has turned down offers of influential posts, in and out of government, preferring to fight the battle of ideas, trusting that reasoned argument could change the course of history.'

Posted 8/01/2002 12:17:00 PM by Justin
ON THE HIGH COSTS OF PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS: Thomas Sowell revisits basic economic principles in taking on Hillary Clinton and others who lament the spiraling costs of new pharmaceutical drugs in this country as compared to others (italics are mine)-

'What is really happening is that Americans are paying more of the high fixed costs of developing new medicines, which then allows others to pay the lower costs of producing these medicines. But if American prices also come down to the lower prices charged in other countries, then the high costs of developing new medicines will not be covered, and a slowdown in developing new medicines becomes virtually inevitable.'

Posted 8/01/2002 12:13:00 PM by Justin
THE NEXT CRAZE: Don't look now, but with M. Night Shylmalan's "Signs" opening soon, the world will soon be taken with crop circles. Here's a lengthy Boston Globe article on their move into the mainstream-

'The vortex of publicity is dragging into the mainstream the eccentric ''croppies'' and the circle makers (yes, they're human) who toy with them. It's all a little funny, considering that the crop circles in ''Signs'' are the jumping-off point for a film that's really a rumination on faith and aliens.'

Posted 8/01/2002 09:40:00 AM by Justin
WE CAN ALL DREAM, CAN'T WE?: Thanks to Rodger Schultz for this...

Posted 8/01/2002 09:37:00 AM by Justin
NOT AS BAD AS I EXPECTED: I am 37.5% owned by my blog. A little worse than the boss.

37.5 %

My weblog owns 37.5 % of me.
Does your weblog own you?

Posted 8/01/2002 09:21:00 AM by Justin
THE CHATTERING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD: Surprise! It's Europe. Jonah Goldberg points out that the "peace" achieved in Europe over the last 50 years is due mostly to American muscle, not European whine-

'Anyway, the gist of the disagreement between Europe and America is the 'peens think they achieved lasting peace through endless conversations in Swiss hotels with bottles of bubbly water and plates of runny cheese scattered about the table. Americans think the reason Europeans have achieved lasting peace has something to do with the fact that every time these conversations broke out into full-blown brawls, the United States marched into the room and imposed order like a parent getting the kids to stop wrestling over the remote control.'

Posted 8/01/2002 08:51:00 AM by Justin
ONCE MORE, THIS IS WHY YOU KILL SCUMSUCKING TERRORISTS:

'Al Qaeda members who fled Afghanistan after the U.S.-led counter-terrorism offensive began last fall are forming what anti-terror coalition intelligence analysts are calling "super cells" in locations stretching from North Africa to Southeast Asia.'

Posted 8/01/2002 08:37:00 AM by Justin
VISIT LITTLE GREEN FOOTBALLS TODAY: Charles Johnson has posted some pictures of the latest suicide bombing at Hebrew University, as well as worthless Palestinians celebrating. He's got several other excellent posts as well from yesterday.

Try to remember this when you are wavering, feeling lost or frustrated or confused about this entire war on radical Islam, Hamas, Iraq and the like- any one of those terrorists would happily slit your throat, your wife's throat, your mother and father's throats, your children's throats, free of charge. And their family and friends would celebrate.

Posted 8/01/2002 08:26:00 AM by Justin
MASSACRE MY ASSACRE: I wonder how much coverage CNN and the New York Times will give this story (bold is mine)-

'A U.N. report on Israel's military attack on a Palestinian refugee camp does not back up claims of a massacre...'

The U.N. still manages to fault Israel for not allowing aid and medical help to the refugees, of course.

Posted 8/01/2002 08:24:00 AM by Justin
WHILE WE CHATTER: The risks of going to war increase dramatically-

'Saddam Hussein will have enough weapons-grade uranium for three nuclear bombs by 2005, a former Iraqi nuclear engineer told senators yesterday, as the U.S. Congress held hearings on whether to go to war.'

Increasingly hawkish N.Z. Bear has unveiled The Bear Doctrine, regarding a preemptive attack on Iraq.

The Wall Street Journal thinks the debates are much-needed. (registration required)

Lastly, Stephen Hayes writes in the Weekly Standard on the NY Times' anti-war efforts.

Posted 7/31/2002 04:16:00 PM by Justin
THIS IS WHY YOU KILL SCUMSUCKING TERRORISTS: As if this isn't enough, here's another example of what diplomacy and concessions get you, Colin Powell-

'As Israel considers a plan to deport the families of suicide and homicide bombers to the Gaza Strip, Fox News has discovered dozens of militants sent off two months ago are actually living the high life in their land of supposed exile.'

Posted 7/31/2002 12:52:00 PM by Justin
MAJOR CHANGES AHEAD FOR THE WEIGH IN: I have been approached by a fellow blogger (hint) with an offer to move my blog onto a new server- and I have accepted. This means a new domain name, a new layout with Movable Type, no more tirades about my hatred for Blogger, and a host of other assorted upgrades in quality.

I am very excited about this move, which will be taking place over the next month or so. I hope you readers will appreciate the improvements in appearance and reliability; as for the writing quality, well, you're kind of stuck regarding that one. :)

More details will follow...

Posted 7/31/2002 11:52:00 AM by Justin
I LOVE A LIST: Yes, it's true. I'm a sucker for lists. Especially for pop culture-related stuff. I love 'em- the fights over the rankings, the inclusions, the omissions. TV Guide has polled readers for the 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time.

The winner? Bugs Bunny. Second place? Homer Simpson.

Posted 7/31/2002 11:09:00 AM by Justin
BLOODY PAINFUL TO WATCH: Lindsey has become hooked on FOX's "American Idol." Somehow I have avoided the same affliction. I beg you, don't fall for its train-wreck charms. Tom Shales of WaPo provides us with a suitable smackdown-

'Each week, often twice, the Fox network airs its latest innovation: A talent show with no talent. Or at best, precious little. But people who tune in to "American Idol" may not be watching it for the alleged talent on display but rather to enjoy another exercise in Humiliation Television.'

Posted 7/31/2002 09:39:00 AM by Justin
THE "I" STANDS FOR IDIOTS: Mark Steyn has a legitimate beef with the INS, especially regarding the way they have been trying to deport Deena Gilbey, who lost her husband in the 9/11 attacks. I was really pissed off when I finished reading this. The INS needs to be totally gutted; those faceless losers need to be assigned private sector jobs, where they may actually be held accountable for their stupidity.

'But then came September 11th. And a few days afterwards Mrs. Gilbey received a form letter from the Immigration and Naturalization Service informing her that, upon her husband's death, his visa had also expired and with it her right to remain in the country. She was now, they informed her, an illegal alien and liable to be "arrested and deported."

Think about that. On the morning of Wednesday, September 12th, some INS departmental head calls the staff into his office and says, "Wow, that was a wild ride yesterday. But the priority of the United States Government right now is to find out how many legally resident foreigners have been widowed and see how quickly we can traumatize them further."'

Correct me if I'm wrong; have you read any news stories about any of these government-entrenched a--holes being fired? Of course not.

Instapundit is all over this one too...

Posted 7/31/2002 08:55:00 AM by Justin
ON "THE RISING": Bruce Springsteen's new album is getting A TON of press, and he is touring all the major morning and late-night shows to promote it. Supposedly this is even bigger than his "Born in the USA" blitz back in the mid-1980s. I will be waiting to hear my die-hard fan brother's opinions on it, but all signs indicate that he's created a thoughtful, inspiring look at American post-9/11. Check out some reviews of the album here, and here, and here.

UPDATE: Rolling Stone has given the album 5 stars.

Posted 7/31/2002 08:38:00 AM by Justin
STILL HOPE THIS IS ROPE-A-DOPE: Saddam Hussein undoubtedly is preparing for a massive invasion. But the chattering continues. It's looking like our country is growing more interested in talking about a war than actually fighting one-

'Bush administration officials have told key lawmakers not to expect a U.S. attack on Iraq before the fall elections, allowing time for Congress to debate the possibility of war.'

Slate's Jack Shafer wonders if this is all being done intentionally. So does Tony Blankley of the Washington Times. I sometimes think that Bush Sr.'s decision not to take out Hussein back in 1991 will soon be regarded as one of the worst decisions made in the 20th century...

UPDATE: Andrew Sullivan is properly worried-

'Those of us who think the majority of Americans decided last September that war with Iraq was essential to our present and future security had better be prepared.'

UPDATE: Cold Fury is also concerned by the calls for inaction.

Posted 7/31/2002 08:26:00 AM by Justin
YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP:

'A man suffering a heart attack yesterday morning was kept aboard an MBTA commuter train that made two scheduled stops before reaching waiting paramedics at Back Bay Station in Boston as horrified passengers implored the crew to bypass the stations.'

Posted 7/30/2002 04:34:00 PM by Justin
LIKE A GOOD FRIEND: The Onion always knows how to cheer me up... maybe we can let a few of those suckers loose in this jackoff's house? Wishful thinking...

Posted 7/30/2002 03:30:00 PM by Justin
WE'RE NOT WINNING ANY WAR: So long as our supposed protectors are this inept (Link via Instapundit)-

'When Web operator Jon Messner gained control of one of al-Qaida's prime Internet communication sites, he offered it to the FBI to use it for disinformation and collecting data about sympathizers.

What followed, he says, was a week of frustration. FBI agents struggled to find someone with enough technical know-how to set up the sting. By the time they did, the opportunity was lost as militant Islamic Web users figured out the site was a decoy, said Messner of Ocean City, MD.'

Posted 7/30/2002 02:43:00 PM by Justin
IN THE BLACK: I received an email from Amazon.com last night... turns out that four people have purchased items from their online store using The Weigh In as their link! This means that I have received commissions totaling...

$3.00! Yes, $3.00!

No, it's not much, but given that my startup and maintenance costs to this point have been absolutely nothing, I'm in the black! Here's to profits! Everyone gets a Chicken McNugget on me.

But seriously, I extend a genuine thank you to my loyal readers, using this site for more than just news and opinion. I encourage you all to use the Amazon.com storefront; keep it in mind especially during the approaching-way-too-rapidly holiday season...

Posted 7/30/2002 02:33:00 PM by Justin
I ALMOST FEEL BAD FOR THIS JERK:

'A federal judge Tuesday afternoon sentenced ousted former Rep. James Traficant, D-Ohio, to eight years in prison and fined him $150,000 following his conviction on 10 counts of bribery, racketeering and tax evasion.'

Well, not that bad...

Posted 7/30/2002 12:32:00 PM by Justin
CALLING IT WHAT IT IS: Jay Nordlinger writes in his latest "Impromptus" column that perhaps we shouldn't putz around with incremental changes to standardized testing-

'If no test is permitted on which blacks and Hispanics do less well than others; if no test is permitted on which Asians, as a group, outpace others — then let’s just junk the whole concept. Let’s not temporize or dissemble, but say, straightforwardly, “Race is the main thing, and if tests interfere with our racial jiggering, then the tests will just have to go.”'

I know that my children won't be taught this garbage that equality of results supercedes equality of opportunity...

Posted 7/30/2002 11:25:00 AM by Justin
I WISH MY JOB WAS THIS EASY: Jonah Goldberg takes apart Al Whore's latest attempts to blame President Bush for, well, everything wrong with the world-

'Over the weekend, Gore explained, once again, that President Bush is responsible for the corporate meltdown. According to Gore, Bush's tax cut created a climate of "unfettered corporate greed," which encouraged companies like Enron to collapse. This was a follow-up to his assertion in late June: "You see now what it means to have an administration that's that committed to fighting and working on behalf of the powerful and letting the people of this country get the short end of the stick."

In short, according to Gore, past events were caused by future acts.'

Posted 7/30/2002 10:58:00 AM by Justin
AN IDEA LONG OVERDUE:

'Preseason football practice opened at Syracuse University on Monday. The only participants allowed were women.

The school presented its second annual clinic for women called "Football 101." About 175 women took advantage of the crash course in football run by Syracuse head coach Paul Pasqualoni and his staff.'

Posted 7/30/2002 10:24:00 AM by Justin
THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Something I have been wondering of late, with an assist from Lindsey...

This country was founded here in Boston because the people of this region would not abide the outrageous taxes the English king levied against them. So how is it that Massachusetts has become one of the highest-taxed (and most bureaucratic) states in the union? What would the perpetrators of the Boston Tea Party think if they could see us now, voluntarily forking over thousands of our hard-earned dollars to comically inefficient and wasteful state and local governments?

Methinks too many liberals in power in this state, with good intentions yet a poor grasp of basic economics and cause/ effect.

Posted 7/30/2002 09:00:00 AM by Justin
TAKE OUT IRAQ NOW: That's what N.Z. Bear is thinking...

'Do you remember what we started hearing about Clinton around '99 or so? He was focusing more and more on his "legacy". He wanted to establish himself a place in history.

I think its hard to avoid the conclusion that Saddam is thinking the exact same thing right about now. And I really, really, do not want to find out what his idea of a proper place in history for himself is.'

In a related item, Howard Kurtz of WaPo is curious about all these war plan leaks...

'Why are military sources leaking this stuff? Self-importance? Disinformation? Loose lips that sink ships?

And why is the press printing the stories in such detail, which is like sending the Iraqi leader a telegram?'

Junk Yard Blog also questions the motives of the NY Times and the zeal they seem to show when printing these kinds of items...

Posted 7/30/2002 08:50:00 AM by Justin
SCUMBAGS IN ARMS: I think this picture says it all.

Posted 7/30/2002 08:42:00 AM by Justin
IDIOT WATCH: It's just too easy to hate this silly, self-important woman, who has absolutely no grasp of economics or business cycles. She's all about image and politics. What a waste.

'Previewing an expected Democratic campaign theme in the fall elections, Sen. Hillary Clinton said yesterday that President Bush and congressional Republicans have squandered the economic gains made when her husband was President.'

Of course,

'Clinton did not mention that the first steps of the recession and the stock-market swoon began in the closing days of her husband's administration.'

Posted 7/30/2002 08:32:00 AM by Justin
THEY JUST DON'T GET IT: I'm talking about the dinosaurs running the music industry. Pea-sized brains for sure. File sharing is the future, despite their best efforts to the contrary. Farhad Manjoo writes in Salon today about the current mp3 scene; while Napster is gone, nothing has changed regarding the fans' interest in mp3 trading. He also includes some thoughts regarding what the record labels need to do to win back some trust from music fans-

'"None of these services seems to know what the consumer demand is for," Sinnreich says. For a subscription service to work, he thinks it needs to offer four features: content from all five record labels; the capacity to play songs from as many computers as you like; CD burning, for an incremental fee; and "no limitation on the number of songs you listen to in a month -- you have to make them feel like they're getting a lot."'

I currently use Kazaa, and recommend it to everyone out there, provided you install a free firewall like Zone Alarm to add some extra security to your PC. It's got the most users connected to its network, and therefore the most files available.

For more on the unbelievable arrogance and ignorance of the music industry, be sure to check out industry insider Bob Lefsetz's columns.

And I'm sorry, promotions like this will still not be enough.

Posted 7/30/2002 08:19:00 AM by Justin
MORE ON WHITE-COLLAR CRIME: My friend Mark tracked down some appropriate Dennis Miller comments regarding my post yesterday on white-collar crime (italics are mine)-

'"So I don't want to see some CEO going to jail for three years a minimum-security prison that doubles as a community college during the day. I want them to witness the damage they caused up close. I think they should be sentenced to community service sorting the shoe bin at Goodwill in a low-income neighborhood to get a sense of how real people have to get by. Make Kenneth Lay work the drive-thru at Jack In The Boxso I can literally hear that lying bastard's voice coming out of a clown's mouth. Just don't drive away without checking that you got everything you ordered.

What I'd actually like to see is these guys do hard time in hard prison. See how they like it when we let the warden get creative with the books keeping their sentences. You want to make sure this doesn't happen again, put these losers in with the general population who are doing 10-20 for stealing a scintilla of what these guys did. Then make sure there is a live "Big Brother" shower-cam feed into every CEO's office in the country. You are going to think twice about cheating the numbers when you spot your ex-golf partner all lathered up with a windchime hangin' from his ass."'