Posted 6/11/2002 04:03:00 PM by Justin
LATEST FROM DANIEL PIPES: The latest essay from Middle East expert Daniel Pipes summarizes how Islam is no better off now than before 9/11. He also observes that terrorism has now

'...left the domain of criminality and entered that of warfare. This change had many implications. It meant no longer targeting just the foot soldiers who actually carry out the violence but the organizations and governments standing behind them. It meant relying on the armed forces, not policemen. It meant defense overseas rather than in American courtrooms. It meant organizations and governments sponsoring terrorism would pay a price, not just the foot-soldiers who carry it out. It meant dispensing with the unrealistically high expectations of proof so that when reasonable evidence points to a regime or organization having harmed Americans, U.S. military force can be deployed. It meant using force so that the punishment is disproportionately greater than the attack.'

I hope we continue to take the offensive in this struggle. We now have a mandate and justification for doing so.

Posted 6/11/2002 02:52:00 PM by Justin
THIS, ON THE OTHER HAND, IS:

'Karen Widmar, 33, who for the past two months has been trying to teach her 60-year-old mother how to use the Internet, called the endeavor "a Sisyphean ordeal" Monday.'

I'm in tears right now, this thing is hysterical.

Posted 6/11/2002 02:38:00 PM by Justin
THIS IS NOT A STORY FROM "THE ONION":

'A Pennsylvania councilwoman has accused her borough's lone police dog of racial profiling, leading to calls that the canine be killed.'

A question: Can we put this councilwoman to sleep as well? As part of a package deal?

Posted 6/11/2002 02:07:00 PM by Justin
TODAY'S MUST READ ITEM: Eric Raymond, also known as Armed and Dangerous, provides a very strong argument for avoiding liberal and conservative hardline positions. I get to thinking that most intelligent people are more middle of the road politically than they think.

Posted 6/11/2002 01:40:00 PM by Justin
THE STORY BEHIND "MEMENTO": Have you seen "Memento"? Please do. You'll respect yourself in the morning. The best movie of 2001, forget what those ignorant shits at "the Academy" think. Take this link to Jonathan Nolan's short story "Memento Mori," which inspired the film. Good stuff you get here.

Posted 6/11/2002 01:33:00 PM by Justin
THE LATEST FROM JONAH GOLDBERG: Goldberg wrote yesterday that hindsight is not always 20/20. Yes, there was some kind of government system failure that allowed 9/11 to occur. But, he adds, the politically correct climate in our country also contributed to our inability to prevent the attacks. You need to work with the obvious, he continues-

'I don't think racial profiling is the only tool America needs in the war on terrorism and I don't know anybody who does. It is a useful tool, though, when used properly. But, more importantly, its use and acceptance — where warranted — is a sign that the government and the culture are serious about the war on terrorism.

Much like racial profiling, another hallmark of seriousness is the recognition that these terrorists are Muslims. This dirty bomber may have been born Jose Padilla but he goes by the name Abdullah Al Mujahir now. Indeed, while there are examples of non-Arab members of al Qaeda, there's not been a single non-Muslim one. To date, this murderous band of fanatics has been unable to orchestrate a successful outreach program into the Quakers. And yet, there are still people who bristle and chafe at the idea the FBI should be concentrating its energies on Muslim groups.'

Posted 6/11/2002 12:35:00 PM by Justin
A WEB SITE TO VISIT: Most of you are probably aware, but I want to encourage a visit to StrategyPage, a compendium of military information and analysis. They have a directory devoted to the war against Islamists as well.

Posted 6/11/2002 12:21:00 PM by Justin
WHERE'S THE NEXT 'SEINFELD'?: Nowhere to be seen, according to Tom Shales (WaPo)-

'A cursory glance at the networks' new fall schedules -- and cursory is probably just what they deserve -- strongly suggests that our long, long wait is not over. Which long, long wait? The long, long wait for "the next 'Seinfeld.'"'

Posted 6/11/2002 11:29:00 AM by Justin
IGNORANCE 'R US:

'A majority of Palestinians believe the aim of their 20-month-old uprising should be to eliminate Israel and not just end Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, an opinion poll released Tuesday showed.'

While it was only a slight majority, we're still talking about a large number of people. This finding goes right along with my post from yesterday. Why create when you can ruin? The Palestinian / Islamic mantra.

Posted 6/11/2002 10:57:00 AM by Justin
NEW TO THE BLOGROLL: More outstanding additions today to my bloggers permalinks - check them out when you get the chance, especially Off-wing Opinion and Transterrestrial Musings.

Posted 6/11/2002 10:50:00 AM by Justin
THIS QUALIFIES AS CREEPY: Thanks to JunkYard Blog for this striking post.

Posted 6/11/2002 10:25:00 AM by Justin
MORE FROM THE WSJ: Brendan Miniter analyzes the upcoming Department of Homeland Security, and feels that its biggest problem will be our government's resident bureaucracy. In sum - Fire some people, for Christ's sake!

'What the bureaucracy really needs, though, is a good round of firings. No one likes getting the boot-- or giving it-- but in the private sector it often turns out to be the creative destruction needed to refocus the workforce and even boost morale, assuming it's done right and the obstructionists get a good hard kick out the door.'

Posted 6/11/2002 10:01:00 AM by Justin
WSJ ON THE DANIEL PEARL VIDEO: Tunku Varadarajan is repulsed by the Boston Phoenix's decision to link to the Daniel Pearl video. He makes some good points (for instance, why did one of the newspaper's photos of the murder have to be Pearl's severed head?), but overall he can't help but hide his emotional attachment to the Pearl case.

Posted 6/11/2002 09:02:00 AM by Justin
"DIRTY BOMB" MORE FRIGHT THAN MIGHT: WIlliam Saletan writes in Slate today that the dangers of a "dirty bomb" exploding are more psychological than physical-

'The dirty bomb is bad, but the radiation it spreads is limited and can be cleaned up. Unlike a nuke, it doesn't have a physical chain reaction to magnify its destruction. It requires a human chain reaction. It requires ignorance, fear, and panic.'

Here's another article, from the Boston Globe, concurring with this assessment.

And one more piece from the WSJ (registration required), which ends on a more ominous note.

Posted 6/11/2002 08:49:00 AM by Justin
WHAT IF PREEMPTIVE TERRORIST PROFILING WORKS?: Did you know that the germ arrested yesterday for planning to detonate a radioactive "dirty bomb" is an American? That just makes me insane with anger. Parasite lives off of host, then shows gratitude in strange way. Torture him for all the information he has, and then dump him in a volcano or radioactive pit. Show it on pay-per-view. I'd rather watch that than a silly boxing match...

Steven Plaut in Front Page Magazine today agrees with me that we should treat terrorists like... (gulp) terrorists!

'Terrorists must be treated inhumanely. They should be tortured. They must be denied human dignities, for behaving without human dignity is the very basis for their behavior. People who murder groups of children are not entitled to any privileges or shows of humanity. They are beyond the pale. They are garbage. Treating them as such makes a huge powerful statement to the world.'

Claudia Winkler of the Weekly Standard says that the steps taken to thwart this latest threat (which were madly successful) bring us to "unfamiliar legal ground."

Posted 6/11/2002 08:28:00 AM by Justin
GOOD NEWS ITEM OF THE DAY: France, winner of the 1998 World Cup, has been eliminated from the 2002 tournament, without having scored a single goal. Guess how many fingers I am holding up in salute. Whiny anti-American fops. Karma's a bitch. Excuse me while I dance around my desk for a few minutes...

Posted 6/10/2002 04:22:00 PM by Justin
SOME THOUGHTS ON THE MIDDLE EAST: Before I head out the door.

U.S. intelligence has identified dozens of Islamic web sites. Why aren’t we email-bombing those sites until their servers crash? (or something to that effect, remember I'm an e-tard...) Or creating viruses to wipe out their computer systems? Has our military been actively attempting to disrupt their communications network?

____
The United States should be more forthcoming with its intentions abroad. How about more press releases and statements like this: “If there is another terrorist attack on the United States, we will use our military force to invade and conquer Saudi Arabia / Iraq / (enter your own corrupt Arab nation) and kill every Al-Qaeda member or supporter on sight.” Would it hurt to raise the stakes a little for the states that are obviously sponsoring and funding the terrorists?
____
Let’s say that the Palestinian refugees, led by Arafat or whomever, are given their own official “state.” Does anyone honestly think it will bring peace to the region? Will over 50 years’ worth of bitter hatred towards Israel suddenly be forgotten? Will Hamas thugs trade in their explosives for 9-to-5 office jobs? Will there be open political discourse? A free press? What will their children be taught? No group can compete in the world economy by learning nothing but the teachings of the Koran. What about science? Mathematics? A balanced view of Western civilization?

Moving past such social questions, what will happen when this new state suffers through its financial growing pains, such as its first economic recession? What products will Palestine offer to the rest of the world- is there any skilled labor, intellectual capital? Will Palestine be willing to allow Israelis to invest in their businesses, or even work in cooperation with Israel? Maybe I’m being too hard on this fledging nation, but if they want the civilized world to recognize its independence so badly, what are they prepared to offer in return? Care to wager how quickly an economic downturn would be blamed on Israel?

This is the reality: the Arab world is all too eager to attribute their problems to other nations who are better off (and sometimes simply better) than they are. The Palestinians are neither worthy of statehood nor capable of running their own government.

Until the Islamic psychomentalists are completely stamped out, no state for you!

Posted 6/10/2002 03:26:00 PM by Justin
FOR THE SPORTS FANS: Today Matt Moore highlights Eric McErlain's Off-Wing Opinion, which offers "commentary for the free market sports fan." Nice. This past weekend he authored "The Free Market Sports Fan Manifesto." I highly recommend it. My favorite slogan?

'Thou shalt not boo any national anthem, ever. Well, except Saudi Arabia.'

Posted 6/10/2002 03:15:00 PM by Justin
DAVID BROOKS ON THE U.S.: It is the "land of abundance," where

'"people work feverishly hard and cram their lives insanely full... Life becomes a vectorial thrust toward perpetual gain and aspiration fulfillment. An indefinite diversity of activities awaits."'

Right on. That's America, the greatest country this world has ever seen. You envious peoples, as well as those who'd rather complain than work their asses off as we have, the line starts to the right.

Posted 6/10/2002 02:11:00 PM by Justin
TAKE THE SIMILARMINDS COMPABILITY TEST: Lindsey and I took this test; here are her results compared to me (I personally think that complementary traits are more important that similar ones. More ground can be covered if two people have varied interests and reactions to identical events. There is also more unique experience and knowedge being brought to the table. This helps to explain why Lindsey and I are going to be together forever):

SimilarMinds.com Compatibility Test

Your match with Justin you are 77% similar you are 93% complementary

How Compatible are You and Your Friends?

Posted 6/10/2002 01:53:00 PM by Justin
GO SEE "OFFICE SPACE": And if you don't, may you be banished to the type of job that this wonderful movie mercilessly mocks. In addition to all-too-true dialogue ("I'd say in a given week I probably only do about fifteen minutes of real, actual, work."), there are by my count at least 5-6 classic scenes, including this one here, any office worker's dream...

It can't be missed. Read Ebert's review if you have no idea what I'm talking about.

Posted 6/10/2002 01:27:00 PM by Justin
PEJ IS THE MAN: Read the latest law school post from PejmanPundit, discussing the dreaded bar exam.

Posted 6/10/2002 01:19:00 PM by Justin
SHAGGY A STONER?: Even a young, naive fellow like myself understood the obvious - Scooby Snacks were code for midnight munchies. Here are some more clues. I'm also fairly certain that the "Muppet Babies" were hard-core acid users. More on that in a future post.

Posted 6/10/2002 01:04:00 PM by Justin
"HOMICIDE" LIVES ON: In cable TV cop shows such as "The Shield" and "The Wire," says Jeff Simon of the Buffalo News.

Posted 6/10/2002 12:28:00 PM by Justin
USE COMMON SENSE: The editors of the Weekly Standard (there's that name again) think that we need to raise the intelligence level of the debates surrounding our war against Islamists (yes, I'm adopting the Lou Dobbs term on the Weigh In)-

'You'd think, with a war on and all, that these people would try just a little bit harder to sound smarter than the average college sophomore at a campus sit-in, wouldn't you? You'd think, for example, when the Justice Department releases a 24-page, single-spaced revision of its guidelines for FBI terrorism investigators, that a person would want to read the damn thing before ventilating about it to the newspapers. But you'd be wrong.'

Nice piece, read the entire thing.

Posted 6/10/2002 12:04:00 PM by Justin
MATT WELCH TAKES ON THE GNOME: It's scary how many people like to crackpots like Noam Chomsky. Facts and reality don't have any place in these people's minds. They'll spend hard-earned money to listen to someone reinforce their subjective views of the world, ever-comfortable in their ignorance. Matt Welch takes a thorough look at the gnome's propensity to pass fiction for fact.

Posted 6/10/2002 11:41:00 AM by Justin
'DIRTY BOMB' SUSPECT APPREHENDED:

'Federal agents have arrested an Al Qaeda terrorist who plotted to explode a radiological "dirty" bomb in the U.S., Attorney General John Ashcroft said Monday.'

I hope we can get this shit-filled ass-spelunker to talk about this plot, and his friends. I will laugh heartily when we execute his ass. Or better, how about we strap him and the rest of the vermin at Camp X-Ray to the next series of bombs that we drop, hopefully on Saudi Arabia or Iraq? Kill two turds with one stone.

Posted 6/10/2002 10:30:00 AM by Justin
FROM THE "WHO THE F%*K CARES?" DEPARTMENT: First, there was all the nonsense about about whose sites are getting more visitor traffic. Now, there's a "rift" between the original generation of bloggers and the post-9/11 "warbloggers." Ladies and gentlemen, who gives a f--k?

Um, there's a war on. Unless you've figured out a way to transform web site hits into dead Islamic terrorists, isn't this fodder for email exchanges? You obviously have interesting stuff to say, on far more important topics. That's why I visit your sites. Thanks in advance.

Posted 6/10/2002 09:52:00 AM by Justin
MORE ON MR. ROGERS AT DARTMOUTH: Joe Katzman over at Winds of Change has some thoughts on the recent criticism from Dartmouth students on having television's "Mr. Rogers" speak at their commencement. Here's his appropriate greeting-

'I hope when you look back at your graduation, 20 years from now, you'll at least have the decency to be ashamed of yourselves. You semi-educated nincompoops.'

Posted 6/10/2002 09:13:00 AM by Justin
LOU DOBBS IS MY KIND OF GUY: The New York Post offers a profile of the outspoken "Moneyline" anchor. Did you know that he created Space.com? (which has quickly become one of my favorite web sites) Sharp guy.

Posted 6/10/2002 09:05:00 AM by Justin
SEE "GHOST WORLD": I did this weekend, and I thought it was outstanding. Movies that attempt genuine realism from the characters and actually pull it off need to be rewarded. Here is Ebert's review of it. And James Berardinelli's.

Posted 6/10/2002 08:44:00 AM by Justin
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU LET THE LEFT RUN THINGS: You get a bloated, distended state like Massachusetts. It's a tax-and-spend shithole (bold type is mine)-

'Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Legislature is poised to enact a freeze to a scheduled income tax rollback, an increased tax on capital gains, a 75-cent-per-pack hike on cigarettes, an elimination of the charitable deduction, a reduction in the amount of income exempt from taxation, and extra charges for court filings. Lawmakers will be stripping away two voter-approved tax cuts in the process.'

Have you ever seen a politician more representative of his constituents than this disgraceful sack?

Posted 6/09/2002 03:24:00 PM by Justin
PEGGY NOONAN ON 9/11: Peggy Noonan wrote a magnificent column on Friday, persuasively arguing that all the attention we're giving to determining how 9/11 happened is taking away effort and resources from preventing the next 9/11. Follow along-

'As you read this I want you to do something. If you think that another bigger, more terrible shoe will not drop in our time, stand up right now.

You're still sitting. Because just about every sane and sentient adult knows that more shoes will drop, some with a deadening thud.

If you think New York City will not be a target, or the target, of the next big shoe or shoes, stand up.

You're still sitting. Me too. I don't know many people in my beloved city who don't think we're still targeted, we're a top target, and the madmen who mean to harm us won't be happy until the skyscrapers are cinders.'

Frightening, and amazing. I pray that she is wrong. This is one of the most honest and moving op-eds I have ever come across.

Posted 6/09/2002 10:12:00 AM by Justin
TYSON LOSES: I'd venture that this will (hopefully) be the end of the Mike Tyson saga. He was whipped last night by Lennox Lewis. Tyson is shot. Done. Just read this post-fight comment-

'“There's no way I could ever beat him. He's just too big and too strong.'

Can you picture Mike Tyson saying that to or about anyone??? Please let us be rid of him. Let him sink into obscurity at long last.

This week ESPN Classic aired the legendary 1990 Mike Tyson-Buster Douglas fight from Tokyo. Hearing news of Douglas's shocking knockout of Tyson is still one of my greatest sports memories. It's hard to remember how feared Tyson was back then, how intimidating he was. I'm genuinely surprised that he's still alive, with all the crap he's put himself through. Please go away, please.

Posted 6/08/2002 09:18:00 AM by Justin
"WE REQUIRE AN ASSERTION OF VALUE": Donald Barthelme, referred to by some as the father of postmodern short fiction, wrote one of my favorite all-time short stories- "The School," an amusing yet somber meditation on death's presence in all our lives. I invite you to read it with this link. The last few passages almost brought me to tears when I first read them in college - the story is flawless.

Posted 6/08/2002 09:12:00 AM by Justin
A NEW BLOGGER FEUD?: This one between Eric Olsen and Steven Den Beste, over a recent USS Clueless blog discussing string bikinis. Here is Olsen's post on the subject; here is Den Beste's reply. Oooooh, this could be better than Tyson-Lewis.

Posted 6/08/2002 09:07:00 AM by Justin
READING BETWEEN THE LINES: Fred Barnes of the Weekly Standard argues that the Bush speech we should really pay attention to is the West Point commencement address he gave last week.

Posted 6/07/2002 04:27:00 PM by Justin
THE WEEKEND IS HERE: This is what I'll be doing. But don't worry! There'll be some posting too. I've already got a few really interesting articles lined up, and possibly a longer piece of my own.

Please stop by!

Posted 6/07/2002 03:18:00 PM by Justin
SPOILED DARTMOUTH BRATS:

'Television's Mr. Rogers greeted many of this year's Dartmouth College seniors daily when they were children, but some are not pleased he will be greeting them on graduation day.'

What jackoffs. Lindsey just sent me an email with this to say-

'Mr. Rogers is a national treasure and they should shut their holes about it. Who could possibly want to hear some U.N. asshole speak instead of the man who taught our entire nation how to use their imaginations, be kind to one another, and always take the feelings of others into consideration? Mr. Rogers is right up there with the top U.S. entertainers and educators of all time. How dare those ingrates show him such disrespect? "There are many ways to say I love you," and this isn't one of them.'

Those snotty Ivy League douchebags. The article goes on to say that

"Rogers, 74, attended Dartmouth for two years during the 1940s before transferring to Rollins College in Winter Park, FL."

Wise choice, sir.

Posted 6/07/2002 03:13:00 PM by Justin
WALL-TO-WALL SPORTS THIS WEEKEND: NBA Finals, World Cup, NHL Finals, French Open, Belmont Stakes... whew! It's a sports fan's dream, says ESPN.com's Mark Kreidler.

Posted 6/07/2002 01:56:00 PM by Justin
ABOVE THE LAW: Charles Krauthammer articulates a question on many peoples' minds lately regarding the Catholic Church (italics are mine)-

'How could they not have called the cops? Of course, they were acting to protect the institution. But they were not just acting on the instinct of self-protection. They were acting under the illusion of isolation. Cardinal Law's wanton disregard for the fundamental requirements of social order -- that crimes be reported and that the citizenry assist in their prosecution -- could only occur in an institution so supremely insulated that it appropriates for itself almost extraterritorial status. It is as if within the kingdom of the church, the norms of the larger society do not apply.'

This arrogance, put on by these truly depraved and creepy old white men, is just another reason why I will heartily enjoy the Church's comeuppance.

Posted 6/07/2002 01:39:00 PM by Justin
"THE NO FUN ZONE": Steve Wasser thinks that Bill O'Reilly is now "America's self-appointed sour grandfather." He has a point. I think O'Reilly jumped the shark when his second book was published. He's been pushing that thing on his viewers with a soulless passion.

Posted 6/07/2002 01:26:00 PM by Justin
WHAT'S WORSE THAN A BUREAUCRACY?: A political bureaucracy, argues Daniel Henninger in an excellent WSJ piece today. Why didn't the CIA and FBI work together? Why won't they now?

'...because holding information no one else has is the way bureaucracies measure their authority.'

Posted 6/07/2002 01:22:00 PM by Justin
CAN WE START WITH ROSIE O'DONNELL?: Jonah Goldberg suggests that women should be the ones to colonize Mars. It's actually a good column, and an interesting idea. I just can't tell for sure if he's being facetious or not.

Posted 6/07/2002 12:20:00 PM by Justin
THE MIDDLE EAST WON'T SEE PEACE: Until the surrounding Arab nations are defeated, argues Steven Den Beste.

Posted 6/07/2002 11:32:00 AM by Justin
YOU'RE SO GULLIBLE, MCFLY: Thanks to "The Corner" for this goof-

'Beijing's most popular newspaper has unwittingly republished a bogus story about U.S. Congress threats to skip town for Memphis or Charlotte unless Washington builds them a new Capitol building with a retractable dome.

The source? America's celebrated spoof tabloid, the Onion.'

Note: Tim Blair's lead-in to this story is much better than mine.

Posted 6/07/2002 11:28:00 AM by Justin
TWO SHOTS OF INTELLIGENCE, MAKE IT SNAPPY!: Coming right up. Two columns today from Victor Davis Hanson, one on why most U.S. citizens support Israel, and another on why the world ignores Kashmir, but not Jenin.

Posted 6/07/2002 11:03:00 AM by Justin
FOR AN ENTERTAINING READ: Check out ESPN.com's Rob Neyer interview with "The Tipping Point" author Malcolm Gladwell, of all people. He's a Bill James stat freak, as it turns out.

Posted 6/07/2002 10:44:00 AM by Justin
THIS MAKES ME HAPPY FOR SOME REASON: Roger Ebert gives "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" one-half star-

'The Ya-Ya Sisterhood is rubber-stamped from the same mold that has produced an inexhaustible supply of fictional Southern belles who drink too much, talk too much, think about themselves too much, try too hard to be the most unforgettable character you've ever met, and are, in general, insufferable.'

Posted 6/07/2002 10:42:00 AM by Justin
JUNKYARD BLOG IS COOL: He writes honest, engaging posts, and he wrote me up nice yesterday. Check him out.

Posted 6/07/2002 09:56:00 AM by Justin
PEJMAN FOUGHT THE LAW: And, well, at least he made it out of law school alive. At the request of his readers, Pejman has posted a few excellent articles about his law school experience. For anyone who is planning to attend law school, these posts are must-read. Take a look at the first one here, which discusses law school exams. His second piece covers the law school admissions process. Today's post covers law school honors.

Thank you Pejman!

Posted 6/07/2002 09:10:00 AM by Justin
THANKS FOR TELLING THE TRUTH: Lou Dobbs of CNN's "Moneyline" is catching grief for, well, telling the truth. Here are his comments from Wednesday night's show (bold is mine)-

'The government and media for the past nine months have called this a war against terror. So have we here. But terror is not the enemy. It is what the enemy wants to achieve. So on this broadcast, we are making a change... in the interests of clarity and honesty. The enemies in this war are radical Islamists who argue all non-believers in their faith must be killed. They are called Islamists. That's why we are abandoning the phrase, "War Against Terror". Let us be clear. This is not a war against Muslims or Islam. It is a war against Islamists and all who support them. If ever there were a time for clarity, it is now. We hope our new policy is a step in that direction.'

Posted 6/07/2002 08:53:00 AM by Justin
WE'RE ALL SIMPSONS NOW: Our popular culture now demands a high level of cultural literacy, suggests Tiim Lemire at PopPolitics.com. He also raises an interesting question (italics are mine)-

'The problem is that there is no established mechanism by which people -- young as my students or as old as me -- can see and learn how pop culture borrows, steals, references, pays homage or is inspired by other sources... And the more profound question -- Is all the ripping and riffing just cheap plagiarism or one-upmanship, or is it a central dynamic of the creative process? -- is rarely discussed.'

Posted 6/07/2002 08:31:00 AM by Justin
ON BUSH'S SPEECH LAST NIGHT: Thanks to Instapundit for the link to these comments by Eminent Brain on Bush's homeland security speech last night (which I liked, especially its brevity)-

'Here's what I would have liked to have heard.

"As Chief Executive of the United States government, I hereby will personally fire every careerist bureaucrat who has obstructed the flow of intelligence from the field to those who analyze and interpret that intelligence. Furthermore, I will setup a taskforce to do a top-down analysis of the intelligence community. This analysis will seek uncover life-long government employees whose only purpose is to maintain the status quo, protect their own jobs and stoke the fires of the the boys-club hierarchy. I will then fire those people as well. Finally, any future obstructions that lead to intelligence failures which result in the death of American civilians will be met with immediate firings and revocation of all government pensions and benefits."'

John J. Miller writes in the New York post that a new Department of Homeland Security will not make us any safer.

Posted 6/06/2002 03:47:00 PM by Justin
BOSTON PHOENIX LINKS TO PEARL VIDEO: Now this is an example of posting the video for more attention. But I still agree with their explanation for doing so.

Posted 6/06/2002 03:46:00 PM by Justin
WHAT HOMELAND SECURITY?: Wonders Claudia Rosett in her latest Wall Street Journal column-

'The next time terrorists strike--as our leaders say they surely will--it may at least be some kind of help that our government, working swiftly and surely since Sept. 11, has been preparing American citizens to cope with terrorist assaults on the home front. Americans have been blitzed with official advice and trained in how best to respond to the likeliest scenarios--conventional, chemical, biological and nuclear. Many of us have already been vaccinated against smallpox. All of us know exactly where to get hold of medicine to treat anthrax. We have been coached by officials both federal and local on specific things to watch for, what to do first and whom to call. We have even rehearsed an emergency or two, the better to know the drill. As far anyone could be, Americans are ready.

Just kidding.'

Posted 6/06/2002 03:22:00 PM by Justin
FREE BEER!: There is a new addition to the Weigh In called "Free Beer." It's located on the left hand side of the page, and it will contain links to my longer and more thought-out pieces of writing.

Why the name? Well, it's the moniker for my fiance's megapunk chick band, and technically the links are free, so... oh, just read the pieces.

Posted 6/06/2002 02:26:00 PM by Justin
VICTORINO MATUS ASKS THE NEXT QUESTION ON EVERYONE'S MIND: Will no one speak out on Paul McCartney's performing Beatles songs?

Posted 6/06/2002 02:21:00 PM by Justin
BILL O'REILLY ASKS THE QUESTION ON EVERYONE'S MIND: What does Bono want from us?

Posted 6/06/2002 01:59:00 PM by Justin
DANIEL PIPES ON THE WORD "JIHAD": Thanks to the blogfather for this piece, a transcript from Nightline this week, involving a discussion about a Harvard student's commencement address, which focuses on defining the word "jihad" as an individual's personal growth.

Pipes had this to say-

'What's wrong, Chris, is that it's a fabrication. Jihad has historically meant, almost always one thing- which is expanding the territories ruled by Muslims through armed warfare. That's what it's meant. Now I'm happy to see a development occur whereby it means something more spiritual. But we have to start by acknowledging that that's the real meaning of the word, the historic meaning of the word, the traditional meaning of the word, and we can't ignore it. And this young man is ignoring it.'

Posted 6/06/2002 01:45:00 PM by Justin
REBUILDING THE WTC TOWERS: Is a good idea, writes Ann Coulter today. She also points out that Islamic contributions to world culture and progress are a bit lacking-

'As Donald Rumsfeld said of al-Qaeda, their specialty is "destroying things they could never have built themselves using technologies they never could have developed themselves."

The urge to destroy may not come from Islam, but creation is not Islam's strong suit either. In his immense book "The Creators," historian Daniel Boorstin explains the Islamic approach to innovation. While Judaism and Christianity begin with the Creation, Islam reveres a God who creates nothing. It is a central tenet of Islam that God did not even create the Koran. According to Boorstin, mullahs explain that since "the speech of God is uncreate, the words must be eternal uncreate." The world comes into being not by God's energy and initiative, but by fiat. As Boorstin says: "For a believing Muslim, to create is a rash and dangerous act."'

Posted 6/06/2002 12:36:00 PM by Justin
THIS ONE'S FOR JAKE: NZ Bear has done his homework and put together a tour of liberal bloggers. Check it out.

Posted 6/06/2002 12:18:00 PM by Justin
JOHN WATERS ON DVDs:

'It's the new hardback book. You walk into someone's house, and you look at their DVD collection to see if you'll sleep with them or not.'

Check out this interview of the always-interesting filmmaker in the Nashville Scene.

Posted 6/06/2002 11:41:00 AM by Justin
FROM THE MAILROOM: My father, co-creator of the creator of the Weigh In, had this to say on my recent post regarding 9/11 intelligence failures possibly due to FBI and CIA incompetence-

'Re: the CIA and FBI failure to intervene pre 9/11, it is clear that we are gradually strangling ourselves on our own freedoms. The great civilizations in history have crumbled from within, not without. Though terrorism is a threat, it is not insurmountable. What is insurmountable is the apathy Americans are showing to the left's quest for civil liberty at any cost. JFK once said that the greatest enemy of democracy is indifference. We look at our Constitution as a pact with God, but it is turning out to be a pact with the devil. To believe that it is this inflexible covenant with ourselves undermines the true spirit of the founding fathers. Remember the inalienable rights in the Declaration of Independence - life is listed first, then liberty, then the pursuit of happiness.'

Great point. I know there are people who would consider liberty more important than life (see Patrick Henry, for example), but I think few Americans today suffer from a level of oppression that would drive them to such an extreme viewpoint.

Posted 6/06/2002 11:29:00 AM by Justin
FIGHTING WAR AS HUMANELY AS POSSIBLE: Bryan Preston, the JunkYard Blog, defends the use of nuclear weapons against Japan in World War II as the best way to end the war with the least amount of casualties on both sides.

Read the first part of his screed here. And the second part here. And his latest comments here.

Posted 6/06/2002 10:34:00 AM by Justin
THE LATEST FROM JONAH GOLDBERG: Goldberg thinks the Arab American plaintiffs in the discrimination lawsuits against major airline companies need to chill out.

Posted 6/06/2002 09:49:00 AM by Justin
LAST NIGHT ON “BUFFY”: Last night F/X aired “The Body,” one of the finest hours of television ever produced. It deals with the sudden death of Buffy’s mother. I wish I could review it properly here so as to whet your appetite sufficiently. I also wish I could literally force you to watch it. The episode is self-contained enough that you don’t need to have seen other Season 5 episodes leading up to this one. The first 15 minutes are astoundingly well-done. Not even “Six Feet Under” has handled a death in such a realistic manner.

I’ve seen this episode a few times, and I was more upset with this viewing, coming on the heels of Lindsey’s mom’s death. Lindsey was there to see her mother pass away, and it wasn’t telegenic. There are so many misconceptions that people have about death, mostly propagated by television and movies. News flash: There are no gauzy Hawaiian getaways (see “ER”), and no dramatic flourishes or goodbyes (see “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”). I’m sure most people intuit this, but to be clear: A person dying is actually quite horrible to bear witness to. In the final hours, it has been documented that individuals who die display similar physical tics and symptoms, regardless of affliction. For example, the day before a person dies, he or she will perform a repetitive motion of picking at their clothing, or at their sheets and blankets. And on the final day, the backsides of the person’s knees turn blue. This is quite common, whether the person is dying of old age or lymphoma. (Barbara Karnes wrote a famous booklet that discusses these ideas and more – it’s called “Gone From My Sight- The Dying Experience.” I have been unable to locate a copy online; if anyone knows where I might be able to find a version to post, please email me.)

Watching “The Body” gives me a frightful image of death, with all its pedestrian terror and genuine helplessness. It reminds me of how insincere popular culture can be sometimes. I’m all for trying to cushion the difficult in life. But I want to learn and be prepared for the inevitable. I’ve never seen someone die; I’ve been VERY fortunate. This fact might explain my need to watch the Daniel Pearl video, for all I know. It’s hard to explain why one episode of a television show can have that effect on me; I hope my attempt hasn’t been a waste of your time.

Posted 6/06/2002 09:18:00 AM by Justin
ON SUICIDE BOMBINGS AND TARGETING CIVILIANS: Laurence Grafstein argues in the New Republic that "There are simply no circumstances in which the premeditated targeting of innocent civilians is justified."

To contract, Steven Den Beste believes that over time it became recognized "that civilians were a military asset and thus a legitimate military target."

While I don't like to think of myself as a potential target, I fall in line with USS Clueless on this one. Is one of those dumbass Hamas pigs going to differentiate between me and a true soldier? I think not.

Posted 6/06/2002 08:41:00 AM by Justin
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY: Today marks 3 years since I relocated from New Jersey to the Boston area. It is near impossible for me to describe how pathetic my life had become before the move; it basically saved my life. I will someday write a bit more about the circumstances that led me to where I am now (healthy and for the most part happy), but today is for appreciation only.

Posted 6/05/2002 04:12:00 PM by Justin
MORE INSIGHT FROM USS CLUELESS: Steven Den Beste has an outstanding essay today, dealing with how human beings see and face the world. You just have to take my word for it and read the entire piece.

'There is one question which is the critical question in life. It's the most fundamental question there is. You might even say that it's the question of life, the universe, and everything -- except that the answer isn't "42". Indeed, it's not clear that it has a single answer. It's a question we all deal with constantly, and each of us must live with the consequences of whatever answer we choose. So what is this profound question?

Do you prefer unpleasant truths or pleasing falsehoods?'

Posted 6/05/2002 04:04:00 PM by Justin
IT'S A START: I'm officially listed as an "Insignificant Microbe" on NZ Bear's blogosphere ecosystem today. It's a start!

As for Hall of Link Sluttage, well, I'm doing much better. See if you can find the Weigh In...

Posted 6/05/2002 02:44:00 PM by Justin
PACKERS FANS UNITE!: Today ESPN.com profiles the Green Bay Packers' offseason to this point. While they expect the Packers to once again contend for the NFC title, I am concerned that acquisition Terry Glenn will not be the stud receiver we're all expecting. The Pack has released their top 3 wide receivers from last season; that means a whole lot of new hands for Brett Favre to throw into...

Posted 6/05/2002 02:01:00 PM by Justin
PRAISE FOR "SIX FEET UNDER": After that outstanding season finale on Sunday, Laura Miller hits upon why the show is so absorbing (italics are mine)-

'"Six Feet Under" pushes us further toward disliking its characters than any other TV show. Even at their worst, though, these people don't have the glamour of the actually evil (except, maybe, for Brenda's stupendously horrible mother), so they can't even be antiheroes. Instead, they're ordinary human beings, and that makes their often wince-inducing behavior so much harder to take.'

Dusty Saunders of the Rocky Mountain News thinks that Peter Krause deserves an Emmy nod for his work this season. You have to figure that there will be one extra opening this season for best actor, as the absence of "The Sopranos" this year means that James Gandolfini won't be included among the nominees.

Posted 6/05/2002 01:32:00 PM by Justin
SPIT UP YOUR SODA TIME: Courtesy of the Onion. This week's Infographic and "What Do You Think?" are classics.

Posted 6/05/2002 01:07:00 PM by Justin
TIM BLAIR STRIKES OIL: Aussie (or did I mean Awesome?) blogger Tim Blair has set up on his blog "A Lie on Every Page," where he will be reading one page each day from John Pilger's new book "The New Rulers of the World" (positively reviewed by Noam Chomsky, to give you an idea of the sort of book we're talking about) and will post all errors and distortions that he finds. What a wonderful thing to do. Check out the first entry here. And the second page here. I for one will be visiting his site each day with eager anticipation...

Posted 6/05/2002 01:02:00 PM by Justin
THAT'S WHY HE'S AN ACTOR: Morgan Freeman can play presidents, scientists, drug dealers, and many other characters in the movies. But in real life, turns out he's an idiot. (Thanks to Crow Blog for this!)

Posted 6/05/2002 11:56:00 AM by Justin
LATEST FROM JONAH GOLDBERG:

'A democratic ally is besieged by radical Islamic terrorists supported by a Muslim state ruled by a junta. The terrorists butcher women and children, assassinate political leaders and generally threaten the security of an important friend of the United States in a region dominated by brutal regimes.

No, I'm not talking about Israel, I'm describing India and Pakistan.'

He goes on to say that we should not be declaring war on a euphemism - "terrorism" - although his replacement suggestion doesn't seem all that effective either in the context of his argument. Still, you should read it and draw your own opinion.

Posted 6/05/2002 11:43:00 AM by Justin
RIDING THE SPORTS KICK THIS MORNING: Here's something for you Yankees fans to enjoy - "A Chronological History of Amazing Boston Red Sox Losses, Remarkable Collapses and Other Record Breaking Feats." I enjoyed browsing this site way too much...

And for the rest of you, Sports Illustrated took a self-referential look at its cover jinx earlier this year. Lots of documentation provided.

Posted 6/05/2002 10:27:00 AM by Justin
ON THE LAKERS-KINGS SERIES: Look, it was a fantastic series. Thrilling, actually. But the Sacramento Kings flat-out choked when they realized they were in overtime of Game 7 with the two-time defending champions. Eric Boehlert of Salon.com wonders why TV and the press won't use the "C" word anymore.

Posted 6/05/2002 09:43:00 AM by Justin
MORE ON RACIAL PROFILING: Two headlines from this morning -

"Profiling ban draws concern"

"Lawsuits Accuse 4 Airlines of Bias"

In addition, read Eugene Volokh's thoughtful post refuting racial profiling.

Racial profiling debates, which are healthy for our society to engage in, will be taking more prominence over the coming months as the U.S. begins taking more proactive steps to prevent future terrorist attacks. I hope the citizens of this country are capable of handling this wisely. I don't feel comfortable supporting outright racial profiling, but it seems like common sense to utilize it when evaluating external stimuli in my surroundings. Do I have more to lose if I don't? Would it make sense for the FBI, CIA, etc. to spend valuable resources and manpower searching for terrorist activity in Catholic Churches? Or would investigating mosques make more sense?

I think I need to give this entire issue more thought, but instinctually it comes to this - I have to fly later this year. I will be extra vigilant, and I will be on the lookout for young Middle Eastern men. If I see any strange characters, be they of Middle Eastern descent or not, I will be reporting such people to the flight crew. And I will throw a fit if they are not removed from the plane. My life and safety are more important than someone else's perceived discrimination.

Here's another thought- If more Arab Americans were voicing support of the U.S. and condemnation of the actions of Palestinian terrorists and Middle East autocracies, then perhaps there wouldn't be a growing distrust of them.

Posted 6/05/2002 08:36:00 AM by Justin
AN ALTERNATIVE TO RACIAL PROFILING: John Hawkins reasons that the 4th Amendment prohibits government-mandated racial profiling, so he has come up with an alternative-

'What if we assigned a "risk factor" to each passenger and then randomly searched people based on how high their "risk factor" was. For example, if you're male you'd have a higher risk factor than a woman. If you're between the ages of say 18-40 you'd be more likely to get searched..."'

Check out the entire thing. Meanwhile, one of his astute readers wonders, "Why is the next attack inevitable?"-

'...it is not surprising that no one is asking why further attacks are indeed inevitable. It is because the people of the United States are actually willing to live in fear and potentially have the September 11th scenario (or worse) played out, as long as it means political correctness and cultural sensitivity are maintained.'

Posted 6/05/2002 08:30:00 AM by Justin
9/11 MASTERMIND DETERMINED: And guess what? It's not an 80-year old woman...

Posted 6/05/2002 08:25:00 AM by Justin
THIS MIGHT HELP SOCCER'S POPULARITY IN THE U.S.: The United States upset Portugal yesterday, 3-2. The U.S. finished dead-last in the World Cup four years ago, while Portugal is (um, was) the world's fifth-ranked team. This is pretty historic stuff. Damn! With France losing and Saudi Arabia getting their ass kicked earlier in the tournament, I could learn to embrace soccer...

Posted 6/04/2002 04:04:00 PM by Justin
A NUCLEAR ATTACK IS NOT SET IN STONE: Says Thomas Bray in a somewhat optimistic op-ed in today's WSJ (registration required).

'Perhaps it's just that nukes aren't as easy to make or deliver as commonly feared. But perhaps it's because terrorists themselves calculate that their purposes can be served by using cheaper, lower-tech weapons, which we now know include suicide aircraft.'

I also think that these groups have begun to understand that the United States has some resolve after all. If a nuclear device is set off in the U.S., any and all of the countries that sponsor the terrorists will quickly cease to exist.

Posted 6/04/2002 02:47:00 PM by Justin
GLOSSING OVER WITH JOHN EDWARD: Phil Rosenthal of the Chicago Sun-Times doesn't buy into TV psychic John Edward's act. But he is curious as to why the guy is so damn popular.

I would refer him to Steven Den Beste's excellent screed on the rise of pseudoscience, which I had linked to this past week.

Posted 6/04/2002 02:11:00 PM by Justin
ERIC OLSEN THROWS DOWN THE GAUNTLET: And provides a detailed description of the difference between hyperlinks, permalinks, permanent links... hmm. I think I need to read it again.

Posted 6/04/2002 12:59:00 PM by Justin
FROM MY BETTER HALF: The resident "Superman" expert (I call her Lindsey) has this to add to my "Spider-Man" review, regarding the choices both Spider-Man and Superman faced in those films-

'Superman never knew Lois was in that car. He arrived there too late, but while he was sealing the dam he didn't know what was happening to Lois. The choice Superman made was whether to save Hackensack, NJ or to save California first. Miss Tessmacher made him promise to save Hackensack, but like Spiderman, he was able to do both. The real choice he had to make was whether to interfere with the natural events of humanity and be in trouble with his spirit-like parents, OR ELSE see the woman he loves die. He chose to interfere, however the movie doesn't really play up the consequences of that interference.

Superman II also gives him a choice-- give up being super or give up a chance for hot Lois lovin'. Again, he makes a choice and then is later able to go back and fix it. So Superman is just as guilty as Spiderman in this respect.'

Excellent point. Does this happen in every superhero movie? Any findings to the contrary are welcome, email me or send in a comment!

Posted 6/04/2002 11:08:00 AM by Justin
SEPARATED AT BIRTH?: Were L.A. blogger giant Matt Welch and "Scooby Doo" star Matthew Lillard separated at birth? Now we know who's playing Welch when Ken Layne's book is made into a movie...

Posted 6/04/2002 10:49:00 AM by Justin
4th GENERATION WARFARE: Thanks to Joe Katzman (Winds of Change) for the excellent commentary and links regarding what is called "4th Generation Warfare." Please read the entire post, Joe makes some excellent deductions about where this type of warfare can take us.

What is it exactly? Here's a definition from Defense and the National Interest-

'Roughly speaking, "fourth generation warfare" includes all forms of conflict where the other side refuses to stand up and fight fair. What distinguishes 4GW from earlier generations is that typically at least one side is something other than a military force organized and operating under the control of a national government, and one that often transcends national boundaries.'

Sound like a few terrorist organizations that we know?

Posted 6/04/2002 10:19:00 AM by Justin
DON'T WE ALL: A frustrated Howard Stern, losing track of which countries are fighting amongst themselves in the Middle East, put it humorously- "These guys come over here and blow up the World Trade Center, and now I gotta learn all this stuff."

Posted 6/04/2002 09:48:00 AM by Justin
WHAT DOES THE BLOGOSPHERE LOOK LIKE?: Casey Marshall has put together this fascinating look at the linking that takes place in the blogosphere. He created a Java applet which displays the links that connect many high (and low) profile bloggers.

Definitely take a look; you'll also have the option to enter in my site information to see where I stand! (As you'll notice, I link to a great deal of people, but far fewer actually link to me. This is where I need to improve drastically.)

Also check out The Truth Laid Bear, another great blog. NZ Bear has created a unique system for tracking his site's traffic as well as his blogger links. He has created a comprehensive map of the blogosphere, which I hope to be listed on shortly... (fingers crossed)

Posted 6/04/2002 09:26:00 AM by Justin
THE BOSS IS BACK: A new Bruce Springsteen album is set to be released on June 30, with the E Street Band backing him. Here are some of his thoughts on the 9/11-influenced record, titled "The Rising." Giddy up!

Lots of music to check out this spring- new Moby, Counting Crows, Wilco, Trey Anastasio, They Might Be Giants, Dave Matthews Band, whew I'm getting dizzy...

Posted 6/04/2002 09:05:00 AM by Justin
ON THE SOUND OF CHATTERING: John Podhoretz writes in the New York Post that all the fighting and finger-pointing between Congress, the FBI and the CIA is unhealthy and distracting from the big picture-

' This may all seem serious and important, but it's very nearly the opposite. These sorts of fights and mini-scandals are a sign of the Establishment's desperate desire to retreat into unseriousness and triviality. The chattering classes seem determined to fight amongst themselves rather than following the example of the American people - who have remained united in their determination to fight the war on terrorism.'

I am concerned whether sufficient manpower and resources are being committed to the anti-terrorism effort as all these revelations are unearthed.

Posted 6/04/2002 08:56:00 AM by Justin
THE 2001 TELEVISION SEASON ENDS FOR ME TONIGHT: With the season finale of the last remaining show I religiously watch - "The Shield." Check out what Mark McGuire, television writer for the Albany NY Times Union, has to say about this great new show.

On a separate note, I will be participating in the "Zen TV Experiment" sometime this week, and will have an extended post on it shortly thereafter.

Posted 6/04/2002 08:37:00 AM by Justin
CHECK OUT THE BLOG BOOK: Bloggers Glenn Reynolds, Eric Olsen and others are accepting entries toward publishing a book which includes blogger commentary and thoughts on the September 11 attacks. They have compiled all the submissions for people to read. I strongly urge you to visit the Blog Book site and take some time reading through all the wonderful posts people have contributed.

Posted 6/03/2002 08:20:00 PM by Justin
I'VE SEEN THE FUTURE OF SPORTS: And its name is...well, Wiffle Ball. What a fun story this must have been to research.

Posted 6/03/2002 04:30:00 PM by Justin
IGNORING COMMON SENSE: Thanks to Jon Garthwaite at the C-Log for this revealing Tech Central Station article, a quiz sent in by an anonymous author, "This is Only a Test." Here's the opening, along with the first question-

'To ensure we Americans never offend anyone, particularly fanatics intent on killing us, airport screeners will not be allowed to profile people. They will continue random searches of 80-year-old women, little kids, airline pilots with proper identification, Secret Service agents who are members of the President's security detail, 85-year old Congressmen with metal hips, Medal of Honor winning former Governors and Compaq employees wearing black leather jackets.

Let us pause a moment and take the following test.

1. In 1972 at the Munich Olympics, athletes were massacred by:

a. Olga Korbut
b. Sitting Bull
c. Arnold Schwarzenneger
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40'

See how you fare on the remaining questions, I got 12 out of 12.

Posted 6/03/2002 03:53:00 PM by Justin
SOME MORE NEW BLOGS I'VE DISCOVERED: I'll be adding several new blogs to the roll call, including Daily Pundit, JunkYard Blog, Blogatelle, and the Conservative Underground. Thanks for the great blogging!

Posted 6/03/2002 03:51:00 PM by Justin
SLIMY ALRIGHT: Steven Den Beste has some thoughts on the Kyoto treaty and the less-than-noble intentions of its supporters-

'There are people out there who hate everything that the industrial revolution has brought us. They think we're too rich; they think we're too comfortable. There are too many of us. They want to turn back the clock, make the human race smaller again, or if that can't be done at least make it so that the human race uses less. It takes different guises.

Think of it as the "snail darter" gambit. Someone planning to build a dam on your favorite river? Want to stop them? Find yourself some obscure fish living in that river and then get it declared an endangered species. Is the snail darter really all that important? Hell no. It was never about the snail darter. It was about opposing development.'

Posted 6/03/2002 02:16:00 PM by Justin
SORRY ABOUT THE FREAKOUT EARLIER: Been thinking too much it seems. PejmanPundit did it! He wrote these wonderful reflections on his 30th birthday, and got me all up and thinking about my life and what I'm doing (or putting off doing) with it...

Happy Birthday Pejman! I will be writing a similar screed much sooner than I'd care to...

Posted 6/03/2002 01:58:00 PM by Justin
MAYBE I'M GOING ABOUT THIS ALL WRONG: Maybe I'm expecting too much from movies, or expecting the wrong things. Read this NY Times article, which discusses why movies are more memorable than television series. (registration required) People typically expect a larger-than-life experience from the movies, while television takes on more realistic situations and characters. This could help explain why I didn't like "Spider-Man" (or the majority of movies for that matter), because I'm looking for something the medium is not equipped to provide.

Posted 6/03/2002 12:34:00 PM by Justin
THE SEXIEST FEMALE BLOGGER POLL: Visit Matt Moore's site for more details for this no-holds-barred extravaganza!

Here are the nominees.

Posted 6/03/2002 12:22:00 PM by Justin
HOW DO YOU DO IT???: A plea to some of my favorite bloggers -- Instapundit, Tres Producers, Right Wing News, PejmanPundit, Vodkapundit, Matt Welch, TBOTCOTW, and the rest of ya -- how do you find the time to write and post so much material, so frequently? I'm feeling very impotent lately. Maybe I'm missing something, some technique or mindset that would help me be a more prolific and efficient blogger. I love blogging, but of course some days are tougher than others. I wonder about why I'm doing this at all. Teach me, I'm having a crisis of faith.

Posted 6/03/2002 11:30:00 AM by Justin
"SPIDER-MAN" REVIEW: I have my review from this weekend up for your reading pleasure-

SPIDER-MAN

WARNING: Some spoilers included…




When I review a movie, I try to overcome my own thoughts and feelings about it and follow a bit of Roger Ebert wisdom – did this film succeed at what it was trying to accomplish? For instance, if the director was making a comedy, was it funny (even if not my brand of humor)? If making a horror movie, was it scary?

I’m not a comic book guy- I didn’t grow up around Spider-Man comics (unfortunately), which means I am either a more objective moviegoer or hopelessly out of touch. I’ll leave that choice to you.

After watching “Spider-Man,” the first question that came to mind was: How has this film made so much money? (At last check, it had grossed over $333 million.) Why isn’t there more negative word-of-mouth? There have been several impressive comic book-to-movie adaptations in recent years (“The Crow,” “X-Men”); those films had outstanding stories to tell, in addition to the obligatory special effects. Even respectable acting. But “Spider-Man” is running on empty. How many times did we need to see Spider-Man swinging from building to building, obvious computer generated images? There was no awe in those scenes (possibly because there were no actual human beings in them). It came off as simply filler.

I am a huge Tobey Maguire fan; his work in “The Ice Storm” and “Pleasantville,” two of my favorite movies, makes him an actor to watch for years to come. The best scenes in the movie were watching Peter Parker discover his powers, fending off the school bully or practicing his web slinging. He handled even the clumsiest of dialogue (and there was plenty of it) with grace and credibility. And Kirsten Dunst, well, I’m learning that people either love her or hate her. I happen to love her, and would watch her dust and vacuum her apartment if that’s all the video I could get my hands on. Their scenes together (especially during their random street encounters) showed the kind of spark that was absent in all the other characters. (I did enjoy J.K. Simmons’ turn as the local newspaper editor – go “Oz” alums!)

Which brings me to the Green Goblin. Why does every movie villain have to be written as though he or she is the Joker all over again? The scenery chewing done by Willem Dafoe’s evil half, amateurly shot with a mirror (and also with an evil mask propped up on a presumably evil chair) to contrast his character’s normal self, was a cut-and-paste of prior big bads, most noticeably Jack Nicholson in “Batman.” We’ve seen this all before! Why is the audience continually abused like this, film after clichéd film? I will note that the Green Goblin forcing Spider-Man to question his loyalty to those he protects was the one genuine insight provided in two hours’ time. (I’ll not elaborate on the horrendously trite “Uncle Ben death” sequence, as it nearly made me double up in laughter on two separate occasions. Shame on the screenwriter for that pitiful dialogue.)

There’s one last major problem with the movie I wanted to mention. I thought it had no balls. By that I mean it didn’t follow through with the challenges and assumptions it was creating for the audience. The scene most guilty of this was near the conclusion. The Goblin will drop both Mary Jane Watson and a cable car full of children into the river, and tells Spider-Man that he must choose whom to save. Spider-Man watches in horror as the Goblin releases both, but then simply web-slings over to pick up Mary Jane and the children in one maneuver. That’s a copout- why present Spider-Man with a choice if he in effect doesn’t have to make one? (“With great power comes great responsibility” was uttered more than once during the movie- too bad the filmmakers didn’t follow their own advice.)

For an accurate depiction of this kind of dilemma, see the ending of “Superman” – even though he was later able to bring Lois Lane back to life (which was lame, in my opinion), he made the initial choice to save other people, and she died in a horrible, painful way. That’s conviction. That’s telling a consistent story that doesn’t insult your audience by contradicting the tenets of the fictional universe as the story develops. “Spider-Man” doesn’t take such chances.

To return to my original thesis, did this movie succeed at what it was trying to accomplish? It depends on what you consider the goal. An attempt at bringing a complex superhero origin story to life? Poorly done. An engaging and interesting summer entertainment? No again. A clichéd mish-mash of unmemorable movies past? You’re getting warmer.

I guess it comes down to this- I will not see the movie again. I won’t rent it. I won’t watch it when it comes out on HBO, or ENCORE. I probably won’t even remember seeing it in a few weeks’ time.

And finally, NO ONE, I repeat, NO ONE, I don’t care how much responsibility they have undertaken, turns down Kirsten Dunst. NO ONE.

Posted 6/03/2002 11:13:00 AM by Justin
SIGNALS OR NOISE?: That is the main problem facing our beleaguered intelligence agencies, says James Wilson in the WSJ today (registration required).

'The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, the North Korean attack on its southern neighbor, and the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center all had one thing in common: The leaders of the affected countries did not foresee them. And they did not foresee them because the warnings they received -- and in all cases they received a lot -- were drowned out by the "noise" in their intelligence systems.

That noise, as brilliantly demonstrated in Roberta Wohlstetter's 1962 classic, "Pearl Harbor: Warning and Decision," came from the huge number of warnings each country had about other warlike moves their enemies might make...'

Posted 6/03/2002 11:08:00 AM by Justin
IF THE SHOE FITS...: Reuel Marc Gerecht has an article in the Weekly Standard (boy, have they been on their game of late) demonstrating how the CIA is unintentionally aiding terrorism in the Middle East.

Posted 6/03/2002 09:50:00 AM by Justin
WITH LEADERS LIKE THESE...:

'American Airlines Chief Executive Donald J. Carty said today that another terrorist attack against commercial airlines is unlikely and urged that some security measures added at airports since Sept. 11 be dropped.

"It will be a hollow victory indeed if the system we end up with is so onerous and so difficult that air travel, while obviously more secure, becomes more trouble for the average person than it is worth," Carty said in a speech here to the American Chamber of Commerce.'

When I come across stuff like this, I'm truly speechless. While I agree that another terrorist attack using airlines is unlikely (terrorists have surely moved on to other methods), I can't help but feel this executive is speaking with his company's balance sheet in mind.

Um, can you explain to me how the current system is not onerous and difficult??!?!

Posted 6/03/2002 09:31:00 AM by Justin
MORE LARRY MILLER: Larry Miller wonders in today's Weekly Standard why there wasn't more news coverage of the recent Israeli Embassy fire in France. Can't the French give us one, just one, reason not to hate them passionately?

Posted 6/03/2002 09:29:00 AM by Justin
WHAT TOO MUCH POLITICAL CORRECTNESS GETS YOU: The New York State Education Department has been editing their Regents exams to remove all potentially insensitive words and phrases from the works of well-established authors (registration required). Why, you might ask?

'The State Education Department, which prepares the exams, acknowledged modifying excerpts to satisfy elaborate "sensitivity review guidelines" that have been in use for decades, but are periodically revised. It said it did not want any student to feel ill at ease while taking the test.'

Posted 6/03/2002 09:06:00 AM by Justin
AND THE WALLS CAME TUMBLING DOWN: The Daily News is reporting that the FBI turned down an opportunity to infiltrate an Al Qaeda training camp months before September 11.

And here's the Newsweek story that's been getting lots of attention, detailing how the CIA let two of the 9/11 terrorists operate in the United States for almost two years and didn't notify anyone.

Just keeps getting worse and worse. I'm impatiently waiting for someone who can lead us. Anyone. Someone who can see the larger picture of national security through the gauze of political correctness and sensitivity.

Posted 6/02/2002 06:49:00 PM by Justin
"SPIDER-MAN" REVIEW COMING MONDAY MORNING: I thought it best to save my review until tomorrow, when people will be back into the weekly swing of things... it'll be posted early Monday morning.

Posted 6/02/2002 02:26:00 PM by Justin
GEORGE WILL ON OUR OVERLY-LITIGIOUS SOCIETY:

'Americans now "tiptoe through the day," fearful that an angry individual with a lawyer will extort money from society while imposing irrational rules on society.'

Posted 6/02/2002 02:19:00 PM by Justin
HOW TO PREVENT ANOTHER TERRORIST ATTACK: Fred Ikle, former undersecretary of defense during the Reagan administration, has some ideas-

'In time of war the purpose of intelligence is to prevent further attacks, not to garner legally pure evidence for a yearlong jury trial deliberating whether some would-be suicide bomber deserves the death penalty. Second, the anthrax case teaches us to be less utopian about what intelligence can contribute. Third, the U.S. intelligence community ought to assign a few innovative people to focus on the other side of the coin--deception.'

God, I wish Ronald Reagan still had his faculties. We sure could use more people like him now.

Posted 6/02/2002 02:14:00 PM by Justin
WHY IS MARK STEYN SO COOL?: Because he can write columns like this one, on environmentalists crying wolf over the past 30 years-

'I'd like to be an "environmentalist," really I would. I spend quite a bit of my time in the environment and I'm rather fond of it. But these days "environmentalism" is mostly unrelated to the environment: It's a cult, and like most cults, heavy on ostentatious displays of self-denial, perfectly encapsulated by the time-consuming rituals of "recycling," an activity of no discernible benefit other than as a communal profession of faith.'

Posted 6/02/2002 09:45:00 AM by Justin
I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH MAUREEN DOWD: Yes, hell is freezing over as we speak. But her latest column seems genuine (registration required)-

'I'm sick of all these colliding flow charts and color-coded warnings. I want to see some agents lose their jobs. Let's start with the counterterrorism whiz who told Ms. Rowley that her team could not get a search warrant because Zacarias Moussaoui had such a common name in France. Bye-bye.

Or the counterterrorism braniac [sic] who found the Minneapolis and Phoenix warning memos in his In Box and put them in his Out Box. Get lost.'

I guess it seems obvious to everyone except the FBI that there is no deterrent currently in place for inept agents. If it were in my power, I would actually look into bringing up obstruction charges against those agents who impeded Ms. Rowley and Mr. Williams.

Posted 6/02/2002 09:34:00 AM by Justin
LARRY MILLER ON DENNIS MILLER: Dennis Miller has had some impressive guests on his HBO show this season. Larry Miller gave an excellent turn on Friday night. Part funny, part deadly serious. One of the topics of discussion was his recent Weekly Standard piece on the Middle East conflict, which has been generating a great deal of buzz on the Internet. It is quite remarkable. I have linked to it again here for you to read. Don't miss it.

Posted 6/01/2002 10:17:00 PM by Justin
SAW "SPIDER-MAN" TODAY: If you can believe it, it's the first film I've seen in a movie theater since "Memento" last spring. For a pop culture vulture like me, that's an eternity. But I've genuinely had no interest in seeing the tripe being churned out of late, from Hollywood and smaller production companies alike.

Anyways, I will have a brief review of sorts posted sometime tomorrow. But I'll leave a hint- THUMBS DOWN...

Posted 6/01/2002 10:14:00 PM by Justin
STEVEN DEN BESTE IS BACK FROM VACATION: And he's posted some more excellent writing from his time off. Check it out.

Posted 6/01/2002 09:48:00 AM by Justin
THE LATEST FROM JONAH GOLDBERG: Is a rambling, somewhat incoherent piece likening Osama Bin Laden to the super-villains of James Bond lore. If someone can explain to me the point he's trying to make, I'd greatly appreciate it. Email or comments are welcome.

Posted 6/01/2002 09:40:00 AM by Justin
BEST OF DEN BESTE: Check out this excellent, if grim, take on the growing popularity of pseudoscience, courtesy of Steven Den Beste-

'Is there a theme here? I think so. Combine this with widespread belief in UFOs, ESP and Elvis sightings, what I see is a rebellion against scientific orthodoxy. And I think I know why.

The populus in nearly every country now is divided into an economic and technological elite and a much larger mass of people who've been left behind. There are people driving the bus and people who are just along for the ride. And being on a bus which is driven by a crazy man is a very scary experience. That's what we're seeing here.'

Posted 5/31/2002 10:21:00 PM by Justin
THE NETS ARE IN THE NBA FINALS: Yes, it's hard to believe, but it's true. GO NEW JERSEY!

Let me just say that the NBC announcers called a terrible, Celtics-biased game. This was a nationally televised game. It is deplorable and completely unprofessional how biased they were (I didn't get their names) in favor of Bostin winning. They just assumed that Boston should win/ was the better team/ blah blah blah. Total bullshit. I've never seen anything so blatant before. Shame on them. (I think that the liberal bias in the media operates in a similar, underhanded manner.)

Posted 5/31/2002 08:36:00 PM by Justin
ANOTHER POTENTIAL YANKEE GREAT: Joe Morgan profiles rising star Alfonso Soriano today at ESPN.com.

While I've always had a beef with Morgan due to his bias against the Yankees, he's a genuine student of baseball. Here's another informative column from him, on watching baseball games.

Posted 5/31/2002 08:32:00 PM by Justin
PREVENTING ANOTHER TERRORIST ATTACK: Is apparently beyond the capabilities of the FBI, Mark Steyn writes in his latest column, a true gem. Here's an excerpt-

'"There will be another terrorist attack," FBI Director Mueller told the National Association of District Attorneys the other day. "We will not be able to stop it." Presumably, the Administration wouldn't scare the American people if they hadn't done all they believe they can do. So, naturally, the mind turns to all the things they haven't done. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were young Saudi males, Osama himself is (was) a youngish Saudi male, and some 80% of all those folks captured in Afghanistan and carted off to Guantanamo turn out to be young Saudi males. Yet, as I write, young Saudi males are still arriving at U.S. airports on routinely issued student visas. If it lessened the "inevitability" just ever so slightly of that second attack, wouldn't it be worth declaring a temporary moratorium on Saudi visitors, or at least making their sojourns in the U.S. extremely rare and highly discretionary? Oh, no. Can't be done.'

When is the United States going to start taking some domestic proactive measures? Racial profiling, much more stringent immigration policies? Anything? I guess if the slaughtering of 3,000 Americans can't wake up these politically correct bureaucrats, nothing will.

Posted 5/31/2002 04:32:00 PM by Justin
MORE POSTING TONIGHT: I'll be watching sports all night (Nets-Celtics, Red Sox-Yanks, Lakers-Kings) and blogging away... Stop by!

Posted 5/31/2002 04:24:00 PM by Justin
CHICKEN SHITS 'R US: What happens to the survivors of suicide bombings? Well, the germs who build the bombs often pack them with nails and other metal objects, to create as much carnage as possible. Read this WorldNetDaily article on the subject, and look at the included photographs. These Islamic militants may think they're special, but soon, very soon, the Western world is finally going to tire of their bullshit. Attacking unarmed women and children. Pushing their psycho religion on everyone. And hopefully we will be able to shed our over-civilized candy shell and thoroughly dismantle radical Islam.

Posted 5/31/2002 02:56:00 PM by Justin
FUMBLING, BUREAUCRATIC AND INEPT: Yep, that's our FBI. Peggy Noonan has some harsh words for the organization, as evidence of their mishandling of pre- 9/11 information continues to build. She also wonders if there may be moles inside the FBI, whose interference may have contributed to the attacks on New York and Washington-

'But it is also true--and here I display what is perhaps naivetè--that a lot of us think the FBI is supposed to be full of people with the sense and toughness to work around irresponsible demands and limitations, and not just fold in the face of potential heat. They're not supposed to be complete weenies in the FBI. They're supposed to have some guts and common sense.'

Posted 5/31/2002 02:16:00 PM by Justin
FOR YOU HBO FANS: Read what some of the critics are saying about the new HBO series "The Wire," which I believe premieres this Sunday after "Six Feet Under." It'll be worth seeing, just because HBO is involved.

From Howard Rosenberg in the L.A. Times.

Tim Goodman from the San Francisco Chronicle.

And another review from Diane Werts in New York Newsday.

Posted 5/31/2002 02:09:00 PM by Justin
HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY: New episodes of "Ren and Stimpy" in 2003!

Posted 5/31/2002 01:23:00 PM by Justin
FULL OF S*%T POLITICIANS: Thomas Sowell discusses in his latest column how politicians routinely ignore basic economic principles (and basic common sense)-

'Senator Barbara Boxer of California provides a classic example. She is proposing federal legislation that would make more than two million additional acres of land in California off-limits to development. This is the same Senator Boxer who has repeatedly lamented California's lack of "affordable housing."

What keeps housing from being affordable? High land prices! And what makes California land so expensive? Laws reducing the amount of land on which it is legal to build housing -- that is, laws such as the one that Barbara Boxer is now pushing.'

Posted 5/31/2002 01:13:00 PM by Justin
"FIGHTING EVIL": Bill O'Reilly advocates using unconventional forces and tactics to fight Islamic terrorists. We will have to set aside or circumvent hopelessly dated and irrelevant "rules of war" such as those found in the Geneva Convention and in the minds of anti-American thinkers. I am willing to give up a small percentage of my civil liberties (although how to determine which ones, I'm at a loss to explain) to ensure that I live a longer, safer life. And to see those mutton who are so brave that they have to blow up women and children because they can't fight like genuine soldiers ferociously killed off.

Posted 5/31/2002 12:56:00 PM by Justin
STILL PC AFTER ALL THESE YEARS: Jonathan V. Last reviews "The Sum of All Fears" in the Weekly Standard today, and comments on Hollywood's incessant political correctness. He also gets to expand his list of "Least Plausible Actors in the Role of a Ph.D"-

'To make the list, you can't just be implausible, you have to be laughable. Kevin Bacon in "Hollow Man." Nicole Kidman in "The Peacemaker." Jennifer Jason Leigh in "eXistenZ." Nicholas Cage in "The Rock." For many years, the leader board was topped by Elisabeth Shue for her work in "The Saint," where she played not some garden-variety Ph.D., but a nuclear physicist who was on the brink of creating cold fusion. She has withstood many challenges during her five-year reign--most memorably from Denise Richards's bubble-bod nuclear arms inspector in "The World Is Not Enough"--but Shue has finally been topped. There's a new sheriff in town and his name is Ben Affleck.'

Posted 5/31/2002 11:47:00 AM by Justin
TOWNHALL.COM'S GOT A BLOG: Yep, Townhall.com, that great bastion of conservative commentary, now has a blog, called C-Log. Very nice. Check it out when you have a moment.

Posted 5/31/2002 11:12:00 AM by Justin
CREATIVE ANTI-TERRORISM: Thanks to Right Wing News for this news story-

'Palestinian militants are distributing leaflets with step-by-step recipes for homemade explosives — but some flyers may be Israeli fakes meant to trick would-be terrorists into blowing themselves up.'

John Hawkins has it exactly right when he says that the CIA needs to be proactive like this. We cannot continue to leave U.S. national security in the hands of career-oriented, risk-averse bureaucrats.

Aside: If you don't already, I highly recommend visiting Right Wing News every day.

Posted 5/31/2002 10:58:00 AM by Justin
PROFILE OF A MONSTER: Read this grim New Yorker piece on Robert Mugabe, the dictator who is running Zimbabwe into the ground. Just look at what this scumbag has done for the greater good of his country-

'The annual inflation is close to a hundred and fifteen per cent. The national treasury is bankrupt. The Army is engaged in a futile intervention in Congo's civil war, at a cost of dozens of lives and an estimated million dollars a day. The health-care system is essentially defunct, and, with a quarter of the population infected with AIDS, the funeral business is among the country's last remaining growth industries. When Mugabe said of Zimbabwe last year, "This is my territory and that which is mine I cling [to] unto death," his subjects might well have wondered whether he was speaking of their death: the life expectancy of Zimbabweans has fallen by some fifteen years during his tenure, and now hovers around forty. Sixty per cent of Zimbabweans are unemployed, and those who have jobs earn, on average, less than they did at independence.'

Africa is quite a mess. Simply astonishing how disconnected it is from the rest of the planet. It makes the Middle East nations seem like technological giants. I understand that the living conditions and climate are horrible. But there are just so many things that the United States (or the West) can do, before one fact reveals itself: These people must change on their own. No amount of monetary or nutritional aid will convince people to start taking responsibility for their actions, or leaders to begin respecting their citizens and building infrastructures that will raise the overall standard of living.

Posted 5/31/2002 10:23:00 AM by Justin
A BAD SIGN: The State Department is urging Americans to voluntarily leave India in light of recent military actions. I guess I've been ignoring this story lately, with the mindset that both of these countries will come to their senses and realize that using nuclear weapons crosses a line that can never really be redrawn. But I'm starting to worry. I don't have much faith in the leadership of either country. Is Kashmir really worth starting a war over?

Posted 5/31/2002 09:55:00 AM by Justin
PEARL VIDEO BACK ONLINE: Found this from Wired.com-

'An Internet hosting company in Virginia, which the FBI threatened last week with federal obscenity charges, said on Monday afternoon that it would resume distribution of the horrific 4-minute video.'

Posted 5/31/2002 09:52:00 AM by Justin
VISIT NEOFLUX: Now you can visit one site for your daily fix of "zero tolerance" school horror stories. (Link via GeekPress)

Posted 5/31/2002 09:37:00 AM by Justin
DEMOCRACY LEADS TO PEACE: Victor Davis Hanson writes today that the U.S. should start consistently backing elected governments (while abandoning the policy of keeping thugs in power as the least worst option). He also points out a difference between consensual and autocratic governments (italics are mine)-

'There is a pattern here — one illustrating that democratic and free states are less incendiary than their polar opposites, which in turn are far more likely to attack their neighbors and indeed threaten the general peace. It is not that the gene pool in consensual societies is inherently superior to the DNA of unfree peoples, only that the system of listening to thousands of free voices — in the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government — has a greater likelihood to check unwise action, audit the abuse of power, and reflect most people's desire for tranquility rather than killing.'

Posted 5/31/2002 09:10:00 AM by Justin
BREAKING NEWS- THE WINNER: "Stuttering" John Melendez has defeated Crazy Cabbie by unanimous decision in today's "Brawl at the Taj Mahal."

Check out E! tonight at 11 PM for the TV broadcast.

Posted 5/31/2002 08:56:00 AM by Justin
WORRIED ABOUT INDIA AND PAKISTAN: Jonah Goldberg has this to say-

'Nuclear deterrence only works when nations define their self-interest rationally. And, it's not entirely clear that either country is doing that.'

Now is the time to see how effective U.S. diplomacy truly is. Rumsfeld's visiting the region next week. Just have to hope that these countries recognize the ramifications of what a nuclear attack would entail. Their very existence as nations could be at stake (not from self-destruction, but from international pressure, sanctions, etc.).

The Sacramento Bee and the Washington Times are not optimistic.

Posted 5/31/2002 08:45:00 AM by Justin
A SELF-IMPORTANT MUSICIAN? NO WAY...: Gerald Marzoati writes in Slate.com today that Eminem holds this fantasy that he's still relevant to pop culture today. Oh, and his latest album isn't that good, either.

'Now it's largely about Eminem, the pop star, who seems to have confused celebrity with political and social potency. He would have you believe—he himself wants to believe—that he has such terrifying authority among the young and restless that mainstream America has got to bring him down. Eminem's developed a martyr complex.'

Posted 5/31/2002 08:37:00 AM by Justin
END OF A DYNASTY?: Mike Wise writes in the NY Times (registration required) that the Los Angeles Lakers have lost their swagger. We'll see how they face their first playoff elimination game in over two years tonight.

Posted 5/31/2002 08:31:00 AM by Justin
HONORABLE MENTION: Yours truly has earned "Honorable Mention" from John Hawkins, as he ranks the best political bloggers on the internet. Thanks John!

Posted 5/30/2002 04:23:00 PM by Justin
SAY YES TO "NO!": One of the coolest, quirkiest, most intelligent musical artists of the past twenty years, They Might Be Giants, are releasing a new album, a collection of children's songs called "No!," on June 11. Early reviews, such as this one from Culturedose, are very positive. Be sure to give it a listen. You can even go to their web site for free mp3's.

Posted 5/30/2002 03:21:00 PM by Justin
ROGER EBERT REVIEWS "RASHOMON": The great Akira Kurosawa film is given the royal treatment in Ebert's latest "The Great Movies" entry.

Posted 5/30/2002 02:23:00 PM by Justin
NEW ADDITIONS TO MY BLOGROLL: Some excellent blogs I've been reading of late- Dr. Weevil, War Now!, Oliver Willis, and more. I've added their blogs to my ever-growing list of recommended sites. Check out my permalinks along the left-hand side of the page...

Posted 5/30/2002 02:04:00 PM by Justin
LIFE ISN'T EASY: It is also quite rare, with good reason. Science writer Robert Roy Britt describes just how difficult it is for life to develop in our universe, nevermind intelligent life. Lots of luck involved, to no surprise-

'Guillermo Gonzalez, an Iowa State University expert in stellar evolution, says there are relatively small bands and patches of the Milky Way Galaxy that he considers to be habitable regions. There are places where conditions are just right for the formation of planets and where things stay calm enough, long enough, to allow the evolution of anything but the lowest forms of life.

Our Sun happens to be in one of these Goldilocks zones. For now, at least.'

Posted 5/30/2002 12:57:00 PM by Justin
A LOOK BACK: Amy Amatangelo, known as the "TV Gal," has some final thoughts on the 2001-2002 television season. Don't miss her top 10 moments!

For more "TV Gal" analysis, visit her columns archive.

Posted 5/30/2002 12:36:00 PM by Justin
JIHAD DREAMING: Jonah Goldberg writes on the shortage of brain power required to think that the United States would lose an all-out war with the Islamo-idiots. Here's a chunk-

'It would be one thing if this relatively small band of fanatics were murdering people in pursuit of something achievable. You know, if their goal were simply to get McDonald's out of Cairo or our airbases out of the Gulf. But, if you take them at their word, their ultimate goal is to bring about the total destruction of democracy, America, and the Christian and Jewish faiths. As a practical matter, to believe that this can be achieved through an all-out battle between our team and theirs is like believing war will make squares into circles and ducks will crap plutonium.

This doesn't mean these daft murderers aren't dangerous. They are. But they are tactically dangerous. Strategically, they're cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. They can blow up things and kill people. But their ultimate goal, victorious jihad against the "infidels," is no more likely to happen than the Hale-Boppers were likely to get picked up by an intergalactic shuttle bus.'

Joking aside, it's worth the read.

Posted 5/30/2002 12:01:00 PM by Justin
MADNESS EQUALS CREATIVITIY?: Interesting news item from Reuters (thanks to Just One Thing for another great find)-

'A new study shows that creative people tend to share more personality traits with the mentally ill than they do with the middle-of-the-road masses.

This finding suggests that both creativity and manic depression, also called bipolar disorder, may share some of the same genetic underpinnings, Connie M. Strong of Stanford University in California told Reuters Health.'

I've always had an interest in this subject matter. I used to write a great deal in my early 20's; I also spent much of that time suffering on and off from depression. Over the past few years, my health and mood have dramatically improved, but my creative output has declined significantly (almost totally). I sometimes wonder how much of that is attributable to not being sick anymore (keep in mind that laziness has now become my main obstacle)...

Posted 5/30/2002 12:00:00 PM by Justin
WHICH MUSIC-SHARING SERVICE IS RIGHT FOR YOU?: Bill Barnes from Slate.com takes a tour of the Napster-less options.

Posted 5/30/2002 10:39:00 AM by Justin
GOOD FOR HIM, I GUESS: Howard Stern mentioned this morning that entertainment announcer Michael Buffer is worth over $165 million. I know, come again? But if you check out his web site, you might get a sense of how this has happened. The guy is entirely commodity. Anything to do with him costs money. I guess that's good for him, an American success story, having such a specific talent and taking full advantage of it. But I feel all irritated when I think about it too much...

Posted 5/30/2002 10:16:00 AM by Justin
FALLOUT FROM JENIN: Thanks to Little Green Footballs for this link - to an op-ed by David Tell of the Weekly Standard, commenting on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). It seems this increasingly dishonest organization wrote a letter to Tell defending their recent actions concerning the "Jenin massacre" and other purported Israeli atrocities. He prints that letter, and then replies. Here is the opening-

'Should The Weekly Standard remain a going concern for another hundred years, it is almost inconceivable that we will ever again have occasion to publish anything nearly so dishonest as the letter above.'

Definitely check out the entire article.

Posted 5/30/2002 10:12:00 AM by Justin
UP YOURS INTERVIEWS MATT MOORE: Check out Dawn Olsen's cheeky, entertaining interview with The Blog of the Century of the Week... you may also know him as Matt Moore.

Wonder what I gotta do to get interviewed by somebody... (sigh)

Posted 5/30/2002 10:08:00 AM by Justin
ANN COULTER WANTS TO ARM PILOTS: And she's quite pissed off at the people who are preventing it.

Posted 5/30/2002 10:03:00 AM by Justin
SHOWING WEAKNESS IS BAD: Says John Hawkins today at Right Wing News. Being indecisive can only harm the United States and its goals, he continues-

'All of this apparent uncertainty on our part is going to encourage terrorist groups to hit us again in order to take advantage of our perceived “weakness”. It´s also going to make groups in Iraq and Iran that want to overthrow their governments unsure if they can count on our support. Cynical Middle Eastern regimes and timid European nations are going to be unwilling to move forward if they think we may change our minds.'

Posted 5/30/2002 09:57:00 AM by Justin
LISTEN FOR "THE FLUNKY VS. THE JUNKIE" TOMORROW MORNING: Howard Stern will be hosting a boxing match live on the radio tomorrow morning between "Stuttering" John Melendez and Crazy Cabbie, two regulars on his show. It will be broadcast live from the Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City, NJ. Check out this article for more background, as well as a schedule of events. I believe it's the first time one of Stern's specials will be broadcast on the air. I've been listening to the war of words surrounding this fight (they've basically devoted several minutes of time to it every morning for the past 6 weeks), it's hysterical. These guys are total hams. Should be a good fight, they seem to dislike each other intensely.

Posted 5/30/2002 09:45:00 AM by Justin
ON OUR FEARFUL SOCIETY: Claudia Rosett writes in today's Wall Street Journal on our nation's mixed-up priorities-

'Maybe we've spent so much time these past few decades striving to be politically correct, regardless of the realities, that by now we're accustomed to fear truth itself. We strove for "gender" equality, attempting a sort of weird indifference to some of the obvious differences. We tried to insist that all people be seen as exactly alike (which is different from being equal before the law), and then tried to offset that by insisting on equally unrealistic, officially prescribed attempts at achieving perfect diversity. We've worried about so many forms of sensitivity at this point that it is something of an effort to stand back and insist on taking a realistic view of such basic matters as survival.'

Posted 5/30/2002 08:35:00 AM by Justin
OLDIE BUT GOODIE: The late Richard Feynman delivered a memorable speech to Caltech in 1974 describing what he calls "cargo cult science." Thanks to USS Clueless for bringing it to my attention. Here's his definition of the term-

'In the South Seas there is a cargo cult of people. During the war they saw airplanes with lots of good materials, and they want the same thing to happen now. So they've arranged to make things like runways, to put fires along the sides of the runways, to make a wooden hut for a man to sit in, with two wooden pieces on his head to headphones and bars of bamboo sticking out like antennas--he's the controller--and they wait for the airplanes to land. They're doing everything right. The form is perfect. It looks exactly the way it looked before. But it doesn't work. No airplanes land. So I call these things cargo cult science, because they follow all the apparent precepts and forms of scientific investigation, but they're missing something essential, because the planes don't land.'

This is a great dissection of how science suffers due to the fact that human beings are incapable of being totally objective.

Posted 5/29/2002 08:41:00 PM by Justin
LEMME SLEEP ON IT, BABY, BABY, LEMME SLEEP ON IT: Perhaps you are lonely, confused, adrift in this life. You are looking for answers. Well, Antwon may have them. His guiding philosophy is called Handinism. Maybe it's for you-

'Handinism has but one central belief: that the sole, objective measure of an object's worth is whether or not your hand can be placed inside of it. If your hand can fit inside of something, that thing is Good; if your hand cannot fit inside of something, that thing is Not Good.'

Imagine the possibilities...

Posted 5/29/2002 08:37:00 PM by Justin
REQUIRED LATE NIGHT READING: Check out John Hawkins' informative interview with Walter Olson, founder of Overlawyered.com. Lots of excellent points are made.

Posted 5/29/2002 08:30:00 PM by Justin
FINAL RESULTS OF THE WEIGH IN POLL: The question asked was "Who's been trying way too hard lately?"

The winner? "The West Wing," with 12 votes. Here are the final tallies, with 37 total votes cast-

ESPN- 3 votes, or 8%
Geraldo Rivera- 7 votes, or 18%
"The West Wing"- 12 votes, or 32%
Mariah Carey- 9 votes, or 24%
Avis Rent-a-Car- 6 votes, or 16%

Don't forget to vote in the latest poll! As always, thanks for participating...

Posted 5/29/2002 05:02:00 PM by Justin
BELOVED BASEBALL: Kostya Kennedy writes a wonderful piece today in Sports Illustrated that perfectly captures the joys of growing up a baseball fan (in this case, a New York Mets fan). While it sounds foolish, reading this almost brought tears to my eyes...

'You grow up at Shea. You learn to avoid ushers and to find seats behind home plate. You eat soft serve in upside-down mini helmets and can't believe your luck. You keep score at every game. Fernando Valenzuela comes to town. Pete Rose is on a long hitting streak. The Mets lose and lose and lose.

After the bad comes the good: Hernandez and Strawberry and Gooden and Carter. You are there in '86 of course. You're a bigger boy now. You go to games on dates. You'd never date a Yankees fan.'

Read the entire thing. More posting tonight...

Posted 5/29/2002 04:36:00 PM by Justin
THE NEW POLL IS UP: The latest Weigh In poll is now up and running! See the left hand side of the page (below my email address) to cast your vote!

I will post a final tally of the results from the first poll later tonight...

Posted 5/29/2002 03:56:00 PM by Justin
MICHAEL SHERMER ON JOHN EDWARD: John Edward, the hack psychic who for some reason continues to achieve unbelievable amounts of wealth and attention, is debunked by Michael Shermer of Skeptic Magazine-

'The reason John Edward, James Van Praagh, and the other so-called mediums are unethical and dangerous is that they are not helping anyone in what they are doing. They are simply preying on the emotions of grieving people.'

It's a thorough article, I highly recommend it. Skeptic.com's web site has an odd linking system, so you will need to visit their main page to find the article, titled "Deconstructing The Dead: Cross Over One Last Time To Expose Medium John Edward."

Posted 5/29/2002 03:22:00 PM by Justin
ON ARMING AIRLINE PILOTS:

"You could give the pilots an MP5 machine gun with armor piercing bullets and he couldn't depressurize the plane with an entire 30 rd magazine."

Rich Lowry posts an astute reader's email in today's "The Corner" on the science of firing a gun on an airplane (see the second half of Lowry's post).

Posted 5/29/2002 02:17:00 PM by Justin
BEFORE PHISH: Trey Anastasio was a supremely talented student at Goddard College in Vermont. For his senior thesis, he authored a musical project called "The Man Who Stepped into Yesterday." Phish fans commonly know it as "Gamehendge." It has only been played in its entirety 5 times. I tracked down this link to the entire opus, narration and lyrics (sorry, no music files- couldn't find those). Here's to hopes that Phish will someday end its hiatus...

Posted 5/29/2002 01:04:00 PM by Justin
IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE SOMEWHERE:

'According to sources, midway through a 10 a.m. meeting to discuss a possible pullout of Israeli troops from several West Bank settlements, Sharon accused Arafat of secretly channeling PLO funds into Hamas and other terrorist organizations. The accusation prompted Arafat to rise from his chair and stand toe-to-toe with his Israeli counterpart. The ensuing heated exchange quickly escalated into a shouting match, which reached an unexpected crescendo when the two leaders embraced in a deep, passionate kiss.'

Posted 5/29/2002 12:48:00 PM by Justin
BEST TV COMMERCIAL EVER: Volkswagen's "Milky Way" commercial for the Cabrio, set to Nick Drake's "Pink Moon." A perfect encapsulation of youth and yearning. Watch it here (scroll down to near the page's end), along with several more of VW's always-clever advertisements.

Posted 5/29/2002 12:13:00 PM by Justin
ARE YOU DEPRESSED?: Thanks to Matt Moore for the link to the Zung Depression Self-Assessment Test. I've had some serious battles with depression, it's nothing to take lightly (those stories can be expounded upon at a future time). You might want to take their free assessment just to see where you stand.

Posted 5/29/2002 11:35:00 AM by Justin
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN AN AIRCRAFT BREAKS THE SOUND BARRIER?: Scientific American has an explanation, along with an astounding photograph. Take a look.

Posted 5/29/2002 11:31:00 AM by Justin
HOW TO SPOT A TERRORIST: Thanks to Instapundit for finding this, an article on how Israeli security specialists identify terrorists. U.S. security seems to focus on weapons, while Israeli security focuses on people.

Posted 5/29/2002 10:52:00 AM by Justin
GET YOUR VOTES IN: The Weigh In poll question will be changing later this afternoon. Now's your last chance to vote! I will post the final tallies of "Who's been trying way too hard lately?" tonight!

Posted 5/29/2002 10:06:00 AM by Justin
YOUR THOUGHTS ON LIFE SINCE 9/11: A reader sent in a great suggestion to me, regarding the Jeff Jacoby piece on life after September 11 (read the article).

'You should do a post asking your readers how they have or haven't changed their lifestyles since September 11. It would be interesting to see what, if anything, people are doing differently.'

So, readers out there, please use the comment box or email me your thoughts --

How has your life changed since 9/11, if at all? What are you doing differently, if anything?

Posted 5/29/2002 09:18:00 AM by Justin
ATTACKING IRAQ: While it's becoming clear to me that we are talking about this way too much, the chattering about what to do about Iraq continues.

Fred Barnes (Weekly Standard) thinks removing Hussein will make the world safer.

Laurie Mylroie writes in NRO thinks that Iraq was somehow involved in the 9/11 attacks.

Michael O'Hanlon WSJ- registration required) says that our military is up to the challenge.

Posted 5/29/2002 08:58:00 AM by Justin
"THE SUICIDE WAR": Is Thomas Friedman's name for the last few months' worth of Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He discusses the potential aftermath of this war in his latest column.

Posted 5/29/2002 08:49:00 AM by Justin
EHUD BARAK INTERVIEW: Thanks to Andrew Sullivan for this link, to a NY Review of Books interview with Ehud Barak. Here is the quote which Sullivan mentions on his site today, it seems an awfully accurate insight into Palestinian culture-

'They are products of a culture in which to tell a lie...creates no dissonance. They don't suffer from the problem of telling lies that exists in Judeo-Christian culture. Truth is seen as an irrelevant category. There is only that which serves your purpose and that which doesn't. They see themselves as emissaries of a national movement for whom everything is permissible. There is no such thing as "the truth."'

Posted 5/28/2002 09:24:00 PM by Justin
MORE ON "IN MEMORIAM" AND DANIEL PEARL: I think there have been some great posts and reviews of HBO's documentary- from Lileks, the New York Post, and many others. I'm not sure what more to add. The more I think about it, and how it must have felt to be in New York City that day, the more terrified I feel. I don't feel safe. But even if our government was doing more, lots more, I still wouldn't feel safe. Our society is too open to prevent any and all kinds of evil people from manipulating it or harming its citizens. Terrorists look at our country like a wolf eyeing a pork chop. There's just too much ground to cover, too many contingencies that you can never anticipate.

With age I'm realizing how lucky I am to be alive. To actually exist. I'm just a doughy sack of water and bones (and getting slightly more doughy with the passing years). Yet there's so much more to me than the sum of my parts. Those fleas in the desert have no idea, no comprehension of what they're trying to destroy - life itself. The United States must, on its own if necessary, remove all threats to its existence.

I was thinking about this and the Daniel Pearl video. That shocking video of his execution is proof to me that evil exists. That it has zeroed in on Americans, Israelis, anyone who is free and happy and tolerant of others. People need to see this video, to see how horrific death and death-lovers truly are. I feel so sorry for the Pearl family, having to know that this video is circulating around the world.

But I have to look at it from my perspective. If something like that happened to me, I would want people to see my demise. I would want everyone to know how senseless my death was, and I hope seeing such a video would embolden them, force them to face a horrible enemy with a greater resolve. I want to do the right thing. I want to show respect for Pearl. I feel strongly against linking to the video from my site, so I will not. But I also feel that people should have a choice whether or not to actually see it for themselves. Therefore, I will email the video to individuals upon request. And that's it. It does me no good to talk about it anymore.

Posted 5/28/2002 04:12:00 PM by Justin
WHAT IF A NUCLEAR DEVICE WAS EXPLODED IN NEW YORK CITY?: Bill Keller has a truly frightening piece in the NY Times magazine (registration required) on the possibility (probability?) of such a thing happening.

'I asked Matthew McKinzie, a staff scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council, to run a computer model of a one-kiloton nuclear explosion in Times Square, half a block from my office, on a nice spring workday. By the standards of serious nuclear weaponry, one kiloton is a junk bomb, hardly worthy of respect, a fifteenth the power of the bomb over Hiroshima.

A couple of days later he e-mailed me the results, which I combined with estimates of office workers and tourist traffic in the area. The blast and searing heat would gut buildings for a block in every direction, incinerating pedestrians and crushing people at their desks. Let's say 20,000 dead in a matter of seconds. Beyond this, to a distance of more than a quarter mile, anyone directly exposed to the fireball would die a gruesome death from radiation sickness within a day -- anyone, that is, who survived the third-degree burns. This larger circle would be populated by about a quarter million people on a workday. Half a mile from the explosion, up at Rockefeller Center and down at Macy's, unshielded onlookers would expect a slower death from radiation. A mushroom cloud of irradiated debris would blossom more than two miles into the air, and then, 40 minutes later, highly lethal fallout would begin drifting back to earth, showering injured survivors and dooming rescue workers. The poison would ride for 5 or 10 miles on the prevailing winds, deep into the Bronx or Queens or New Jersey.'

I'll be posting more tonight...

Posted 5/28/2002 03:59:00 PM by Justin
A CATASTROPHE: Is what Rich Lowry considers recent talk of postponing the long-overdue ass-kicking of Iraq. He doesn't mince words-

'This episode should serve to prove to conservatives what defense analyst and NR contributing editor John Hillen has been saying for a long time: America's military leadership is an unimaginative backwards-looking bureaucracy that has been allowed to run free of vigorous civilian leadership for too long.'

Posted 5/28/2002 02:51:00 PM by Justin
THEY COME IN HORSESHIT FLAVOR, TOO: Cheese-flavored Yassir Arafat potato chips are now being sold in Egypt.

Posted 5/28/2002 02:48:00 PM by Justin
KILLING ME SOFTLY: Thanks to Dan Pink of Just One Thing for this news story-

'People who spend more of their working lives in jobs where they have few opportunities to decide what work to do and how to go about doing it tend to die earlier than employees given more decision-making opportunities, new research suggests.'

Dan also located the link to the actual study.

Posted 5/28/2002 02:23:00 PM by Justin
TOO FUNNY TO PASS UP: WHICH 80s HAIR BAND ARE YOU? I can't believe what my answers turned up...

which 80s hair band are you?

this quiz was made by colleen

Posted 5/28/2002 02:18:00 PM by Justin
STATE DEPARTMENT IN DENIAL: Daniel Pipes has some issues with the State Department's "Patterns of Global Terrorism" report. And he's got numbers to back up his claims!

Posted 5/28/2002 01:49:00 PM by Justin
AN ECONOMICS LESSON FROM TOM SOWELL: Thomas Sowell has some thoughts on price controls and supply/ demand. It's amazing, he's been writing about these issues for years, but nothing changes.

'So long as politicians can create the illusion of something for nothing, that gets them votes, which is what it is all about, as far as they are concerned. Hawaiian politicians have the best of all worlds with immediate credit for price controls and a postponement of the consequences till after they are re-elected.'

Posted 5/28/2002 01:45:00 PM by Justin
ON THE BLOGOSPHERE: John Hiler (Microcontent News) has written what Instapundit calls "the definitive article on the blogosphere." Take a look at it here.

Posted 5/28/2002 12:32:00 PM by Justin
TIRED OF WAITING: Charles Murtaugh is tired of waiting for the Bush administration to be proactive against terrorist nations. Here's a piece of his excellent rant-

'Let me put it simply: I don't want to read another article like this in 2005. I don't want The New York Times to win any more Pulitzers for photographs of exploding buildings, or daily obituaries of terror victims, or eloquent op-ed columns on the long reach of super-empowered angry men. And this isn't because I have something against the Times, either: if Gretchen Morgenstern wins another Pulitzer next year, and every year after that as well, more power to her.

In the first few months after Sept. 11, I took the Bush administration at its word that it would try its best to eradicate Islamic terrorism (although I should have been more disturbed, then, that it never put it so bluntly), that it would "end regimes" that harbored and supported such terrorism, and I counted myself among those Democrats who was not-so-secretly relieved that we had a tough-talking Republican in the White House. Post-Afghanistan, though, my confidence in the Bushies has been at an ever-lower ebb, as they have bent over backwards to placate our European and Arab "allies," and backed further and further away from any sort of military actions against the "axis of evil."

Now they're trying to convince us that all we can do is wait: wait for the next Sept. 11, which is "inevitable," "unavoidable," and a matter of "not if but when." Meanwhile Bush and his advisors are sticking their heads under their desks and hoping to wait out the terrorists themselves, at least until after November, 2004.'

Posted 5/28/2002 11:55:00 AM by Justin
TODAY WILL BE LIGHT ON ANALYSIS: And heavy on links. There's just a ton of great reads out there today, and I don't want to stand in their way.

Note: Sometimes, there are several other sources (bloggers and journalists) which have covered most of the good angles regarding a news story. I feel I don't have anything original to add. This explains why I haven't written too much on certain major news items, such as the India-Pakistan conflict, or the cloning debate.

I will have a detailed post or two later tonight.

Posted 5/28/2002 11:30:00 AM by Justin
"BILLIONS LOST BY FEDS": This opening paragraph says it all-

'Washington complains about deceptive corporate accounting. But the government last year misplaced an incredible $17.3 billion because of shoddy bookkeeping, or worse.'

Posted 5/28/2002 11:10:00 AM by Justin
I LIKED THIS: Dave Shiflett writes today in NRO about how to function in the age of terror- Appreciate life, however difficult that might be, and live it to the fullest.

Posted 5/28/2002 11:07:00 AM by Justin
COMING LATER THIS WEEK: The next Weigh In Poll question. Along with the final results of the current poll (on the left side of this page). Yes, I know you can view the results on your own, but I'm still posting the final tallies for everyone to see!

Posted 5/28/2002 10:50:00 AM by Justin
CLONING CAN'T BE STOPPED: Says Daniel Kevles in MIT Technology Review.

Posted 5/28/2002 10:42:00 AM by Justin
ON THE DANIEL PEARL VIDEO: Yes, my thoughts on it are still forthcoming, but in the meantime, visit Damien Penny's blog for his thoughts on the subject. His finish is the kicker.

Posted 5/28/2002 10:18:00 AM by Justin
HOW OUR GOVERNMENT MISSED 9/11: Seymour Hersh has a New Yorker piece on the subject. It is a depressing look at how power struggles and bureaucracy are threatening our safety. But a must-read. Take a look here.

Mickey Kaus has some thoughts on the piece, including some questions that Hersh overlooked.

If you want to read FBI agent Coleen Rowley's memo to FBI Director Robert Mueller, Time magazine has it here. Another frustrating document to absorb. It seems that our national security system had a major breakdown after all. Lack of intelligence, in more ways than one.

Posted 5/28/2002 10:08:00 AM by Justin
THE "TRICKY PSYCHOLOGY OF WARFARE AGAINST TERROR": Stated by Andrew Sullivan today-

'Success means a significant decline in terrorism. Such a decline leads people into complacency. Complacency obviously empowers more terrorism.'

Posted 5/28/2002 09:39:00 AM by Justin
WHY WE ARE IN DENIAL, PART 2: Jeff Jacoby in the Boston Globe has a valid explanation for why most U.S. citizens haven't greatly altered their lifestyles-

'Advance warnings rarely produce the same effect as bitter experience. People tend to react to threats only when they correlate with their own experience of reality. The horror of Sept. 11 is for all of us vivid and unsettling, which is why we are now willing to arrive at airports two hours before our flight and have our bags picked over by security agents - while we can still get to a movie theater five minutes before the screening and barely draw a glance from the ticket-taker.

But what if on Sept. 11 Al Qaeda had destroyed four crowded movie theaters, not four airliners? In that case, we would now be reserving movie tickets in advance and getting to the cineplex two hours early - while at the airport there would be no National Guardsmen and a few box cutters in your carry-on wouldn't raise any eyebrows.'

Posted 5/28/2002 09:28:00 AM by Justin
WHY WE ARE IN DENIAL: Marc Reuel Gerecht, the former CIA officer who has written many incisive pieces regarding radical Islam and the U.S., has this to say in today's New York Times (registration required)-

'Obviously air marshals on planes and secure cockpit doors should have been routine in American craft before Sept. 11. Such precautions have been in place in Israeli aircraft for decades, and yet even these relatively easy steps were not taken. Why? Because the American political leaders and the public have not been comfortable with acknowledging our vulnerability and the need to take defensive action that would change civilian life.'

He goes on in more detail. Read the entire piece.

Posted 5/28/2002 09:16:00 AM by Justin
LAST WORDS BEFORE THE WTC TOWERS FELL: Thanks to my boy Mark B. for sending me this NY Times article, which is a collection of phone conversations, e-mail and voice messages from individuals who were at the World Trade Center when the terrorist attack occurred. Pretty remarkable, and a reminder of what the Times is capable of when they get around to it. (registration required)

Posted 5/28/2002 09:04:00 AM by Justin
FANS TAKE IT DIFFERENTLY: Mike Wise has this observation on why athletes deal with crushing losses differently than fans do (registration required)-

'Players live in a different existence. Even after crushing losses, they go home to good lives. They are bothered by defeat, but the heartbreak does not last. They play too many games, have guaranteed contracts and often have to suit up in another 48 hours. That keeps them from being overly affected by anything having to do with basketball.'

Posted 5/28/2002 08:36:00 AM by Justin
MICHAEL WILBON ON PHIL JACKSON: Los Angeles Lakers' coach Phil Jackson has calmly figured out how to coach modern superstars.

Posted 5/27/2002 08:50:00 PM by Justin
"A DEEP EMPTINESS": Moving op-ed from the editors of the Baltimore Sun today on how this Memorial Day is different.

Hope you all had a great holiday. Bless our soldiers.

Posted 5/27/2002 08:45:00 PM by Justin
NETS HANG ON: Wow, another outstanding NBA playoff game. Two days after blowing the biggest 4th quarter lead in NBA playoff history, the New Jersey Nets defeated the Boston Celtics 94-92 tonight to tie the Eastern Conference Finals at 2 games each. Great game.

Posted 5/27/2002 06:00:00 PM by Justin
ON "IN MEMORIAM": Those extended thoughts I promised for tonight need to be put off until tomorrow. Got lots of housework to do tonight. I will include some reviews from other sources when I get a minute to write my piece. Thanks for your patience.

Posted 5/27/2002 05:57:00 PM by Justin
THEY'VE GOT SOME NERVE: Michael Barone of U.S. News and World Report thinks that Saudi Arabia needs a serious beating by U.S. hands.

'Far from aiding our efforts against terrorism, the Saudis have worked against them–to protect the terrorists in their own ranks. Also, the Saudis have praised suicide bombings and raised money for the families of Palestinian suicide bombers. Government-controlled Saudi media have frequently spread the vilest kinds of anti-U.S. and anti-Jewish propaganda.'

I'm inclined to agree.

Posted 5/26/2002 09:16:00 PM by Justin
WATCHING "IN MEMORIAM" RIGHT NOW: I will post some extended thoughts on it tomorrow night, but for now I feel very uncomfortable. This documentary is impressive, more so than the CBS one. HBO doing its usual outstanding work. There is footage I've never seen before. The clouds of ash overrunning the terrified bystanders. People plummeting from the towers, looking like tiny pebbles.

Feel like it's happening all over again. I remember the news coverage that day, continually replaying video of the airplanes slamming into the towers. I remember rushing to take the subway home that day (drawing the ire of my girlfriend, who had fled the city by foot), trying to make some kind of connection with the other riders, who were all in shock or simply refused to raise their heads to make eye contact. I was so goddamned angry. And helpless. Which is how I feel once more.

Posted 5/26/2002 01:01:00 PM by Justin
MORE TRAVELING TODAY: I think I'll be watching the HBO 9/11 special on tape this week, so I'll weigh in on it then... you all should watch it tonight!!

More posting possibly later tonight. In the meantime, please scroll down and visit all the news items I have linked to during this past week...

Posted 5/26/2002 12:56:00 PM by Justin
DANIEL PEARL VIDEO UPDATE: Matt Moore has decided to take the video off his site (see my earlier post). Due to recent statements by the FBI, I am unsure if I can (and even more unsure if I want to) link directly to the video. More to come...

Posted 5/26/2002 11:19:00 AM by Justin
FRIEDMAN ON 9/11 AND TECHNOLOGY: Thomas Friedman interviewed some tech industry people regarding the potential criminal uses of the technologies they're creating. Excellent op-ed.

'"The question 'How can this technology be used against me?' is now a real R-and-D issue for companies, where in the past it wasn't really even being asked," said Jim Hornthal, a former vice chairman of Travelocity.com. "People here always thought the enemy was Microsoft, not Mohamed Atta."'

Posted 5/25/2002 05:55:00 PM by Justin
ON A LIGHTER NOTE: Are you tired of casually referring to artists such as John Cougar Mellencamp, Journey and Foreigner with the all-too-respectable term "arena rock'? Well, I've got a new moniker for ya, and it'll irritate the fans of that genre just enough for you to use it over and over again.

Arena rock, I hereby christen thee "Meat and Potatoes rock." Pass it on to your friends.

Note: Don't get me wrong, I listen to all that stuff, for many years now. Let's have some fun with it.

Posted 5/25/2002 05:42:00 PM by Justin
POLITICS WILL KILL US ALL, PART 2: This news story, from the Washington Times, could upset you-

'Despite information that suspected al Qaeda terrorists were involved in flight training in two states, the warrant request — coming a month before the September 11 attacks on America — was rejected by FBI officials in Washington for a lack of probable cause.'

Doesn't it make you feel grand to know that continual government incompetence and frighteningly-common pissing contests will most likely result in someone you hold dear getting hurt or killed by a terrorist attack?

Posted 5/25/2002 05:35:00 PM by Justin
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INCOMPETENCE: I like that, as seen in the New York Post today. Read the entire editorial. On the FBI-

'It seems to have no sense of mission, no vision as to what it should be doing - precisely the mindset that leads to failures like 9/11.'

And yet, no one has been fired or publicly flogged. No accountability for their actions (or inaction). How can we expect our government to protect us when it can't even keep itself in order?

Posted 5/25/2002 09:49:00 AM by Justin
WHAT ARE RADIOHEAD AND BJORK LISTENING TO?: Slate does the dirty work on two of my favorite music artists.

Posted 5/25/2002 09:02:00 AM by Justin
POLITICS WILL KILL US ALL: The editors of the Weekly Standard weigh in with some common sense suggestions which, of course, will be ignored in the name of political correctness and bureaucracy.

Posted 5/25/2002 09:00:00 AM by Justin
BILL CLINTON, SCUMBAG: Even the Chinese are getting tired of his act (from the Guardian, of all places!)-

'A rambling and expensive speech by the former US president Bill Clinton in southern China has gone down spectacularly badly, according to the Chinese press.'

Posted 5/24/2002 10:37:00 PM by Justin
"BUFFY" REVIEWS: From Entertainment Weekly's resident "BTVS" aficionado, Jeff Jensen. I love all the attention the season finale has been getting. It really was remarkable, especially given the mediocre quality of most of this 6th season.

Here's a review of "Entropy."

And here's his take on "Villains."

Finally, the review for the 2-hour season finale ("Two to Go"/ "Grave").

Posted 5/24/2002 10:19:00 PM by Justin
THIS IS TERRIFYING: Eric Olsen wrote this today. I will not be sleeping much tonight.

'A few blocks from the pizza place, I peripherally noted a figure ahead on the sidewalk out of the corner of my left eye. I glanced toward the figure. The sky was cloudless, but the light was washed-out like the sun wasn't trying very hard. The woman was short, boxy, and middle-aged, of featureless commonality.'

Read the whole thing.

Posted 5/24/2002 10:07:00 PM by Justin
MATT MOORE ON ANDREW SULLIVAN: Regarding Sullivan's spat with Tres Producers. This is really getting brutal. I wish Andrew Sullivan and Eric Olsen would make up soon. We all need this to end happily.

Posted 5/24/2002 09:57:00 PM by Justin
DOUBLE-FISTING JONAH GOLDBERG: Whoa, that didn't sound right.

Well, Mr. Goldberg has not one, but two columns posted today. One is on, of all things, blogging. The other discusses Daniel Pearl. Agree or disagree, you should read his stuff.

Posted 5/24/2002 09:34:00 PM by Justin
JAMES LILEKS SAYS FAREWELL TO "THE X-FILES": I liked this bleat-

'We learned everything and nothing except that the world will possibly end in ten years, because the aliens preferred to wait until the Earth was populated by a technologically advanced civilization instead of taking over when Earth was full of people who worshipped goats and ornately feathered birds. Bah. Enough. Goodbye.'

Posted 5/24/2002 05:39:00 PM by Justin
HOPEFUL YET PESSIMISTIC: John Derbyshire of NRO is also quite worried.

'I wrote a piece a few days ago arguing that the U.S. will not go to war against Iraq. A lot of people e-mailed in with variants of: "You're right. It's going to take another 9/11 before we get serious." That is a horrible thought, and a horrible thing to say, but an awful lot of people are thinking and saying it. Perhaps it's true. Perhaps it even falls short of the truth: perhaps it will take a whole string of these horrors to wake us from our poisonous fantasies of infinite tolerance and cultural relativism. Or perhaps nothing will.'

Posted 5/24/2002 05:29:00 PM by Justin
BAD NEWS ON IRAQ: I think this speaks for itself-

'The uniformed leaders of the U.S. military believe they have persuaded the Pentagon's civilian leadership to put off an invasion of Iraq until next year at the earliest and perhaps not to do it at all, according to senior Pentagon officials.'

This is utter nonsense. I don't know how to respond.

Mark Steyn is also pretty pissed off about this turn of events.

Bill Kristol and Robert Kagan of the Weekly Standard think Bush is going wobbly.

I personally hope this is all another huge disinformation campaign to give Hussein some false sense of security, more rope-a-dope. I actually pray that it is.

Posted 5/24/2002 02:50:00 PM by Justin
WHAT MAKES "THE SHIELD" SO ENTERTAINING?: Great storytelling and memorable characters, says Robert David Sullivan in the Boston Phoenix.

Posted 5/24/2002 02:49:00 PM by Justin
FROM THE GREAT MALCOLM GLADWELL: Link here for the latest article from Malcolm Gladwell, one of the finest writers out there currently. It's about Philo Farnsworth, the inventor of the television. Awesome, as usual.

Also check out his archive of New Yorker articles.

Posted 5/24/2002 02:45:00 PM by Justin
HELLO FROM MARYLAND: It's pretty hot down here today (mid-80's), but all is well. Just picked up my marriage certificate! Went smoother than expected.

Posted 5/23/2002 04:04:00 PM by Justin
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND UPDATE:

I will be traveling along the East Coast this weekend, need to take care of wedding business. I will be posting during the evenings from Friday through Monday, so there will be new material to peruse. Please stop by. And have a safe vacation.

Posted 5/23/2002 03:37:00 PM by Justin
THIS CAN'T BE A GOOD SIGN: Thanks to Rich Lowry (at The Corner) for this troubling article in the USA Today-

'As President Bush tries to rally European support for military action against Iraq, U.S. armed services leaders are questioning whether their forces are ready for another war.'

Jesus. I guess this is what happens after 10 years of peacetime and prosperity.

Writer Mark Helprin voiced similar thoughts back in April.

Posted 5/23/2002 03:15:00 PM by Justin
GLENN REYNOLDS ON THE LOONY LEFT: He makes a point today that I often overlook-

The interesting thing is that the true PC loonies -- often perceived to be running campuses -- are a minority almost everywhere. But they're loud, and they know how to pressure the Administration, and they stick together, and they're not afraid to call anyone who disagrees with them names. Oh, and most of them aren't much as scholars, so they have plenty of time to serve on the committees that do a lot of the behind-the-scenes direction setting in academia.'

Posted 5/23/2002 02:33:00 PM by Justin
A VOTE FOR HOMESCHOOLING: A 10-year-old home-schooled boy won this year's National Geographic Bee. Four home-schoolers were among the top 10 finishers.

Posted 5/23/2002 02:05:00 PM by Justin
IT IS BEAUTIFUL OUTSIDE!: At least here in Boston. People are actually being kind to each other! Get out and enjoy it, before the summer (and the humidity) arrive.

Posted 5/23/2002 01:21:00 PM by Justin
DANIEL PEARL EXECUTION VIDEO: I found it, and I watched it. I'm not sure what to say; I consider myself a fairly unflappable person. But this thing is out of control. I feel that every U.S. citizen should have the opportunity to see what our enemies are truly like. If you want to see it, go to Matt Moore's site. It was originally posted on a site called Ogrish, but it seems that it's been taken off. Please be warned, it is very disturbing.

I also have the file and would be willing to send it by email if requested. I am not doing this to draw attention. This video is very upsetting, and I almost feel it is a call to arms to stop these animals before anything like this can happen again.

I believe in individual freedom and decision-making. Do the powers that be have a right to withhold information from those citizens who can use proper judgment in deciding how/ whether to use said information? I trust all of you.

UPDATE: Matt Moore has taken down the video. Due to recent statements by the FBI, I am unsure if I can or should link to the video. More to come...

Posted 5/23/2002 12:41:00 PM by Justin
SAYING GOODBYE TO "FELICITY": Turns out I used to be a "Felicity" junkie, back before that awful new theme song. (I'm a sucker for whiny, introspective theme songs- see "Once and Again" for more details). While I haven't watched the past 2 seasons, I will remember it as a far-above-average look at college life.

Kevin Thompson of the Palm Beach Post has his thoughts on the show, as does Mark Allan of the Indianapolis Star.

Posted 5/23/2002 11:43:00 AM by Justin
YANKEES - RED SOX THIS WEEKEND: Get set, the teams with the 2 best records in baseball meet up for a huge 4-game series in Boston this weekend. Go Yanks!

Here's a site you Red Sox fans may like, go ahead, dive deeper into your frustration!

Posted 5/23/2002 11:38:00 AM by Justin
TOM RIDGE JUST GOT THE NEW EMINEM CD!!!:

Posted 5/23/2002 11:09:00 AM by Justin
CHARLES BARKLEY ON PETA: Now normally I don't think much of Charles Barkley's non-basketball opinions (even the basketball analysis I often disagree with), but I am happy to see we agree on one thing - PETA is a joke. Here are some recent comments of his which, while abrasive, are sometimes necessary to help deflate an organization's sense of importance (see second item)-

'The former hoops star stunned animal lovers when he protested the NBA’s decision to switch from leather balls to synthetic ones by saying, “Animals are only good to be eaten and tested.” He ate a hamburger, in protest, he said, and went on to attack People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals by saying, “I hope those PETA people are outside by my car . . . I will run over them like dogs.”'

Posted 5/23/2002 10:54:00 AM by Justin
TEACHER DISPLAYS PORN DURING EXAM: Thanks to PejmanPundit for this hilarious story-

'Sixth formers at a leading independent school were exposed to pornographic images of women during a mock exam.'

Posted 5/23/2002 10:38:00 AM by Justin
SETTING REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS: Eugene Volokh agrees with FBI Director Mueller's statements this week about inevitable terrorist attacks in the U.S.-

'Mueller's point, which is a good one, is that the public should not expect a war with no more casualties, or even a war with no more casualties on U.S. soil. Such zero-damage expectations themselves risk creating a feeling of defeatism when the expectations understandably fail to come true. Rather, people should realize that more civilians will indeed die (just as they're dying in Israel, despite the efforts of the Israeli government), and that while of course we should try to prevent such deaths, we shouldn't let these inevitable losses dispirit us.'

Posted 5/23/2002 10:19:00 AM by Justin
NEW YORK CITY, TODAY: Visit Cut on the Bias and check out her freaky photo of New York City.

'It was beautiful, and inspiring, and reminded me all over again that the WTC is gone, and we're at war. The Lincoln Tunnel closed a while today, and they were searching all cars endeavoring to cross into Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge. The Statue of Liberty stood with its gold flame against the blue sky, and more ships eased slowly into the bay. What a wonderful country. What a terrifying situation.'

Posted 5/23/2002 09:59:00 AM by Justin
WATCH HBO'S 9/11 DOCUMENTARY THIS SUNDAY: "In Memoriam: New York City, 9/11/01" will air at 8:00 PM on Sunday. Here is a review from Phil Rosenthal of the Chicago Sun-Times.

And here is another look from Zap2it.com. Rudy Giuliani will be featured prominently in the documentary.

Posted 5/23/2002 09:33:00 AM by Justin
QUOTE OF THE DAY: Thanks to Natalie Solent for this-

"Real progress requires that we address root causes, which means putting bullets through the right foreheads."

Posted 5/23/2002 09:22:00 AM by Justin
ANN COULTER TAKES ON DEMOCRATS: In her latest column, which you can link to here. She makes an excellent opening point-

'Suppose Bush had known 19 Muslim immigrants planned to hijack four planes on Sept. 11. What could he have done? Throw Arabs out of the country? Put them in preventive detention? Order airport security to take an extra little peek at swarthy men boarding planes?

Liberals won't let us do that now!'

Did any of you catch her on "The O'Reilly Factor" this week? She was talking about her upcoming book "Slander." Very smart, very angry, very self-controlled. If we could all be so skilled.

Posted 5/23/2002 09:08:00 AM by Justin
THE ERIC OLSEN-ANDREW SULLIVAN GRUDGE MATCH IS GETTING UGLY: Here is the latest salvo, from Olsen. I still feel he has a valid point, and Sullivan's somewhat childish email response shouldn't win him any fans. Andrew is a big-time writer, and any efforts he can offer to help out lesser-known bloggers are very important. I understand he wants to keep his priorities straight (paying job comes before non-paying job), but he really can do so much good for blogging, if he chooses to. (I'd link to his post, but his web site is not set up properly to allow that)

Posted 5/23/2002 08:52:00 AM by Justin
I SERIOUSLY HOPE THIS WAS AN ACCIDENT: Fire Destroys Israeli Embassy in Paris.

Posted 5/23/2002 08:44:00 AM by Justin
SALON.COM WEIGHS IN ON "BUFFY": Stephanie Zacharek reviews the smashing season finale of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

Update: Check out Zentertainment's review here.

One additional note: I think Willow looked great with the black hair. I hope the hard-core red look is gone by next season...

Posted 5/23/2002 08:36:00 AM by Justin
FROM THE BLOGOSPHERE: Brink Lindsey is unnerved by all the recent terrorist warnings.

Jason Rubenstein has some thoughts on viewing the Daniel Pearl execution video. So does Asparagirl.

Stephen Green has several great posts today on current events. Read them all.

All excellent reads, and I think they articulate why I feel I need to see that video.

Posted 5/22/2002 09:53:00 PM by Justin
AOL, I FRIGGIN' HATE YOU WITH EVERY FIBER OF MY BEING: I know I keep telling all of you (as well as myself) that broadband cable access is coming. With every time AOL freezes up my computer or inexplicably kicks me offline, the day inches closer.

Posted 5/22/2002 09:35:00 PM by Justin
STEVEN DEN BESTE ON INDIA-PAKISTAN: And his worst-case scenario, well, it ain't pretty.

Posted 5/22/2002 09:26:00 PM by Justin
IT WAS CHANDRA LEVY:

'The skeletal remains found this morning in Rock Creek Park have been identified as those of missing intern Chandra Levy, D.C. Police Chief Charles Ramsey announced this evening.'

If that scumbag Condit had anything to do with it, someone should bake a cake with his intestines.

Posted 5/22/2002 05:24:00 PM by Justin
MORE POSTING TONIGHT: See you then.

Posted 5/22/2002 03:39:00 PM by Justin
IN OVER THEIR HEADS: Scott Ganz writes on how the U.S. government's repeated terrorist warnings of late can bring us closer to Israel.

'I wonder if the sudden realization that these attacks are "inevitable" here are actually a way for the government to illustrate to Americans just how terrible Israel's situation really is. The government can show us that even though the number of Israelis killed in the Intifada is low relative to 9/11, the deeply violating sense of danger brought on by regular bombing of day-to-day activities is a powerful force, and that we would be vastly hypocritical to fail in our support for Israel.'

I for one believe that most Americans support Israel and would pay money to watch the Israeli army continue to steamroll through Palestinian territory and give those slugs what they richly deserve.

Posted 5/22/2002 03:20:00 PM by Justin
ANDREW SULLIVAN ON GLENN REYNOLDS: "He blogs as often as most people blink." Sullivan also takes the time to respond to Eric Olsen's recent criticisms of his interactions with bloggers. (See his post "THE FRIGHTENING REYNOLDS" - his individual posts don't have links set up properly yet)

Posted 5/22/2002 03:11:00 PM by Justin
EVERYONE'S ABOVE AVERAGE AT HARVARD: Despite the inherent silliness in giving almost all its students A's and B's, Harvard's grade inflation is well-established (seemingly in the hopes of sending evermore self-important snobs out into the world).

Well blow me down- today I read that Harvard University is planning on an overhaul of its grading system. (registration required)

'At a closed meeting, the faculty voted in favor of two sweeping changes. First, Harvard will switch from an idiosyncratic 15-point grading scale to the more conventional scale in which a 4.0 is an A and a zero is an F. The change will narrow the difference between an A-minus and a B-plus, which the faculty hopes will make a B more palatable. Second, Harvard will limit the number of students allowed to graduate with honors to 60 percent of a class. Nearly 90 percent of the students in Harvard's class of 2001 graduated with some form of honors.'

Posted 5/22/2002 02:39:00 PM by Justin
HOME IMPROVEMENT TIPS: Courtesy of The Onion.

Posted 5/22/2002 01:54:00 PM by Justin
CHANDRA LEVY'S BODY DISCOVERED?: A breaking story.

'A human skull and other skeletal remains of what appears to be a woman's body were found this morning in Rock Creek Park and police are trying to determine if it is missing intern Chandra Levy, according to police sources.'

Posted 5/22/2002 01:50:00 PM by Justin
ON COMMENTING: I want to thank all of you who have taken the time to add comments when visiting my site. I apologize for not responding to all of them, but I assure you I have read each one. It takes a good deal of time for me to locate news and op-eds to post, and I'm having some difficulties making sufficient time to address all the emails and comments that I receive. I will try my best to keep up and respond timely. Thanks again.

Posted 5/22/2002 01:11:00 PM by Justin
WORST LYRICS OF ALL TIME: I have been thinking lately of some of the absolute worst song lyrics I've ever heard. I'll list a couple here -

The Rolling Stones, "Play with Fire"

'Now you've got some diamonds,
and you will have some others
But you'd better watch your step, girl
Or start living with your mother'

Def Leppard, "Pour Some Sugar on Me"

'Do you take sugar, one lump or two?'

Asia, "Days Like These"

'And I was thinking
About the Indians
And how they say
True wisdom only comes from pain'

Do YOU know of any simply horrible lyrics that have kept you up at night in laughter/ anger/ confusion? If so, email them to me or send in a comment!

Posted 5/22/2002 12:20:00 PM by Justin
INDIANS NOT BETTER ENVIRONMENTALISTS THAN US: More and more evidence is surfacing that Native Americans exploited their environment just as all other human beings do. Jonah Goldberg writes about this today, as well as the latest foray into execrable cliche-ridden animation, Dreamworks' "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron." (That title alone makes me queasy)

'I've always thought there was a certain amount of racism inherent to the propagandistic glorification of the American Indian. Environmentalists are enraptured with the idea that Native Americans lived in complete "balance" with the natural world. To make this argument you need to believe Native Americans are somehow different from people in every other human civilization.'

Posted 5/22/2002 11:59:00 AM by Justin
THOUGHTS ON "SIX FEET UNDER": This show has been on quite a run over the last 3-4 episodes. The Christmas episode ("It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year") was the finest in the show's existence. Only one more episode left this season. It's a blessing and a curse that HBO has smaller episode runs of its original shows. ("Six Feet Under" and "The Sopranos" get 13 episodes, and "Oz" only gets 8) Nancy Miller of Entertainment Weekly has some thoughts on how the show might wrap up.

To all you non-HBO subscribers out there, SIGN UP! It'll cost you $10 per month, that's simply 2 less beers each month. You television aficionados owe it to yourselves.

Posted 5/22/2002 11:47:00 AM by Justin
ON BUSH AND 9/11: William Saletan writes in Slate why Bush and his advisors couldn't have anticipated the 9/11 attacks-

'In retrospect, it seems obvious to many people that the FBI, the CIA, and the White House should have "connected the dots" and anticipated al-Qaida's use of hijacked planes to hit the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. But everything seems more obvious in retrospect, because you know which things are true and which aren't. What makes hindsight so easy is that you know not just what you needed to worry about, but what you didn't need to worry about. Identifying threats and mobilizing to prevent them isn't as easy as finding a single pattern. Intelligence is full of patterns involving numerous groups, targets, and methods. If you're the president of the United States or one of his intelligence advisers, you have to decide which threats are most worth investigating, mobilizing for, or disrupting people's everyday lives for.'

Posted 5/22/2002 11:42:00 AM by Justin
WOW, DID YOU SEE "BUFFY" LAST NIGHT?: Two very entertaining hours. I haven't really been that engaged in the show this season, but these two episodes pulled me right back in. And the surprise at the end of the first hour, damn, that was my highlight of the entire season. Incredibly well done.

Entertainment Geekly managed to procure an interview with "the Troika" - Warren, Jonathan and Andrew (Buffy's foils all season long). Read it here.

And visit this link for Sarah Michelle Gellar's thoughts on next season.

Posted 5/22/2002 10:13:00 AM by Justin
WE SHOULD BE MUCH MORE FURIOUS: Read Damien Penny's moving thoughts on viewing the Daniel Pearl execution video. If anyone out there has a link to the video, please send it to me. I feel this really unexplainable need to see it.

To contrast, Steven Den Beste says we shouldn't need to see Pearl's execution to know how evil an act it truly was.

Posted 5/22/2002 09:53:00 AM by Justin
ON THE DETAILS OF SPACE TRAVEL: Fascinating article in Space.com regarding the logistics of long-term space travel with human beings.

'Humans will begin a voyage to the nearest star this century, a NASA researcher says. And the crew might more resemble a tribal society than the chain of command of traditional space missions. Procreation would be required: The crew that arrived would be descendents of those that left.'

Also check out this interesting article on what other forms of life in the universe might be like.

Posted 5/22/2002 09:29:00 AM by Justin
WHY I HATE LIVING IN MASSACHUSETTS: The voters have no say after all. This is what happens when you have too many liberals in one place-

'The package passed by the House would freeze the voter-approved income tax rollback, raise taxes on cigarettes and capital gains, eliminate deductions for charitable contributions, and reduce the amount of personal income that is exempt from taxation.'

The state's residents approved an income tax rollback, but the state government can conveniently overturn it if they choose. What f--king nonsense. Spend, spend, spend.

Posted 5/22/2002 09:10:00 AM by Justin
BILL O'REILLY ON HILLARY CLINTON: Bill O'Reilly had some harsh words (which I consider quite accurate) for Hillary Clinton on Monday night's "The Tonight Show." It got me to thinking.

Why do people dislike Bill and Hillary Clinton so much? This writer feels they are just so brazen, so untrustworthy. The Clintons have a hyper-developed talent honed by all rich and powerful people – the ability to take advantage of other people and still feel good about themselves. To constantly try to get away with anything and always have a rationalization. To never admit to being wrong.

I’m not even referring specifically to economically unfeasible plans of universal health care. Or adulterous situations. Or illegal fundraising. Or questionable financial dealings. Or not paying your legal counsel. Or pardoning criminals.

It’s their inherent inability simply to behave as responsible human beings that freaks me out, to be honest. Is there anything the Clintons won’t do for more attention? For more money or power? It’s just so frustrating that our society rewards that kind of amoral behavior. I constantly feel this groan rising up from within me, saying, “damn…of all the worthy people in the world, why the hell are these people succeeding…”

Posted 5/22/2002 08:49:00 AM by Justin
ROBERT SCHEER MUST HAVE BROWN EYES: Because he is totally full of shit. Read his latest column as evidence that you can completely abandon intelligent thought and fact-seeking behavior and be rewarded with a syndicated column.

'Unfortunately, all clues so far point to a depressingly likely conclusion: Until Sept. 11, the Bush administration was simply too distracted and/or incompetent to maintain the American pressure on Osama bin Laden begun in 1998 under President Clinton with the missile attacks on reported Al Qaeda sites in Afghanistan.'

Pressure? We've been here before, sir idiot, and we shall not waste more thought on Clinton inaction today.

Posted 5/22/2002 08:39:00 AM by Justin
DON'T REALLY AGREE WITH THIS: Thomas Friedman of the NY Times asks President Bush and his team to tone down on vague terrorist warnings-

'Let's make a deal: We won't criticize the administration for not anticipating 9/11 if it won't terrorize the country by now predicting every possible nightmare scenario, but no specific ones, post-9/11.'

This of course will allow him (and others) to mercilessly criticize Bush when the next attack occurs. Is it really that awful to be reminded how unsafe we might truly be? I actually find it empowering; I want to know that our intelligence system is working to locate and thwart possible terrorist attacks.

Posted 5/22/2002 08:29:00 AM by Justin
DAVID BLAINE'S ABC SPECIAL TONIGHT: Check it out at 10 PM. Should be very cool. Howard Stern's talking with him via telephone as I type.

Posted 5/22/2002 08:26:00 AM by Justin
"FIVE-CARD STUDS": Rick Reilly of Sports Illustrated has an amusing take on the characters which populate the World Series of Poker.

Posted 5/21/2002 04:31:00 PM by Justin
THE NEW GOLDEN RULE: Never let work interfere with your personal web surfing.

Posted 5/21/2002 03:43:00 PM by Justin
WILLIAM F. BUCKLEY JR. SUPPORTS RACIAL PROFILING: In his NRO column today (italics are mine) -

'The single practical recommendation would be racial profiling. The one genetic contribution to counterintelligence in this theater is that Mid-easterners are visually identifiable. Since it is they who have engaged in every identified act of Islam-related terrorism, checking their movements at airports is a progressive step toward a level of security not manageable by any intensification of body and luggage examinations. If we knew that anyone disposed to terrorist activity would be red-haired, we'd find it reasonable to keep our eyes open for red-haired men at airports.'

Posted 5/21/2002 03:31:00 PM by Justin
THE CHUNKY SOUP CURSE STRIKES AGAIN: Its latest victim is Denver Broncos' running back Terrell Davis, former All-Pro and Chunky soup pitchman, now a shadow of his former self.

Posted 5/21/2002 03:17:00 PM by Justin
ERIC OLSEN INTERVIEWS MIKE WATT: Today Eric Olsen of Tres Producers posts his 1992 interview with fellow San Pedro, CA native Mike Watt, the indie rock legend. Nice.

Posted 5/21/2002 02:23:00 PM by Justin
TOP 10 TV SERIES FINALES: With all the shows leaving the air for good this season ("The X-Files," "Felicity," "Ally McBeal"), the Chicago Tribune has put together a list of their Top 10 television series finales (as well as the Worst 5).

Posted 5/21/2002 02:03:00 PM by Justin
NO GUNS FOR AIRLINE PILOTS: While I don't agree with this decision (If I'm trusting the pilot to fly the actual airplane for me, I think I can trust them to carry a handgun on the flight), I do believe that potential terrorists have already moved on to another way to harm Americans. We should as well.

Posted 5/21/2002 01:55:00 PM by Justin
RUMSFELD SAYS TERRORISTS WILL GET NUKES EVENTUALLY: This is why we have to strike first, and ask questions (or respond to whiny Euro-questions) later. How about creating some computer viruses and using them to disable Al Qaeda operations? Or announcing to the world that if there is another terrorist attack on the U.S., we will immediately attack and invade Saudi Arabia, or Syria? Let's apply some pressure on these germs. I hope someone in a position of influence is working on proactive, aggressive measures like this.

Posted 5/21/2002 01:08:00 PM by Justin
WESTERN ENVY: Though they hate us so passionately, Palestinian murderers are trying to appropriate our history. Victor Davis Hanson writes an impressive column today debunking the idea that the Palestinian terrorists are similar to American revolutionaries from the 18th century. He also takes on other false analogies that the Arab world and Europe are spreading-

'We hear frequently of the "Holocaust" and "genocide" in association with the Israeli incursion into Jenin — especially in the European presses. The very mention of those charged words in reference to fewer than 70 dead in a war zone is blasphemous to the memory of 6 million butchered in a methodical state program of death.'

We need more people like VDH to speak sternly and eloquently about the lies and treachery that comprise Arab thought (His arguments seem so straightforward and obvious when you read them; you can easily overlook how difficult it is to actually craft them). The Arab world has developed into a full-blown parasitic culture, incapable of exporting any useful ideas or commerce.

Posted 5/21/2002 11:43:00 AM by Justin
ANOTHER ATTACK OF THE CLONES?: Who do you see here?

It looks like Ex-President Bill Clinton and his Vice President Al Gore... but it's actually Clinton's face twice, with two different haircuts.

Wait, you didn't know that Al Gore was a robot? :)

Visit Optillusions for more visual tomfoolery.

Posted 5/21/2002 11:34:00 AM by Justin
THE 15 FINEST MOMENTS FROM "THE X-FILES": According to E! Online.

Posted 5/21/2002 11:31:00 AM by Justin
9/11 ON THE TWENTY-DOLLAR BILL: Can this actually be real? Seems a stretch to me, but I'll leave it to you readers to decide...

Posted 5/21/2002 10:45:00 AM by Justin
CAN'T WAIT TO TRY THIS OUT:

'Technology buffs have cracked music publishing giant Sony Music's elaborate disc copy-protection technology with a decidedly low-tech method: scribbling around the rim of a disk with a felt-tip marker.'

Thank heaven for techies. I'm quite serious. They're on the consumers' side. This copy-protection thing can only end badly for the music companies. It almost repulses me to buy a CD at full-price anymore...

Posted 5/21/2002 10:42:00 AM by Justin
HAS INSTAPUNDIT JUMPED THE SHARK?: The Invisible Hand thinks so, based on the Professor's new page layout. I have to disagree with Philip's analysis. We should all aspire to more eye-friendly graphics- have you seen some of the blogger templates!?!. Any blogger's rise to prominence requires upgrades in quality - of writing and of appearance. For Instapundit, the quality has always been there, and now it's time for the facelift.

Posted 5/21/2002 10:14:00 AM by Justin
"BUFFY" 2-HOUR SEASON FINALE TONIGHT!: Unreal, how fast the television season winds down once the May sweeps start. "BTVS" has been up and down this season, but tonight's season finale should be entertaining. (And there's a new episode of "The Shield" on right afterwards. Rapture!)

Here is an article reviewing the 6th season to this point. And another review here.

Posted 5/21/2002 09:54:00 AM by Justin
SUICIDE BOMBINGS IN THE U.S.: Yes, there seems to be this sense of inevitability to the idea of suicide bombing making its way to the United States. But these alerts in the news lately, I feel they are geared toward a specific group of people - those who are allowing 9/11 to fade from their memories. Countless people want to forget, fall back into old habits, disregard the very real threat we are all facing. These people are the ones who need reminding.

But not others. Not me. Many others know what’s happening, and what can (or will) happen. We are alert. We keep our eyes open in public places, ready to react to the slightest suspicious behavior. We have planned our escape routes out of our offices, our homes if necessary. We don’t ask “what will I do if,” we ask “what will I do when.” We don’t need color coding systems. We are preparing mentally and physically for an eventual attack on the U.S.

Keep alert. Keep your friends and family alert. Please.

Posted 5/21/2002 09:34:00 AM by Justin
WELCOME MATT WELCH READERS: Matt Welch was SO KIND to give me a great write-up on his site yesterday. I welcome all of you to the Weigh In. Please make yourself comfortable.

Posted 5/21/2002 09:26:00 AM by Justin
MORE ON STEPHEN JAY GOULD: Read this nice tribute in today's WaPo.

Also, check out this piece he wrote when he was first diagnosed with cancer, back in 1982.

'In July 1982, I learned that I was suffering from abdominal mesothelioma, a rare and serious cancer usually associated with exposure to asbestos. When I revived after surgery, I asked my first question of my doctor and chemotherapist: "What is the best technical literature about mesothelioma?" She replied, with a touch of diplomacy (the only departure she has ever made from direct frankness), that the medical literature contained nothing really worth reading.

Of course, trying to keep an intellectual away from literature works about as well as recommending chastity to Homo sapiens, the sexiest primate of all. As soon as I could walk, I made a beeline for Harvard's Countway medical library and punched mesothelioma into the computer's bibliographic search program. An hour later, surrounded by the latest literature on abdominal mesothelioma, I realized with a gulp why my doctor had offered that humane advice. The literature couldn't have been more brutally clear: mesothelioma is incurable, with a median mortality of only eight months after discovery. I sat stunned for about fifteen minutes, then smiled and said to myself: so that's why they didn't give me anything to read. Then my mind started to work again, thank goodness.'

I've read several of his books and seen him interviewed a few times. His essays are instructive, but never overwhelming. He was so unique, the scientist who could make sense to us plebeians.

Posted 5/21/2002 09:22:00 AM by Justin
BLOG*SPOT TROUBLES: Posting to come...

Posted 5/20/2002 04:33:00 PM by Justin
TAKE MY LINK, PLEASE: Eric Olsen is angry with Andrew Sullivan for not engaging the blogosphere more. He sort of has a point.

Posted 5/20/2002 04:29:00 PM by Justin
SUICIDE BOMBINGS IN THE U.S.: Would only embolden U.S. citizens to fully support intense military action against terrorist-breeding nations, says Professor Reynolds. I agree completely.

Posted 5/20/2002 03:39:00 PM by Justin
BREAKING NEWS: World-famous scientist Stephen Jay Gould has died of cancer at age 60. The father of the "punctuated equilibrium" theory of evolution was also a lifelong NY Yankees fan.

Update: Read the NY Times obituary (registration required).

Posted 5/20/2002 02:15:00 PM by Justin
THE OVERCLASS: Andrew Sullivan wonders what to do about the "overclass," the super rich. Here is an excerpt-

'Over the last two decades, we've heard a great deal about the "underclass" - a socially excluded (to use the Blairite term), drug-addled, family-free, work-shy, unreachable population, whose social position has only been rendered even more hopeless by the techno-boom of the 1990s and early 21st Century. What we haven't heard as much about is what should rightly be called the "overclass" - a socially excluded (to use the Blairite term), drug-addled, family-free, work-shy, unreachable population, whose social position has only been rendered even more hopeless by the techno-boom of the 1990s and early 21st Century. In some ways, these two groups form a kind of bookend to the new globalized social polity in Anglo-America. They are the unbourgeois, united in their dysfunction against the aspiring and intermittently anxious middle. The creative destruction of capitalism's turn of the century exuberance has given us a very nineteenth century scenario: a far more prosperous but also far more unequal society, with both the very rich and the very poor having increasingly little contact with anything in between.'

Posted 5/20/2002 12:49:00 PM by Justin
WHEN IT'S SWEEPS: How did you handle the television logjam last night? Did you watch the "Survivor" 3-hour season finale? "The X-Files" 2-hour series finale? The latest episode of "Six Feet Under"?

I went with Survivor. Check out this review of the show's 4th season. And another review here.

Posted 5/20/2002 12:14:00 PM by Justin
DELAYING THE WAR WITH IRAQ: John Derbyshire doesn't think we are ever going to war with Iraq. He makes some strong points, which I've made reference to in previous posts. Here's an excerpt-

'This is no way to make war. The most elementary fact about war, that you learn in your first week of lectures at staff college, or can pick up for yourself by reading half a dozen decent books of military history, or just by talking to veterans, is that battles are won by speed, audacity and surprise. Gentle reader, in the administration's movement towards engagement with Iraq, do you see speed? Do you see audacity? Do you see surprise? Do you even see any sign that our government is capable of those things? I sure don't.

It is true that one, or even two, though probably not all three, of those key elements can be dispensed with if you possess overwhelming force. That's why unimaginative, plodding generals sometimes win wars; that's why Dwight Eisenhower carried off the D-Day landings (he still had surprise). And we probably do possess overwhelming force, even allowing for the couple of years we have given Saddam Hussein to further disperse his biowar facilities, plant saboteurs in the U.S., acquire a few North Korean missiles and add another 20 feet of reinforced concrete to his underground command bunkers. Which brings me to the next issue: Do we actually have the will to use that force? Or, more to the point, shall we have that will in spring of 2003?'

Posted 5/20/2002 11:36:00 AM by Justin
LUNCHTIME READING: Magician David Blaine is insane-

'On Tuesday, May 21, he will climb 90 feet up a steel pillar like Batman up a wall, and he will stand on a circular platform 20 inches in diameter for 35 hours without a harness. At approximately 10:50 p.m. on May 22 -- 50 minutes into an ABC special, live on television -- he will jump off the pillar into a pile of corrugated cardboard cartons.'

Read this profile of him in the New York Times Magazine (registration required).

Posted 5/20/2002 10:54:00 AM by Justin
THE FUNNIEST MOVIE TITLE OF ALL TIME: My vote is for "In the Land of the Owl Turds." Roger Ebert and his readers discuss this and other candidates.

Posted 5/20/2002 10:29:00 AM by Justin
LURED OVER TO THE DARK SIDE:

'Bakersfield police arrested a couple early Thursday morning on child endangerment charges after finding that a 2-year-old boy had been left alone in their apartment while they attended the midnight showing of the new "Star Wars" movie.'

(Link via Jim Romenesko)

Posted 5/20/2002 10:18:00 AM by Justin
ON "ATTACK OF THE CLONES": PejmanPundit has a fun review, including several positives and negatives. I had to skirt around certain sections, which I will revisit when I see the film (this week or next).

Posted 5/20/2002 09:43:00 AM by Justin
THANKS TO MANUFACTURING DISSENT: For the Weigh In link on Friday! Check it out here.

Note to readers: In my political dreams, I envision myself as more of a Reagan staffer...

Posted 5/20/2002 09:26:00 AM by Justin
WSJ'S TAKE ON PREVENTING 9/11: The Wall Street Journal has a pair of critical pieces today on the U.S. government's failure to anticipate terrorist attacks in the U.S.

Brendan Miniter thinks that we disregarded national security and foreign policy during the 1990s, led by military-hating Bill Clinton.

'Mr. Clinton, of course, is no more responsible for Sept. 11 than Mr. Bush is. But Mr. Clinton did fail America with his nonchalant attitude towards the military and military operations. As a college student in 1969 Mr. Clinton famously wrote a letter in which he described himself as "loathing the military." He may have overcome his loathing by the time he entered the White House a quarter century later, but it's clear he hadn't learned to respect or understand the military.'

While the paper's editors opine that the breakdowns that led to 9/11 still aren't being addressed or corrected (registration required)-

'What worries us much more than what was missed on September 11 is that a similar mindset may be causing missed signals now. The FBI seems devoted to its "lone nut" theory of the anthrax terror, to the point of dismissing credible reports that one of the September 11 hijackers had anthrax himself. FBI Director Robert Mueller is a competent man but he's not known for challenging his superiors.

Meanwhile, Secretary of Transportation Norm Mineta refuses to racially profile even suspicious types trying to board airlines. And the CIA and State Department have both been reluctant to trust reports from democratic opponents of Saddam Hussein. This is the kind of thinking that could produce the next intelligence failure.'

Posted 5/20/2002 09:18:00 AM by Justin
BUSH CAN'T WIN: John Hawkins provides an accurate example of how Bush is damned if he does, damned if he doesn't.

Posted 5/20/2002 09:07:00 AM by Justin
WHY DIDN'T THE CIA WARN BUSH PROPERLY?: Asks Scott Shuger in Slate today...

Posted 5/20/2002 08:50:00 AM by Justin
MORE ON HOW WE MISSED 9/11: Michael Elliott writes in Time Magazine about the U.S. security missteps which contributed to the 9/11 attack. One example of ignored information-

'Earlier this month, the Associated Press reported new details from a July 2001 memo by an FBI agent in Phoenix, Ariz., who presciently noted a pattern of Arab men signing up at flight schools. The agent, Kenneth Williams, 42, has spent 11 years working in an FBI antiterrorism task force. He recommended an investigation to determine whether al-Qaeda operatives were training at the schools. He was ignored, and after the existence of the memo became known, the FBI insisted that even if it had been acted upon, it would not have led to the detention of the Sept. 11 hijackers.'

William Safire writes in the Times today about the Williams Memo, and how the FBI and CIA's inability to work together and share information is becoming a major national security problem. (registration required)

Posted 5/20/2002 08:45:00 AM by Justin
FILE UNDER FAREWELLS: Aaron Kinney of Salon.com says a heartfelt goodbye to "The X-Files."

Posted 5/20/2002 08:33:00 AM by Justin
"SURVIVOR 4" WINNER CROWNED: Office manager Vecepia Towery won the "Survivor: Marquesas" contest last night (my pick of the final four, incidentally).

Any thoughts on Rosie O'Donnell's horrific song and dance set to the "Gilligan's Island" theme? That was brutal.

Posted 5/19/2002 03:44:00 PM by Justin
USS CLUELESS PUTS IT DEN BESTE: The world's problems are not our fault! This is a must-read. Here's a piece-

'The world is a mess. There are billions of people out there who are miserable, living in horrible conditions, and they all seem to blame me for it. It's my fault either because I'm white, or because I'm old, or because I'm affluent, or because I'm educated, or because I'm a technologist, or because I'm an American, or because I speak English. If it's not my fault because I did something directly, it's my fault because I didn't do something. It's my fault because I did the wrong thing, but everything I can possibly do is the wrong thing, even when I do nothing whatever. Everything seems to be an American sin, of commission or of omission...

I find myself despairing, sometimes. It gets to be too much for me. Sometimes I feel like screaming at the top of my lungs, Why don't all you people solve your OWN f--king problems for a change?'

Posted 5/19/2002 03:39:00 PM by Justin
HOCKEY'S BEST RIVALRY: Joe Lapointe of the New York Times writes on hockey's best rivalry, the Colorado Avalanche and the Detroit Red Wings, who face each other in the Western Conference Finals (registration required). (Note: Detroit won Game 1 last night.)

Posted 5/18/2002 11:46:00 AM by Justin
THE FBI KNEW: About impending terrorist attacks in the U.S. And it appears they sat on the information. Just friggin' great.

' The F.B.I. knew by 1996 of a specific threat that terrorists in Al Qaeda, Mr. bin Laden's network, might use a plane in a suicide attack against the headquarters of the C.I.A. or another large federal building in the Washington area, the law enforcement officials acknowledged.' (registration required)

Glenn Reynolds is mighty busy today, and he's got some more thoughts on why aren't more government bureaucrats and suits who screwed up (and there are many) being handed their hats? And why don't any of them have the class or integrity to resign?

Posted 5/18/2002 11:27:00 AM by Justin
ONE EYE, NO BRAINS: Cowardly, in hiding, Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar continues to talk trash to the United States. I can't wait until our soldiers locate him and castrate his sorry ass.

Posted 5/18/2002 11:23:00 AM by Justin
SICKER THAN WE THOUGHT: I guess the entire Catholic Church needs a severe talking to-

'Roman Catholic bishops should avoid telling congregations their parish priests sexually abused someone if the bishops believe the priests will not abuse again, a Vatican official said.'

But wait, there's more. Rev. Gianfranco Ghirlanda, dean of canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, also said-

'...a priest whose past acts of abuse were revealed to his congregation "would be totally discredited in front of his parochial community and in fact would be blocked from any effective pastoral action."'

Um, that's the point, asshole.

Posted 5/18/2002 08:04:00 AM by Justin
WOW, WHO SAW THE YANKEES GAME LAST NIGHT?: Yankees win 13-12 over Minnesota on Jason Giambi's walkoff grand slam in the 14th inning.

Posted 5/18/2002 08:01:00 AM by Justin
NAPSTER'S NOT DEAD AFTER ALL: Acquired last-minute by Bertelsmann.

See, news story reversals like this are why we have to blog every day.

Posted 5/18/2002 07:57:00 AM by Justin
JONAH GOLDBERG IS RIGHT: Cynthia McKinney is still a complete idiot. And worse, it seems apparent that SHE is trying to profit from this war, NOT President Bush. If anyone is interested, I may be drafting a letter to her attention in the near future. Please contact me if you would like to contribute.

Posted 5/18/2002 07:52:00 AM by Justin
WHY OUR GOVERNMENT COULDN'T STOP 9/11: Instapundit reader Harry Helms had this to say about our government’s inability to anticipate 9/11-

'Of course the events of 9/11 were beyond the imagination of anyone in the FBI. Why is this so difficult for you to grasp?

Government jobs---and, in particular, government law enforcement jobs---attract people who DON'T want to think creatively or "out of the box." Instead, they want to think INSIDE the box. They don't want to use their imagination; they want a detailed set of procedures and rules to follow. If they haven't seen it before, they can't conceive of it. Asking the FBI to "think creatively" about possible terrorist incidents is---pardon my non-PC analogy----like asking the blind to be architects. They simply lack essential characteristics necessary to adequately perform the task.

It's interesting to note that other posters have cited examples from television ("The Lone Gunmen") and fiction (Tom Clancy) of hijacked airliners used as weapons. And that's why, in all seriousness, the government should be asking creative people to visualize new terrorist scenarios and plots. Screenwriters, novelists, and---yes---terrorists are all imaginative, while the FBI and other government drones aren't. Creativity is just as big a weapon in this new war as missiles and guns---maybe even more so.'

Wow, that pretty much sums it up, no?

Posted 5/17/2002 04:35:00 PM by Justin
MORE POSTS OVER THE WEEKEND: Have a good one!

Posted 5/17/2002 04:25:00 PM by Justin
MICHAEL LEDEEN ASKS A GOOD QUESTION: So How Come Nobody's Been Fired Yet?

Posted 5/17/2002 04:04:00 PM by Justin
PEGGY NOONAN SEES BUSH AS FDR: In her latest column, she claims Bush is "accepting what he thinks he has to accept (pork, a bad trade bill) in order to keep or expand the power balance he has in Washington." Winning the war is paramount, after all.

She also takes the Democrats to task for trying to make a story of Bush's inability to anticipate the 9/11 terrorist attacks-

'Why are Democratic operatives more effective? Because they see politics as total war. When you see yourself as a captain in a great unending struggle you not only fight harder, you rationalize fighting meaner. Why are Republican operatives less effective? Most of them don't believe politics is total war. It's only about government, it's not as big and important as life. If they thought it were that big they'd fight as if it were total war, but they wouldn't be Republicans; they'd be people who think government is everything.'

Posted 5/17/2002 02:57:00 PM by Justin
GREAT REFERENCE: Check out this site for the history behind Billy Joel's We Didn't Start the Fire," including links to information about every cultural reference in the song!

Posted 5/17/2002 02:50:00 PM by Justin
WHAT MAKES JASON KIDD A BASKETBALL GENIUS?: Mind speed. Tim Keown has a very enjoyable article on the subject in ESPN the magazine.

'The basis for this genius comes down to one word: Speed. But not by its traditional definition. This isn’t stopwatch, 40-yard dash speed. It’s brain speed, or how fast the mind puts the body in motion. It is memory, pattern recognition and preparation all mixed together. Physical speed -- the kind we can see and compute -- is the manifestation of what goes on in the mind beforehand. Mental speed becomes physical when Gary Payton, the human premonition, disrupts a three-on-one fast break by overplaying a passing lane and coming up with a steal. Or when Andruw Jones, seemingly off before the crack of the bat, tracks down a liner to the gap. Or when Allen Iverson, arms and legs in arbitrary abandon, embarks on one of his fearless rages through the lane.'

Posted 5/17/2002 02:23:00 PM by Justin
JUDD APATOW ON FOX NETWORK: Thanks to Crow Blog for this amusing look at Fox by Judd Apatow, creator of "Freaks and Geeks" and the recently-cancelled "Undeclared"-

'Sad to say it has happened again. When Freaks and Geeks ended I wound up in the hospital having back surgery. This time I am trying to be a little healthier.

I can not say I am sad to not be working for Fox. When you see their shows in the fall you will understand that the people who run this network think that cutting edge means lots of boobs, super fast cutting, too much music, too much energy, no emotion, no content and no self respect. They were going to have John Wayne Bobbitt fight until he got arrested for beating his wife. When they are willing to pay wife beaters, women who pay others to assault ice skaters and a man convicted of stautory rape money so they can get ratings, you know you are dealing with people who are not concerned about quality television. They will literally do anything for money. They are nice people with families with no concern for the responsibility of broadcasting to the public. So I can not be surrised that I do not agree with them creatively. Imagine talking to these people about their "creative notes". Then they leave the meeting with me and set up another special where they give away magic tricks. I am proud of what everyone at Undeclared accomplished. I hope you enjoyed it. We certainly put our hearts into every moment. I appreciate your support and look forward to making something else in the future that, hopefully, you will like as well. And remember, they won't make garbage if we won't watch garbage. In the end, it's our fault too.

All the best,
Judd Apatow'

Personal note: I will never forgive NBC for cancelling "Freaks and Geeks."

Posted 5/17/2002 02:12:00 PM by Justin
ABOUT A SHAM: Charles Murtaugh has some upsetting information for Nick Hornby fans regarding "About a Boy," the new Hugh Grant movie-

'I'm glad to find that About a Boy is getting such positive reviews, as I'm a big Nick Hornby fan and I quite enjoyed the translation of his High Fidelity to the big screen. Nonetheless, I'm dismayed (but not surprised) to learn that the entire Kurt Cobain/Nirvana subplot (to which About a Boy owes its title) has been dropped from the movie. One thing that sets Hornby apart from every other contemporary novelist I've read is that he can convey the importance of pop music in the lives of semi-culturally-savvy young men. This was carried over wonderfully when High Fidelity was filmed, but it sounds like music plays a much less important role in the new movie.'

I am one of those semi-culturally-savvy young men! Thank you Charles for elucidating what we all feel. Hope the movie is one-tenth as good as the novel.

Posted 5/17/2002 01:11:00 PM by Justin
HOW TO GET KIDS OFF FAST FOOD, EPISODE 2: This might also be effective-

'A Clyde woman claims a Wendy’s chicken sandwich "exploded" onto her face and hands and caused severe burns.'

Okay, that was mean too. (Link via Jim Romenesko)

Posted 5/17/2002 12:12:00 PM by Justin
"DEAR TERRORIST": This is pretty amazing. From Tony Pierce.

Posted 5/17/2002 11:45:00 AM by Justin
MORE ON 9/11 PREVENTION: Read this L.A. Times op-ed discussing why the various signs of an impending terrorist attack last year were not acted upon. (italics are mine)

'The revelations of the last few days have prompted many intelligence and law enforcement specialists to ask what might have happened last August if someone had been able to connect the dots. If the FBI in Arizona knew that agents in Minneapolis had stumbled upon Moussaoui at a flight school there--or that the CIA was warning the president about the prospect of hijackings--could things have turned out differently on Sept. 11? they ask.

"What this means is that the same old confrontations, the same cat-and-mouse game that has been going on for 50 years between the CIA and the FBI, contributed to the inability of the U.S. government to put together all of the intelligence needed to increase the chances of predicting Sept. 11," said a former senior official in counter-terrorism. "It took 9/11, tragically, to force them to share intelligence that they should have been sharing all along."'

Maybe someday soon our government can declare a "war on bureaucracy."

Posted 5/17/2002 11:43:00 AM by Justin
I CHOOSE NOT TO RUN: So sayeth the Boss.

C'mon, honestly, who the hell would give up a rock star god's life to become a politician??? I wouldn't want such a fool representing me.

Posted 5/17/2002 11:25:00 AM by Justin
DAN RATHER STUPID: From Right Wing News today (bold is mine) -

'I've had just about enough of the left's hysterical bleating over being criticized. This Dan Rather quote typifies the sort of spew we've been getting from the left lately about "free speech"...

"It is an obscene comparison ... but you know there was a time in South Africa that people would put flaming tyres around people's necks if they dissented," said Mr Rather. "And in some ways the fear is that you will be necklaced here, you will have a flaming tyre of lack of patriotism put around your neck."

So Dan Rather is comparing getting some verbal criticism with being murdered? That is just so totally ridiculous. But, this sort of whining is getting more common on the left. We have people complaining they'll be called "unpatriotic" if they criticize the war and "anti-Semitic" if they criticize Israel. Well so what? I might be labeled a "racist" if I criticize Jessie Jackson or accused of "wanting to make old people eat dogfood" if I suggest reforming social security.

Free speech is not for the timid. If you can't take questioning and criticism then you have no business competing in the arena of ideas. You'd think Dan Rather would have learned that lesson by now.'

Well said sir, well said.

Posted 5/17/2002 11:22:00 AM by Justin
HOW TO GET KIDS OFF FAST FOOD: Maybe this'll work-

'Five-year-old Hayley Ard always has looked forward to the toy surprises she finds in Burger King kids meals. But what she found in her kids meal Sunday shocked and scared her: a razor blade likely from a box cutter.'

I'm sorry, that was mean.

Posted 5/17/2002 10:28:00 AM by Justin
INSTAPUNDIT ON PREVENTING 9/11: Glenn Reynolds makes an excellent point today regarding 9/11-

'But what offends me -- as I keep repeating -- isn't so much the failure to prevent the attacks. That may well have been impossible, even if they'd had extraordinarily good intelligence. What offends me is the constant repetition (I heard Condi Rice say this just yesterday) that no one could have imagined the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. That's not only absurd, it's an insult to our intelligence.'

Posted 5/17/2002 10:19:00 AM by Justin
WHAT I'M EATING: I've been inhaling the following items of late... definitely on a dry, crunchy snack kick...

Posted 5/17/2002 10:06:00 AM by Justin
BLOGGERS I’VE NOTICED THIS WEEK: Some great blogs to check out, if you’re inclined – Beauty of Gray, Lagniappe, Justin Slotman and Smattering. Keep up the great writing, all of you!

Posted 5/17/2002 09:49:00 AM by Justin
MY FIRST CRACK AT THE FRIDAY FIVE!: Here are my submissions for the ever-popular Friday Five-

1. What shampoo do you use?...Head and Shoulders
2. Do you use conditioner? What kind? ...Infusium 23 after shower leave-in treatment
3. When was the last time you got your hair cut? ...April 20 (I desperately need one!)
4. What styling products do you use? ...Clubman gel (the tub of green stuff)
5. What's your worst hair-related experience? ...Getting a chemical burn on my scalp once after having my hair straightened

Posted 5/17/2002 09:41:00 AM by Justin
THERE'S NEVER ENOUGH TIME: Asparagirl has it exactly right.

Posted 5/17/2002 09:29:00 AM by Justin
CHECK OUT USS CLUELESS THIS MORNING: He's written several great posts, including thoughts on increasing Palestinian unrest in the face of Israel shedding its victim status, and what Microsoft really has against Netscape and other opposing technologies...

Posted 5/17/2002 09:18:00 AM by Justin
BEWARE THE UNABUTTOCK: This week I came across an amazing sight - a woman with what appeared to be a single buttock. Just one, right in the middle. Should you see such a person, I would advise maintaining a safe distance at all times, and definitely do not approach such a person in an attempt to ask for the time.

Posted 5/17/2002 09:11:00 AM by Justin
CLINTON HAUNTS US STILL: Bill Gertz writes in the Washington Times that U.S. intelligence had indications for years that terrorists were considering attacks using aircraft. Hmm. So who was president during the mid to late-1990s?

Posted 5/17/2002 09:07:00 AM by Justin
FLAPPY LIPS JIMMY: Jay Nordlinger expertly points out how foolish Jimmy Carter was and still is. Read his latest "Impromptus" column...

'And now, the money shot: Carter’s moral equivalence. One of my themes in life is, “No one knows how left-wing Carter has become in his post-presidential years. No one knows how close to Arafat, how close to the Ortegas, he became. No one knows how alarmingly he has lined up with the anti-Americans — how he often sounds like the denizens of the old Christic Institute” (remember that?). Well, this should give a flavor:

“My nation is hardly perfect in human rights [compared to Communist Cuba, we are]. A very large number of our citizens are incarcerated in prison, and there is little doubt that the death penalty is imposed most harshly on those who are poor, black, or mentally ill. For more than a quarter century, we have struggled unsuccessfully to guarantee the basic right of universal health care for our people.”'

Posted 5/17/2002 08:34:00 AM by Justin
ANDREW SULLIVAN IS RIGHT: Bush (nor anyone else) could have done anything to prevent 9/11. There is no story.

In addition, I came across these op-eds, from John Podhoretz in the New York Post ("No One Knew Enough") and Wesley Pruden editor-in-chief of the Washington Times ("When All Else Fails, Find a Panic Button").

Posted 5/17/2002 08:27:00 AM by Justin
FINGERS CROSSED: Can New England Patriot castoff Terry Glenn help lead the Green Bay Packers back to the Super Bowl? Here's one fan who hopes so...

Posted 5/16/2002 04:44:00 PM by Justin
ON THE TROUBLE AT SFSU: Read Cut on the Bias' thoughts regarding the recent anti-semitic, anti-free speech riot at San Francisco State University.

And here's Instapundit's FoxNews column on the matter. (Included in his column is this eyewitness account of what happened)

For more, read this op-ed in the Washington Times.

How this incident is handled is very important, and has repercussions for all of us. Read up on this news story if you haven't.

Posted 5/16/2002 04:08:00 PM by Justin
"THE CULTURE OF MARTYRDOM": David Brooks writes in the Atlantic Monthly about how suicide bombings have transformed the Palestinian culture. But these killers are not poor and desperate losers (well, they are losers)-

'Suicide bombing is a highly communitarian enterprise. According to Ariel Merari, the director of the Political Violence Research Center, at Tel Aviv University, and a leading expert on the phenomenon, in not one instance has a lone, crazed Palestinian gotten hold of a bomb and gone off to kill Israelis. Suicide bombings are initiated by tightly run organizations that recruit, indoctrinate, train, and reward the bombers.'

Posted 5/16/2002 03:22:00 PM by Justin
NO WAY OF KNOWING: Right Wing News has some solid arguments for why the United States simply could not have prevented September 11 from happening. We just didn't have enough information. Check out the entire day's posts.

Posted 5/16/2002 03:04:00 PM by Justin
MORE FROM THE USS CLUELESS HALL OF FAME: Steven Den Beste outlines the rise and fall of Imperial Japan in the early 20th century, and notices many similarities with present-day Islam.

'What we may ultimately be fighting against this time is a cultural chauvinism just as deeply ingrained in the Arab nations as the samurai tradition was in Japan, which is just as deeply offended by us as were the Japanese.

Will that mean that we will have to shatter them just as badly? I hope not, but I fear it to be so. The parallels are not exact, but there is the same feeling of entitlement to domination, the same feeling of being shown up by foreign dogs. In the case of Islam it is much worse; it's not just that their extremists believe that Islam is entitled to rule the world. Their religion tells them that God Himself has said they will. And yet, secular western nations keep defeating them. For hundreds of years they have been in decline. They keep being shown to be second (or third) rate compared to the accomplishments of cultures who do not follow Islam.'

Someday far off from now, humanity will look back at its history and see how organized religion was responsible for more death and suffering than all other diseases and natural disasters combined.

Posted 5/16/2002 01:49:00 PM by Justin
WHAT I'M READING: Three books in progress right now... all outstanding.

How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie

Life, the Universe and Everything, by Douglas Adams

More Guns, Less Crime, by John R. Lott, Jr.

Posted 5/16/2002 01:37:00 PM by Justin
A EULOGY FOR NAPSTER: Brad King of Wired News says goodbye to Napster.

Posted 5/16/2002 12:52:00 PM by Justin
ON WAR WITH IRAQ: Steven Den Beste (USS Clueless) wrote a series of essays this past February on the issues involved if the U.S. really went to war with Iraq. I strongly urge you all to read them- no nonsense, packed with information, my favorite style of writing.

Sometimes it takes such a display of intellect and knowledge to show you how little you actually know. I am noticing that I typically take on an angry, simplistic tone in some of my posts. I let my emotions get the better of me, rushing from thought to thought. This might be due to the fact that I'm trying to post so many articles during each day. I enjoy that part of blogging. But my eventual goal is to transition this blog from less linking to more writing, and hopefully such a change will be to my readers' benefit and mine. My own writing and analysis are the things that I eventually want you all to come here for.

What got me thinking about all this is the potential war with Iraq and USS Clueless' take on it. It seems so simple upon initial inspection - get in there and kill Saddam Hussein. Or find someone inside the country already to do it. The rest of the populace will support us. But there are so many details, so much that must be considered. I'm often out of my league with my political anaylsis. I'm a neophyte in every sense of the word. It can be humbling, yet instructive, as I learn from others what levels of craftsmanship can be attained.

Okay, lunch break's over.

Posted 5/16/2002 12:09:00 PM by Justin
GOLDBERG COMMENTS ON LAST NIGHT'S "THE WEST WING": Link to them here, they can be found in today's "The Corner." I don't watch the show much anymore (it's not just political - for one thing, there's too much marble-mouth talking), but I did watch most of last night's show, and I agree with Jonah's comments.

Posted 5/16/2002 12:00:00 PM by Justin
BASEBALL'S GREATEST PITCHES: Nice piece from David Schoenfield of ESPN.com on baseball's greatest pitches (not pitchers).

Posted 5/16/2002 11:09:00 AM by Justin
LOSING THE WAR... ON DRUGS, THAT IS: A horrible idea from the outset, the "war on drugs" continues to waste more and more taxpayer money. Collin Levey writes in today's WSJ that anti-drug advertisements are ineffective and misguided.

'Currently, preteens are presented with a laundry list of dreadful things that can happen to them if they smoke pot, do "club drugs" like ecstasy, or venture as far afield as heroin. Trouble is, the scare campaign lasts only until kids start to observe drugs in action among their peers.

When, at age 12 they are told unequivocally that smoking pot ruins your life, that cocaine is instantly addictive and that MDMA will kill you, they believe it. And they will believe it up until the exact moment when their older brother's friend starts smoking dope, to no immediately perceptible harm.'

I also find it confusing that our government leaders continually preach restraint and abstinence- from drug use, from sex, etc., yet it collects and spends / wastes more money than a coke junkie with a stolen ATM card. It's not healthy to be addicted to cigarettes or ecstasy, I will agree, but an addiction to money on the other hand is okay?

Posted 5/16/2002 10:53:00 AM by Justin
I PERSONALLY FIND THIS REPREHENSIBLE:

'A bipartisan group of House members has proposed a Federal Marriage Amendment that would constitutionally limit the definition of matrimony to that of husband and wife.'

Glad to see I'm not the only one. Check out the extended post on this subject from Myria at It Can't Rain All the Time. Here's a piece of it-

'I don't get the near hysteria in many social conservative circles towards the concept of gay marriage, I just don't. Aside from theocratic arguments - and since the United States neither is nor should be a theocracy I've zero interest in those - I've yet to hear a decent reason why gays and lesbians shouldn't be able to marry.

If marriage was simply a religious institution that would be one thing. If a particular religion chooses not to bless or recognize a particular union or kind of union, that is well within their rights. If it was simply a social institution, like joining the VFW or something, it would be one thing. But marriage has become a legal institution, heavily controlled and defined by the state. Marriage automatically confers a host of legal rights and responsibilities upon a couple. Legal rights and responsibilities that in some cases are not available any other way, or, if they are, can only be attained in a watered down version at some expense. Denying the availability of those rights and responsibilities to an entire class of individuals is, frankly, unconscionable.'

Posted 5/16/2002 10:27:00 AM by Justin
HOPE YOU'RE SITTING DOWN: As part of my wedding planning (yes, I'm getting hitched in October), I was referred to a particular DJ's web site by a friend of Lindsey's. In addition to the requisite information, they have compiled a list of the 50 most requested songs at wedding receptions from 1974 to 2000.

Hope you haven't just eaten anything...

Posted 5/16/2002 10:07:00 AM by Justin
COULD 9/11 HAVE BEEN PREVENTED?: Most likely no. While we will never know, the intelligence may have been available. Instapundit's ever-impressive legion of readers has some ideas about this as well.

Posted 5/16/2002 09:41:00 AM by Justin
TODD WEIGHS IN: I have posted here my friend Todd's thoughts on "Attack of the Clones." Comments are welcome.

'I saw the sneak preview yesterday, and here are some of my initial thoughts:

I really enjoyed the movie. But as I started thinking about what to write, I realized that another person's review of a Star Wars movie rarely describes one's own experience with the same movie. I think that's because these movies already have so much history that everyone comes in with a different set of thoughts, feelings, baggage, expectations, etc. I thought Episode II was a good story with decent acting and strong action scenes, but what really made me like this movie was its familiarity. Not that it was predictable, but there were so many elements that reminded me of or foreshadowed events in the later movies. Episode I seemed foreign and confusing; Episode II brought back the excitement I had when I was kid watching these movies with my dad. I won't claim this movie makes my all time top 10 list, but very few movies can bring back that childhood sense of excitement.'

Posted 5/16/2002 09:25:00 AM by Justin
MEET THE NEW BOSS?: A group called "Independence for New Jersey" has launched a signature drive to put rock star Bruce Springsteen on the ballot as a U.S. Senate candidate. He hasn't responded to their request yet.

Can you imagine how kick-ass the inauguration ceremony would be???

Posted 5/16/2002 09:15:00 AM by Justin
THIS HAS BEEN TOO LONG IN COMING:

'U.S. servicewomen in Saudi Arabia should never be required or encouraged to wear Muslim-style head-to-toe robes, the House said Tuesday, unanimously pushing the Pentagon to eliminate the abaya from servicewomen's wardrobes.

"I am puzzled by the fact that our female military personnel are treated like second-class citizens while stationed on soil they're defending from Iraqi aggression," Rep. John Hostettler, R-Ind., said during House debate.'

(Link via Little Green Footballs)

Posted 5/16/2002 09:03:00 AM by Justin
TOM SOWELL ON LUCAS HELDER: I know some of you take exception to the Thomas Sowell columns I send out, but he typically makes 1-2 excellent points in his pieces. Today is no exception. In writing about the mail-bombing miscreant from the Midwest, he notes (italics are mine)-

'The passive sense in which Helder says that mailboxes are exploding, instead of saying "I planted bombs there," is a classic evasion of responsibility. "The knife went in" is the way a British thug described his attack on another person in Theodore Dalrymple's account of slum life in his book "Life at the Bottom."

Then there is Helder's claim that he had to get our attention "in the only way I can." Since when are you entitled to someone else's attention? And since when does that presumed entitlement also entitle you to risk other people's lives for the sake of your own self-expression and self-importance?'

Posted 5/16/2002 08:58:00 AM by Justin
DEAD OR ALIVE?: Thanks to Andrew Sullivan for the link to this cool (if somewhat disturbing) site which lets you know if your favorite celebrities are dead or alive.

Posted 5/16/2002 08:47:00 AM by Justin
MY KIDS ARE NOT GOING HERE: Hellenic College, a small Greek Orthodox school in Brookline, MA, is planning to award Cardinal Bernard Law an honorary degree this weekend. Nice example to set.

Posted 5/16/2002 08:30:00 AM by Justin
SLAP!: That sound you hear is another painful, blistering review of "Attack of the Clones," this one by Stephanie Zacharek of Salon.com.

But David Edelstein of Slate is more hopeful with his take.

I figure that with all the attention I've given this film, I will definitely need to post a review of my own when I see it...

Posted 5/16/2002 08:25:00 AM by Justin
MISSING MAN ON THE STREET: Our man on location, Todd, is missing in action. Maybe too much birthday hijinks. Todd, where are you? How was "Attack of the Clones"? Drop us a line if you are around...

Posted 5/16/2002 08:20:00 AM by Justin
N-E-T-S NETS NETS NETS!: The New Jersey Nets have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in their 26-year history. Bravo. They will now face the smelly Boston Celtics.

Posted 5/15/2002 04:28:00 PM by Justin
NOT TO BE A DOWNER, BUT: Walter Shapiro has a sobering column in the USA Today on the ever-present terrorist threat.

'Confronted with these attitudes, terrorism experts believe that we are living in a fool's paradise. Sen. Bob Graham, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, reflected the consensus viewpoint when he told USA TODAY this week that another attack on American soil is "a near certainty." Tom Ridge, the homeland security director, broods that the nation has become too complacent. "The threat is real," he warned in late April. "It's as real as it was seven months ago. In fact, it's a permanent condition to which this country must permanently adapt."'

I'm not sure how to incorporate such thoughts into my daily life in a healthy way yet. Don't even know if it's possible.

Posted 5/15/2002 04:12:00 PM by Justin
FRESH OFF THE PRESS: Read the Entertainment Geekly review of last night's "Buffy" episode titled "Villains." Very good by Season 6 standards. I find that I'm enjoying this season's eps more after thinking for a few days about the ideas contained in them... there's the usual great dialogue this season, not to mention the strongest special effects the show has ever produced; but something always seems missing during the actual watching of the show...

Posted 5/15/2002 03:40:00 PM by Justin
"ENTERPRISE" vs. "FARSCAPE": I never paid much attention to SciFi Channel's original series "Farscape," but after reading this gushing Teevee.org review of the show, I may give it a look this summer...

Posted 5/15/2002 02:42:00 PM by Justin
IS THIS TRUE?: I came across this article in the Washington Times-

'The Palestinian gunmen holed up in the Church of the Nativity and later deported by Israel seized church stockpiles of food and "ate like greedy monsters" until the food ran out, while more than 150 civilians went hungry.

They also guzzled beer, wine and Johnnie Walker scotch that they found in priests' quarters, undeterred by the Islamic ban on drinking alcohol.'

Just when I think I can't hate these germs more. Where is the U.N. on this one? I just can't fathom how these kinds of things are allowed to happen, how these Palestinians' lives were spared. Every known terrorist who is allowed to live may kill someone else another day. Take every single one, torture and extract any information you can from him or her, and then dropkick all their asses into a volcano. Preferably an active one.

Posted 5/15/2002 02:24:00 PM by Justin
TO MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS: Does this person remind you of anyone?

Posted 5/15/2002 01:47:00 PM by Justin
ON WICKEDNESS: Outstanding John Derbyshire today in NRO. His column discusses the confounding ability of truly wicked people to survive and even prosper. He observes the following about Palestinian terrorists (italics are mine)-

'Reading about that got me thinking of Leon Klinghoffer. Remember him? He was the 69-year-old disabled vacationer rewarding himself for a lifetime of hard work with a cruise on the liner Achille Lauro in 1985 when a gang of Palestinian terrorists decided to "send a message." They hijacked the ship and, in a moment of playfulness, shot Klinghoffer in his wheelchair as his wife looked on. Laughing and joking, they then dumped man and wheelchair overboard. Klinghoffer hadn't done anything to trouble them. He was just a Jew who happened to be handy — and unarmed and helpless, which is pretty much the only kind of opponent terrorists care to take on. (One of the satisfactions of watching the recent Israeli operations in the West Bank was seeing how the murderers of crippled old men and unarmed teenagers fare when obliged to fight against real soldiers. Not too well, seems to be the answer; the fearless "warriors" of Arab Palestine were surrendering to the IDF in droves.)'

He also opines on why we (I presume he means the rest of the world) allow such despicable people to continue breathing-

'I do think, though, that there is some additional factor in our age than makes us loath to bring to account those who torture young women, murder elderly cripples, blow up mourners at a war memorial, or rearrange the body parts of an offending wife. To deal with these people as they deserve to be dealt with would, in all cases, be troublesome and contentious. It would disturb the soft tranquility of our lives, and the smooth, cozy arrangements of our diplomats. It might, in some of the cases, be dangerous. It would involve conflict with powerful financial or political interests. And worst of all, it would force us to make judgments, a thing we no longer like to do.'

Posted 5/15/2002 12:59:00 PM by Justin
VANILLA COKE: Has anyone tried Vanilla Coke yet? Please let me know, I want feedback!!!

Posted 5/15/2002 12:47:00 PM by Justin
HARSH: Up Yours (a new blog I came across today) has some choice words about Adam Curry. This is funny, read the entire post here.

'What was Glenn Reynolds thinking when he resurrected this relic from the 80's, who in his heyday was an uncool - disconnected from anything remotely cool, without one f--king ounce of coolness in him - helplessly rejected, bad-hair-life-having, sphincter-plug? It just brings back horrible, terrifying, nightmarish thoughts of '80s hairmetal and all the cliches that go with it.'

Posted 5/15/2002 12:09:00 PM by Justin
NEAR THE END FOR NAPSTER: Napster's CEO and Founder both resigned today, and the proposed financing deal with Bertelsmann has fallen through.

I'll never forget my Napster addiction, which lasted from February through May 2000, a very singular time in my life. Using a 56k modem, I downloaded over 1,500 songs - before work, after work. I had to get voicemail service because I tied up my phone line for hours at a time. All weekend. Sometimes all night. I used AOL. I used Netzero. It was too good to be true. Every single conceivable song that I ever wanted at my fingertips. And Napster's interface was so simple and effective. It's a shame that they couldn't come up with a viable business model for it. I would gladly have paid a monthly fee or equivalent to continue using it.

Posted 5/15/2002 11:28:00 AM by Justin
THE EARLY ADOPTERS: James Wolcott writes on blogging in Business 2.0. Excellent even-handed treatment. Here's a piece of it, on blogging's early adopters-

'It's a matter of comic dispute as to who was the original blogger to rise from the ooze, but certainly one of blogdom's best-known grizzled pioneers is neoliberal author Mickey Kaus (The End of Equality), whose Kausfiles is a must-scan for political junkies. Washington journalist Joshua Micah Marshall occupies a more traditional patch of liberalism on his Talking Points Memo blog. Another byline vet -- and yet so young -- is Virginia Postrel, author of The Future and Its Enemies, who issues reality checks from a libertarian-technocrat perspective. Emerging as the prince of bloggers is Andrew Sullivan, former editor of the New Republic and gay Catholic conservative pundit extraordinaire, whose posts generate their own news (he broke the story on Bill Kristol's Enron contributions and flogged those of Paul Krugman until Krugman felt obliged to address the controversy in his New York Times op-ed column).'

Posted 5/15/2002 11:24:00 AM by Justin
"THE SOPRANOS" RETURNS: Something to look forward to. The 4th season of "The Sopranos" will begin on September 15th. (Link via Fresh Hell)

Posted 5/15/2002 10:57:00 AM by Justin
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Here is James Lileks' wonderful Screed against Michael Moore. Giddy up!

'If you ask me, Michael Moore is a gasbag who, if stuck with a pin, would fly around the room until he ended up on the floor as three pounds of wrinkled hot-dog skin and a sweat-stained ballcap.'

Posted 5/15/2002 10:34:00 AM by Justin
MORE ON THE WHORE: You probably know him as Jimmy Carter, the Castro-fellating fella. I'll let those with more credentials than myself have the floor-

Laura Ingraham in the L.A. Times..."El Jefe Basks in Carter's Light"

Jonah Goldberg writing in Townhall.com..."Jimmy Carter: America basher"

Lowell Ponte in Front Page Magazine..."Carter & Castro"

Posted 5/15/2002 10:09:00 AM by Justin
KICKING TERRORIST ASS WORKS: So says Charles Krauthammer in his latest column.

'Why is the level of terror down? Because terror does have an infrastructure, and attacking and degrading it makes it harder for terrorists to operate, as the United States proved in Afghanistan. During Israel's offensive, hundreds of bomb makers, gunmen and trainers were captured. Others are on the run. Huge caches of illegal weapons and explosives were seized or destroyed. Can they be replaced? Perhaps, but it will take time. It took Arafat eight years to build this arsenal. He will not be able to replace it in a day.'

Posted 5/15/2002 09:59:00 AM by Justin
"CLONES" OPENS TODAY: Read Stephen Hunter's review in WaPo today. Note: It's not pretty.

My friend Todd is going to see the movie this afteroon (It's his birthday today- no, he hasn't been waiting on line for tickets with a light saber in his hands since last Friday). I'm hoping to post some of his initial thoughts on it sometime later tonight...

Posted 5/15/2002 09:55:00 AM by Justin
WHEN YOU'RE RIGHT, YOU'RE RIGHT: John Hawkins of Right Wing News has some excellent posts this morning. I won’t list them all here, just visit his site and check them out.

Posted 5/15/2002 09:53:00 AM by Justin
BLOGGER, ARE YOU OKAY?: Blogger.com has been down early in the morning this week. I hope this pending announcement is news of a scalable hosting system or something. I can't function anymore without my posting screen ready and waiting!

Posted 5/15/2002 09:52:00 AM by Justin
PERFECT WEATHER: I woke up to an amazing sunrise. Today's weather forecast is straight out of my dreams - upper 50's / low 60's, mostly clear skies, light wind. Just cool enough to not break a sweat regardless of activity. Damn I wish it was October!

Posted 5/14/2002 04:18:00 PM by Justin
WHAT WE COULD DO IF NECESSARY: Thanks to Instapundit for this link on StrategyPage, which ought to be read and re-read to all the idiots on every corner of every street in the Arab world...

Posted 5/14/2002 03:52:00 PM by Justin
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO MY ATTENTION SPAN?: I remember a time when I could spend the entire hour of my lunch break in complete silence, with nothing but a sandwich and a book to occupy me. I almost feel incapable of keeping still for that long a period of time now. I’m so impatient. I must have the television on to be cooking dinner. Or I must be talking on the telephone while folding my clothes and surfing the radio. Or I must be writing a blog and eating my lunch and balancing my work responsibilities and calling the bank to have my fiancé’s name added to my account. And these are simply the day-to-day concerns…

My ability to concentrate on one specific item or task has declined significantly, though it should be said that I now have a freakish talent for tending to several unrelated activities simultaneously. Trade-off.

But what’s behind all of this? Why am I so fiercely engaged to so many stimuli at once? I think I can attribute it to one phenomenon: the personal computer. Included under this umbrella I would add the explosion of data/ stimuli presented to most Americans on a daily basis.

Aldous Huxley in his book “The Doors of Perception” spoke of the mind, of human consciousness, as a “reducing valve” which filters out all extraneous sensory stimuli and information so that human beings can actually function and survive in the world. If we could fully experience every bit of information we were bombarded with daily, we’d probably fall right over in shock, easy targets for potential predators. We would have never developed the skills or intelligence to populate the world, let alone build advanced technological devices.

But perhaps the computer is allowing us an opportunity to open up this reducing valve slowly and just slightly enough to still maintain a productive, even enriched life. A computer allows me to collect and process information instantaneously. A tremendous technological breakthrough that can challenge the human brain to work harder and faster. Maybe the human mind can handle more processing than past societies of human beings had built their lives to expect. It may simply be more efficient to do several things at once. I did learn this lesson from my parents, but (sorry guys) using a computer has positively reinforced it. Maybe the inability to concentrate on a single thought for too long has benefits.

Is our accelerated existence good for us? Hopelessly unproductive? Will such abilities be selected against in future generations?

Posted 5/14/2002 03:43:00 PM by Justin
COMING UP: Another small essay from the Weigh In...

Posted 5/14/2002 02:16:00 PM by Justin
CHILD-MOLESTING PRIEST SHOT: It may seem uncouth, but I'm not the least bit upset about this. If the priest is indeed guilty, then it serves him right. In fact I hope this sort of thing continues to happen. There needs to be a severe societal deterrent to prevent priests from abusing children, and since the Catholic Church is not interested in creating one...

If a priest ever touched my child, he'd better start running and never stop.

Posted 5/14/2002 01:46:00 PM by Justin
"IN DEFENSE OF ELITISM": Jonah Goldberg makes the case in his latest NRO column. For starters-

'The war on what I like to call "factual correctness" is a top-to-bottom cultural project. If the truth hurts, change the definition of truth. Facts that might inconveniently intrude upon the self-esteem of others must be demolished. So, as grade schools eliminate keeping score at games, postmodernists try to eliminate the notion of keeping score at anything, ever. Scores, you see, imply winners and losers, and if anybody feels like a loser then they feel bad — and anything that makes you feel bad is necessarily illegitimate.'

It fascinates and scares me that there are people who actually reason this way. I read such stories in the newspapers, see them on television, but just can't fathom how lacking in common sense such individuals are. I have never encountered such a person in my small corner of the world. People will argue that very few liberals actually subscribe to this line of thinking, but the fact that ANYONE does is worthy of concern. He goes on to say that elitism is a good thing, and it actually respected in our society in particular arenas (italics are mine)-

'Elitism, again in the words of William Henry, means "some ideas are better than others, some values more enduring, some works of art more universal. Some cultures, though we dare not say it, are more accomplished than others and therefore more worthy of study."

We talk of elite athletes, elite scientists, elite craftsmen, or elite soldiers, and everyone understands that these people are simply better, more expert at what they do than the rest of us. It is only when we get closer to those realms where experts have decided to bend every fact and twist every standard — in an effort to mend the bruised egos of backward nations and boutique domestic victim groups — that "elite" becomes pejorative.'

Western culture is such a dominant culture. We should be immensely proud of our accomplishments, of how universal human rights have flourished rapidly since the United States took up the cause just 200 years ago (especially compared to the rest of the world), of how much wealth and prosperity we have achieved. It is maddening to see the beneficiaries of this society continually demean it and chastise it with nonsensical academic theory and overly-emotive identity politics. I believe that the majority of the citizens in the country would agree with this. Where is their voice, their influence, their effect?

Why do all the cranks and America-haters make the headlines and serve as college professors and become senators and write for the New York Times and star in Hollywood movies?

Posted 5/14/2002 12:28:00 PM by Justin
HOW TO USE YACCS COMMENTING SYSTEM: For any of you readers new to this concept (I was included in that pool as recently as 3 weeks ago), I now have a commenting system set up for the Weigh In. The way it works is simple. Click on the "Comments" link which is located just above the posting that you wish to comment on. A pop-up window will open, offering you a window in which you can type in a message. From there, click on "Submit Comment," and the window should close. Your comments will now be saved to that particular posting.

To know if your comment was added properly, refresh the page a time or two; the "Comments" link should be one number value higher, and you should see your posted comment if you click on the "Comments" link and open up the pop-up window. Your comments will not be displayed on my home page. They can only be viewed in the pop-up windows.

Please try it out, it's a great way to foster discussions over individual posts. Email me with any questions or suggestions!

Posted 5/14/2002 11:52:00 AM by Justin
FROM THE "IT COULDN'T HAPPEN TO NICER PEOPLE" FILE: Thanks to Lucianne.com for all this good news!

Cardinal Law angry over church sex questioning- How dare we trouble him as his underlings rape children

ABC to end "Politically Correct" (registration required)- Poor Bill Maher will have to actually build a soapbox now

Supreme Court Allows Disbarment of F. Lee Bailey- Crooked lawyer; F--- You, F. Lee

Posted 5/14/2002 11:10:00 AM by Justin
THEY SAID IT: The Onion editor-in-chief Rob Seigel spoke at Northwestern on Monday. Check out the details here, and read on for the quote of the week-

'The Onion's Latin motto, translated "You are dumb," captures the newspaper's libertarian, anti-stupidity views, Siegel said. Still, satirically clueless readers send angry e-mails — primarily from America Online accounts — complaining about the newspaper's insensitivity, he added.

"AOL is the McDonald's of Internet Service Providers," he said. "McDonald's has a lower clientele than Wendy's and AOL has a lower clientele than Mindspring. So we get the dumb people."'

Posted 5/14/2002 11:04:00 AM by Justin
SUMMER READING: I typically hate the summer months, but this may help soothe them somewhat... (Link via Drudge Report)

Posted 5/14/2002 10:33:00 AM by Justin
JOHN LEO ON THREATS TO DEMOCRACY: John Leo warns against those groups and individuals who are using the law for "circumventing democratic politics." Here's an excerpt-

'In part this anti-democratic corner-cutting reflects a changing ethic on the left: Outcomes are more important than procedures. Winning is what counts, not how you win. The furtive and often illegal guerrilla warfare against anti-quota regulations shows a determination to win at any cost.

So do the similar campaigns against welfare reform, charter schools and English immersion in the schools. The rise of this ethic helps explain what has happened to our campuses, where democratic procedures and normal intellectual give-and-take have largely disappeared (free speech, open debate, full disclosure, listening to opponents instead of trying to punish them). If winning is the only value, why debate when you can suppress?

The other half of the anti-democratic problem is elite disdain for the masses. This shines through in a lot of rhetoric on how majorities are always wrong -- wrong about capital punishment, race and gender, immigration and most of the elite agenda. Government should be conducted by "the party of intelligence," said Gunnar Myrdal, the Swedish lawyer-economist who wrote "An American Dilemma," the classic 1944 book on race. Though this party of intelligence naturally "despises the democratic principle," he said, it should work within a democratic framework for practical reasons.'

Posted 5/14/2002 10:29:00 AM by Justin
GNOME SIGHTING:


And it ain't pretty. What a putz.

Posted 5/14/2002 10:18:00 AM by Justin
I'M STARTING TO REALLY HATE DEMOCRAT EX-PRESIDENTS, PART 2: A great blogger I luckily stumbled across, Sand in the Gears, has some comments on Bill Clinton's anti-terrorism accomplishments.

Imagine how much better off the entire country would be if these ingrates would just slip out of the public life with a little grace (see George Bush or Ronald Reagan)...

Posted 5/14/2002 10:17:00 AM by Justin
I'M STARTING TO REALLY HATE DEMOCRAT EX-PRESIDENTS, PART 1: Turns out I'm not alone. Jimmy Carter is an attention-whore. Plain and simple. Now he's contradicting Bush adminstration officials regarding possible bioweapons data sharing between Cuba and other nations. But Carter is certain that no harm has been done. Know how? He just asked Castro. Oh, okay, that's all it takes? Jesus, What an a--hole.

Here's Frank Gaffney in Front Page Magazine commenting on Carter's Castro-suckass-a-thon. He also has some thoughts on Bill Clinton, who you all know is beneath no one and nothing when it comes to grabbing for attention.

Posted 5/14/2002 09:43:00 AM by Justin
ON THE JOYS OF FINDING WATER IN YOUR BASEMENT: It means very little sleep that night, and a very irritable disposition. There will be limited posting today, I am sorry to say...

Posted 5/13/2002 04:39:00 PM by Justin
SAYING GOODBYE TO "THE X-FILES": The Austin American-Statesman has some final thoughts on the show, including a nice season-by-season summary for non-fans such as myself...

Posted 5/13/2002 03:54:00 PM by Justin
TRYING WAY TOO HARD: Ex-President Jimmy Carter. I understand that he's this big diplomat now, but I'll wager he just can't stand not seeing his name in the papers every day. I just find this whole Cuba visit thing improper and poorly timed. Jay Nordlinger has some thoughts on the subject too.

In addition, Susan Page of USA Today discusses nosy ex-Presidents.

Posted 5/13/2002 03:02:00 PM by Justin
FOR MOTHER'S DAY: A list of TV's 10 best moms for the new millennium, courtesy of Eric Deggans of the St. Petersburg Times.

Posted 5/13/2002 02:53:00 PM by Justin
NOT SEEING IS BELIEVING: According to a study at the University of Singapore, reading too many books can be harmful to your eyes.

Hmm, and I always thought that the blurry vision and glazed-over feeling meant I was hungry...

Posted 5/13/2002 02:00:00 PM by Justin
ON TV TONIGHT: Be sure to watch Part 1 of the 4-part, 6-hour "Stephen King's The Stand," being aired this week on the Sci-Fi Channel. Tonight's first installment is the best for my money, by far the creepiest and most daring.

Posted 5/13/2002 01:48:00 PM by Justin
WE SHOULD ALL BE SO CLUELESS: Alas, there's only one USS Clueless, and his name is Steven Den Beste. Today he has a fascinating essay on the Mongols. Not to be missed. I have included here the opening-

'The Mongol Horde has long been vilified and misunderstood in the west. Even the name was chosen badly; the term horde suggests an armed mob with no internal organization which blindly attacks whatever is nearby, like a plague of locusts.

The reality was much different. At the time that Genghis Khan lived, the army he created was in fact the most disciplined and well organized and armed force in the world. It was an extraordinary force capable of amazing things.

The Mongols had the only major army in history consisting exclusively of cavalry. That, in itself, was remarkable; but when the Mongols campaigned, they would travel with about six horses for every man in the army, and their preferred campaign season was the winter, when the ground was hard and the rivers and lakes of the Asian steppes were frozen. The men moved on horseback herding unridden horses, and every couple of miles they'd stop and every man would remount. Each man had a specific set of horses belonging to him and would be careful to use them in sequence. As a result, they could travel vast distances without exhausting their animals.'

Posted 5/13/2002 12:45:00 PM by Justin
ISLAM IS LAME: Matt Drudge's top headline today is news of a potential Al-Qaeda July 4 nuclear plant attack. Bill Gertz of the Washington Times has additional information.

I wouldn't be much of a blogger if I didn't post important stuff like this, and Islam and its psycho nut-wing wouldn't be much of a pain in the ass if they actually tried bettering the quality of their own wretched lives instead of screwing up everyone else's.

Posted 5/13/2002 12:08:00 PM by Justin
THE FIRST WEIGH IN POLL IS UP!: If you look on the left-hand side of the page (below my email address), my first (weekly or bi-monthly) poll is up and running! You will be allowed to vote once per day, and there is an option to view the latest results!

If you have any suggestions for improvements or potential questions that I could use, please don't hesitate to email me or post a comment!

Posted 5/13/2002 11:18:00 AM by Justin
DERSHOWITZ TAKES ON THE GNOME: When Alan Dershowitz is taking Noam Chomsky to task for idiotic ideas, and I agree with him, then it's time for me to find a hot bath to soak in.

Posted 5/13/2002 11:08:00 AM by Justin
SOME WISDOM FROM GEORGE CARLIN: Who celebrated his 65th birthday on Sunday.

Here is my favorite one-

'One out of every three Americans is suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of two of your best friends. If they are OK, then it must be you.'

Thanks to Fark.com for this link.

Posted 5/13/2002 10:53:00 AM by Justin
FOR ALL YOU "STAR WARS" FANS: James Berardinelli gives "Attack of the Clones" 3.5 stars.

Posted 5/13/2002 10:46:00 AM by Justin
ON "SURVIVOR": Jason Snell of Teevee.org thinks this season of "Survivor" is the best one since the original. I missed that season unfortunately, but I do agree with his assessment of the current one. Here's a piece-

'I don't watch Survivor for a dramatic plot line about how someone is hurting someone else's feelings by taking up too much space in the hut at night. (Real World: Gilligan's Island, coming soon to MTV!) No, these days Survivor is all about strategy and gamesmanship. There is no other TV series on television as complicated and attention-grabbing. My wife and I pause our TiVo throughout every Survivor episode, to speculate about the strategies of the various contestants and to try and intuit what the final outcome will be.

You see, the contestants on Survivor: Marquesas have seen all the Survivors before them. They know how the game is played. And as a result, they're not revealing anything about their own personalities on this show. Instead, they're carefully playing a game of alliances and counter-alliances, interspersed with various physical and mental challenges that ratchet up the degree of difficulty even further.'

Posted 5/13/2002 10:04:00 AM by Justin
THE SUN IS RISING: The New York Sun's readership is growing, due in no small part to the New York Times' increasingly unbalanced views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Wow, it makes me smile to see that there IS a market in New York City for a conservative newspaper. Hope it lasts!

Posted 5/13/2002 09:52:00 AM by Justin
BAN IT NOW!: I'm not talking about human cloning, but Segways. The first Segway accident occurred in Atlanta last week. (Link via Charles Murtaugh)

Posted 5/13/2002 09:45:00 AM by Justin
CLEVER WITTICISMS OF LATE: "McCainiacs," used to describe the rabid followers of U.S. Senator John McCain, and "EUnuchs," for referring to our conflict-avoiding allies in Europe.

Posted 5/13/2002 09:42:00 AM by Justin
BILL O'REILLY IS ANGRY: At Senator Edward Kennedy, for not taking a position on the Catholic Church pedophilia scandal.

But Bill, that would require common sense! And an actual sense of responsibility to his constituents! You're really pushing it...

Posted 5/13/2002 09:23:00 AM by Justin
WISE WORDS: Right Wing News has put together an outstanding collection of quotations on war and combat.

Posted 5/13/2002 08:53:00 AM by Justin
HIPPOCRATIC OAF: Dr. Patch Adams has apparently likened the U.S. president to a certain infamous Nazi dictator. That's it, keep using inappropriate Nazi references to further desensitize all of us to what Hitler actually did 60 years ago.

Turns out that James Lileks also found this article, and has lots to say about it. Check it out.

Posted 5/13/2002 08:41:00 AM by Justin
UPDATES: I believe I will have the commenting system up sometime later this morning.

In addition, the first Weigh In poll will be ready early this afternoon!

Posted 5/13/2002 08:31:00 AM by Justin
AN ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTION: Yes, it's sooooo wonderful that ''Spider-Man'' has topped $200 million gross in just over 10 days. And soon will begin the comparisons to the other highest-grossing films of all-time.

Well, here's my beef. Why are sales dollars the benchmark for a film's box office success? I understand that the total gross is an important statistic, but this value is often overused and misapplied to determine a film's popularity. Due to inflation, the cost of seeing movies increases each year. The result is that a film can gross more money than films released in previous years, but actually be seen by less people. Wouldn't a different criteria, such as the number of tickets sold or the net profit, better gauge a movie's "success"? I would bet that adjusted for inflation, many of the blockbusters of the past several years don't hold a candle to the ticket sales or net profits of films like "Star Wars" or "Raiders of the Lost Ark." Just a thought...

Posted 5/12/2002 02:58:00 PM by Justin
EINSTEIN WAS ONLY HUMAN: We remember him for his genius, but he had qualities that were quite pedestrian. Nice piece from the New York Times on his legacy. (registration required)

Posted 5/12/2002 02:48:00 PM by Justin
ANGRY AND ALWAYS ACCURATE: Who else could I be referring to but Mark Steyn? Here's a piece from his latest column on the Middle East mess-

'Last Tuesday, one suicide bomber killed almost as many civilians as the entire Israeli army did during the notorious Jenin "massacre.'' Where are the condemnations from the European Union? Where's the UN inquiry? Oh, wait, I forgot. When Palestinians kill Israelis, that just means Israel needs to do more to redouble its efforts to get the "peace process" back on that long and winding track.'

I guess you have to be a member of a nation's governing body or sit your fat ass on an "international commission" of some sort to get away with such hypocrisy.

Posted 5/12/2002 02:41:00 PM by Justin
IS AL-QAEDA STILL A THREAT?: Glenn Reynolds thinks so. Read the whole thing. Here's a piece-

'Al Qaeda's weakness lies in not understanding just how bloody and brutal the West is capable of being if it feels seriously threatened. I suspect that Israel alone, with 400 atomic weapons, is capable of wiping out much of the Muslim world, and that's peanuts compared to what the United States would do if faced with a unified Muslim world bent on its destruction. (And biowar cuts both ways: imagine what would happen if smallpox got loose in Mecca at the right time of the year. I hope that any Al Qaeda types bent on biowar think about this long and hard.).'

Posted 5/12/2002 02:32:00 PM by Justin
CAN I COLLECT FOR PAIN AND SUFFERING?: An ex-member of the Church of Scientology has successfully sued them for mental abuse. He will collect $8.6 million.

Say, maybe all those of us who have been suckered into watching "Battlefield Earth" should file a class action suit...