Running Scared

The Blog Has MOVED

2005-02-27T13:27:00.000-05:00

The time has come to bid a fond farewell to Blogger. Running Scared has moved to "better quarters on campus" as the Ghostbusters once said. Our new address is as follows:http://www.runningscared.org/Please update your bookmarks, blogrolls, hate e-mail lists, etc. And, as a favor, if you would be willing to help spread the word through your own outlets to make this transition as smooth and

Hypocrisy thy name is the Religious Right

2005-02-27T11:21:00.000-05:00

If there was ever any doubt that the Radical Religious Right organizations were simply fronts for the Rovian Republican machine rather than the keepers of "moral values" that doubt has been eliminated by their silence on the Jeff Gannon affair.Why have the 'traditional family values' folks erected a wall of silence around the Gannon scandal? They were livid over SpongeBob Square Pants'

Move over Chicken Dance, Do the Numa Numa

2005-02-27T11:02:00.000-05:00

In a way, I kind of feel sorry for this kid. It's the story of a young man who put a somewhat embarrassing (I suppose) video of himself up on the internet and was instantly launched into national fame in what might be considered to be a less than flattering light. He's doing what he calls the "Numa Numa Dance."Here, then, is the cautionary tale of Gary Brolsma, 19, amateur videographer and guy

Growing Up Rove

2005-02-27T09:10:00.000-05:00

It's become the new fad among Bushies to downplay and scoff at any mention of Bush's Brain (a.k.a Karl Rove) by saying that "Democrats blame everything that ever happens in politics on Rove." In a particularly insightful column this Sunday, Dave Rossie counters that there's a pretty good reason for that. While it is true that Democrats like to blame Rove for anything that smacks of political

Will it stick this time? To Delay that is.

2005-02-26T12:13:00.000-05:00

Via Preemptive KarmaThe Raw Story reports that the National Journal will have an article today reporting that Tom (the bugman) Delay has once again been caught with his hand in the forbidden cookie jar. National Journal has obtained a copy of an expense voucher that Abramoff filed the law firm where he was then a leading lobbyist, Stone reports."Among the big-ticket expenses that Abramoff listed

Enough to make a grown man cry.

2005-02-26T11:01:00.000-05:00

Hat tip to "anonymous" in our comments section.Last bottle of world's oldest single malt whisky leaves Scotland. LONDON (AFP) - The last remaining bottle of the world's oldest single malt whisky left its distillery in Scotland bound for Hong Kong, where it will be the star attraction at an airport shop. The bottle of Glenfiddich Rare Collection 1937, left to mature in a cask for 64 years

Pataki and the Governator look at the "Clear Skies" plan.

2005-02-26T09:55:00.000-05:00

"Excuse me, Mr. President, but our major cities appear to be drowning in toxic crap pits."That's not exactly what they said, but the message was clear. In this article, "Clear Skies' plan: the battle heats up", a number of people, including ten State Attorneys General, raise complaints about the various and well documented shortcomings of Bush's environmental policies. The congressional fight

Powerblogs Move Update

2005-02-26T08:42:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I mentioned that Running Scared would be moving to Powerblogs. No, we haven't forgotten about it or dropped the idea. The move is proceeding full speed ahead. The new blog has been purchased and the initial build is underway. There's still some stylesheet and template work to finish, and the migration of the archives from this site should be done by the excellent Chris, from

Here we go: Smash, Jazz, Ron, Joe, lock stock and two smoking barrels

2005-02-26T06:20:00.000-05:00

I will give full and fair warning right here. This one is going to drag on for a long, long time. So if you're going to read it, you may want to pour yourself a big cup of coffee, get your most comfortable seating arrangement and settle in. This post, for those of you not following the story to date and associated comments, is the fallout from a previous post by Ron about a post over at Joe

Some thoughts on war, protest and losing your cool

2005-02-25T17:45:00.000-05:00

I have a great deal of respect for Joe Gandelman of The Moderate Voice but I did take him to task this morning. I perhaps became upset with Joe because I do respect him after he directed me to and seemingly endorsed an inflammatory post by one Smash at The Indepundit.I have opposed the war in Iraq from the beginning and know many really good people who did as well. We all do all we can to support

Conflicted at Heart

2005-02-25T15:44:00.000-05:00

10 Voters on Panel Backing Pain Pills Had Industry Ties (free registration required bien sur)Ten of the 32 government drug advisers who last week endorsed continued marketing of the huge-selling pain pills Celebrex, Bextra and Vioxx have consulted in recent years for the drugs' makers, according to disclosures in medical journals and other public records.Well, hell. I was really excited about the

Turmoil in the Senate?

2005-02-25T14:24:00.000-05:00

Who would have thought that things couldn't go swimmingly in the home of the ten seat majority? <> The Senate is headed toward turmoil unless it can resolve its bitter impasse over judicial nominees, a key Republican warned yesterday. But neither party showed signs of yielding as senators scheduled a hearing next week for one of the 10 appointees blocked last year. Judiciary

Disappointed in Joe Gandelman

2005-02-25T10:07:00.001-05:00

Jazz and I both have a great deal of respect for Joe Gandelman over at The Moderate Voice, but he has done what we expect Faux News to do, emphasized the very worst of the antiwar movement while giving no mention to the vast majority who are protesting this awful illegal war. He did this by sending his readers over to what sounds like the Iraq version of "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth", The

Hillary's been drinking the water overseas, I see

2005-02-25T10:07:00.000-05:00

Mahablog has an excellent take on the recent dodging and weaving of Hillary Clinton, and asks the question, "Can we agree that Hillary Clinton is not going to be the 2008 presidential nominee?" First, she provides some of the quotes from Senator Clinton's weekend talk show stops as she tours Iraq, Afghanistan and, apparently, Mars. She was

Misdirection 101

2005-02-25T09:47:00.000-05:00

A typical ploy of the right wing, whenever something bad comes up for the Bushies, is to try to turn the issue into something else entirely. If you can shift the dialogue away from the real problem, you can generate a "Fog of Hype" that provides cover for the guilty by obfuscating the real meat of the story.You can see another example of this again today at Betsy Newmark's Blog, where she uses

Wanker of the Year Award Nominations are Closed

2005-02-25T09:24:00.000-05:00

You know, we often have a great deal of fun taking apart the seemingly random blathering that emanates from Power Line so very often. But today, our work has been done for us. Check out Apostropher's analysis of this incredible case of Deacon making up a story entirely and then judging the Democrats on it. Want to see how a bullshit snowball rolls downhill and becomes an avalanche?Is it any

The incredible shrinking dollar

2005-02-25T08:59:00.000-05:00

Der Spiegel has a very good article on why having a week dollar is not all what it's cracked up to be (like oil prices at $50 a barrel). I have just one question about President Bush's trip to Europe: Did he and Laura go shopping?If they did, I would love to have been a fly on the wall when Laura must have said to George: "George, do you remember how much these Belgian chocolates cost when we

Blogging and Rapping

2005-02-25T07:51:00.000-05:00

What do Atrios and Wonkette have in common with P-Diddy and Lil' Kim? Why, simply the fact that bloggers and rappers are the same animal. Don't believe it? We're discussing a Slate article over at Middle Earth Journal which will make you vomit explain everything.

Fishing for women with loose moral values

2005-02-25T06:12:00.000-05:00

That seems to be the new hobby of Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline. Apparently he began his own private fishing expedition last October in the form of a secret investigation where he demanded that abortion clinics in the state surrender the complete medical records of women who had abortions. Up to 90 women may be affected. The reason he gave for this jaw dropping demand? Two clinics are

Friday Double Cat Blogging

2005-02-25T05:46:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday! This morning we bring you the usual weekly reminder for creature lovers to swing by The Modulator for the Friday Ark, a roundup of animals of all sorts, living and extinct. And then, on Sunday, you feline fanciers should remember to stop by the Carnival of the Cats, which this week will be hosted by Mind of Mog.Today's photo is a twofer... that is to say, two cats caught where they

Democracy is Messy

2005-02-24T13:37:00.000-05:00

"The best worst laid schemes o' mice and menGang aft a-gley,And leave us naught but grief and painFor promised joy."Robert BurnsJuan Cole has a commentary in The LA Times today, The Downside of Democracy, where he discusses that freedom and democracy in Iraq are not producing what the neocons had in mind. Anyone who had even one foot in the world of reality could have predicted that the "freedom"

How on Earth did we miss this?

2005-02-24T13:20:00.000-05:00

I rarely get the opportunity to throw a hat tip to a right wing blog for something so fabulously hilarious, but Betsy Newmark gets the credit for this one. (Of course, she was complaining about it, where I'm looking for an address to place orders.) Piss Off A Belgian novelty shows what the good people of Brussels really think about George W. Bush. by Paul Belien 02/22/2005 8:

Another little piece of perspective

2005-02-24T12:59:00.000-05:00

Simply because the Bushies simply love to bring up this fact so often...Q: Which United States Presidential candidate received more votes than any other in American history?A: George W. Bush (Nov. 2004)Q: Which United States Presidential candidate received the second most votes of any in American history?A: John F. Kerry (Nov. 2004)

Kharazi: West ignores realities in Iran

2005-02-24T12:13:00.000-05:00

This just in from the Iranian press. Iran's foreign minister apparently feels that the United States exercises a "double standard" when dealing with Middle East powers on matters of terrorism, and ignores productive efforts that the Iranians are involved in. Hrmm... I wonder where he could have gotten that idea?(NOTE: This is a direct English translation site of the Islamic Republic News Agency

Destroying the Work of Generations

2005-02-24T10:35:00.000-05:00

Reading through reports of GWB's recent trip to Germany made me realize how badly he has destroyed the immage of the USA in Germany. Everyone has seen Kenedy's famous speach in Berlin in front of a hystric crowd, exstatic about his support in a bad time. 1989 Bush Sr. went to Mainz, the same city his son went to. Bush Sr. got greeted by similarly enthusiastic crowds, a friend of the people. I

Where is the outrage?

2005-02-24T09:35:00.000-05:00

That's the question which Mark Shields posed this week. At first I was sure that he was talking about Iraq. Or possibly the saber rattling at Iran, Syria and now, apparently, Russia. But no... Shields is talking about Enron."Either we are losing our capacity for moral outrage, or George W. Bush is presiding over the ultimate Teflon Administration."This brings up a question and an observation.

Charles and Camilla

2005-02-24T09:05:00.000-05:00

I know we don't go for gossip much here, but I am a die-hard Anglophile who does like to keep track of the doings of the Royals a bit. I have never been fond of Camilla, nor of Charles for carrying on with a married woman for years. Now that they're both divorced, I won't begrudge them their happiness of getting married, but I am glad they are trying to do it quietly, and doing it in such a way

Things that keep me up at night

2005-02-24T08:34:00.000-05:00

A frined mine sent me this link about a list of HIV patients being shared where it shouldn't.There are rules in place that are supposed to be preventing that sort of thing, which is why the company went overboard trying to recall the company-wide email with the list. But who knows what those 10 people who did receive the information will do with it.But what it is that should frighten you is the

We may have found the cabana boy

2005-02-24T07:44:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Ron had an interesting post about the possible discovery of a sea of frozen water on Mars. Following his speculation about building a beach house there, it appears that CNN may have found the first possible rental customers.WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- A U.S. scientist claims to have thawed out a new life form, which he said raises questions about possible contemporary life on Mars.The

Hillary Clinton--Political Hack?

2005-02-23T17:50:00.000-05:00

Juan Cole reports that Hillary Clinton made some inappropriate comments while in Baghdad. Stephen Farrell reports for the London Times that a minor tiff occurred last week between Senator Hillary Clinton and prime ministerial candidate Ibrahim Jaafari: Last week Hillary Clinton, the New York senator, visiting Baghdad, said that there were ---grounds both for concern and for . . . vigilance---

Unpatriotic God Haters

2005-02-23T17:10:00.000-05:00

Well, there's been far too much good news today. In order to maintain my proper balance of Mao loving anti-Americanism, I'll direct you to a rather frightening post from Dave Johnson over at Seeing the Forest. He seems to believe, as do I, that you need to keep an eye in the enemy camp. In this case, to observe the narrative which is being spun. A small piece of his summary.Remember, people like

More Sugar, Less Vinegar

2005-02-23T13:55:00.000-05:00

The folks at the Independent Institute have put out the latest issue of The Lighthouse this week. It contains an interesting analysis on our country's current relations with both Syria and Iran, called Saber Rattling Against Syria. It's a good read all the way through, but here's some of the money quotes. (All bold emphasis mine.) It is hypocritical for the administration to punish Syria

Link of the day

2005-02-23T12:08:00.000-05:00

Really... the name says it all.http://sweetjesusihatebilloreilly.com/

Uncle Buck

2005-02-23T11:00:00.000-05:00

In this case, we're not talking about an old John Candy movie. At first blush, this story from the LA Times looked to be a non-starter in my opinion. (Annoying but free registration required to view.) Times reporter Walter Roche jr. has published information about a defense contracting firm in St. Louis , one Engineered Support Systems Inc. (ESSI) which has seen a windfall of profits from the

Assassins Abound

2005-02-23T10:35:00.000-05:00

That case of the American student of Islam who was allegedly plotting to kill George W. Bush continues to grow in complexity. What first sounded to me like either a harebrained "plot" by some random psychotic, or a case of mistaken identity in homeland security prosecutions, is blossoming into a much more convoluted plot. Joe Gandelman has a ton of up to date details on this story. I'll save cut/

Throw out your axis. We're going with ideology now.

2005-02-23T10:14:00.000-05:00

All of you guardians against the spreading, evil malfeasance of the libruls will need to update your bumper stickers and leaflets. His Holiness himself, the Holy See, the Kingpin of Christians, Pope John Paul II, has usurped Dubya's attack on gay marriage and all of the things destroying "decent society." Yes... that's right. No more "axis of evil" for you! Now you have to deal with the "ideology

A rebuttal

2005-02-23T08:18:00.000-05:00

You cannot blame me for the Christmas cat dishtowels- they were a gift from the parental units, and they seem to like giving holiday things. I just don't see a point in storing things to be used special for only part of the year.As for the egg-timer thing, I find it useful. My mother taught me to hard boil eggs for 15-minutes. But is that 15 minutes after the water has started boiling? Or 15

Egg Zactly

2005-02-23T06:39:00.000-05:00

I'm engaged in a desperate battle of wills - a contest of gladiatorial proportions... with an egg timer.No, it's not one of those "sands in the hour glass, so go the days of our lives" type egg timers. This is one of those cool new products made possible by advancements in thermo-sensitive polymers. Here's a photo of it, if only to save a long, tedious description. (Click on image for full size

Excellent Quote

2005-02-23T06:35:00.000-05:00

On the subject of the nascent Iraq government and their ties to our new "enemies" in Iran..."Iraq only has to change one letter and add a 'west' to the beginning..."From Scott in our comments section.

Iraq to Bush, get lost!

2005-02-22T18:21:00.000-05:00

The selection of Interim Vice President Ibraham Jafari as the Shiite candidate to be Iraq's next prime minister is an indication of Washington's Waning Influence in Iraq.The haggling that culminated in the selection of Interim Vice President Ibraham Jafari as the Shiite candidate to be Iraq's next prime minister illustrates the limits of Washington's influence over the country's new

Imminent Eminence

2005-02-22T14:41:00.000-05:00

This is one case, for personal reasons which I'll share below, which I've been waiting to see come to the Supreme Court. It involves a case of eminent domain in Connecticut. The state wants to take away the property of a number of landowners and turn the area over to a private developer who will build more valuable (read: higher tax producing) real estate. Here's the nuts and bolts of it.At issue

Well That's a Relief!

2005-02-22T14:40:00.000-05:00

Bush Says Talk of U.S. Attack on Iran 'Ridiculous' "This notion that the United States is getting ready to attack Iran is simply ridiculous," Bush told a news conference after talks with European Union (news - web sites) leaders. ...*Whew*! That's a load off my mind! He noted that European countries were negotiating with Tehran to seek a peaceful end to its uranium enrichment activities but added

Murder in the News... or almost

2005-02-22T14:20:00.000-05:00

This should help you folks in the Southwest sleep better tonight. Volunteer "minutemen" are going to be self styled assistants to the INS and will be patrolling the Mexican border in Arizona. Many of them will be armed. Most of them are completely untrained for the specific requirements of border patrol duties.As Atrios notes, "I hope our new 'minutemen' and the appropriate local law enforcement

C'Mon, Get Psychotic ...

2005-02-22T14:01:00.000-05:00

Wow. Evidently Osama bin Laden looked like a member of the Partridge Family when he was a kid.

The Sand Storm

2005-02-22T10:57:00.000-05:00

While listening to Air America Radio this morning, I heard an interview with Sean Huze. He's a marine who returned from Iraq and has written a play about his experiences there called "The Sand Storm." I was lucky enough to get through on the phone and get in a question with Sean. He has some interesting perspectives on the differences between what politicians are saying about Iraq, what the press

Bush launches premptive earthquake strike on Iran

2005-02-22T10:25:00.000-05:00

Ok... I already know that's in horribly poor taste, but I'm in a surly mood. Seriously, though, there was another large earthquake in Iran. The initial news doesn't look good... hundreds dead, many more missing. Doesn't appear to have hit near any of their nuke facilities, however, so hopefully there won't be an leaks.

Morning Sedition

2005-02-22T08:48:00.000-05:00

If you get the chance, tune into Morning Sedition on Air America today. They are talking about the history of African Americans in Hollywood and entertainment in general. It's a good one. If you don't get Air America on a local outlet near you, you can catch it on your computer here.

Osama bin Laden's best weapon, George W. Bush

2005-02-21T21:13:00.000-05:00

The neoconservatives’ goal is the same as Osama bin Laden’s – to spread instability in the Middle East. The neocons seek to foment instability in order to justify more US invasions in an insane quest to remake the Middle East in the American image. Bin Laden seeks instability in order to topple the secular rulers and recreate Islamic rule. Bin Laden does not want US troops out. He wants to suck

Delay of Game

2005-02-21T18:14:00.000-05:00

Sorry about the lack of activity, but I've managed to crack up my ribs a bit and I'm really just trying to take it easy at this point. Plus, still working behind the scenes on the move to Powerblogs. Hang in there, and thank you to the other writers for jumping in to fill the gaps.Cheers.

Being all that you can be........

2005-02-21T11:24:00.000-05:00

.......apparently doesn't include George W. Bush's crusades.Army Having Difficulty Meeting Goals In RecruitingThe active-duty Army is in danger of failing to meet its recruiting goals, and is beginning to suffer from manpower strains like those that have dropped the National Guard and Reserves below full strength, according to Army figures and interviews with senior officers .For the first time

The Lynch Mob Continues

2005-02-21T10:03:00.001-05:00

This looks to be a follow-up to my previous article on "a lonely defense of the MSM." David Shaw of the LA Times has an excellent opinion piece out which explains why there is a lot more to the "lynch mob" meme than the "who... me?" conservative bloggers care to admit.Unlike Blair, Kelley, Glass and Rather, he didn't publish or broadcast a dishonest story. He made appears to have

Too many drugs might be bad for you after all

2005-02-21T10:03:00.000-05:00

Hunter S. Tompson deceided to go for permanent privacy yesterday. Most people today probably only remember him from the adds for a really bad 1998 movie, and there only in passing (after all, "based on a book by" is not the credit line most people remember).Having missed the 60 in short lederhosen, I at least got introduced to "Fear and loathing in Las Vegas" the right way, read by a beautiful

Ah, Koufax.... we hardly knew ye.

2005-02-21T07:16:00.000-05:00

Well, it seems that voting has closed for this year's Koufax awards. While it appears that we went down faster than Ann Coulter in a GOP convention, it was great fun being nominated and a real thrill for us to make the final ten. I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to toss us a vote. It was also a terriffic opportunity to explore a whole bunch of new blogs. You'll see some new

Sunday Evening Reading

2005-02-20T17:57:00.000-05:00

I often run across a link that I want to write extensively about &mdash it ticks me off to that extent, or I just feel particularly moved about. Those comprise the bulk of my entries here on Running Scared — single-topic entries.I read a lot of stuff, however -- my news aggregator has about 187 'feeds' in it that I usually try to get through every day or every other day. As I find something I

Nowhere land

2005-02-20T11:42:00.000-05:00

One thing that has puzzled me over the last few years is the growth of Christian fundamentalism in the US. Not so much among the poor and undereducated, the promise of a happy life after has always been a refuge for those who suffer here on earth, but among the well educated and affluent. Here in the Portland area where suburbs are fed by well educated tech workers we have seen fundamentalist

Hang on to your hats!

2005-02-20T11:22:00.000-05:00

Some time in the next few days, you're going to be seeing a change here at Running Scared. To be specific, we'll be gone! Ok... not actually gone, but moved to better quarters on campus, to steal a quote from Ghostbusters. We're still in the process of placing the final orders and getting a timetable for when it will happen, but this blog will be following the example of Joe Gandelman at The

The Love Festival Drowns in Sweetness

2005-02-20T09:24:00.000-05:00

This morning's Meet the Press found Senators Hillary Clinton (D - NY) and John McCain (R - AZ) sitting in lawn chairs in Baghdad chatting with Tim Russert. If one thing became clear, it was that both McCain is firmly in the middle of the political spectrum, as he always has, but Hillary sounded like she was just appointed to a cabinet position in the Bush administration.Rather than sticking to

"I don't see what the celebration is all about."

2005-02-20T09:06:00.000-05:00

This is one of those things that gives you a little perspective. Today, Kathryn Snider turns 100 years old, and she's seen "hard times" that make most of our lives look like a walk in the park. She was raised during the depression, (don't call it the "great depression" please. She doesn't think there was anything "great" about it at all, apparently) and her family's day to day life was a

Buddy can ya lend a hand?

2005-02-19T16:27:00.000-05:00

Somebody in the sleepy town of Guilderland, New York can. Man, the creepiest things happen in small towns, I don't care what anyone says. This is something straight out of Picket Fences.Police investigate report of severed handGUILDERLAND -- Paul Gleasman couldn't decide if the thing on his front lawn was a severed human hand, or a Halloween fake. Gleasman, worried that his young daughters

Every dog has his (or her) day

2005-02-19T14:36:00.000-05:00

While there are certainly questions remaining about this case, I have to say that I liked this story. LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - The state Supreme Court granted clemency Friday to a dog sentenced to death for fighting with a neighbor's pet. The high court ruled unanimously that Murphy, an Alaskan malamute-shepherd mix belonging to Doug and Lorele Dittoe, should not be killed for causing "

It's all the old folks fault

2005-02-19T11:57:00.000-05:00

David Brooks is well David Brooks once again today. Social Security and Medicare problems are all the fault of those greedy and well organized "old folks". We may as well be blunt about the driving force behind all this. The living and well organized are taking money from the weak and the unborn. Over the past decades we have seen a gigantic transfer of wealth from struggling young families and

Gannon/Guckert - Rove: Connecting the dots?

2005-02-19T07:38:00.000-05:00

I was just looking over this opinion column by CBS political editor Dotty Lynch. I really haven't done very much coverage of the Gannon/Guckert story, mostly because I think the story is pretty well played out and over by now. Lynch, however, asks a question which I'm sure has occurred to many observers of this sad tale. Was Gannon tied to Karl Rove?She talks a great deal about some of Guckert's

Putting in those change of address cards is a bitch

2005-02-18T17:50:00.000-05:00

As a sort of public service announcement, our good friend Joe Gandelman of The Moderate Voice (One of the true "oasis" type spots in the vast desert of the blogosphere) is having some problems with his recent switch of internet housing. His old address at his typepad account has been stripped, far ahead of schedule, of his forwarding information. His new address, listed in our "must read"

Some Good Stuff for Friday Afternoon Reading

2005-02-18T15:12:00.000-05:00

On the odd chance that Blogger actually allows us to post anything, here are some odds and ends that may be of interest to you from some of my favorite haunts around Blogistan and some new places as well.Today is the 33rd birthday of Atrios. Go give him some love. (Who knew he was such a young punk?) Do you like Michael Medved? James Wolcott doesn't. And we all know what happens when somebody

Hillary Thinks Ahead

2005-02-18T13:22:00.000-05:00

This article caught my attention, if only because I am so fervently interested in seeing real, substantial and transparent voting reform happen in my lifetime. Of all people, Hillary Clinton and John Kerry teamed up today to begin the push for a voting reform act. You can read the article yourself, but cutting to the chase, this proposed bill has five major components. Create a federal holiday

Just Wonderful

2005-02-18T10:53:00.000-05:00

And now our right hand column seems to have disappeared, even though it's clearly still in the template. We're working on it, folks. Sorry about that.So.... who knows anything about Powerblogs? I'd like some feedback on it, because this week is about the last straw for me and Blogger.

"You know," Richard Perle sighed sadly, "when Elvis used to take the stage, women would throw their panties at him."

2005-02-18T09:32:00.000-05:00

... unfortunately for him, Perle's "fans" seem to have aimed a bit lower in the wardrobe department. (Mind you, we're not in any way insinuating any sort of foot fetish here.)Shoe tossed at ex-Pentagon advisor during debatePORTLAND, Oregon (AP) -- Howard Dean, the newly minted leader of the Democratic Party, and former Pentagon adviser Richard Perle made clear their opposing views on the war in

I'm Moving to New Jersey

2005-02-18T07:14:00.000-05:00

... because in New York, nobody like this parks on my street.Police find $5 million inside idling, unattended truckCRANBURY, New Jersey (AP) -- State police seized more than $5 million in cash Thursday from a tractor-trailer found idling unattended for two days on the shoulder of a roadway, authorities said.I'd like to think that I'm a fairly honest person. Just last week a cashier at the

Friday Sphinx Blogging

2005-02-18T06:14:00.000-05:00

But first, your regularly scheduled reminder to swing by the Modulator for the Friday Ark. Then, on Sunday, head on over to the carnival of the cats. I'll let you know where it is this week as soon as the site answers for me.And without further ado.... could this be the great sphinx of Egypt from our last trip abroad? No... it's Spider again. This time she's caught in profile against the early

Alan Greenspan, just another partisan hack?

2005-02-18T00:04:00.000-05:00

Paul Krugman takes on Alan Greenspan today calling Greenspan a Bush shill and another partisan hack. His double speak to congress on Social Security was a case of him trying to have his cake and eat it too. He said that Bush's privitazation plan was a good idea but not really. Alan Greenspan did a fairly good job when all he really had to do was tweak the interest rates to keep inflation under

A Lonely Defense of the MSM

2005-02-17T15:34:00.000-05:00

It's not often that you'll see me taking up a dispute with one of the other authors here, but in an open exchange of ideas, it can happen. And today it shall. This ties in rather nicely with a couple of previous pieces I did on the importance of keeping some perspective on what we, as bloggers, do in comparison to the old, established media. (Here and here, for those who missed it.)This

Rewards continue for the dishonest and incompetent

2005-02-17T11:30:00.000-05:00

I'm about as cynical as they come when matters of the Bush White House are under discussion, but even I didn't see this one coming. Bush has named John Negroponte to the nation's top security position. "John's nomination comes in an historic moment for our intelligence services," Mr. Bush said in a ceremony at the White House. He said intelligence was now "the first line of defense" in the war

People's Life-Altering Experiences

2005-02-17T11:20:00.000-05:00

I have recently begun checking out MetaFilter to see what all the fuss is about. In the process, I came across, honestly, one of the most amazing reads I've had in my life. If you ever follow one of my links, follow this one. Wow. It's a long read, but it's worth every word.

Lucy is freaking me out

2005-02-17T09:17:00.000-05:00

There is an online toy, tool, application, whatever you want to call it, named Talk to Lucy. It's an animated woman with a pretty extensive vocabulary and conversational skills. Her dialogue and ability to answer questions, make comments, give opinions, etc. has been growing since she learns more from every person who has a "conversation" with her. It's gotten fairly frightening, particularly if

Not My Cup of Tea

2005-02-17T09:07:00.000-05:00

But that doesn't matter!Justice Dept. Fights Ruling on ObscenityWASHINGTON, Feb. 16 - In a case representing a major test of the Bush administration's campaign against pornography, the Justice Department said Wednesday that it would appeal a recent decision by a federal judge that declared federal obscenity laws unconstitutional.Seems that there was a criminal case against a California video

Back in the mail bag

2005-02-17T07:48:00.000-05:00

We get letters. Oh boy do we get letters. At times like this morning, however, I'm forced to look back at the words of Alexander Pope for some consolation.Heaven first taught letters for some wretch’s aid, Some banish’d lover, or some captive maid.People e-mail all sorts of things to blog writers. There are actually a fair number of letters which are friendly and appreciatives. Others suggest

Do you know where your towel is?

2005-02-16T15:41:00.000-05:00

Amazon.com has a trailer of the new movie version of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. While I fully expect it to be yet another variant of the story, this one seems to have the special effects well worth the effort, and I look forward to wasting my $5.

Not a Fan Letter

2005-02-16T14:43:00.000-05:00

Dave Shuster is a fan of Condoleeza Rice. Still though, he has a few unhappy words to say about her dealings with the French public.Apparently, she gave a speech at a school where she took questions. Spontaneous questions? No, no! Vetted, pre-approved questions, of course!The controls clamped down on the Secretary of State's "interaction" with French students are even more embarrassing when you

Humpday Question of the Day

2005-02-16T14:27:00.000-05:00

Since they are apparently handing out press passes to just about anybody these days, let's put you in the shoes of Jeff J.D. GannonGuckert. If you could get invited to one of Scotty McClellan's white house press gaggles, what question or questions would you like the opportunity to ask him?And, assuming that you based your question on knowing that you'd get a highly spun, if not outright dishonest

Buttons Have Been Declared Enemies of the State

2005-02-16T12:36:00.000-05:00

Jeremy Caplan writes in this week's Time Notebook column about the army's new uniformsThe new duds substitute Velcro and zippers for buttons, which used to snag on gear.Okay, wait a minute. Let's think this out.You're a soldier. You're trying to creep up on a sniper who's shooting people. As you approach him, you realize that you need to reload your gun, and your bullets are in your pocket.

Those Who Do Not Learn From History ...

2005-02-16T12:02:00.000-05:00

I was reading perhaps the umpteenth article or column on Dean ascending to the position of DNC chairman, and I realized that there was a very interesting analogy.Those who opposed Dean and his philosophy mounted what most people have called an "Anybody But Dean" campaign, in which various contenders stood up. However, most of them were extremely unpalatable, and their own personal platforms were

Outsourcing a War

2005-02-16T11:41:00.000-05:00

As most of us have realized the biggest military ally in the war in Iraq is not the British Army, but a horde of mercenaries, usually described as "security contractors". Reports have their number at 20,000, about as much as our "allied" troups combined. Now, these guys do what noone else wants to do, guard supply convoys or provide pricy (around $5,000 for a 20 mile trip) but safe passage from

New Mars Rocks

2005-02-16T10:26:00.000-05:00

Thirteen months and still going. The Mars rover Spirit is still making new discoveries months after it was supposed to dead.(Image: NASA/JPL/Cornell)The Mars rover Spirit has found the most interesting and significant exposure of bedrock so far in its 13 months of Red Planet exploration. The outcrop - dubbed Peace - is in the Columbia Hills which rise above the ancient lakebed of Gusev Crater.The

My Apologies

2005-02-16T06:56:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, while clearing ice outside of our home, I managed to slip, fall, and jam my left hand on the ice to the point where I have damaged my left hand. (I'm thinking two fingers are dislocated.) Posting may be slow or non-existant from me today until I get an appointment to the doctor's. The other authors will have to take up the slack. Sorry about this. (And right in the middle of the

Speaking of classy (jokes) ...

2005-02-15T23:07:00.000-05:00

A cardiologist died and was given an elaborate funeral. A huge seven-foot-wide heart, covered in flowers, stood behind the casket during the service. Following the eulogy, the heart opened and the casket rolled inside. The heart then closed, sealing the doctor in the beautiful heart forever.At that point, one of the mourners burst into laughter. When all eyes stared at him, he said, with a

Inaugurations Classy and Corrupt

2005-02-15T17:54:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I know, it's not exactly the meme of the moment anymore. But I was brought back to it today by:"Instead of being the host of an expensive Inaugration celebration while members of the U.S. military are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan, President Bush could have unified the country by putting the $40 million that the festivities cost into a trust fund. That money could have been paid to the

Complete Michael Jackson Coverage

2005-02-15T15:37:00.000-05:00

This, from Merriam-Webster:Main Entry: 1com·pletebrought to an end: CONCLUDED That is to say, this is all of the coverage of the Michael Jackson trial that you'll be seeing from me. (Not that other authors here might not cover it, but I certainly won't be reading those posts.) If you are really interested, I suggest you check in regularly with The Moderate Voice. Joe

Maybe I'm Actually Paranoid

2005-02-15T14:10:00.000-05:00

OK, maybe I'm a bit of a moonbat on this one, but...Yesterday, I was watching the news, and I saw yet another story about Valentine's Day being outlawed in Saudi Arabia. Suddenly it occurred to me - this is anti-Saudi propaganda. Oh, god, are we going to war with them, too?I'm hoping I'm just paranoid.

The Bush Administration is truly evil

2005-02-15T12:53:00.000-05:00

This should be beyond belief but it's not. Steve Soto at The Left Coaster reports of this disturbing report in The Asia times, US fights back against 'rule by clerics'. Steve does a great job of discussing the story so I'm not going to do a lot of copy and paste here, just head over to the Steve's post. What it's all about is the Bush administration is arming Baathists in the Shia areas in the

Reid put to the test

2005-02-15T12:25:00.000-05:00

In case you missed it, Bush has now renominated twenty of his previously (and still) unacceptable picks for judiciary seats. While the Dems passed along almost every one of his choices, this rogue's gallery of right wing neocon judges were too much to swallow. Apparently, anticipating the GOP's use of the "nuclear option" he's run the same ones up the flagpole again. I'll be waiting to see how

Tax evasion

2005-02-15T08:45:00.000-05:00

In their neverending quest to cheat the states out of their well earned taxes, Americans have found a new way - fuel efficient cars. Since a large part of your fuel prices goes to your state you are robbing your fellow citizens of their needed highway funds by switching from that hummer to a hybrid! But don't worry, the solution is imminent. Tax them by the mile. Really easy math, if you'd

Men are from Mars. Women are from... Newark?

2005-02-15T07:03:00.000-05:00

Michael Gurion has bravely stepped forth to risk the wrath of womankind everywhere, releasing his new book, "What could he be thinking?" He seeks to make the case that men and women truly are different, and the reason is completely biological/genetic.[Gurion] believes there are about a hundred structural differences that have been identified between the male and female brain. "Men, because we

Reminder: Support the Koufax Awards

2005-02-14T18:07:00.000-05:00

The last categories in the finals for the Koufax awards are up. You can check out the Best Single Issue Blog, (Why wasn't Panda's Thumb put in this category instead of group blog? Just a thought.) Most Deserving of Wider Recognition, Most Humorous Post, (man that was a tough one) and Best New Blog.The usual blogwhoring reminder can, of course, be shamelessly slipped in here. Running Scared is

Brainfry

2005-02-14T16:32:00.000-05:00

I am exhausted this afternoon, and my brain resembles slightly rotten Swiss cheese. Therefore, I toss these links at you, and I will see which stick on the wall, and which will fall on the ground for the cat to eat and then upchuck.Rick Klau celebrates Dean's ascension to the DNC chairmanship, aptly noting, "[W]hen people like James Carville claim to be embarrassed by the grass-roots energy

Blogging and Self Importance

2005-02-14T16:00:00.000-05:00

As a follow-up to the earlier post on partial defense of MSM blog bashing, I've been reading further into Jeff Jarvis' post on this subject. (Which, in fact, spurred the entire thing.) Also, it's worth taking a look at the comments sections in Jarvis' post, mine, and the others linked in that article.Jarvis is one of your more level headed bloggers at most times, but there are points where his

We're all safe

2005-02-14T14:50:00.000-05:00

from beeing hit by debris from interceptor missiles. In a stunning repeat performance our high price national missile defence system failed to get of the ground again.Someone give them some hamster feed.

A Partial Defense of MSM Blog Bashing

2005-02-14T11:17:00.000-05:00

Prepare for something you don't normally see - a defense of portions of the accusations recently leveled against the blogosphere which has so many Citizen's Media pundits howling today. It may also lead to a bit of ranting. You have been warned.The object of all this fury is the linked piece in the New York Times where Katherine Seeley and her co-authors took bloggers to task as "News Media

Dear Bill

2005-02-14T11:05:00.000-05:00

Microsoft's Bill Gates gave a long speach on the advantages of his Internet Explorer and other Microsoft products in regards to interoperability with other's vendors product. Now the Register has published this great response by the CTO of Opera, one of the competing products MS is seeking interoperability with. Even if you skip the technical mumbo jumbo - it's a great piece of "how to debunk

Winners and Losers

2005-02-14T09:39:00.000-05:00

Yesterday over at Middle Earth Journal we discussed how the neocons and George W. Bush were the real losers in the Iraqi elections. In the Washington Post today Robin Wright elaborates and tells us Iraq Winners Allied With Iran Are the Opposite of U.S. Vision. When the Bush administration decided to invade Iraq two years ago, it envisioned a quick handover to handpicked allies in a secular

Sticking with the Valentine's Day theme

2005-02-14T08:52:00.000-05:00

We knew this was bound to happen sooner or later. I mean, they've had numerous television shows already where "reality" contestants can compete to find somebody to marry them. So I suppose this was inevitable.Radio station offers free divorce for Valentine's Day SYRACUSE, New York (AP) -- Cupid occasionally misses his mark, so a local radio station is running a Valentine's Day contest