Luncheon starring Bush set to stuff Riley's coffer

Yucky headline.

It's suddenly hip again to love Manilow

Um... No it isn't.

The most inexplicable thing I encountered driving all over the place the last couple of days was a radio station promising that Monday marked the beginning of "Manilow Mania". Be very afraid.

(Also via Hot Buttered Death.)

Japan minister blames whales for starving millions

The latest Japanese excuse for their slaughter of endangered species is that it's all for humanitarian reasons. It's their duty to help starving children by eating delicious whale meat. It's only what those damned whales deserve for always taking plankton out of the mouths of little kids.

(Via Hot Buttered Death.)

CNN.com - Exhibit shows Khan's Mongolian legacy - July 6, 2002

KHAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CNN.com - Government approves marketing of new sweetener - July 5, 2002

A "crystaline, non-nutritive substance". Sounds delicious... The big advantage here is that unlike aspartame it can be cooked. My father, the diabetic, will be very happy to be able to eat the occasional baked good.

How long before somebody says it causes cancer? What doesn't cause cancer?

Soccer Sucks.

The Village Voice: Sports: Nil and Void by Allen Barra

Here's a good line:

I have no idea what the most popular sport is in Muslim countries; my guess is that baseball will catch on quicker in the Islamic world than soccer if only because their arms are in such great shape from throwing stones at U.S. embassies.

(Via Travelling Shoes, Anti-World Cup HQ.)

Blount man a Maytag-collecting fanatic

Well, I guess everyone needs a hobby. But this one?

Russian airmen back El Al pilot's claim of missile flash

A missile was fired at an El Al plane in the Ukraine on July 4. I'm sure it's all just a big coincidence.

`Frankenfish' in Maryland pond horrifies anglers and environmentalists

Not only can it walk on its extended fins, it can live out of water for three days.

Run for the hills! Maybe it can't climb!

USATODAY.com - Census: Fewer people do without indoor plumbing

Where do they dateline this story? "MOUNT WILLING, ALA". They could go anywhere, but apparently when you think "No indoor plumbing" you think "Alabama". (Me, I think "Mississippi".) I should start a letter campaign or something for this slur on my state, which wasn't even in the top ten for percentage of residents without indoor plumbing. (But Mississippi was.) Alaska had by far the highest percentage, but I can see why they didn't want to go there. But why pick on Alabama?

AP Wire | 07/05/2002 | Fire ants adapt to cold weather

Well, that's just great. Poison doesn't kill them. They don't have any natural enemies. And now it turns out they won't freeze to death. We should probably just turn the entire South over to them right now.

Yahoo! News - George Michael Says He's Not Anti-U.S.

I'd say that he said that because it wouldn't sell well here, but he doesn't have a US record deal, because he's a has-been former pretty boy.

Same Planet, Different Worlds

Guardian: LAX Shooter's Motive Still Unclear

Ha'aretz: Employee of El Al gunman to NY Times: 'he had hate for Israel'

Laurence Simon -- whose vented-up-ventings have burst out as well and are as usual excellent -- wonders what the Egyptian Jihad could hold against other airlines. But this wasn't a terrorist act, of course.

US authorities try to determine airport gunman's motive

Oh, I don't think it should be that difficult... Hey, I'm against racial profiling on principle. But when you have -- I say again -- an Egyptian guy who decides that as a birthday present to America and himself to go to the airport and start shooting Jews, I don't think it's a bad idea to make the assumption that this isn't someone who's upset about a bad relationship.

Site Meter - Counter and Statistics Tracker

317 hits today (and not quite over) despite no new material (and hence no hits from Weblogs.com) until a few minutes ago, even with a lot of people not at work. Gosh. Well, you can see I was writing most of today even if it was only to myself.

Department of Getting What You Pay For

Site Meter - Counter and Statistics Tracker

This sucks. Here I am getting a big hit day, 250 so far, a lot for a day when a lot of people are off work. (Thanks, Meryl! Also, thanks to the kind soul who posted the link to the Space Ghost Group on the rec.arts.tv.mst3k.misc newsgroup. MST3K Lives!) It's a big one especially since Reynolds is on vacation -- when he's posting I get about 100 a day from his blogroll, down to about 20 a day this week. And the Blogger server goes down. Sigh. Hopefully, by late tonight someone will be able to read this.

What really bugs me is that at the very top of the page I forgot to close the link tag of the Susan Parker article and it's just sitting there, taunting me, and I can't do anything about it.

Ev, who is not enjoying his Friday (I'm not particularly enjoying his Friday either, but I'm glad I don't have his problems right now) notes how webloggers these days tend to link to the printer-friendly forms articles (where available) rather than the standard. He wonders if the sites are paying attention. My guess is that they will when they realize their ads aren't being paid attention to. I don't mind the ads, it's the sucky designs that bug me. Hey, I'm not the greatest web designer in the world -- far from it -- but even I realize the value of not cluttering up the page with huge amounts of pointless graphics and internal links no one ever uses.

California governor says state won't divest Israeli holdings

Some ridiculous Arab-American groups have been pressuring the state pension fund to divest in Israel. It's probably not a coincidence that the day after the LAX shooting Davis said it wouldn't.

Cougar spotted near Mattawa schools

Kinda puts those deer that occasionally jump through plate glass in perspective, don't it?

Ananova - Fishermen should let the big ones get away

That's the suggestion of a new study, which says that it's better for the species to keep the little fish and throw the big ones back. This could be a real boon for bad fishermen everywhere. "Yup, I caught this one last year. It's a three-ouncer. 'Course, there was was the fifteen-pounder I caught as well, but I had to throw it back. Good for the species." Otherwise, I don't think this will catch on. You ever try to stuff and mount a two-inch-long bass?

FBI: Gunman Went to L.A. Airport Intending to Kill (washingtonpost.com)

"It appears he went there with the intention of killing. Why he did that is what we are still trying to determine," FBI agent Richard Garcia said one day after the shootout at the nation's third-busiest airport.

Well, let me guess. He's an Egyptian, right? One who showed hostility to the US, immigrant or no. And he shot up the ticket counter of the Israeli national airline.

Heck, I don't know. Maybe he was upset because the in-flight movie last time was "Snow Dogs". (UPDATE: Laurence thinks it was "Yentl", nearly as bad of a movie leaving aside its theme. Great minds.) But it wasn't terrorism! I'm glad we got that straight.

The Nando Times: George Harrison attacker ordered released from hospital

"Hey, the guy he attacked is dead, might as well let him go."

British PM's wife to host reception for Israeli terror victims

Apparently Cherie Blair thinks this will make up for her "Oh, those poor Palestinian suicide bombers, they're only doing this because they have no hope" comments of a few weeks ago.

Eventually, this will get published...

New Zealand News - NZ - Arrested Air NZ worker took US flying course in own time

Funny how the Kiwis don't seem to think it particularly noteworthy that the "Air NZ worker" was Saddam Hussein's stepson! Anyway, as I noted in the comments section, it looks like he's just dumb and didn't realize that his tourist visa didn't cover that.

The Nando Times: U.K. government workers plan first strike since 1979

Man, I guess that beheading of Maggie Thatcher's statue was voodoo or something.

ESPN Classic - Ted Williams was baseball's greatest hitter

Yes he was. He died this morning in Florida at the age of 83. He'd been ill for some time.

Thousands attend funerals of two militants killed in Gaza blast

The Palestinians say it's an Israeli assassination; the Israelis aren't talking. Jihad Al Omarin (what a name! You give a "militant" in a movie that name and CAIR would probably organize a boycott.) deserved to die and taking him out was a good way to lessen the terror. Of course, the 1000 Palestinians chanting "Death to Israel" show what we're up against.

Gunman Kills 2 At L.A. Airport (washingtonpost.com)

Let me get this straight... An Egyptian immigrant shoots up an El Al ticket counter on the Fourth of July, and it's not terrorism? Right. Maybe it was just an accident, too.

Senate race: Parker just might have a shot, some say

GOP incumbent Jeff "Frog Eyes" Sessions' Senate seat is supposedly safe. Some people locally don't think it's cut and dried that he'll beat Susan Parker. She's running a center-left campaign rather than the run to the right usual for Alabama Democrats in statewide elections. Let's see what happens.

`Quartet' members disagree over U.S. position on Arafat

The EU is still a bunch of idiots.

The European Union has rejected the determination by Israel and the U.S. that Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat is tainted by terrorism, and will continue meeting with Arafat as the elected leader of the Palestinian people, European sources said yesterday at the end of a London meeting of the international community's Quartet - envoys from the U.S. EU, UN, and Russia.

1. You guys don't seem to like the idea of elections for leaders of the EU.

2. Arafat was elected six years ago. Leaving aside the corrupt balloting, his term, by any measure, is up.

3. If you don't think Yasser is tainted by terrorism, you are so pig-ignorant there is no use talking to you.

Oh, but Yasser promised an EU representative he'd do all he could to end suicide bombing. We haven't heard that before, have we?

ESPN.com: GEN - Accusations hurled after hot dog contest

My God, if even international hot dog eating is corrupt, what clean sport is left?

Reynolds is gonna be pissed when he hears this...

Overheard at the FBI/LAPD press conference on the airport shooting...

"I've said for years that there are too many guns out there... That makes all of us less safe."

That's a slight paraphrase, but it's basically what he said. I'm not quite sure who it was but he was wearing a suit so I guess he's Federal.

Scripture Candy to unroll patriotic tins to pass Word

Argh. Here's my patriotic quote for Independence Day:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Bessemer police crack down on ban on fireworks

Unbelievable. I used to live in Bessemer, and I was routinely -- not just around New Year's and the Fourth -- awakened by fireworks. Hard to believe the city banned them. Of course, I was routinely awakened by gunfire, and I guess that shooting at people is illegal too.

California frog loses 4 million protected acres

The Bush administration is at it again. Basically, they're refusing to enforce a law passed by Congress and signed by another President. Whatever happened to the separation of powers? They sure seem to be usurping the legislative function.

The latest to move off Blogger and to his own domain is DC Thornton. I gotta get me that Moveable Type.

A Meaningless Guess

I think this is a domestic anti-Semitic bozo. That's just a guess, of course.

Another person is reported dead, bringing the number of innocent victims to two.

So much for light posting.

Ha'aretz - Article
One killed in shooting attack at El Al counter in L.A. Airport

I love it when the Israelis don't count the murderer (Islamikaze or not) among the dead. The Israelis, unlike the LAPD, are saying that this is a terrorist attack:

Transportation Minister Ephraim Sneh said that the shooting was believed to be a terrorist attack.

"Organizations, primarily Islamic extremist organisations, are planning to hit Israeli targets outside [Israel]. And an airport is a preferred target," he told Army Radio. "We believe we are talking about a terrorist attack."

I don't know that they have any information or if they are just making the assumption.

BBC News | TALKING POINT | September 11 Videolog

This is a pretty interesting idea from the BBC; we'll see how they handle it. I'm not quite sure why, but they have several weblogs linked here. This one included. Gee.

Small Plane Crashes Into L.A. Crowd

CNN now reports that one of the passengers is dead, and ten people (presumably the other person on the plane and nine people from the ground) were hurt, some critically. It does appear to have been an accident.

Economist.com | Weblogging

As usual for The Economist, this is a fine (if short) story, even if they have to point out the usual "it doesn't make money" angle. Contains a quote by the Scubapundit, which is all you'll get from him this week.

The Nando Times: Two die in Gaza City bombing

Are the Palestinians turning on each other? It wouldn't be the first time. Or maybe, this is part of Israel's anti-Hamas operation, but it seems a little sloppy.

Cue "Sexy Sadie"

CNN.com - Beatles guru: $1 billion to save the world - July 4, 2002

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, well-known con man and intellectual thief, is an incredibly shameless individual. His latest escapade: He says that for $1 billion he can end world terrorism. Kind of puts Oral Roberts in his place, doesn't it?

CNN.com - Gunman shot dead after killing 1 at Los Angeles airport - July 4, 2002

The initial suspicion, since it was the El Al counter, is that this is terror-related. CNN (on TV) reports that two people are being questioned by the police... It looks like the terminal has been evacuated. There's a huge crowd milling about outside.

They also report a plane crash into a park in California, a small private plane. I would guess that it's just an accident.

Why do they have to say "alleged" gunman? He's dead, he can't sue.

Hey, there's a Fawlty Towers marathon on BBC America!

San Juan Island is a happenin' place for land-based whale watching

There are land-based whales? Oh, the watchers are land-based, the whales are still in the sea. Never mind.

IOL : US anglers in a frenzy over 'Frankenfish'

The story of the invasion of Maryland by the dreaded snakehead walking fish has reached South Africa.

SPACE GHOST: Greetings! I am Space Ghost, and this is the Space Ghost Group. Our panelists are:

Captain Euro, superhero and pacifist;
The green goliath known as the Hulk;
Blossom, leader of the Powerpuff Girls;
And Aquaman, king of Atlantis.

Issue One, Israeli operations in the West Bank. Captain Euro?

EURO: The Israelis need to show patience with the Palestinian Authority, and allow the peace process to go on, rather than disrupting it with these senseless attacks. Answering violence with violence is never the answer. Only at the negotiating table can we find peace.

SG: WRONG! Hulk?

HULK: HULK SMASH TERRORISTS!

SG: Correct! Issue two, is toxic waste good for fish? Aquaman?

AQUAMAN: That is the stupidest thing I ever heard.

SG: Correct! Issue three, steroids in baseball. Hulk?

HULK: What? Hulk not on steroids! Hulk all natural, work out, exposed to gamma rays!

SG: Right. Captain Euro?

EURO: Baseball, feh. You Americans need to be exposed more to the beauty that is football, or as you mincingly call it, soccer. That is a true sport.

SG: WRONG! Blossom?

BLOSSOM: Gosh, it seems like cheating to me. If there are baseball players using steroids, don’t they have an unfair advantage over all the players who won’t take them because they might be bad for you?

SG: Correct! Issue four, comparing backers of the Euro to Hitler in TV ads. Captain Euro?

EURO: I am deeply offended by this, and when Britain joins the EU we will have to take steps to see it doesn’t ever happen again.

SG: Um, right. Aquaman?

AQUAMAN: Doesn’t matter to me. All that paper money just disolves in salt water. I hope they’re using soy based ink.

SG: Uh… Hulk?

HULK: Hulk laugh and laugh!

EURO: Oh, come now. If anything, we are more like Stalin. Hitler, that’s completely inaccurate. [PAUSE] Merde. Did I just say that out loud?

HULK: Hulk smash Euro-commie!

SG: No, mustn’t smash our fellow panelists. [ZAPS CAPTAIN EURO WITH A BLAST FROM HIS POWER BANDS.] Now, that’s better. Issue five, Adam Sandler movies. Hulk?

HULK: Hulk laugh and laugh!

SG: Uh, okay. Aquaman?

AQUAMAN: I can only spend one hour outside the water, so I can’t go to movies.

SG: Okay, Blossom?

BLOSSOM: Those movies are all PG-13 or R, I’m too young to see them.

SG: Captain Euro?

EURO: (Groans.)

SG: Correct answer: They’re all stupid, and everyone who watches them should be ashamed of themselves! Issue six, Mojo Jojo. Blossom?

BLOSSOM: Gosh, we keep catching him, but he’s a monkey and I guess the jails aren’t set up to keep him. We sent him to the pound once, but they say that’s cruel and unusual punishment.

SG: Captain Euro?

EURO: Ugh… [SHAKES IT OFF] Instead of persecuting poor Mojo Jojo, I think it is incumbent upon us to look at the inequities inherent in the system in Townsville. Mr. Jojo is only a symptom. We need to treat the disease.

HULK: Can Hulk smash puny Euro-weenie now?

SG: Yeah, show’s over, go ahead. Join us next week!

MOLTAR [V/O]: The Space Ghost Group is made possible by a generous grant from Archer Daniel Midlands Corporation, a division of Lexcorp. And by generous support from viewers like you.


(Apologies to the various old SNL sketches I am blatantly ripping off, and to the creators of all the various things satirized here except Captain Euro.)

(UPDATE: Yeah, I probably should have found a way to work Zorak in.)

Lawsuit After Prozac Arrives in Mail (washingtonpost.com)

What the hell? They're sending Prozac through the mail? Unsolicited? I can't believe this is legal.

USATODAY.com - U.N. Security Council extends Bosnia mission

Whew. I'm just guessing, but maybe the administration realized it was going too far by threatening to shut down peacekeeping over the ICC. Or maybe they're working something out.

Saddam Hussein's Stepson Arrested in Miami (washingtonpost.com)

This is a weird story and I don't know what to make of it. Saddam's stepson, Mohammed Nour al-Din Saffi, a citizen of New Zealand of all places, was enrolled in a flight school in Florida -- one of the same schools that trained the 9-11 hijackers. It's all probably some sort of weird coincidence. Mohammed entered the country legally as a tourist, and is an airline employee in NZ. But that will shake you up.

CNN.com - Two killed, six wounded in protest at Caribbean summit - July 3, 2002

Wait... riots at a summit the United States isn't even involved in? What are the odds of that?

New Zealand Herald - Latest News
Victims warned to obey orders from armed robbers

Gosh. I thought everyone knew that. Maybe they don't have much crime in New Zealand, but don't they get American TV?

Judge orders EPA to protect salmon from pesticides

There go those damned California judges, asking the government to enforce the law again.

Immigrants in military can become citizens

Good one for the President.

ADVANTAGE: ALABAMA!

Laurence and Jeff talk about "Zippers", which are basically pre-packaged Jell-O shots sold by an Ohio company, and how that state is considering prosecuting the company. Which is interesting, except that I wrote about this product two weeks ago when Alabama decided to reverse itself on allowing their sale.

Site Update

I hate it when people stop posting and don't announce it -- are they taking a break, or are they gone for good? Has something happened? Sometimes I feel guilty about this, but I always feel I should mention it if I'm going away.

As it happens, I'm not -- unlike seemingly everybody else -- taking a break. However, for most of July I will probably be lighter than it's been, on what I think of as a "weekend schedule". I'm going on vacation starting tomorrow (save a half day on Saturday), and I usually post less when I'm not working, since most of my posting is done during breaks at work. (I'm not actually leaving town, for two very good reasons: I'm lazy, and I'm cheap.) When I get back, seemingly everybody else (well, there are only five people here) is going on vacation for the rest of the month and I'll be away from my computer most of the time. (I won't actually be working, since I can't really do that. I'll be sitting at the circulation desk, even though hardly anyone will be around.) I'll probably post about half as much in July as I did in June, but I'll try to have something every day. What passes for normal around here will resume sometime in August.

China Buys 8 Russian Submarines

The story doesn't say how advanced these subs are, only that they're armed with missiles. According to this site, the Kilo-class subs are a relatively advanced diesel-powered model, and "effective for missions such as coastal defense, where high speed and long range are not crucial." Another such mission would be an attack on Taiwan; I don't know about a blockade. Teipei is hoping the US will step up and sell some subs in answer. Interestingly, Taiwan has long been trying to buy the same number of subs, eight.

Fireworks destroy osprey nests, injure two teens

Today's Jackass Award is shared between the idiots in Washington state who thought it would be fun to build a pipe bomb out of fireworks to celebrate Independence Day (and blew off their fingers) and to the other idiots in Washington state who thought it would be fun to set an osprey nest on fire with a bottle rocket. If forced to choose, I go with the latter, since the former were hurt by their own stupidity instead of hurting others, though it easily could have gone the other way.

I really hate people who kill animals for no reason. I'm a carnivore, and I know animals will be killed, even wild animals, even rare ones. I know hunting is not only a major part of some people's lives but necessary for some species to survive (since their natural predators have been driven out). But this sort of casual cruelty for thrills sickens me.

New Fossil: Link Between Fish and Land Animals?

Paleontologists may have found the first vertebrate truly adapted to walking on land. Pederpes apparently is the earliest known animal with a five-toed foot (ancestrally common to all land vertebrates) but also had rear legs and feet that point forward, not to the side like the lobed fish that were its (and our) ancestors.

The Nando Times: NASA finds crack in Columbia's pipe liner

Oh, boy. That's three shuttles with the same defect. And nobody seems to know why.

Bert & Ernie have a video out and they're doing interviews to support it. But they keep ducking (ha!) the questions about the nature of their relationship (they're the Matt Damon and Ben Affleck of puppets) and Bert's connections with Osama bin Laden.

Group Drops 'Sopranos' Lawsuit

An Illinois appellate court has upheld a ruling dismissing the ridiculous suit by an Italian-American group against the makers of The Sopranos. Despite the above headline, this story says that they will try again.

Not to exaggerate, but this really is an important case, in the sense that all assaults on freedom of speech are important. As far as I can tell, the First Amendment hasn't come into play here (all cases were in Illinois' state courts, nothing Federal).

Tyson Foods, Ikea Among Embargo Violators - Report

Apparently, Saddam's chicken needs are being met. Meanwhile, IKEA was shocked to learn that the rugs it bought were from a Taliban-controlled part of Afghanistan.

Awwww...

Kansas City Star | 06/30/2002 | Kansas City Zoo welcomes birth of orangutan

Apparently this was a needed shot in the arm for the KC Zoo:

The successful birth is welcome news to zoo officials after recent criticism over a decision to round up and kill more than 200 bothersome Canada geese. In addition, more than half of the zoo's summer exhibit of ocean rays died from a water quality problem, and a snow leopard recently died.

Ray Mikell has changed his blog name from "My Lost Marbles" to "Cosmic Ray's, which is a great name, and has a new url to match.

Transcendental Meditation: The solution to terrorism?

Um... No. John Hagelin should be ashamed of himself.

Gingerly, Arabs Question Suicide Bombings

Wow, really? And it's been such a successful strategy, too.

I'd just like to mention that I've been enjoying A Skeptical Blog. Dominion doesn't seem to have permalinks, but I direct you to his fifth item, on the Rehnquist court. I mean, I think it's a bad court, but comparing it to Taney, that's awfully strong.

Which reminds me that my new Skeptical Inquirer just arrived, but I haven't gotten to read it yet. There's almost always something relevant in there, I'll post on it when I have the time.

Meryl has the latest anti-Semitic outrages from SFSU. Let's leave aside the gross immorality; does anyone there even realize how this looks?

I mean, I'm from Alabama. The state has come a long way, but we have our bigots, still. (Even in high office. I won't mention the recently deposed Congressman by name.) But if something like what happened at SFSU happened at one of our colleges, the first thing that the school would do would be to figure out how to repair the PR damage. They might not care about the feelings of the victims, but they'd certainly care that the press was holding them up to ridicule. I can't speak for other colleges, but if a faculty member (much less a department head!) started mouthing off like this, the President would have him in his office so fast his head would spin.

Stop That Fish! (washingtonpost.com)

More on the dreaded snakehead walking fish. The WP is all over this story. Which makes me wonder what the White House is getting away with now, but let's face it; walking fish are cool.

Animals enter their silly season

Of course, for some animals, it's always silly season.

Prison chiefs warn of riots

Should be a fun summer, what with the 100 degree heat and the humidity and the prison overcrowding leading to riots.

Department of Inappropriate Metaphors

"Our position is there is no more room in the inn."
-- James DeLoach, Warden, Draper Correctional Facility

So Joseph and Mary were convicts?

Auditor turns WorldCom witness

Here's something that probably interests only me; Cynthia "Not the Basketball Player" Cooper, the Worldcom auditor who uncovered the mess (that all of Arthur Andersen's horses and all Arthur Andersen's men could not) at that company, got her Master's Degree at my alma Mater, the University of Alabama. Actually, she was probably receiving it at about the time I was starting out there. (Dr. Weevil would have been on the faculty at the time, but I doubt an accountant took any courses in classics.) Like I said, it probably only interests me.

CNN.com - U.S. offers deal over ICC impasse - July 3, 2002

So we're saying now that we'll participate in peacekeeping if the treaty is modified to allow the permanent members of the Security Council (including the US) to veto investigations. And why not, if (as all its proponents claim) the ICC isn't aimed at us and we don't have to worry about our servicemen?

Maryland Wages War on Invasive Walking Fish

I'll bet. Fish are disturbing enough in the water, but when they're on the sidewalk... Do you think they come into your houses at night?

Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich aren't only bad filmmakers, they're loathsome human beings.

CNN.com - Saudi princess fined $1,000 for pushing maid down stairs - July 2, 2002

That'll teach her! In some way I'm not quite clear on, but I'm sure she won't do it again anywhere she's likely to get caught.

allAfrica.com: Mugabe to Root Out Gays

Bobby M apparently has a new cause -- getting rid of all the gay people in his government. Two weeks ago he issued an order to begin a crackdown on "sexual perverts". It should be fun watching the reflexive anti-American left come up with an excuse for this behavior. On the other hand, maybe Mugabe should reach out to Christian Conservatives over here. If they're willing to cozy up to Islamic despots to attack abortion, why not Mugabe to attack gays?

Great Moments in Headline Writing

Russia: Midair Collision Raises Questions Of Air Safety

Not much to add to that.

Where Am I?

It now appears that the comments are down; if you have anything to say, I guess you need to say it with Email. I like getting email, except from people claiming to be the widow or child of Mobutu Seke Seko.

UPDATE: Back up, it appears. Comment away.

New Zealand News - NZ - Editorial: US court stance deceitful

I'll point to you Den Beste's latest entry on the ICC to begin with. The American stance is only "deceitful" in the sense that we haven't made clear that we can't take part in the ICC. Even if the President signed it, the Senate would never approve, and even if it approved it, the Supreme Court would strike it down as unconstitutional. It can't be done. The only deceit was by the American representatives who made the Euros think that it could be done.

The deceitfulness of this editorial, meanwhile, is open. It says that the court will be constrained by "facts", but whose facts? Somebody says that the US is responsible for killing a million Iraqi babies? That's not true, but it won't keep someone from bringing Presidents Bush (both of them) and Clinton on charges. And whether the facts are believed depends upon the judges, and anyone should know that. If anyone believed for a second that this sort of thing wouldn't happen, Ariel Sharon being brought up on charges in Belgium shows otherwise.

Who Am I?

Apparently, Blogger has lost the tags that make my name show up. For any newcomers who've dropped in, my name is Mac Thomason, and this is my weblog.

Just a note... I wrote a letter to Romenesko on someone who thought that asinine attempt by Rick Reilly to get Sammy Sosa to take a steroids test was a good idea. Media-type people don't seem to see why Sosa would have a problem with this. They also don't see why people hate the media.

BBC News | HEALTH | Mobile fears of world health leader

The head of the World Health Organization is -- and I say this with all respect to her exalted position -- a complete wackjob. She says that electromagnetic waves give her a headache, and that since cell phones emit EM waves you shouldn't let your children use them.

UPDATE: Steven Den Beste knows a lot more than me about cellphones. I don't even have one!

BBC News | SCI/TECH | Insect species 'fewer than thought'

Ha! The bug scientists had been going around saying that there were more than 30 million insect species, but really there are only four to six million. And feel free to stomp on any of them. Bugs are yucky.

How you know when you were born to blog

I generally stay out of the Blogospheric navel-gazing, but I came across this. This woman is really annoying, but then she writes for the San Francisco Chronicle so what do you expect?

Arab Report Cites Development Obstacles

Nothing we didn't already know. Hatred of women, check. Low educational levels, check. What education there is is bad, check. Corrupt governments, no civil rights, no free press, check, check, check. Israel? A distraction. The most interesting thing is that this was written by Arabs, so even some of them realize that the problem is theirs and not something caused by the West.

Reynolds goes on vacation, Tennessee government shuts down.

California Lawmakers Vote to Lower Auto Emissions

This is an interesting step. California is obviously a huge market, larger than most countries. If car makers have to meet higher standards to build cars that meet California requirements, they'll do it. Who needs Congress and the EPA, anyway?

Cooling canine contraceptive

Canberra - An Australian biotechnology company has invented a contraceptive implant for male dogs that also calms them down.

Man, those Australians, at it again! I don't know how well this will go over with human dog owners, but a number of male dogs of my experience would have loved the idea. They say they're working on cats and female dogs now; may I suggest college students?

Government suspects irradiated mail may have harmed Capitol Hill workers

If they're doing it right, that shouldn't happen. At any even, people tend to get wide-eyed at the word "radiation", but that's not really the case here. The problems, if they're real, were caused by chemicals, not anything nuclear.

Congress To Postpone Revamping Of FBI, CIA
Homeland Security Agency Becomes Legislative Focus

They're incredible. Really, I can't imagine how the FBI in particular gets away with it. The Bureau blows 9-11 completely. They have all the information and are completely incapable of putting it together. After 9-11, they still look out of it. And Congress decides that it's not time yet to fix things?

Rare Burst of Blooms Shows Bright Side of Wildfires

See, the Colorado and Arizona arsonists weren't crazy or greedy, they just like flowers!

Bush Renews Fight for School Vouchers (washingtonpost.com)

My Bush hate, which had been in remission, is making a strong comeback. This comment is dreadful and offensive:

"The Supreme Court in 1954 declared that our nation cannot have two education systems, and that was the right decision," Bush declared today. "Last week, what's notable and important is that the court declared that our nation will not accept one education system for those who can afford to send their children to a school of their choice and for those who can't, and that's just as historic."

Department of deserved mean-spiritedness

Two dogs running for office in Florida

Asian-Americans urged to fly flags

Maybe I'm naive, but I've never thought most people these days have trouble thinking of Asian-Americans as Americans.

Frog season has started, and hunters are ready

Frog season? Oh, and they taste like chicken, but you probably knew that.

It's Been An Odd Day...

So far today, I've cataloged a book by Noam Chomsky and a book by Stephen Ambrose. This was only preparation for the latest fun: The Arab World, published by the League of Arab States for their 20th anniversary in 1966. Lots of fun stuff here; I think I'm going to keep it around just in case I ever need a good laugh. Here's a sampling...

May 15 of [1948], the British who held the mandate of Palestine left the country which during the last years of the Mandate had been subject to monumental foreign immigration. [This is a good bit.] The Arab states, with few forces, nearly no arms and munitions, had to engage in an unforseen peace-keeping operation to prevent the belligerent acts of the Zionist organizations terrorizing the Land of Peace. Despite all, they had sufficient success that the United Nations hastened to force an armistice.
(Page 4. Emphasis mine.)

The Arab Common Market Agreement, also known as the Economic Unity Pact... went into effect the first day of 1965... The following rights are guaranteed under this pact:

1. Freedom of movement of persons and capital.
2. Freedom of exchanging national and imported products.
3. Freedom of residence, work, employment and economic activity.
4. Freedom of transport, transit and the use of public transport facilities such as harbors and civil airports.
5. Rights of acquisition, bequeathment, and inheritance.
(Pp. 4-5)

Oh, and Jordan is bordered on the west by "Palestine", in case you were wondering.

Sammy calls it foul

It never ceases to amaze me the crap the sports press tries to pull. Rick Reilly of Sports Illustrated -- quite possibly the worst offender -- decided last week that he would tell Sammy Sosa to go to a clinic and get tested for steroids. Sammy refused, but unfortunately didn't pound Reilly into paste.

Baseball Geek Diversion: Skip to the next item if you don't care.

Unlike some players, I've never thought that Sosa was on drugs. He was skinny when he came to this country, but (as he points out) that's pretty normal for Caribbean players, and most of them bulk up once they have access to American nutrition. His home run spike of recent years isn't that remarkable. What's remarkable about Sosa is that he became a much more disciplined and patient hitter late in his career... which doesn't sound like a steroid user to me. His late career success follows from that, not his physique.

(Via Romenesko.)

Researchers 'Talk' to Lizards

Well, as long as the lizards don't talk back, I guess they're OK.

Post/ABC Poll: Americans Want Tighter Regulation of Business (washingtonpost.com)

Hmmm... which is the party of regulation of business, and which of deregulation? The current President is looking more like George Quincy Bush (that is, a one-timer, just like his dad) all the time.

Evangelist Hurls Insults at Funeral

Ah, Alabama. Apparently, God paid this guy a visit (hey, that's what he says, and he's a preacher) and told him that (a) the deceased was going to hell, and (b) he should call the mourners "fornicators" and "whoremongers"... The Town of Loxley is in far southwest Alabama, off I-10 between Mobile and Pensacola, just in case anyone cares.

(Suggested by Jocob, who asks, "Wasn't that guy at John Gotti's funeral?"

Topless car wash raises ire of city council in Idaho town

An America in which topless car washes are not allowed is an America where the terrorists have already won. Said town is named Moscow, which is symbolic, I'm sure.

Judge Finds Federal Executions Unconstitutional

My guess is that this ruling won't stand. The Supremes are always willing to expand the Federal Government's power to do things they like, and they love killing people.

New Zealand News - World - Independence Day tension rises

According to the unfortunately named "Andrew Buncombe", anyway. I don't feel tense. Do you feel tense?

Bomb found under American's car in Saudi Arabia

A Message From the Government of Saudi Arabia

America! We are your friends! There is no need to be concerned! This incident, and the similar incidents last week that led to the deaths of two Britons, have nothing to do with terrorism or al-Qaeda or hatred of foreigners! It's all about bootlegging, really! There is no terrorism in Saudi Arabia! Please enjoy our oil!

CNN.com - Watts announces no fifth-term bid - July 1, 2002

On the other hand, I won't miss JC Watts at all... I guess the GOP will have to find a new token.

Want an exotic pet? Try wallaby or kangaroo

Let a marsupial be your buddy! If you want an animal that's extremely expensive and can die from eating common trees, that is.

No. 1 topic -- S.F. public urination ban / Action may await count of street toilets

Uh... San Francisco doesn't have a public urination ban? Ick. I bet that plays really well with the tourists.

Deconstructing Buffy

I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but even I think writing an academic paper on the subject is a bit much. I dunno, maybe I'm old-fashioned.

Dispute Threatens U.N. Role In Bosnia (washingtonpost.com)

The War Crimes court looks to be claiming its first casualty, the UN Peacekeeping mission in Bosnia. The US is not going to allow its soldiers to be exposed to charges. Considering the anti-American sentiment out there, we'd be fools to. On the other hands, we're playing politics here, trying to use this mission -- which pretty much everyone agrees upon -- to block all ICC charges against Americans.

CNN.com - Zimbabwe on brink of starvation - June 30, 2002

Not surprising, especially with Mugabe's latest brainstorm -- making it illegal for white landowners to farm. He's very proud of his efforts to create hunger. Sorry, fight hunger he says. You can understand why I was confused. Clearly, this is America's fault.

Alabama soaked by highest beer tax in nation

Forget corporate welfare and targeted tax breaks. This state will never be able to attract enough outside investment as long as beer taxes are at this level... This is partly those Taliban attitudes I was talking about, but also because the state is afraid to levy taxes openly on income or property. Sales taxes are way too high, but also the state has these hidden taxes on alcohol, which are added to the purchase price so people don't realize how much they are.

CNN.com - Hot find: Historic Tabasco bottle unearthed - June 29, 2002

Um... Is it really archaeology to dig up something 130 years old? At this rate, I'll be able to get archaeology students from the University to come over and clean up my apartment.

A very good year for vintners

This story about wine production in the United States (with the news that there are now bonded wineries in all fifty states) struck me for the quote from an Alabama winemaker: "The Taliban are alive and well in Montgomery." That's an exaggeration, but not by much; one look at the Republican primaries and you'll find lots of people with Talibanic attitudes toward just about anything fun. But I also couldn't help but think about the leader of Jose Padilla's old mosque... who lives in Montgomery.

The Nando Times: Mediation ordered in TVA-EPA dispute

If the federal government's own Tennessee Valley Authority is going around polluting the atmosphere with old and dirty coal plants, how can the government ask private power producers to not pollute? Well, not very easily. I've a notion that doesn't bother the current administration very much.

Belgium wins 2002 Fair Play award

In the World Cup, which thank God is finally over so we can go back to not pretending to care about soccer for another four years. Anyway, isn't it wonderful to see that Belgium won the "It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game" award? Is that symbolic, or what?

washingtonpost.com: Sandler's 'Mr. Deeds' Goes to No. 1 at Weekend Box Office With $37.6 Million

What is wrong with you people? First "Scooby Doo", now this!

Firefighter accused of starting huge Ariz. blaze

You know, I used to have a generally positive view of firefighters... Some people will probably make -- or have already made -- snide remarks about public employees. Let the record show that this was a contract employee who is basically paid by the fire and started the fire to make money. You can blame government firefighting policy, but don't blame the people who fight the fires.

Powell Urges Vigilance on Fourth of July

So, as you're going around playing with your explosives, keep an eye out for anyone who looks like he's planning to blow things up.