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March 2002 Entries
Feel like dropping a Google Bomb? Whoops! I just did.
posted @ Sunday, March 31, 2002 4:51 PM | Feedback (0)
I just posted an interesting article. At least I think it's interesting. It's the first original piece I've written on this site. Hopefully more will follow. Unsuprisingly it deals with the Middle East. It's called Palestine and the Arab World.
posted @ Sunday, March 31, 2002 9:05 AM | Feedback (0)
Here's a tasty little press release from Human Rights Watch on March 9th criticizing Israel for attacking ambulances. Sure sounds like Israel is the bad guy here. And here's a report from the Jerusalem Post today saying that Israeli soldiers discovered a Palestinian Red Crescent (Red Cross) ambulance being used to smuggle explosives hidden underneath a boy. Maybe things aren't as simple as they seem.
posted @ Thursday, March 28, 2002 5:01 PM | Feedback (0)
Do you know that this web page would be illegal in Pakistan? We have some amazing rights in this country. One of them is the freedom of speech. Don't ever forget that many countries don't provide those same rights to their citizens. In Pakistan, speech can get you killed ...
The mullahs of Islamabad want Younis Sheikh dead.

They say the medical lecturer defamed the prophet Mohammed when he told students the prophet's parents weren't Muslim because they died before God revealed Islam to their son.

At the urging of hard-line clerics, police arrested Sheikh under Pakistan's draconian blasphemy laws, and last August, an Islamabad judge sentenced him to be hanged.

Maybe I should just rename this site Wacko Muslim Act of the Day. I'm sure there are normal, everyday boring Muslims. They just don't seem to make as much news. The article also says

Some Islamic leaders say the laws help keep the peace. Without them, mobs would deliver rough justice to blasphemers, they say..

That makes sense. If we didn't have laws against this, the mobs of people would just kill you anyway. Wow, maybe I'll move to Pakistan. That way I cna kill people if I don't like what they say. Maybe The Onion will have an article titled "Muslim doesn't do anything radical today". Is there a town called Boot Hill over there somewhere?

And lest we forget that Islam doesn't have a monopoly on nut cases, we have "Christians" that want to kill doctors that perform abortions. I still haven't figured out how that doesn't make them just as bad as the doctors they're trying to kill but I'm sure they can justify it. Thanks for the article Scott.

posted @ Wednesday, March 27, 2002 1:50 PM | Feedback (0)
The Palestinian police (or a clever terrorist dressed as a policeman) killed a couple of unarmed, foreign observers:
"The (car) lights were on and we saw him. He was in a Palestinian police force uniform. He was carrying a Kalashnikov and we shouted to him that we are (from the observer force) TIPH, don't shoot toward us."

"We told him that we are from TIPH and he didn't care, he kept on shooting toward us and (my) colleagues were sitting in the front seat, just dead. The driver's blood splashed on my face," Salam told Israel Radio in an interview from hospital.

And the Palestinian response: The Palestinian Authority and other officials denied that Palestinians were involved and blamed the attack on [the] army. When the Palestinian Authority acquired the Kalashinikov rifles they were supposed to be used for rounding up terrorists. Does Arafat control the police? Does anyone have any control over what's going on? The terrorist, errr . . . policeman probably thought he was just killing more Jews. Oh well, I'm sure he'll try again.

posted @ Tuesday, March 26, 2002 8:57 PM | Feedback (0)
It seems that ratings were down the the four hour and sixteen minute Oscar marathon. Actually they were the lowest ever. Is there some correlation there? I almost left with only four awards left but was talked into staying. It finished an hour later. And they should increase Halle Berry's medication. That was wild.
posted @ Tuesday, March 26, 2002 3:40 PM | Feedback (0)
Has anyone noticed that Bush's closest advisor is a black woman? (Ah, the politics of race and gender) Andrew Sullivan has. He thinks Condi Rice has great things in her future. Bush-Rice 2004 anyone?
posted @ Monday, March 25, 2002 2:00 PM | Feedback (0)
National Review has an article up on the future of Iran.
No wonder several leading ayatollahs have recently supported a national referendum on the continuation of the Islamic Republic. They now fear that the fall of the regime will bring down Islam along with it.

I've also just started reading a book about Iran. The people she describes in her book are amazing. Maybe it's time to foment a little revolution...

posted @ Monday, March 25, 2002 1:53 PM | Feedback (0)
Toynbee Idea in Kubrick's 2001. Resurrect Dead in Planet Jupiter.
posted @ Friday, March 22, 2002 3:30 PM | Feedback (0)
After a suicide bomb killed 3 in Jerusalem, Arafat said:
. . . he would take immediate steps to halt such attacks on Israeli civilians and that the Palestinian leadership remained committed to making the precarious U.S. mission a success.

If he does stop terrorism against civilians does that mean he could have done it all along? Is terrorism against soldiers acceptable? If can't stop it should they even negotiate with him? He already turned down a proposal that would have given the Palestinian's 90% of the West Bank. I guess 18 months of terrorism is a pretty good negotiating ploy if he does better.

posted @ Thursday, March 21, 2002 3:03 PM | Feedback (0)
The NTSB has officially blamed the Egyptian relief copilot for the crash of EgyptAir 990. This has been a long time in coming and full of politics with the Egyptian government. I posted a link earlier about this. From the article:
Concluding an investigation that has strained relations between the United States and one of its closest allies in the Middle East, the National Transportation Safety Board said the probable case of the EgyptAir Flight 990 crash was the airplane's departure from normal cruise "as a result of the relief first officer's flight control inputs."

. . .

In Cairo, an Egyptian investigator said, "The final report shows that the Americans have retreated from their allegations regarding the suicide of Batouty or that his action was premeditated." "

It shows that they failed in ascertaining the reasons of the plane crash," said the investigator, who asked not to be named.

Do these people live on the same planet I do? This is ridiculous.

posted @ Thursday, March 21, 2002 2:19 PM | Feedback (0)
AndrewSullivan.com. If I were a political commentator this is who I'd like to be. Currently has some great information posted on the situation in the Middle East.
So Arafat wins, after all. He quit Camp David because he believed he could get a better deal by ramping up the violence. He is now one of many terrorist leaders waging a sustained war on Israel, a war that Israel, even unhindered, would have a hard time winning. He has now spectacularly proven his point that terrorism works, that a small democracy like Israel has no right to defend itself adequately, and that eventually a great power like the United States will intervene to rein in the Israelis when Arafat wants. It has worked like magic. The only desperately depressing news is that president George W. Bush has enabled Arafat to do this. It's okay for us to fight terror, apparently. It isn't okay for Israel.

Also check out the Middle East Media Research Institute. It's always interesting to read what they themeselves write. Especially this one.

posted @ Monday, March 18, 2002 3:47 PM | Feedback (0)
Time magazine has a piece on Bush's sudden interest in the Middle East. It seems he doesn't want their pesky little conflict to interfere with his War on Terror.
Israeli leaders wonder how Washington expects them to do business with Arafat, who only two years ago rejected a Clinton-brokered deal that would have given Palestinians 90% of the occupied territories, and instead launched the latest intifadeh. Both Arabs and Israelis suspected Bush of expediency: the President didn't pay much attention to their war until it impinged on his war.

...

In Ramallah and Tulkarem, Israeli soldiers arrested 100 Palestinians who were on their wanted list but not the main militants, who apparently fled as soon as they heard the tanks outside their refugee camps. An Israeli raid on the sprawling camp in Jabalya turned up at least 10 workshops manufacturing Kassam II rockets, which Hamas has used against Israeli soldiers and civilians.

I'd hate for Israel's war on terror to interfere with America's War on Terror.
posted @ Monday, March 18, 2002 1:50 PM | Feedback (0)
After what I just posted this seems so trivial. But it's important too. It may not be life or death but it is about Freedom. Walter Mossberg wrote a column in the Wall Street Journal outlining Big Media's attempt to circumvent your rights in the media you purchase.
In the new world sought by the media companies, you might not be able to buy a CD or DVD and play it back on your PC. You might not be able to copy to your hard disk, or to a custom-made CD, the few songs you really like from a CD you bought. You might not be able to tape, or to digitally record, any TV program you like.

He also has a link to www.digitalconsumer.org, a new group that is fighting for consumer rights. They have a page were you can send a fax to your elected representative. They also have a page with the testimony one of their members gave before Congress. Pretty good reading.

posted @ Saturday, March 16, 2002 9:45 AM | Feedback (0)
"Strict Islamic law really sucks!" I can't quote the dead girls because they're ... well ... dead. But I'm pretty sure that's what they'd say. Rescue workers were delayed entry (CNN) into a burning building by the Saudi Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. Isn't that the same name as the Taliban police? They didn't want the girls to leave the burning building because they didn't have head scarves. Please reread the last sentence.

I'm trying to think of something witty and sarcastic to say about this. Not much comes to mind. I don't know if they would have lived if rescuers had been allowed in. I do know that "police" prevented firemen from helping people in the burning building AND delayed young girls from leaving the burning building. The only reason we put up with this is because they have oil. We don't criticize governments like this because it might hurt our economy.

Maybe my justification for a new car is to use a few less gallons of gas each day. That will take money out of the hands of Saudi monarchy. Maybe they won't be able to keep quite an iron grip on their people. Maybe a few of the parents whose children died can stage a revolution. Maybe they'll kill all those bastards. Maybe. Here's a new slogan for the environmental movement: Use less gas, save a girl from dying in Saudi Arabia. Not very catchy though.

Are we the good guys? "Hi. I'm America. I fight evil when it's convenient." Maybe we could title this "Allah wants you to die" or maybe "A head scarf is more important than your life". Maybe we should just nuke them and say "Our God wanted us to punish people that kill little girls". I'm sure they'd understand that. Sorry but I'm just a little worked up over this.

posted @ Saturday, March 16, 2002 9:24 AM | Feedback (0)
National Review has an article titled Listen to the Kuwaitis: What can we learn from the baffling stance of the Kuwaitis? The author writes
What can we learn from this ungracious about-face? Again, the answer surely is not that we must mediate more, "work harder" on public relations, or learn more about Kuwait. What we know about it is already depressing enough. Since there is not a single democracy or free media in the Arab Middle East, there is almost no chance that religious figures, politicians, academics, intellectuals, and average people can debate honestly the growing contradictions between Islam and the modern world -- or Islam's need for Western expertise and the ensuing resentment that such dependency apparently incurs.

This follows closely on the earlier poll about people in the Middle East hating America. It's actually a very good article. It has quite a few better quotes than the one I published (I'm too lazy to post another though). We just need to end our dependance on oil!

posted @ Wednesday, March 13, 2002 7:04 PM | Feedback (0)
Remember the girl from the cover of National Geographic with the amazing eyes? National Geographic tracked her down.
posted @ Wednesday, March 13, 2002 6:48 PM | Feedback (0)
I'm a fair weather Kansas City Chiefs fan. If you're a native American are you insulted by using "Chiefs" as a mascot? If your a European American are you offended by The Fighting Whities? Go Whities go! An intramural team at the University of Northern Colorado gave themselves that moniker.
posted @ Wednesday, March 13, 2002 7:26 AM | Feedback (0)
ESPN has a great article on Nick and Drew. If you're looking for anything other than NCAA basketball the next few weeks things might be kind of thin around here.
posted @ Tuesday, March 12, 2002 9:45 PM | Feedback (0)
You know, I never knew you could make money off this.
posted @ Tuesday, March 12, 2002 7:13 PM | Feedback (0)
The Kansas City Star has an article discussing what the NCAA tournament field would look like if no one had jumped to the NBA. They have a related article discussing how little impact these players have their first few years. Go Jayhawks!
posted @ Tuesday, March 12, 2002 11:08 AM | Feedback (0)
I just finished watching an amazing documentary about 9/11 on CBS. If you hear about this being rebroadcast I'd encourage you to watch it. It's a very special piece.
posted @ Sunday, March 10, 2002 11:24 PM | Feedback (0)
I got this one from down under :) The Chicago Tribune has an article titled "Ryan to review Death Row cases." Apparently Governer Ryan is considering a wholesale review of every inmate on death row. The prevous link finds the article but you have to register to read it. It had one absolutely amazing quote:
The Republican governor's concerns are rooted in Illinois' record: Since the death penalty was reinstated in 1977, 12 Death Row inmates have been executed while 13 were set free because of various flaws in the system.

Are you friggin' kidding me? That's a 52% failure rate. Half the people who had their death penalty sentences "resolved" since 1977 were innocent. Gosh, Illinois only found one innocent person on death row every other year. They should probably just go down the list of inmates on death row and flip a coin. Heads you go free, tails you get executed. That would give the innocent people a better shot at living than actually having a trial.

If airlines sent passengers to the wrong destination at a 50% rate you'd better believe Congress would investigate that. I'm guessing America has problably executed more innocent people than America lost in Afghanistan AND Desert Storm -- combined! Maybe somebody better brush up on that "beyond a shadow of a doubt" part when convicting people of capital crimes. It's not "Hey, we're pretty sure you're guilty -- let's kill ya" is it? And there are Representatives in Illinois that oppose this case review. I wonder who they represent. (Thanks for the link Sam and Damian).

posted @ Wednesday, March 06, 2002 5:57 PM | Feedback (0)
Ashcroft gets wackier by the minute. That should have been the title of this article. Instead they called it Staff cry poetic injustice as singing Ashcroft introduces patriot games. That's a good title too, but I like mine better.
This is not the first time Mr Ashcroft's subordinates have realised that this attorney general is unlike ordinary politicians. Each time he has been sworn in to political office, he is anointed with cooking oil (in the manner of King David, as he points out in his memoirs Lessons from a Father to His Son).

It's mostly about Ashcroft singing some weird patriotic song he wrote. If we weren't in the middle of this whole "terrorist threat" thing, how long would he remain Attorney General? I'm all for singing patriotic songs -- as long as I have a choice. And apparently his song isn't very good. Listen yourself. I only made it through about 20 seconds. See if you can do better.

posted @ Tuesday, March 05, 2002 3:48 PM | Feedback (0)
I don't know how much spam you get. I get alot. And most of it seems to be routed through mail servers in China. You can use SpamCop if you'd like to report spam or just see where it really came from. Wired had an article a few weeks ago about China's spam problem that I should have posted at the time.
"Complaints to China Telecom, which we estimate receives upward of 50,000 spam complaints per day from Europe and North America, are all ignored," said Steve Linford, a member of the Spamhaus Project. "China Telecom's complaints address is auto-answered by a robot message that replies, 'It's not under our control,' to any message you send."

It seems China is finally feeling the heat. News.com has the article this time.

The newspaper said tens of thousands of companies and Web sites in the United States and Europe have blocked all e-mail coming from Chinese servers.

It looks like they might actually do something about the problem.

posted @ Tuesday, March 05, 2002 8:15 AM | Feedback (0)
And the one year anniversary of my first post slipped by me last Wednesday. I'm sure both my readers are shocked ("SHOCKED" repeated in a Toby Ziegler West Wing sort of way) I missed that momentous event! Maybe I'll do something special next year.
posted @ Monday, March 04, 2002 9:49 PM | Feedback (0)
Ah ... jury duty. Six hours waiting for my name to be called. Which it never was. The amount of my time they wasted is amazing. It's a really good thing we arrived at 8AM so they could call the first panel at 10AM. No really it is ... somehow. I was actually looking forward to serving on a jury. Maybe next time :( Thought for the day: After seeing the well-oiled machine that is jury selection, I'm not really suprised that the death penalty has been so poorly applied. At least I got paid $7.82 for my time!
posted @ Monday, March 04, 2002 9:46 PM | Feedback (0)
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