Monthly Archives: March 2004

If you don’t notice time, time won’t notice you.

Yah! We rock.

VDH:

The United States is waking up from a serious malady. Once upon a time state-supported terrorism was seen as a criminal problem, not war, requiring yellow police tape, not GPS bombs. Afghanistan was turned into an anti-American terrorist base. Saddam Hussein required never-ending patrols to “box” him in. Osama bin Laden was too “hot” to be apprehended when offered up by potential captors. Pakistan and North Korea went nuclear — the greatest failure of many of the Clinton administration. Iran and Libya bought arsenals with impunity. Yasser Arafat systematically destroyed twenty years of economic progress on the West Bank and violated every accord he signed. Anti-Americanism grew in Europe without rejoinder or consequences. Saudi Arabia expected protection while our own female soldiers on patrol there hid their faces and arms — and promised not to drive. Terrorist funds flowed freely throughout the globe, as anti-Semitism and Islamicist-inspired hatred of Israel became the new pillar of trendy left-wing thought. All that has at least been recognized, checked, and is well on the way to being stopped.

Russia (evil reg. req) had its hand in the cookie jar.

In an effort to help mankind, here is a great site that I found very informative.

It must be time for the annual, “OMG (G as in “gosh”), gas prices are going through the roof”. I want my free Iraqi oil. I know that’s why we invaded, er, liberated them.

This is odd. I wouldn’t want a record of my life laying around. How dull would that be.

By Dick Morris.

Some of those who have Bush’s ear may urge him to speak more about the economy and less about terror. This would be a big mistake. Bush must use his profile as president to make Americans understand how crucial staying the course in the war on terror is to our safety. Bush has lost a lot of support among women with the war in Iraq. But he can restore that support by stressing the need to make America safe from terror attacks and to stress how important it is to stick to this task.

via Drudge Report

Frank Answers questions you never cared about:

George S. at 16 floors above street level, Central Texas writes:
I understand downloading copyrighted music from the Internet is illegal, but is it immoral? If immoral, is it a venial sin or a mortal sin? Isn’t downloadable music really a public good, as my enjoyment of it does not lessen another person’s enjoyment of it and it is cost prohibitive to prevent folks from downloading music? I’ve got to go to confession soon, so I need to know whether this is a sin or not.

I find the best way to deal with moral issues is to not think about them; then you don’t have to worry about guilt or nothing.

Now quiet; Metallica has just started up on my playlist

Spyware programs already ask if you want to install them, for the most part. And people naturally just click yes.

The Terror Exchange. I don’t know how well it will work without actual financial incentive.

Wondering why the US went to Haiti? There’s no oil there. But there’s plenty in Venezuela, isn’t there? It’s no coincidence. *cough*Halliburton*cough*

This is awesome.

5. Seriously, who wants to give Dick Cheney a heart attack?

6.Was: Presidential debates. Is: Presidential debates. . . on ice!

The new nickels are coming!

The back of the new nickels now headed into circulation bear the words “United States of America,” “Louisiana Purchase” and “1803.” There is an image of hands clasped in friendship — one with a military cuff to symbolize the U.S. government, and the other with an ornate bracelet to represent American Indians.

I thought we got the Louisiana Purchase from the French? Napoleon and all that. Those people at the mint should have payed more attention in history class.

Slashdot says this Japanese robot for the home will be available soon. Here’s a video. Looks like fun.

Near as I can tell, they play rap at high volumes and it causes the atoms to implode. And who can blame the poor atoms.

Godzilla is retiring.

The odds, apparently are 16-1 that there could be life on Mars.

I say you have better odds of this happening.

No more Super-size fries, you’ll have to buy two mediums. How sad.

How to spot a Straussian. As a warning, the comments sucked the fun right out of the post, skip them.

What is wrong with Bush? Does he want to lose? Or is he planning that it won’t pass the House and it will be a moot point?

“It didn’t work and it isn’t necessary,” said Idaho Republican Sen. Larry Craig, who has led the floor fight against gun control.

Hey, my elected representative is representing me! What a refreshing change of pace.

I will not eat them on a train, I will not eat them in the rain.
I will not eat them on a box, I will not eat them with a fox.
I will not eat them here or there, I will not eat them anywhere.
I will not eat green eggs and ham, I will not eat them Sam I Am.

Dr. Seuss (evil reg. req.) is getting a postage stamp, a star on the Walk of Fame and a statue. Considering that’s all the poetry I ever memorized, I figure he deserves it.

via Fark

An interesting article on the Senate’s money-making ability.

via Instapundit

Mars once had water. Lots and lots of water.

That does not mean that evidence of life has been found — but it suggests that life could have evolved on Mars just as it did on Earth, NASA said.

It does mean NASA can go ahead with a plan to eventually send people to Mars.

Two questions:

1. What are the odds of life evolving on two planets in one solar system?

2. What difference to future missions does finding water make?

Are these people so stupid they can’t see the difference between a war criminal and Tony Blair? Well, yes, apparently.

Paul McCartney is releasing a new DVD! About a couple of squirrels!

Evangelical Outpost asks a question concerning Instapundit:

Am I wrong in expecting him to address his critics?

Well, yes. But since it’s late, I’m going to pontificate. Blogs exist as a way for the author to get their point across, whatever that point may be. And just because Instapundit gets what? 10,000 times the traffic I do, doesn’t obligate him to address his critics any more than I am obligated. If he (or I) want to take on the critics, fine and dandy, but if not, why should he? If you want fair and balanced watch FoxNews.

I’ve heard nothing but good about the Shure E3c earphones. If only I had $180. They make more expensive ones too, the E5c. And cheaper ones, the E2c. I would welcome the opportunity to try them out, if anyone wants to buy me some. Take your pick, I’m not that particular.

Low-carb diets could put you in a bad mood. I know Atkins believers annoy me tremendously.

I’ll go eat some ramen.

NASA is having a news conference tomorrow to announce they found water.

Here’s something I disagree with, pretty much in its entirety.

Kay Whitlock, the national representative for LGBT issues for the American Friends Service Committee, circulated a statement at the National Religious Leadership Roundtable last fall that argued, “We cannot speak about equal civil marriage rights and the discrimination that currently exists without also speaking of the twin evil of coercive marriage policies promoted with federal dollars…. For us, it is critical that the LGBT movement work for equal civil marriage rights in ways that do not further reinforce the idea that if a couple is married, they are more worthy of rights and recognition than people involved in intimate relationships who are not married.”The statement continued, “We do not want to convey the message that marriage is what all queer people should aspire to. We also do not want the discussion of marriage to overwhelm and suppress discussion about a broader definition of human rights and basic benefits that ought to accompany those rights.”

This seems like a good place to start.

Oy.

UPDATE: Oh, look Stanley Kurtz.

via Fark.

Robots are coming to a culture near you. I can’t wait to get my NS-5 in July.

This is all the rage.

Iraq is making progress (evil reg. req.).

“This document protects the rights of individuals more than any other document in the region,” said Feisal al-Istrabadi, an Iraqi American lawyer who helped draft the interim constitution.

I’d feel better if they said it protected the rights of individuals as well as the American Consititution, or something like that.