Gee, I thought it was our foreign policy that was pissing people off all over the world. Turns out it is actually Hollywood. How's that for a kick in the teeth to those Hollywood limousuine liberals.

FOX News reports on a Boston University study (and you know how much I hate studies) that shows that "Hollywood sex, violence and arrogance are causing young people around the world to despise Americans."

Paul Bond of the Hollywood Reporter shrugs off the allegation. "Most of them conclude, 'We're not responsible.' We put out entertainment for people to enjoy and it's not our problem if people watch it and get a negative image of America.'"

I guess we can blame 9-11 on Hollywood then, and not our imperialist unilateral foreign policy of fascist isolationism. All this time they've been blaming Bush and 'the administration', and it is actually all their fault.

Police in Santiago, Chile were surprised to find the getaway driver for an armed robbery (no pun intended) didn't have any arms or legs.

The man drove the getaway car by tying his knees to the steering wheel and controlling the pedals with sticks tied to his neck and elbows.

What is it about policemen and doughnuts? Ananova reports that Austrian police have actually raided several bakeries and filed charges against the proprietors for not filling their doughnuts with enough jam.

Austrian law mandates that 'fasching' doughnuts be proportionately filled with at least 15% jam. 'Testing' (seriously) showed that some donut's jam filling only made up 10-12% of the doughnut. Consumer protection councillor Gabi Burgsthaller said: "About one-third of the doughnuts were against regulations. The jam proportion was under 15%."

Although there was no mention of it, presumably the illegal doughnuts were confiscated and uh.. 'disposed' of.

UPDATE: Coincidentally, the always on top of things, Laurence Simon has a different story on cops and doughnuts.

"I realized almost immediately after the taping of the final episode last November that it wasn't meant to be." -- Zora of 'Joe Millionaire' fame.

TRANSLATION: What do you mean he doesn't have $50 Million?

Michele at A Small Victory is collecting money and CDs to send Tunes to the Troops.

I hope she makes sure they have a CD player before she sends them a bunch of CDs.

"Head Start works. It has a proven record. [Abandoning it] to the 50 winds of this country is a major step back for the children of this country." -- Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass. quoted in the Washington Times.

I think that Kennedy's allegation of the incompetence of state (and local) governments is characteristic of most Congressmen, especially the Liberal Democrats in the Senate.

I think it is further evidence for a need to repeal the Seventeenth Amendment, and put the States back into the national legislative process.

Hootie Johnson may have met his match in the Augusta National hoopla, and it isn't the despicable Martha Burk. As a matter of fact, it isn't anyone taking up Martha's 'cause' either. No, it may just be the infamous Ku Klux Klan who has sided with Augusta and their freedom of association that is the downfall.

I agree that Augusta has a freedom of association. I also think that Martha Burk has been exploiting the situation for publicity, and really isn't doing much to further women's rights. Still, when it comes to causes, having the KKK stand up and offer support can be a death knell. With friends like that, who needs enemies.

I don't know how active the KKK is in Georgia, and I wonder how many people would actually show up. If I remember right, Georgia has an anti-mask law (for just such organizations), so the KKK will not be able to hide behind their masks. Still, when they marched through Blacksburg (VA) in the 1990s, they didn't seem to mind people knowing who they were.

Burk was quick to take advantage of the publicity. "I'm sure the Augusta National welcomes the support of the Ku Klux Klan because they seem bent on discriminating against women at any cost," claimed Burk.

While I know it won't happen, I think Burk should be publicly condemned for drawing a moral equivalence between denying women membership to one of the most prestigious golf clubs in the world, and stringing people up from trees and burning crosses in their yard.

California bureaucrats have auction fever when it comes to all those items confiscated at the airport. Rather than try to reunite items with their rightful owners, California is hocking them on Ebay.

Nicola Place, who flew out of Oakland is not too happy about he sound of that. Screeners seized from her a Swiss Army knife that her father had given her 20 years ago. "It broke my heart," she said. "It had been everywhere with me."
Thinking about it ending up on EBay, she said, "It makes me sad. . . . It irks me that they can take it away and make money off us. It's bad enough they take it away."

I'm inclined to agree. I think that anyone who has something seized should get the option of having it placed into an envelope, marked, and sealed right there at the security counter. It should then be shipped to the owners address at their expense, or held for a temporary period, so that they have a chance to come back and reclaim it. Another option would be to allow the person to merely check the item, and give it back to the person at baggage claim.

That actually happened to one of my co-workers several years ago when he showed up to the x-ray machine with a complete tool kit issued him by our company. The tool kit contained everything from pliers and screwdrivers to a hacksaw. Confiscating the items was never even a thought, the screener simply handed everything back to him and told him to go check the items at the counter.

The idea that items are to be confiscated with no possibility of reclaiming them disturbs me. Last year, TSA screeners tried to take away a veteran's Congressional Medal of Honor. I've also heard the horror stories out of corruption plagued Atlanta Hartsfield, where screeners confiscated jewelry and charms off of charm bracelets. The items suspiciously never made it to the 'lost and found', and presumably ended up as someone's Christmas gift.

I'm not saying that all screeners are dishonest, but you must admit there is plenty of temptation. Now that temptation has spread to the cash strapped People's Republic of California.

CNN reports that Sen. Bob Graham, D-FL has stepped forward and announced his 2004 candidacy for President of the United States, the first such announcement in nearly 72 hours, a new record. The span shattered the previous record of 53 hours between the announcments of Rep. Richard Gebhardt, and former U.S. Senator Carol Moseley-Braun.

All kidding aside, CNN reports that Graham did bypass the traditional democratic 'exploratory committee', and unceremoniously went straight into campaigning and fund raising. This gives him the jump on all the other candidates that are still stuck in committee, so to speak.

Graham further cemented his dedication by announcing that he would not run for re-election to the U.S. Senate.

The AP reports 'Nevada Considers Taxing Prostitutes'. (Why is the AP just now picking up this story? I remember hearing about it a month ago.)

Any way, the tax hike proposal covers entertainment in general, including "movies, professional sporting events, adult cabarets, strip clubs, art galleries and beauty contests, among others, as subject to the tax."

"Brothels are not listed in the blue ribbon commission's 1,100-page report on which [Nevada Governor] Guinn based his proposal - but they also are not listed among the exempted businesses, which include massage, yoga and golf."

Why not simply reclassify prostitution from 'professional sporting event' to 'massage'? That seems to work in places like California and New York where prostitution is illegal, but 'massages' are given all the time.

(link via ATS)

It was nice to see the federal government flatly reject a higher cigarette tax. Health and Human Services Secretary, Tommy Thompson said, "We are not contemplating it. This administration does not raise taxes." I guess those steel tarrifs don't count.

Still, that didn't stop Reuters from weighing on the pro-tax platform. Most of the article was dedicated to why we should raise tobacco taxes, including a poll that shows most people are in favor of a tax hike. It's nice to see a leader that doesn't lead by what the polls say. Majority rule does not make it right, and frankly I'm a little tired of seeing polls.

I was deeply saddened to hear that Mister Rogers died early today.

Is it just me, or does anyone else think that actively campaigning for an Academy Award cheapens the whole event? IMDb reports on the efforts of Catherine Zeta-Jones:

"She is desperate to win and knows she has a great chance. She was bitterly disappointed when she didn't get one last year. She needs it for credibility because at the moment a lot of people think she owes her success more to who she has married than for her own talents." An insider adds, "She and Michael have been greasing the palms of the important people in Hollywood with plush formal diners, and one of L.A.'s top publicists is spearheading her campaign. The film company Miramax is also applying its own pressure for her to win and she believes it is going to be her year."

If you are German or French, you aren't welcome in Aage Bjerre's Pizzeria.

Aage Bjerre, who owns Aage's Pizza on the island of Fanoe, said he's tired of French and German attitudes toward the United States.

He says Germans will be allowed in if their country joins a war on Iraq, but the French will have to endure a lifetime ban.

He added: "Frenchmen have a lifetime ban here. Their attitude toward the United States will never change."

World Net Daily reports that freedom of association is under fire in the City of Angels.

The Los Angeles County Bar Association wants to ban judges from having any membership or relationship with the Boy Scouts of America. The argument for the ban is based on the position of the Boy Scouts, that it is not advisable for homosexuals to be taking young boys off into the woods on camping trips.

Now, I have nothing against homosexuals, and I've actually known and been friend with a few. Still, I think the Boy Scouts has a freedom of association, just like Augusta National Golf Club. In fact, the SCOTUS has already ruled that the Boy Scouts have a constitutionally protected right to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.

Passing a regulation forbidding someone to associate with any private organization is just plain wrong, no matter how you slice it. It is one thing to use your Constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression to cast ire on them. However, when you want to pass a law, and use the police power of the government to enforce your views, that is where I draw the line. Besides, what is to stop them from forbidding membership in the Catholic Church, or other organizations with similar views on homosexuals?

When I was a Boy Scout, our organization was mainly about boys learning to tie knots, camp, shoot, and light fires without matches. There was also an underlying reverence toward God, but we were never involved in the rigmarole of American politics. Today, I feel rather sorry for the Boy Scouts, and any other organization that the PC Gestapo are trying to dismantle.

A Small Victory reader Robert Modean gave quite an inspirational speech on the 'Boobies for War' effort. (Quick, someone grab that domain name!)

With all due apologies to Gen. George S. Patton and the 3rd Army...

Michele, et al, at ease Ladies.

Now I will not stand before you and claim that there is no ulterior motive in my adopting, neigh, advocating a Pro-War Boobies posture. I am a man. Like any red blooded American male few things move me more deeply, more passionately and more fully, than a really Bodacious set of Ta-Ta's.

Saddam has gained support from fifth column elements within the Anglosphere, you know them as "peace advocates". These "peace advocates" have found a chink in our armor. They are exploiting our healthy American libidos. They know that no true American could ever listen to the crap they spout and believe a turd of it. So when some poor, mis-guided, mush brained boy or girl gets near, they disrobe and - my God it makes ill to think of them, unwashed and unshaved - expose their boobies for "peace". I say again - they are baring their bongos to confuse the issue.

Now all the crap anti-war, pro-Saddam, neo-commie peacenick bastards have been spouting about Americans not wanting to fight, about the people wanting us to stay out of Iraq and avoid a war, well it's all a load of horseshit. We are Americans. All real Americans love the sting of battle. When you were a child did you play "Hide the Weasel up Froggy's Ass" or did you play "Kill the man with the ball"? Well the other team has just greased up a weasel, so do we bend over or do we take of our shirts and show them what sweater kittens really look like?

As children, who among us did not admire the strongest, the fastest, the most gifted athletes? We emulated them. We aspired to be them. We didn't snivel into our momma's skirts and cry about how unfair it was we weren't as good! We just tried harder. That's what Americans do, we try harder. The enemy's advocates have upped the ante. We know their sportin' a pair and it's time we called their bluff in the buff with our Bouncing Betties.

We are at war. We will need every resource for what's ahead, every man and every woman, every shoulder to wheel and every shoulder boulder to the fore, because this isn't just any war, this is our war. And wars are won with Teamwork. We have to live, sleep, eat, and fight as a team - showering as a team may also be required. Now those namby pamby pinkos like Max "Speaks to an empty room" Sawicky who talk about the deaths of innocents and the burden that the Iraqi people will pay, are shoveling shit against the tide. The bilious bastards who write that crap don't know any more about real battle than they do about a sock full of shit. We have the finest equipment, the best food, the greatest men of any army ever assembled. And now it is time, for the once and all, for us to show the enemy's advocates that our team has the best breasts in the west!

We have seen the enemy and they don't shave! We can smell the enemy because they don't bathe! Modesty in the service of the enemy is no virtue, Nudity in the cause of liberty is no vice! I say again, we must bare any burden, for the price of victory is ne'er so dear as the cost of defeat.

Yay, the Carnival is here!

Well, not here, but here.

Hey, whaddaya know, I'm number 6 on Yahoo for 'fuck gray davis'.

In more disturbing news, I'm number 6 on Google for 'sissified by ex girlfriend'.

Yesterday, I theorized that pretty soon teachers wouldn't even bother to grade papers any more. Well, the Tennessean reported yesterday, that metro schools are considering wiping out half of the grading scale.

A proposal is on the table to effectively wipe out all grades between 0 and 50. The lowest failing grade given will be a 50. Now, proponents will argue that these are just the youngest kids, and we don't want to crush them with ultra low failing grades.

When I think back to my own childhood, there was a time when we didn't receive letter grades. We received Outstanding, Satisfactory, Unsatisfactory, etc. At some point in time during our development, the scale was switched to a 100 point letter scale. I guess you could argue that switching to a 100-50 point letter scale is a good intermediary, but I disagree.

The main reason I disagree, is because I don't think it will stop there. I feel that this is merely a single step in the overall coddling of our nation's children. This coddling will not effectively prepare them for college, nor the real world. Sometimes you get a failing grade, and all you can do is take it, and make the best of a bad situation. (Now-a-days, kids are being taught to sue, instead.)

I am reminded of my 'Ancient and Medieval Philosophy' class in college. I was taking it to satisfy one of my fine arts electives. Grading consisted of three components. One third of your grade was based on weekly quizzes, the second third on your mid-term thesis, and the third third on your final exam. I had a C to C- average for the quizzes, with which I was happy, considering how tough the course was. On my mid-term thesis*, however, I scored a FOURTEEN. (Yes, 14. Out of 100.) To say the least, I was pretty upset.

During my meeting with my professor, I was told that statistically, there was a very slim chance I could even pass the course. If I aced every quiz from there on out, aced the final, I could probably pass with a 60 which was a D-. Since it was too late to drop the class, and since he didn't offer any extra credit, my professor recommended that I devote my time to other classes.

I had to admit that it was profound advice. Instead of telling me to hang in there, and try to tough it out in a situation that was essentially hopeless, he taught me to recognize a failing situation for what it was, and make the best of it. In that case, making the best of it meant taking the F, and devoting my spare time to my other classes.

Sure, I may have failed his course, but the lesson he taught me was invaluable.

*By the way, the thesis gave us a partial script that was found on some tablet of unknown origin and unknown age, and told us to figure out who wrote it. The answer, which I never did figure out, was Alcmaeon.

Tom Dienhart of The Sporting News has the skinny on Big East Football this year.

VT-Miami is set to be the conference game of the year, but who knows. They've said that the past two years, and Tech always seemed to pull up lame in November. VT loses points for playing UCF, James Madison (div II) and soon to be Big East football member Connecticut. On a brighter note, the Texas A&M-VT game should be a good Thursday night match up, and the Big East continues to develop as a conference.

With their first four games at home, November will be VT's real challenge, with Miami, at Pitt, at (cough) Temple, BC, and in-state rival, Virginia.

(thanks to Ravenwood's Universe staff writer Marnette)

The latest from ScrappleFace:

Bush Rejects Saddam Debate, Offers Chili Cookoff
(2003-02-24) -- U.S. President George Bush today dismissed Saddam Hussein's invitation to debate, but the former Texas Governor challenged the Iraqi dictator to a chili cookoff.

The next time someone tells you that smoking 'causes' cancer, or that fatty foods 'cause' heart disease, remind them of the late John McMorran. As FOX News reports, McMorran died Monday at the age of 113. He was the fourth oldest person in the world, and the oldest American. He also smoked cigars until he was 97, ate fatty foods, and drank beer most of his life, which is proof enough that there is no causal relationship between 'sin' products and longevity.

Before all you nit pickers start jumping all over me, read your definition of causation. While people who smoke may be more susceptible to lung cancer, it isn't the same as saying smoking 'causes' cancer.

Even if it does, so what? It is my body to do with as I please. I'll take living fast and happy over slow and dull any day.

Neal (fourth item) asks you to put yourself in the shoes of a terrorist. You have just heard that police at Hartsfield International Airport will be searching ALL trucks, vans, and SUVs approaching the airport, but only SOME of the cars. Which type of vehicle will you chose to load your explosives into?

This week's Carnival of the Vanities will be hosted at Kesher Talk.

Since I was hospitalized most of the day yesterday, and doped up on pain medication last night, I ended up missing the deadline. We'll see if my excuse is good enough to bend the rules. If not, there is always next week.

A Knoxville area man was shot twice and wounded when he brought a knife to a gunfight. An unidentified intruder was shot in the arm and the leg when he allegedly attempted to rob James Petty, 64, and his wife Wanda. They were closing up shop at a Merita Bread Bakery Outlet, when the suspect allegedly entered the store and attacked Petty with a knife. The robbers wounds were not life threatening.

My advice to Petty is to aim for the chest next time.

ABC News reports that several internet web sites are guilty of selling drug paraphernalia to children, including "bongs, marijuana pipes, 'roach' clips, miniature spoons and scales". Are these those collectible spoons, like the state commemorative ones? Devices like scales definitely have a dual use, and 'roach clips' are known to regular people as 'tweezers'. Even bongs and pipes can be used for legitimate tobacco smoking, although it is unlikely.

Now, I've never been a fan of the war on drugs. I think too much money is spent trying to control people that are only damaging their own bodies. Casual drug users are typically no more dangerous to society than a casual alcohol drinker. Most of the violence tied to drugs comes with it's classification as a controlled substance.

But, I digress, because that isn't really my point. I am reminded of the RAVE act, featured in this old Fox News story where congressmen and the DEA want to classify bottled water and glow sticks as drug paraphernalia. It would seem as though they are commonly found at 'raves' where club drugs like ecstacy are prominent. Of course, they are also commonly found at carnivals and amusement parks across the nation.

FOX News reports that a California school district is doing away with valedictorians.

"If they are not number one, it could get their feelings hurt if they are self-motivating and high-achieving students," said Principal Bill Black.

Sorry for the lack of blogage today. I took an embarrasing but nasty spill yesterday on the ice and sprained my ankle. The pain kept me up most of last night, and got worse today, so I went to the doctor and got some good meds. The doctor gave me a buttload of vicodin, and some super motrin. I figure the vicodin will fix my sleeping problem tonight.

What are the odds that CBS will follow up on their Grammy threat? Well, none now. NY Newsday reports that CBS has backed down. Some had theorized it was merely a publicity stunt to garner more viewers. I guess those of us that aren't watching it will have to wait and find out tomorrow how big of an ass the stars make of themselves.

I've seen this quiz circling around.

I'm not sure what that means.

NY Newsday reports that there have been four intruders shot in NY so far this year. Of those, three were shot using illegal firearms. In most cases, the occupants are facing charges for illegal firearm's possessions. What is most disturbing is this statement from Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes, regarding the case of Ronald Dixon: "We're not disputing that Mr. Dixon had a right to shoot the person who broke into his house. But he had no right to have that gun."

No right? So much for Second Amendment protections. According to the DA, Dixon should have shit himself, called the police, and hoped for the best. The fact is that New York's restrictive firearms laws place homeowners in a lose-lose situation. They can break the firearms laws and risk criminal prosecution, or take their chances that an armed goblin will spare their lives.

What bugs me most is that prosecutors try to take the moral high ground and act as if getting a license is actually a viable option. In fact, a license to merely possess a handgun in your own New York City home costs in excess of $200, requires a mountain of red tape, and an interview with the proper authorities. Then, only if they deem your need appropriate, will you be granted government permission to possess a handgun in your own home. The permit to merely possess a long gun in your home is a bit cheaper, but requires just as much red tape. Practically speaking, it is impossible for people without political connections to get a license.

In the case of Manuel Falquez, whose mother recently won $100,000 in the lottery, he'd have been shit out of luck. Rather than risk waiting months for a permit that would probably never be granted, Falquez illegally purchased a 9mm handgun to protect his family's new found fortune. The hunch paid off, because Falquez fatally shot an intruder Tuesday night, and will undoubtedly face charges. Had he chosen to comply with the law, they'd probably be packing him into a pine box right about now.

The restrictive laws of New York and most of the north east, save Vermont, are what keep me from living there. It just isn't worth living in a place where you either cannot feel safe at night, or have to make yourself a criminal to do so.

And then she was gone.

Jack Burton of the Pork Chop Express goes the extra mile to debunk recent deceptive poverty claims.

Don't let the charts and graphs give you a headache. Basically, the purveyors of lies and misinformation took a magnifying glass to the lower eschelon income brackets, to drive their point home. Studying the populace as a whole, Burton correctly points out that while the number of people below the poverty line increased, so did the number of people above the poverty line.

Kudos to Jack.

Attention VRWC members. (All others please ignore.) Right Wing News reports that the spring line of commemorative cutlery is in.

I recently had an argument with my credit card company that went something like this:

Credit Card Company Rep: Sir, I am calling because it has come to our attention that your billing address is a bill payment service. For security reasons, we need to change your address back to your home address. Do you still live at: [my old Atlanta address].

Ravenwood: Why, no I don't. My company moved me three times last year, and I may be moving again in the future. It is much easier for me to have my billpay service ensure that all my payments are made promptly and efficiently.

CCCR: Well sir, we do have the 'quickpay' option that you may want to take advantage of.

Ravenwood: I'm not giving you access to my checking account.

CCCR: Well sir, the 'quickpay' is easy and con..

Ravenwood: [cutting her off] I said, I'm not giving you access to my checking account.

CCCR: Well sir, I need to change your address back to your home address for security reasons.

Ravenwood: [gruffly] Ok then, please cancel my account. If you cannot meet my needs as a consumer, than I don't want your business.

CCCR: Well sir, we are sorry to see you go. If that is your decision, than I will transfer you to our cancellations department.

Ravenwood: I'm not going to wait on hold.

CCCR: Well, I'm sure the hold will be brief, and I am not authorized to cancel your account for you. I work in the security department.

Ravenwood: Well, I'm not going to let you change my address, and I'm not going to be put on hold. You are going to have to pass my sentiments on to the cancellations department.

CCCR: I cannot do that sir. [She finally sees the impasse I've worked her into] You can always call back and cancel when it is more convenient.

Ravenwood: Ok, that is what I'll do. [click]

Still, I firmly believe the customer is always right. I usually get my way, and since I don't carryover a balance on the card, I am prepared to cancel it if I don't get my way. Besides, I'm not about to give out my credit card information to someone that calls me. In my opinion, that is a huge security risk as well.

And if they think I'm calling them back, they're nuts.

As someone who was born and bred a Virginian, and as a history and Civil War buff, I thoroughly enjoyed Gods and Generals. Obviously, I'm biased toward a film like this. It was told from the Confederate perspective, which is a nice change from typical Civil War films, but had plenty of sub plots on the Union side as well. The setting was mostly in the Fredericksburg and Manassas area, and the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

Specifically, the film featured great Virginians such as Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee, and A.P. Hill, although it centered around Lee and Jackson. (Mostly Jackson) Stephen Lang and Robert Duvall were perfectly cast as Jackson and Lee. Jeff Daniels was brought in to reprise his role as the Union Lt. Colonel Chamberlain, and did a magnificent job. I thought the film properly portrayed the Southern point of view, and how slavery began to become an issue on both sides. Too many of today's historians revisionists deliberately try to convey that the Union was fighting to abolish slavery, and that Confederates were fighting to preserve it. It is this ignorance and deliberate revisionism that plague southern history, and whitewash the accomplishments of the men who fought and died during the war.

While the film was over 3 1/2 hours, it had an intermission in just the right place, and the pace seemed to move rather quickly. Still, the IMDb reports that it is getting it's share of negative reviews. In the films defense, I'd like to point out that critics love drivel like Titanic, and hate anything as it relates to history. Especially when the facts fly in the face of the liberalism that the NY Times and LA Times love to disseminate.

You may be interested in the following: Virginia Center for Civil War Studies; Unofficial Gods and Generals Home Page; Books by James I. Robertson (Historical Consultant for Gods and Generals, Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech, Founder of Virginia Center for Civil War Studies, and my former professor)

Drudge reports that CBS may cut the mic if this weekends Grammy ceremony gets too political. "I would hope the artists will remember they are on stage because of their music," a top CBS source told the DRUDGE REPORT Friday morning.

I'd rather see them use that big hook.

Is it just a coincidence that I am 10 years removed from my teens?

Anti-smoking crusaders are taking it a step further. Now a man is being sued for smoking on his own patio. Undoubtedly, the plaintiff will get a lot of sympathy because he claims to have asthma. Still, closing your window would seem a bit easier than filing a lawsuit.

The lawyer for the defense says that this opens the door for all sorts of silly lawsuits, and that vegetarians suing non-vegetarians is next.

(link via RWN)

Gods and Generals, which I first wrote about way back in November, is finally here. I'm thinking of taking time away from my busy schedule to go see it today.

I thought that is what women were for. (among other things)

Health and Human Services Secretary, Tommy Thompson, is reported to be mulling a federal cigarette tax hike from $0.38 to $2 per pack.

Personally, I wish the fed would go ahead and outlaw tobacco. (Either that, or raise the taxes to $100 per pack.) The resulting lawlessness and bootlegging will not only be entertaining, but will negate all cigarette legislation (such as age limits) currently on the books.

Cigarettes are less accessible to teens than marijuana, and the reason is government regulation. You want to change all that, just keep on keepin' on.

Believe it or not, as part of the ready.gov campaign, a Richland county (OH) spokesman just went on the radio and recommended that every family have a disaster supply kit that they can grab in case of an emergency. He also recommended that we have a place where we can lock ourselves into for 2 to 3 days, just in case.

Duck and cover! Duck and cover!

An Indiana lawmaker is trying to ban firearms. State Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary has introduced three separate firearms bills to the Indiana House. HB 1016 and 1017 toughen the CCW requirements by raising the age to 21, adding a safety course, and adding a waiting period. They don't really much matter, if his other bill passes though. The real kicker is HB 1011, which says:

A person who owns or possesses knowingly or intentionally: (1) manufactures; (2) imports into Indiana; (3) sells; (4) purchases; (5) possesses; or (6) transfers possession of; a machine gun, an automatic weapon, a semiautomatic weapon, or ammunition for any of those weapons commits a Class C felony.

Will this bill make it out of committee? Probably not. Still, it scares me to even think about it. And just how do you tell if a .45 ACP round is intended for a revolver or a semi-auto?

(link via Mr. D of packing.org thread)

Evan Coyne Maloney offers a wonderful video of on the street interviews with peace protesters. Some of the non-answers and blank stares are worth a thousand words.

(BROADBAND ALERT: video is 18MB)

UPDATE: After being featured on Boortz, Rush, and probably several other places, brain-terminal.com is down. I thought about serving the movie here locally, but I don't want to tread on copyright laws, nor does the thought of serving an 18 MB file appeal to me.

My advice is to just keep trying. Eventually the traffic should die down.

The Washington Post reports that President Bush has proposed a budget that increases spending by almost 8%.

President Bush will sign legislation this week setting a 2003 budget that raises federal spending by 7.8 percent over last year, capping a remarkable two years in which the federal budget increased by 22 percent.

They appear to have tax cuts listed as an expense to the tune of $1.5 trillion. Are they counted that as part of the budget increase? I don't see how letting Americans keep more of their own money can be counted as an expenditure. It also says there is an 'overall freeze in domestic spending', which is good, although look for liberal democrats to call that a 'cut'. The only increases listed are for defense, prescription drugs, and anti-terrorism.

I also note how the Post boldly labels their chart 'a record $307 billion deficit." I guess in terms of dollar amount, it is a record. However, in relative terms, as a percentage of the total budget, it is quite small at just under 3%.

"I start with this basic belief: Government takes too much money from the American people." -- My former Senator, and favorite democrat, Zell Miller, D-GA in today's AJC.

If only more politicians (republicans as well as democrats) thought that way.

For once, a celebrity that is making some sense. The Force is strong in this one.

"All people have to be prepared. If we are going to be the police, we also have to be the guardians. We can no longer play games. I was not against the war in Bosnia. I was against it taking so long. I was not against the war in Somalia. Again, it took too long, and we didn't finish the job. We should've stayed and finished the job. About this pending war, I just think we should've finished that war the first time." -- James Earl Jones in the Fayetteville Observer

When the space shuttle Columbia burned up on entry this month, a common thread coming from the Arab world was that Allah had destroyed the vessel to avenge American imperialism. Well, God is getting even, as CNS News reports He has swatted an Iranian airliner out of the sky, killing all 302 on board. Aside from the plane's crew, all the passengers on board were members of the Iranian military, including some units that sponsor terrorism.

Allah has yet to respond.

Nothing like overreacting:

Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies evacuated about 15 neighboring homes Monday because two bank agents foreclosing on the house reported seeing numerous firearms and explosives inside, along with some canned goods.

It was later determined that the resident, Robert Walters, 46, is an avid gun collector. The weapons, which included an inactive hand grenade and an inactive mortar, were all legal, sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said. No charges were filed.

Still, it is moments of stupidity like this that are the reason I only keep up to 50 cans of tuna in my house. The rest are kept in my unabomber-style shack out in the woods.

(link shamelessly harvested from Greeblie)

Rep. Dick Gebhardt, D-MO announced his bid for the 2004 Presidency, and followed it up with a platform that assures he'll lose.

Rep. Dick Gephardt, seeking the presidency after eight frustrating years as House Democratic leader, said Wednesday that if elected he would repeal the vast majority of President Bush's "patently unfair" tax cuts to finance an ambitious new health care initiative.

"Without the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, we can finish the unfinished business of providing high-quality health coverage to everyone who works in America saving billions and stimulating one of the biggest sectors of our private economy."

Of all the things they could have gotten daddy to sue over, these Taxachussets teens are upset over the Selective Service Act.

The SCOTUS ruled on the act back in 1981, but the plaintiffs say times have changed, and women should have to register too.

Fat chance of getting it overturned.

NEW YORK, USA -- Champions of the Kyoto Convention and Protocol at the United Nation's building in New York have come under recent fire for the detrimental effects of the international treaty. Ironically, the Kyoto Treaty was supposed to help the environment, but recent scientific studies have shown that the treaty is actually lowering levels of carbon dioxide, a crucial resource for plant life.

Nathaniel Greene, of the Greene Center for Environmental Policy notes that with the decline in carbon dioxide, plants are literally suffocating to death. "We expected Kyoto to help the environment, but if you look at levels of carbon dioxide, they are actually going down, instead of up. Plants need carbon dioxide to live, and Kyoto is cruelly starving them of that precious life-giving resource," claimed Greene

Rebecca Bacon of PETA (Plants want Ethical Treatment Also) is saddened by the animal-centric environmental movements. "Animals get all the attention," laments Bacon. "With the increase in veganism, and the so called 'conservationist' movement, that hopes to fight carbon dioxide, plants are quickly becoming endangered."

Bacon was able to back up her statements with scientific data. "The number of vegetarians increased 7% last year alone. Combine that with the health craze, and people trading in their hamburgers for veggie-burgers and salads, and you have a recipe for disaster." According to Bacon, plant life has decreased 10% over the past 5 years, and with creatures like the massive Blue Whale gobbling up plant plankton by the ton, it may already be too late. "Those whales devour tons of plant plankton, and the only thing they give back to the environment is whale sized poop. We used to use them for perfume, but now even that is taboo."

Kyoto has apparently made the problem worse. Nathaniel Greene notes that plants systems, which rely on only four basic needs, are very fragile. "Plants only need sunlight, nutrients (like from the soil), water, and carbon dioxide. If you tried blocking out the sun, or polluting the soil or water, people would complain. Why then, aren't they complaining when policies like Kyoto deny them of carbon dioxide?"

© Ravenwood's Universe, all rights reserved.

And with America's litigiousness, the pratical joke goes the way of the dinosaur.

Next up, a class action lawsuit against the producers of Joe Millionaire for making everyone wait an extra week to see who the winner is. I'm sure a jury will sympathize with the severe emotional suspense caused by the show. A separate lawsuit will be filed just for that one-hour 'pre-game' show, where they brought back all the bitter women.

The People's Republic of Seabrook is hosting this week's Carnival.

Archimedes and Darwin claimed another one, when a 13 year old boy tied a heavy chain around his waist before trying to swim across a 15 foot deep pond.

The incident is being blamed on the imitation of a movie that showed a surfer who trained by running across the ocean floor toting a huge rock.

Too bad the young boy hadn't seen any wiseguy films, or he'd have known that men who wear cement shoes end up sleeping with the fishes.

In general, I don't like news tabloids like Dateline or Primetime. They try to pass themselves off as journalists, when in fact they are nothing but entertainment venues. Their sole purpose is to generate ratings to sell advertisements, but they make it sound like they're performing a public service.

I've never really trusted Dateline, since they strapped explosives incindiary devices to those GM pickups to show how easily they catch fire in an accident. That is why I am overjoyed to read this FOX News report that Dateline's tabloid journalism has sunk to new lows.

The laundry list includes:

• Dateline chastising Fox for paying for the Michael Jackson outtakes, but failing to mention that NBC offered up $5 Million for the same tapes, and offered to bump Dateline off the air if Jackson cut a deal.
• Dateline also made a big deal out of the producer F. Marc Schaffel, having produced porn videos. No mention was made that the use of porn directors is common place for performers, specifically Britney Spears and Counting Crows.
• Perhaps most damning, was the report that NBC largely relied on supermarket tabloids for their sources. Much of their report relied on information from the parent company of The National Enquirer, The Star, and The Globe, and was taken at face value without checking the source.

Will the spam ban work as well as their gun ban has?

How do they intend to sue spammers who phreak their IP address? When the law of unintended consequences rings in, look for innocent people to be sued, while the spammers turn to phony IP and email addresses.

NY Daily News reports that a record 19 inches of snow fell in Central Park.

Is this why we don't hear too much about 'global warming' lately? Don't worry, the doomsdayers will be back this summer.

For some reason, I just find this really, very scary.

Set aside the politics of London charging everyone £5 to enter the city. What scares me is how they enforce it.

All the figures are approximate and the 700 cameras scattered around the zone capture about 90 per cent of vehicles and number plates which are then checked against payment records.

Is there any place you can go in England without the government looking over your shoulder?

I knew the French were weasels, but I didn't think they were this bad. The AP reports that Chirac is letting aspiring EU nations know how disapproving he is of their support for America. He claims that it is hurting their chances of joining the Union altogether.

"It is not really responsible behavior," said Chirac during a news conference. "It is not well brought up behavior. They missed a good opportunity to keep quiet."

"Romania and Bulgaria were particularly irresponsible to (sign the letter) when their position is really delicate," Chirac said. "If they wanted to diminish their chances of joining Europe they could not have found a better way.

"When you're in the family you have more rights than when you're knocking on the door."

The Washington Times reports that with 2 feet of snow on the ground, it wasn't econobox owners who were giving rides to essential hospital personnel. There were no Honda Insights delivering meals to sick AIDS patients.

It was all those gas guzzling, baby killing, terrorism sponsoring SUV owners.

Owen Courreges authors probably one of the finest anti-SUV refutations that I've seen.

I am convinced that gun grabbers know absolutely nothing about the firearms they attempt to ban. Literally days after releasing the Smith and Wesson .500 Magnum, Gun Grabbers are capitalizing on the publicity to further their anti-gun agenda. CNS News reports that one politician is already calling for a nationwide ban.

"It's hard for me to rationalize any particular need or purpose" for the 500 Magnum, said Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.). "I think guns are made to kill people. That's my opinion."

"If you live in a place like Chicago, and you know the amount of violence that is perpetrated by individuals who grow-up with the idea that having, handling and using a gun is a way-of-life in terms of establishing yourself on the streets or as part of the culture, then I'm afraid that many of these individuals will, in fact, acquire this weapon," Davis said.

Bend over Danny, and I'll show you wear to stick your opinion. How about we ban moronic congressmen that have more opinions than they do common sense. Besides, Chicago already bans all guns, and we see how well that is working out.

The idea that gang bangers are going to give up their cheap 9's and .38 specials for a .500 Magnum is ridiculous. In fact, the reasons for NOT using the .500 Magnum as a gang-land tool are numerous.

First of all, there is the price tag. At nearly $1000, criminals are going to be hard pressed to get their hands on them. Sure, criminals typically use stolen guns, but they've got to have guns to steal. The $1000 price tag means the .500 Magnum won't be nearly as popular with the public as a cheap 9mm. Those that are in the hands of private owners will probably be locked away with regular hunting gear. It certainly won't be stashed in a night stand drawer, or in the glove box of their car for protection.

Second, there is a slight ammo problem. Ammo for the .500 is not just going to be expensive, it's going to be very expensive. Not only is it a big round, but it's proprietary. The .500 rounds simply won't be produced in the volumes that 9mm ammunition is. Not to mention that it only holds 5 shots.

Third, there is a big concealment problem. At nearly 5 lbs, and with an 8 1/2 inch barrel, the gun is simply too unwieldy to be a preferred firearm of choice for criminals. The .500 Magnum is 15 inches long overall, and won't exactly tuck into your pants too well. Not to mention you'll need two hands to shoot the thing.

Overall, the idea that criminals have been waiting for a powerful handgun like this is stupid. If that were true, criminals would have been using .44 magnums and .50 caliber Desert Eagles already. Instead, smaller, cheaper 9mm's are more popular than both of those firearms.

Rep. Davis is proud of his ignorance in not knowing of any uses other than killing humans. While it is true that more people hunt deer with a rifle than a handgun, there is still a large segment of handgun hunters out there. They hunt everything from squirrels to elephants. Plus, when hunting large game like bears or elephants, stopping them with your first shot is very important. If you go bear hunting with a .38 special, you're more likely to be mauled to death.

(link via Greeblie)

Robert Alt and National Review take on Mary Landrieu. It would seem that during her re-election bid this fall, Landrieu claimed to support the Miguel Estrada nomination in order to woo hispanic voters. Now she's supporting a filibuster of Estrada's nomination.

"We need a senator that understands the needs of our community, economy, culture and society. Mary Landrieu has worked close to the Hispanic Community... ...Mary Landrieu, ALSO SUPPORTED THE CANDIDACY OF THE HONDUREAN MIGUEL ESTRADA FOR THE FEDERAL COURT OF APPEALS." -- a fall re-election campaign ad paid for by the 'Friends of Mary Landrieu'.

"Unfortunately, some of my supporters in the Hispanic community who helped us produce this commercial misinterpreted my neutrality as a statement of support. I take personal responsibility for the error and I apologize to anyone who was mislead by these ads, which ran for less than two weeks on one radio station in New Orleans." -- official statement from Mary Landrieu on her sudden reversal of support for Estrada, and her support of a filibuster of his nomination.

Alt goes on to say that when Landrieu said,

"I believe we need a diversity of qualified judges on our bench, both African-American and Hispanic. And I've been very proud of that, and I think it's the right thing to do."

If a politician speaks and no one hears her, does she make a sound?

UPDATE: The AP took this photo and said that Moseley-Braun was speaking in front of a 'small group'.

I guess liberals aren't satisified with having just NPR, now they're looking for a liberal Rush Limbaugh.

Personally, I cannot wait until they come up with something. I only hope that it is a call-in show.

UPDATE: I'll take Oliver Willis over Al Franken any day.

The snow is as high as my knee in spots, yet still my apartment complex maintenance guys were out there at 6 AM clearing the sidewalks and pathways. I know, it's their job, but this southern transplant is still impressed by their efforts. At the rate it is snowing, they'll be covered back up in a little while any way.

ACK! Oliver Willis has been hacked!

In early March of 1861, Illinois was enjoying an early spring. Although warm weather had come early that year, it wasn't the climate that was on Chicago native Nathaniel Chester's mind. Chester worked in the printing room of the Chicago Tribune. He saw first hand that the newspapers were full rhetoric about an impending war. The Crittenden Compromise had failed, and South Carolina had seceded from the U.S. only a few months ago. Several other states quickly followed suit, and federal forts across the south had been seized. Munitions were salvaged, and the new states were banding together with a common army. They had even elected their own President.

Four other states, Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, and North Carolina were contemplating secession. Votes for secession in those states had failed, but issue was far from dead. Virginia could be a problem. Virginia was not only full of resources, but it had manufacturing capability. It was also just across the river from the national capital.

Just days before, a new President, Abraham Lincoln, from Chester's very own state had been inaugurated. Already, Lincoln was talking about preserving the Union, and using troops to re-take forts in the South. To many northerners, this was about slavery and preserving the Union. They didn't really understand the southern way of life, and many of Chester's fellow Chicagoans saw slavery as an evil institution.

Nathaniel Chester saw things differently. Slaves were considered valuable property, and were rarely mistreated by their owners. They were provided a good home, with food and clothing. They got to work outdoors in the warm sun, and they were often surrounded by family and friends. Slaves were provided a time and place to worship, and overall, didn't lead too bad of a life. Chester felt that certainly, their life was no worse than that of the homeless beggars that plagued the streets of Chicago.

With the Union on the verge of war, Chester felt that he had to do something. Chester had access to the Tribune's printing presses and supplies. He printed and distributed fliers protesting the military build up, and the holding of Fort Sumter and Fort Pickens in the South. With the surrounding of the forts by Confederate troops, giving them up seemed to be a good way to diffuse the tension and open up negotiations.

Although they were still a vast minority, Chester found that he had the support of hundreds, perhaps thousands of fellow Chicagoans. Lincoln's plans to re-supply the surrounded forts and send military aid to federal troops stranded in the south were clearly an act of aggression. War was so immanent that even General Winfield Scott, a chief advisor to Lincoln, sent him a letter asking him to abandon the federal outposts to avert a bloody war. He could only hope that his anti-war message would sink in. Why should northerners spill their own blood for the freedom of others? Why try to preserve a union of states that did not want to remain?

Despite the protests, marches, and attempts to stop aggression toward the south, Lincoln pressed forward with the re-supply of Forts Sumter and Pickens. The re-supply order forced the Confederate's hand, and with the shots fired at Fort Sumter, the Union and Confederacy were plunged into Civil War.

Was Chester wrong? Was slavery an evil that northerners should dispel with their own blood and guts? Was preserving the Union so important?

I can only surmise that these are the questions that most pacifists face. Today, as anti-war protesters march in support of Saddam Hussein, I think of Nathaniel Chester and his misgivings about the institutions of slavery. Some people are ignorant and close-minded to the horrors of oppression. And, after all, if it doesn't affect them directly, what is the big deal?

For some reason, I missed this one last week. The AP reports that Rep. Paul Smith, D-Rome (GA) is pushing for a state wide ban on smoking in your vehicle when there is a young child present. In its current form, it only covers cars where a child is strapped into a child seat. (Will the law of unintended consequences yield a lower usage of car seats?)

To me, the really scary part is that Smith says, "We've got to start somewhere." What does that mean? Does he plan to extend the ban to your home? You bet he does.

Anti-smoking laws originally started with separate smoking sections in airplanes. Over time, they have evolved into not only a ban on airplanes, but a ban in many towns, restaurants, clubs, and work places. Soon you won't be allowed to smoke in your car, and eventually your house. Every year, we get closer to a prohibition of tobacco. Now it is even starting to spread to fatty foods and other pleasures.

Anyone who remembers history knows that prohibition doesn't work. In fact, prohibition spreads crime and takes the government regulation that is so coveted by liberals, completely out of the equation. With prohibition comes the black market, which will open up cigarettes to anyone with the money to buy them. Ironically, prohibition will undo the smoking age limit that anti-smokers pushed so hard to get passed.

Will they ever learn? Probably not.

The Ohio Supreme Court will hear arguments April 15 on the Constitutionality of Ohio's ban on concealed carry.

A 27-year old Buffalo woman got a sucking chest wound when she allegedly tried to rob 88-year old Willie Malone outside his home.

No charges have been filed against Malone, and he had a permit for the firearm. Considering he lives in NY state, he must either reside in one of the few counties that allows permits, or he's had it for about 60 years.

Nice shooting Willie. Next time try a double tap, to make sure she won't be coming back for you.

Remember Madelyne Toogood? She was the woman who was taped viscously beating her daughter back in September. The beating included punches to the face of the infant child who was strapped in a child seat.

Well, USA Today reports today that she got a pass. She walked with a one year suspended sentence, a year probation, and a $500 fine.

As if that isn't bad enough, she claims to be the victim. "I've pretty much been crucified by everything that's happened," Toogood said. "I don't know if my life will ever be the same. I've been persecuted by the press."

Reuters somehow manages to take Saddam seriously when he announced he was banning the import and production of weapons of mass distruction.

Someone sent me this recently. I have posted only an excerpt on the weblog, but you can read the full text by clicking here.

A COMPLETE MILITARY HISTORY OF FRANCE

Gallic Wars - Lost. In a war whose ending foreshadows the next 2000 years of French history, France is conquered by of all things, an Italian.

Hundred Years War - Mostly lost, saved at last by female schizophrenic who inadvertently creates The First Rule of French Warfare; "France's armies are victorious only when not led by a Frenchman."

Italian Wars - Lost. France becomes the first and only country to ever lose two wars when fighting Italians.

American Revolution - In a move that will become quite familiar to future Americans, France claims a win even though the English colonists saw far more action. This is later known as "de Gaulle Syndrome", and leads to the Second Rule of French Warfare; "France only wins when America does most of the fighting."

French Revolution - Won, primarily due the fact that the opponent was also French.

The Franco-Prussian War - Lost. Germany first plays the role of drunk Frat boy to France's ugly girl home alone on a Saturday night.

World War I - Tied and on the way to losing, France is saved by the United States. Thousands of French women find out what it's like to not only sleep with a winner, but one who doesn't call her "Fraulein." Sadly, widespread use of condoms by American forces forestalls any improvement in the French bloodline.

World War II - Lost. Conquered French liberated by the United States and Britain just as they finish learning the Horst Wessel Song.

War on Terrorism - France, keeping in mind its recent history, surrenders to Germans and Muslims just to be safe. Attempts to surrender to Vietnamese ambassador fail after he takes refuge in a McDonald's.

UPDATE: A source has been found. What I thought was just another email forward was actually crafted by BigWig at Silflay Hraka just last month. (Thanks Lair.)

I don't know why major media outlets like CNN continue to kowtow to Bill Clinton. Clinton is repeating what democrats have been repeating for the past three months. He feels that the U.S. "should not take action against Iraq without guidance from chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix and the support of Europe." Of course, Korea is still fair game. Clinton says they are the real threat.

CNN didn't provide any statements from Bush 41, Carter, Ford, or Reagan.

Just who did coin the phrase? The New York Post likes it so much they commonly use it on their front page. There is even an AxisofWeasels.com that was registered to a 'Jacque Chirac' (sic) on January 31st. Most bloggers, however give Scott Ott credit for coining the phrase on January 22nd, with this delightful bit of satire.

Still, there is some protest as to the Scrappleface connection. A few days after Scott Ott used the phrase, an anti-war blogger (and anti-phrase stealing blogger) got upset because he thought he'd coined the phrase. He even jokingly asked for a lawyer to sue Ott, because he stole it fair and square back on January 18th from an anti-war protest sign. He even admits to seeing it on LGF back in November of 2002.

I was unable to find the LGF comment, but I did find a usage back on February 20, 2002 at Citiblog. Assuming that the author hasn't back-dated the post, (I don't know why anyone would), that is the first usage I can find.

So, I guess it comes down to how you define 'coined the phrase'. Miriam-Webster define it to mean 'create' or 'invent'. By that definition, who knows who really first came up with the phrase.

Still, I give Scott Ott credit for creating it in it's current meaning. After all, Ray Garraud, the author of Citiblog meant for it to be an alternate usage for the 'Axis of Evil'. The jokingly bitter Max Sawicky of Nowarblog meant for it to refer to the Bush Administration. Scott Ott was arguably the first person to apply it to France and Germany, and thus 'created' it's current definition.

Smith and Wesson is releasing the most powerful revolver in the world. The .50 caliber Magnum, 5 shot revolver has three times the muzzle energy of the famed .44 Magnum.

The AP reports that it will retail for $989.

I guess we'll have to wait a few more years for Danny Vermin's .88 Magnum that "shoots through schools".

The BBC reports on 115 economists sending a letter to Congress backing the tax cuts. They also note that 400 economists placed an ad in the New York Times (naturally) warning against tax cuts.

This reminds me of the cold war. Are conservatives facing an 'economist gap'?

Here is the latest doom and gloom from the LA Times. Naturally, they feel that a tax cut will mean the end of the world, or as they put it "trillions in deficits."

Of course they use the opinions of Nobel laureates and Alan Greenspan to present their opinion as fact. Are these the same Nobel laureates that gave Yassir Arafat and Jimmy Carter a peace prize? As for Greenspan, he's only one man. I still blame his multitude of interest rate increases during the Clinton administration as the harbinger of the dot-com bubble burst.

While the LA Times claims to have 10 Nobel 'laureates' on their side, the BBC claims that 3 Nobel economists (together with 112 other economists) back the Bush tax cut. So which is it?

This is too cool. Under 6000 ft of water, a robotic saw is cutting a 3mm wide slit in a pipe. There is no pressure inside the pipe, and 2700 psi outside the pipe. Check out the video of what happens when a crab walks by.

(Shamelessly stolen from Dean's World)

Oliver Willis continues to impress me. Now he debuts his video weblog.