Senator Frank "she's to old to be Senator" Lautenberg, D-NJ, wants to impose strict limitations on a person's right to buy a firearm, and he's using 9-11 as an excuse. Even though not one single 9-11 hijacker used a firearm, Lautenberg wants to rewrite the procedure that dealers currently use when conducting a NICS background check, reports Fox News.

His bill would abolish the time limit any time the nation's threat level reaches yellow, or "elevated." Only after being dropped to the lowest level -- green, or "low" -- for 180 days would the three-day limit be reinstated.

Lautenberg knows full well that the national threat level will probably never be green for 180 straight days. In fact it has never dropped below level 3, much less all the way down to level 1.

The only way I would consider supporting this bill is if we used that special New Jersey calendar that the state supreme court used to allow Lautenberg to replace Torricelli on the 2002 NJ ballot. In case you don't remember, New Jersey law clearly prohibited ballot switches within 51 days of an election. Thirty days before the election, when it became clear that Torricelli was going to lose, the NJ supremes somehow 'interpreted' the deadline to be meaningless, even though many absentee ballots had already been submitted.

If Lautenberg is allowed to ignore deadlines, why aren't the rest of us?

The Daily Press in Hampton Roads, VA has this to say about a fatal self defense shooting that occurred in Hampton. (italics mine)

The victim of a fatal weekend shooting was attempting to rob another man when he was shot to death, police said.

Rodney Antonio Mings, 20, of Newport News was killed Saturday morning by a 19-year-old Hampton man. Police haven't released the shooter's name because he's considered a victim and hasn't been charged with a crime.

Perhaps this is just a pet peeve of mine, but when three perpetrators attack and rob a man at gunpoint, I take issue to any of them being referred to as a 'victim'.

It sounds like the police have this one figured out right.

"The three went there with intent to rob the victim," [Police spokesman Jimmie] Wideman said. "He (the shooter) was armed and was able to get off a couple of rounds that struck Mings."

It is refreshing to hear the police actually refer to the victim of the crime as a victim, and not the other way around. I only wish Virginia had a statute that would provide for trying the two accomplices for Mings murder.

The Salem homeowner who fatally shot an intruder/arsonist in Salem, Oregon will not face charges. A grand jury found that the use of deadly physical force was justified under Oregon law.

It's nice to see that justice was done. I only wish the same could be said for Ronald Dixon, who at last update is still facing firearm's possession charges in New York for saving his infant son from an intruder.

It looks like Michele won some sort of citizenship award, and she didn't even have to sleep with anyone to get it.

Congratulations Michele. I knew you could do it... er.. not do it.

Fox News reports that Senate Democrats plan to use a filibuster to block the nomination of Priscilla Owen to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. This will be the second minority nomination that the Democrats have moved to block, the first one being Miguel Estrada, a Hispanic judge from Tegucigalpa who some Democrats said 'wasn't Hispanic enough' for them. Yesterday, Senate Democrats opted not to use a filibuster to stop a white guy, Jeff Sutton, from being confirmed to the 6th Circuit in Ohio.

Daschle said Democrats are using the filibuster sparingly and claim that the Sutton nomination could have been blocked but was not.

"In the case of Judge Owen, we think her record is so egregious that we have no choice but to filibuster and that's what the caucus will do," said Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D

In filibustering the Hondurean born Miguel Estrada back in early March, Democrats 'improved' the Constitutional judicial process by raising the bar to 60 votes. Senator Daschle claimed, "re-votes and recounts are so, year 2000. Besides, we thought they didn't like those. Our side won fair and square with 44% of the vote." When asked about Estrada's 55% of the vote to confirm, Daschle fired back, "Oh, so now you want to pay attention to the popular vote!"

UPDATE: It is the firm belief of the staff writers here at Ravenwood's Universe, that Senator Tom Daschle should step down as Senate Minority Leader, since he clearly does not support minorities.

There have been a lot of questions about the relevancy of the U.N. lately. You have to wonder then, why they would elect Cuba to the Human Rights Commission, just weeks after they rounded up and jailed 'dissidents', and executed three hijackers that tried to escape the Communist regime. Earlier this month, Cuba was emboldened when the U.N. HRC voted not to admonish them for the executions and jailings. Now the U.N. has gone so far as to reward Cuba with a seat on the very commission that should be raising ire. With the proverbial 'nuts running the asylum', how can the U.N. garner any respect.

If there was any remaining doubt about the relevance of the U.N., keep in mind that this is the same U.N. Human Rights Commission that is led by Libya. For the record, just last month Libya reached a settlement for the Pan Am Flight 103 Lockerbie terrorist attack. It is pretty clear that both Castro and Qadhafi know all about violating human rights.

This actually proves to be a very good example about the dangers of democracy and majority rule. Majority rule (or mob rule) tends to lend credibility to otherwise immoral actions. To some people, violating the rights of the individual seems to be ok as long as we vote on it first. Countries like Cuba and Libya voting on what is or is not a human rights violation, is akin to having convicted axe murderers sit on the Scott Peterson jury. Of course, that would be something the U.N. and other socialists would hold up as a shining example of democracy in action.

Day after day, the idea of pulling out of the U.N. and kicking them out of the U.S. seems more and more rational.

Check out the last passage from this editorial, that calls an for an end to the 'blame Israel' diatribe:

The days when the Arab world could just scream "Israel", as if that one word were sufficient answer to every question about every problem that came its way - as though saying that one word could deflect all further inquiry - are over. The time for peaceful coexistence, internal reflection and healthy, progressive thinking has come.

Who featured this editorial? Fox News? CNN? The New York Times?

Try the Arab News?

(link via Neal)

By now you've probably heard the reports about 13 Iraqi's killed during a protest yesterday.

U.S. troops shot dead 13 Iraqis and wounded dozens taking part in a demonstration west of Baghdad, witnesses said on Tuesday -- an incident sure to inflame anger and fuel anti-American sentiment.

It certainly has inflamed anti-American sentiment. The Iraq Body Count database, the anti-American group that pours over news reports each day for anything that might be used to undermine the Coalition of the Willing, already has them chalked up as being murdered by the U.S. They gleefully report that between 13 and 15 "demonstrators, including pre-teen children" were "targeted" by U.S. forces. Naturally, there is no regard for the truth in their reporting.

Even Reuters admits (albeit in the 12th paragraph) that there are conflicting reports, and the 'protesters' were said to be armed and firing at U.S. troops.

U.S. Lt. Christopher Hart said between 100 and 200 chanting people approached his men, who opened fire after two gunmen with rifles appeared on a motorcycle and started shooting. He put the Iraqi death toll at between seven and 10

Whereas Reuters usually refers to terrorists and armed combatants as 'freedom fighters', Iraq Body Count contends that anyone not in a uniform is a 'civilian'. Although they declare that "civilian casualties are the most unacceptable consequence of all wars," and "each civilian death is a tragedy," they make absolutely no distinction between armed hostile guerrillas and school children.

Andrew Orlowski of The Register notes that the RIAA is resorting to spam and harassment to try to keep people from downloading music.

The messages are sprayed around the file sharing networks using the built-in chat function. One ominous message is intended to give the impression that the Pigopolists' Police are watching your every move:- [You] "are not anonymous and you can easily be identified."

You probably receive 'educational ' email every day. It's called spam. It's information litter, and reduces the overall quality of incoming signals.

Considering many states are adopting anti-spam laws that include jail time, I wonder if the RIAA is opening themselves up to any legal or criminal liability. If those don't work, perhaps anti-stalking laws might be used.

While the RIAA has the right to make an argument about the legality of file sharing, I don't see where it gives them the right to operate above the law. Harassment and spamming are only the tip of the iceberg. With a few congressmen in their pockets, the feds are quickly becoming the RIAA bull dog. As I reported back in July, and again in September, and again in January, Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif. would make it perfectly legal for the RIAA to hack into end-user's computers to look for copyright infringement. He would also take away your rights to fight the RIAA in court if any damage was done.

UPDATE: Reuters has another article detailing the RIAA's threats to music customers. The article notes that the RIAA contends that there is no 'next step' beyond the threats, but you have to wonder about that. With the RIAA seeking to write the copyright laws in Iraq, and suing four college students for $97 Trillion, they have clearly gone on the war path.

This week's Carnival is being hosted over at Clubbeaux. Believe it or not, I actually managed to get my entry in this week.

Go, read, enjoy.

Hawaii recently amended and passed an extension to the 'hate crimes' (a/k/a thought crimes) bill, that adds 'protection' for "transvestites and others whose gender identity might make them a target of abuse". Although Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle did not sign the bill, she let it pass into law without opposition.

The governor said she had a lot of questions about the concept of hate crimes, "about whether any particular life is worth more than any other particular life so if you fell within a certain class somehow the penalty should be greater or lesser."

"But once you've gone down that road, this seems a reasonable addition," Lingle said.

So there you have it. In the state of Hawaii, gays and transgendered people are worth more than regular folks like you and me. If one of them get's murdered, the sentence will be much stiffer than if you or I get murdered.

The concept behind 'hate crimes' legislation, is to try to measure what the criminals were thinking, and what their motivations were. Therefore, if I get murdered for the $10 I have in my pocket, it isn't as serious a crime than if I was murdered for wearing a dress. Naturally, opposing such an idea results in the usual cries of racism or in this case, bigotry against gays and transgenders. Ironically, however, it is the law (and not the opponents) that is inherently bigoted.

I'm from the school of thought that all violent crime should be treated as serious, not just those that impact a minority. The idea that a straight white male attacking another straight white male is somehow less serious than if he'd attacked a transgendered she-male is not only offensive, it would seem to be a violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Amendment Fourteen states that no state shall "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws", which is clearly what 'hate crime' bills do. They deny non-gays the same protections that gays currently enjoy.

So the question becomes, what to do about violence toward people that are different, in this particular case, homosexuals and transgendered people. Well, since the police have been unable (or unwilling) to protect them, I would start by letting them protect themselves. Hawaii should loosen the restrictions on the concealed carry of firearms. While Hawaii technically allows concealed carry, they choose not to issue licenses. Since the state has no 'shall issue' law, unless you are a police officer, a politician, or Don Ho, you are shit out of luck.

I hate to have to be the one to put it bluntly, but let one of these ignorant gay bashing mo-fos run across a 'Pink Pistol' packing a .45 in his purse. After a few of these neo-nazi thugs get their head blown off and they'll think twice about their random unprovoked attacks. Firearm's are the great equalizer, and even the most effeminate man could take down an attacker without so much as breaking a nail.

Now that would be progress.

Robert Duvall, Kelsey Grammer, Jason Priestly, Ron Silver and other 'Pro-War' celebrities are starting to come out of their shell, according to CNS News, by blasting 'Anti-War' celebrities using their status as a bully pulpit.

Ron Silver claims, "I don't listen to Michael Moore...I didn't agree with him." On his boycotting of the Oscar ceremony, Kelsey Grammer added, "I wasn't interested. I knew that that kind of crap was going to be there and I thought, I am not interested."

"They should keep their mouths shut," said Robert Duvall.

That's the best idea I've heard in a long time.

Kudos to Minnesota for getting a 'shall-issue' CCW law passed with a 37-30 vote in the state senate. Now law abiding Minnesotans will be allowed to conceal carry firearms without being subject to the whims of the local sheriff. Naturally, the debate came with quite a liberal side show, complete with the typical 'I'll be Dodge City' paranoia.

Six DFL senators even donned bulletproof vests as they denounced the bill as "insanity," "lunacy" and "sheer madness."

"This bill was written by the gun industry and it's all about their profits," [Sen. Jane Ranum, DFL-Minneapolis] said. "The Midwest is the one place they haven't infiltrated yet. This will make Minnesota the place to come and get your gun."

Chalk up another victory for the VRWC.

Kudos also go out to fellow gun nut Kim DuToit for spotting this little gem of an exchange. Sen. Ranum pointed out that with O.J. Simpson's acquittal on murder charges, even he could get a gun permit in Minnesota. Republican sponsor of the bill, Sen. Pat Pariseau of Farmington snapped back, "O.J. Simpson was not seeking a permit, but maybe his wife needed one."

O.J. Simpson could not be reached for comment.

In yet another afront to personal freedom, a Massachussets town is legislating 'fragrance free' zones. They liken wearing perfume to smoking.

Using fragrances in public is similar to smoking, said Town Administrator David Ames, who is also responsible for making the town compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. He said the Massachusetts Office of Disabilities recommended establishing the fragrance zones.

Since the restriction is based on junk science, I would say that the restriction closely mirrors the anti-smoking crusade. The fact that the "National Institute of Environmental Health Science says the very existence of such an affliction is in dispute", mirrors the fact that the 7 year WHO study was unable to find a link between second hand smoke and cancer.

Well, it looks like we had Ken's bachelor party a few years too early. It was at his bachelor party that we stayed at the Treasure Island hotel in Las Vegas, and I first witnessed the famed pirate show, which is likely to be turned into a sex show this summer.

I have seen the show dozens of times, having worked and stayed in Las Vegas numerous times. It is a spectacular sight, with cannons blazing and pirates leaping from tall masted ships into the deep water below. According to an AZ Central report, the show is going to be canned in July. It will be replaced with yet another Vegas sex show. This coincides with what, for the past year, seems like Vegas' attempt to undo efforts to become more family oriented, and seize the sleaziness that envelops the city.

I have nothing against Sin City, I just think that they should choose a direction and stick to it. At least they are realizing that the family atmosphere doesn't fit very well, and doing something about it. Still, I will be sad to see the pirate show end. It was really something worth watching, and something that was unique to the Treasure Island Hotel.

How cliche is a sex show? And how risque could an outdoors performance on the Vegas strip really be? I mean, even Las Vegas has public nudity laws, and if you are going to do something, why do it half assed? (no pun intended.)

The AP reports that mud is starting to fly between the Democrats campaigning for their party's Presidential nomination. Democratic candidate Howard F. Dean has been attacking John F. Kerry for using the Bill F. Clinton technique of not taking a side on the war/anti-war debate. Kerry seized on Dean's claim that America won't always have the strongest military, and fired back that Dean is unqualified to lead the military as their 'Commander in Chief'.

Although Dean's recent success in the polls over Kerry has been credited to his staunch anti-war stance, I cannot help but think Kerry has been cutting his own throat as of late. Just two weeks ago, Kerry was criticized for donating an autographed photo of himself to a charity auction. While other contributors coughed up big ticket items like luxury box seats to major sporting events, Kerry's photo garnered a mere $18 for the cause. Incidentally, Kerry became the nation's wealthiest Senator, when he married Theresa Heinz (heiress to the ketchup fortune).

Kerry has also been not-so-subtle in his attempts to ride on the Kennedy's coat-tails. His attempts to liken himself to JFK started to come about a year ago, when he insisted on being called John F. Kerry instead of the usual John Kerry. Next month he may announce that he'd prefer to be called 'Jack'.

Leading up to St. Patrick's Day, John 'Falafel' Kerry distanced himself from his Irish Catholic roots when it came to be known that he wasn't very Irish. His flavor of the month lately has been his Jewish heritage, which he has embraced, and even started to tell Jewish jokes.

Kerry, who just this month accused Bush of breaking "almost every [campaign] promise" he made, has also been back-peddling on his first campaign promise. From when he announced his run, up until late as last month, Kerry said that he would not to use his wife's family wealth, money earned by a late Republican Senator, to run for President. A few days ago, he 'clarified' his position to mean that "he won't rule out using his own funds" as the Boston Globe puts it. It would appear that he wants to wait and see how much money he gets from contributors, compared to how much Bush gets, prior to deciding on whether or not to dip into the Heinz fortune.

As for the others, at least candidates like Dean and Gebhardt have been consistent in their position. Dean is firmly anti-war, and everyone knows Gebhardt is going to raise taxes. Kerry, on the other hand, seems to be faltering back and forth, not wanting to take a position on anything. Whether or not the 'non-platform' works will remain to be seen.

Is it just me, or does this make anyone else feel all warm and tingly inside?

Dell has introduced its most powerful consumer desktop, the Dimension XPS. Based on Intel's 800MHz frontside bus Pentium 4 running at 3GHz and Intel's i875P chipset, and with a 128MB ATI Radeon 9800 Pro graphics card and Creative Audigy 2 sound card, the box is aimed squarely at gamers.

More consumer-friendly features include two 1394 ports and eight USB 2.0 ports. 10/100Mbps Ethernet is built in. The system can be ordered with up to 200GB of Ultra ATA-100 storage, and you can have Serial ATA and RAID support via an optional controller card. Optical drives options include: 16x DVD, 48x/24x/48x CD-RW, and 48x CD-RW/DVD, DVD+RW/ +R combo drives.

All of this is backed by a 460W power supply, fitted into the bottom of the mini-tower case rather than the top. The result, claims Dell, is a quieter system and one whose internal workings are more easily accessed - a boon for the upgrade-crazy hardcore gamer.

While I started using a laptop as my primary PC, I've always kept a desktop for gaming purposes. I haven't purchased a desktop since 1992, when I started building my own 'Ravenwood' brand of PC out of over the counter parts. With the price of PCs lately, it doesn't make much sense to build your own anymore.

Although I've never used a Dell desktop, I loved my Dell laptop. It was fast, reliable, and easy to use. Although I purchased an HP laptop in December, I'd gladly trade it in for a Dell, if I didn't know I was going to take a huge financial hit in the process. The HP just hasn't been a good machine to me.

As for the Dell XPS, you can customize your own, here.

Adam Sparks publishes his Liberal-English dictionary, in of all places, the S.F. Gate.

Advantaged, the: 1) Anyone who has a strong sense of self-responsibility, works hard for their money or pays taxes. 2) Anyone who believes in the American Dream. 3) White or Asian American.

Affirmative Action: Getting back at the Advantaged

Fascist, a: 1) Anyone who is not a Progressive (see below). 2) People who believe in America's system of merit and capitalism. 3) Conservatives. (Note: Doesn't include Leftist genocidal tyrants who brutalize their people in nations throughout the world.) 4) George W. Bush.

People of Color: The current politically correct appellation for minorities. We've come a long way since that very offensive term "colored people."

This is just a small taste; be sure to check out the full list.

If you've ever followed Tennessee politics, you'll know that Tennessee has no state income tax. This drives the legislature nuts, and every year they try to get an income tax pushed through. They've tried meeting in the dead of night or behind closed doors, and on several occasions have nearly gotten away with it. Last fall, I even wrote about Steve Gill, a Nashville radio host that organized an impromptu protest on the capital steps when he got word that the legislature was planning a vote on the issue behind closed doors.

With local economies in a slump, and the socialized Tennessee health care system sucking up more and more state money, it's not surprising that proponents of the tax have been using the bad news to further their agenda. Just last year, the poor economy was used as an excuse to pass a sales tax increase, giving Tennessee one of the highest sales taxes in the nation.

For everything that you've heard about 'liberal media', however, it is almost surprising that the Tennessee media seems to be a pretty big ally of income tax opponents. Last week, News Channel 5 featured a story about government waste of highway safety money. Money that was supposed to be spent on promoting seat belt use or on a drinking and driving campaign went instead to provide bobblehead dolls and other sports trinkets to hockey fans; and the trinkets and giveaways didn't even have their message emblazoned on them. In this case, as with others, the media is actually looking out for the public's interests, rather than their own.

UPDATE: Libertarians and Republicans often come off as mean spirited or uncaring when they look for ways to cut government programs. Still, nobody is going to be able to convince me that money should be seized from taxpayers with the threat of lethal force, so that the government can buy hockey fans some bobble head dolls.

Although I really hate polls, I've been inspired by Dean. I'm hoping to collect feedback from users on how they view the site. This first ever poll on Ravenwood's Universe asks which style sheet you use. I'm interested in learning how many people use the differing colors to cater the site to their tastes. Personally, I like the original black with orange lettering, but I've had several people tell me that it can be hard on the eyes, at times. (Which is why I created the different styles to begin with.)

This poll is for informational purposes only, and I have no plans on ditching any of the style sheets. Thus, there is no need for ballot stuffing.

Which style sheet do you use to read Ravnwood.com?
	What's a style sheet?
	Basic white. I like it plain.
	The creamy yellowy pinky one.
	Blue-green.
	Original black baby!
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Fox News reports that France was giving intelligence information to Iraq.

France gave Saddam Hussein's regime regular reports on its dealings with American officials, documents unearthed in the wreckage of the Iraqi foreign ministry have revealed.

The first Iraqi files to emerge documenting French help for the regime show that Paris shared with Baghdad the contents of private transatlantic meetings and diplomatic traffic from Washington...

The information, said in the files to have come partly from "friends of Iraq" at the French foreign ministry, kept Saddam abreast of every development in American planning and may have helped him to prepare for war.

I wonder if this had anything to do with their strong opposition to the liberation of Iraq? I would also guess that their post-liberation ass kissing wasn't just about getting post-war reconstruction contracts. Perhaps they were sucking up for the day when we discovered just how far in bed they were with the Iraqi regime.

When I think about it, France helping Iraq prepare for war would explain why the Coalition rode to such a quick victory. Should we be smiting France or thanking them?

FOXNews.com reports on the tragedy of a police chief who was going through a divorce, and resorted to murder-suicide.

Tacoma Police Chief David Brame was killed and his wife was critically injured in an apparent murder-suicide attempt Saturday, a day after abuse allegations in the couple's divorce case were publicized in media reports.

Pretty soon gun grabbers will be trying to take firearms away from police officers too. Oh wait, some leftists already are*.

*Originially reported here in July.

Uh Oh. Word is out about the Vast Libertarian Conspiracy to take over Idaho, Montana or New Hampshire. (the states nobody else wants)

Who told?

An American, a Dutchman and a Frenchman are all in Saudi Arabia sharing a smuggled crate of booze when, all of a sudden, Saudi police rush in and arrest them.

The mere possession of alcohol is a severe offense in Saudi Arabia, so for the terrible crime of actually being caught consuming the booze, they are all sentenced to death! However, after many months and with the help of very good lawyers, they are able to successfully appeal their sentences down to life imprisonment. By a stroke of luck, it was a Saudi national holiday the day their trial finished, and the extremely benevolent Sheikh decided they could be released after receiving just 20 lashes each of the whip.

As they were preparing for their punishment, the Sheikh announced: "It's my first wife's birthday today, and she has asked me to allow each of you one wish before your whipping."

The Dutchman was first in line, he thought for a while and then said: "Please tie a pillow to my back." This was done, but the pillow only lasted 10 lashes before the whip went through. When the punishment was done he had to be carried away bleeding and crying with pain.

The Frenchman was next up. After watching the Dutchman in horror he said smugly: "Please fix two pillows to my back." But even two pillows could only take 15 lashes before the whip went through again and the Frenchman was soon led away whimpering loudly (as the French always do).

The American was the last one up, but before he could say anything, the Sheikh turned to him and said: "You are from a most beautiful part of the world and your culture is one of the finest in the world. For this, you may have two wishes!"

"Thank you, your Most Royal and Merciful highness", the American replied. "In recognition of your kindness, my first wish is that you give me not 20....but 100 lashes."

"Not only are you an honorable, handsome and powerful man, you are also very brave", the Sheikh said with an admiring look on his face. "If 100 lashes is what you desire, then so be it. And your second wish....what is it to be?" the Sheikh asked.

The American replied: "Tie the Frenchman to my back"!

(kudos to The General)

(2003-04-25) -- U.S. President George Bush said North Korea's announcement that it had nuclear weapons and might test them was "a real time saver."

"I want to thank Kim Jong Il," said Mr. Bush. "We could have spent months, even years, going through the U.N. Security Council just trying to find out if they had nuculer weapons. Now, we can move directly to step two, which is 'Drop your weapons and come out with your hands up.'"

You can read the rest of this at ScrappleFace

CNN reports that the Georgia Legislature has resolved the state flag issue at the last minute. Too bad they didn't do anything to fix their budget.

With the grounding of the U.S. space shuttle fleet, NASA has resorted to hitching a ride on something safe and proven; Russian rockets.

"Basically, it came to this: Right now there is only one ship that can take a crew to the international space station, and it's ours," said Sergei Gorbunov, spokesman for Russia's space agency. "Russia has to do it. No one else, not even the Americans, can right now."

Russian space agents must be beaming with the sort of pride they had when they were kicking our ass in the space race.

With its space budget a fraction of what it was in the Soviet era, Russia has struggled to find ways to earn cash for its program. It sold two trips to space in 2001 and 2002 for about $20 million each.

You'd never see NASA do that. They've got the cash cow of the American taxpayer to keep them funded for years to come. And with recent management decisions being put under the microscope since the Columbia tragedy, finances are the least of their worries.

Tazteck's wife must have lost his leash, because he's actually posted to his website for the past 5 straight days. This is a 3000% increase from the one post a month he used to manage.

I guess that according to Acidman, this post from way back in December makes me some sort of wussy.

Here is this week's Friday Five.

1. What was the last TV show you watched?
Modern Marvels on the History Channel. How do you think I got to be so smart?

2. What was the last thing you complained about?
In the immortal words of Yoda, "Do or do not, there is no complain."

3. Who was the last person you complimented and what did you say?
I gave a good job reference for my buddy Zach. I told the prospective employer "Yep, you'll be lucky if you can get this guy to do any work for ya."

4. What was the last thing you threw away?
My last relationship. I was tired of her needing sex all the time, and waiting on me hand and foot, so I broke it off.

5. What was the last website (besides this one) that you visited?
Venomous Kate sent me a link for a Christina Aguilera nudie pic. Does that count?

CNET notes that record companies were handed a stunning defeat in court today.

A federal judge in Los Angeles has handed a stunning court victory to file-swapping services Streamcast Networks and Grokster, dismissing much of the record industry and movie studios' lawsuit against the two companies.

While the entertainment industry is certain to appeal, the ruling seems to make perfect legal sense. Companies should not be held liable for the misuse of their product. The product is just like a car, a gun, or a VCR. Just because it can be used for legal or illegal activities by the end user, doesn't mean the product maker is liable.

If the ruling stands, that would mean that the RIAA and MPAA will be stuck trying to sue individual pirates, rather than going after legitimate software makers for the misdeeds of a few.

Fox News reports that the perfect man comes in a can. Well, a box any way. He's on DVD and can greet you with flowers and tell you he's got dinner ready and the house cleaned.

When asked if they plan to create the perfect woman, developers said, "That could be controversial, since she'd probably be a girl in her underwear with tape over her mouth handing you a beer."

Check out this inaccurate report from Fox News on the Georgia flag debate:

They fear that if the decision is left up to the public, the Confederate battle flag, sometimes called the "Southern Cross", will once again be on Georgia's flag, as it was from 1956 until 2001.

Why do I seem to be the only one pointing out that the Confederate battle flag is on the current Georgia flag?

Take a look for yourself if you don't believe me.

Fox News must be resorting to tabloid journalism. This report simply cannot be true.

BERLIN - A man armed with a pistol hijacked a bus in the northern German city of Bremen on Friday and took about 15 people as hostages, police said.

After all, Germany has some of the most restrictive gun control laws in the world. How could this possibly be true? Why, if this report were true, it could be held up as evidence that gun control doesn't work.

Everyone knows that disarming law abiding citizens is the best way to fight crime.
</sarcasm>

(Click to enlarge)
Anyone who has an interest in classic cars will recognize this 1971 Plymouth Barracuda. It was one of the last great muscle cars to be killed off by the gas crisis and 1970s inflation. 1971 was a tough year for muscle cars, and by some reports, less than 6000 'Cudas were sold that year. They came with in a number of options, including a 440-6 bbl, or 426 hemi street rod that would set you back almost $70,000 today.

The beauty that's pictured has a 340 4-speed in it, which replaced the original slant 6. It was owned by a 'Cuda fan in Colorado, who says he wanted it to stand out from the typical Hemis and 440-6 packs.

While the 'Cuda model wasn't killed until after the 1974 model year, 1971 was the last year for the big blocks.

Realizing the value of video evidence in murder trials, O.J. Simpson nixes the idea for his own reality show.

(2003-04-24) -- In the wake of the Dixie Chicks attempt to blunt criticism by appearing mostly naked on a magazine cover, Academy Award-winning documentarist Michael Moore has agreed to appear shirtless on the cover of an unnamed periodical.

"There's nothing like a little skin to change the tone of the debate," said Mr. Moore. "Since I have more skin than most folks, it should really alter the mood of the discourse."

Read the rest of this article on ScrappleFace

William F. Buckley notes that Oliver Stone recently spoke of his encounter with Fidel Castro in preparation for an upcoming HBO film. Stone claimed that, "we should look to (Castro) as one of the Earth's wisest people, one of the people we should consult."

Stone's documentary, which was equally gushing in it's support of the dictator, has been indefinitely shelved by HBO, who deemed the film to be "somewhat dated, or incomplete". Apparently HBO had second thoughts after Castro executed 3 hijackers who attempted to defect, and rounded up 75 'dissenters' and threw them in jail for speaking out against his regime.

Who wants to bet that Stone will be the next celebrity to join the 'quit censoring me' crowd in Hollywood?

I said it yesterday, and I'll say it again today.

The liberals are hypocrites for getting their panties in a wad over Santorum's comments, but remaining silent when Rep. Jim Moran blamed the J-E-W-S for the war in Iraq.

I'm actually rather happy that the World Health Organization (WHO) put a travel advisory in place for Toronto. While I have nothing against Toronto, and am truly sorry it had to be them, I am happy that the ignorance and incompetence of the WHO is finally starting to become mainstream knowledge.

I've mistrusted the WHO since they tried to bury the results of their study on second hand smoke, that showed no conclusive or statistical link between second hand smoke and lung cancer. Just like the CDC, they are an organization with an agenda, and they won't let a few facts get in their way.

Democratic Presidential hopeful, Dick Gebhardt claims he will raise taxes by $2 Trillion if necessary to pay for his socialist (a/k/a fascist) healthcare system. Fox News notes that "Gephardt's plan requires all companies to insure their employees, whether full-time, part-time, self-employed or retirees," although there is no explanation as to how companies would insure the 'self-employed'.

By Gephardt's own estimates, the plan would cost $213 billion in 2005, increasing by $15 billion to $20 billion each of the following two years.

$213 billion is probably an extremely low estimate, which would explain why Gebhardt wants to raise taxes by $2 Trillion to pay for it. Gebhardt's plan would increase taxes for married couples, decrease child credits, and increase the inheritance death tax. Also, each tax bracket would be raised. The bottom bracket, currently at 10% would go up to 15%, and the top bracket (35%) would be set back at 39.6%.

Gebhardt even acknowledges that the price tag is so high that it could add to the federal deficit. The punch line, of course, is that this is supposed to stimulate the economy.

Every now and then, I mosey on over to see what Wil Wheaton is up to. I know he's a Hollywood liberal, or as he puts it "progressive", but we share some of the same views, and he's definitely not 'in your face' about his opinions like some celebs. He also seems to respect other peoples views, and doesn't cry 'censorship' when people disagree with him. He seems to be somewhat pro-gun and anti-DMCA, but he's a little too 'green' for my tastes. He also uses a lot of words like 'neo-conservative' and seems to be quite anti-republican. In this particular post, he humorously talks about the recent wooing from the DNC, coming in the form of a survey. What really bothers me about the post, are his anti-corporate comments. (emphasis his)

There was also a section for comments, where I wrote: "To earn my vote, the Democrats need to offer strong, clear, different alternatives to the neoconservative agenda which is currenly (sic) driving White House policy. Democrats in Congress need to shun coporate (sic) money, and return to representing The American People, when the two interests collide.

Wasn't it Paramount Corporation that was popping out all those Star Trek shows and movies? And just what is so wrong with corporations any way? Corporations are people too.

Corporations don't have an income, hold assets, or pay taxes; people do. Corporate money is money that belongs to the shareholders. Taxes a corporation 'pays' are actually collected from customers in the form of higher prices, employees in the form of lower wages, or shareholders in the form of lower income and shareholder equity. In turn, a corporation's interests are the interests of all of those major stakeholders. What's good for a corporation is good for the customers, employees, and shareholders alike.

Commercial transactions are mutually beneficial. When Steve buys a computer, he does so because he wants a computer. The corporation, on the other hand, wants Steve's money. Both Steve and the corporation walk away from the transaction happy. Now I realize that not every transaction ends up being a happy one, as people do have returns, refunds, and need service after the sale. But from the outset, the transaction is mutually beneficial. Customer satisfaction is a different issue, that determines the longevity of a corporation. Only the government and government regulated monopolies are able to shirk customer satisfaction and not feel the economic impact. (Ok, and maybe Microsoft.)

Personally, I'm a little fed up with the demonization of corporations, as large uncaring behemoths, with overpaid, tyrannical CEOs. As a shareholder, I take it personally, and if you own individual stocks, mutual funds, or have a 401k, you probably should too.

UPDATE: Richard Tallent gives my article a pretty good fisking over on his website. I figure, I've spoken my peace, and he's spoken his, so I'm only going to respond to parts of his essay. Richard laments that he's "fed up with individual stockholders whose only metric for buying or selling is the share price, without consideration of that company's ability to do business in an ethical manner."

I cannot attest as to why Richard buys stock, but I buy stock to make money, not to feel like a better person. After the Worldcom scandal, Worldcom's stock plummeted to $0.06 a share, before rising back up to $0.25 a share before being delisted. Is a savvy investor unethical for taking advantage of the opportunity? Are people that invested in Napster guilty of violating ethics or laws relating to music sharing? I don't think so, but apparently the music companies do.

Richard mainly addresses the issue of corporate money in politics, which I never even ranted about. I'm just sick and tired of the anti-corporate attitude I'm hearing lately. As for corporate money in politics, I don't see where it's any different than union money or special interests. It just seems like people lobbying for a common interest to me.

He also touches on mandating controls on CEOs and executives, like tying CEO pay to employee pay. Actually, that's already been tried, and failed. Ben and Jerry's (the ice cream hippies) did that when they first opened up shop. What they found was that they could not attract top talent to run the company. They ultimately ended up raising the bar for executive pay, while leaving the ice cream scoopers far behind, and eventually, got rid of the ties altogether. Mandating an across the board pay ceiling would only serve to put American companies at even more of a handicap against international firms.

Even though I never planned on it, I have a little roommate. He doesn't take up much space, and he lives under the sink in my bathroom. He's usually comes out to greet me in the morning, but ducks back in before I start my shower. I don't know whether he doesn't like the humidity, or if he's just respecting my modesty.

So far, I haven't seen him catch anything to eat. My house is pretty clean, so it must be meager pickings, especially in the bathroom. I've had this annoying little 'miller moth' flapping around for the past few days, but he rarely flies into the bathroom. I tried catching him with a cup, but he's just to fast and erratic. I also tried steering him into spidey's web, but herding miller moths is more difficult than herding cats.

I know that Acidman would say I'm 'bore blogging' but I see it differently. The little guy genuinely fascinates me, and I'm sure that somewhere out there, a spider lover appreciates this post.

FOOTNOTES: Sorry about the quality of the pic. Taking a picture of a tiny spider with a digital camera is extremely difficult. Even using the macro feature, the camera just wouldn't focus on the little guy. To keep it from being a total blur, I had to fix the focus at a half meter, and position the camera that far away.

The Statesman Journal (Salem, Ore.) reports on a homeowner defending his property.

A South Salem homeowner shot and killed an intruder Saturday morning when he found him starting a fire in his garage, Salem police said.

The shooting followed an apparent confrontation with a suspected burglar who had started a fire with boxes in the attached garage of the house, said Lt. Dave Okada of the Salem Police Department.

[Assistant D.A. Doug] Hanson said the suspected burglar was shot in the neck when he came at [homeowner, Linn] Stordahl, who was armed with a handgun.

On the surface, it seems like a simple tale of a 64-year old man defending his home and property from a dangerous intruder. Unless of course, authorities in Oregon don't consider a man trying to set your home on fire a dangerous individual. What disturbs me most is that the paper keeps referring to the burglar and arsonist as the victim.

The Indianapolis Star reports that a robber is suing the store clerk that shot him during a holdup. Willie Brown, who has multiple robbery and burglary convictions, is claiming the clerk was wrong to fire five shots at him as he fled Zip's Deli with the contents of the cash register.

Brown, who seeks unspecified damages, said the shooting had "prevented him from transacting his business" and that he continued to "suffer nightmares as the result of this assault upon his life."

Transacting his business? Would that be the business of robbing people? Two words: Tort Reform. Also, this is one jury I would LOVE to be on!

Acidman's ecological footprint is a mere 5.7 planets. Mine is a hearty 9.1. That's ok, Acidman, I'm sure you realize (and hear quite often) that size doesn't matter.

The premise, of course, is that if everyone on the planet lived the cushy and wasteful lifestyle that I lead, we'd need 9.1 planets. Of course, market economics are never even factored in to their silly exercise. I guess the enviroweenies don't realize (or don't care) that with fixed resources, the higher the demand, the greater the cost. Naturally, as price goes up, demand and usage will taper off and decline because less people would be willing (or able) to pay the price.

I don't expect the environmental wackos to be able to comprehend free market economics with their pea brains and narrow view of the world, I just wish they wouldn't keep trying to guilt me into changing my lifestyle. As long as I can pay for it, what's the big deal? If we all lived the meager 1 planet (or less) lifestyle they want us to lead, we'd put millions of people out of work, and plunge the earth into abject poverty.

If they want to live in the third world, that's their business. But don't expect me to follow suit.

UPDATE: I retook the quiz, and found that the lowest score I could get was a 1.0. To do so, you need to live in rural Africa, walk everywhere, never drive, never fly, live with 7 or more people, in a tiny house that has no water or electricity, and grow your own food.

So, Republican Senator Rick Santorum opened his mouth during an AP interview, and Democrats want to fry him for it. Here are the 'inflammatory' statements that Santorum made.

And if the Supreme Court says that you have the right to consensual sex within your home, then you have the right to bigamy, you have the right to polygamy, you have the right to incest, you have the right to adultery. You have the right to anything. Does that undermine the fabric of our society?

My first question, is where was this democratic outrage when Rep. Jim Moran, a Democrat, blamed the Jews for the war in Iraq? Second, what is so bad about what Santorum has said?

First of all, I'll give you my position. If someone wants to have consensual gay butt sex, I don't really care. If someone practices consensual incest, or polygamy, I don't care. Basically, I don't care about someone else's sex life in the privacy of their own home, since it doesn't affect me. Adulterers, on the other hand, deserve to face the wrath of their spouse. Unless their spouse consents to them sleeping around, it is not a victimless crime.

Now, go back and read what Santorum said. Really, you should read the full interview, so that nothing is taken out of context. Santorum is merely making the point that our society currently imposes moral standards on the private bedroom activity of their neighbors. If you want to change the moral standard, it should be done at the ballot box, and not in a court room. If the Supreme Court weighs in on the issue, they are altering the legality of the behavior, not the morality of it. After all, the SCOTUS doesn't decide morality, they deal with legality. Morality is beside the point when it comes to the SCOTUS.

From a strictly legal standpoint, you cannot permit one behavior, and disallow another. Declaring a law against sodomy to be an unlawful violation of personal freedom and privacy, would effectively negate laws against any so-called sexual deviance. Therefore, similar laws against polygamy and incest would be null and void.

Santorum is just making the point that if you have a moral postion against consensual polygamy or incest, than you're going to have to 'take the good with the bad', so to speak when dealing with the Supreme Court. On the other hand, if you hold the position that our moral views have changed, then it needs to be settled at the ballot box, and not in the courts, because courts cannot dictate morality.

I don't know about you, but I'm not ready for O.J. Simpson to return to TV. A reality show sounds like a really awful idea.

The wonderful Walter Williams tackles income disparity. You ever wonder why athletes and movie stars make millions for doing what seems like very little work? Meanwhile schlubs like you and me work our ass off for a pittance.

Why is it that Michael Jordan earns $33 million a year and I don't even earn one-half of one percent of that? I can play basketball, but my problem is with my fellow man, who'd plunk down $200 to see Jordan play and wouldn't pay a dollar to see me play. I'm also willing to sell my name as endorsements for sneakers and sport clothing, but no one has approached me.

The bottom line explanation of Michael Jordan's income relative to mine lies in his capacity to please his fellow man.

It never ceases to amaze me how many people in this country don't understand the simple economics of supply and demand. What is more disturbing, are the socialists that would prefer a system of income distribution to income earning. The problem with income distribution and socialism, is that it assumes that the economy is fixed. If the rich are getting richer, than the poor must be getting poor.

In reality, the rich are getting richer, and the poor are getting richer. Anyone who is poor and getting poorer, is probably becoming so because they continue to do the things that make them poor.

I'll be in a training class most of today, and away from my computer. Go enjoy this week's Carnival, which I missed, again.

Jenn with two 'n's threw herself a birthday party in Georgetown this past Easter weekend. I added a whole mess of photos from the event.

Tazteck heartwrenchingly asks, "How do you explain death to a six year old?"

I wish I knew, buddy.

There has been a lot of flag flap in Georgia lately. I lived in Georgia when Governor Barnes changed the flag, and I didn't really understand what the big deal was. My biggest complaint was that while the old flag was ugly, the new flag was even uglier. In fact, it was voted the most ugly flag in North America, by the North American Vexillological Association.

There seem to be a lot of states out there with ugly flags. Virginia's is quite ugly, but it's so old, you have to figure why change it. Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas on the other hand have beautiful flags. If Georgia is going through the expense of changing theirs two or three times in as many years, why don't they come up with something that at least looks good. Even the current proposal (above left) has the state seal on there, which is hideous. They need to dump it, and as the NAVA puts it, come up with something that a kid could easily draw from memory.

Most of the current hubub is being made over the Confederate battle emblem, which race mongers try to portray as an image of racism. Unfortunately racist idiots like the KKK parade around with confederate flags and give the thing a bad name. You might say that they are doing for the confederate flag what Hitler did for Chaplin-style mustaches. However, they also use the cross and other religious symbols while spreading their hate, yet no one wants to ban them. (Except for the ACLU, of course.)

What really strikes me as odd though, is that people that are offended by the Confederate battle emblem are appeased by the current Georgia flag, yet oppose the proposed new flag. The new flag wouldn't have the battle emblem, but opponents say that it opens the door to put it back on there. They don't seem to mind that it is reminiscent of the 1861 Stars and Bars Confederate Flag. Ironically, the current 'Barnes' flag DOES have the battle emblem, but nobody seems to care. I don't see where having a tiny battle emblem is less offensive to the offendees than having no battle emblem at all.

Whatever Georgia decides do, they need to do it quickly and put the issue to rest. As Neal points out, the state legislature only has two days left in session, and they haven't even passed a budget yet. Talk about having your priorities out of whack!

The NY Post reports on the worst of times in New York:

New York City experienced half the overall [statewide job] losses, with jobs falling by 148,600. "Although there were hopes for an improved economy that might have led to job gains in 2002, the national and state economics continued to be weak and jobs declined even further, so that the rate of decline in 2002 exceeded that of 2001," [state Comptroller Alan Hevesi] said in the report.

Big Apple private-sector employment between 2000 and 2002 dropped by 4.7 percent, compared with a 3 percent drop in the state as a whole. Total employment in the city declined to 3.6 million, a 4 percent drop, compared to a 2.3 percent drop statewide, according to the report.

Most of the job losses will undoubtedly be blamed on 9/11. New York will probably be looking for a government handout pretty soon, even though most of the responsibility lies with Republican Mayor Bloomberg, and other New York liberals. Between the smoking ban and commuter tax, New York has not been very business friendly as of late.

The smoking ban, which has already resulted in a senseless murder, will result in lower sales receipts, and thus jobs, for many restaurants and bars. Additionally, there are proposals on the table to raise property taxes again, raise property assessments again, raise corporate income taxes again, and bring back a commuter tax. Last Fall, the NY Times suggested that NYC levy tolls on the East River bridges, which would further dampen employment in Manhattan. Meanwhile, Mayor Bloomberg turned a deaf ear to bodega owners who were losing business due to the massive cigarette tax hike; something Bloomberg referred to as a "minor economic issue".

Unfortunately for us, with an election coming up and democrats looking to make the economy a hot topic, Congress will probably end up writing a spending bill to bail them out. Sure, it may be the city's liberal city council and liberal Republican Mayor that are doing the damage to the city's economy, but it will probably be the American taxpayer that bails them out.

CNS News reports that anti-war peaceniks are making death threats to those chronicling the anti-war celebrities.

The sponsor of one of the sites, who would only identify himself as Tim C., said he has received nearly 100 death threats since starting www.famousidiot.com less than two months ago. Tim's mother and wife want him to stop exposing Hollywood's liberal activists out of fear for his personal safety.

I have also been keeping a close eye on loud mouthed celebrities in my Celebrities Unscripted section, but I have yet to receive a death threat. I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that I also chronicle gun rights and self defense shootings?

(link via Hawkins)

I am a native Virginian. I was born in Portsmouth, and except for a 3 year stint in Italy, I have lived most of my life in Virginia. I lived a wonderful two years in Georgia, followed by a nice year in Ohio, before relocating back to Virginia this month. Now, I'm treated like a second class citizen. Actually, I'm being treated more like a second class human, in that my basic human rights are being denied.

You know, I didn't mind so much when I got shit from the DMV over my 2 year old car. Since I just titled it in Ohio 9 months ago, they won't let me title it here until I show proof of sales tax paid, or proof that the car is over 12 months old. I showed them my Georgia registration from two years ago, but they won't take it. I figure I'll just wait until I hit the 12 month mark and try again.

No, what really bugs me is that Virginia is denying me my Constitutionally protected, unalienable right to keep and bear arms. At first I thought that wording was a bit strong, but in retrospect, that is precisely what they are doing. I moved into my apartment on April 7th, and got my Virginia driver's license on April 11th. I purchased a firearm on April 15th. It's all bought and paid for, but I cannot take it home yet. At first I was told that Fairfax County requires an extra special background check, so I'll have to wait 72 hours. I shrugged that off as 'live and learn' and figured I'd just never buy a gun in Fairfax County again. But today, 6 days after paying for my revolver, I was told that I still cannot take it home.

You see, I have to wait until May 11th for my Constitutionally protected, unalienable right to keep and bear arms to kick in. The dealer told me that I'm not considered a Virginia resident yet, since my license was issued less than 30 days ago. Interestingly enough, I had no trouble signing up for my utilities, or paying Virginia income tax. I'm sure people buying a car don't have to wait 30 days until they can pick it up. Why then do gun purchasers have to wait until they have been residents for 30 days to buy a gun? Is my state issued driver's license somehow more legitimate after 30 days? Am I somehow more trustworthy after 30 days?

Right now, my options are limited. There isn't much I can do at this point, except wait until May 11th and then go pick up my new revolver. The only revenge I can come up with is to hit them where it hurts the most. I figure next April, when I do my taxes, you can bet that I'll move the split on my state tax bill back a month, so that I'm not paying Virginia income taxes until May 11th. After all, if I can't enjoy all the freedoms that other Virginian's enjoy for the first 30 days, why should I pay for it?

I'm a bit sick and tired of people not knowing the difference between a 'goatee' and a 'Van Dyke', so I'll illustrate.

Goatee - \Goat`ee"\, n. A part of a man's beard on the chin or lower lip which is allowed to grow, and trimmed so as to resemble the beard of a goat.

A 'Van Dyke' is a variation of a goatee with a mustache, named after the 17th century Flemish painter, Sir Anthony Van Dyck (also spelled Van Dyke). (src)

Shaggy has a goatee	The Count has a goatee	Uncle Sam has a goatee
Colonel Sanders has a Van Dyke	Green Arrow has a Van Dyke	Satan has a Van Dyke

(some photos courtesy of Goateestyle.com)

This truly tragic. How does a mother taking a photograph of breastfeeding result in accusations of child pornography? Tragically, while the charges were ultimately dropped, the couple has yet to have their child returned from the state child protective services.

A Canadian welfare recipient spent $840 on lottery tickets in March, and didn't win. Now he's suing the provincial lottery to get his money back. While some people may take issue with a welfare recipient playing the lottery, I personally don't have a problem with it. After all, if he wants to just give the money back to the government, that's his business.

I'm not about to defend Scott Peterson, but I do want to go on record as saying the media seems to already have him convicted. CNN proves that with the headline: "Family defends Peterson despite arrest". What are they thinking?

I realize the circumstantial evidence is piling up, but some of it just doesn't impress me. Coloring your hair blonde and growing a van dyke (it is not a goatee) seem to me to be more of a California fashion statement than an attempt to hide from the law. It certainly won't help you blend into the crowd in Mexico.

Basically, I'm just saying that I'll hold onto my personal verdict until I hear all of the facts.

I am the Black Knight.

Running away? You yellow . . .

If you have a few minutes check out this hilarious video. What is supposed to be two guys talking about Canadian hockey, ends up being a heated debate about the war in Iraq.

I laughed most of the way through this diatribe, and cannot help but love the guy on the right (both literally and politically), even though I suspect he may have been hitting the hooch between segments.

London, England
World War II

The train was very crowded, so the soldier walked the length of the train, looking for an empty seat. The only unoccupied seat was directly adjacent to a well-dressed middle-aged lady and was being used by her little dog.

The war weary soldier asked, "Please, ma'am, may I sit in that seat?" where a French woman happened to be seated. The French woman looked down her nose at the soldier, sniffed and said, "You Americans. You are such a rude class of people. Can't you see my Little Fifi is using that seat?"

The soldier walked away, determined to find a place to rest, but after another trip down to the end of the train, found himself again facing the woman with the dog.
Again he asked, "Please, ma'am. May I sit there? I'm very tired."
The French woman wrinkled her nose and snorted, "You Americans! Not only are you rude, you are also arrogant. Imagine!"

The soldier didn't say anything else. He leaned over, picked up the little dog, tossed it out the window of the train and sat down in the empty seat. The woman shrieked and railed, and demanded that someone defend her and chastise the soldier.

An English gentleman sitting across the aisle spoke up: "You know, sir, you Americans do seem to have a penchant for doing the wrong thing. You eat holding the fork in the wrong hand. You drive your autos on the wrong side of the road. And now sir....you've thrown the wrong bitch out the window."

For this and other corny anti-french humor, check out Cigar Dave's "Screw the French" section.

Ok, I'll do my first friday five.

1. Who is your favorite celebrity?
Harrison Ford - Star Wars, Indiana Jones, how can you not like him?

2. Who is your least favorite?
Julia Roberts - I hate her with a passion. The shit really hit the fan when the media started calling her 'America's Sweetheart'. I don't remember having a say in that, and as an American, it offends me.

3. Have you ever met or seen any celebrities in real life?
Yes. I sat across from Brooke Shields during the U.S. Open during the Agassi-Rafter match. (The year Rafter won the Open, also the inaugural year at Arthur Ashe stadium) I also saw Sara Gilbert at the (hanging head in shame) 1993 Clinton inauguration. (something about inauguratons)

4. Would you want to be famous? Why or why not?
Definitely not. I'm a bit shy, and I fear that if I were famous, it would be in a Ted Kaczynski sort of way.

5. If you had to trade places with a celebrity for a day, who would you choose and why?
I'd trade places with Brad Pitt for an evening. I think you can figure out why.

Don't you just love Socialist Europe? Germans have confiscated a woman's driver's license because she was drinking at home. The logic behind the confiscation, which the court upheld, was that she may have tried to drive somewhere.

Thanks to quick thinking on the part of German police, now there's no danger of that. After all, while she may have been tempted to break the law by drinking and driving, she'd never dream of breaking the law by driving without a license.

Kudos to Kate for spotting this one.

Happy Easter to all my Christian friends, and Happy Passover to all my Jewish friends.

On a holiday side note, Laurence Simon interestingly notes that he did not kill our lord. This got me to thinking that I should probably make a few disclaimers of my own. To Laurence and all of my Jewish friends, I didn't gas six million of your people. To all my black friends, I never enslaved anyone. To all of my Greek friends, I never had sex with little boys.

To sum up, I've never persecuted anyone, so don't go blaming your troubles on me.

First they report that "Easter Bunny gets put in headlock, punched", now the AP disturbingly reports: "Big bird travels 850 miles stuck in minivan bumper"

Photo via Children's Television Workshop

Who's gonna tell Snuffleupagus?

"For governments who wanted to lift sanctions on Saddam Hussein to be suddenly saying, 'You can't lift sanctions because Saddam is gone' - it strikes us as pretty weird," the Washington Times quotes a senior State Department official as saying.

Russia and France have in the past consistently lobbied for sanctions to be lifted, citing the suffering of the Iraqi people. Critics said they also hoped to benefit from oil contracts for their firms.

Yesterday, Moscow said it was in the interests of the international community for the sanctions to be removed as soon as possible but insisted that cannot happen until conditions laid out in past Security Council resolutions are met.

It would appear that Russia and France are trying to use their veto power in the U.N. as leverage, to get profitable contracts out of Iraq. I guess you cannot really blame them too much. The lure of cash is just too great.

So, what of the U.N.? Is this not the most worthless diplomatic body on the face of the earth? What good do we get out of the U.N.? Can anyone tell me?

I think it illustrates just how useless the U.N. has become, and how pointless our role in the U.N. is. I'm all for pulling out, and acting unilaterally on everything we do. When we need cooperation from another country, we'll just have to pay for it on the free market, which is what we end up doing any way.

One of the tough things about moving is that I need to find a new watering hole. Back in Ohio, I had several. I took my cousin out drinking one night, and we went to three different places. He was amazed that each place had a sexy female bartender who knew me, and knew what I was drinking. The usual greeting was "Hey Steve.. What'll your friend have?" Actually, he was mostly amazed because I had only been in town a month. He's lived there most of his life.

Well, that is all over with now, and I need to start from scratch. I've got to find a few local bars (hopefully within walking distance) to start patronizing. Otherwise my liver might dry out.

It's too bad that I live in Fairfax County, though. Although I don't live anywhere near Reston or Herndon, it was still the Fairfax Police that started cracking down on the dangerous activity of drinking and sitting. Back in January, they started arresting people right at the bar, regardless of whether or not they had a sober ride home. It kind of makes having a designated driver a pointless act of futilty.

I haven't heard too much about their Gestapo-like tactics lately, but I'll always be looking over my shoulder to make sure I don't have to spend a night in the pokey.