Washington State counted their votes three different times, with the Republican candidate winning the initial count and official recount, and the Democrat candidate winning the suplimental hand recount. When they got to the vote tally that said the Democrat had won, the counters stopped counting and the Dems declared victory. Where did they get the number three?* Then thou must count to three. Three shall be the number of the counting and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither shalt thou count two, excepting that thou then proceedeth to three. Five is right out.

But there is something more than a little fishy going on in Seattle and King County. First there were those 700 new ballots that just happened to show up at the last minute. And Stefan Sharkansky thinks it's just a little odd that King County has 3,539 more votes than participating voters.

What appears to be happening is that votes are disappearing and reappearing. These aren't ballots where the selection is changing, but several hundred actual slips of paper that are disappearing in some precincts and reappearing in others.

All is not right in Washington.

*A reading from the Book of Armaments, Chapter 4, Verses 16 to 20:

Then did he raise on high the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch, saying, "Bless this, O Lord, that with it thou mayst blow thine enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy." And the people did rejoice and did feast upon the lambs and toads and tree-sloths and fruit-bats and orangutans and breakfast cereals ... Now did the Lord say, "First thou pullest the Holy Pin. Then thou must count to three. Three shall be the number of the counting and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither shalt thou count two, excepting that thou then proceedeth to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the number of the counting, be reached, then lobbest thou the Holy Hand Grenade in the direction of thine foe, who, being naughty in my sight, shall snuff it."

With a new year comes new laws. After all, politicians have to justify those 6 figure salaries. In Illinois, they offered protection against frivolous lawsuits.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich said: "Crime is a serious problem in Illinois. ... But blaming a gun dealer for criminal activity is not the answer."

Oh wait, I made a mistake. They are protecting the fast food industry, not gun manufacturers and dealers. Here's what Gov. Blagchft really said:

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich said: "Obesity is a serious problem in Illinois. ... But blaming a restaurant for weight gain is not the answer."

Meanwhile, in New York lawmakers expect people to be able to earn a comfortable living on minimum wage, so they raised it.

And in New York, legislators overrode Gov. George Pataki's veto to give minimum-wage workers a $2 raise -- lifting their pay to $7.15 an hour in phases over the next two years.

"It's ridiculous in one of the most expensive cities in the world to have to survive on $5.15," said Rafael Duran, a Manhattan restaurant worker. "Pataki doesn't know what it's like to live on that."

Why not just make it $100 an hour so we can all go work at McDonalds?

In their game against New Mexico, Naval Academy had a 14 minute drive that lasted almost the entire 4th quarter. In what has to be one of the most incredible football oddities I've ever heard of, Navy got the ball with 2 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, drove from their own 1 yard line all the way to the New Mexico 4 yard line, and kicked a field goal with 2 minutes 15 seconds left in the 4th.

CNN has the play by play:

3RD QUARTER
Time Qtr Team Situation Play
2:00 3rd Navy 1-10 at NM1 A.Polanco rush middle for 2 yards to the Navy3
1:30 3rd Navy 2-8 at Navy3 A.Polanco rush middle for 3 yards to the Navy6
0:30 3rd Navy 3-5 at Navy6 New Mexico penalized 5 yards
0:30 3rd Navy 1-10 at Navy11 A.Polanco rush middle for 8 yards to the Navy19

4TH QUARTER
Time Qtr Team Situation Play
15:00 4th Navy 2-2 at Navy19 A.Polanco rush right for 4 yards to the Navy23
14:30 4th Navy 1-10 at Navy23 Eckel rush middle for 4 yards to the Navy27
14:00 4th Navy 2-6 at Navy27 Eckel rush middle for 5 yards to the Navy32
13:30 4th Navy 3-1 at Navy32 A.Polanco rush middle for 2 yards to the Navy34
13:30 4th Navy 1-10 at Navy34 A.Polanco incomplete pass to the middle
13:30 4th Navy 2-10 at Navy34 Navy penalized -5 yards
13:00 4th Navy 2-15 at Navy29 A.Polanco rush middle for 9 yards to the Navy38
12:00 4th Navy 3-6 at Navy38 A.Polanco pass completion to the right to Nelson for 6 yards to the Navy44
11:30 4th Navy 1-10 at Navy44 Eckel rush middle for 7 yards to the NM49
11:00 4th Navy 2-3 at NM49 Eckel rush right for 2 yards to the NM47
10:30 4th Navy 3-1 at NM47 A.Polanco rush right for 5 yards to the NM42
9:30 4th Navy 2-6 at NM42 Eckel rush middle for 2 yards to the NM40
9:30 4th Navy 3-5 at NM40 A.Polanco rush middle for 5 yards to the NM35
9:00 4th Navy 1-10 at NM35 Eckel rush right for 1 yard to the NM34
8:30 4th Navy 2-9 at NM34 Roberts rush left for 5 yards to the NM29
7:30 4th Navy 3-4 at NM29 Eckel rush middle for 1 yard to the NM28
6:27 4th Navy 4-3 at NM28 Navy time out
6:27 4th Navy 4-3 at NM28 Divis pass completion to the left to A.Polanco for 6 yards to the NM22
6:00 4th Navy 1-10 at NM22 Eckel rush middle for 2 yards to the NM20
5:30 4th Navy 2-8 at NM20 Eckel rush middle for 4 yards to the NM16
4:26 4th Navy 3-4 at NM16 Navy time out
4:26 4th Navy 3-4 at NM16 Divis rush left for 8 yards to the NM8
4:00 4th Navy 1-8 at NM8 Eckel rush middle for 5 yards to the NM3
3:30 4th Navy 2-3 at NM3 Roberts rush right for -1 yards to the NM4
2:30 4th Navy 3-4 at NM4 Eckel rush middle for 0 yards to the NM4
2:18 4th Navy 4-4 at NM4 New Mexico time out
2:15 4th Navy 4-4 at NM4 Blumenfeld 22 yard FIELD GOAL
2:15 4th Navy -- Navy kicks off.

Unfortunately I didn't see the game, so I'm unable to tell you how they were able to take a full minute off the clock between plays.

Another good one from KdT, who points out that when it comes to foreign aid, percentages don't mean much. It's gross dollars that count and the simple fact is that the United States gives more than anyone else, period. You can bitch and moan about percentages of gross domestic whatever, it doesn't mean diddly.

Of course, 0.14% of America's GDP is a bajillion dollars, give or take a billion or ten, and 10% of Norway's GDP is about $72.15...

Kim's numbers aren't that far off. Norway's GDP is a paltry $172 Billion. They brag about seizing 0.9% of that for foreign aid, which equates to about $1.5 Billion a year. The US GDP is $11 Trillion or $11,000 Billion (for comparison's sake). Even though we only seize 0.11% for foreign aid, that still amounts to more than $12 Billion.

And as Kim points out, they are only looking at money taken at gun point and shipped off to the U.N. This doesn't include tangibles like sending airplanes or ships, nor does it include private charities.

(all numbers via CIA fact book)

And like Spoons points out, America just can't win here. First they bitch at us for not doing enough, then they bitch because we're doing too much and "undermining the U.N."

UPDATE: We've upped our pledge to $350 Million

The threat of tsunamis isn't keeping some tourists away.

So if the BCS sucks, what should take it's place? A five-bowl system (set for introduction in 2006), a plus-one model, an eight-team playoff, or no system at all? Stewart Mandel takes a look.

KdT points out that while countries like Sri Lanka are crying for international aid, they are turning down offers of assistance from Israel out of hatred of the Joooos.

(He also has a photo over there that's very telling.)

Some people are really pissed about the anti-Christmas crusade. (Cartoon with very foul language.)

(Via Smallest Minority, Via Gut Rumbles)

If you have problems with a stray cat, what are you supposed to do? The government answer is to call animal control, and have an officer come out and try to capture the animal. The government official will take the animal to a shelter or the SPCA. The vets will feed and water the animal, give it a bath, treat any injury and make an assessment about whether or not it is possible to place it in a good home. In most cases, after 7 days the animal is destroyed through a series of lethal injections. The whole process probably costs several thousand dollars and involves reams of red tape and paperwork.

Or, you can take the quick and efficient way out and just shoot that darned cat yourself. Unfortunately, while the end result is basically the same, it could land you in jail charged with felony animal cruelty. Apparently shooting an animal is no longer an acceptable method of euthanasia.

I am reminded of a man I used to work with. He was an old farm boy at heart, who even managed to raise his children without television. (He still has no TV which just baffles me.) But I digress.

This old farm boy who I'll call Fred (not his real name) took his sick dog to the vet. The vet told Fred that the dog needed surgery that would cost nearly $500. Fred told the vet that it was too expensive and that he would rather euthanize the dog. Fred said that he would not spend more than $50 to treat the dog, and that if euthanasia cost more than that it would be done with a shotgun behind his barn.

The vet insisted that the dog could live a long and healthy life, if only he got the $500 surgery. Fred refused, but the vet performed the surgery anyway. Fred picked up his dog but refused to pay the $500 vet bill. The vet tried haggling him up to $250 than $100, but Fred steadfastly refused. In the end he paid the vet $50 and the dog lived a long and heathly life.

Now, you may think this story makes Fred sound cheap or heartless, but I disagree. Fred took a very practical view of the world. Although it was a good dog, aside from emotional attachments it was nothing more than a dumb animal. Forking over a mortgage payment to treat your pet just didn't make sense, especially if you can't really afford it. Also, taking the dog behind the barn and quickly and efficiently putting him out of his misery was a perfectly reasonable solution. It was certainly as reasonable as paying a vet $50 or $100 to do basically the same thing. Granted the vet was nice enough to perform the surgery, he did hassle Fred about the money for years.

If this happened today, I wonder if Fred would face felony animal cruelty charges.

Bob Dylan may not be the man you thought he was.

Walter Williams says that the anti-Christmas movement is not just anti-Christian, but pro-nanny state government tyranny.

The vision held by the framers is that our rights come not from government but from a "Creator" or "the laws of nature and of nature's God." That means the purpose and power of government is rightfully limited to protecting our natural God-given rights.

The idea that government doesn't grant rights is offensive to those who wish to control our lives. Therefore, to gain greater control, the idea of natural rights, God-given rights and Christian values must be suppressed. [...]

The attack on Christian ideas and Christian public displays is part and parcel of the leftist control agenda in another way. Certain components of the leftist agenda require that our primary allegiance be with government. As such, there must be an attack on allegiances to the teachings of the church and family.

So where do we go from here? Well, the attacks will spread from religious displays on public property to simply religious displays in public.

Emboldened by their successes in the courts and intimidation of public officials, leftists will no doubt make other demands; there's no logical end point except complete Christian capitulation. There are Christian symbols and exhibits in many Washington, D.C., government buildings that will come down, such as: Moses with the Ten Commandments inside the U.S. Supreme Court, George Washington praying in the Capitol Building, Abraham Lincoln's speech mentioning God carved inside the Lincoln Memorial.

Religious programming on the radio and television will come under attack. After all, there's Federal Communications Commission permission to use the "public airwaves." If leftists say they have no such intention to go after television, radio and other public expressions of Christianity, what they really mean is that they haven't softened us up enough yet.

The latest TV ratings are out, and according to CNN they are getting their clock cleaned by the Fox News Channel.

...Fox News Channel celebrated a ratings milestone, with its average prime-time viewership topping that of CNN, MSNBC, CNBC and CNN Headline News combined for the first time...

Keep in mind that CNN is also available in more households.

Syracuse fired their head football coach, Paul Pasqualoni. The loss to Temple did keep them out of the Fiesta Bowl, but I still think his record speaks for itself. After all, Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer lost to Temple a few years back (at Homecoming no less).

In 14 years with Syracuse, Pasqualoni posted a record of 107-59-1 and had just one losing season -- a 4-8 mark in 2002. The Orange played in nine bowl games during his tenure, winning six.

Syracuse was a consistent top-25 program in six of Pasqualoni's first eight seasons, winning at least nine games five times. After a 10-3 mark in 2001, the Orange were just 16-20 the past three seasons.

Pasqualoni finished his tenure as the second-winningest coach in school history, behind only Ben Schwartzwalder, and had one of the top graduation rates in the country.

It's not quite as bad as when Ol' Miss fired David Cutliffe, but I still think it's a bad move.

Hollywood is still dearth of ideas, but remakes seem to be more popular than sequels as of late.

Sequels:
Star Wars III
Batman
Harry Potter
Ring II
Punisher II

Remakes:
King Kong
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
War of the Worlds
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Producers
The Pink Panther
Guess Who (is coming to dinner)
The Longest Yard
Herbie
All the King's Men

TV:
Dukes of Hazzard
Fantastic Four

All you non-smokers out there that are apathetic to smoker's rights take notice. The pleasure police are out to take away your soft drinks next.

A study in India claims that there is a correlation between esophageal cancer and drinking soft drinks.

In the study, researchers cited U.S. data that showed per capita consumption of carbonated drinks rose by more than 450 percent from 1974 to 2000, from 10.8 gallons on average to 49.2 gallons in 2000. During that same period, the incidence rates of esophageal cancer rose by more than 570 percent in white American men.

Of course there is no proof of a causal link. Hell, they didn't even look to see if those that had esophageal cancer were even drinking more soda than usual. They simply saw a correlation in the numbers and deduced that there must be a link.

[Dr. Richard Adamson, vice president of scientific and technical affairs for the National Soft Drink Association] says that because study authors didn't dig further to see if those diagnosed with the cancer also drank the beverage, asserting that sodas may cause esophageal cancer is a considerable reach. According to Adamson, people also ate more pizzas over that time span; cell phone and computer use skyrocketed as well. And yet, he points out, researchers didn't correlate those behaviors with esophageal cancer.

Yeah, I know the guy works for the soft drink companies but he raises a valid point. And research like this is used by the pleasure police to take away our favorite vices all the time. One thing I'm sure the researcher will conclude is that he needs more money for more research.

(I wonder if I can sue my employer for not letting me drink beer instead of soda during the day.)

Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, a Republican, is going to try to reinstate the death penalty. While he probably won't have much success, you can't blame the guy for trying. Romney is carefully wording the bill so that it will appeal more to Massachusetts liberals who are usually soft on criminals.

...the bill would limit capital punishment to the "worst of the worst" crimes including terrorism, the murder of police officers, murder involving torture and the killing of witnesses.

Now, the state sponsored killing of rapists and murderers usually makes me feel all warm and tingly inside, and I usually support our hard working boys in blue. But why is it that killing a police officer is considered worse than killing a regular Joe. I understand that the police do a thankless and necessary job, but their murder doesn't seem any worse than that of the guy standing behind the counter at the Quickie Mart. At least the cops have guns and can fight back. A lot of the other innocent victims are sitting ducks.

DaimlerChrysler plans to market a two-seater eurocar called the Smart Fortwo in the United States. One look at the thing and you can just tell it is doomed to fail.

But the little car is also exceedingly Euro-looking, with an egg-shaped cabin surrounded by plastic panels that can be swapped out for different colors. It is designed by Swatch Group Ltd., known for watches, and built in France.

Red-staters need not apply.

"It's very, very, very small," said George Peterson, president of the California-based auto industry research firm AutoPacific Inc. "It's something that will appeal from a uniqueness standpoint because it looks very different. But generally, Americans opt for something bigger and more substantial. I have driven one in Los Angeles out on the freeways, and it's a real challenging thing to do." Peterson says the car rides so low in traffic that "you're making a study of the lug nuts of the truck sitting next to you."

The Washington Post leaves out details such as engine size/displacement and cargo space, but they do mention several times that it gets 60 miles to the gallon.

A look at their UK website says that the version that sells over there comes with either 50 or 61 bhp. The car weighs 1500 pounds and will cost 8,000 pounds (currently about $11,000).

Actually, this car would probably be ideal for strictly inner city driving. You might even see some courier and delivery businesses buying them. But the problem in places like New York or Chicago is going to be parking. I don't think the liberal elites that can afford to drive and park a car in New York City aren't going to be caught dead in one of these.

You are welcome to zip around in this pregnant rollerskate if you want, but I think I'll stick to my SUV.

Enviroweenies are already beating their global warming drums in response to the Indian Ocean tsunamis. Reuters cites un-named 'experts' who claim that global warning has left "coastlines even more vulnerable to disasters like tsunamis or storms in future".

"Coasts are under threat in many countries," said Brad Smith at environmental group Greenpeace. "Development of roads, shrimp farms, ribbon development along coasts and tourism are eroding natural defenses in Asia."

Of course George Bush and his evil red-state SUV driving cronies are directly to blame for global warming.

And in case you don't quite make the logical connection between earthquakes, tsunamis, and global warming, CNN gives you a little subliminal help.

More often than not, government interference makes worse whatever problems it intends to fix. One example is the government's desire to ensure that EMT personnel get standardized training.

Doctors, EMTs and state emergency medical directors are working with federal regulators to make sure that EMTs that staff ambulances are trained to give the best help possible. It is a lofty goal, but not one that comes without a price. In rural expanses like North Dakota, hundreds of square miles are covered by a volunteer force of EMTs. Making them jump through additional hoops is likely to cause less people to volunteer. Fox(search)News reports:

The 17 members of the Center ambulance squad who serve nearly all of Oliver County are volunteers, much like most EMTs in the state.

And like many of their counterparts around the country, members of the Center squad are worried that proposed national standards could more than double the amount of training they must have and thin their ranks.

"A lot of people can't comprehend what it's like to drive 345 miles and not see a house, not see anything, and to have to cover that," said Mickie Eide, the squad's leader. "If you keep requiring us to do more, there's going to be less of us to do it."

Like Thomas Sowell reminds us, even safety has a price. Taken to the extreme, if more training is such a wonderful thing why not just require EMTs to be medical doctors?

Am I the only one who is infuriated over remarks from a U.N. official that the United States is stingy when it comes to foreign aid? Perhaps we should cancel our annual contribution to the United Nations, and sell off that prime Manhattan real estate they occupy so that we will have more to give.

I have often dreamed of booting the U.N. out of New York. We could kill two birds with one stone if we gave them the boot and used the savings to donate more to charity.

I'm sure that it would make a perfect Scrappleface parody, except that Scott Ott is too busy rounding up charitable donations.

UPDATE: More on U.N. humanitarian aid chief, Jan Egeland, who said the U.S. is stingy and would have more to give if we had higher taxes.

During Christmas Day services in Wales, the choir at Llandaff Cathedral was instructed to sing God Rest Ye Merry People instead of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.

Festivus was not invented by Frank Costanza, and has been around since 1966. That's the same year Kwanzaa was invented.

A woman is suing Wal-Mart because she claims that the company should have known about her daughter's history of mental illness and refused to sell her a gun.

The case, filed earlier this month, has reignited a debate over the confidentiality of mental health records and the effectiveness of background checks on would-be buyers of guns.

"We know that if they had so much as said, `Why do you want this?' we would not be having this conversation because Shayla would have had a meltdown," said her stepfather, Garrett Bracy.

The Bracys said Wal-Mart's gun department could have checked Wal-Mart's own security files or the pharmacy department's prescription records before selling her the weapon.

Doing so would not only have violated numerous federal privacy laws, it relies on the premise that you can prejudge someone's mental capacity based on their prescription records.

Not only should this lawsuit be thrown out, Wal-Mart should be awarded legal fees.

I want to follow up on San Francisco's handgun ban proposal from earlier this month. First there was the voice of support from Supervisor-elect Ross Mirkarimi, who proudly proclaimed, "How many more Michael Moore films does it take to tell us that the Second Amendment is absolutely archaic, and other nations do it better than we do? We should absolutely go forward with it despite the constitutional challenges." Yeah, we know it's unconstitutional, but it's 'for the children' so lets go for it.

Then there was the use of statistics to try to muddy the issue, which is when Howard Nemerov threw the bullshit flag.

Here is the statistic used to justify the ban (although even if it were true, I fail to see the logic).

"The homicide rate in Washington, D.C., in 2002 was 9.4 incidents per 100,000 people. In San Francisco that year, the rate was 5.2."

Now here is Nemerov's analysis:

A key gambit of gun banners is the judicious use of misapplied statistical data. In the above quote, the writer referenced FBI crime data that covers metropolitan areas.

The mythical "9.4 incidents per 100,000 people" for "Washington, D.C." includes residents of five Maryland counties, 17 in Virginia, and two from West Virginia. This report is also the source of the stated rate for the SF metropolitan area, which includes only two additional counties: Marin and San Mateo.

The "D.C." homicide rate is understated because Virginia and West Virginia, which allow law-abiding citizens to carry concealed firearms for personal protection, had homicide rates of 5.3 and 3.2, respectively. Maryland, with gun control policies similar to California, had a rate of 9.4, two to three times higher than the pro-gun rights states, but still about 20% of the D.C. rate.

Since these three states' counties had a combined population of 14,553,552, over 25 times D.C.'s population of 570,898, the D.C. homicide rate was significantly diluted. Also, the author compares "apples to oranges," since the San Francisco metropolitan area is completely covered by similar gun control laws, while the D.C area is not.

In reality, while the SF metropolitan area experienced the 5.2 rate, Washington D.C. had a homicide rate of 46.2, nearly five times the article's assertion. . .

While I figured the D.C. statistic was understated, I had no idea that fuzzy math would take a 46.2 score and understate it down to 9.4. Either way, why would you want to emulate a city with a higher homicide rate?

Earlier this month, Massachusetts implemented an instant fingerprint check computer system so that the state would be able to track all of their law abiding gun owners. It's already yielding gun confiscations.

On Wednesday, for example, moments after a court placed a woman's husband under a restraining order, a notice about the order popped up on a new computer terminal at the police station here. Given that information, the Woburn police went to the man's house and confiscated his guns, all 13 of them.

And this is supposed to be a good thing.

Now, I'm not one to stick up for wife beaters, but Salon.com definitely gives us food for thought.

While the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in 1990 that a simple claim of fear was not a sufficient basis for a restraining order -- and set a threshold of "reasonable" fear of "imminent serious physical harm" -- courts routinely ignore this standard.

Once a temporary order is granted, a hearing must be held within 10 days to determine whether it should be vacated or extended for a year. That's when the defendant gets a chance to defend himself -- in theory. The hearing, however, is usually limited to a he said/she said exchange in which, many lawyers say, the defendant is given little credit. . . The normal rules of evidence do not apply; hearsay is commonly allowed, while exculpatory evidence can be kept out.

A defendant who insists on a full evidentiary hearing can be forced to wait for months. In one case, the transcript shows, the judge denied an attorney's request to call witnesses who would dispute the complainant's story, saying, "I don't need a full-scale hearing ... I don't care about that." The judge also declared that the issue was not even "who's telling the truth," only whether he felt the woman was genuinely fearful.

I cannot help but cringe at the thought that all that stands between me and gun confiscation is the parade of psychotic women that I've dated throughout the years.

In their crusade to keep 'weapons' out of school, administrators are starting to ban rubber bands. In today's zero tolerance world, the unauthorized possession of rubber bands may even result in suspension.

Packing.org has been an invaluable resource for information on the concealed carry of firearms. Now VCDL members have founded OpenCarry.org, a site for information on the open carry of firearms.

Notice that Virginia is a 'Gold Star' state.

Remember last week when it was widely reported that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said that the Republicans should move to the left? Well, it turns out that isn't what he said.

What was reported by the mainstream media:

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger suggested in a German newspaper interview published Saturday that the Republican Party should move "a little to the left," a shift that he said would allow it to pick up new voters.

What Arnold actually said:

"I think that right now the Republican Party is all the way from the right to the center, and the Democratic Party is all the way from the left to the center," he said.

"And I'd like the Republican Party to cross that center line. Keep it to the right, where it is. But I mean, cross over that center line a little bit, because they would take immediately away 5 percent from the Democrats and you're home free for good."

There is a pretty big difference between 'moving to the left' and expanding to include more of those in the center.

Recently pain relievers have been under fire for increasing the risk of heart attacks. First Vioxx was pulled from the market. Then Pfizer's Celebrex came under fire. Pfizer has since pulled advertising for the drug. A day or two later, over the counter pain medicine, Aleve, was said to carry an increased risk as well.

What is happening with these drugs is a good example of why drug companies charge so much. They spend millions of dollars on research to develop drugs that improve our lifestyle or delay the inevitable. Their reward for all that research and development is the sale of successful drugs. The enormous risk they face is producing drugs that are ineffective or even worse will expose the company to litigation.

One of the largests costs associated with bringing drugs to market is getting FDA approval. Government intervention is costly, and even the Bush Administration is saying that legalizing the importation of cheap drugs - which haven't yet received FDA approval - is likely to drive up the cost to prices at which domestic drugs are selling.

State and local governments that advocate the illegal importation of drugs from Canada (without FDA intervention) are likely to face lawsuits from complications and side effects of imported medicines. States that encourage folks to buy drugs from Canada cannot simply disclaim legal liability. By promoting behavior that is illegal, the state and local governments are setting up a hazardous condition. Because of the inherent negligence, the state has no protection from liability when someone is injured as a result.

UPDATE: Thomas Sowell provides excellent commentary about the cost of being too safe.

I'm enjoying my Christmas Vacation, and judging by the laughable amount of internet traffic, I would say that you are too.

Normally there are 1200-1400 visits on weekdays and about 1000 each on Saturday and Sunday. On December 24, there were 186 and on Christmas Day, only 22. (That's right 22) I'm glad to see that so many people are spending time presumably with their families, and away from the internet.

Posting should resume on Tuesday.

The AP has struck a blow to the BCS. A cease and desist letter dated December 21st was sent to the BCS asking them to stop using the AP rankings as part of the BCS formula.

"By stating that the AP poll is one of the three components used by BCS to establish its rankings, BCS conveys the impression that AP condones or otherwise participates in the BCS system," the letter said. "Furthermore, to the extent that the public does not fully understand the relationship between BCS and AP, any animosity toward BCS may get transferred to AP. And to the extent that the public has equated or comes to equate the AP poll with the BCS rankings, the independent reputation of the AP poll is lost." [...]

Where the BCS goes from here won't be determined for a while, but recently Weiberg and Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese have said the BCS would look into the possibility of using a selection committee to create the bowl matchups, much like the NCAA Division I basketball tournament.

This should get interesting.

How can anyone, from any party claim that recounting the votes until you get the result you want is a fair and democratic process? This just reeks of foul play, especially with the 'recent discovery' of new votes.

Democrats have claimed victory in the race for Washington governor by a razor-thin margin of eight votes, citing preliminary results of a hand recount they say puts Christine Gregoire in front for the first time. Republicans maintained the race was still too close to call. [...]

A Gregoire lead could widen if the state Supreme Court allows the 700-plus recently discovered ballots from the Democratic stronghold of King County to be added to the total. [...]

Out of 2.9 million ballots cast on Election Day, Rossi won by a mere 261 votes; his lead was whittled to 42 votes in a subsequent machine recount. Democrats paid for the hand recount, which got under way Dec. 8.

Well, the count shows Democrats ahead by 8 votes. Its time to stop counting and throw a victory party.

It's that time of year again. The holidays are upon us, and the internet will soon slow to a crawl as bloggers of all faiths spend more time with their families, take vacations, or just sit back and relax. But in this dearth of posts, the Carnival lives on. Through rain, snow, sleet, or postal strikes the Carnival is here for you providing some of the best that the Blogosphere has to offer.

With that said it brings me great pleasure to offer you, the 118th Edition of the Carnival of the Vanities. Our finest gifts we bring:

Join the buy nothing for Xmas campaign so that you can have more to spend on yourself.

Brian J. Noggle says screw those people who don't appreciate inclusive goodwill tiding like Happy Holidays. He's wishing it to them anyhow.

Josh Cohen asks what about those of us who aren't threatened by Christmas? What about those of us who get upset about commercials trying to respect the "holiday" spirit but still end up being Christmas-y? These advertisers should go all-Christmas or none at all.

Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus. But he was killed by rampant consumerism and corporate greed

With Christmas being the deadliest day of the year, Outside The Beltway takes a look at how Santa Claus is lucky to be alive.

Mentalogical wants to send us a Christmas Card, but his attorney won't let him: Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral, celebration of some sort of holiday. . .

Protomonkey is bringing in the Christmas Spirit.

In the spirit of Christmas, Wordlab presents an entertaining commercial message.

Banana Oil! brings us a new Christmas Carol: Rudolph in the Sky with Diamonds.

The Atheists had better make DARN SURE they cover all the bases if they want to ban Christmas (or for that matter, everything associated with Christ). SmarterCop has a small checklist for 'em.

Vik Rubenfeld's boots are made for walkin'. The Big Picture wants you to know that a 55 mile march is planned to help protect the right of American cities to show appreciation for religion.

How to take a generic sermon, adapt it, and make it a study on what salt really stands for, Biblically, and what we need to take away from the study of it.

The Electric Commentary looks at how closing the cultural gap between the U.S. and Europe would be beneficial to both parties.

point2point takes a look at our new Libyan friends and their shameless attempt to spring the mastermind of the Pan Am 103 bombing out of jail.

The Unrepentant Leftist explores the statements of CIA analysts who say that WMD evidence was deliberately manufactured to justify the war in Iraq.

Baboon Pirates takes a look at the importance of private property in a rebuttal to a friend claiming "private property/ownership is one of the all time worst ideas of mankind, ever."

The Battle of Trenton was fought on December 26, 1776, and is credited for turning the tide of the Revolutionary War. Douglas Bass wonders how it would've been reported if it was fought in 2004.

On the war in Iraq, Kevin Drum has questions, Pursuit of Happiness has the answers.

What famous periodical has a cover showing Castro "liberating" Havana; an editorial savaging the U.S.; and lead articles full of junk science and low-tech studies? How about one of the four leading medical journals in the world.

Bob Gronlund has some thoughts about who the real Minutemen are in Iraq -- and why it really is all the Republicans fault after all.

This week is the 60th Anniversary of the great escape of WWII POW's - in Phoenix, Arizona! I love this story, because many people today don't even know that German POW's were held all over the US. It has everything - Nazis, a long tunnel, cleverness, deception, one fatal mistake, and, best of all, a German U-boat commander.

According to the New York Times, publishing houses have started to regard the blogosphere as a potential source for promising, marketable writers. Interested-Participant takes a look.

You've heard of Neoconservatives. Well QandO Blog brings us Neolibertarians - those that are socially tolerant, fiscally conservative, strong on defense, and in favor of limited government. And of course, an introduction to the (beginning soon) Neolibertarian Network of Bloggers. Democracy! Whiskey! Sexy!

Charles Hill looks at what the unholy marriage of Fox News and Clear Channel Radio is likely to produce - not much of anything.

Bill Adams wants somebody to tell the media what "epicenter" means. And make them stop misusing it.

Watcher of Weasels takes a look at hose up-armored humvees. Find out what the mainstream media isn't telling you.

Rip & Read Blogger reads the blogosphere into an MP3 player, and includes clips from C-SPAN, CNBC, and other sources.

Bogie has gone off the deep end and is attributing emotions to houses that she passes on her daily commute. There are two houses that seem to be on opposite sides of the emotional spectrum . .

Kevin Baker notes that we have reached the point where people are being arrested and charged for thought crimes.

You may not have to wait until April to get your tax refund. Grab your phone bill and head on over to Scrivener.net to find out about the $6 billion of illegally collected telephone taxes.

Dean Esmay says that a lot of the concern over the national debt is misplaced.

Jack Cluth wants to know if anyone else as sick of Kobe Bryant as he is? And should we get his chief confidant Jim Gray a pair of kneepads for Christmas??

When Pedro Martinez jumped ship from the Red Sox to the Mets, who got the best deal? According to The Monk, it was the Yankees, and Big Stein was the man behind the curtain.

Shaking Spears translates the French Presidential Commission's report identifying the causes of the Concorde crash.

L&N Line explains why you get such poor service at the movie theater, and why a large Coke costs $5.

Cunctipotent Cunctator tells us why the concept of odd and even is a philosophical illusion.

Will the Republican majority be able to get things done? La Shawn Barber has her doubts because Bush and the conservatives in Congress don't seem to be on the same page.

GM's Corner takes a look at the hostile takeover of the DNC by Moveon.org.

Liberty Dad wants to know when the left will start opposing evil.

Wicked Thoughts shows that even colonoscopies can be funny.

The Flying Space Monkey offers a tale of getting his skull cracked while goofing off as a child. Bottom line: it hurt.

Mad House Madman writes about his future intern and how much she is learning. She brings new meaning to the term prodigy.

RoguePundit takes a look at his state's global warming figures and makes a startling discovery. Most of the greenhouse gases come from so-called Blue States.

Environmental Wackos... Green Bigots... Ecoloons... No matter what you call them they have little to do with saving the environment reports Revealed Truth.

Taken In Hand has a fascinating piece about consent, dominance and forcefulness, which challenges antiliberal Nanny State notions of consent and the way the word "violence" has come to mean something necessarily bad rather than just "forcefulness".

Over at Classical Values, Eric attempts to make sense of the "science" behind gun control. If statistics show that murders are 'caused' by guns, don't they also show that murders are 'caused' by race or gender?

"A young physician named Dr. Charles unearths a forgotten article written by Mark Twain, and finds himself transported through a worm hole back into the year 1740 to treat a headache."

They say that generating randomness is impossible. Apparently they've never read The World According to Pete.

Commentary on a blogger who takes liberties commenting on others. Turnabout is fairplay. The World According To Pete .. According To Me... has the headlines.

John Ray covers basic conservatism; politically correct attacks on Christmas; suppression of free speech concerning guns; problems with Canada's free health care; "white flight" among the Dutch; and of course Hispanic immigration. Whew.

nikita demosthenes says that for all of Thomas Barnett's yammering about "the Core" and "the Gap," he misses the big picture. The important thing for the average person is not living in a country that is part of "the Core." The important thing is living in a true free-market democracy.

The initials VAWA are the acronym for the Violence Against Women Act. Passed in 1994, VAWA is far more political, and ideological than any kind of social program. It's up for reauthorization next year, and the Desert Light Journal wants you to know why it should be allowed to expire.

Right Wingnuthouse says that Man's Best Friend is really the cat.

You probably already knew your body was made up of trillions of cells, but did you know that they make a sound. Business of Life examines Molecular Music.

You'll shoot your eye out kid. That's right, childhood can be hazardous to your health.

Wiccans are handing out diplomas. And Andrew Ian Dodge has been awarded one.

Well, that's it for this edition. There were 55 56 total entries submitted. If I left anything out or made a mistake with your entry, please contact me at carnival -at- ravnwood.com as soon as possible. I'm leaving town at 12 PM sharp, so you must submit any corrections before noon.

The next Carnival will be held December 29th at The Radical Centrist

by Scott Ott

(2004-12-20) -- Forensic DNA testing has revealed that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld did not personally lick postage stamps on letters to families of troops killed in Iraq.

"We're still looking for a positive DNA match on the stamp saliva," said an aide to Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-NE. "We've asked to swab the cheeks of dozens of Pentagon office staffers."

This new evidence of Mr. Rumsfeld's psychological detachment from the war in Iraq follows his admission that letters he wrote to families of soldiers and Marines included a facsimile of his signature, rather than a unique one done with his own hand each time.

Mr. Hagel could not be reached for comment, the aide said, because "the senator is busy handwriting a news release on the topic."

First the media creates a bogus story about Rumsfeld. Then some GOP opportunists use the chance to make Rumsfeld a scape goat for their years of failed military policy. Then the Democrats see the opportunity to bring down a member of Bush's cabinet. So, who's next?

How about the American public? Let's run a poll. That is a sure fire way to keep calls for Rummy's resignation on the front pages.

If you were writing a book on how to force someone out of office, this would be good material.

Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson sheds some light on what Kwanzaa really is.

While commonly viewed as an "African" holiday, observed from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, Kwanzaa actually was created in the U.S. in 1966 by Dr. Maulana "Ron" Karenga, the head of a violent black-power group, United Slaves Organization, which was a rival to the Black Panthers.

In the 1970s, Karenga served four years in prison for conspiracy and assault in the torture of two female followers. Karenga was convicted of whipping them with electrical cords and beating them with a karate baton after stripping them naked. He placed in the mouth of one of the victims a hot soldering iron, also scarring her face with the device. He put one of her big toes in a vise, and detergent and running water in both of their mouths.

In a 1978 interview quoted in the Washington Post, Karenga said, "People think it's African, but it's not. I came up with Kwanzaa because black people in this country wouldn't celebrate it if they knew it was American. Also, I put it around Christmas because I knew that's when a lot of bloods (blacks) would be partying."

Peterson points out Kwanzaa is taught in public schools, recognized by corporations and was saluted in a proclamation by President Bush in 2002.

"If black Christians don't stand up for Christmas and reject Kwanzaa, they are allowing evil to have its way," Peterson said. "They will regret using a fake holiday to stamp out the true meaning of Christmas."

With the Scott Peterson trial winding down, is Lisa Montgomery poised to take his place and fill the media void?

Note to self. Stay the hell away from Washington State.

I should also take the time to be thankful for living in a state where the open carry of firearms is not only legal but celebrated.

UPDATE: The original link is dead, so here is a Google cache link.

Robert Novak says the stage is set for the fight over judicial nominations.

A scenario for an unspecified day in 2005: One of President Bush's judicial nominations is brought to the Senate floor. Majority Leader Bill Frist makes a point of order that only a simple majority is needed for confirmation. The point is upheld by the presiding officer, Vice President Dick Cheney. Democratic Leader Harry Reid challenges the ruling. Frist moves to table Reid's motion, ending debate. The motion is tabled, and the Senate proceeds to confirm the judicial nominee -- all in about 10 minutes.

All of this depends on what politicians and pundits are calling the "nuclear option" - changing Senate rules so that filibusters can be broken with 51 votes. Opponents predict that the nature of the Senate will change forever if such an option were used. Novak says that bull because Robert Byrd has already used the option.

...Byrd "developed four precedents that allowed a simple majority to change Senate procedures governing debate without altering the text of any standing rule." In each case, Byrd successfully overcame dilatory tactics by the Republican minority.

But even that isn't really necessary. I still insist, and will continue to insist that making Democrats hold an actual filibuster is the answer. A filibuster used to mean that the filibustering party needed to hold the Senate floor. They would stand up there and talk and talk and talk, refusing to yield the floor to anyone else. All Senate business stopped until the filibuster was resolved or broken.

If the Dems want to filibuster judicial nominees, that's fine. But the GOP should make them put their money where their mouth is. If they're going to be obstructionists, let them stand up there and show America what's really going on.

It's time for the days where politicians can filibuster without actually filibustering to end. Or perhaps Republicans consider that the real nuclear option.

What do you get when you combine a college student, a guinea pig, and a makeshift parachute? How about felony animal cruelty charges. An Indiana University student may face felony animal cruelty charges and a $500 fine for tossing his guinea pig out of an 8th floor dorm window. The guinea pig hit a wind shear and ended up landing in a tree on the way down. He was rescued and taken to an animal shelter to treat his injuries, and is doing fine.

Virginia is called the Mother of Presidents, and George Will thinks that Virginia Governor Mark Warner, has a fair shot to win the White House back for the Democrats in 2008.

In 2001, running a campaign that sponsored a stock car and stressed gun rights, Warner was elected governor by five points. But, on a recent visit to Washington, he impatiently insisted that his victory was about "more than bluegrass songs and NASCAR races."

Indeed, his success is evidence that Virginia, although it has not voted Democratic since 1964, might be the place for Democrats to start if they really are determined -- as they had better be -- to compete in the South, broadly defined. [...]

As the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington continue to grow and perhaps become more like Philadelphia's liberal-leaning suburbs, Virginia could become one of the states -- Arizona and Colorado are others -- that may soon be fully transformed from reliably Republican to more or less regularly competitive. [...]

Virginia is the last state to forbid governors to serve consecutive terms -- Warner has proposed changing that with a state constitutional amendment, under which he would remain ineligible for a second term -- so in 2006 he will be unemployed. That is a good condition for a presidential aspirant: Nixon was out of public office in 1968, as was Jimmy Carter in 1976 and Ronald Reagan in 1980.

In 2008 the man who should be Time magazine's 2004 Person of the Year, Karl Rove, will be gone, and Democrats will be trying to erase the Republicans' 2004 popular vote winning margin of 2.9 percentage points. That was the smallest margin ever for a president's reelection. Warner will be on the short list of those who might be "Kerry plus 2.9."

Mark Warner is a horrible Governor. He won by 5 points, because he made political promises like: "I will not raise taxes. I will not raise taxes. I will not raise taxes." He promptly went out and passed the largest tax increase in Virginia history, and then had the nerve to say that he never made the promise in the first place.

Warner called the idea of letting the voters decide on a tax increase (ala voter referendum) "extremely irresponsible". A month after his massive tax hike passed, it was revealed that Virginia actually had a budget surplus. But the damage was done, and Warner balked at the suggestion of rolling back the tax hike.

George Will mentions that Warner's push for an end to term limits would not benefit him. But he doesn't tell you that Warner has made it perfectly clear that he wants a successive term should the limit be lifted. This fall Warner said that his "effectiveness" was limited by his not being able to spend two years running for re-election.

If a pathological liar and a sleazy bastard is the candidate they want, then Warner fits the bill (and then some). But George Will shouldn't be so quick to assume that Warner could even carry his home state, much less the South.

If you haven't read Oliver North's latest offering, I highly recommend it.

"It's stuff you hear about in boot camp, about World War II and Tarawa Marines who won the Medal of Honor," Lance Cpl. Rob Rogers of the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment told the Army Times. Rogers was describing the actions of his fellow Marine, Sgt. Rafael Peralta, a Mexican immigrant who enlisted in the Marine Corps the day he received his green card.

Read the rest to find out about Sgt. Peralta, and the kind of stories the media largely ignores.

Spoons had problems, and Wizbang made them go away. Amazing.

Christians are being accused of not letting Christmas die a politically correct death. Some people seem to think that wishing someone "Merry Christmas" might as well be followed by "and the horse you rode in on". Moreso, they think that celebrating Christmas ought to be illegal if you're standing on public property.

But Christians are fighting back, and are refusing to let their holly jolly holiday be banned. Christmas opponents, meanwhile, are crying foul and say that Christians are on a holy roller crusade, led by Reverend Bush himself.

"This mixing of secular and religious symbols ought to be seen as a bad thing, not a good thing, for Christian believers," [Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State] said. "Unfortunately, some of the Christian pressure groups seem to have it backwards."

Added Lynn: "I think it's fair to say it's a mistaken notion that they have a mandate to put more nativity scenes up because George Bush was elected."

Lynn no sooner got the words out of his mouth, when a van pulled up and members of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy jumped out and hauled him off for political re-education.

Much ado is being made about California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's suggestion that the GOP make a left turn to pick up more votes. Neal Boortz, for one, isn't buying it:

Take a look at the following legislation sign by George W. Bush, and ask yourself if moving to the left helped him:

* The No Child Left Behind Act, written with the help of Teddy Kennedy, who later accused him of cooking up the Iraq war down at this ranch in Texas

* The Medicare Prescription Drug benefit - Cost? Hundreds of billions of dollars. Increase in popularity: zippo.

* Government spending - George Bush has yet to veto a single spending bill, meaning the Democrats have basically gotten everything they've wanted.

That strategy might have worked for Arnold out in the blue state of California. But it's a loser on the national scene. The only thing moving to the left will do is alienate the right. Besides, there are those on the left that will never like Time's Man Person of the Year, and they will lie, cheat, and steal to keep their liberal base shored up.

The 118th Edition of Carnival of the Vanities will be hosted here on Wednesday.

Get your entries in now. Submit via the feedback form or email carnival -at- ravnwood.com. Include the URL and a brief exerpt or synopsis.

I don't often watch 60 Minutes, but I have to hand it to Mike Wallace, who had this to say to Miami Dolphin's running back Ricky Williams who walked away from the game at the beginning of the season:

You would have made five million bucks this year. And you said 'It's blood money as far as I'm concerned. The money is what made me miserable. I want to be free of that stress.' And forgive me, but that's bullshit.

The interview itself was pretty much a big waste of time, with Ricky Williams coming across looking selfish and shallow. When told of how he had let his teammates and his fans down, Williams just shrugged it off. Wallace did get him to admit that he pretty much just wants to smoke pot and sit around the house.

Aside: In watching 60 Minutes for the first time in several years, I did notice something that creeped me out. Ed Bradley wears an earring.

Scott Norvell notes that a missing preposition has landed a news reporter in hot water.

A reporter for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune has been disciplined for using the term "colored officers" in an email to a black officer at the police department in that city, the Star-Tribune reports.

Police reporter David Chanen told editors that he meant to use the term "officers of color" but accidentally used the other phrase instead.

Remember, the term "people of color" means you are sophisticated and compassionate. The term "colored people" means you might as well be wearing a sheet.

After a week of GOP Senators calling for his resignation, now the Dems are starting to pile on Rumsfeld. The kerfuffle has also expanded to include controversy over Rumsfeld using an electronic reproduction of his signature for letters to families of deceased servicemen, rather than signing each one personally. There was no mention of whether or not past Secretaries have personally signed the letters or used a stamp, but they do mention that Bush personally signs all of the condolences that he sends.

I think that whether or not Rummy is able to ride out the political storm will be a good indicator of just how much President Bush supports his people. A Rumsfeld departure would reflect negatively on President Bush (in my mind any way). Then again, the negative press is going to get much worse before it gets better. Rumsfeld needs to hope that the holiday break takes some of the wind out of this media frenzy.

And just think, all of this started because an embedded reporter from Chattanooga was afraid that his own Humvee didn't have enough armor. It's a classic case of reporters creating the news rather than reporting it.

Yet another man in South Florida has died after being shot by a Police TASER which delivers a 50,000 volt shock.

A 36-year-old man died Wednesday night after a Hollywood police officer shot him with a Taser gun, police said. [...]

The death followed several controversial incidents in South Florida involving Tasers, less-lethal weapons used by law enforcement to subdue violent suspects. Three other people have died in the region after being shot with Tasers since 2002; two of those deaths involved drug use and the third was ruled accidental. Miami-Dade County authorities have recently been criticized for using the weapons on juveniles.

The latest case involved a man who was said to have become "unruly" and "violent" (no other details were provided). The cause of death is still under investigation.

The anti-capitalist Kyoto Protocol is dead. Despite what anti-Bush greens are sure to claim, it wasn't just President Bush that killed it. Aparently countries trying to claw their way out of the Third World weren't looking forward to having to having to rein in their economic output either.

The conventional wisdom that it's the United States against the rest of the world in climate change diplomacy has been turned on its head. Instead it turns out that it is the Europeans who are isolated. China, India, and most of the rest of the developing countries have joined forces with the United States to completely reject the idea of future binding GHG emission limits. At the conference here in Buenos Aires, Italy shocked its fellow European Union members when it called for an end to the Kyoto Protocol in 2012. These countries recognize that stringent emission limits would be huge barriers to their economic growth and future development.

The environmental treaty won't be repealed, but with it set to expire in 2012 and not be renewed, it's doubtful that member countries will take it very seriously.

How long before non-secular Christmas and religous displays are banned in public housing?

Here is something to think about the next time you buy stamps.

NW writes "According to FOIA documents obtained by EPIC new Postal Service self-service postage machines take portrait-style photographs of customers and retain them for 30 days." . . . Note that the kiosk is supposed to not complete the transaction if it determines the photograph has been compromised, so simply covering the camera is unlikely to work.

Slashdot also reports that with the low cost of digital photography and storage equipment, it's only a matter of time before every machine you interact with will take your picture and store it.

Last week it was widely reported that the Parents Television Council is behind nearly 100% of the indecency complaints filed with the FCC.

But they don't share all of the blame, as it also looks like the FCC is taking complaints far more seriously than before. The indecency scorecard says it all.

It looks like nearly all of the complaints from 1999 to 2002 were tossed out. (20,310 complaints, 19,380 tossed or 95.4% thrown out) There is no data for 2004 yet, but in 2003 not only did the number of complaints increase dramatically, but almost none of them were tossed out. (200,000 complaints, 370 tossed or 0.1% thrown out)

Thanks to reader Steve Scudder for sounding the alarm about this one. Apparently San Francisco is so impressed with how well the total gun ban in Washington D.C. has worked to prevent crime, that they are hoping to duplicate it on the Left Coast.

The proposed voter referendum (tyranny of the majority) to ban guns will be on the ballot for the next election, possibly as early as November 2005. Given San Francisco's liberal history, it will very likely pass.

San Francisco supervisors want voters to approve a sweeping handgun ban that would prohibit almost everyone except law enforcement officers, security guards and military members from possessing firearms in the city.

The measure, which will appear on the municipal ballot next year, would bar residents from keeping guns in their homes or businesses, Bill Barnes, an aide to Supervisor Chris Daly, said Wednesday. It would also prohibit the sale, manufacturing and distribution of handguns and ammunition in San Francisco, as well as the transfer of gun licenses. [...]

If approved by a majority of the city's voters, the law would take effect in January 2006. Residents would have 90 days after that to relinquish their handguns.

There is so much wrong with this that I don't even know where to begin. Sometimes, in order for people to learn their lesson you need to go ahead and let them make a mistake. Unfortunately, this mistake is likely to leave many law-abiding people dead.

Bill Barnes, an aide to Supervisor Chris Daly had this to say about the gun ban:

"The hope is twofold, that officers will have an opportunity to interact with folks and if they have a handgun, that will be reason enough to confiscate it," he said. "Second, we know that for even law-abiding folks who own guns, the rates of suicide and mortality are substantially higher. So while just perceived to be a crime thing, we think there is