December 29, 2006
Madame Defarge
As I'm sure you've all read by now, Saddam Hussein is likely to be hung tomorrow. Let me go on record as saying that I am against the death penalty, and that I do not believe that Saddam should be executed (Note that this did not stop me from putting him on my 2006 Dead Pool roster, however. Hey, you've got to play the odds on something like that.). However, this post is more about the possible broadcast of his execution. The Iraqi government will be videotaping everything. It's not clear if they're going to actually broadcast the tape, but some believe that a video of the execution will be released.
This leaves the US broadcast media with a decision on how to handle this. "Tastefully," mind you. To broadcast or not to broadcast, that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the media to suffer the slings and arrows of lowered ratings. ABC and CBS say they will not air the full execution. I suppose that means they'll air parts of it, but not the actual hanging itself. CNN and Fox are undecided. Regardless, I think it's fair to say that if a video is released anywhere in the world, it will wind up on the Internet pretty quickly, likely bringing down someone's server due to heavy viewing.
A commenter over at Balloon Juice says "When this hits YouTube, I think a whole lot of people are going to be looking at the death penalty differently." I admire that person's optimism. I just think it's sadly misguided. It's not that long ago that executions were public events. Family events, replete with picnic baskets and knitting needles. While I think that some people might be swayed by its barbarism, I don't think many people will be. But Zifnab, whoever you may be, I hope you're right.
Via Shakespeare's Sister, who kindly asked me to cross-post the entry directly below to her blog! Woot!
September 23, 2006
Est Notre Étude d'enfants?*
When you start to despair about the state of American education, watch this video:
To translate, for you non-French speakers. The question is "What revolves around the Earth". The four possible answers are "the moon", "the sun", "Mars", and "Venus". Our intrepid guest does not know the answer, so he asks the audience. 56% of the audience selects "the sun" as the correct answer. He goes along with them, and, well, at least he went home with the 1,500 euros he had previously won.
See, now you can despair about the state of global education instead!
I like the first comment on the YouTube page: "Parce que effectivement la france est le centre de l'univers..." Translated: "Because, effectively, France is the center of the universe."
*Loosely translates to "Is our children learning?"
June 10, 2006
Ok, I'm Gonna Wind Up on Someone's Watch List
This piece of balderdash from Donald Rumsfeld:
Over the past several years no single person on this planet has had the blood of more innocent men, women and children on his hands.
He speaks of terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. I beg to differ. Zarqawi is not the one who started the war in Iraq. Our esteemed leader has more blood on his hands than any terrorist. There have been more than 40,000 civilian and military deaths in Iraq since Bush launched this needless and costly adventure of his. Zarqawi may be responsible for a good chunk, but he's not the one who created the vacuum in which terrorists can thrive.
February 18, 2006
Whoops
In a story straight out of the Brady Bunch, a vistor to a British museum tripped over his shoe laces and stumbled into a display of Chinese vases, shattering them. Is it just me or do you think these vases would have been better off in a display case in the first place?
Inapt Comparison
In a speech where he said the U.S. needs to be more proactive in countering anti-American PR from Muslim extremists, Donald Rumsfeld "lamented that vast media attention about U.S. abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq outweighed that given to the discovery of 'Saddam Hussein's mass graves.'" Bad example to use. While I don't agree with the bulk of what Rumsfeld said - good U.S. PR can't undo years of anti-American rhetoric that Muslims are exposed to - this thought especially disturbs me. Hussein's mass executions are human rights abominations, don't get me wrong, but he's a dictator who was already known for his brutally repressive tactics. The U.S. should be held to a higher standard. We are a Democracy, though in the world of Bush that's somewhat debatable these days, that is scrupulous about promoting human rights and protecting the rights of its citizens, even those in jail for crimes. More is expected of us, and it's bound to be news when we cross the line by abusing prisoners. Rumsfeld shouldn't be an apologist for what happened in Abu Ghraib by drawing a comparison to Hussein. We are better than Hussein.
June 14, 2005
Dear Bob
You're right. Because it would be way better if the people just stood around outside the concert scalping the tickets instead.
Wanker. Don't blame eBay.
May 20, 2005
What I Worry About
W drew a line in the sand today regarding cloning research taking place in South Korea:
Bush expressed concern about a reported stem cell advance in South Korea.A South Korean scientist said on Friday a groundbreaking study on stem cell research was funded with less than $200,000 a year in largely government grants. Woo Suk Hwang of Seoul National University said they had successfully created batches of embryonic stem cells from patients.
"I'm very concerned about cloning," Bush said. "I worry about a world in which cloning would be acceptable."
President Bush, I worry about a world in which we deny people the medical treatment they need because of the beliefs of a minority religious group.
April 06, 2005
How Come They Don't Have to Wait in Line?
President Bush and former Presidents Bush and Clinton were hustled to the front of the line when they visited the Pope's remains today.
February 01, 2005
Ain't No Thang?
Like many bloggers, yesterday I blogged about a story in the Daily Telegraph which indicated a possibility that German women might be forced to choose between prostitution and losing unemployment benefits. It looks like this is false.
January 30, 2005
Women Voting In Iraq
Michelle Malkin wonders if American feminists will "be celebrating these amazing images and this historic day? The silence is deafening."
The amazing images and historic day are about the fact that anyone in Iraq can vote in an election with actual choice. Not that women in Iraq can vote. Women in Iraq could vote, to the degree anyone in Iraq could vote, under Saddam Hussein. By no means was it all fuzzy bunnies and flowers for women in Iraq under Hussein. There was absolutely abuse. But the implication that Iraq was akin to Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan in its treatment of women is off-base. Women could go to school, hold jobs outside the home, drive, walk around without male escort, and wear secular clothing under Saddam Hussein. Things they still cannot do in Saudi Arabia. It was much more impressive when women in Afghanistan regained the right to vote after the overthrow of the Taliban. Note the word "regained". Prior to the Taliban, Afghan women did have the right to vote in that Muslim country.
Furthermore, Iraq is hardly the first Muslim country in which women have the right to vote. Jordanian women can vote. Egyptian women can vote. Turkish women and Pakistani women can vote. Pakistan even had a female Prime Minister. Benazir Bhutto, anyone? For what it's worth (and it ain't worth much these days), even Iranian women can vote. Shall I continue? Algeria, Morocco, Yemen, Syria, Libya, Malaysia, etc.. Women in Lebanon can vote, although with restrictions that are not placed on men (namely proof of education). Women can vote in most Muslim countries. The only two Muslim countries I'm aware of in which women can't vote are Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Actually, Kuwaiti women can vote in municipal elections, but not in the parliamentary elections (not that that's good enough).
Women voting in Muslim countries is not some strange, unheard of concept that needs celebration by feminists. People voting in countries that were formerly dictatorships, however, is something that deserves celebration by everyone.
German Welfare Reform Screws Women
No, I mean literally.
Germany legalized prostitution two years ago ironically "because the government believed that this would help to combat trafficking in women..." How interesting, then, that their own welfare reform laws look to increase trafficking.
Under Germany's welfare reforms, any woman under 55 who has been out of work for more than a year can be forced to take an available job – including in the sex industry – or lose her unemployment benefit. Last month German unemployment rose for the 11th consecutive month to 4.5 million, taking the number out of work to its highest since reunification in 1990.
Right. So you can either sell your body for sex or lose your unemployment benefits. I hate to break it to the German government, but prostitution isn't quite like computer programming. But it gets better.
The government had considered making brothels an exception on moral grounds, but decided that it would be too difficult to distinguish them from bars.
Yeah, serving drinks, having sex with strangers for money... So hard to distinguish.
I have hopes that the publicity this will get will force the German government to reconsider their decision on making brothels an exception. I will be sending this story to the feminist organizations to get them on the case. And I am sure they will get on the case.
Via The Daily Pundit
UPDATE: I want to clarify that this is only something that can happen, not something that actually has happened. Nonetheless, I think the law should be revised to except prostitution. Even if you trust that something won't happen today, you cannot be sure how the law might be used in the future.
UPDATE II: See here.
Good News
Millions of Iraqis turned out to vote on Sunday, despite terrorist threats.
January 07, 2005
Orphaned Disasters
The outpouring of sympathy and money in the wake of the tsunami is profound. The world has responded like it never has before in the wake of a catastrophe.
Yet one thing has bugged me about it. There are crises in the world everyday that don't get a scintilla of the attention and support that the tsunami is. I fear that the media and world are so exclusively focused on this one disaster that people with equal needs are being forgotten. Setting aside how you feel about him, Kofi Annan is right when he refers to them as "orphaned disasters".
December 30, 2004
Irony Thy Name Is China
A Chinese court, of all courts, has found Nike guilty of copyright infringement.
The court said the stickman character 28-year-old Zhu Zhiqiang created was nearly the same as one used in Nike advertisements, and ordered the company to pay 300,000 yuan ($36,000)
"Nike used images similar to the plaintiff's work in its advertisement without receiving authorization from the plaintiff, resulting in copyright infringement," the China Daily quoted the court ruling as saying.
July 22, 2004
Dutch Treat
I think I need to move to the Netherlands. You know, I kind of have a thing for tall men. And Dutch men are quite good-looking too. All that tawny skin and golden hair.
June 16, 2004
Now I've Heard It All
Look, I know we're to blame for horrors such as astroturf, but the Saudis now claim that Jews, oh sorry, "Israelis" are backing al-Qaeda.
NBC News translated Abdullah's remarks from Arabic: “Zionism is behind it. It has become clear now. It has become clear to us. I don’t say, I mean... It is not 100 percent, but 95 percent that the Zionist hands are behind what happened.”Other senior Saudi officials reaffirmed the claim that supporters of Israel — Zionists — were behind the terror attacks.
Prince Nayef, the Saudi Interior Minister said, “Al-Qaida is backed by Israel and Zionism.”
When it's come down to this, you just gotta laugh.
May 29, 2004
Stealing Economics
Regular reader Justin forwarded me this interesting piece in "The Economist" about the decline of the English burglary. It seems that burglary in England has dropped some 45% over the last ten years. Is this primarily due to low unemployment rates or an increase in security systems? Seems not.
The more likely reasons for the decline of burglary have to do with changes in the criminal marketplace. In the past decade, the housebreaking trade has suffered two shocks—one to demand for its products, the other to its labour supply.
Yes, it's the economics of supply and demand. Traditional items stolen during break-ins, DVDs and stereos, are now so inexpensive that they aren't worth taking. TVs still have value, but the expensive ones are too large to easily steal.
The hot items are things easily turned into cash. Credit cards, cell phones, check books. I've also heard via word of mouth that iPods, easily recognizable if you use the white Apple-provided earbuds, are a big status symbol in England and are getting stolen regularly. But why go through all the trouble of breaking into someone's house to steal those things when you can just mug them on the street or pick their pocket?
In terms of the supply side of the equation, better intelligence-sharing among the police has cut that down. The skilled burglars of days gone by have seen their supply of fences diminished thanks to paid informants. There are also warnings that go out when a professional burglar gets released from prison.
It all makes perfect sense when laid out. But you gotta love it. The economics of supply and demand applied to crime. Just one of the many reasons I've always loved economics. You can apply its theories to just about anything.
March 11, 2004
3/11
It is a terrible thing when people can't live their lives without worrying about terrorists blowing them up as they try to live their lives. The people killed in Madrid today undoubtedly wanted nothing more than most people want - to earn a living; to fall in love; to raise their children; to go shopping; to grab a bite to eat - in other words, to live. These were people carrying about their ordinary lives. They were not soldiers. They were not government officials.1 Maybe they approved of their government's actions. Maybe they did not. But the terrorists who killed them did not care. To the terrorists, they were guilty - tried, convicted, and sentenced to death while simply living their lives. I feel a tremendous amount of empathy for the Spaniards today, as well as all victims of terrorism.
I also feel a tremendous amount of empathy for the people living in dire circumstances who just want to simply live their lives. Those whose lives were turned upside down by the war in Iraq. Those who are oppressed by governments, be it their own or those of other nations. But I feel no empathy for those who strike back by murdering civilians going about their lives. None.
BTW, is it just me, or did the American media start to pay more attention to this tragedy once a purported al Qaeda link came into play, as if terrorism committed by non-Muslims is somehow less important?
1Okay, some of them might have been soldiers and/or government officials. But I was talking in generalities, so please, no nitpicking.
February 02, 2004
Never Again? Sadly, No
North Korean political prisoners, including children, are being subjected to Auschwitz-like deaths, according to a BBC documentary based on top-secret North Korean documents and the claims of a former military attache. Gas chambers, biological experimentation, chemical weapons - all these are being used on North Korean political prisoners. Want to read a horrifying quote from the former military attache?
Asked how he felt about the children, he said: "It would be a total lie for me to say I felt sympathetic about the children dying such a painful death. Under the society and the regime I was in at the time, I only felt that they were the enemies. So I felt no sympathy or pity for them at all."
A child is the enemy? The world needs to take a stand against this. We once said "Never again." It doesn't matter who the victims are. We cannot allow this to happen. We must ascertain the truth and, if true, take action.
Write letters to your Senators and Congressmen. Write to the President. Write to Kofi Annan. Tell your friends and family. Publicize this, so people can't ignore it.
Via The Command Post.
February 01, 2004
Consensual Cannibalism?
Although I basically consider myself a libertarian, and I know there are some who consider consensual cannibalism to be a "libertarian ideal" (in some strange world where I don't live), I really think this man should have been convicted of murder, not just manslaughter. I just do not believe that a person who is not suffering from a terminal disease can make a rational choice to kill him/herself. Or, in this case, have someone else kill him/her. As such, this is not, IMO, the act of two consenting adults. Therefore, it is murder. In the first degree. Lock Armin Miewes up and throw away the key.
December 29, 2003
Dictatorship Retirement Plan Not As Nice As It Once Was
Remember the days when a dictator could retire in comfort and opulence? Sadly, that trend is changing. Sniff, sniff, those poor former dictators. What is the world coming to, when a tyrant and despot can't live out his life with the money he stole from his people?
December 22, 2003
Czech Store Clerks Demand "Combat Pay"
Czech store clerks, fighting a losing battle to retain their sanity after a relentless onslaught of non-stop Christmas carols in Czech stores, are demanding that the stores either stop playing the carols or pay compensation for the emotional trauma. Can it be long before some litigious sort here in the U.S. takes a hint and sues Macy's for damages?
December 14, 2003
More Breaking News
The UK's Sunday Telegraph is reporting that Saddam Hussein knew Mohammed Atta was being trained in Baghdad for the WTC attacks in July 2001.
Breaking News
Snow starts to fall in Hoboken.
Lesley goes to supermarket before snow starts to accumulate in Hoboken.
December 04, 2003
All We Are Saying Is...
...that the international community (read Europe) is going to have to get over itself and start putting some actual pressure on the Palestinians if there is ever going to be a successful peace plan. Ultimately I believe that something similar to the Geneva plan will be the basis of peace. However if members of the Palestinian delegation that came up with the plan can't even stick to it during the document signing ceremony, then there will never be a successful peace plan.
It also reported that participants were disappointed to learn that a member of the Palestinian delegation published an editorial that said, "Nowhere in this document have we given up on the right of return, and anyone who believes we have has fallen into the Israeli trap."
Yes, the words of someone who actually wants peace with the Israelis. I know that when I really want to settle a problem with someone, I refer to his/her compromises as a "trap" and deny that I even made a key concession.
A lot of pressure is placed by the rest of the world on the Israelis to "show restraint." Pressure also needs to be placed on the Palestinians to do the same thing and to be realistic about a peace plan (as in one that doesn't basically decimate Israel). The Israelis can't do it; the Palestinians won't listen to them. The other Arab nations won't do it; they benefit too much from the violence, as it keeps their populations' eyes turned on the common enemy and off the domestic governmental ones. The U.S. can't do it by itself; no one trusts us enough to be objective.
The European governments need to get a grip and realize that Israelis can't make peace by themselves; they need a willing partner. What happened at the document signing ceremony certainly indicates that there is no truly willing partner; at least not one currently involved in any process. Only sufficient Western pressure (even-handed pressure) will drag one to the table, even if it is kicking and screaming. After that, the (even-handed) pressure to abide by the settlement will need to be kept in place until such time it is no longer necessary. And that might take many years and even the threat of troops.
November 24, 2003
Ho Ho Hold-up
He's making a list. He's checking it twice. He's gonna find out who's naughty or nice. Santa Claus' helpers are robbing a post office in town.
Well, unsuccessfully. The failed thieves escaped on bicycles. This took place in the Netherlands. I wonder what it's like, living in a country where criminals can easily escape on bicycles. There must be a huge level of trust. Might be cool.
October 31, 2003
Damn Yankees
So now certain French Catholics are saying Halloween is an "ungodly U.S. import." Yeah, well, you know our balance of trade just sucks, so I guess we'll export anything.
Although I could have sworn that Halloween was based on a pagan holiday known as the Feast of Samhain; Samhain being a Celtic kind of deity. It's news to me that the Celts were from the U.S. All this time I was walking around thinking they were from Ireland (and, as I now find out, from Northern France as well).
Then the Catholic Church took said pagan holiday and renamed it All Hallow's Eve, making the next day one to venerate all saints. When the Catholic Church became a U.S.-based institution is beyond me. BTW, dressing up in costumes was to ward off evil spirits and long predates European settlers arriving in North America.
So far no hint of the U.S., but what the hell. Apparently the French haven't gotten into the whole "Blame Canada" thing. Can't we export South Park there or something?
September 07, 2003
Ebony and Ivory
A road sign on the remote islands of Svalbard has for years warned motorists about bears with a picture of a black animal on a white background, like signs further south warning of deer or elk.
But after complaints that it was unrealistic, the state road directorate made a new sign, reversing the colors to show a white bear, a directorate magazine said.
What? They were afraid that maybe people would see a polar bear and say "Oh, that's not one of those black bears on the warning signs. That must be one of those friendly warm and fuzzy white bears. Let's go pet it."
Which reminds me of one of my favorite "Far Side" cartoons. There's a Mama bear sitting in a cave with two bear cubs. The Mama bear has two human skulls on her hands like puppets. She says to the bear cubs something like "Ok, one more time and then it's off to bed. 'No, Bob, I don't think there are any bears in that cave. How about you?' 'I don't know, Joe, let's go find out.'"
August 29, 2003
Cherchez La Realite
You know, if they bring this idea to the U.S., maybe I could get 36 hours with Mikey in tow, which would allow me to practice my battle cry (see below).
French families are to eat, sleep, work and play with their own live-in politician in a new reality TV show that triggered controversy Thursday even before its first airing in October.
Seeking to narrow the gap between the French and their often remote political rulers, "36 Hours" will follow a volunteer for nearly two days as they go about their usual lives with a top politician in tow.
But my favorite part of the article indicates a blow to the French sense of superiority.
To the dismay of the country's intelligentsia, the French have lapped up a succession of reality shows. Formats have included women battling to seduce a young millionaire and the trials and tribulations of life at an academy for young singers.
BTW, what's the difference between the British and the French? The British only think they're better than everyone else. The French know it for a fact.
And while we're on the subject of French jokes, warning - sick humor ahead. Do not click on the link below if you don't like tasteless humor and/or think that tasteless humor is an indication of the same kind of mindset the Nazis had (and one of you knows who you are). Proceed at your own risk.
Q: What do you call 25 Frenchmen in a nursing home?
A: French fries.
Look, I warned you it was sick and tasteless.
August 16, 2003
Give the People Something to Sing
Ding dong, the genocidal former dictator is dead. Bye, Idi. If there's a hell, people will be dining on you now. If not, worms will be dining on you. Either way, a win-win situation.
July 23, 2003
They're Not Fooling Anyone
Saddam's sons, Uday and Qusay are dead. For the doubters out there, they have dental records. Unfortunately I only had Saddam in the Amish Tech Support Dead Pool, losing a chance to score not just on two picks, but bonus points for the two dying in the same incident.
April 24, 2003
A Government by the People
Jay Garner expects a new Iraqi government to start to be formed the end of next week. This is a positive step. I do think that we ought to be taking a stake in the ground with some kind of timetable for services to be restored and elections to take place. We know that the Iraqis want us out and want to be governing themselves. Giving them some kind of timetable (with reasonable timeframes) should go some way towards ameliorating the fear that we're going to (a) run things ourselves or (b) install a puppet government.
April 22, 2003
Taking a Rough with a Smooth
It's wonderful that the Iraqis are able to stage protests now. It's great that they have the religious freedom to conduct the pilgrimage to Karbala. None of that makes the fact that they are also now protesting the U.S. presence something we aren't going to have to deal with. Soon.
April 18, 2003
Undead Pool
Well, this could screw up that whole Dead Pool thing. It's really very inconsiderate of him not to just make it clear once and for all!
I didn't actually have to put a sarcasm tag on that last sentence, did I?
April 17, 2003
Dead or Alive?
First we have a Bulgarian news agency reporting that Al Jazeera says Saddam is dead. Now we have the White House Chief of Staff, Andrew Card, saying the same thing. I want to know what is sufficient proof to scoop up the 34 points in the Amish Tech Support Dead Pool, dammit!
UPDATE: Laurence has started a poll. So go on and vote that Saddam is dead, so some of us can finally scoop up some points.
April 16, 2003
U.N. Wakes Up
Unsurprisingly, both China and Syria backed North Korea in the vote.
But China, a long-time ally of Pyongyang, accused the European Union of seeking confrontation with North Korea and warned that the resolution would not help to resolve any of the country's human rights problems."It will not contribute to the protection of human rights. It will only produce counter-productive results," China's envoy told the commission.
Yeah, because ignoring it and pretending it doesn't exist produces such sterling results.
April 15, 2003
France Surrenders
Although Chirac is referring to it as being "pragmatic".
Sorry, but sometimes the cheap joke just works.
April 14, 2003
GWB Gets All Nancy Reagan...
...about the possibility of a war with Syria. Good.
April 09, 2003
Stupid Reporter Tricks
I briefly overheard a TV news reporter on ABC talking about the fall of Saddam's government. While doing so he made one of the most idiotic statements I have ever heard a TV news reporter make (and really, that's saying something). He was talking about how Saddam would now take his place in history alongside other failed dictators like Hitler and Stalin. Excuse me, Stalin was a failed dictator? If a man who was dictator for 24 years and was only removed from power by his death (which may have been unnatural, but then again he was 74 at the time), who managed to spread his power over a large part of Eastern Europe and other parts of the world, and who did away with most of his enemies (and 20 million or so other people) is a failed dictator, who the hell would be a successful one?
Morning Has Broken
And so has Saddam Hussein's government. Nothing wrong with that. By now it's no surprise that I wasn't in favor of this war, but it's a fact of life, and the best possible outcome as things now stand is for us to win quickly and Saddam to be ousted. Actually, the best possible outcome right now includes him and his sons not surviving. That part still remains to be seen. I have high hopes, though.
March 28, 2003
Those Brave "Vampires"
I'm sure we're all relieved to know that scholars speaking at the world Dracula congress in the Carpathian mountains are not afraid of the war in Iraq.
"The Count fears no war. We are holding the congress and we are expecting many distinguished scholars from around the world to attend," said society president Nicolae Paduraru.
I'm sure most residents of the Carpathian mountains are quite afraid they will be accidentally bombed in a conflict taking place 1,400 miles away. It's heartening to know that the distinguished scholars are so courageous. Otherwise such vital topics as "Early vampires stories in England" might go undiscussed. The humanity!
March 18, 2003
Seems I Was Wrong
Sunday night I predicted over at Michele's that this would be Operation This Is Really Your Last Chance. No, Honestly We Mean It This Time. Sort Of. Ignore The Crossed Fingers Behind Our Back. You Better Comply This Time Or Else We Might Pass Another Resolution. Or Not.
However, I now concede that I was wrong this time. The terror alert level was raised to orange. U.S. and British troops are getting rations of baby wipes (no, not for that, because they don't have showers in the field). Saddam has opted for a side of "fearful consequences" with his shock and awe. (Not that that surprises me.)
So now we sit and wait and hope. Hope that it won't be a long, drawn-out war. Hope that we won't be hit by another major terrorist attack. Hope that if we do succeed, the government doesn't abdicate its post-regime change responsibilities and/or sell out the Kurds. Hope that those people who have strained relationships because of the internal war arising from the external one can patch them up. Hope that normal doesn't once more become another relative term. Hope and hope and hope.
Does anyone else feel time as heavily as I do now?
March 16, 2003
Hardworking and Frugal?
I suppose that marketers think they can sell anything to people. After a poll indicating that most Britons don't want Prince Charles to become King Charles, there is a plan to "repackage Charles as hardworking, frugal and politically sensitive in an urgent bid to put recent damage to his reputation behind him." I wonder how they think they can repackage a man who has a valet squeeze his toothpaste for him as hardworking and frugal.
March 14, 2003
Canadians no longer attacking Jews only
TORONTO -- An Ontario teachers' union apologized yesterday to Education Minister Elizabeth Witmer, more than 24 hours after its irate members punched and jostled her following an address to their annual meeting.
The article went on to say:
The union's missive came after a mob of teachers physically and verbally abused Ms. Witmer at the base of a Sheraton Centre escalator as she left a closed session with about 800 association members. About 25 union members -- some wearing paper bags over their heads -- swarmed her. At least one man punched the diminutive minister and another person doused her with a glass of water.
But nowhere does it say why the attack happened.
March 11, 2003
An Ultimatum
Honestly, this is your absolutely, positively, final last chance1
1Unless some other country decides they don't like this last chance or the moon is in the seventh house and Jupiter aligns with Mars or Hans Blix sneezes 3 times tomorrow or 5 Iraqis can tell us who won the World Series last year without looking it up or you swear, hope to die, stick a needle in your eye never to do it again (until the next time) or someone left the cake out in the rain or... Offer void where prohibited by law.
March 10, 2003
Hell Phones
More evidence that technology makes kids lazy. In the old days, a bully would actually have to physically intimidate his/her victim, thus getting the benefits of physical exertion and fresh air. Now British school kids are using their cell phones to send threatening text messages to each other. Is it any wonder kids are getting fat?
March 07, 2003
In-Humanitarian
After reading this article about the EU and US placing sanctions againzt President Robert Mugabe and other government officials in Zimbabwe, I started to wonder if the United Nations was doing something as well. After all, Mugabe's disastrous land-reform policy has caused an economic meltdown in Zimbabwe. Their commercial agriculture sector has contracted 47% since the program was introduced. Over half the population is at risk of starvation. Supporters of the opposition movement are arrested and tortured. So I searched the United Nations website. No resolutions. If the U.N. member nations are so concerned about humanitarian causes, why has there been no action from the U.N. General Assembly or Security Council about Zimbabwe? Yes, there are U.N. aid programs active in Zimbabwe, but where are the resolutions?
February 25, 2003
Sacre Bleu!
Bernard Loiseau, a top-rated French chef has apparently committed suicide after the GaultMillau guide lowered his restaurant's rating. Who knew cooking was so competitive.
February 22, 2003
'New' Europe Doesn't Trust 'Old' Europe
Much as I suspected, Eastern Europe mistrusts France and Germany to protect their best interests.
People in Central and Eastern Europe do not trust West Europeans - the French in particular - to protect their interests. A Czech minister this week declared, "After the experience of the 1930s, don't talk to us about French guarantees".Central European officials have taken to talking about "appeasement" - the policy of accommodating Nazi Germany pursued by France and Britain in the run-up to World War II - usually at the expense of Germany's immediate eastern neighbours.
Furthermore, the Eastern Europeans who are against the war seem to recognize that there are better reasons to be against it than "We don't like how the Americans are handling it."
February 16, 2003
NATO Ignores France
The 18 members of NATO's Defense Planning Committee have unanimously agreed to approve planning for the defense of Turkey in the event of a war with Iraq. Last week, France, Germany, and Belgium had protested such a move. The Germans and Belgians have changed their minds. The French are still in opposition. However, France is the only member of NATO that is not on the Defense Planning Committee. Given their history that is probably a wise idea.
Traffic
Living in NYC, I've always said they call them traffic cops because they cause traffic. However, that ain't nothing compared to India.
Europe To France And Germany - You're Not Europe
It seems as though the rest of Europe has a message for the French and Germans - Europe is more than France and Germany.
The French have their knickers in a twist about this.
In the meantime, Bulgaria has vowed to resist French attempts to bully it into withdrawing support for America's plans to disarm Iraq. Last week the French ambassador to Sofia warned Bulgaria that its pro-American stance could jeopardise its efforts to join the European Union."Bulgaria has to consider carefully where its long-term interests lie," Jean Loup Kuhn-Delforge said last week. "When people live in Europe they should express solidarity and think European-style."
Given that the governments of 18 Eurupean countries are now backing the American government (see here and here), it strikes me that Bulgaria is thinking "European-style." The problem seems to be that France thinks that "European-style" means "French-style," while most other European nations have another definition.
A diplomat from one of the Baltic states said with undisguised relish: "It's pretty clear now that Europe isn't just France and Germany."
Solomon Pasi, Bulgaria's foreign minister, condemned the French as neo-appeasers. "We all remember the hesitancy of the Allies, who weren't sure whether to attack Hitler. They could have prevented so much," he said."We're in a situation where we have a moral imperative to act and act now."
This may not bode well for France and Germany in the long-run. It is clear the other European nations are growing weary of the self-proclaimed dominance of France and Germany in the European Union. Granted that the governments of these nations face public relations problems at home over their stance on Iraq. However, this does not mean that their constituents are also not tired of France and Germany calling all the EU shots.
It is quite possible that other nations will rebel against blackmailing potential EU entrants into towing the French and German line. European memories run long, and many of the new applicants were victims of the previous fruits of German dominance and the French appeasement of said dominance. I think Die Welt is wrong. The statement issued by the "Gang of Eight" has not "'sounded the death knell" for a common European foreign and security policy 'even before it has become a reality.'" It has not become a reality because the rest of Europe does not want a "European" foreign and security policy driven by the Germans and French.
February 15, 2003
Kid Saddam
It's one thing to protest against war...
...but to dress your kid up as Saddam Hussein while doing so? "Hey, I want my kid to be like a brutal, ruthless, murderous dictator! Go me!"
Comment Vous Définissez Immédiat En Français?
Clearly the French, Germans, and Russians have a different definition of "immediate" than the rest of us. U.N. Security Council Resolution 1441 clearly states that Iraq shall provide "immediate, unimpeded, unconditional and unrestricted access" to the areas that the weapons inspectors wish to inspect. It's not vague in any way. However, given continuing French, German, and Russian opposition to enforcement of that resolution, the U.S. government may now try to have a new resolution passed which would clearly define a specific date for compliance.
I could understand an argument that says that Iraq does not pose a direct threat. But an argument that says they aren't in material breach of the resolution and that inspections are working? That I can't understand. They have not provided "immediate, unimpeded, unconditional and unrestricted access" to the weapons inspectors. Furthermore, the resolution states that (emphasis mine):
...false statements or omissions in the declarations submitted by Iraq pursuant to this resolution and failure by Iraq at any time to comply with, and cooperate fully in the implementation of, this resolution shall constitute a further material breach of Iraq’s obligations and will be reported to the Council or assessment in accordance with paragraphs 11 and 12 below;
They are clearly in material breach. That there is any serious question about this astounds me. It also calls into question the effectiveness of the United Nations. The resolution states its purpose as being:
...to afford Iraq, by this resolution, a final opportunity to comply with its disarmament obligations under relevant resolutions of the Council; and accordingly decides to set up an enhanced inspection regime with the aim of bringing to full and verified completion the disarmament process established by resolution 687 (1991) and subsequent resolutions of the Council;
Final opportunity? Not if they have to pass a new resolution about the old resolution. But the ineffectiveness doesn't stop there.
...the Council has repeatedly warned Iraq that it will face serious consequences as a result of its continued violations of its obligations;
I suppose that's highly effective if by "serious consequences" they meant "pass additional resolutions." Personally, though, I see nothing all that serious about that.
I think the time has come to consider what the role of the U.N. is meant to be. If it is truly meant to be a meaningful body, it needs to be empowered to be so and its member nations need to act as if it is. The truth is that its member nations do not act as if it is, and I simply don't see that changing in the near future.
I work in a global firm. I see things like this happen in microcosm regularly. We call it "globalization paralysis." We sometimes get so caught up in doing things globally that we don't do anything at all. You can never get the consensus. There are, simply put, still too many significant differences between the various regions. Sometimes it just does not make sense to do things globally.
Another interesting facet is that it seems that those of us who work in the U.S. region are the ones most interested in doing things globally. The Europeans sometimes talk the global talk, but they will then go off and do their own thing contrary to the idea of globalization. To their credit, the Latin Americans, Asians, and Australians don't even see why we are trying to do things globally, so at least they are honest up front.
We Americans, however, don't wind up moving forward at all, because we're still so hung up on having to do things globally and push for others to do them globally as well. To my way of thinking, if we need to do something in the U.S., we should go ahead and do it instead of being stuck for years going around in a consensus spiral. Especially when the rest of the world is moving forward with their own solutions. Either that or we should be empowered to require the other regions to stop and act globally. Since that won't realistically happen, the former is a better solution.
It is much the same with the U.N., but on a far broader scale. No one is empowered to require nations to act globally. Therefore the nations will simply move ahead and do what they perceive as in their best interest. We should be doing that now. If we perceive that acting against Iraq is in our best interest, we should do so. At the very least, we should start debating whether or not it really is in our best interests, instead of continually trying to seek some sort of global consensus we will not get. The French, Germans, and Russians have their own best interests at heart here. I hope no one is truly naive enough to believe that their opposition stems from some type of global concern. It does not, despite their talk. Let us take a lesson from them.
February 14, 2003
False Alarm?
Well not completely, but why the hell didn't they polygraph them before they scared the hell out of us?
Terror Alert Partly Based on Fabricated InformationA key piece of the information leading to recent terror alerts was fabricated, according to two senior law enforcement officials in Washington and New York.
Just one more reason not to believe in the intelligence of (ok, pun intended) our federal officials.
Another Casualty of the Ivory Coast Civil War
Cocoa prices on the world market have more than doubled, which means that this year, chocolate Easter eggs will be more expensive. In fact, all chocolate is now more expensive. To steal a line from Jane, Jesus wept.
February 09, 2003
A Statue for Kofi
I must disagree with the Russians. When I think of Kofi Annan, I think of a mouse on a wheel.
February 02, 2003
Is Saddam toast?
Australia's Herald Sun Newspaper reports that one of Saddam's bodyguards has apparently defected to the Israelis.
Abu Hamdi Mahmoud has provided Israeli intelligence with a list of sites that the [weapons] inspectors have not visited.They include:
AN underground chemical weapons facility at the southern end of the Jadray Peninsula in Baghdad;
A SCUD assembly area near Ramadi. The missiles come from North Korea;
TWO underground bunkers in Iraq's Western Desert. These contain biological weapons.
William Tierney, a former UN weapons inspector who has continued to gather information on Saddam's arsenal, said Mahmoud's information is "the smoking gun".
"Once the inspectors go to where Mahmoud has pointed them, then it's all over for Saddam," Tierney said.
Sounds like Saddam's toast.
More Bad News
Another tragedy as an explosion at a Nigerian bank kills at least 20. No reports yet as to the cause of the explosion. It could be an accident, but given Nigeria's history of inter-ethnic violence, who knows.
January 30, 2003
Eurocrat Update
The Eurocrats deny ordering farmers to provide their pigs with toys for environmental enrichment. The only legal requirement is to provide them with straw, hay, wood, sawdust, compost, or peat. Note, though, that the legal requirement to provide pigs with environmental enrichment still exists. Apparently claiming that the rule requires toys to be provided is "utter eurosceptic rubbish," but it is better to claim simply that they require environmental enrichment. Right.
January 28, 2003
Iraq to Chair U.N. Disarmament Conference
Yes, the nation under U.N. investigation for violating U.N. disarmament resolutions is set to chair the U.N. Conference on Disarmament later this year. According to the rules, the conference presidency is based on a alphabetical rotating schedule of the U.N. member nations. While it may seem counterproductive to have Iraq chair such a conference, not so according to U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq.
Haq insisted that Iraq's upcoming position with the conference is not an issue because the group has not managed to establish an agenda."I think the main public relations concern is, What does it do substantively?" Haq said. "Since it's not exactly a body that has been meeting to deal with issues substantively for several years, the main worry is not about a procedural issue such as who is the chair; it's about what it can do."
Since that's the case, why even bother with the conference? Use the money for something productive. Oh wait, we're talking about the U.N. My bad.
At Last
In the face of lackluster domestic support and active international opposition, the Bush administration seems ready to declassify intelligence to show that Iraq has been concealing weapons from U.N. inspectors. I, for one, will be glad to hear it.
January 27, 2003
"Rumsfeld" wearing yellow star of David
Check out the picture which Meryl has posted permanently on her blog.
Then she comments:
Oh. How anti-peace of me. How's this? I hope the two people in this picture are part of the human shield movement, and I really hope they wind up "shielding" a strategic location.
Damn right, Meryl!
January 26, 2003
Powell Suffering From Multiple Personality Disorder
Powell on Saturday: U.S. Has 12 Allies on Iraq.
Powell on Sunday: U.S. Prepared to Act Alone on Iraq.
Sorry, Colin, it doesn't count if the 12 allies are your 11 other personalities. If we have 12 allies, then we don't have to act alone. If we have to act alone, then we don't have 12 allies. The offer for the syrup still stands, though.
January 25, 2003
United Nitwits
U.N. security men at the Baghdad compound turned over a man screaming "Save me, save me" and carrying a notebook to Iraqi police.
Earlier there were unexplained incidents at the U.N.'s Baghdad compound when two men -- one carrying three knives, the other a notebook and shouting "Save me!" -- tried to enter the base.Both men were apprehended and turned over to Iraqi authorities, U.N. officials reported. It was unclear whether the two incidents were related.
On the two incidents, U.N. officials said that one man approached the hotel's security gate with a metal instrument, before Iraqi guards wrestled him to the ground. He was later found to have three knives, the U.N. said.
About 40 minutes later, another Iraqi man stopped a U.N. vehicle outside the headquarters pleading "Save me! Save me!" in Arabic, according to the U.N. The man, apparently unarmed, forced his way into the driver's seat of the stopped vehicle, as an Iraqi guard struggled to pull him out, while an unfazed U.N. inspector watched from the passenger seat.
Appearing agitated and frightened, the young man, with a closely trimmed beard and mustache, sat inside the white U.N.-marked utility vehicle for 10 minutes, AP reported. At first, an inspection team leader sought help from nearby Iraqi soldiers, but the man refused to leave the vehicle as the uniformed men pulled on his sleeve and collar.
"I am unjustly treated!" he shouted.
Then U.N. security men arrived, and they and Iraqi police carried the man by his feet and arms into the fenced compound, journalists said. The man was turned over to Iraqi authorities at a government office adjacent to the compound, U.N. officials said.
Iraqi officials said they had no information on the incidents.
What were the U.N. guards thinking? Oh, my bad. They weren't. Even worse, maybe they were. Note to self - never try to defect to U.N. representatives. I wonder how many Iraqi scientists are making that same note to themselves now.
Oh Behave!
More British legal lunacy. These guys are on a roll. The latest involves an experimental program in which the Wiltshire Police will send letters to repeat offenders suggesting that they "cease forthwith" their "criminal activities." Bwahahahaha!
Oh Behave! comic blog.
January 22, 2003
More Silly Brit Tricks
Just when you thought that the British justice system couldn't live down the Lord Chief Justice and Lord Chancellor recommending no prison sentences for first- and second-time burglars. Now it seems the Norfolk probation service may have recommended that a man be denied parole for being a "danger to burglars."
Tony Martin is serving a five-year sentence for manslaughter after shooting and killing a teenage burglar who had broken into his home. Martin was recently denied parole. Although the parole board didn't give any reason for turning him down, there is speculation that the board rejected him after receiving a Probation Services report criticizing Martin for "being a danger to burglars." Other speculation is that Martin has not expressed remorse for his act and that Probation Services felt he was not "up to speed with the 21st century" and felt that "things were better 40 years ago."
Has England passed a Preferential Treatment for Burglars Act? Inquiring minds want to know.
Via Zonitics.com
January 21, 2003
I'd Divorce Him
An Israeli couple sought the judgment of a rabbinical court to settle their marital dispute. The issue? The wife was planning to vote for the Labor Party in the upcoming general election. The husband, who plans to vote Likud, said that he wouldn't accept his wife "voting against his will." The rabbinical court ruled that the woman should not vote in the upcoming election. I see.
January 15, 2003
Brit Burglars Bag Break
In a bit of legal lunacy, Lord Woolf, the Lord Chief Justice of england, has issued a burglarly sentencing guideline that calls for no prison sentences for first- and second-time offenders. Not surprisingly, this has lead to some objections being raised, notably from the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Victims of Crime Trust. Lord Woolf has now issued clarification of his recommendations - the objections, he clarifies, are wrong. These guidelines will not provide incentive for people to burgle but will, in fact, act as a deterrent and protect the public. Nothing, from what I can tell, as to how he expects that to happen.
One might think that the government would be up in arms about this, although there is little they can effectively do (what with that pesky little "independent judiciary" thing). However, not so. Derry Irvine, the Lord Chancellor, has wholeheartedly endorsed these guidelines. He goes even further to say that "most people" were not disturbed at "first-time or even second-time burglars - where there are no aggravated elements in the burglary - not going to prison". Oh, certainly, most people are not at all disturbed by the thought of criminals wandering about hither and thither. At least not on the strange planet that Woolf and Irvine appear to inhabit. Back here on planet Earth, most of us aren't too fond of that concept.
The police have come out against these recommendations, but are offering up their own bit of lunacy. The police in London will only investigate burglaries where there is a strong possibility of conviction. This, they are proud to say, will vastly improve their clear-up figures. Hmm, I wonder if I could use that logic at work. I'll tell my boss that from now on I'm only willing to accept assignments that I have a strong possibility of completing early, which will, of course, improve my performance. On second thought, I like my job. Don't want to get fired.
The root of all of this seems to be the rising level of violent crime in Britain. The thought is that with limited resources they should focus on the major crimes and ignore the little ones. Apparently they derived this from a thoroughly mistaken understanding of New York City's success in lowering crime rates. In fact, NYC did just the opposite. They aggressively went after perpetrators of the small crimes on the theory that they were more likely to be the perpetrators of the major crimes as well. This would then lower the case load of major investigations. This theory was borne out in practice. By ignoring the small crimes, the London police are likely to find their case load of major crimes growing, not shrinking. Perhaps Rudy Giuliani should hop over to England and consult with them on their growing crime problem.
January 12, 2003
More from the World of the Obvious
Traveling in overcrowded train cars is bad for you. This requires an official investigation?
January 10, 2003
Spiders from Mars
Eight Australian spiders are heading to space to help NASA test the effects of zero g. No word yet on whether or not Ziggy will play guitar.
January 09, 2003
Hans Can't Get No Satisfaction
U.N. Chief Weapons Inspector, Hans Blix, is unsatisfied with the Iraqi weapons declaration.
"The declaration didn't provide us any new evidence," Blix said after appearing before the Security Council. "So we are not satisfied."
Mohamed ElBaradei, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, however, says that although there are still question marks, the inspections have yet to turn up a "smoking gun." Meanwhile, the U.S., U.K., and France are mobilizing troops and/or calling up their reserves. With the U.S. declaring that the Iraqi declaration constitutes a material breach of the U.N. resolution, how much longer before definitive action is taken?
I Thought It Was Heavenly Dandruff
Confused Brits, not having seen snow for quite some time, apparently require a user's guide to snow, which The Guardian has happily provided. I can attest to the truth of this need. When, in my college days back in 1985, I spent a trimester at Cambridge University, it was the first time it had snowed in England for about 10 years. Now, when I say snow, I mean they had some frost on the ground. Nevertheless, the country was bemused by this strange, sparkly stuff and it was causing problems. As a New Yorker, I was highly amused. My then boyfriend, a Canadian, was even more so.
My favorite part of the Guardian guide?
4) I've always wondered - what happens to a dry ski slope when it gets snow on it? Do they have to close it? Apparently not. According to Lockerbie, "it just goes quicker. It's better for skiing. We are open."
Yes, Great Britain, you do need snow for skiing.
January 08, 2003
A Life Unfulfilled
A Canadian man who went to Iraq to act as a human shield died, but was unable to fulfill his ambition because he was killed in a traffic accident. How sad for him, to die in such a fashion. He could have just stayed in Canada to do that.
January 06, 2003
lileks is brilliant
One hundred wounded in Tel Aviv yesterday.... Before I didn’t care what happened to the people in the organizations that arrange these attacks. Now I don’t care about what happens to the culture that permits it. Approves of it. Defends it, sanctions it, shelters it, sings it praises, names streets after the men who do it. I’m done. I don’t want to hear the word “but” in any sentence uttered by a PLO / Fatah / Al Aqsa / Hamaz / Hezbollah apologist. I don’t want to hear the phrase “cycle of violence” used outside the context of a gang fight at the Tour De France.I never want to see Arafat asking for anything anywhere any more. I don’t want to see people on the West Bank cheering as clumsy Scuds lumber over their heads in February, because I know they’ll head to Israeli hospitals when the germs hit them, and I know they’ll be admitted for treatment.
Unfortunately, I'm in the same state of mind -- all sympathied out.
January 05, 2003
Objewctification
For a variety of personal reasons, I tend not to talk much about being Jewish, about the Israeli/Palestinian situation, or anything related to that. Sometimes, though, things boil to a point where I feel the need to verbalize them. Today is one of those sometimes.
It’s been building for a while. It started with the reports of the British boycott of Israeli academics. It grew when I very recently read about an incident in Amsterdam that had happened back in April. It boiled over with the reports that the French rabbi who was stabbed on Friday had received a threatening letter just prior to the attack. It’s about the objectification of Jews. That it does not seem to matter to a not insignificant number of people what we individually think, believe, want, do. Only that we are J-E-W-S.
The British boycott of Israeli academics is intended, they say, to be similar to a prior boycott of South African academics. Forgetting, for the moment, dissimilarities between Israel and South Africa, as that is not what I’m writing about, there was one specific incident that stuck out in the report I read. A respected British magazine rejected an article that a left-wing Israeli academic, Dr. Oren Yiftachel, had co-authored with a Palestinian solely because it came from Israel. They returned the submission to him unopened. They had no idea what it said. It did not matter what he personally believed. He supports withdrawal of Israel from the occupied territories. But it was irrelevant. All that mattered was that he was Israeli. Dr. Yiftachel contacted them and tried to negotiate inclusion of this article in their publication. As of December 19, the negotiations were still ongoing, but the magazine was requiring Dr. Yiftachel to include in the article a comparison of Israel to South Africa.
In Amsterdam, in April of 2002, there was a demonstration of 15,000 people against Israel. The protest turned violent when it reached a central square in Amsterdam and protestors got sight of an observant Jew. “ A Jew, there's a Jew,” they cried, ran toward the man and started beating him. Placards at the march included those saying “"Jews into the sea", "Jews are dogs", "Juden raus", "Sharon terrorist, down with the Jews" and "I will become an anti-Semite, how about you?" This was not a protest against Israel. This was a protest against Jews under the guise of being against Israel. By the way, how many of us read this in the mainstream American media? You know, the one that many seem to think controlled by J-E-W-S? It surely didn’t get big play.
The rabbi who was stabbed, it turns out, runs the Paris office of the Jewish Liberal Movement of France, which campaigns for a peaceful solution to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. He, himself, was reaching out to establish closer ties between Judaism and other religions, including Islam. Yet the morning of the attack, he received an anonymous letter reading “We will have Rabbi Gabriel Farhi's skin and avenge the blood of our Palestinian brothers. We will give him the Jihad (holy war) punishment reserved for enemies of our cause." Rabbi Farhi, an enemy of their cause? Hardly. But this did not matter. They did not care about what he believed. All they cared about was that he was Jewish.
After the attacks of 9/11, many people warned the world, rightfully, not to blame all Muslims for the acts of some. I call upon those same people to speak out and warn the world not to blame all Jews for the acts of some. We, too, are individuals. We, too, deserve to be judged by our own actions, not by the group to which we belong. Unfortunately, I hold out little hope that this will happen.
December 30, 2002
I Predict You Will Give Me Lots of Money
Uncertainty about the Thai economy has led to increased demand for "divination services" or fortunetelling. It is estimated that Thais spent $37 million in 2002 on fortunetellers. I have a better idea (no, it's not sending the money to me, although..., no, never mind) - take the money you were going to spend on the fortuneteller and stuff it in your mattress. That way if the economy stays soft, you'll actually have that money.
Will They Or Won't They
Yesterday's news: Saudi Arabia to Let US Use Bases - Officials
Today's news: Saudis Deny Letting US Use Bases
Something is rotten in the state of Saudi Arabia. I would guess that one of two things happened. Either the US released that report to pressure the Saudis into agreeing to let us use their bases, or the Saudis actually did make such an agreement but didn't want it to be common knowledge.
I lean towards it being the latter. The Saudis are very sensitive right now to a deterioration in relations with the United States. However, at the same time they are anxious not to appear too pro-American for fear of angering the other Arab nations. I think they may well have made such an agreement in private, but wanted to keep a more neutral public fa