Catfish and Cod

2005-05-02T14:36:00.000-04:00

OneStat codeBecause Frassle doesn't allow Javascript code directly, I'm plopping my OneStat counter here. I don't know if this will work...

2005-05-02T14:04:00.000-04:00

New digsCatfish and Cod has moved to:http://www.frassle.net/catfishncodPlease update...

2004-06-03T21:37:00.000-04:00

An interesting reminiscence. (Link path: Slashdot, X-Com: Tactical) Anyone remember X-COM? It was a dinky little '90s PC game I played back in high school, mostly on my room-mate's machine. It has a couple of sequels, bad graphics (and slow, even for the time), and a hackneyed plot based on a combined Roswell/Cydonia/Lovecraft mythos. But the combination of tactical and strategic combat that

2004-05-27T17:13:00.000-04:00

What a complete joke! (Link path: UPI) This is most blatantly ignorant "news analysis" I've ever read. * We didn't necessarily think it would be "easy" to knock out al-Sadr. We just knew we had to. * Riding the coattails of his father: true, but said coattails have now been run ragged. * "There is no closure". Hmm. Fallujah is quiet. Karbala is quiet. Basra is quiet. Kufa has been taken, and

2004-05-27T16:07:00.000-04:00

Family's here. (Catch of the day) This weekend's blogging forecast is light...

2004-05-24T16:03:00.000-04:00

Oh no! Undue accumulation of power! (Link path: Yahoo/Reuters) You know, I bash the Right sometimes for seeing "media bias" where there isn't any. But there are some media that are biased, and European media tend to be worse at that than others. The Beeb's bias was exposed when its man-on-the-scene took Baghdad Bob's pronouncements as straight news during the invasion. The Mirror's was made

2004-05-24T15:54:00.000-04:00

Anti-dumb-war. (Link path: The New York Times, free and pointless registration required) I don't know if Joseph Wilson is telling the truth or not about his wife and that trip to Niger. I don't know if the Yellowgate accusations were true or false. What I do know is that a CIA agent had her cover blown for political purposes, and that's wrong at best and criminal at worst. But Joseph Wilson

2004-05-24T15:18:00.000-04:00

First, remove the beam in thine own eye. (Link path: The Footballs of Rabid Pro-Semitism, Hollywood Reporter) LGF links a story noting that Bush, inexplicably, has chosen not to request airtime on the Big Four networks for his Army War College speech defending his Iraq policy. Before clicking on the comments button, I said to myself, "You know, this is poor strategy on the part of the White

2004-05-24T07:23:00.000-04:00

And whose fault is this? (Link path: CNN) Headline: Sharon proposes revised withdrawal plan Palestinian response: "Palestinians opposed Sharon's withdrawal plan, saying it is unilateral and leaves out Palestinian interests." To which I say: why should Sharon negotiate with Arafat? Why shouldn't he act unilaterally? * You don't carry out your agreements. Why do Palestinian schools still deny

2004-05-22T17:42:00.000-04:00

Installing TrackBack and upgrading comments with HaloScan! (Catch of the day) Excuse our dust... UPDATE: Hmmm, TrackBack seems to be installed properly, but I can't ping anyone without permalinks -- and permalinks are still down. It's not the archive pages, just the links. To my loyal readers (all seven of you) -- anyone know Blogger well enough to help? UPDATE: The plot thickens. My

2004-05-22T17:18:00.000-04:00

Oh my God I was wrong it was Iran all along. (Link path: BoingBoing, Making Light, Newsday.com - National News; Talking Points Memo) TPM is *all over* this story. Go there for the latest dirt. It appears now that Chalabi didn't just meet an Iranian intelligence agent -- he hired one. His chief of intelligence -- the guy that's been digging up all the dirt for Chalabi to blackmail people with --

2004-05-22T13:41:00.000-04:00

Penny wise and pound foolish. (Link path: The Footballs of Rabid Pro-Semitism, National Review Online) The Footballs links a disturbing piece by Byron York in the National Review, suggesting that Rumsfeld's policy changes to permit greater flexibility in killing, capturing, and interrogating prisoners, was "a good idea". In other words, he argues that the rewards in intelligence and military

2004-05-22T12:01:00.000-04:00

Checking up on the commercial Nostradamus. (Link path: The Economist, TradeSports) Remember that disturbance last year about a DARPA project to predict the likelihood of future events through online trading? I wrote about it last year. (Look for "Public idea futures: I must dissent!"; permalinks seem to be inoperative that far back in the archives.) Well, Tradesports has taken up the job (as I

2004-05-22T12:00:00.000-04:00

Electoral College update. (Link path: Election Projection - 2004 Edition) So what's the effect of all the recent foofooraw on the 2004 election? It is, of course, a long way to Election Day. But that doesn't stop people of all persuasions from trying to prognosticate the results of the election. That's why we have election prediction polls, for instance, and job approval ratings, and right

2004-05-21T13:48:00.000-04:00

Theocrats. (Link path: War Liberal) I've written extensively before on Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shi'ite religious character formenting rebellion in Iraq. Most people, in Iraq and in the West, now recognize him and his goons as completely self-interested jerks. Muqtada vows to throw the Americans out on general principle; he desires a Shi'ite Iranian-style theocracy (with himself in a high position

2004-05-21T09:44:00.000-04:00

Where did that sarin come from? (Link path: Hugh Hewitt, Citizen Smash, Castle Argghh!, The Corner on National Review Online) Newly acquired data indicate that the sarin shell is very interesting indeed. Joe Frye, a reader on the Corner, notes that the shells were unmarked, and suggests that the conventional and chemical weapons were mixed with each other in the stockpiles. This has the benefit

2004-05-20T20:03:00.000-04:00

The only battlefield: III. Mystical vs. realistic goals. (Fishmonger's wares) Reader Joshua Scholar points out that al-Qaeda does not act in a completely Clausewitzian manner. "You're assuming that AQ has a world view similar to ours and that their thinking is more logical than mystical...Logic and planning are not the realms of AQ thought, mysticism is. Murderous mysticism." Joshua has

2004-05-20T19:14:00.000-04:00

And now, to completely confuse you.... (Link path: Tacitus, Daily Kos, Washington Post) Early reports (from Arab sources known to be opposed to American occupation) indicate that American jets bombed a wedding ceremony. Later reports (from American sources) indicate that those killed were actually legitimate military targets. The Washington Post gives both reports (demonstrating their "balance"

2004-05-20T17:14:00.000-04:00

The European worldview. (Link path: [email from Andreas], Catfish and Cod, USS Clueless, [email from Andreas]) Andreas responded to my post. That's a C&C first. Thanks, Andreas! I hope my reply enlightens you. Hi! I'm Andreas from Sweden, the guy who merely asked a Steven Den Beste a simple theoretical question but got accused for all sorts of things. :) I've said it before and I'll say it

2004-05-20T14:37:00.000-04:00

The need for information tracking. (Link path: King of the Blogs, Belmont Club) Wretchard is right -- we need to be able to know how our knowledge is evolving, over both space and time. Knowledge should not be viewed as discrete events, but as part of a continuum, complete with interactions. But this need goes well beyond the news, or the "public intelligence service" as he puts it.

2004-05-20T13:46:00.000-04:00

What were they thinking? (Link path: The New Zealand Herald/Reuters) Palestinian demonstrators were killed today when tanks and helicopters fired into the crowd. Israel says it wasn't deliberately firing at civilians. But what were you doing using tanks and helicopters in a highly urbanized environment in the first place? Everyone knows that leads to civilian deaths -- especially when people

2004-05-20T12:58:00.000-04:00

Chalabi's a hoot. (Link path: CNN) Chalabi claims that "Ba'athists. controlling the Iraqi Police under the protection of the CPA", are behind the raid on INC headquarters. Anyone who thinks we support Ba'athists is off his rocker. It wasn't until this month that we started relinquishing an iron policy of strict refusal of all Ba'athists -- regardless of actual loyalty to the party or its higher

2004-05-20T12:11:00.000-04:00

America is Frankenstein -- and that's a good thing. (Link path: F*** France, Catfish and Cod, USS Clueless) I see from the referrer logs that I've been linked to by a American-boosterism page called "F France", who are touting my post as a reason to disapprove of the French and boost American exceptionalism. That's not exactly what I had in mind. As I said in the last post: I don't agree with

2004-05-20T11:31:00.000-04:00

The decline and fall of Ahmed Chalabi. (Link path: The Command Post, Australian Broadcasting Corporation) They finally did it. Ahmed Chalabi is no longer under American protection. For those just tuning in:Chalabi is the head of the Iraqi National Congress. In the 1990's it was touted as a "government-in-exile" by the United States, and enjoyed broad American support. Chalabi's group passed

2004-05-19T13:27:00.000-04:00

Defenders of the people, not of the regime. (Link path: The Christian Science Monitor) Many Iraqis, according to the Monitor, are beginning to accept the U.S.-trained protection services as legitimate. This directly leads to reduction of popular opposition, and even the beginnings of popular support, for such forces as the Facility Protection Service (FPS) and the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps (ICDC

2004-05-18T11:22:00.000-04:00

The only battlefield: II. Memetic victories are stronger than physical victories. (Link path: King of the Blogs, The Right Coast, Belmont Club) How can the war be won? Neither side is capable of inflicting a physical victory over the other. Al-Qaeda cannot possibly destroy the whole of America or its army, no matter what they do. The West does possess the physical ability, via nuclear weapons,

2004-05-18T10:49:00.000-04:00

The only battlefield: I. Memetic defeats have been stronger than physical defeats. (Link path: King of the Blogs, The Right Coast, Belmont Club) It is now almost a cliche to say that "hearts and minds" are our goal in Iraq. The one goal that all Western politicans would agree on is the desire to have an Iraq that thinks favorably of the West, and is inclined towards the behaviors of a successful

2004-05-17T20:52:00.000-04:00

A moderately interesting idea. (Catch of the day) Rampant speculation mode here. Consider a Riemannian space (a generalization of multi-dimensional space) defined by a genome. It has n dimensions, where n = the number of base pairs. There are only four possible positions along each dimension. This could be modeled as a circle with four points; only the four cardinal points are possible

2004-05-17T20:18:00.000-04:00

The origins of European timidity. (Link path: USS Clueless) Steven Den Beste is an unrepentant patriot. I have no problem with that (except when taken too far without thought, a problem I don't perceive in Den Beste). The problem is that he doesn't seem to perceive exactly why Europeans fear and detest his patriotism. You see, Europeans fear and detest American patriotism because they

2004-05-17T20:05:00.000-04:00

The triumph of hope over experience. (Catch of the day) Twice already I have started on this blog, and twice already I have abandoned it. So why am I coming back again? Because I still feel that there are things which must be said, and that only I can guarantee that they be said. What I won't do (and I was doing the last two times) is write for anyone but myself. Before, I was trying (

2003-11-26T14:02:00.000-05:00

Holidays. (Catch of the day) In the United States, it is the day before Thanksgiving. In the Middle East, it is (or was a day or two ago, depending on country) Eid al-Fitr. So Happy Thanksgiving and Eid Mubarak, everybody!

2003-11-23T11:26:00.000-05:00

A rebuttal to "ranting lefties": II. (Link path: comments to Healing Iraq) You have to realize, many of the londond protester all ready realize that there will be no democracy for Iraq. A major disconnect between the pro-war and anti-war camps is that the pro-war people believe that (1) the Administration is sincere about its announcements that Iraq will be democratized and (2) believe that

2003-11-23T10:57:00.000-05:00

Part of a real plan to end the war on terror. (Link path: comments to Healing Iraq) "Lil, as you say, there's no doubt this war will outlast us all. The reason: because muslim soldiers will never quit until we show them they cannot win. I believe that has been done already, and America, Britain and company will do it again. Derek | 11.22.03 - 11:59 pm | #" I do not believe that will ever happen

2003-11-23T10:40:00.000-05:00

A rebuttal to "ranting lefties". (Link path: comments to Healing Iraq) To paraphrase the old candy bar commercial: sometimes you feel like a fisk, sometimes you don't. Many people would fisk a self-proclaimed "ranting lefty" such as posts below, but I think she deserves an honest counter-argument. I hope there are those of her persuasion who would entertain a civil discussion on the merits.

2003-11-16T16:48:00.000-05:00

The Federalist No. 51., autotranslated to Arabic. (Link path: Tarjim @ Ajeeb.com, The Library of Congress) A commenter at Healing Iraq, commenting on the plans to write an Iraqi constitution, said: The Federalist papers should be translated into Arabic, printed and distributed throughout Iraq. They offer a lot of useful advice for Iraqis on what their government could/should be like. It seems

2003-10-31T12:43:00.000-05:00

Same song, second verse. (Link path: CNN) Psst! I've got a secret for you. Want to know how to evade international weapons inspectors? It's easy! First, claim that you're a perfectly legitimate country with a perfectly legal and peaceful set of programs. When details pop up to the contrary, throw the weapons inspectors out. Then you can negotiate to have them return, along with your declaration

2003-10-31T12:25:00.000-05:00

NGO's turn tail and run. (Link path: MSNBC) It's easy to scare away European aid workers. All you have to do is send in one or two little car bombs, or do anything else that causes a few Europeans to die. Then you can sit back and watch them scurry away, leaving you to take over, terrorize, rape, and pillage as you see fit. The NGO's and Europeans will even help you -- they will insist on

2003-10-31T11:43:00.000-05:00

Al-Sadr's making trouble: VII. (Link path: Washington Post) Reader Jan Goodrich points us to a major story in today's Washington Post on the supporters of al-Sadr. I see three take-home points from this story: (1) Thanks to bus transportation links, the communities previously identified as Sadr strongholds -- Sadr City, al-Hillah district, Karbala, and Najaf -- are not isolated, as the maps

2003-10-27T15:37:00.000-05:00

Al-Sadr's making trouble: VI. (Link path: Command Post / Nikita Demosthenes, Defend America) The paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division, attached to the 1st Division in Baghdad, provided the backup and intelligence services for operations against "religious extremists in al-Rashid district, south Baghdad", says this Defend America article. These were likely the operations from Sept. 29

2003-10-27T13:55:00.000-05:00

A stupid move by the New Holy Roman Empire. (Link path: CNN) The French and Germans are still laboring under the delusion that a New World Order can be arranged uniting the world in opposition to American hegemony. Unfortunately, they are far freer with the stick and with the carrot. The east Europeans noticed this when Chirac publicly invited them to "keep quiet". Now Iraq has noticed as well.

2003-10-27T13:46:00.000-05:00

Al-Sadr's making trouble: V. (Link path: San Jose Mercury News/Knight Ridder) Despite everyone's efforts to the contrary, the US occupation is trying to make life better. More food will be distrubuted during Ramadan to aid with everyone's fasting. The July 14 bridge in Baghdad is open again, and the curfew there is lifted. Muqty, of course, wants the Americans gone ASAP. But the Iraqi people

2003-10-27T12:36:00.000-05:00

How do we improve Iraqi security?: II. (Link path: {Slate, The Gray Lady [free and pointless registration required]}; Chief Wiggles) Things are looking awful in Baghdad this morning. A car bomb disguised as an ambulance took out Red Cross HQ, Baghdad. Five police stations were similarly attacked in a two-hour time frame; one was foiled, and the Syrian suicide bomber was apprehended. Thirty-four

2003-10-27T11:32:00.000-05:00

Corporate assimilation. (Link path: Boston Globe/Reuters) Maybe this deal makes financial sense. Bank of America gets a New England presence, and Fleet gets a bunch of moolah and national prominence. The $47 billion buyout of Fleet by BoA creates the nation's second largest bank, and in a dog-eat-dog world, you're a heavyweight or a chump. But why must we lose even a semblance of regional

2003-10-27T11:30:00.000-05:00

Rumsfeld memo: II. (Link path: On the Third Hand, Citizen Smash) And it was at the low point of the madness that Kathy did speak, and spake she thus: "Despair not, for there are those who have harkened to the call of Rumsfeld." And she pointed to those who had pondered the questions, and considered how we are doing. And many of them were wise men of the blogosphere, and among them were Lileks,

2003-10-24T15:07:00.000-04:00

Rumsfeld memo: a tragedy of spin. (Link path: USA Today) And lo, it came to pass that Rumsfeld, master of the war hosts, awoke one day and asked: "How are we doing?" And his followers began to whisper, "Rumsfeld knows not how we are doing." And his domestic enemies heard the whispers, and said, "Rumsfeld hath said before that all was well, and now asks how we are doing; lo, he must have lied

2003-10-24T14:50:00.000-04:00

Citizen reporter. (Link path: BuzzMachine) Jeff Jarvis wants the perfecting reporting tool -- something that's a camera, a microphone, a web-enabled PDA with word processing and wireless connectivity, and a phone, all in one. Such a thing is imminently possible; all the components have been invented, we just need a bright boy to put it all in one box, figure out the ergonomics and power

2003-10-24T14:36:00.000-04:00

Socialists hate democracy, love al-Sadr. (Link path: Socialist Worker) Want to see something disgusting? Check this out. Buried in the anti-U.S., anti-capitalist, anti-everyone-except-socialist propaganda is this graf: ...while the Iraqi resistance--fueled by suffering and economic misery at the hands of the U.S. occupiers--will continue to gather momentum. "When the people of California were

2003-10-24T14:25:00.000-04:00

How do we improve Iraqi security? (Link path: Healing Iraq) Zayed talks some more about the new Iraqi Police. They seem to be the most popular thing the coalition has acheived so far -- the exact opposite of the Ba'athist thugs. More important than the physical reconstruction that everyone's been talking about lately is the reconstruction of institutions. Even if everything's rebuilt perfectly,

2003-10-24T13:53:00.000-04:00

Al-Sadr's making trouble: IV. (Link path: Taipei Times, The Guardian) The coalition wants al-Sadr gone. Apart from the mess he's caused in the last few weeks, he's also suspected of assassinating several rivals in the Hawza power structure in Najaf. The coalition thinks they can pin the lynching/assassination of Abdel Majid al-Khoei on al-Sadr; that's what they'll use to grab him. Many still

2003-10-21T08:29:00.000-04:00

Al-Sadr's making trouble: III. (Link path: CNN) The CPA and the US military, it seems, have decided on their action. A series of raids in the early morning hours of Tuesday (Oct 21 for those of you keeping score) have grabbed up 21 members of al-Mahdi, probably those involved in the altercation at al-Hassani's place last Thursday (Oct 16). The CNN reporter points out the obvious, that al-Sadr

2003-10-21T00:04:00.000-04:00

Self-defense: a good alibi but a poor legal strategy. (Link path: Washington Post) What is it about Islamic militants that makes them desperately want to act as their own counsel in court? It can't be in hopes of winning their defense. Anyone even remotely famliar with the law system of any modern country realizes that having a lawyer, even one with rudimentary skills, beats speaking on your

2003-10-20T23:36:00.000-04:00

Al-Sadr's making trouble: II. (Link path: Healing Iraq) Wow, what a difference a day makes. Twenty-fours go by and I get linked as the go-to guy for "an interesting and very accurate timeline for all Al-Sadr related trouble in Iraq since September 29." Amazing what three hours of obsessive Google News reading will get you these days, isn't it? Zayed has corrected my interpretations of who is

2003-10-19T00:24:00.000-04:00

Al-Sadr's making trouble. (Link path: BuzzMachine, Healing Iraq) UPDATE: Welcome to visitors from Healing Iraq! We're glad you're here. This story continues in further postings above: II. III. IV. V. VI. First, announcing a new Iraqi blog, discovered by Jeff Jarvis. I've talked about the importance of reading Iraqi blogs before. This one looks to be the best yet. Zayed (for that is the new

2003-10-18T20:40:00.000-04:00

TSA: Terribly Silly Aardvarks. (Link path: The View from Chaos Manor, ABC News) Pournelle's response to the latest TSA incompetency: The purpose of TSA is to expand and employ more TSA people. It has nothing to do with providing security, which is best done by locking the cockpit doors and arming the pilots. Then How do you explain the job cuts? No, Dr. Pournelle. The TSA's purpose is to

2003-10-18T20:19:00.000-04:00

Cool space references: I. (Link path: The Space Elevator Reference) Marc Boucher is head of The Mars Institute, a organization that broke away from the Mars Society last year over doctrinal differences. (I must write a post someday about the holy wars and religious issues of space policy.) He's a frequent collaborator with Keith Cowing and an ardent space advocate. He is now assimilated into

2003-10-18T19:35:00.000-04:00

Political infighting. (Link path: The Gray Lady, free and pointless registration required) State Dept. Study Foresaw Trouble Now Plaguing Iraq "It was mostly ignored," said one senior defense official. "State has good ideas and a feel for the political landscape, but they're bad at implementing anything. Defense, on the other hand, is excellent at logistical stuff, but has blinders when it

2003-10-18T11:46:00.000-04:00

Illumination, and Vladimir Borovsky. (Link path: Trying to Grok, Amrivati, Front Page magazine) Sometimes the truth can be seen more clearly from a different perspective. And sometimes it's even harder to distinguish from the side effects of your own point of view. Here we review (from an American perspective) an interview with Vladimir Borovsky, a Soviet and post-Soviet dissident. The interview

2003-10-18T11:45:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone, I'm back. (Catch of the day) After a month and a half hiatus, I've decided to start posting again. I debated for quite a while whether or not to give up on this blog. I have a very demanding life, and I can't keep up the posting rate that I would prefer. Not only do I feel that I have a lot to say, my significant ego would like to keep posting ten comments a day and attract a

2003-09-03T23:48:00.000-04:00

Operation Fisk the President! (Link path: The White House) The president says he's now paying attention to the loss of manufacturing jobs in America. But is he? I would like to remind people that a culture of responsibility is coming in America. One of the reasons why is that we see every day people who are willing to serve something greater than themself in life. Our children see heroes again,

2003-09-03T23:08:00.000-04:00

Interesting search requests: II. (Catch of the day) catfish receipt The most rational reason for such a web search was the first hit: a receipt of an application for declaring the Yaqui catfish of Arizona as an endangered species. (With the amount of irrigation going on there, I think all native fish of Arizona are probably endangered species.) We're number twenty on the search list. I wonder

2003-09-02T11:25:00.000-04:00

Nature vs. nurture: IQ. (Link path: The Volokh Conspiracy, Washington Post, Psychological Science 14(6) (in press)) A new report says that environmental factors determine IQ among the poor, while genetics controls IQ among the rich. This finding suggests that, for an individual to reach his or her full potential, there is a required level of the environmental factors generally referred to as "

2003-09-02T10:42:00.000-04:00

It turns out that Willis can articulate policy! (Link path: Like Kryptonite to Stupid, Catfish and Cod, Like Kryptonite to Stupid) Excellent, Smithers! Now we shall a real policy discussion, and take over all the wealth of Springfield! But sir, you already control all the wealth of Springfield. Don't interrupt me, Smithers! I have work to do! Willis: Some answers: Iraq - The administration

2003-09-02T10:04:00.000-04:00

Checks and balances -- it's not just for government anymore. (Link path: Asymmetrical Information, The Economist) Jane Galt doesn't like it that patents are being brok -- ahem, licensed in a mandatory fashion. She, as a libertarian economist, considers it an invasion of the economic sphere by government (which it is) and undesirable (which it is not). Big Pharma is indispensible for R & D of

2003-09-02T09:14:00.000-04:00

Ideologies run rampant. (Link path: Washington Monthly; USS Clueless) Josh Marshall sez: Many pundits have mocked these constantly-shifting rationales as though the administration is somehow confused. But they only seem confused if you assume that the problem needing to be solved actually called forth the policy solution aimed at solving it. Once you realize that the desire for the policy is

2003-09-02T09:02:00.000-04:00

The danger in the occupation budget: II. (Link path: Washington Post) (Previous episode: I.) Why are Halliburton's deals out of control? Because they've been assigned to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. For those not familiar with the Corps of Engineers: they are the most out-of-control, profligate spenders and wasters of money in the entire Federal Government. They don't even pretend to take

2003-09-02T08:44:00.000-04:00

Blame game. (Link path: The Grey Lady [free and pointless registration required]) Here we go again. The Chinese say we're the problem in the North Korean peace talks. "Wang Yi, a vice foreign minister who was China's chief delegate at the negotiations, replied, 'America's policy toward the D.P.R.K. â€” that is the main problem we are facing.'" In other words, North Korea's policy towards the

2003-09-01T17:10:00.000-04:00

Israel's basic problem. (Link path: The Grey Lady [free and pointless registration required]) I support Israel, but not without reservations. This article shows why. As Noam Chomsky pointed out back in the Sixties, before he headed off to Moonbat Territory, Israel has a fundamental problem: it's based on prejudice. Israel, as currently constituted, exists primarily for the Jews. Not entirely

2003-09-01T16:42:00.000-04:00

Portents of the New Holy Roman Empire: III. (Link path: King of the Blogs, Roger L. Simon, An Unsealed Room, Yahoo/Agente France Presse, Yediot Aharonot) Could this be the real reason France is continually supporting not just the PA, but also Arafat, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad? Remember, nations in the European Union should only take actions together, in concert, and with unanimity -- unless the

2003-09-01T16:28:00.000-04:00

The need for a new alternative. (Link path: The Edge of England's Sword, The Guardian) Andrew Graham argues that the BBC must be protected in order to balance the evil capitalist Murdoch's BSkyB. Telemachus points out that the BBC is an out-of-control socialist organization. Here, in a nutshell, we have the divide between the Left and the Right in America, or between Europe and America in

2003-09-01T15:56:00.000-04:00

Oliver Willis reality check. (Link path: Like Kryptonite to Stupid) Hey, Willis. I like your positions, and your man Dean, but if you're going to articulate policy ideas, can you at least make them coherent? Occupying Iraq ...Solution: Prove to Iraq that we are in for the long haul and in their best interests by encouraging the Iraqis to plot their own path, not just the politically expedient

2003-09-01T14:39:00.000-04:00

As usual, the Footballs misses the point. (Link path: the Footballs of Rabid Pro-Semitism, MEMRI/al-Ahram) The Footballs uses an al-Ahram editorial to build bile and venom up towards the Egyptian government. Emotionally satisfying, yes, but what's really going on? Let's look at the whole thing before we draw conclusions, yes? Fire up the griddle: time for a Catfish 'n Cod Deep Fried Fisking.

2003-09-01T13:31:00.000-04:00

Why are we still afraid of "funking out" in Iraq?: II. (Link path: The Grey Lady [free and pointless registration required]) Friedman knows why. I don't know what Mr. Bush has been doing on his vacation, but I know what the country has been doing: starting to worry. People are connecting the dots — the exploding deficit, the absence of allies in Iraq, the soaring costs of the war and the

2003-09-01T13:11:00.000-04:00

Fun with the United States Code: II. (Link path: FindLaw) Today`s installment: Title 44, Public Printing and Documents. Section 4104. As used in this chapter, the term ''Federal electronic information'' means Federal public information stored electronically. As opposed to... what, exactly? Section 3310. When the Archivist and the head of the agency that has custody of them jointly determine

2003-09-01T12:41:00.000-04:00

Interesting search requests: I. (Link path: MSN Search) jews catfish We're number one! We're number one! For the record: yes, catfish (as a bottom-feeding fish) is not kosher. I pity the Orthodox Jewish population, who are forever denied the savor of Mississippi catfish and chips...

2003-09-01T12:33:00.000-04:00

The Golden Meme. (Catch of the day) Wolf Blitzer just came perilously close to saying something I've been waiting for months to hear. It'll be a key aspect orf any successful 2004 Democratic campaign. "It's still the economy, stupid." Bush gave a Labor Day speech in Ohio this morning -- to union workers. He (and/or his handlers) can read polls as well as anyone; they certainly realize that

2003-09-01T12:27:00.000-04:00

Sacrilege: III. (Link path: al-Jazeera) Even Saddam wants to distance himself from the Najaf bombing. Why? Because he wants people to believe that he is "not a leader of a minority or a single Iraqi group. (Saddam Hussein) is the leader of all people of Iraq: Muslims, non-Muslims, Shia, Sunnis, Kurds and all other groups.” In other words, even Saddam doesn't want to piss off the Shi'a that

2003-09-01T11:59:00.000-04:00

Why are we still afraid of "funking out" in Iraq? (Link path: King of the Blogs, Washington Post) The King of the Blogs is appreciative of John McCain's efforts to tell the American people how important the occupation of Iraq is. But if the president has put out the message that the occupation will be long-term and costly, and if both Democrats and moderate Republicans agree, why are people

2003-09-01T11:43:00.000-04:00

Rule of law in Iraq: II. (Link path: Boston Globe/AP) The Governing Council has announced a Cabinet slate for Iraq. Many people, both inside and outside Iraq, have complained that we haven't turned over the Iraqi government over to Iraqis again. American control of Iraqi institutions have led to friction and conflict, because the Iraqi people are unable to communicate effectively with their

2003-09-01T11:33:00.000-04:00

Rule of law in Iraq: I. (Link path: Zogby Blog, News.com.au/Agente-France-Presse) Zogby Blog grabs a great AFP story telling how the two self-confessed al-Qaeda agents that apparently set off the Najaf bombing were captured -- a case of being incompetently conspicuous. He points out that the fact that the mob hustled them to a police station, rather than tearing them limb from limb right then

2003-08-30T21:35:00.000-04:00

Sacrilege: II. (Link path: Shi'a Pundit) Shi'a Pundit, along with recent arrests, has convinced me that al-Sadr is unlikely to have been responsible for the attack on al-Hakim and the Imam Ali Mosque (as I earlier believed -- that should teach me not to come to snap judgments). While al-Sadr is fully willing and capable of al-Hakim's assassination, he would be most unlikely to have damaged the

2003-08-29T13:46:00.000-04:00

Ballpark names. (Catch of the day) Why, oh why, can't companies leave decent ballparks alone? Why can't every major league ballpark in North America have a decent, respectable, inspiring name? I'm not complaining about the practice of selling off naming rights to a ballpark. Many companies, having bought the privledge, bestow a simple one-word name that conveys both personality and corporate

2003-08-29T10:28:00.000-04:00

In case you haven't heard, the Saudis are not our friends. (Link path: Boston Globe) While the Administration blames Arizona pipelines and other causes for the current spike in oil prices, the real movers and shakers continue to operate behind the scenes. While it's not true that the war was fought solely for oil, one of the expected benefits of the Second Gulf War was the boost to world oil

2003-08-29T10:08:00.000-04:00

Why are we fat? Because we don't exercise, of course! (Link path: Baltimore Sun, American Journal of Health Promotion, in press, American Journal of Public Health, in press) The study cited above claims that a big part of the cause of American obesity is urban sprawl. The article above points out that education, race (i.e., genetic background), and age are larger factors. I might mention that

2003-08-29T09:52:00.000-04:00

Power outage in London. (Link path: canada.com) It turns out that power grid failures are not all that uncommon, after all. It is quite possible that neglect of the power transmission network, network effects, and NIMBY-ism are far more to blame for recent power outages than the direct effects of de-regulation. We know what failure due to de-regulation looks like: California rolling blackouts.

2003-08-29T09:48:00.000-04:00

Who taught these bozos to negotiate? (Link path: The Grey Lady [free and pointless registration required]) North Korea is still running their diplomatic corps according to Standard Operating Procedure: threaten the other side before doing anything else. Does goodwill translate into Korean? China's representative was "visibly angry" at the inane gaffe. Talks will proceed nonetheless, but

2003-08-29T09:38:00.000-04:00

While I'm on the topic of Iraq... (Link path: Where is Raed?) This is how an anti-Baathist raid looks like to the other side. Now, I'm not going to call for an end to the raids -- there is scum out there, and it must be wiped out. What I do say is that we should be giving positive services to the innocent Iraqis that we raid without reason. Iraq has no probable cause right now; no Fourth

2003-08-29T09:10:00.000-04:00

Iraq in the twenty-first century -- the danger in the occupation budget. (Link path: Baghdad Burning) Behold, as the Iraqi blogosphere expands! Salam Pax, Where is Raed? G., Gee in Baghdad Riverbend, Baghdad Burning Read these blogs! Only by finding out what both sides really think can we hope to find out what's really going on in the occupation; only by finding out what's going on in the

2003-08-29T08:42:00.000-04:00

Sacrilege. (Link path: the Beeb) Another bomb in Najaf has killed at least 17 (some reports are saying over 20) and damaged the Tomb of Ali. No one has claimed responsibility, but ten to one it's part of the SCIRI/al-Sadr rift in the Najaf religious community. These tactics must end. One of the basic rules of a democracy is that, when the going gets tough, the tough don't get bombed. Or to put

2003-08-20T20:49:00.000-04:00

Fun with the United States Code: I. (Link path: FindLaw) IANAL. That phrase is usually used on-line with a negative connotation: don`t trust what I`m about to tell you. But for testing an average intelligent citizen`s understanding of the laws of the United States, it`s perfect. Especially since all Western law since the Twelve Tables of Rome has been, ideally, understandable by all citizens to

2003-08-20T10:07:00.000-04:00

Put your marching boots where your mouth is. (Link path: CNN; United Nations News Center) Kofi Annan says that the UN won`t back down, and is more determined than ever to help the people of Iraq. Good! They need all the help they can get. The Security Council says the same. That`s nice. But will they actually put troops on the ground to defend the UN mission? Or will they hand that job over to

2003-08-20T09:47:00.000-04:00

A quick aside on the latest Palestinian suicide bombing. (Link path: Lewis, Bernard. The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror. New York: Modern Library, 2003. p. 47-49.) In 1099, Jerusalem was captured by the Crusaders. The stated reason for the war was to secure the right of pilgrimage for Christians to sites in the Holy Land. (Other reasons, such as plunder, occurred to the leaders and

2003-08-20T09:26:00.000-04:00

Earning his name: Little Green Footballs versus the Volokh Conspiracy. (Link path: The Footballs of Rabid Pro-Semitism, The Volokh Conspiracy, The Footballs of Rabid Pro-Semitism, Yahoo/AP) David Bernstein, in a great display of blogger symbiosis, used postings and comments from the Footballs to articulate a tough but fair approach to the impending collapse of the Road Map. Both Charles Johnson

2003-08-20T08:56:00.000-04:00

Obviously, posting will be infrequent. (Catch of the day) Real Life is intervening... and seriously disrupting us at C&C. This makes a nice way to spend time -- but it doesn`t bring in the dough. Posts will come as I can dish `em.

2003-08-04T09:45:00.000-04:00

No better words in the world. (Link path: Boston Globe) RED SOX WIN. Oliver Willis, how can you be talking about Redskins at a time like this?

2003-08-04T09:42:00.000-04:00

They've waited almost too long. (Link path: Washington Post; the Gray Lady, free and pointless registration required) The peacekeepers are finally arriving, and the Liberian government and rebels are withdrawing. Finally. Taylor, under the watchful eye of diplomats and armed soldiers, is initiating his extrication process. Finally. People are eating their last reserves and beginning to cook

2003-08-04T09:36:00.000-04:00

A magician's trick. (Link path: Washington Post) The removal of "unauthorized outposts" is just like an old magician's trick. The Israelis know it; the Palestinians know it; I suspect that the Americans know it, too. Sharon announces demolitions, which are duly shown on TV. The settlers lodge protests with the Israeli Supreme Court, some of which succeed, most of which fail. And then they turn

2003-08-04T08:47:00.000-04:00

The cracks are showing. (Link path: Electric Venom, the Command Post, the Beeb) North Korea is saying, "My gun's jammed. Why don't you put yours down? It would be the fair thing to do, old chap." But if you're playing to win, if you're in a war, you keep firing. Trust me, the North wouldn't stop their propaganda if the South asked. And it won't hurt South Korea to ignore the suggestion; North

2003-08-03T22:58:00.000-04:00

The sound you hear is the system working. (Link path: The Grey Lady, free and pointless registration required) The Grey Lady seems suspicious that surgical procedures aren't put under FDA approval. It's true, they aren't. But surgery isn't pharmacology. It's cutting and pasting, a quite straightforward system for fixing what ails ye. (It's also the most invasive, traumatic, and dangerous, but

2003-08-03T21:35:00.000-04:00

Wisdom of the day. (Link path: the View from Chaos Manor, Newcastle University) The English learned long ago never to pay the Dane. Neither should we pay, or allow our money to be paid to, terrorizing Arabs or blackmailing North Koreans. DANEGELD (AD 980 - 1016) IT IS always a temptation to an armed and agile nation, To call upon a neighbour and to say:— “We invaded you last night—we are

2003-08-03T19:08:00.000-04:00

Knowledge: a clear advantage. (Link path: the View from Chaos Manor, New Scientist, Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 96:384) A better argument for a science and/or medicine career I've never heard. In fact, a better argument for education of any sort I've never heard. Buck up, all you oppressed high school geeks, for you shall dance on your enemies' graves. :-)