Nothing makes 'em madder than the truth
The Associated Press reports that some students at University of Maryland are upset over an editorial cartoon that appeared in their college newspaper.

Students picketed a college newspaper and demanded it apologize for a cartoon that said an American peace activist who was run over by an Israeli bulldozer was stupid.

The publication, The Diamondback at the University of Maryland, refused to apologize, citing the First Amendment.

Good for you, guys! Don't back down.

The cartoon, by student Daniel Friedman, showed a woman in front of a bulldozer. The label contained the dictionary definition of "stupidity," and added another way to define stupidity: "Sitting in front of a bulldozer to protect a gang of terrorists."

More than 60 students protested after the cartoon appeared Wednesday morning.

"You wouldn't see cartoon in the newspaper making fun of 9-11 victims. You wouldn't see a cartoon making fun of a suicide-bombing victim," protester Setareh Ghandehari said.

Of course you wouldn't, except maybe in a place like 'Palestine'. But Rachel Corrie's death doesn't deserve the same respect. Rachel wasn't an innocent civilian just minding her own business who - oops! - got run over by an evil Israeli bulldozer. She was an American flag-burning, pro-terrorism, Palestine supporter, who was killed - accounts of how, vary - attempting to interfere with a military operation to reduce terrorist activity. I'll make fun of any anti-war protesters who get themselves shot trying to break in to military bases for 'civil disobedience', and every human shield that survives Operation Iraqi Freedom, too.

My Eternal Gratitude
For all those folks in the armed services - both those I personally know, and those I haven't had the chance to meet yet - from the bottom of my heart:

Thank you for your honorable and courageous service. May you bring freedom to the Iraqi people, and then come back home to us, safe and sound. I wish all of you the best.

The Disloyal Opposition
So Sen. Kerry underwent surgery to remove a wart from his eyelid. Too damn bad he didn't bother to have them take the beam out at the same time.

Contraband Bliss
I just received a case of Kinder Eggs in the mail. You can't get them in the U.S., because the FDA has determined that Americans are too dumb not to just go ahead and swallow the plastic egg containing the surprise that's inside the chocolate egg. I grew up in Germany though, and for me, they are a tangible reminder of happy childhood times. The milk chocolate shell is yummy, and the little toys inside - most of them assembly required - are neat.

If anyone else in the U.S. misses Kinder Eggs like I do, Kinder Eggs.com is there to help.

Please read Lileks today
This is just brilliant

On the radio today I heard an interview with Liev Aleo, who intends to be a human shield as soon as she can scrape together the plane fare. She believes that Saddam would be dissuaded from his path if we just talked things out - as though a deficiency in conversation has led us to this point. It would have been just another argument of the sort we're all sick to death of hearing, but she's ready to go. She'd hop a plane today. As an American, she believes her place is outside the chain-link fence of an Iraqi electrical substation. She doesn’t think she’d die; she believes that the presence of the human shields would shame the military into calling off the war. You can say, well, fine; you want to be red paste on the side of a transformer outside an Iraqi military base, it’s your life. But my God, it’s so much more than that. The host asked how her parents felt, and she admitted that they were nervous.

c'mon.... follow the link and read it all.

Falcon Flies Free
I am extremely disappointed that Christopher Boyce, the traitor popularly known as "The Falcon" is going to be released on parole. I've posted why, over on Winds Of Change.

Yearning for warmer weather...
Listened to The Danny Morris Band - Storm Surge on the way into work this morning. There is nothing like hearing "Swing With You Baby" to get me in the mood for summer weather and some dancing.

Good bye, Mr. Rodgers
I grew up with Mr. Rodgers' Neighborhood.
My deepest condolences go out to his family.

Granola...
Was listening to Dynamite Hack on the way into work this morning, and I just can't resist posting the lyrics to their song "Granola," which could easily become my anthem.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the band, they're the goofs who covered "Boyz in the Hood". I find the entire album worth listening to.

guys like you are always so entertaining
"i can't help myself ", she said
"i'm crazy for that smile"
then she'll drag me down
with her friends to their demonstrations
well i have to share my girl with her cult life
don't call me apethetic
'cuz i don't believe the hype
cuz it's people who believe in things
that are always taking lives

and it's ok that you want to take some
time away from me
it's all about karma, alien invasions,
chakras and crystals and reincarnation
just let me leave the left behind

guys like you are always so entertaining
"we're just good friends" she says
"he's so deep and involved"
but me? well she drags me down,
never ever lets me out
well i've seen all i care to hear
of what with me is wrong
man your soul is rotten,
but your teeth are pearly white
everything that comes from you is a fake
or a lie

and it's ok that you want to take some time away from me
it's all about karma, alien invasions,
chakras and crystals and reincarnation
just let me leave the left behind
let's go

and it's ok that you want to take some time away from me
it's all about karma, alien invasions,
chakras and crystals and reincarnation
just let me leave the left behind
left behind..cha cha cha

If you've gotta have political music, I'll listen to this over rants about freeing cop-killers any day.

Getting a little hectic here...
That would be work, and my personal life, which are combining to make it exceedingly hard for me to post regularly.
Apologies to anyone who has sent me an email, and hasn't received a response.
Just as soon as I've got the job back under control, and the laundry done, I'll be back.

In the meantime, for the serious-minded, I suggest you swing on over to Winds of Change for thoughtful and timely commentary.

If you're in a lighter frame of mind, I'd suggest ScrappleFace: New Fairly Unbalanced. We Report. You Decipher" for some of the sharpest satire I've seen in ages.

Progress on Countermeasures for the U.S. population
This is nice to hear:

Federal health officials say a compound long used as the artist's pigment Prussian blue could be an important antidote to a "dirty bomb" attack, and they are calling for drug companies to quickly seek permission to manufacture some...

FDA's unusual declaration removes a significant burden from any company considering making Prussian blue pills – they wouldn't have to prove it's a safe or effective treatment. Instead, interested manufacturers merely would have to prove they can properly brew the right dose, steps FDA drug chief Dr. Janet Woodcock called simple for any pharmaceutical company.

Currently, there is only one commonly available medication for protection against radiation, a drug called potassium iodide that people who live near nuclear reactors often keep on hand in case of an attack or accident. It has just one use – to prevent thyroid cancer by shielding the thyroid gland from exposure to radioactive iodine. It blocks no other type of radiation, and protects no other body part.

How many feminists does it take to suck the fun out of everything in life?
Today's Best of the Web had some funny comments to make about the National Organization of Women's 'Feminist Superbowl Adwatch'.

The self-styled National Organization for Women has finally gotten around to posting its reviews of Super Bowl ads, which, as we noted, it had promised to do Monday. NOW has managed to perpetuate two derogatory stereotypes: of women as perennially late, and of feminists as humorless.

It's tempting to just leave it at that, but...

Exactly what does the level of violence in a commercial have to do with feminism? Or how many fat people there are? Or the 'diversity' of a commercial? Is it that feminism has mutated from a cause that strove for equal rights for women, to a grievance machine that is satisfied with nothing less than equal outcomes for everyone? Do they really want to live in Harrison Bergeron's world?

For instance, one of the ads that ended up on their 'Worst' list, was "Terry Tate: Office Linebacker"

#72: Reebok — Linebacker Terry Tate roughs up the office
"Bad use of diversity. Stereotype of African American being used for his muscles in a position where he should be using his brains."

I can't quite see how this ends up as a feminist complaint, given that it has nothing to do with depictions of women. And it's hilarious.

I expected feminists to get their panties in a twist over Budweiser's "she'll look like her mom in 20 years" commercial, but it was greeted with howls of laughter at my house.

Willfull Stupidity: Seattle City Council
SEATTLE -- The City Council, in reacting to the obvious security vulnerabilities exposed by the recent sniper attacks originating from the Seattle area has cracked down on illegal immigration in the area.... no, wait, that would be sensible. Actually,

The City Council has barred police and other city workers from asking about the immigration status of people they deal with. The ordinance, which was approved 9 to 0 Monday, makes two exceptions. One is for anyone police have "reasonable suspicion" to believe was once deported and has committed a felony. The other allows police to assist federal agents as required by law.

This would be fantastically outrageous, if it weren't for the fact that the cops will hardly be effective, for so long as the INS is in the habit of just letting illegal aliens go.

Still, it's disappointing to see the City Council prove the definition of a committee: an organism with two or more heads and no brain. To me, this is about the same as if the city voted to make Pi = 3.

Is This A Case of Misery Loves Company?
I'm really not sure why veterans' groups have their panties in a twist over the following statement by Donald Rumsfield:

"If you think back to when we had the draft, people were brought in . . . without choices," Rumsfeld said. "Big categories were exempted: people who were in college, people who were teaching, people who were married. . . . And what was left was sucked into the intake, trained for a period of months, and then went out, adding no value, no advantage, really, to the United States armed services over any sustained period of time because the churning that took place, it took an enormous amount of effort in terms of training, and then they were gone."

What's so offensive about stating that conscripting men into service isn't the best way to build an army? Are these folks really yearning for the good old days of the Weathermen, the SDS, Kent State, and fleeing to Canada? Maybe it's that misery loves company. It is the only reason why I can see anyone supporting the conscription of unwilling troops, when even our own Department of Defense says it doesn't need it, and wouldn't want it.

You call this 'awry'?
The AP has the following headline Virginia Bank Robbery Goes Awry, but from a reading of the article, I'd say the robbery ended just right

Police said the suspect, 61-year-old Edward Butler Blaine, fled on foot after beating on the car window with a piece of wood. Bystanders then began to chase him, police said.
When the bystanders caught him, Blaine tried to shoot them, but instead shot himself in the leg, Caroline County Sheriff Homer Johnson said. One of the men also shot him as they continued to struggle. (bold emphasis mine)

As Instapundit is fond of saying, "a pack, not a herd". Robber attempts to make off with the loot, bystanders chase him down, and thanks to Virginia's more sensible laws regarding firearms, when he tried to shoot at them, one of the bystanders was able to shoot back. So robber doesn't get away, ends up in jail, thanks to civic minded, armed citizens.

If this is awry, I'd rather not be aright.

Real Monsters Come In All Sizes...
Size Small: Police said a group of fifth-graders tried to poison a schoolmate by putting pills, glue, lead and chalk in her drinks. ... Investigators declined to elaborate on why the group allegedly targeted the 11-year-old. ... "They said that they didn't like her and that they wanted to hurt her," school principal Sally Edwards said Thursday. ... "We certainly feel they knew right from wrong because they conspired as a group. Some had reservations and didn't participate. Others participated knowing what the consequences could be," Lauricella said.

Size Medium: A judge dropped felony charges against four men accused of videotaping fistfights and humiliating acts involving homeless people and selling the tapes they called "Bumfights." ... The judge's ruling followed a five-day preliminary hearing involving testimony from men on the tapes who said they were paid for their performances, some saying they were given $5 and $10 bills. Two said they did not remember if they were intoxicated.

Size Large: A U.N. inquiry confirmed systematic cannibalism, rape, torture and killing by rebels in a campaign of atrocities against civilians in the forests of northeast Congo, with children among the victims, U.N. authorities said today. ... The report cited 117 instances of arbitrary executions between Oct. 24 and 29. It cited 65 cases of rape, including the rape of children, 82 kidnappings and 27 cases of torture. ... "The testimony given by victims and of witnesses was of cannibalism and forced cannibalism," including people made by rebels to eat members of their own family, Tome said. ... Atrocities found by investigators include the removal and consumption of hearts of infants, small girls killed and mutilated, "people executed alive before the members of their families, and the rape of children," Tome said.

Targeting the wrong deep pockets
Some of the families of the sniper-attack victims are suing Bull's Eye Shooter Supply of Tacoma; store owners Brian Borgelt and Charles Carr; Bushmaster Firearms Inc. of Windham, Maine; and sniper defendants John Allen Muhammad and Lee Malvo.

Perhaps a lawsuit against those responsible for the sniper attacks is in order, but I don't think that the plaintiffs should be suing Bushmaster Firearms, and unless the store can be found to have sold the rifle illegally, I don't think Bull's Eye Shooter Supply should be named either. If they're going to target those responsible for the attacks, the lawsuit should name the Nation of Islam for preaching an anti-american, racist ideology to Muhammad.

But then again, this isn't really an attempt to punish those responsible, it's another attempt to put legal gun manufacturers out of business, and further restrict law-abiding citizens access to arms.

What's the difference between a lawyer and a whore?
Eugene Volokh has some good reasons why it is unfair to compare a lawyer to a 'two-bit whore'. He makes good points, all of them, but he forgot the biggest difference between a whore and a lawyer:
A whore stops screwing you when you're dead.

Waxing Gibbering Loon
The Best of the Web today featured a bite at an editorial published in the New York Times by Peggy Loonan. They had some fun with her name, but I made the mistake of actually reading the editorial. Her primary complaint is that the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action Leage is changing their name to Naral Pro Choice America, to remove the 'abortion' from their name. She thinks its a big mistake, and thinks that Naral's alliance building strategy has harmed the pro-abortion movement...

In the process, the forging of alliances with such lawmakers and voters on their terms, rather than on the terms of what should be every woman's right, has only helped put in place more barriers to abortion. According to an annual Naral review in 2002, in the last 15 years 21 states have passed measures requiring mandatory waiting periods, 43 have adopted parental involvement laws, 28 have imposed limits on public financing and 28 have passed regulations intended to put abortion clinics out of business.

PermagrinGirls's translation:
· Much like purchasing a gun, some states have adopted a mandatory waiting period before you can have an abortion. In each case, the state worries that you're planning on killing someone, so they think it's a good idea to make you cool off a bit and think it over first.
· If you're under the age of consent, in some states, you'll have to let your parents know you're knocked up before you can get an abortion. Just like you have to have your parent's permission to get a tattoo or a piercing or a drivers license if you're under the age of 18.
· Some states have decided to impose limits on how many free or discount abortions they'll provide. Gosh. How cruel of them to make you pay to fix your own damn mistake.

In the end, though, I found that I had to agree with Ms. Loonan - pro-abortion groups should not remove the word 'abortion' from their names. To refer to them as "pro-choice" misleads people into thinking that these groups support other choices than abortion.

Update: From my tone, you might gather that I'm anti-abortion. Actually, I believe that anyone who wants an abortion should be able to have one; I just don't want one for myself, and I dislike the idea of paying for someone elses'. I'm also of the opinion that, given the plethora of birth control devices available in the U.S., abortion really oughtta be the last resort.

Sometimes I'm Serious, Too
Note the new link on my sidebar to Winds of Change.

"This blog's focus will be world events and the future we're creating, with frequent side-trips into the worlds of business, technology, and religion.
Our team aims to elevate debate by being thoughtful, substantive, and ahead of the curve." - Joe Katzman

Somehow, I was lucky enough to be invited to share space over there, so I'll be keeping PermaGrinGirl going, but any thoughts I've got regarding the intel community and national security will be posted on Winds of Change as Celeste Bilby. Judging by the initial posts, I'm hardly a reason to visit, but there's excellent commentary and information from Joe Katzman, Trent Telenko, MuslimPundit and Armed Liberal.