Guidelines, Not Rules, on Ergonomics (washingtonpost.com)

There are two types of business policies that the press likes to call "voluntary". One is when the government gives businesses incentives -- mainly tax relief -- to adopt certain rules. I like those. This is the other type, when they just say it would be nice if everyone was nice.

Speaking as someone who's had a repetitive stress injury -- which thankfully was pretty minor and went away when I changed my work pattern -- I'd just like to ask the Bush Administration to bite me.

Oh, by the way, here's a fun bit:

Some business groups expressed cautious support, concerned about the administration's promise to step up enforcement of existing labor laws prohibiting workplace hazards.

In other words, they're already breaking the law, but they hope that the government won't punish them for it.

Seeking Peace of Mind, Peace in Middle East (washingtonpost.com)

Folks, we go on and on about the people protesting against the US or Israel in other countries. It happens here, too. But while we seem to think that the protestors in foreign countries are representative of the people there, here they're cranks. I'm not saying that there's nothing to this belief, but read this sob story about protestors outside the State Department. These are real people who really hurt; that they are on the balance on the wrong side doesn't make them stupid or evil.

Contingency Plan Shifts Saudi Base To Qatar (washingtonpost.com)

For all the coziness in public, it appears that the Bush Administration does in fact realize that the Saudis are not our friends. A war against Iraq would be much more difficult without the Saudi bases, but the Saudis will probably try to keep us from using them. Qatar really is sort of a friend, and seems almost eager to help.

Palestinians Insist Powell Must Meet With Arafat

Guys, you are in no position to insist on anything. And you should be happy that Secretary Powell is willing to talk to the Israelis on your behalf -- and make no mistake, he's there on your behalf.

Meanwhile, fun from "moderate Arabs":

Arab foreign ministers issued a rebuke to the Bush administration today, saying the 22-nation Arab League stood behind the Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat as a freedom fighter whose struggle against Israeli occupation is "legitimate national resistance" and could not be equated with terrorism.

The ministers "welcomed the intifada," or Palestinian uprising, and asserted that the "continuation" of Israeli occupation "necessitated the continuation of the resistance" by "courageous" Palestinians.

U.S. Envoy Meets Arafat as Israel Steps Up Its Sweep

You know, you'd think with all the times Zinni's been the in the Mideast, he would have met the Weasel by now. Okay, that was silly. But so is the whole Anthony Zinni Experience. Do you think the General knows how useless he is? He keeps going back there and things keep going worse.

Woman pregnant with first cloned baby, doctor says

I have very few Luddite tendencies, but this is bad. We honestly don't know enough about the process yet. Considering the rate of birth defects, and the reports of premature aging, doing this to a human being is criminal. Someday, maybe it will be worthwhile, but not now.

CNN.com - Mars soil gives hints of green planet - April 5, 2002

Some scientists say they've found evidence of chlorophyll near the Mars Pathfinder landing site. I expect they made a mistake but it would be near if it were true.

CNN.com - Leno: Why the 'animosity' from Dave? - April 5, 2002

Because he gave you your big break after Carson rejected you, and then you stole the job he always wanted? You think that might be it, huh?

Reinventing Trinity (washingtonpost.com)

Whew. For a moment there, I thought they were demoting the Holy Spirit or something, but it's just about Trinity University.

Just for fun, here's a picture of my father in 1957; it's probably a High School yearbook or graduation photo.

Fighting Breaks Out in So. Lebanon

This was probably inevitable. Attacks have been launched from Lebanon, and the Israelis can't ignore them. But Lebanon is a Syrian puppet, and if the Syrians get involved this whole thing could spiral out of control. The worst-case scenario is that Saddam gets involved, which would draw us into a general Middle Eastern war.

What Alabama promised Hyundai
$253 million incentive package is higher per job cost than Honda project, but lower than Mercedes-Benz


Hey, give me $253 million and I'll build anything you want... Actually, a lot of that is tax breaks -- so not going to cost any money yet -- and the rest is mostly improvements to the area. Still, that's a lot of money.

Sorry, I was away all day.

Protests Erupt in Arab Nations Against Israel and U.S. (washingtonpost.com)

What is with you people? "US Support for Israel" appears to be the Arabic phrase for "Not helping us kill all the Jews". There hasn't been any support for Israel from the US government. And it's a damn shame. You don't want to see what US support for Israel really looks like.

Israeli Tanks Move Into Hebron; West Bank Fighting Continues

Hebron, for those of you who didn't have the benefit of getting all that biblical trivia rammed down their throats, is the traditional burying place of Abraham and several other patriarchs, and David's first capital. It is therefore one of the several places in that part of the world which are sacred to Christians, Jews, and Muslims, and which Muslims seem completely unable to understand aren't just theirs. And yes, I'm perhaps being unfair here, but I'm bitter.

Panel shelves bill cutting poor's tax
Measure would reduce income levy on 60% in state, raise it on 19%

Tax the Rich
Feed the Poor
'Til There Are
No Rich No More

I'm just being silly. The top tax rate here isn't that high at all and raising it won't cause major problems for rich people who want to grow even richer.

Speaking as someone who just put a check to the state in an envelope (I never owe taxes) I'd like to say that the Alabama tax system is awful and regressive and badly in need of reform. But the problem isn't the income tax, except that the rates are actually too low. It's the godawful sales tax, which reaches ten percent in some areas. Not to mention the dreaded Jefferson County Occupational Tax, which taxes everybody who works in that county -- which includes Birmingham -- even if they don't live there.

I'm in favor of a progressive income tax, but the state should get the rest of its tax system in order first.

VodkaPundit - Chill Before Serving

Stephen writes in:

The site is back up, but not functional. The DNS doesn't point to the new host yet, and HostGo was willing to provide only limited functionality so that Stacy can get the files moved over to HostMatters.

Soon, though -- I promise!

Salud,

-S.

CNN.com - U.S. Mint cutting back on Sacagawea coins - April 4, 2002

Americans just can't get around the idea of dollar coins. Even if people on the street can, businesses don't like them because there's no space in the cash register, employees might not even recognize them as legal tender, and older coin machines can't take them. The Sacagawea coin was much better designed than the Susan B. Anthony coin -- which looked like a quarter -- but that hasn't been enough. If the Mint really wants to push the coin, it could pull dollar bills from circulation.

CNN.com - 12 Seabees arrested in child porn, assault case - April 4, 2002

Oh, God.

The headline is -- as I tend to point out ad nauseum -- misleading. The beasts in question raped a 15-year-old girl. (Who was only three years younger than the youngest of the group -- but that is no excuse.) They videotaped it, which is the "child porn" portion of the charge. But anybody who thinks that's the worse crime needs to think.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gumbel leaving 'Early Show'

Great Moments in Link Writing

April 4, 2002: The AJC spells Bryant's name "Gumble", like Barney on "The Simpsons".

Scientists Create Genetic Rice Map (washingtonpost.com)

I think I did a rice map for media fair once.

It turns out that rice has more genes than humanity. Go figure. The researchers quoted here seem all put out about this, which is awfully stupid. I've always felt that the whole idea of humanity is that we are more than our genes.

Die already, Baldo

The problems with "ER" are easier to diagnose than our reasons for watching it, starting with the closest thing the ensemble has to a main character: Anthony Edwards' Dr. Mark Greene.
Edwards is soon to depart the show, and it appears that Greene is soon to depart this mortal coil, but at the snail's pace this story is moving, the brain tumor can't kill Greene fast enough.

I think "ER" has been better this season than the last couple. It's still a shadow of its former self. And Greene is still in his neck-and-neck battle with "NYPD Blue"'s Andy Sipowicz for most put-upon TV character of all time.

Grammy Awards Will Return to New York Next Year

Dear God. Haven't the citizens of New York suffered enough?

Politicians Seen As Threat in Italy

Let's face it: Italian politicians are scary.

VodkaPundit - Chill Before Serving

Site is back up, though he's not back to posting yet.

Flight Crew Made Numerous Errors (washingtonpost.com)

Great Moments in Link Writing

Apr. 4, 2002: The WP front page spells "flight" without an h.

There's so much news, you always seem to miss something. Monday, a plane violated restricted airspace in Washington, passing close to the White House and right over the Vice President's residence at the Naval Observatory.

Barry Abandons D.C. Council Bid (washingtonpost.com)

Darn.

In a statement late this morning, the former mayor says he's made his decision based on "the overall best interest" of his family and of D.C. residents.

Gosh, Marion, you never seemed to care much about that before.

Personalized Action Figures at AndGor Toy Company

Cool.

Okay, I see a whole series of blogger action figures. Instapundit, comes with surgically attached computer for constant posting! Vodkapundit, with real elbow-bending action! Oliver Willis and CK! Oh, and the accessories... Would there be enough black plastic in the world for the guns?

Jury trials may be put off

Is this even legal? Well, they're the judges. This story doesn't mention criminal trials; I assume they have something in place in case one has to happen. They'd look pretty bad if a murderer walked because he couldn't get a speedy trial.

'He Kept Bleeding' (washingtonpost.com)

The Israelis aren't allowing ambulances into fighting zones. Normally, I would condemn this, no matter who did it. But the terrorists have been willing to use ambulances as weapons in the recent past, and I can't blame the Israelis for being paranoid.

Still, leaving aside the treatment of the wounded, there are the dead. Bodies breed disease. If they're not collected, they could lead to an epidemic that wouldn't just kill Arabs.

I just wanted to note... The quote from Burke in the top left is the shortest of several versions attributed to him. According to Bartlett's -- at least the most recent I have access to -- it's probably a Twentieth Century paraphrase of a longer statement to the same effect.

Also, I've permalinked the "War Liberal Manifesto". I may or may not add some more items of interest, depending upon whether I feel like it.

EU Offers to Mediate Middle East Conflict (washingtonpost.com)

Oh, that'll help.

Here's what they want: an Israeli pullback, an immediate cease-fire, access to Arafat, and a return to peace negotiations. In other words, they want the Israelis to give up a lot and the Palestinians to give up nothing. Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose.

Doggy box
Think kitty litter is just for cats? Not anymore, as dog litter gains favor, particularly for puppies

I'm a dog person; for my money, this is beneath a dog's dignity and a violation of the implicit agreement between people and dogs.

In all seriousness, it's not good. Dogs are -- unlike cats -- social animals, remember? And what this tells me is some people can't find the time to be with their dogs, not even long enough for them to take care of their business.

CNNSI.com - Baseball - Wife of Cleveland pitcher Finley arrested - Thursday April 04, 2002 02:57 AM

I know I shouldn't be amused by this, but I can't help myself. Tawny Kitaen has been charged with spousal abuse for beating up her husband, professional athlete Chuck Finley.

Boy, 3, nearly drowns in home pool 2nd time

Here's another one for the "Parents should be licensed" file... You would think that after the first time your kid nearly drowned, you'd take step. You'd think that. Throw in a dead baby (supposedly from SIDS) and these folks don't look good.

CNN.com - PM greeted with violence in Gujarat - April 4, 2002

We do need to keep some attention on India, folks. Even if the Afghan campaign seems to have entered a mopup phase. Over 800 people have died in Gujarat in violent incidents over the last few months, and there's no end in sight. And like in Palestine, I have no idea what the solution is, if there is any.

Few Risks Seen to the Children of 1st Cousins

Good news for Mississippi!

Prisoner Held at Cuban Camp Says He Is an American

I hate sequels.

This one says that he was born in Louisiana, by the way. I generally feel that Southerners are too sensible for this sort of thing, but then Louisiana is a weird place by even Southern terms.

Afghan Officials Arrest Hundreds in Bombing Plot

I dunno, 700 conspirators? That sounds like a whole lot of people for one plot; I think even Oliver Stone would find that lacking in plausibility. It's mostly Pashtuns, and a lot of well-known Karzai opponents. I'd bet that there was a plot, but I'd also bet a lot of the people swept up here had no knowledge of it.

Top Al Qaeda Aide in 'Serious' Condition (washingtonpost.com)

Doctors "expect he will live", but I have a feeling he's about to take a turn for the worse. In a few days, the government will announce that Abu Zubaida has died of his wounds. Maybe they got infected and were antibiotic-resistant.

And then, over the course of the next few months, people who breathed a sigh of relief when Zubaida breathed his last will wake up one day with U.S. Special Forces rifles pointed at their faces. They'll wonder how it happened, and then they'll know. Or maybe they won't wake up at all.

A Coyote at the Dog Show

A major research institution has recently announced the discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science. This new element has been tentatively named "Administratium".

C@tDS has been permalinked by the way; I've also added the brand-new Jason Rylander.

Israeli Tanks Enter Nablus (washingtonpost.com)

While Bethlehem is more famous, this is the West Bank/Judea & Samaria's largest city, more than 100,000 residents. If the PA forces are determined to fight -- and I've seen little evidence they aren't -- they can make this very bloody.

Television City Chronicle on the Web

I complemented the humor of TeeVee's April Fools gag for this year on the day in question. I'd like to give it another plug for its design. It's a spot-on copy of the NYT's site. But unlike the NYT, which is (like so many other major paper sites) an overcoded nightmare that times out more often than not on a slow connection, it actually works. Sure, there's less on it -- which might tell the NYT something else.

I Am A Pathetic Beggar

I set up one of those Amazon Honor System things. I figure there's about a 90% chance I never get anything. But what the hey. Any proceeds will be put towards first getting a real url, then a permanent host. Or a spectacular vacation in the Caribbean. One of those.

Reminding me of the French is not a good idea

VodkaPundit is down -- probably for 24-48 hours -- because Stephen's hosting service is apparently run by monkeys (perhaps of the cheese-eating surrender variety) and can't handle Moveable Type. If you try his url you get forwarded to a blank screen with the url http://versailles.hostgo.com/ . Versailles! Now, that's a giveaway.

His old host is HostGo; be forwarned to stay away from them. They took him down not only without warning, but with no word at all -- he had to contact them and ask what the deal was. I'm thinking of getting a real host eventually but that's not going to be the one. He hopes to be up with a real host in 24-48 hours.

Grits are a quintessentially Southern breakfast dish

This doesn't exactly come under the heading of "breaking news".

And the most annoying character on television is...

Dawn, from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"!

It takes a lot to beat out Ross from "Friends" -- who has been the most annoying character in TV history since about Season 3 -- but I have to agree.

news.telegraph.co.uk - Blair adviser sent to settle school creationism row

Loathsome, truly loathsome. Blair's sent one of his patsies to reassure this guy that the school can go on teaching fairy stories. Of course, the UK doesn't have a First Amendment. Maybe it's time they got one.

The Miami Herald | 04/03/2002 | Attorney will sue Vatican in two U.S. sex-abuse cases

Because there's money to be made! Not many pockets deeper than the Vatican's. This case will, of course, be thrown out of court so fast it'll give you whiplash.

CNN.com - Ben Wedeman: Battle-scarred in Bethlehem - April 3, 2002

I've been told that Liberation and the BBC say that the Palestinian gunmen in the Church of the Nativity have laid down their arms and claimed sanctuary, which has been granted by the head of the Catholic Church in Bethlehem. I do not know if this is true; the IDF denies it. I do know that the Catholic, Anglican, and Coptic bishops tried to reach the church and were turned back by the IDF.

This CNN reporter heard shots from the direction of Manger Square. And this BBC report does not mention that the gunmen have laid down their arms. It does use the weasel-word "police" for them and says that there are more than 100. I would check Liberation but I don't read French and they don't seem to have an English edition. I didn't see anything like that running a Babelfish translation.

Cora Barry Announces Separation (washingtonpost.com)

Gosh, poor Marion. Poor us -- he says he's going to focus on fixing his marriage, bringing into question if he could still run for city council. Really, he owes it to all of us to run; there's not enough humor in the world these days.

Prosecutor accuses REM guitarist of lying to protect his career

Because God only knows a rock & roll star's career could never recover from the news that he went on a drunken rampage.

Frankly, I think REM's career could use the boost.

Lou Dobbs's Defense of Andersen
On CNN Show Raises Eyebrows

I don't know why. Dobbs never met a business he didn't like. I don't understand why anyone would want to get their business news from someone completely uncritical.

Vatican Criticizes Israel for Imposing 'Unjust' Conditions

With Bethlehem under Israel military occupation, the Vatican also called on the two sides to respect holy places.

I suppose holing up in the Church of the Nativity counts as respecting it.

Jeez, the Vatican doesn't get it, never has. Israel isn't reacting disproportionately at all; it's trying to defend itself against a siege. Of course, the Pope didn't have any trouble cozying up to Hafez Assad last year.

Israelis Move Into Bethlehem; Palestinians Hide in Church

I'm enough of a Christian that this pisses me off. (Not enough of one that I won't say "pisses me off", though.) One of these days, they're going to have to explain why we should be sensitive to Muslim concerns when Muslims aren't sensitive to anyone else's.

Students soak up science lesson at Dauphin Island
Madison Academy seventh-graders visit marine biology lab

Imagine this scenario: Tromping through the swamps of south Alabama and wading through waist-high water in the middle of February with a bunch of seventh-graders.

Don't have to. I did that trip when I was in eighth grade. I fell in the swamp. Somebody drew a picture, I understand.

Bush Doctrine Begins to Blur (washingtonpost.com)

Others say the Arafat case exposes the flaw in the Bush doctrine: It ignores the vast gray area between friend and foe.

I see the shades of grey, though I know it might not seem that way at times. But anybody who thinks that Yasser Arafat is in any way shape or form a friend to the United States needs to buy a clue.

Israel is an ally. The Palestinians are -- at most -- disaffected neutrals. Various elements of the Palestinian movement are tied to the Iranians and Iraqis -- both of whom are certainly enemies -- al-Qaeda -- enough said -- or Syria. I wouldn't call Syria a friend, though we at least manage to be civil.

The problem with seeing everything in shades of grey is that sometimes, that grey is very close to white, and sometimes it's very close to black. All the nations and groups in the paragraph above are very bad, and they need and deserve to be taken down.

ajc.com | News | Delta jet diverted

So, you're flying overnight to Spain. And six hours in, some guy goes wacko and starts screaming. And they land the plane. In Newfoundland. Which is about as not-Spain as you can get.

What Hath Jesse Wrought?

Oh dear... The Reform Party candidate for Wisconsin Governor is Bill Rebane, two-time MST3K victim ("Monster A-Go-Go", "Giant Spider Invasion") and one of the finest film directors to ever come out of North-Central Wisconsin.

(Via MST3K Info, which also brings word of the passing of Josef Erich von Stroheim. Famous people's children always die in threes, you know.)

USPS - The United States Postal Service (U.S. Postal Service)

Privatization or no, I love the Post Office. Order from Amazon on Friday, package here on Monday. It usually takes UPS that long to find the truck.

Beer out at Soccer Blast after outcry from public

This will only drive it underground, of course. Who could watch soccer without some sort of mind-altering drug?

The Beauty of Gray

Douglas Turnbull is planning his wedding, and it comes out to $10,000, minimum. With no cake. I suggest Krispy Kreme.

Rukeyser May Have New Show Up His Sleeve (washingtonpost.com)

I'm enjoying the Rukeyser saga. If you came in late, click the link for details.

Public Television is (thanks to congressional cutbacks and the rise of artsy and/or documentary-oriented cable channels) increasingly indistiguishable form privately-owned TV. Which brings up the question of why we have public TV anyway -- which is what we're leading to. My opinion is that the airwaves are public property, and setting aside a little bit for the public makes a lot of sense. But I don't see any point in government subsidies for Time-Warner programming, which is what the new version of Wall Street Week will be.

Yahoo! News - Bush Tapped Solar Energy Funds to Print Energy Plan

From Reuters ("One man's news service is another man's easily stolen running joke") comes this fun item. If this is true -- and as several have pointed out, the report of the administration not meeting with environmentalists on the plan was exaggerated at best -- the administration swiped $135K of solar energy research money to print out the report. Which I bet wasn't on recycled paper, either.

OK, that was a cheap shot, and not a particularly clever one either. But the administration's energy policy is oil-obsessed. I'm not saying that we shouldn't use oil, but that we shouldn't put all our eggs in one basket. Eventually, oil will run out. Probably not in our lifetimes, as alarmists once said, but sometime. And we need to be prepared. Not to mention that if we aren't dependent on oil, the Saudis, Iraqis, and Iranians suddenly lose their leverage.

(Via the newly-added-to-the-NIT Get Donkey.)

RevokeThePrize.org

I don't know if we can revoke Yasser the Weasel's Nobel Peace Prize, but if it can be done, it should. Then we can get working on Kissinger.

(Thanks to Alex "No, I don't think I'm going to update" Ramati for pointing this out.)

Speedy Gonzales Caged by Cartoon Network

Here's a Foxnews article... I am really uncomfortable being on the same side as these guys.

Three new blogs added to the links: newly discovered Axis of Weevil member Hawkgirl, the Sideshow, and Tal G. from Jerusalem.

Israel Proposes Exile for Arafat Amid Fighting (washingtonpost.com)

Yasser the Weasel says he won't accept exile. That's surprising to me, since he's never had any problem with it before, but it may be that his megalomania has finally triumphed over his overdeveloped sense of self-preservation. Or he doesn't think anyone will welcome him.

Steven Den Beste thinks that the Israelis are looking for something to discredit the Weasel, but I don't think that will work. Not that they won't find evidence -- I'm sure they will -- but it won't do any good. Anyone who could be convinced already knows that Arafat is hopelessly corrupt, and anyone who doesn't believe he's hopelessly corrupt won't be convinced by anything Israelis could produce. They'll either say, "He didn't do anything really wrong," or "The Jews are producing forgeries to discredit him," or both. Showing that there are other weasels besides Arafat on that side.

Apartment foes: 'We have enough riff-raff over here'

Then what's a little more? Or is this the wrong kind of riff-raff?

NIMBY is rearing its ugly head in Huntsville, where residents of one neighborhood are resisting low-income housing. These aren't the projects, here; not only is it a private business (with some government funding), the apartments won't exactly be cheap. $400 a month for a one-bedroom isn't a lot in big-city terms, but I lived in a perfectly decent suburban apartment in Hoover (outside Birmingham) for $430. I know a lot of apartments in Tuscaloosa that come a lot cheaper than $400/month.

And there's the rub; it looks to me like the real opponents of this aren't area residents, but people who own other apartment complexes in the area, who don't want competition from new places that will be nicer. "Riff-raff" or not.

Israel's Sharon proposes Arafat exile

I don't get it. They need to remove Arafat completely as a Palestinian leader. Putting him exile doesn't accomplish that. Honestly, I don't know if there's anything short of killing him that can. Exiling him would only allow him to hobnob with Arabs and Euros who are sympathetic enough to his "cause" as it is.

Terrapins' Juan, and Only (washingtonpost.com)

Congratulations to Maryland; they deserve this. But will somebody please tell me what's up with the Maryland mascot? I mean, you get stuck with a turtle, you know it's kind of hard to be threatening. They did their best, I suppose, but to me it looks more like it's doing an Urkel imitation.

TV Drama, Pentagon-Style: A Fictional Terror Tribunal

The Pentagon is trying to educate the public about military tribunals for al-Qaeda members... by cooperating with the producers of JAG. I dunno. Seems to me that if you watch JAG, you probably will agree with whatever the government wants to do anyway, and if you're upset with the idea of military tribunals, you won't watch JAG.

I realize that I am stereotyping the type of people who watch JAG, but I don't care.

Beleaguered Barry May Forgo Run For Council (washingtonpost.com)

This is terrible news for purveyors of cheap laughs everywhere. Run, Marion, run!

Raid Netted Top Operative Of Al Qaeda (washingtonpost.com)

So we really did finally get one. He's been shot in the groin and thigh, which won't help with 72 virgins, and I've a feeling he's going to be "helping us with our inquiries", which probably won't go over too well with Allah anyway. As a former chief recruiter for al-Qaeda, he should be awfully useful.

Hyundai chooses Montgomery site

Hey, corporate welfare wins again! Hyundai!

Heck, I don't know if this is good for the state or not. It's certainly good for that part of the state, which is very poor. I expect the locals won't see very many jobs with Hyundai itself, and those they do see will be mostly low-paying menial jobs. But there should be significant trickle-down effects.

In the future, remember: your Santa Fe SUV or Sonata sedan was made in Alabama.... Hey, come back! We're competent, really we are!

Fire Destroys Synagogue in France

Wow. Anti-Semitic Frenchmen. What are the odds?

This of course is just the latest in a long string. And the French authorities have mostly done what the French authorities have done best, wrung their hands and scolded.

Krispy Kreme doughnuts take the cake at weddings

I like the Krispy Kreme as much as anyone, but as a wedding cake? Yikes.

April 1, 2002 - The Week In Quotes

More April Fools' fun, with the added bonus that a lot of this is all too plausible.

Wal-Mart Passes Exxon To Top Fortune 500 List (washingtonpost.com)

This is probably terribly symbolic of something, but I don't know what.

MLB Insider

Unless you're an ESPN.com Insider member -- I think I'm the only one -- you can't read Jim Baker's column, which is a shame. I figured I'd share one comment on Bud Selig y'all would appreciate:

You know, Bill Clinton was a much bigger disniformer than bud.com will ever be, but at least he was charming about it and had a good haircut.

Lawyers Clash Over Lindh's Treatment

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) -- John Walker Lindh's lawyers say the American-born Taliban fighter was held under horrific conditions after his capture in Afghanistan. The government counters that his food and medical care equaled that of U.S. soldiers.

Of course, both sides are telling the truth as they see it. I find it really hard to feel sorry for Johnny the Rat.

Tying Marriage Vows to Welfare Reform (washingtonpost.com)

One of the complaints -- and not only from the right -- about pre-reform welfare was that it broke up families. "Welfare" mostly meant Aid Families with Dependent Children, which grew out of a pension to single, mostly (in intent, anyway) widowed, mothers. What this led to was single mothers being discouraged from getting together with their children's fathers -- because they would lose benefits. The old welfare system -- whose loss lefties still sometimes moan about -- was an incredible mess.

Now, the shoe is on the other foot. The Bush administration is pushing plans to "promote families" -- their kind of families, of course, two-parent families. I expect the two parents are supposed to be married in a church and be of opposite sexes, though it doesn't say that here.

Like I said awhile back about low marriage rates in Europe, I don't know how I feel about this. My parents divorced when I was less than ten years old. And I was the oldest of three; my brother, the most normal of us, is four and a half years younger than I. I was pretty messed up for awhile but I think I turned out pretty well. Of course, we never had to go on welfare.

I think that ideally it's best for children to grow up in a two-parent household, but I know it's best for them to grow up in a loving one. And putting pressure to keep failed marriages together -- to me, Liberal Boy -- seems like a recipe for lots of unpleasant things. The sorts of things Republicans don't like to mention, like spousal abuse.

The Administration's policy is basically -- in my opinion -- religious in motive. But there are real socio-economic costs to single parenting, of course. Two households are -- here's a really profound statement -- more expensive to operate than one. Realistically, either the mother winds up going to work, or (more and more) the mother already was going to work and they have to stretch the budget. Since modern welfare policy is based around the idea of eventually getting people back to work, you want them to be able to support themselves when they do.

Television City Chronicle News: Popular Governor Mulling Run for White House

WASHINGTON — In a stunning announcement that may have dramatic consequences for the 2002 presidential election, Democratic Gov. Benson DuBois indicated today that he is exploring an independent candidacy in this fall's general election.

Hee. I've never been good with the April Fool's stuff, so I'll just point out some good bits. TeeVee.org is always good at it.

Big Raid May Be Near After Suicide Bombing Kills 14

Calling Yasir Arafat "the enemy of the entire free world," Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared Israel on Sunday to be in a war.

Surprisingly, a lot of people don't realize these things. Israel has been at war basically since its foundation, though there have been some fairly long truces. And Arafat is the enemy of the free world, though you won't get far outside Israel and the USA with that. And this raid might just get rid of him once and for all -- and that would be undeniably a good thing.

A World of Their Own (washingtonpost.com)

This article describes the efforts of a deaf lesbian couple to have a deaf child, seeking out a deaf sperm donor. They wanted their child to be handicapped. I've kept up a little with this deaf identity movement, and I think it's unconscionable to desire to bring a child into this world with an unnecessary ailment. And that's what it is.

“Do you got any books?”

This is all true, I've seen it myself.

CNN.com - Suicide attack kills at least 12 in northern Israel - March 31, 2002

I just can't take this anymore. And it's going to get worse before it gets better. But I think it can get better, eventually. The first step is breaking the Palestinian Authority, which is supporting this terror campaign, or at the least not doing anything to stop it. Breaking Arafat is the first step to a real solution.

I can't understand people who are more concerned with that old terrorist than with ordinary people who aren't doing anyone any harm.

CNN.com - Kashmir strike to protest temple attack - March 31, 2002

Of course, radical Islamists -- or radical religionists generally -- are hardly confined to the increasingly-misnamed Holy Land. Nobody here was paying attention, but ten people were killed, at least twenty injured, in an attack by Islamic militants on a Hindu temple in Jammu.

Islamabad says it supports the militant's cause but denies helping them.

Nice of Islamabad to speak with one voice; the government there is hardly that united, and Pakistani intelligence has supported Islamic militants in Kashmir.

CNN.com - Gunbattle at Arafat HQ - March 31, 2002

Unfortunately the little weasel apparently came out of it OK.

"Anything could happen to President Arafat. I'm really afraid for President Arafat's life," Erakat said.

What a coincidence. Here I am, afraid he's going to keep it.

I think I got some sleep there. Is it possible to hallucinate sleep?

Not This Time

Damn straight.

The Expatpundit (also added to the NIT) has perhaps figured out what the Dysfunctional Family Circus people are up to now.

Google Search: speedy gonzales banning controversy

Finally found something that puts me at the top of the list. (Well, other than War Liberal or Mac Thomason -- actually, the second takes you to my other site.) Took four words to do it, though. Wait... speedy banning controversy does it too, in three.

See, this is what happens when you can't sleep.

Another addition to the links, should have had him there already, the Banana Counting Monkey, who is second on the search.

Firms Pitch Anti-Terrorism Ideas (washingtonpost.com)

I think it marks a new stage in any crisis when people start to figure out new ways of making money off of it. (As opposed to the old ways, like selling weapons, etc.) Here's one...

The chief technology officer at Terra Lycos SA met with government staffers and proposed a next-generation emergency broadcast system. It would take advantage of Web sites, e-mail and instant messaging, including his company's technology, to get warnings out.

I don't use Instant Messaging; it always struck me as intrusive. I suppose if you're really worried about terrorism you might want someone to IM you warnings. Personally, I get too stressed out to wonder if the latest message is the Big One. Of course, this sort of thing is kinda what the Internet was for in the first place, isn't it.

Companies say their campaigns are not just about the money, but also about letting people know they are good corporate citizens.

Good corporate citizens? What is this, Canada? Dear God, what about the stockholders? What about the stockholders?!?

Silicon Graphics Inc. of Mountain View, Calif., known for its work with Hollywood movies such as "Toy Story" and "Jurassic Park," is reemphasizing its computer hardware's use for government applications.

Hey, maybe we really can have velociraptors invade Saudi Arabia after all.

All Night Long

I took a nap earlier and now I can't sleep, so I'll probably be posting off and on for awhile now. I expect I'll get pretty punchy sooner or later, so if I start hallucinating and writing about the velociraptors who've invaded Saudi Arabia or something like that, I apologize in advance..

"Hi, I'm either Cy Young Award-winning pitcher Randy Johnson, or a turtle."

New links from all over the spectrum:

Ben Domenech, Counter-Revolutionary, Middle East Realities, and Interesting Monstah. In the NIT section -- for now, anyway.