The blogosphere is an example of order out of total chaos. Jonathan has written a clever piece on the subject.

And speaking of chaos Perry’s selection of photos from last night’s blogger bash are up in all their glory.

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These are the kind of people in Iraq who need our support more than ever. Omar is one of the new bloggers from Iraq…one of the millions of Iraqis who are so very glad we are there and hope we will stay to see the job through.

As for us, we should not stand by and watch, we should do our best to stop this evil plan.
Im asking every honest man and woman and every honest government in the world to give a hand.
This is not a USA vs. Saddam battle.
And not an Iraqi people vs. Baathists battle.
This is the war of the free world against terrorism.
This is a war between all the good and all the evil.
If this is what they call resistance, and if this is what they call patriotism, then I am the first betrayer.
People of the world: you can not stay neutral, we’re all on the (list).

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Kevin Myers has written an amusing piece about the Scottish constitutional right to whinge. It will be interesting to see what the lads at Freedom und Whisky make of this.

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Scandal rocks the blogosphere!

Well, sort of. Truth Laid Bear, who runs the Ecosystem, posted this notice today:

Effective immediately, six weblogs are being put on notice that they are about to be suspended from the Ecosystem. If suspended, their entries will not be displayed on any Ecosystem pages (either by traffic ranking or by links); their links will not count to other weblogs, and their votes will not count in the New Weblog Showcase.

This concerns an effort by the League of Liberals (a.k.a. Blogs I Never Read) to game the system to push their ratings higher by installing multiple Sitemeter accounts on their blogs so that a hit on one registers on all the others.

How devious. How dumb. If you want to artificially inflate your Sitemeter readings, just disable the IP blocking and hit your site a hundred — nay, a thousand — times a day. Watch your stats rocket up! You are like, so sick! (I mean, like, in the Biblical sense.)

I think it’s rich that someone like Rush Limbaughtomy is at the centre of this little nest of corruption. Mr. Limbaughtomy, as you might guess, devotes a lot of time and effort to denouncing Rush Limbaugh’s sins, real or perceived. Indeed it seems to be something of an obsession with him.

By my count, though, Limbaugh is guilty of only two of the Seven Deadlies: Gluttony and Lust. (Loosely encompassing the pleasures of the Body.)

Whereas Limbaughtomy would seem to trip the wire on the remaining five: Pride, Greed, Anger, Envy, and Sloth. all crimes of the Mind. For some stupid blogging bragging rights.

So who’s the hypocrite now?

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“Researchers at a German institute who found young Muslims were to blame for many attacks on Jews were told several times by the European Union to change their conclusions, they say. The two sides have traded accusations of bias, incompetence and lying. The EU’s anti-racism body asked the Anti-Semitism Research Institute of Berlin’s Technical University last year to examine the increase in attacks against Jews across Europe. But the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia has refused to publish it, saying that it was badly written and based on poor information.” (11/28/03)

Here is the whole report as leaked to the Jerusalem post. (Via: Damian)

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“Lots of politicians, including three of the Democratic presidential candidates, show no fear of fessing up to lighting up in their wild-oats days. Indeed, some who deny dabbling in illegal drugs give the impression that instead of feeling self-righteous, they’re a little nervous about coming across as dishonest or just square. ... Eight candidates at a recent Democratic presidential debate were asked whether they ever had used marijuana. Three of them — Sen. John Kerry, Sen. John Edwards and Howard Dean — each answered with an unadorned ‘yes,’ drawing enthusiastic applause from the ‘Rock the Vote’ event’s youthful audience. It was candidates who said they
hadn’t smoked pot who felt the need to elaborate.” (11/28/03)

Via: Rational Review

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An unidentified man called in a A$6 (US$4.33) bet on the Melbourne Cup, Australia’s biggest horse race, asking that it be entered several times. “He wanted a box trifecta 20 times,” said a TAB Limited spokesman, “but the operator keyed in 203 times on the combination.” The punter didn’t mind in the end: the bet was a winner and netted him A$2.6 million (US$1.9 million). He didn’t learn of the error until he called the bookies to find out why there was such a large credit in his account. TAB confirms the man gets to keep the windfall. (Sydney Telegraph) ...TAB trifecta twenty stealthily transforms tenfold, but thunderstruck punter takes tidings in treasury.

Via: This is True

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At last, Iraqis are beginning to find their voices. Although there had been previous announcements that there would be an anti-terrorist demonstration in Baghdad on 10 December, apparently for some, that was not soon enough.

“yes to Iraq, no to terrorism”

Needing protection even just to hold such a demonstration, nevertheless, Iraqis timourously joined the march which terminated in Firdus Square, the same place where that statue of Saddam Hussein was toppled with the help of American soldiers on April 9. How fitting!

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Although the final results have yet to be announced, the Democratic Unionist Party is largest in Northern Ireland’s Assembly with at least 30 seats, while the UUP have more than 23, SF 19+, and SDLP 12+. This is a shift in the political landscape, and is likely to finish off with UUP around 25, Sinn Fein with perhaps 22-23 and the SDLP with seats in the mid to late teens.

While the SDLP’s decline explained by a mix of not being able to get their vote out and Sinn Fein convincing Catholics that Sinn Fein deserve a bigger mandate, the Unionist side is equally interesting. In order to stop total meltdown of the UUP Assembly Party, Mr Trimble has had to rely upon the election of people who do not agree with him – including the outstanding new MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly) Jeffrey Donaldson MP, David Burnside MP and Arlene Foster (a future MP without doubt) to shore up the UUP vote. This proves that the future is not actually so bleak for the UUP - if they change their leadership now.

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“This incredibly hateful email is worth sharing — with full headers included — to remind gun owners that gun banners want us and our families dead. His email address is included, should you wish to communicate directly with him. His letter has not been edited. Typos and misspelling are left intact. My response to him follows his very honest hatred. (Note to Parents: The person below who wishes my family murdered and to die slowly uses foul language. If this is a problem for you, be warned not to share it with your children.)” (11/26/03)

Via: Rational Review

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Got a phone call from my Mom today. She’d been running around all day and only heard a brief report on her car radio.

“Is it true? Did Bush really go to Baghdad?”

“Yep. He was there, all right.”

“So it was a big surprise for everyone?”

“Yeah, it looked like everyone was pretty surprised.”

“Oh, my. The Democrats aren’t going to be very happy about this, are they?”

“No, I don’t think they will be. Especially since he just blew the doors off Hillary’s trip to Afghanistan.”

“Oh, now that’s funny.”

Mom doesn’t like Hillary any more than I do.

Heh.

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And here’s Moses Kiptanui, the 19 year old Kenyan, who turned 20 a few weeks ago. — David Coleman

It’s a great advantage to be able to hurdle with both legs. — David Coleman

We now have exactly the same situation as we had at the start of the race, only exactly the opposite. — Murray Walker

Jimmy Hill: Don’t sit on the fence Terry. What chance do you think Germany has of getting through?
Terry Venables: I think it’s 50-50.

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Wonder if Osama Bin Liner, Saddam, Charles Kennedy or any of Democratic Dwarves would have the guts to do this.

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Norris’ judgement has always been open to question. This week he gets a job with Jarvis and now his deputy, the very wet and rather camp, Edward Lord has bolted and joined the Lib Dems. It is rather interesting to see that the wets in the Tory Party are now stabbing each other in the back. I guess Howard has laid the law down so much, they are afraid of doing in the right.

If only May and CCO had not done in Nicki Page when she was trying to get the nomination. First, that fraud Jeffrey Archer gets the nod, then arch philanderer and dripping wet Norris gets it. Do the London Tories have a death wish?

May, of course, is getting her fair share of schtick as well; at least one member of TORCH was not impressed. I am sure he is not the first to wonder if she was a bloke in drag, but not clever to say it to a reporter, however.

Update: The Telegraph has been unimpressed with Mr Norris’ performance so far.

NB: London’s loss is Redwood’s gain, as he is “stepping out” with Ms Page these days. The affect on him has been quite stunning.

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Meanwhile in Glouchester and Manchester police have raided homes of Al Queda members.

One of the arrested has links to the infamous “Shoe Bomber”.

The Centre for Islamic Guidance and Knowledge in Little Harwood is the one of the addresses being searched.

Quite. What how to guide suicide bombers to their targets? And what might that knowledge be? Bomb building and flight training?

I am sure none of their neighbors and Mosque-mates knew about any of this…

Update: It seems that man arrested was a former student of CIGK.

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Well MiF is very clear about how he feels they should be viewed.

And speaking of the enemy, our local Mayor-arse threw a “Peace” party during Bush’s visit and guess who paid? Yeah, that’s right London taxpayers.

And then there is this award-winning cartoon, which clearly echoes the infamous blood libel. Both Damian and Michele echo my sentiments. Melanie has posted her thoughts on the cartoon.

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London Spy reports:

Martine McCutcheon’s rise from cockney soap star to big screen love interest has been remarkably swift. Why? According to the girl herself, it’s all down to bad publicity.

“All the nasty press that I had during the My Fair Lady run [during which she was often too unwell to take the stage] was the best thing that ever happened to me,” she tells Spy. “The newspapers kept writing about me as Eliza Doolittle, and they gradually forgot to mention me as Tiffany from EastEnders. Being distanced from that role paved the way for me to do Love Actually. It just goes to show that there’s no such thing as bad press.”

It now looks as if our Martine may jump ship for Hollywood. “I’ve been going out to LA recently for lots of meetings and they’ve had a really positive attitude,” she adds. “They’ve even told me that I’m England’s answer to Jennifer Lopez.”

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“You probably didnt know this, but a staggering 44 percent of the cost of the average beer is taxes. And the situation is getting worse. The problem is the government spending binge thats still underway in many states. A report released earlier this year by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) found that despite some budget cuts and tax increases, too many states continue to overspend for the third straight year.” (11/03)

Via: Rational Review

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“Federal authorities are holding a self-described aging hippie on a firearms charge stemming from an investigation into a fire that destroyed a Holocaust museum in Terre Haute [IN]. Joseph Charles Stockett, 57, convicted in 1976 of setting fire to a Planned Parenthood office in Oregon, was arrested last week …. In a jail interview Tuesday, Stockett denied any involvement in the Holocaust museum fire. ... While he admitted to concerns about a ‘Jewish- dominated New World Order,’ he denied being part of any groups, including Nazi or white supremacist organizations.” (11/26/03)

Via: Rational Review

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Happy Thanksgiving to all our American friends.

Canadians don’t really put the same emphasis on it. Ours is a month earlier (we don’t have as much to be thankful for, I guess) and it’s superficially the same, what with turkey and ham and potatoes and whatnot; but it’s hardly the huge production that we see south of the border.

Canuck refugee Evan Kirchoff is similarly perplexed:

Eight years in, and I can’t muster any reaction beyond “crap, the stores will be closed all day?” I think this is why I’ve made the mistake — several times, mind you — of attempting to drive out of the Bay Area on the Wednesday afternoon of Thanksgiving weekend: I just cannot internalize the fact that every single sentient American is travelling from somewhere to somewhere else on that same afternoon. Surely last year was just a fluke: no, here we are stuck in an 8-hour traffic jam again!! What are the odds?l

It’s hard to think of a Canadian equivalent. We do have Boxing Day after Christmas, which is some kind of British import, where you get to play slap ‘n tickle with the maid or something. But seeing as most of us don’t have maids, we just stay drunk for it.

Hey, I hope you all have a wonderful time.

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On tonight’s ‘Spotlight’ on BBC Northern Ireland, Sinn Fein / IRA leader Gerry Adams used two chilling phrases. The second he barked at East Londonderry DUP MP Gregory Campbell : “Do you want peace?” This is diabolical coming from Adams, a man who leads an organisation that is inextricably linked to the most brutal terrorist organisation seen in the British Isles – the Irish Republican Army. Adams also used the phrase, to describe the Triad of Sinn Fein / SDLP / (Trimbleite) Ulster Unionist Party as “Pro-Agreement Axis”. Axis is an interesting word coming from Sinn Fein, the heir of the Irish Government during the Second World War that supported Hitler and sent its condolences to Nazi Germany on Hitler’s death. It is also a word that describes other members of the terrorist brotherhood – Al Q’aeda, which has used the same tactics in its atrocities in Turkey as the IRA used in Northern Ireland and on the British Mainland, and most horribly on 9/11 – the ‘Axis of Evil’.

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President Bush’s Appointee to Commission on International Religious Freedom, Prof. Khaled Abou Al-Fadl, Warns Against Reelecting Bush
via: MEMRI

Professor Khaled Abou Al-Fadl,(1) originally of Egypt, was appointed by President George W. Bush to the Commission on International Religious Freedom, where he is the only Muslim member. Recently he gave an interview to the Egyptian government weekly October in which he strongly criticized the American president. The following are excerpts from the interview:(2)

‘Bush is a Religious Fundamentalist like Former Colonialists in Muslim Countries’

Question: “What is the truth about the connection between the Islamic organizations in America and the American government, today and in the recent past?”

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Go enjoy it in all its crackling goodness

Not be outdone, CoV is up as well. Sadly the host is disappointed that there are no pornographic entries this week.

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He is Russian and got sick of vodka so switched to blood, as you do. This as opposed to an interview with someone about vampirism... ie me.

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“A group of Skokie [IL] first graders got an unexpected lesson in cultural sensitivity Friday when their principal wouldn’t let them dress as American Indians for their annual Thanksgiving celebration. After a parent complained that the costumes the children had made might be offensive, the principal told the kids to leave their construction-paper headdresses on the classroom shelves. Those who
had opted to be pilgrims fared no better. Their paper black hats and bonnets also were banned, and for the first time in more than two decades, the 1st graders at Madison School commemorated the events of October 1621 in their school clothes.” (11/22/03)

Via: Rational Review

Michele reports that fairy tales (no not Queer Eye for Straight Guy or Will & Grace) are bad for children’s self-esteem.

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“Some have argued that it’s unfair to impose contemporary values on people who lived in what was essentially another culture. But the truth is that all of the Founding Fathers knew that owning slaves was wrong, and the slaveholders among them did it anyway. To oppose it uncategorically was to risk the integrity of the union and beggar their own families. Much is made of Jefferson’s torments over the matter; he was too intelligent not to see the glaring hypocrisy in his proclaiming that ‘all men are created equal’ while holding fellow human beings as chattel.” Reviews of Negro President by Gary Wills and Henry Wiencek’s An Imperfect God. [subscription or ad view required] (11/25/03)

Via: Rational Review

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We assume that as computers get better, they are going to pull away from us, beating us more and more easily, particularly in such circumscribed logical exercises as chess. Not so. Since 1997 machines have gotten so much stronger that even off-the-shelf ones now routinely massacre the ordinary player. But the great players are learning to adapt. Genius is keeping up.

An interesting column by Charles Krauthammer on computer chess, specifically the recent Kasparov/X3D Fritz match. He’s wrong, though, about Moore’s Law (the rule-of-thumb that computers generally double in power every eighteen months ) being determinative on the progress of computer chess. The software is much more important. One of the strongest commercially-available packages, Fritz 8 (X3D’s baby brother), which I have, will run on a Win 98 machine with 32 megs of RAM and maybe 1GB of diskspace if you install the largest opening databases.

But he’s spot-on with his analysis of human strategy versus the computer’s infallible tactical ability. The (very) few times I’ve beaten Fritz came out of static, locked-down positions like Krauthammer describes.

Anyway, it’s worth reading if you’re into this kind of stuff.

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The ‘historic’ (usually prefaced with an ‘an’, even in Northern Ireland) second elections to the New Northern Ireland Assembly are taking place tomorrow. If you are on the electoral register in Northern Ireland, get out and vote – early and often, if you like.

Whatever you do, wherever you are, the results are to be found on this excellent BBC website. Check them out when they start appearing on the screen some time on Thursday morning…

Whatever happens, it will be interesting. Northern Ireland is perhaps the only part of the UK where people are keen to get out to vote – it’s not a chore, it’s a life-or-death situation, ‘vote or you lose out’ – so the turnout tends to be historically (that word again) high. We’ll see if that happens again and if the results bear out the likely outcome…

Like all elections, they will make or break political careers. The man with the most to lose, or win, is David Trimble. And the SDLP might even get rid of Durkan and get a decent leader!

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How can it be murder? The bloke volunteered to be eaten! Surely it’s between two adults..a bit bizarre, but different strokes for different folks.

Considering it’s Germany, it was surprising he wasn’t getting done for unhygenic food preperation.

Just in case you wondered, cannibalism is not illegal in Germany, but enjoying it for sexual satisfaction is.

Thanks to those idiots in the EU I was unable to have a rare burger last night. Wonder if there is EU cannibalism legislation? EU regulations on the killing of citizens for the purpose of consumption.

Wonder what sort of wine was served? A Reisling or a nice Chardonay? I should probably ask Jackie, who has just set up a foodie blog.

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It’s started already.

Great picture celebrating the World Cup win!

Oh YUS!

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