tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88594112011-06-08T02:24:52.167-04:00dantesnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4011100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-53436731124511286572007-06-16T09:58:00.000-04:002007-06-16T13:08:52.665-04:00

I've been on something of an extended hiatus. That's about to change. The future is at stake. Where do we stand? Well, it's not good:A President we have supported through darkest night is content to attack us with the language of our enemies, variously denigrating well-meaning conservatives as actively working against the best interests of the country and, through his despicable surrogates

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-81869068299737990402007-03-22T19:44:00.000-04:002007-03-22T19:47:39.877-04:00

Contrast Ban's response to this explosion with Maliki's. Ban? Duck, cover and look confused. Maliki? Don't even flinch. That just about sums it up, no?

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1172190136862924032007-02-22T19:21:00.000-05:002007-02-22T19:22:16.863-05:00

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1172189803422225222007-02-22T19:11:00.000-05:002007-02-22T19:16:43.436-05:00

Prince Harry goes to war. The only tragedy is that, this time, France is not the enemy. Memo to John Kerry: If only he'd have studied harder, eh?

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1171326517912896302007-02-12T19:20:00.000-05:002007-02-12T19:28:38.006-05:00

Is it possible? Has the west actually permitted a tribe of sadistic theocrats to earn nuclear weaponry so cheaply? These days shall be poorly remembered. Some of the players, more poorly still.

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1169152591246828502007-01-18T15:13:00.000-05:002007-01-18T15:36:31.260-05:00

Ever since the Landis doping allegations surfaced, I have followed Oscar Periero's public comments with interest. Although Periero initially adopted a humble wait-and-see attitude, he has, in recent months, begun to crow ever more loudly about perceived unfairness. Oscar's main complaint seems to be that neither he nor his team can take financial advantage of what he now firmly believes to be

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1168935848876758682007-01-16T03:24:00.000-05:002007-01-16T09:51:35.723-05:00

Brilliant. Simply brilliant.

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1167447794813331162006-12-29T21:58:00.000-05:002006-12-29T22:03:14.833-05:00

Actually, if this dessert were truly just, the son-of-a-bitch would be fed to a woodchipper. Feet first. As a general matter, capital punishment troubles me. As a specific matter, not one whit.

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1165988397741700812006-12-13T00:11:00.000-05:002006-12-13T00:51:05.576-05:00

Say what you will about Iranian President Immadandneedajihad, he always manages a couple of good quotes, and this week's Jew-haters meeting was no exception:Iran hosts Holocaust conferencePOSTED: 3:16 a.m. EST, December 11, 2006TEHRAN, Iran (Reuters) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday told delegates at an international conference questioning the Holocaust that Israel's days were

Morrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14930199229290569799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1164848118962530252006-11-29T19:48:00.000-05:002006-11-29T19:55:23.993-05:00

Allahpundit posts what may well be the funniest thing I have ever seen. Even if it's edged out in the final tally, the guys at National Lampoon get an A+ for effort. God, how I love the intertubes.p.s. There is something contextually shocking about the proximity of this post to that immediately below but alas, I can only post 'em as I see 'em.

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1164649322737015792006-11-27T12:21:00.000-05:002006-11-29T09:40:57.063-05:00

The Gent 6-Day Race ended on night five with the death of world champion (Madison) Isaac Galvez. There's not a whole lot to say: Galvez and Dimitri De Fauw, collided (falls are a fact of life on the track -- Galvez had already gone down earlier in the evening). De Fauw fell to the bottom of the track; Galvez went up, crashing heavily into the metal piping that seperates the track from the fans

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1161222899575405792006-10-18T21:29:00.000-04:002006-10-18T21:55:01.550-04:00

I don't write a great deal of personal stuff here but this is an exception. Call it therapeutic. I'm a bike nut -- I love 'em. Always have. So, naturally, when I had a son, I had visions of him taking out the sprint at Paris - Tours. He's four-and-a-half now and, so far, his Palmeres include a second place in the kid sprints at the Univest Grand Prix in September (some other kid's training

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1161202224372894372006-10-18T15:33:00.000-04:002006-10-18T16:10:24.956-04:00

The sun has set on the 2006 Pro Tour. The season finished in storybook fashion for Paolo Bettini, who rode the Giro di Lombardia with the strength of two men. He rode flat out up the final climbs, nearly crashed about six times on the descents, including one amazing near-miss of knee and armco, and finally reduced Fabio Wegmann -- the only rider almost able to keep pace -- to shedding tears of

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1161009000620737142006-10-16T09:59:00.000-04:002006-10-17T14:42:41.693-04:00

Yesterday on Fark, a link was greenlit that pointed to a calendared Major SETI Institute Announcement for today. SETI, of course, is the Institute for the Search for Extraterrestial Intelligence, which lives on tax dollars, donations and leeched processor time. At the time the link was posted, the announcement said merely: Major SETI Institute Announcement 10:00 - 11:00 am PDTDate:

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1157141345318920282006-09-01T15:47:00.000-04:002006-09-01T16:10:36.416-04:00

Janez Brajkovic. Who? You know, Janez, the Gold Jersey of the Vuelta (photo credit: Graham Watson). Okay, I don't blame you if you've never heard of him. But after the last two days, if you follow cycling at all, you know who he is. He's the guy that DiLuca couldn't shake on Stage 5. He's also the guy that Valverde couldn't shake on Stage 7, despite the Pro Tour leader's downright

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1157077360887590342006-08-31T22:01:00.000-04:002006-08-31T22:22:40.906-04:00

Okay, so everyone knows Survivor is trying to maintain its ratings by creating race-based tribes. That Survivor -- or any reality show -- would attempt the shocking is, well, hardly shocking. I've ignored this story so far for two reasons. First, other stuff has taken a back seat to the ProTour lately. It has been an interesting year and I find myself warming to the whole ProTour concept.

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1156973290154601952006-08-30T17:25:00.000-04:002006-08-30T17:28:10.170-04:00

More on today's Vuelta Stage 5 later. For now, it's enough to note that the Pimpernel is wheels up on his way home, having failed to finish today's stage within the time limit. So much for stage wins in each of the three Grand Tours this year . . .

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1156971546405332642006-08-30T16:45:00.000-04:002006-08-30T17:04:22.873-04:00

Sweetness & Light is asking questions the media will not answer. I confess that, at first, I thought the "stressed out over his arranged marriage" defense was insipid. Then I saw this:Hmmm, I thought, of all the twisted Muslim excuses for mass murder, this one borders on the almost believable. But, even so, the question remains: why couldn't he have just put a shotgun in his mouth and spared

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1156956525558358872006-08-30T12:38:00.000-04:002006-08-30T12:49:07.756-04:00

Yesterday, at the one-day Belgian Coupe Sels race, Davitamon- Lotto's Christophe Brandt ran full on into a road sign at 50kph. The crash left Brandt with a severed renal artery, five broken ribs, a punctured lung, a badly damaged spleen and a broken arm. The severed renal artery required removal of one of Brandt's kidneys. Christophe has been placed into a medical coma for a few days and, at

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1156867867550064952006-08-29T11:57:00.000-04:002006-08-29T22:01:28.966-04:00

Stage 3Stages 3 did not yield a great deal to discuss. Fran Ventoso took Stage 3 in a surprise for Saunier Duval-Prodir, crossing the line ahead of Thor Hushovd after a searing day in the saddle (credit: AFP). SDV launched a 1-2 punch in the last kilometer, first sending David Millar on a big attack and then launching Ventoso when Millar was caught in the technical bits of the finish.Okay. A 1

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1156707305221276112006-08-27T15:21:00.000-04:002006-08-27T15:40:44.506-04:00

They were also racing in Brittany today at the ProTour GP Ouest France-Plouay. Last year saw a photo finish with George Hincapie taking the honors over Vincenzio Nibali. This year, to avoid another too-close decision, the race introduced another hill to the circuit that winds around and finishes in Plouay. The race was a classic. With about 10k to go, Frank Schleck touched a wheel at the

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1156689204192652912006-08-27T09:37:00.000-04:002006-08-27T10:43:15.583-04:00

On paper, Stage 2 promised a bunch sprint finish. Although an early break left Mario Sarraga of wildcard entry Relax-GAM with the Climber's Jersey, the race did not disappoint once the group was caught. As the race hit Cordoba, the Peloton was hammered almost single file. Once American Chris Horner (Davitamon-Lotto) swung off the front (making pace for McEwen), three of the Milram boys took

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1156627683791150382006-08-26T17:12:00.000-04:002006-08-26T20:09:27.823-04:00

Starting his third Grand Tour of the year, Carlos Sastre takes the Gold Jersey to get the Vuelta underway. Although Sastre powered the CSC boys over the line, the real victory here belongs to the team as a whole (duh, ed.). CSC collectively demolished the 7.3k TTT opening stage in Malaga, hammering out an average pace of over 57k/h (that's about 35 mph) (image credit: Graham Watson). Try to

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1156379185567590682006-08-23T19:52:00.000-04:002006-08-23T20:34:48.853-04:00

Team Discovery is pissed. And, I think, rightly so. Although it was a legitimate racing accident, Schumacher should have been relegated. It wouldn't have affected his place on GC or his win in the Young Rider classification. The failure to relegate, however, undoubtedly altered the outcome. Is this another instance of the UCI wanting to put American cycling in what the UCI believes is its

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1156356803864673342006-08-23T13:57:00.000-04:002006-08-23T14:18:02.623-04:00

In the background, Big George Hincapie is about to hit the pavement (photo credit AFP). The red jersey he's wearing is the leader's jersey of the Eneco Tour (formerly known as the Benelux Tour). The fellow in yellow is Gerolsteiner's Stefan Schumacher, who started today's final stage a mere three seconds behind George in the general classification. It was Schumacher's rear wheel that sent

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1155822536235897702006-08-17T09:38:00.000-04:002006-08-17T09:48:56.256-04:00

News today that Floyd Landis's father-in-law, David Witt, has been found dead in his car in San Diego. The cause of death? An apparently self-inflicted gun shot wound to the head. Witt and Landis became friends in the late 1990s (Landis met his future wife through Witt, not vice-versa). Witt also figured prominently in Landis's move from mountain bikes to the real thing. Of course, the

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1155385343887509852006-08-12T07:59:00.000-04:002006-08-12T17:50:25.160-04:00

So, if I've got this right, a non-state terrorist organization invades Israel, kidnaps its soldiers, indiscriminantly rains death down upon its civilians and is rewarded with recognition as the functional equal of a sovereign UN member state. WTF? It's hard to spin this as anything but an across-the-board win for Hezbolla and its Iranian patrons. Then again, it is the Middle East, so why

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1155222645147100372006-08-10T10:59:00.000-04:002006-08-10T11:10:45.226-04:00

The animals are restless. Fortunately, they are being caged. Unfortunately, they are not being killed. At least not quickly enough . . .

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1154779960361749402006-08-05T07:10:00.000-04:002006-08-05T23:19:06.070-04:00

As expected, the "B" sample confirms the 11:1 ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone found in the "A" test (see here for UCI's official statement). I assume the B test also is positive for signs of exogenous testosterone, which is based on evaluation of the amount of Carbon-12 and Carbon-13 isotopes in the sample. In nature, C-13 prevails over C-12 by about 100:1. As near as I can tell,

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1154438356336766532006-08-01T09:09:00.000-04:002006-08-01T09:19:33.800-04:00

Not looking good for Floyd. Today's NYT reports that Landis's test was positive for synthetic testosterone. Even so, every reputable doctor claims there would be no effect. That said, I have one career cycling doper allege that testosterone doping has a virtually immediate effect of short duration, giving cyclists a little buzz and the ability to generate and sustain greater wattage. Who

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1154027862724044432006-07-27T14:48:00.000-04:002006-07-27T15:59:34.643-04:00

Phonak has confirmed that Floyd Landis's Stage 17 dope test showed levels of testosterone 5 times higher than normal. I suppose that might explain why Landis went through 70 water bottles during his Stage 17 ride. Sure, he needed to keep hydrated, but 70 bottles is excessive. Unless, of course, one might be hoping to purge something from one's system. In fairness, though, I don't know if

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1152620605710141562006-07-11T08:16:00.000-04:002006-07-11T08:23:25.766-04:00

If only the FBI took as much interest in those who vow to hack off heads as they appear to in a bullet-riddled book. If we're going to start worrying about blasphemy, perhaps we could at least pretend like we care about everyone's beliefs -- say, for example -- and not just those of the happy head hackers? Maybe, though, the FBI should worry itself with, you know, crime . . .

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1149771042875716902006-06-08T08:22:00.000-04:002006-06-08T08:50:42.976-04:00

Right on. Although his death was far too swift and merciful, al-Zarqawi has nevertheless been separated back into something approximating constituent parts. Terminating this despicable piece of human filth will certainly not end this struggle. It is, though, a significant mile marker on the road to success, which, of course, is inevitable. Congratulations, boys and girls, on a dirty job

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1149649407946601882006-06-06T23:01:00.000-04:002006-06-06T23:03:27.960-04:00

Instapundit says "Paul Campos makes no sense." As one who had the misfortune of being taught by the insufferable blowhard, I heartily concur.

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1149083947006249692006-05-31T09:57:00.000-04:002006-05-31T09:59:07.053-04:00

Report Exonerates Armstrong of Doping. Next.

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1148477312462466612006-05-24T09:18:00.000-04:002006-05-24T09:28:32.560-04:00

Big doings over at Polipundit. I missed this earlier this month because He-Who-Will-Not-Be-Named drove me away from the site long ago. Well, it looks like Poli finally had his fill too and sacked all of his co-bloggers. Even the best among us sometimes give up trying to reason with idiots (and I'll exclude Laurie, Jason and Alexander from that epithet). For me, it was over the Myers

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1147291673011830912006-05-10T15:09:00.000-04:002006-05-10T16:30:55.920-04:00

There's a new buzzword out on the blogs lately, at least new to me anyway. It's "net neutrality" - an overriding idea that has helped guide the explosive growth of the internet since its infancy. Net neutrality means that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) must serve only as a conduit to the data users want (i.e., websites) and not as a gatekeeper that decides what sites users can and can't

Morrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14930199229290569799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1144798730167829332006-04-11T18:53:00.000-04:002006-04-11T19:53:39.283-04:00

Robert Roy Britt at Space.com's LiveScience blog has declared that Xena is not a planet and, judging from his somewhat petulant tone, he might just hold his breath until astronomers concede the point:The world is not “Xena.” Officially, it is 2003 UB313. But discoverer Mike Brown of Caltech is on a mission to have 2003 UB313 declared a planet, so he gave it a catchy nickname. Other astronomers,

dantesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1144710127369604902006-04-10T18:32:00.000-04:002006-04-11T12:10:06.306-04:00

Spirit, one of the two little rovers that could, has finally reached the Martian equivalent of Florida -- a north-tilting slope on which it can safely weather the winter , i.e., obtain enough sunlight to keep its power levels above critical. Even if both Spirit and Opportunity were to go off-line tomorrow, the mission would still be one of the most succesful enterprises in the history of

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1144589184694377922006-04-09T09:03:00.000-04:002006-04-09T09:30:56.283-04:00

Three years ago, Saddam fell. Wow. It seems like just a few weeks ago we were celebrating the third anniversary of the initial invasion. Oh yeah, we were . . .Here's to the mighty. Here's to the brave. Here's to the fallen for all that they gave. God bless them who do great things.Don't miss the gold star guest posts around the blogosphere today.

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1144547240849264252006-04-08T21:32:00.000-04:002006-04-08T21:47:20.913-04:00

If reports are to be believed, the United States is actively considering a tactical nuclear weapons strike on Iranian atomic weapons facilities. Sadly, though, reports are rarely to be believed. And Seymour Hersch is never to be believed. When you read the article, what you get is routine contingency planning:Some US military chiefs have unsuccessfully urged the White House to drop the nuclear

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1144373906262040392006-04-06T21:38:00.000-04:002006-04-06T21:52:20.993-04:00

The night is April 3, 1989. April 2 had been one of the first of the strange days that would follow – not immediately – but follow nonetheless. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, indeed, Pennsylvania period had always brought something special out of the band. The fans were always too numerous for the venue, the weather pretty near always sucked, and the local constabulary always turned out. All in

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1144291276484203952006-04-05T22:36:00.000-04:002006-04-05T22:47:38.596-04:00

Remember these guys?There was a time when they didn't look even this rough. Bedazzled has the (pre-Sid) footage. If you are of a certain vintage, it will light the corners of your mind. Misty, watercoloured, and all that toss. Piss off.

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1143841063169888352006-03-31T16:36:00.000-05:002006-03-31T16:37:43.183-05:00

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1143231537200985902006-03-24T15:06:00.000-05:002006-03-24T20:07:27.670-05:00

I don't usually read the Daily Progress, but any story headlined "Poop Prank Leads to Uproar" is bound to capture my attention. The story is almost too absurd to believe . . . almost. It is definitely too absurd not to post:A student who defecated in a lunchroom bowl triggered a series of events that culminated in the recent walkout by four workers in the Fort Defiance High School cafeteria,

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1143067440970188432006-03-22T17:20:00.000-05:002006-03-22T17:44:01.053-05:00

In connection with Don Knotts passing, Morrell suggested a top-10 list of television's funniest characters. As I suspect our lists will be a bit different, I'll offer my off-the-top-of-my-head list here. Naturally, I reserve the right to revise as necessary.10. Luther Van Dam (Coach)09. Rob Petrie (DvD)08. Jeff Murdoch (UK Coupling)07. Hyacinth Bucket (Keeping Up Appearances)06. Niles

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1141675582355679692006-03-06T14:51:00.000-05:002006-03-06T16:14:13.563-05:00

Domestic act of terror receives scant coverage In a premeditated act of terrorism, Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar, a native of Iran and December graduate of UNC, rented a Jeep Cherokee and drove it into a crowd at a public area known as the Pit at the Chapel Hill campus on Friday. He intentionally hit 9 people, mostly students, and half a dozen victims were taken to the hospital. Police arrested the

Morrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14930199229290569799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1140908032757064392006-02-25T17:46:00.000-05:002006-02-25T17:56:46.450-05:00

Bernard P. Fife is the most consistent laugh-out-loud-funny character in the history of television comedy. I don't suppose there is a better eulogy than that.

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1140123701603353242006-02-16T15:50:00.000-05:002006-02-16T16:01:41.656-05:00

Bryant's Gumbel's recent HBO commentary on the Winter Olympics included this nugget:[T]ry not to be incredulous when someone attempts to link these games to those of the ancient Greeks who never heard of skating or skiing. So try not to laugh when someone says these are the world’s greatest athletes, despite a paucity of blacks that makes the Winter Games look like a GOP convention.What's Gumbel

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1140016661673135222006-02-15T09:47:00.000-05:002006-02-15T10:17:45.836-05:00

Writing in Lebanon's Daily Star, someone named Bouthaina Shabaan explains:Facts show that Europe is launching a new Holocaust against Muslims around the world. What is happening to Muslims in Europe today is almost identical with what the Jews suffered at the beginning of the century. Muslims in Western countries find themselves obliged to change their names and suppress their religious identity

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1139758164369130562006-02-12T10:08:00.000-05:002006-02-12T10:29:59.853-05:00

Stephen Spruill at NRO's Media Blog provides video of Bill Bennett, Wolf Blitzer and James Zogby discussing the cartoon jihad on CNN. Zogby does his best to prevent Bennett from speaking but Bennett feeds both CNN and Zogby their lunches regardless. Bizarrely, the segment is introduced with images of a dozen or so anti-semitic cartoons that have appeared in the pages of the Arab Press. Bennett

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1139529482515499342006-02-09T18:53:00.000-05:002006-02-09T19:17:01.310-05:00

According the United Arab Emirate's website, Ras Al Khaimah isthe northern most emirate of the UAE. The Ruler since 1949 has been H.H. Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qassimi.And what does the youger crowd do for thrills in Ras Al Khaimah? You don't want to know (but you will click anyway). Back? Okay. I have just one question. In fact, I have just one word:Renting!?!(via where else).

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1139426101144861892006-02-08T13:51:00.000-05:002006-02-08T14:16:59.663-05:00

The editors of the NY Times won't publish the Mohammad cartoons. Good grief, no, that would be needlessly provocative -- and potentially dangerous. So what images do they opt to run alongside a story about the cartoons? Well, spying another opportunity to rub Christianity's collective nose in shit, the editors run an old image of the Virgin Mary crafted from Elephant dung. Why? Because if

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1139320638161390422006-02-07T08:47:00.000-05:002006-02-07T08:57:18.173-05:00

Today's news of a previously unknown pocket of bio-diversity in New Guinea calls to mind Stephen J. Gould (really, how could it not?), whose lament for the lost Partula snails of the South Pacific has stuck with me. This discovery won't bring Partula back, but it might go a little ways toward replacing the evolutionary knowledge lost when they were unwittingly eradicated. Gould tells the story

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1139100050794656052006-02-04T19:30:00.000-05:002006-02-05T11:16:16.456-05:00

Not the Warrior Princess. The new planet. That's right, the new planet. After going back and forth on the size of Xena (UB313), astronomers appear to have settled on the conclusion that she is indeed larger than Pluto -- considerably larger in relative terms.Bertoldi and his colleagues, from the University of Bonn and the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, determined the diameter of

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1139079546486316092006-02-04T13:50:00.000-05:002006-02-04T13:59:06.503-05:00

German Chancellor Angie Merkel likens the threat posed by Iran to that presented by Hilter's rise to power:Looking back to German history in the early 1930s when National Socialism (Nazism) was on the rise, there were many outside Germany who said 'It's only rhetoric -- don't get excited'," she told the assembled world defense policy makers.There were times when people could have reacted

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1139074106963442702006-02-04T11:36:00.000-05:002006-02-04T12:33:32.896-05:00

I suppose this is the big story right now. Truth be told, though, I don't know why it's a big story. Generally speaking, big news arises from the unexpected. It's not news that the sun rose this morning. It's not news that the sky is blue. But somehow it's news that Islamists are threatening beheadings, bombing embassies, and generally taking great offense over a handful of trifling cartoons

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1138761894218558522006-01-31T21:40:00.000-05:002006-01-31T21:44:54.230-05:00

The ability to transmit information via light would be a tremendous boon for the space program. Currently, interplanetary transmission rates are roughly equivalent to that acheived by your old 1200 baud modem (if you had a modem about 20 years ago, that is). This report from MIT's Technology Review suggests that the laser-based broadband nut may have been cracked.

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1138565660977084212006-01-29T15:10:00.000-05:002006-01-29T15:14:20.993-05:00

Alexandra at All Things Beautiful has an interesting post on Kerry's filibuster follies. She also discusses his recent transformation from Boston Brahman into Daily Kossack.

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1138560347605130492006-01-29T13:39:00.000-05:002006-01-29T13:45:47.620-05:00

Slashdot linked to this peculiar short film at Google Video -- Fear of Girls -- which features a couple of 30-ish Dungeons & Dragons afficiandos. It may not be to everyone's taste, but I found it hilarious.

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1138466000351888542006-01-28T11:32:00.000-05:002006-01-28T11:33:20.353-05:00

If you can't kill 'em, well, then, mock the hell out of 'em. It's in the Koran!

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1138374199848009742006-01-27T09:59:00.000-05:002006-01-28T11:29:06.136-05:00

Challenger was lost twenty years ago yesterday. In some respects it does seem that long. In others, it doesn't seem possible. MSNBC has an interesting piece on what happened that morning.Oops: Actually, the anniversary is today, the 28th.

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1138155746690286952006-01-24T21:17:00.000-05:002006-01-24T22:12:00.136-05:00

I had been hoping to develop a more thought-out post for my first at the Chateau, but something surprised me while watching cable news last night – one of those moments when I ask myself "Is this really what I think"?Although I try to keep up on current events as time allows, I hadn’t been closely following the details of this week’s Palestinian legislative elections. After over a decade of

Morrelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14930199229290569799noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1138057966430017262006-01-23T18:06:00.000-05:002006-01-23T18:17:02.563-05:00

My family has a place on Charleston Lake in Ontario. My grandfather built it with his own hands (3 bedrooms, etc.) and I vacationed there every summer during my youth. I'm hoping I can take my kids to Canada this summer and not feel like I'm in friggin' Europe. C'mon Canada, you can do it.Let's check the scoring: John Howard, Tony Blair and George Bush still there. Gerhard replaced by Angie

dantesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1137802819997418582006-01-20T19:07:00.000-05:002006-01-20T19:20:20.023-05:00

This afternoon, our Lebanon County jury returned a $1.15 million verdict in favor of my clients, a damages award that included every single dollar we had asked for in connection with a breach of contract.Good day. Indeed.

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1137210168785968472006-01-13T22:36:00.000-05:002006-01-13T22:42:48.796-05:00

Could it be? Is Canada finally coming to its collective senses? The Captain seems to think so. And, on matters Canadian, Ed has a solid track record. Indeed, he deserves substantial credit for toppling the noisome Martin government.

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1137205629544972092006-01-13T21:23:00.000-05:002006-01-13T22:22:18.086-05:00

The rumor's all over the web. The good old U.S. military may have cashed Zawahiri. As I've said before, even if it is a false alarm, the idea of Ayman spread thinly over a substantial surface area is a pleasing one indeed. The fact, she would be better still . . .More: A lizardoid aptly puts it: "Predator drOwned." It's probably been said elsewhere but I haven't seen it before. Here's

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1137196558540019842006-01-13T18:51:00.000-05:002006-01-13T18:55:58.553-05:00

The first week of trial is under our belts and, save the cross-exam of our damages witness and a short appearance from the accountant, our case is in. I don't think we made any mistakes and I know we have all the evidence we need to make our argument to the jury. The case involves a dispute over a contract and the damages amount in slightly north of $1 million. I like our chances, but, as

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1136509452271707682006-01-05T19:55:00.000-05:002006-01-05T20:17:28.353-05:00

Everybody has it about someone or something. Right now, mine is that this will be downright awful. Shockingly so. But what do I know? I love science fiction that is based on real (even if not yet realized) physics and I love the Grateful Dead. I've never, though, thought of two as particularly complimentary, a fine Space notwithstanding. I do like this line from the report:"I believe the

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1136507151122995422006-01-05T19:23:00.000-05:002006-01-05T19:25:51.133-05:00

Quiet 'round these parts, lately. I'm taking a case to trial Monday that should last two-three weeks. Yes, thank you, the Holidays did fairly suck. Oh well. We all have to make a living somehow. Life could be worse. Much worse. I could be a journalist . . .

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1136467586927147262006-01-05T08:21:00.000-05:002006-01-05T08:26:26.936-05:00

There is an interesting issue lurking at the intersections of the Plame affair, the CIA flights and prisons leak, and the NSA wiretapping leak. The issue is: what is a leak? The New York Times argues that only Plame involved a leak. The other two stories, according to the Times, involve brave whistle-blowers. Tom Maguire ably destroys this mendacity.

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1136050400208331702005-12-31T12:19:00.000-05:002005-12-31T12:33:20.356-05:00

M. Morrel, a dear friend who has often provided assistance of utmost significance, has graciously accepted an invitation to blog at the Chateau. Morrel's perspective, which tends to diverge from mine, will undoubtedly spawn some very interesting discussion. This is going to be great fun. Have at it!

dantesnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1135998702892225152005-12-30T21:56:00.000-05:002005-12-30T22:13:28.096-05:00

You gotta love this:Palestinian policemen angry over the killing of a fellow officer stormed the Gaza-Egypt border crossing Friday, firing shots in the air and forcing European monitors to close the border and flee, Palestinian and European officials said. About 100 policemen entered the Rafah compound and took up positions alongside border patrol officers at the customs section of the crossing,

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1135397675452275992005-12-23T23:00:00.000-05:002005-12-23T23:14:35.483-05:00

Reading the news, I see we're engaging in the warrantless interception of data flowing from the United States in connection with known terrorists. I also see that we are monitoring mosques and other Muslim sites in major cities for increased radioactivity associated with nuclear weapons. Well, d'uh.On the Muslim Nuke concern: Is anyone honestly surprised to learn that N.E.S.T. is monitoring,

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1134662618633528582005-12-15T10:54:00.000-05:002005-12-15T11:08:28.606-05:00

As it has done for nearly 50 years, Philip Morris today won a key litigation victory. The Illinois Supreme Court has reversed the abominable $10.1 billion Price judgment. No tears for the gangster-esque Stephen Tillery. Today's loss costs him $1.7 billion plus whatever he invested into the prosecution of a suit he knew to be utterly meritless from the start. Howard has mucho linkage.

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1134508004073272662005-12-13T16:00:00.000-05:002005-12-13T19:13:45.726-05:00

In the wake of the Tookie take down, the AP gives us an article trumpeting the sanctimony of Europeans. I found this passage to be especially disturbing: Rome's Colosseum, once the arena for deadly gladiator combat and executions, has become a symbol of Italy's anti-death penalty stance. Since 1999, the monument has been bathed in golden light every time a death sentence is commuted somewhere in

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1134484472974569352005-12-13T09:31:00.000-05:002005-12-13T09:34:32.986-05:00

It has been taken out. The vermin, and their supporters, lose again.

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1133916182573737822005-12-06T19:28:00.000-05:002005-12-06T19:44:06.073-05:00

Last week, University of Kansas anti-Intelligent Design professor Paul Mirecki wrote of his course Special Topics in Religion: Intelligent Design, Creationism and other Religious Mythologies that:The fundies want it all taught in a science class, but this will be a nice slap in their big fat face by teaching it as a religious studies class under the category "mythology."Well, today Mirecki claims

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1133630445002718242005-12-03T12:13:00.000-05:002005-12-03T12:22:24.760-05:00

Upon further reflection, perhaps Murtha makes a good point. Indeed, it might help if a few of our fighting men and women demonstrated for him what the terms "broken" and "hand to mouth" mean to the United States Armed Forces. My suspicion is that those words do not mean what Murtha thinks they mean . . .

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1133536213365325242005-12-02T09:48:00.000-05:002005-12-03T12:30:18.186-05:00

After apparently receiving some clarification from McNally and GDP, the Internet Archive will again permit Grateful Dead downloads. Things won't go back to the way they were, though. The Boards aren't coming back. This neither surprises nor saddens me. The Boards are, after all, in direct competition with the Dead's sole remaining source of revenue (I say "sole" because at least one

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1133531331902036352005-12-02T08:38:00.000-05:002005-12-02T08:51:56.256-05:00

During the whole 403-3 cut-and-run debate, I said I wouldn't ding Murtha for views he appeared to come by honestly. Well, the qeustion of Murtha's honesty is now resolved against him. Murtha believes our military is "broken and worn out" and deems this belief fit to broadcast. He broadcasts it not only to those who serve, but to those trying to kill those who serve. The latter would be

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1133357770883023652005-11-30T08:30:00.000-05:002005-11-30T08:36:10.916-05:00

Umm. I think there's a problem at PJM. Was Osama bin Laden killed in last month's earthquake in Pakistan? So said Senate minority leader Harry Reid to a Nevada TV station (video here). More than the news itself that the No. 1 Most Wanted could be dead -it's not the first time the speculation arises, and at least until now it has been never confirmed-, it's the possibility that Reid might have

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1133039376175529582005-11-26T16:00:00.000-05:002005-11-26T16:09:36.186-05:00

Interesting post at Outside the Beltway that gets to some of my reservations regarding the utility of blogrolls. I'm not particularly surprised that NZBear is considering ways to curtail what looks like rampant -- though not necessarily ill-intentioned -- "gaming" of the current ecosystem.

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1132938330124551642005-11-25T11:56:00.000-05:002005-11-25T12:05:30.160-05:00

Now I've seen it all. There can be no deeper spring of Moonbat-ery. It is not possible: On September 25, 2005, in a startling speech at the University of Toronto that caught the attention of mainstream newspapers and magazines, Paul Hellyer, Canada’s Defence Minister from 1963-67 under Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Prime Minister Lester Pearson, publicly stated: "UFOs, are as real as the

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1132873291828920542005-11-24T17:57:00.000-05:002005-11-24T18:04:29.430-05:00

Drudge has this outlandish story: For nearly four decades, [Governor Bill] Richardson, often mentioned as a possible Democratic presidential candidate, has maintained he was drafted by the Kansas City Athletics. * * * But an investigation by the Albuquerque Journal found no record of Richardson being drafted by the A's, who have since moved to Oakland, or any other team.

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1132856557952855242005-11-24T13:05:00.000-05:002005-11-24T18:06:04.533-05:00

For anyone who came of age in mid-eighties America, there's a song that lies just beneath your consciousness. It's there no matter who you are or what you were into. It happened to crop up in iTunes as I was reading a moonbat comment at another site. Yes, it's perfectly puerile, but it also perfectly captures my disgust with the modern left:You are so condescendingYou're gall is never-endingWe

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1132851329517784682005-11-24T11:37:00.000-05:002005-11-24T11:55:29.623-05:00

Interesting news out of Hevron. It appears that the local Arabs have had enough of the International Solidarity Movement and are looking to the local Jewish community for assistance in ridding themselves of the rabble. Of course, the ISM is the organization that gifted the world with the venerable Saint Pancake (aka St. Jemima), unleavened be her name.

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1132844721839289822005-11-24T09:50:00.000-05:002005-11-25T13:53:57.960-05:00

Recently, I've linked quite a few Grateful Dead shows via the live music archive at Archive.org. It appears, however, that the Grateful Dead has now officially asked the archive to remove all soundboard-sourced recordings from its public servers. This has been a long time coming and I can't say I'm surprised it has finally occured. It is not a reason to be sad, though. What it means is that

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1132805996201868452005-11-23T23:10:00.000-05:002005-11-23T23:19:56.253-05:00

I think the producers of Lost made a mistake in not introducing the Tail-Enders last season. The playing out of their story has taken quite a bit of steam out of the show. In particular, the telling of the Island mythos has suffered quite a bit over the last 3 or so episodes. Now that Jack and Anna Lucia are face to face, perhaps the show can get back to the more interesting mysteries (I'd ask

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1132766041215559772005-11-23T09:21:00.000-05:002005-11-24T12:01:36.960-05:00

Hit the house lights. Cue the fanfare. Raise the curtain. . . . Hey, you, steady on with that torch . . . wait for it. NOW! Woooof. And mike: Hello and welcome to the 125 Edition of the Bonfire of the Vanities. By now, everyone knows how this thing works. People write crappy, funny, weird, and/or stupid posts. Those same people then send their c/f/w/s posts to the Bonfire, where they are held out

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1132669839854509852005-11-22T09:26:00.000-05:002005-11-22T09:30:39.866-05:00

Good news. Demosthanes arrived before dawn bearing the torch so, if all goes as planned, we'll light the Bonfire of the Vanities at some point later this evening. I know I promised pictures of the arrival ceremony but it was simply too cold this morning to allow for anything approaching a flattering picture of the weary Greek.

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1132613879104392852005-11-21T17:26:00.000-05:002005-11-21T18:02:29.030-05:00

I think Jeff Goldstein (h/t Instapundit) is absolutely right when, after accurately summarizing the Administration's position on the Iraq war "debate", he says: These points, taken together, form an easy, concise, and—most importantly—a factually correct counter-narrative to the Dem / MSM narrative that has preached confusion, failure, quagmire, American criminality (torture, WP), and the

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1132598042924567312005-11-21T12:50:00.000-05:002005-11-21T15:25:59.723-05:00

The big economic news of the day -- General Motors' announcement of job cuts and plant closings -- can't possibly come as a surprise, can it? Like many other huge American employers, General Motors has, over the years, become something of a welfare state. With each new round of labor negotiations, GM's fixed labor costs inexorably rise. Naturally, though, the UAW denies that it has any

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1132542808862948152005-11-20T22:10:00.000-05:002005-11-20T22:13:28.876-05:00

Next week in the House of Representatives should be even more interesting than last week, at least according to Scott Ott. Truth? Satire? The line is so very mucky . . .

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1132534694485108122005-11-20T19:49:00.000-05:002005-11-20T20:00:06.653-05:00

He can sing if he wants to. He can leave your friends behind. Our favorite tinpot little South American dictator is back to blaming Bush as he sets his sights on singing his way back into the hearts of Mexicans everywhere. You go, Hugo. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says the United States is the reason for the diplomatic rift between his country and Mexico. Speaking to thousands

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1132533302938229162005-11-20T19:15:00.000-05:002005-11-20T19:42:59.443-05:00

Today's O. Henry Award for Unintentional Irony goes right here. I genuinely like LaShawn's blog, but this is just a bit too rich. We're all allowed a certain amount of passes, though, and she gets one on this. After all, I haven't been paying a whole lot of attention to the OSM sniping -- it may actually be worse than it appears to this casual observer. Don't miss the last paragraph, though,

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1132516896252116062005-11-20T14:59:00.000-05:002005-11-20T21:28:29.413-05:00

LGF links to this:At least one Arab television media outlet reported that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the head of the al-Qaida in Iraq, was killed in Iraq on Sunday afternoon when eight terrorists blew themselves up in the in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. The unconfirmed report claimed that the explosions occurred after coalition forces surrounded the house in which al-Zarqawi was hiding. There's

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1132510628115900342005-11-20T12:43:00.000-05:002005-11-20T13:23:29.440-05:00

Today brought my first blogospheric Caravaggio sighting. Caravaggio was a mystic, a murderer, and a Pope's portraitest, who, through the technique of chiaroscuro, gifted us with perhaps the most emotionally powerful paintings of the Baroque period. Wikipedia has a decent entry. While Caravaggio's art is fantastic, his life story is of equal, if not even greater, interest. The best short

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1132505725326375822005-11-20T11:50:00.000-05:002005-11-20T12:04:30.353-05:00

After more than a year, I've finally added a blogroll via blogrolling. Eventually, I'll probably categorize the thing to seperate the various types of links (e.g., blawgs, aggregators, big media, etc.) but for now the list includes sites that I try to visit on at least a weekly basis. Folks are undoubtedly familiar with many, if not most, of these blogs and other sites, but there are probably a

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8859411.post-1132448521374681112005-11-19T19:59:00.000-05:002005-11-19T20:09:46.706-05:00

I suppose that sanitation really is not something at which to smirk, but, c'mon, World Toilet Day? How is anyone supposed to keep a straight face. One can only wonder how the common man is to mark the occasion . . . so to speak, of course.Gimme a Break is also blogging on this critical subject:For those interested in taking toilets to a higher level the World Toilet College (WTC) has been

dantesnoreply@blogger.com0