March 20, 2007

Bad Iran, no nuclear fuel for you!

Excerpt:
I have long wondered why Russia was taking such a lenient policy towards the Iranian drive for nuclear weapons. If there is anything that Russia values, it's the status of regional power. In fact, they ideally want to get back...
Posted by Owen at 07:39 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 18, 2007

News Roundup 18III07

Excerpt:
Imperialism better than Poorly-Governed Independence Last year, the United States Agency for International Development gave Ghana $22.5 million in food aid. Last Monday, that same country began a 12-month celebration of its independence from British rule, which was granted 50...
Posted by Owen at 05:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 06, 2007

Who is worse: Israel, North Korea, or Iran?

Excerpt:
Israel, Iran, the US, and North Korea have the worst image around the world, in that order. In Iran, two women have to testify in order to receive the same weight as one man. North Korea beats and starves people...
Posted by Owen at 05:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 31, 2007

The Untold Delights of Duluth

Excerpt:
The issue of earmarks and federal subsidies for pet projects is not a new issue. Katrina made the "Bridge to Nowhere" famous, but represents merely the most recent rediscovering of this peculiarity of American government. One hundred and thirty-six years...
Posted by Owen at 01:43 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 12, 2007

Raise the Minimum Wage, except for my constituents

Excerpt:
Hypocrisy? Mrs. Pelosi campaigned heavily on promises of honest government. "Now we find out that she is exempting hometown companies from minimum wage. This is exactly the hypocrisy and double talk that we have come to expect from the Democrats."...
Posted by Owen at 07:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 13, 2006

The definition of incompetence

Excerpt:
The congressman who is to become the chair of the House Intelligence Committee cannot answer the most basic of questions about Al Qaeda and Hezbollah! When asked by CQ National Security Editor Jeff Stein whether al Qaeda is one or...
Posted by Owen at 02:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

November 22, 2006

The role of a Representative

Excerpt:
What, exactly, is the job of a member of Congress? The simple answer is "to represent constituents." That doesn't really help, and needs clarification. Are they to bring back pork to their district? Get a disproportionately large share of federal...
Posted by Owen at 12:40 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

November 20, 2006

Good move by Edwards

Excerpt:
John Edwards _ a vocal critic of the retailer _ asked his local Wal- Mart store for help in getting the potential 2008 presidential candidate a Sony PlayStation 3. Edwards said a volunteer did so by mistake. Edwards told The...
Posted by Owen at 11:23 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

November 07, 2006

Election Prediction - 2006

Excerpt:
Just because everyone else is doing it: The Republicans will not lose either chamber. They will lose seats, but they will stay in power. I am especially confident about Corker and Allen. Why: This is not 1994. The Democrats have...
Posted by Owen at 05:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

October 27, 2006

Last Trip to Aktau

Excerpt:
The Aral Sea: Tap Water in Aktau:...
Posted by Owen at 04:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 15, 2006

It's next to Russia

Excerpt:
The corner store near my house has a television, and when I stopped in last night, they were showing news. On the screen was a standard, drab Russian city, the caption read "Mordovia." I had heard of this place, but...
Posted by Owen at 06:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 11, 2006

Pivotal and Tangential

Excerpt:
What 9-11 meant in the moment. How it affected us....
Posted by Owen at 05:48 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 03, 2006

Someone I'd like to meet

Excerpt:
Creative Dissonance The secretive artist has smuggled 500 doctored copies of Paris Hilton's debut album into music stores throughout the UK, where they have sold without the shops' knowledge. On the back cover, the original song titles have been replaced...
Posted by Owen at 05:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 18, 2006

Monks brawl at peace protest

Excerpt:
One of the best headlines ever for a news article: Protesters calling for an end to recent violence in Sri Lanka found themselves brawling with hardline Buddhist monks Thursday ... when hardline saffron-robed monks opposed to concessions to Tamil Tiger...
Posted by Owen at 06:56 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Credit where it's due

Excerpt:
For once I actually agree with the Reverend Al Sharpton: I think we've allowed a whole generation of young people to feel that if they're focused, they're not black enough. If they speak well and act well, they're acting white,...
Posted by Owen at 05:06 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 29, 2006

Image Problems

Excerpt:
If you thought that America was having a rough time trying to maintain a positive public opinion in Europe, take a look at Russia's numbers: GlobScan poll shows positive perception of Russia has considerably shrinked in 2005, in old EU...
Posted by Owen at 03:06 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 30, 2006

The Fruits of Feminism: Forced Submission

Excerpt:
Thanks to Feminism and the Sexual Revolution, young girls are now expected to satisfy men's sexual desires, even if they don't want to. Here is Sharon Stone's advice: "If you're in a situation where you cannot get out of sex,...
Posted by Owen at 11:52 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 19, 2006

Penn Celebrates Sexual Assault

Excerpt:
Sean Penn, one of Hollywood's most enlightened liberals seems to have fantasies about violent sexual assault: Hollywood activist SEAN PENN has a plastic doll of conservative US columnist ANN COULTER that he likes to abuse when angry. ... "We violate...
Posted by Owen at 02:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 14, 2006

Bear Flag Roundup

Excerpt:
Someone over at Miller's Time has way too much free time and checked out every single member of the Bear Flag League and gave a one-sentence description of their current posts. Skim it, I'm sure you'll find something interesting......
Posted by Owen at 03:20 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 10, 2006

Dalai Lama on Western Extravagance

Excerpt:
My feeling on the Dalai Lama is that he's hit-and-miss. Sometimes he's right on, other times he's way off mark. For example, in the first part of this article, he says that killing Osama bin Laden would cause ten more...
Posted by Owen at 03:20 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 20, 2006

Must ... Support ... The Party!

Excerpt:
An illustration of party loyalty gone horribly awry: "I'm for any Republican who can get elected," said Craig Capehart of Dallas, Texas. "It would be nice if they also had policies that would be good for the country."* You have...
Posted by Owen at 04:23 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Can the Republican Party replace Prozac?

Excerpt:
In every asking of the question, ROLL CALL reports, Republicans have been happier than Democrats. Republicans tend to be better off than Democrats, and that is one explanation for the happiness gap. But when the researchers controlled for household income,...
Posted by Owen at 04:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

November 27, 2005

Crime doesn't pay well

Excerpt:
In the past few weeks, 130 light poles have disappeared from the streets of Baltimore. Standing 30 feet tall, weighing 250 pounds, and being located conspicuously on the side of roads, these things don't just walk away. Or, as a...
Posted by Owen at 11:49 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

November 03, 2005

Royal Excess

Excerpt:
I find this quite repugnant, and a prime example of waste in government. Why do the Brits keep the aristocracy around? They're idle and wasteful, and not even a good laugh. Perhaps I'm overreacting a bit. But seriously, 50 dresses...
Posted by Owen at 09:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

October 16, 2005

Government Waste

Excerpt:
This really is sickening. What makes it even more disgusting is that the money was taken by a member of my party, the Republicans. We're supposed to be the fiscally responsible ones, but once in power, we seem to be...
Posted by Owen at 10:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Poor Immigration Policy

Excerpt:
We're only shooting ourselves in the foot here: The exhaustion of the annual green-card quota is the latest headache facing US companies trying to recruit scarce talent from abroad. In 2003 Congress allowed the annual quota of temporary H-1B visas...
Posted by Owen at 09:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 13, 2005

NATO: Internal and External Challenges

Excerpt:
After weeks of procrastinating, here is the NATO paper. Now, for my attempt at an abstract: NATO is currently facing two main challenges. First, the organization lacks a coherent vision of the future and its role. In order to make...
Posted by Owen at 01:06 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 09, 2005

Victory in Europe Day

Excerpt:
Happy Victory Day "Patriotic War"...
Posted by Owen at 03:06 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 05, 2005

Laughable

Excerpt:
Iran insists on its right to develop nuclear technology and denies intending to make nuclear weapons. Mr Fischer said negotiations with Iran were difficult. Diplomats said earlier he would deliver a “stern warning” and tell Iran it risked referral to...
Posted by Owen at 12:50 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 04, 2005

A Plate of Hate!

Excerpt:
A fantastic expose into the world of Animal Rights protests. One of the funniest pieces I've read in recent memory. The author both attempts to placate and antagonize the protestors, eliciting such absurd moments as: "Not only do I not...
Posted by Owen at 12:38 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 01, 2005

Happy May Day!

Excerpt:
"Wishing you success in work and wages." I think we need to take this holiday away from the communists/socialists and use it to celebrate economic freedom....
Posted by Owen at 10:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 30, 2005

News Roundup 1V05

Excerpt:
She's got a point: In an interview on Thursday, Mrs. Clinton called Admiral Jacoby's statement "the first confirmation, publicly, by the administration that the North Koreans have the ability to arm a missile with a nuclear device that can reach...
Posted by Owen at 11:23 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 08, 2005

Clearing out my browers

Excerpt:
When I surf the web, I do it in a manic "must-consume-all-information" way. I haven't restarted my computer in a week and half because I've had windows open that I didn't want to lose. I had five different opera browsers...
Posted by Owen at 07:04 PM | Comments (0)

March 16, 2005

Out of touch

Excerpt:
The New York Times recently ran an article entitled: "Does the Affordable Paris Bistro Still Exist? Oui." Take a guess at what the New York Times considers affordable ... oh, only about 100 euros ($135)!!!!! And they wonder why the...
Posted by Owen at 10:35 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 04, 2005

Tax Collector with a Sense of Humour

Excerpt:
Middletown, Ohio's tax superintenedent has been suspended because of remarks added into the tax filing insturctions. I thought the examples were pretty funny, and I appreciate a government employee with a sense of humour. "If we can tax it, we...
Posted by Owen at 07:02 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 31, 2005

European Values

Excerpt:
A 25-year-old waitress who turned down a job providing "sexual services'' at a brothel in Berlin faces possible cuts to her unemployment benefit under laws introduced this year. So, our moral elders in Europe have decided that sex slavery is...
Posted by Owen at 04:06 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 26, 2005

Fox is Bush's Propaganda Arm?

Excerpt:
"Ted is understandably bitter having lost his ratings, his network and now his mind -- we wish him well." A Fox spokesman responding to Ted Turner's comparison of Fox and the Bush Admin to Hitler....
Posted by Owen at 05:23 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 12, 2004

Afghan Inauguration

Excerpt:
Karzai told the story of an elderly woman from the Farah province who came to a polling station with two voter's cards: She went up to an election worker and declared that she wanted to vote twice, once for herself,...
Posted by Owen at 01:28 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

October 18, 2004

Republicans have better sex

Excerpt:
I always knew we were smarter, apparently we're also better lovers: American Sex Lives 2004, a new "Primetime Live" sex poll conducted in conjunction with the ABC News Polling Unit, is among the most comprehensive surveys of its kind in...
Posted by Owen at 07:12 PM | Comments (11) | TrackBack

October 17, 2004

An Alternate Third Debate

Excerpt:
Who knew John Kerry was a kindred spirit? Spirituality is important to me. I've always felt that we humans are insignificant maggots scuttling across the muck of the universe, and that life itself is just a meaningless moment of agony...
Posted by Owen at 04:12 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

October 06, 2004

Coalition Deaths

Excerpt:
John Kerry, in the first debate, made mention to the fact that the coalition was only the US, the UK, and Australia. Furthmore, he has consistently referred to it as a coalition of the coerced and bribed. I find this...
Posted by Owen at 01:43 AM | Comments (10) | TrackBack

July 03, 2004

Indian Air Force beats US in exercise

Excerpt:
In February, U.S. fighter pilots participated in their first air-combat exercise with the air force of India. The results were shocking. According to comments made the same month by Representative Randy Cunningham (R-CA), Indian fighters defeated America's top-of-the-line F-15C fighter...
Posted by Owen at 09:03 AM | Comments (11) | TrackBack

June 02, 2004

Eugenics

Excerpt:
This is truly disturbing: Abortion Soars in Quest for Perfect Babies Those with conditions that can usually be corrected medically - such as deformed feet and cleft lips and palates - are instead being terminated. And the number of abortions...
Posted by Owen at 06:34 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

Driving and not walking makes you fatter?

Excerpt:
Gee, who woudda thunk it? You mean, driving for long hours, in addition to just sitting at work, and not walking anywhere will make you gain weight??? The study of more than 10,500 Atlanta-area residents shows a strong link between...
Posted by Owen at 05:55 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

May 27, 2004

Operation Iraqi Children

Excerpt:
I have, from secret sources, smuggled out these exclusive pictures of more abuse by American soldiers. Here you can see the havoc wreaked after handing out school supplies donated by Americans back home and coordinated by Operation Iraqi Children, an...
Posted by Owen at 12:45 PM | Comments (44) | TrackBack

May 25, 2004

No Tanning for Teens

Excerpt:
They [California] approved AB 2193, by a vote of 42-26, to prohibit minors from using indoor tanning booths without a doctor's prescription. State law allows children under 14 to use a tanning booth if accompanied by a parent, and youngsters...
Posted by Owen at 10:25 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

May 24, 2004

Christopher Hitchens on Michael Moore

Excerpt:
As with any person, I obviously don't agree with everything he says, but I would have this man's baby: [Michael] Moore's "documentary" claims may not be true, but to use John Pilger's formulation explaining the left-wing tabloid Daily Mirror's fabricated...
Posted by Owen at 09:43 PM | Comments (26) | TrackBack

Freedom Fighters?

Excerpt:
"I killed two Americans in Kufa only 10 days ago and I felt very proud. Now I just want to kill more and more. We will give our last drop of blood." A cleric in Najaf said: "When Saddam was...
Posted by Owen at 09:15 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

April 18, 2004

Government Intervention in the Market

Excerpt:
Yet another example of government's infringement on the free market, and it's resulting negative effects on the consumers. U.S. radio broadcasters have asked federal regulators to bar rival satellite radio services from offering content tailored to local markets, according to...
Posted by Owen at 10:57 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

April 11, 2004

Volunteerism Outlawed

Excerpt:
The California state government is absurd: The department late last year fined a Sacramento Valley nonprofit group $33,000, in part because it used student volunteers to help clear a stream bed. Volunteer work can only be used when the work...
Posted by Owen at 11:21 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 02, 2004

A Big Year

Excerpt:
2004 is shaping up to be a pretty important year. NATO has just expanded from 19 to 26, the EU will expand from 15 to 25, and Iraq will regain sovereignty....
Posted by Owen at 11:17 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

March 25, 2004

Secret Tax Laws

Excerpt:
Why is our government making secret laws about anything? What other secret tax breaks do some groups get? At stake is whether people of all religions can deduct the cost of religious education as a charitable gift, as Scientologists are...
Posted by Owen at 04:51 PM | Comments (9) | TrackBack

March 24, 2004

Who's Killing Who?

Excerpt:
Every single time I've heard about the conflict in Sudan, it's been described as the Islamization and Arabization of the Southern Sudanese, who are Christians and animists (pagans). Essentially the government, run by the National Islamic Front in Khartoum, is...
Posted by Owen at 08:22 PM | Comments (9) | TrackBack

March 22, 2004

France Wants to Arm Human Rights Abusers

Excerpt:
But what's the news there? After all, they did arm the Hutus and Saddam. France is also lobbying EU countries to drop the 15-year-old embargo on arms sales to China, imposed after the brutal 1989 suppression of pro-democracy demonstrators, the...
Posted by Owen at 09:08 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack

March 15, 2004

AQ and Saddam?

Excerpt:
Meanwhile Mark Aveyard notes a contradiction: "Remember being told by the left that Saddam's regime and Al Queda had no relationship, that they actually hated each other? Now they're saying that Al Queda attacked Spain because the US ousted Saddam!"...
Posted by Owen at 10:34 PM | Comments (17) | TrackBack

March 14, 2004

How Liberals saw the State of the Union

Excerpt:
Brilliantly well-done remix of Bush's State of the Union 2003. You have to go see it. Classic lines like: Every year, by law and by custom, we meet here to threaten the world. Our first goal is to show utter...
Posted by Owen at 07:32 PM | Comments (21) | TrackBack

March 09, 2004

Web Site Fatwas

Excerpt:
I know I'm a technophile, but how cool is this (not the content, just the medium): Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani issued a fatwa on his Web site that said the document "will not gain legitimacy except after it is...
Posted by Owen at 10:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 18, 2004

Counter-Insurgency Version 2.0

Excerpt:
It's about time we updated our tactics. These two campaigns have been a huge learning experience: The officer, Lt. Gen. David W. Barno of the Army, said that in the past three months, American units down to the level of...
Posted by Owen at 06:23 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 17, 2004

Is Basketball the Way Out, or a Harmful Distraction?

Excerpt:
"Of course, it's impossible to control the experiment -- to factor out individual strengths and weaknesses that have undoubtedly shaped these young lives. You could argue that Shipp, Johnson and Flicking were no worse off than their friends who didn't...
Posted by Owen at 07:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 01, 2004

Bush cost me my job, my kids, and my houses

Excerpt:
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak my mind. I lost my job this past year. When Clinton was president I was secure and prosperous, but in the last year, we had to close our operations. We simply...
Posted by Owen at 11:15 PM | Comments (15) | TrackBack

That'll Teach 'Em

Excerpt:
Last night, I was relaxing at home, reading Chomsky's new book, Scandalous Hegemony. I was just about to get to the sex scene when there came a gentle rapping at my condo door. Irritated, I put the book down and...
Posted by Owen at 01:40 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 31, 2004

Out of Control Copyright Laws

Excerpt:
The Palms planned a super-sized party for Super Bowl Sunday, with the game to be shown on theater-sized big screens. But the NFL is barring the casino from showing the game on the big screens. Jim Hughes is the General...
Posted by Owen at 03:23 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack

Some Swedes Love Animals

Excerpt:
And these are supposed to be our wise and enlightened, morally superior elders? Animal sex is not illegal in Sweden, and every year between 200 and 300 pets are injured because of sexual assaults. “We have seen an increase since...
Posted by Owen at 03:02 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

January 27, 2004

LOTD: Bribery

Excerpt:
Ex. 1: So You Want on the Plane ... Sunday night a good friend left St. Petersburg, setting out on his way home to Australia (by way of Siberia, Mongolia, and China). A large group of us decided to accompany...
Posted by Owen at 04:37 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack

January 26, 2004

Syrian Wharehouse?

Excerpt:
David Kay, the former head of the coalition's hunt for Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, yesterday claimed that part of Saddam Hussein's secret weapons programme was hidden in Syria. [...]said that he had uncovered evidence that unspecified materials had been...
Posted by Owen at 05:50 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

January 23, 2004

Twist of Fate

Excerpt:
Baghdad Story One of the Iraqi translators working for the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) lucked out. The translator came in to work on Tuesday with a special gift for Dan Sudnick, a CPA senior adviser for communications. The female translator...
Posted by Owen at 06:48 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 22, 2004

How Much Does J. Lo Cost for a Night?

Excerpt:
A lot: When Jennifer Lopez, Kid Rock and Ja Rule put on a concert for 1,500 troops at the height of the war in Afghanistan, it was seen as another success for the United Services Organization, which for 63 years...
Posted by Owen at 12:59 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 17, 2004

Another Sickening Twist

Excerpt:
As if suicide bombing wasn't cruel enough already, they've just topped themselves. The most recent suicide bomber in Israel was a mother with two little children: In Wednesday's bombing, Reem al-Reyashi, 22, detonated her explosives belt during a security check...
Posted by Owen at 12:31 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

January 13, 2004

More Liberal Drivel or "Isn't Marriage Stupid!"

Excerpt:
Bug has posted a comment on a post about a court case involving polygamy, over at a friend's webpage. I would just like to point out the not only unsubstantiated but patently false claims, as well as assorted idiocy. I...
Posted by Owen at 11:51 PM | Comments (9) | TrackBack

January 11, 2004

Global Warming?

Excerpt:
We're all aware that not all scientists agree with the idea that we're in an accelerated, catastrophic period of global warming. With stories like this, I sometimes wonder what all the fuss is about. It seems to me like we're...
Posted by Owen at 10:35 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

January 04, 2004

Moral Equivalence and Hypocrisy, Table 3

Excerpt:
A Brazilian judge has announced that US citizens will be fingerprinted and photographed on entering the country. Judge Julier Sebastiao da Silva was reacting to US plans to do the same to Brazilians entering the United States. "I consider the...
Posted by Owen at 03:25 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Who Supports Them?

Excerpt:
Just so we all heard: A car bomb ripped through a crowded restaurant hosting a New Year's Eve party in the Iraqi capital, killing five Iraqis and wounding 24 others. "The people who are carrying out such attacks do not...
Posted by Owen at 03:05 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Homeless by Choice

Excerpt:
It's called free will. This was the conservative argument for deinstitutionalization during the 1980s. It's not the choice I would make, but that's what's great about liberty, each person knows best how to make themselves happy. It's just a shame...
Posted by Owen at 02:54 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Missing Keys

Excerpt:
And I thought I lost stuff often. The Energy Department is conducting a widespread review of security at America's nuclear weapons laboratories after reports of hundreds of missing keys, some of which could allow access to sensitive areas. At Sandia...
Posted by Owen at 02:38 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 25, 2003

Wresting in Baghdad

Excerpt:
On Christmas Eve day, the WWE (formerly WWF) was in Baghdad, in what I think to be one of the greatest television deals ever. I spent several hours on Christmas day watching a brilliant piece of "knowing your audience." Wrestling...
Posted by Owen at 05:54 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 16, 2003

I'm Prescient

Excerpt:
This being the blogosphere, I feel a certain right to brag. I predicted that the world will start their "America sucks" game by criticizing the death penalty for Saddam. It was quick, but I got in there first. Before any...
Posted by Owen at 06:23 PM | Comments (11) | TrackBack

Environmental Fundamentalism

Excerpt:
Michael Crichton gave an amazing speech about the dangers of the Environmental Movement's fundamentalism and religiosity. I have been asked to talk about what I consider the most important challenge facing mankind, and I have a fundamental answer. The greatest...
Posted by Owen at 03:38 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Hillary Visits Iraq

Excerpt:
Thanks to Aaron's Rantblog for this and the Dean pic....
Posted by Owen at 03:21 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Coalition Building

Excerpt:
Getting a majority, one interest group at a time. There's a reason Howard Dean is a lightning rod for grassroots groups....
Posted by Owen at 03:08 PM | Comments (12) | TrackBack

December 15, 2003

Saddam Speculation

Excerpt:
Having studied European politics for the past several years, I'm going to make a prediction. If Saddam is found guilty by an Iraqi or an American court, and he is sentenced to death (very likely), the Europeans will begin a...
Posted by Owen at 02:13 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

December 14, 2003

We Got Him

Excerpt:
I'm sure every blogger's going to have something to say about this, and I'm no exception. Saddam's capture is some of the best news I've heard in a long time. I'm especially glad we got him alive. We get to...
Posted by Owen at 08:16 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

December 12, 2003

Global Democratic Revolution

Excerpt:
Bush has put his finger on the big picture, and espoused what may well be the term to represent this new era. We're past the ten year party binge known as the "Post-Cold War," and the War on Terror is...
Posted by Owen at 06:08 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 06, 2003

A Real Patriot

Excerpt:
This is an amazing story. Excerpts from First Article: Pat Tillman was the starting strong safety for the Arizona Cardinals when the 9/11 attacks occurred. He played out the 2001 season and then with his brother Kevin, a former minor...
Posted by Owen at 10:55 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

Vive le Checkbook

Excerpt:
France was not just Baathist Iraq's largest contributor of funds; French banks have financed other odious regimes. They are the No. 1 lenders to Iran and Cuba and past and present U.S. foes such as Somalia, Sudan and Vietnam. This...
Posted by Owen at 10:54 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

What's China's Problem With Taiwan?

Excerpt:
They don't control them now, what do they care? Maj. Gen. Peng Guangqian was quoted as saying that the mainland would attack without hesitation if Taiwan sought a formal split. "Taiwan independence means war," Mr. Peng said. "This is the...
Posted by Owen at 10:43 PM | Comments (11) | TrackBack

The Matrix Defense

Excerpt:
The D.C. sniper kid is trying to get off on an insanity plea becuase he really liked the ideas expressed in the Matrix. This defense has been used before, twice it worked. I saw the Matrix several times in the...
Posted by Owen at 10:26 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

December 01, 2003

An Arab, an American, and a Turk all walk into a laundromat

Excerpt:
Yesterday was time for my weekly, 3 and a half hour celebration I call “the laundry.” It started out with it's usual frustrations, a 30 minute walk, all the machines taken so another 30 minute wait there. After a while,...
Posted by Owen at 02:09 PM | Comments (23) | TrackBack

November 25, 2003

There's Hope for the Ex-Soviet States

Excerpt:
The Czechs have a keen eye for understanding what's going on in the world. Czech President Vaclav Klaus said Europeans are living in a "dream world" of welfare and long vacations and have yet to realize "they are not moving...
Posted by Owen at 06:27 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Forsyth on Bush

Excerpt:
I've always loved Forsyth as an author, and now it turns out he's got political sense as well. London's Guardian yesterday published a series of open letters to the president from various Englishmen and Americans. Many were hostile--the Guardian is...
Posted by Owen at 06:10 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

November 11, 2003

Veterans Day Honored

Excerpt:
It is the Soldier It is the soldier, not the reporter, Who has given us freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, Who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus...
Posted by Owen at 12:55 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBack

November 03, 2003

Iraq, Double Paradise

Excerpt:
Iraq is considered by many to be the site of the Garden of Eden. In addition to the first paradise, Iraq is quickly becoming a conservative's paradise. Implementing the flat tax, and entering into the free tradaholic World Trade Organization,...
Posted by Owen at 11:17 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Real Commitment

Excerpt:
The UN announced that it would withdraw from Iraq over the weekend. No big surprise there. The UN didn't care about the people of Iraq during the decade after the Gulf War, they didn't care about them before this war,...
Posted by Owen at 11:00 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The Stuff of Nightmares

Excerpt:
That 35-40 countries now have the capability to make nuclear weapons is the most frightening thing to come out of this haloween season. The technological know-how is nothing special, and hasn't been for a while. The difficult part is getting...
Posted by Owen at 10:52 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

October 29, 2003

New Ally in the War on Terror

Excerpt:
An organisation in Israel has gained rabbinical approval to train pigs to guard Jewish settlements in the West Bank. "Pigs' sense of smell is far more developed than that of dogs," he said. "The pigs will also be able to...
Posted by Owen at 09:43 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

October 21, 2003

Hope For Congo

Excerpt:
Without a doubt, the war raging in Congo since 1998 has been one of the most brutal human rights crises in history, with a death toll of higher than three million. There seems to be an uneasy peace setting in...
Posted by Owen at 11:05 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

October 20, 2003

Truly Disturbing

Excerpt:
Hanadi Tayseer, the 27 year old Palestinian lawyer who blew herself up in a Haifa restaurant, killing 21, sat and dined with her victims before murdering them. The discovery of the receipt for the meal in the wreckage shocked even...
Posted by Owen at 07:34 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

October 16, 2003

Lady Ann Defends Rush

Excerpt:
The ever eloquent Ann Coulter takes to Rush's defense. In addition to the specifics of the Rush case: There is a fundamental difference between taking any drug – legal, illegal, prescription, protected by the 21st Amendment or banned by Michael...
Posted by Owen at 10:26 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

October 10, 2003

Cuban Embargo

Excerpt:
Bush has recently reaffirmed his commitment to a democratic Cuba. Secretary of State Colin Powell and Housing Secretary Mel Martinez will chair a panel that will "plan for the happy day when Castro's regime is no more and democracy comes...
Posted by Owen at 10:45 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

October 09, 2003

God Bless the Enlightened Democratic Underground

Excerpt:
Right Wing News has again brought us the best of the Democratic Underground. Janekat: "This is very important because in order to win we must understand the way the average American thinks. I'm afraid WE have nothing in common with...
Posted by Owen at 09:04 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

October 08, 2003

Glass Ceiling?

Excerpt:
For the first time, women on Forbes' list of the 400 Richest People in America topped men in average net worth, with $2.8 billion vs. $2.4 billion for men....
Posted by Owen at 04:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Recall Results

Excerpt:
A brief commentary on the results of the recall. Both propositions were crushed (64% no - 36% yes), though I voted yes on both. Prop 53 - We used to spend 15% of our budget on infrastructure (roads, bridges, canals,...
Posted by Owen at 10:10 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

October 02, 2003

Create a Secretary of Diplomacy

Excerpt:
We are quite accomplished at getting elites on our side (just look at Saudi Arabia), but we're not so good at getting the common person to look favorably at United States policy. Public diplomacy is the government's effort to woo...
Posted by Owen at 03:21 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 28, 2003

Schwarzenegger's Special Interests

Excerpt:
Don't think he doesn't have any. Schwarzenegger has received close to $7 million in contributions from real estate developers, high-tech companies and the entertainment industry....
Posted by Owen at 10:29 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 26, 2003

Most Dangerous American Officials

Excerpt:
I think they were aiming for serious, but I find it quite enjoyably humourous. The same Frenchman that brought you the 9-11: The Big Lie, claiming that no plane ever crashed into the Pentagon on Sept. 11, and that the...
Posted by Owen at 10:18 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBack

September 24, 2003

67% of Iraqis Prefer Life After Saddam

Excerpt:
A recent Gallup poll shows that: Nearly two-thirds of Baghdad residents say the removal of Saddam Hussein was worth the hardships they have endured, a report said Wednesday. Wait, you mean they're actually happy that they no longer have to...
Posted by Owen at 09:26 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 23, 2003

American Religiosity

Excerpt:
Some American Muslims have coined the term Judeo-Christian-Islamic to reflect their ideal of what the United States should be. * How about just "Abrahamic."...
Posted by Owen at 09:48 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack

September 22, 2003

Just In It To Win

Excerpt:
Last January, at a conference in Switzerland, he happened to chat with two prominent Republicans, Colorado Gov. Bill Owens and Marc Holtzman, now president of the University of Denver. “I would have been a Republican,” Clark told them, “if Karl...
Posted by Owen at 10:35 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 17, 2003

Clark Jumps In

Excerpt:
It's official, Wesley Clark has become the 10th dwarf. It's too soon to take a stance on what exactly this means, but I do (of course) have some random thoughts on the issue. First, as Mark Kleiman points out, he...
Posted by Owen at 02:42 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

September 15, 2003

Gore's Mess

Excerpt:
Madeleine Albright, when asked about the War on Terrorism answered, "Frankly, if there was a President Gore, we wouldn't be in this particular mess." That mess being our involvement in Iraq without international support. Well, I would have to agree...
Posted by Owen at 03:29 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

September 12, 2003

They Can Dish It, But Can They Take It?

Excerpt:
For years I've been saying that about Affirmative Action that if we have it at Universities to "increase education," it ought to reflect real diversity, ie. intellectual, and not the artificial concept of race. Seeing different shades of skin will...
Posted by Owen at 11:22 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

September 10, 2003

Dems Talking About Race

Excerpt:
The democrats are doing something they're quite good at, attacking others based on how much they talk about race. Dean commented "that he is the only white politician who talks about race to white audiences." Edwards hit back, replying "I...
Posted by Owen at 11:54 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

September 09, 2003

Elitism in the Most Unlikely of Places

Excerpt:
The Dixie Chicks have once again said something stupid. The Dixie Chicks have been voicing their political opinions again by criticising Arnold Schwarzenegger. Last time they were in Europe, lead singer Natalie Maines, said the band were ashamed President Bush...
Posted by Owen at 11:00 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

September 08, 2003

German Republic of Texas?

Excerpt:
A german historian just unearthed a plot in the 1840's to turn Texas into German territory. The association used the money to send almost 8,000 members to Texas on the pretext they were fleeing political persecution or poverty. But, according...
Posted by Owen at 12:10 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 06, 2003

Good Riddance

Excerpt:
So Abu Mazen has resigned, big deal. It's not like he actually did anything. He caved in to Arafat, never stood up to Parliament, and didn't take any of the security actions needed to move the peace process forward. All...
Posted by Owen at 03:04 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Gary Coleman For Governor

Excerpt:
I never though of him as a legitimate candidate, but it seems that I may have more ideas in common with Gary Coleman than the Republican frontrunner, Arnold. He knows what it's like to be broke, and he has solutions...
Posted by Owen at 02:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 03, 2003

More Terrorism in Russia

Excerpt:
Two bombs exploded in Southern Russia on a commuter train, killing at least five. This sort of Chechen terrorism has drastically increased in frequency in the past year or so. Before this, terrorism was sporadic, but recently there has been...
Posted by Owen at 12:38 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

August 28, 2003

Second Look at Dershowitz

Excerpt:
Back in the early 90's, I never would have thought that Alan Dershowitz would be a man I could respect. He helped defend one of the most obvious murderers ever put on public television, and his defense team got OJ...
Posted by Owen at 11:54 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

August 27, 2003

What Terrorist Group?

Excerpt:
France has outdone itself again. Apparently, there is not enough evidence to convice France that Hamas and Islamic Jihad are terrorist organizations. "While the U.S. State Department lists the groups as sponsors of terror, the European Union has only flagged...
Posted by Owen at 12:59 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Davis' Deficit

Excerpt:
In case you're not too sure why we're recalling the governor, here's a succinct article to peruse....
Posted by Owen at 12:09 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBack

August 24, 2003

Worst figures of the 20th Century

Excerpt:
Right Wing News held a survey of some right-wing bloggers on the 20 worst figures of the 20th century. My submission was as follows: (Note, near the end there just wasn't anyone quite on the same scale as the others,...
Posted by Owen at 10:35 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack

"No Blood For Coal!"

Excerpt:
It being the weekend, I dredged up a satire piece I wrote back in May, around the time of the official end of the Iraq war. Oddly enough, it's still relevant four months later. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Many Facets of the...
Posted by Owen at 12:24 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

August 21, 2003

The Multilateralist Non Sequitur

Excerpt:
NY Times columnist Bob Herbert made an impassioned plea for an increasing international presence in Iraq, while decrying the American invasion. In doing so, his argument makes a non-sequitur common to the Anti-War crowd - he claims that the Iraqi...
Posted by Owen at 07:35 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

South Dakota Politician Should Be Treated as a Normal Citizen

Excerpt:
Bill Janklow, a former governor and current Republican House member ought to be treated like a regular citizen. Rep. Janklow killed a motorcyclist while speeding, and running a stop sign. What complicates matters is that Janklow has a long history...
Posted by Owen at 12:11 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 19, 2003

Arnold Speaks

Excerpt:
Thanks, Arnie, for clearing up your platform: "I stand for fiscally responsible government, rebuilding California's economic engine, putting the needs of children first and reforming our political system so that the public interest comes before special interests." Now we all...
Posted by Owen at 08:45 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

How To Balance Your Budget, The Gray Davis Way

Excerpt:
Briliant analysis brought to you by A Little More to the Right: Letter from a California Wife to Husband ... Since you've let me take over our household finances, I'm happy to report that our family budget is balanced, I've...
Posted by Owen at 12:49 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Suicide Bombing at UN Building in Baghdad

Excerpt:
I have to seriously question the intelligence of any organization that damages the institution that has done the most to protect it. The UN was decidedly against the invasion of Iraq, and yet these terrorists deem it a target. Why...
Posted by Owen at 10:54 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Free Market Once Again Wins Out Over Monopolist Naysayers

Excerpt:
Everyone thought the AOL - Time Warner merger was going to dominate every market and destroy the world with an ubermonopoly. Not only has that claim been proven empirically false, but in fact the company is in trouble. When the...
Posted by Owen at 12:24 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

August 17, 2003

California Republicans

Excerpt:
About the fact that Bill Simon will be running attack ads against Arnold, ballon-juice opined: There is a reason California is dominated by Democrats- the California GOP is fundamentally unfit to lead. If you can not learn from your past...
Posted by Owen at 11:09 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack

August 16, 2003

Europe: Worlds Apart

Excerpt:
Ralph Peters gives the best summation of European and American worldviews that I have read in a while. You need to read this article, it's succinct and right on target. I was going to post my comments on it, but...
Posted by Owen at 05:24 PM | Comments (9) | TrackBack

August 14, 2003

Iraq, the New Texas?

Excerpt:
Brilliant analysis by Tim Blair, "TWO GUYS, A TRUCK, AND BEER George W. Bush has turned Iraq into Texas."...
Posted by Owen at 08:22 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

"No Nuke" Protest at Lawrence Livermore Lab

Excerpt:
I'm tired of hearing this false rhetoric of "Peace and Justice" coming from the very people who support violent dictatorships around the world. More than 1,200 rally for peace "Peace" according to dictionary.com means, "The absence of war or other...
Posted by Owen at 08:06 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

August 13, 2003

"Fair and Balanced"

Excerpt:
It took me a while to decide what I felt about the lawsuit by Fox News against Al Franken. My primal reaction of "Shut the F--k up Fox, this is free speech," was evidence of my libertarian leanings. After a...
Posted by Owen at 04:57 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Hitchens v. Pipes

Excerpt:
Christopher Hitchens wrote a scathing piece in Slate against the appointment of Daniel Pipes to the U.S. Institute for Peace. I have come to greatly respect the opinion of Hitchens, and am a fan of Campus Watch, an organization founded...
Posted by Owen at 04:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 12, 2003

Have You Ever Been in a Russian Prison?

Excerpt:
They're so bad that a Russian mother is pleading to have her son kept in US custody at Camp X-Ray instead of brought back to his native Russia. The place that lefties decry as a human rights nightmare is actually...
Posted by Owen at 06:22 PM | Comments (4)

August 10, 2003

What's the Big Deal About Napalm?

Excerpt:
The Independent ran an article about the US Military's use of napalm during the Iraq war. Some (read, anti-war types) are in a tizzy over this revelation, and with only tangentially good reason. The only problem with the use of...
Posted by Owen at 11:10 PM | Comments (0)

August 05, 2003

Is China Preparing For Something Rash?

Excerpt:
Quite possibly the most frightening headline I've seen in a while - Pravda's "China Getting Ready for Severe Blitzkrieg." Apparently, the Defense Department released a paper saying that China appears to be preparing for an attack against Taiwan, something that...
Posted by Owen at 12:24 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 04, 2003

Another Suicide Bomb in Russia

Excerpt:
This is a form of warfare that must be eradicated. While the target may be justified by some because it was a military hospital, killing soldiers who are no shape to fight is neither a smart use of resources nor...
Posted by Owen at 12:48 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 22, 2003

Anti-War movement decries the failure

Excerpt:
Anti-War movement decries the failure of Allies to Show German Weapons of Mass Destruction Warning: satire After hearing an advertisement on the radio for the CBS Premier of “Hitler: The Rise of Evil,” I was struck by the similarities in...
Posted by Owen at 05:27 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 21, 2003

Character Assassination

Excerpt:
I'm not sure how people are feeling out there, but my gut reaction tells me the woman is right, and Kobe forced himself on her. I really can't say why I've come to this opinion, but I find it hard...
Posted by Owen at 06:38 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 18, 2003

Which is the Party of Tolerance?

Excerpt:
Conventional wisdom claims that the Democrats are the purveyors of all that is kind, gentle, and caring in the world. So why is it that when blatantly anti-homosexual things are said by Democrats, it receives neither coverage nor censure. Case...
Posted by Owen at 06:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Does this Sound like an Occupying Force?

Excerpt:
Somehow, I just keep forgetting that we are an Imperialist power thirsty for blood and oil - eager to oppress any minorities we come across. Then I walk across campus at UCLA and see all the chalk and spraypaint decrying...
Posted by Owen at 06:07 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 14, 2003

Populism Marks its Return I've

Excerpt:
I've got to hand it to him, Jerry Springer is good. On his webpage he has three little video clips that sum up his "I'm for the little guy against the big wigs in Washington" campaign philosophy. Being a conservative,...
Posted by Owen at 04:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 09, 2003

Why is Liberia so Different

Excerpt:
Howard Dean is calling for US military intervention in Liberia. Dean argued his position on the use of force is not out of line with his opposition to the war in Iraq. "The situation in Liberia is significantly different from...
Posted by Owen at 12:38 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

July 07, 2003

Is the Recall Democratic? The

Excerpt:
The eyeranian has a post denouncing the California Recall as undemocratic. At first, this struck me as the exact opposite of everything I ever learned. Wasn't the recall an invention of the Progressives to make politics more democratic? Upon further...
Posted by Owen at 06:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 05, 2003

Why Only Tepid Russian Support for the War on Terror?

Excerpt:
Once again, terror struck the streets of Moscow. Two suicide bombers blew themselves up at a music festival outside Moscow. One was believed to be a twenty year old girl. I suppose that, combined with the appearance of female suicide...
Posted by Owen at 11:05 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 03, 2003

Europeans Throw Hissy Fit Over Namecalling

Excerpt:
Berlusconi, in response to accusations of his unfitness to take over Europe's rotating Presidency, told a German member of Parliament that he could well play the part of a Nazi concentration camp leader. Now the two countries have issued statements...
Posted by Owen at 12:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 02, 2003

Suspension of Military Aid Problematic

Excerpt:
"The Bush administration suspended all American military assistance to 35 countries today because they refused to pledge to give American citizens immunity before the International Criminal Court." We have every right to request exemption before giving aid to countries participating...
Posted by Owen at 01:29 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Americans Held Hostage Denied Compensation

Excerpt:
"A federal appeals court ruled today that the Americans held in Iran for more than 400 days beginning in 1979 cannot receive damages from Tehran because the agreement that freed them barred such lawsuits. " I fully support this decision....
Posted by Owen at 01:06 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 30, 2003

Talk About Orwellian

Excerpt:
Kucinich wants to create a "Department of Peace," to "prevent violence both domestic and internationally." Perhaps Dennis needs to go back and take an intro Poli Sci class where he would learn about the concept of the "monopoly of violence."...
Posted by Owen at 11:03 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 27, 2003

The Free State Project

Excerpt:
The Free State Project is a group of liberty minded individuals who want to have a group of at least 20,000 people all move into the same state. With this political base, they plan on influencing state policies to such...
Posted by Owen at 01:58 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 26, 2003

Abortion Ship

Excerpt:
Warning: cultural conservative ahead Just one more reason to like Eastern Europeans. Poles protested a ship that takes women to international waters to give abortions, away from their home countries where the procedure is outlawed. The boat, run by Women...
Posted by Owen at 07:10 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 24, 2003

Supreme Court F***ks It Up

Excerpt:
Vagueness and Obfuscation Trump Transparency. The Supreme Court saw fit to denounce the undergraduate admissions criteria for diversity at U.Mich which gave points for race, but upheld the law school admissions, which is a "'highly individualized, holistic review of each...
Posted by Owen at 10:40 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 23, 2003

What World Do These People Live In?

Excerpt:
What World Do These People Live In? We all saw the two inch print last week declaring that hispanics have officially become the largest minority in America, and the racists have something to say about it. One of Sunday's op-eds...
Posted by Owen at 02:44 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 20, 2003

Friendly Fire Trial Dropped

Excerpt:
The court martial of the two US pilots who accidentally bombed a canadian platoon in Afghanistan has been dismissed. This is an emotionally charged issue, but I believe the right choice was made. The pilots thought they were receiving hostile...
Posted by Owen at 09:15 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 18, 2003

French and Italian Leaders use Immunity to escape prosecution

Excerpt:
Whereas we are willing to impeach a president over lying, the Continentals make their leaders untouchable by lawsuit while in office. The most recent incarnation of this principle is Silvio Berlusconi, the Prime Minister of Italy. Parliament just passed a...
Posted by Owen at 10:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 17, 2003

Enforcing Copyright Laws

Excerpt:
Apparently, Senator Orin Hatch is willing to allow the recording industry to physically destroy the computers of people caught illegally downloading material. I certainly think that is a bit drastic, but I am not sure how I feel about pirating...
Posted by Owen at 09:54 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 16, 2003

Good Christian Ethics

Excerpt:
The Bishop of Pheonix was arrested over the weekend for fleeing the scene of a fatal hit and run accident. Bishop O'Brien also allowed priests that he knew had been accused of sexual misconduct to work with minors, and he...
Posted by Owen at 08:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 12, 2003

Violence in Egyptian Media

Excerpt:
Matrix Reloaded was banned in Egypt on grounds that it challenges traditional religious views on "human existence, and creation." The film discusses free will, in a somewhat sophmoric way, but it does not say anthing about the creation of human...
Posted by Owen at 09:06 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

High School Exit Exams

Excerpt:
With California's public schools still in shambles, many attempts are being made in an attempt to increase the value of education. One such idea is the California High School Exit Exam (CHSEE). Exit exams are a good idea in general....
Posted by Owen at 08:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 11, 2003

North Korea's Nukes

Excerpt:
Richard Perle, the man appeasers love to hate, has brought up the notion of precision strikes against North Korean nuclear facilities. It's good to know that we finally have people in positions of power, like Rumsfeld, who aren't afraid to...
Posted by Owen at 06:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 10, 2003

Iran's Nukes

Excerpt:
An opinion piece in Haaretz gives a pretty good summation of the current Iranian nuclear weapons quandary. Iran is developing nukes, we all know it. We just don't know how quickly, or with what sort of range. Given that, the...
Posted by Owen at 05:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 06, 2003

Davis' Main Campaign Aid to work for Lieberman

Excerpt:
Garry South pushed Gray Davis through his last three electoral victories. We all know that Bill Simon's campaign wasn't super, but for a governor to get reelected with such a low approval rating does reflect well on Mr. South. Somehow,...
Posted by Owen at 10:34 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 05, 2003

Gray Davis' Special Interests vs. Schools

Excerpt:
Last year, Gov. Gray Davis slipped a bill under the radar right before the election. SB1419 limited the ability of local school districts to contract out for noninstructional services, such as busing or maintenance "'It just doesn't make sense to...
Posted by Owen at 10:20 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

A House Divided Against Itself

Excerpt:
Environmentalist groups are squabbling amongst themselves over the merits and ugliness of windmills. "I can't believe how large and hideous they are," Mr. Collins said. "When you hear the word `windmill,' you think Holland and Don Quixote. That's wrong. They...
Posted by Owen at 10:20 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 04, 2003

Weapons of Mass Destruction as a Red Herring

Excerpt:
I am tired of the justifications for war being misrepresented in the media. Especially this claim that since we haven't found WMDs yet, the war is a failure, Bush and the CIA are liars, and we never should have gone...
Posted by Owen at 01:20 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

June 03, 2003

Texan to Lead Forces in Iraq

Excerpt:
The new U.S. military commander is Iraq will be Major General Ricardo S. Sanchez. This is as good a time as any to point out some of positive aspects of our Armed Forces, and the Bush administration that people (ie....
Posted by Owen at 06:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Chirac, the Globalist

Excerpt:
The editorial in Sunday's Le Monde, France's newspaper of note, praises Chriac for opening the G-8 up to the rest of the world. This year's G-8 included the regulars, Germany, Italy, UK, USA, France, Japan, Russia, and Canada, and added...
Posted by Owen at 12:11 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 02, 2003

Truth as Defense

Excerpt:
This is an odd story, one I haven't heard much about. The gist is that there is a woman, Katy Johnson, who is a two time Ms. Vermont, and a big social activist in terms of teaching abstinence and drug...
Posted by Owen at 01:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 01, 2003

Peaceful Arafat

Excerpt:
On this wonderful International Children's Day Yassir Arafat instructs children on how they can become good Palestinian citizens. I'm glad to see that he's finally gotten around to instilling such good civic values as dying for the cause. In this...
Posted by Owen at 07:06 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

My kind of protestors

Excerpt:
Only Europeans would think: "I know, I want to protest something ... so I'll get naked." And we're supposedly the "little kids," who need to learn from our more sophisticated "elders."...
Posted by Owen at 11:02 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 31, 2003

The Power of Money

Excerpt:
Let's all hope that Salam Fayyad gets the support he needs. The Palestinian Authority's new Finance Minsiter wants to change the corrupt system, but he's pretty much the only one. I have faith, though, that the vast majority of Palestinians...
Posted by Owen at 03:50 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

What else do you expect from the pascifists?

Excerpt:
Europe, the land of peace lovers, is second only to the Middle East in terms of Anti-Semitism....
Posted by Owen at 03:11 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Everyone's talking about Sultanna Freeman

Excerpt:
Everyone's talking about Sultanna Freeman and whether or not she should be able to wear her veil on the driver's license. I have a couple of thoughts on the issue. First, it's an identification card, we need to be able...
Posted by Owen at 02:39 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack