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Saturday, May 17, 2003
posted by gbarto at 4:01 AM:
Last update, and I mean it!At Least 40 Dead in Casablanca Blasts
Moroccan coastal city rocked by explosions near synagogue, restaurant and Belgian consulate; three suspects reported apprehended, 10 among dead
Damn. I was hoping that, as bad as 24 sounds, that would be it. But FNC's latest indicates this Corriere della Sera story, indicating 39 dead, was just ahead of the pack, not jumping the gun.
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posted by gbarto at 2:12 AM:
Last post of the night. Little Green Footballs is reporting on a dirty lie that CNN has been peddling. In explaining the Morocco attacks (see below if you haven't heard), they're claiming Belgium was our ally in Iraq, though Belgium did everything it could to stop the operation, made no contribution to it, etc. Spain deserves better than to be classed with this lot. LGF explains why and also why CNN is selling this filth.* * *
posted by gbarto at 1:54 AM:
For those who don't know, another round of bombings, this time in Casablanca, Morocco. Stories start below. We report on updates from Yahoo! España (Reuters), Le Monde, Libération, Corriere della Sera, Fox News and the Washington Post below.We'll note, with some bitterness, that the top of the page, earlier today, said "More Al-Qaeda Strikes Likely." Indeed.
Here's an interesting juxtaposition - headlines on Yahoo! Spain:
Al menos 24 muertos y 60 heridos por explosiones en Marruecos
(At least 24 dead and 60 injured by explosions in Morocco)
Al menos 25 muertos en accidente de turistas alemanes en Francia
(At least 25 dead in accident with German tourists in France)
The 25, plus 24 injured compadres were en route to Spain. As for the bombings, the Reuters story on Yahoo! posits multiple attackers with suicide belts but doesn't give a number.
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posted by gbarto at 1:48 AM:
Corriere della Serra is reporting at least 39 dead, 12 Spaniards among them. It sources Al-Arabiya television, which also asserts that 70, not 60, were injured. Considering the source, it's hard to know who to believe. Either way, it's bad.The figure of 12 Spaniards, incidentally, comes from an interview with the president of Casa de España. Like everyone, Corriere says Al-Qaeda is strongly suspected but there's no confirmation.
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posted by gbarto at 1:37 AM:
WaPo headline:Suicide Bombers Kill at Least 24 in Casablanca
About 60 injured in blasts targeting Belgian consulate, synagogue, eatery and hotel. – Keith B. Richburg
This story offers a less detailed summary of what's in the stories below. One difference: WaPo reports one man wearing a suicide belt; Le Monde has three such men.
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posted by gbarto at 1:33 AM:
Here's Fox News on the bombings in Casablanca:Four Bombs Explode in Casablanca; at Least 24 Reported Dead
Interesting. Libé (running with a Reuters wire, see below) says it was five. Casualty counts are agreed on, though some sources are more accepting than others of the Moroccan government's declaration that 10 of the 24 killed were part of the plot.
The FNC story focuses on politics and history, looking at previous Al-Qaeda activity and anti-US anti-war protests before the Iraq action earlier this year. Le Monde has more up-close details. Among them: Car bombs went off outside the Belgian Consulate, the Hotel Safir and the Israeli Alliance Circle. One or two bombs went off outside the Casa España, a restaurant in a Spanish cultural center. An official of the Spanish Consulate is reported to have said that men wearing explosive belts had come through the restaurant. Finally, Le Monde states that most of the injured were Moroccans, not foreign nationals; the dead included policemen guarding a few locations; these, too, were presumably Moroccan.
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posted by gbarto at 1:15 AM:
French news headlines:We're starting (or ending, if you're reading down) tonight's big story with the French reports.
Le Monde: Series of Bombings in Casablanca
At least 24 people were killed and some sixty others injured, Friday evening, in several nearly simultaneous suicide attacks in Casablanca, the economic capital of Morocco. Asked about a connection between these bombings and those in Riyadh, Monday, the Moroccan Minister of the Interior said that "One might notice the similarity in timing and modus operandi" between the two series of acts. As with Riyadh, places frequented by Westerners were struck.
Le Figaro: Schools: The Republic Blindfolded. When the buses stop running, it's one thing. When teachers stop teaching, it's symptomatic of something more troubling. Or so Le Figaro indicates.
Libération: Five Simultaneous Bombings in Morocco Leave 24 Dead. Note that Libé's summary is exactly the same as Le Monde's; only the headline differs. Inside, however, Le Monde runs its own story, patched together from Reuters and AFP. Libé just runs the Reuters wire.
Ouest-France: Retirement: The Details of the Fillon Agreement.
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Friday, May 16, 2003
posted by gbarto at 12:59 PM:
More Al Qaeda Strikes LikelyTerror network is seeking to prove it is still viable, intelligence officials say.
Maybe we could send a note that we believe them after the attacks in Saudi and they can go home now.
In all seriousness, though, this is something for which we have to be prepared... intellectually and emotionally. Attacks could even come on American soil again and probably will in time. But it is impossible to do enough to stop them and still have this be America. And so in this culture war, we need to maximize casualties on their side. That means that blue jeans, rock and roll, crass movies and - on top of it all - the freedom to feel any damn way you please about all the above and more and live your life accordingly must be pushed and pushed hard. We are right back to the debate in Postrel's The Future and Its Enemies with the ultimate stasists on the march. Our values of freedom and the joy it brings can and will triumph, but we must wield them uncompromisingly, forcing upon Osamists that most perplexing of choices - between dour self-importance about the bleakness of it all and having a really, really good time.
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posted by gbarto at 12:44 PM:
Bush Officially Launches '04 Reelection CampaignWith 18 months to go before Election Day, he files FEC candidacy papers; headquarters will be based in N. Va.
And the subhead:
Clinton Offers Strategy to Beat Bush
I don't know. In their last match-up, Bush beat Clinton handily, though the distraction of Al Gore claiming he was running may have upset the dynamic.
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posted by gbarto at 12:39 PM:
'Maintain a High Level of Vigilance'State Department warns of new attacks against Americans; U.S. citizens in Saudi Arabia told to take extra precautions
The only appropriate thing for an American living in Saudi Arabia to do is to live somewhere else.
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posted by gbarto at 12:37 PM:
Schroeder: Lift Iraq Sanctions QuicklyGerman leader, Powell seek 'closure'
Good news, at least on the surface. And an indication that we should be trying to end Germany's time in the wilderness as an explicit signal to France about how this works.
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posted by gbarto at 12:35 PM:
SARS Leaked Through PipesWHO explains Hong Kong outbreak
HONG KONG — Leaky sewage pipes and bathroom ventilation fans carried contaminated droplets through parts of a Hong Kong apartment complex, causing one of the world's worst outbreaks of SARS, World Health Organization investigators said Friday.35 dead and countless others infected in the Amoy Gardens complex. Reading this story, Amoy Gardens of Honk Kong just doesn't sound as exotic as it might.
We often hear of places being death traps because of poor construction, shaky foundations or too much dried timber in the frame, but bad plumbing? In an earlier day, yes; in a city like Hong Kong in the third millenium, it seems odd, however.
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posted by gbarto at 3:15 AM:
Le Monde: Retirement: Unions Go to Pieces. Fillon says he's standing firm and government will talk to but not negotiate with unions. He's got two unions on board with his plans while others object, but it's the first time the unions haven't stood together. Still unhappy unions are planning on another strike the 19th and a big demonstration the 25th. Raffarin is talking to discontented union leaders Friday.Libération: Raffarin will receive "social partners" regarding retirement.
Ouest-France: François Fillon breaks the union front.
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Thursday, May 15, 2003
posted by gbarto at 2:27 PM:
Senate Nears Tax-Cut PassageGOP needs Cheney tie-breaker on bill that would temporarily nix dividend tax
Hallelujah! Bill Ford (of Ford Motor) had a short piece on this on the Journal op-ed the other day. While getting rid of dividend taxes won't solve all our problems, it will solve some. Notably, it will make it more useful for companies that really don't have anything better to do with the money at the moment to spin off profits to shareholders. In these difficult times, the Microsofts and Intels will no doubt continue investing in themselves. But there are other companies - particularly those with good and solid but mature markets (certain utitilities, food processors and distributors and some automotive) - that would do better to give back profits rather than hoard them from the tax man. This should help with that.
Update: Cheney's cast the vote:
Cheney Breaks Tie on Senate Dividend Vote
Vice president casts ballot in favor of key amendment to tax-cut bill that will suspend taxes on stock dividends for three years
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posted by gbarto at 2:21 PM:
More and more stuff to look at on the left-hand column. I know I need to pare it down one of these days or reformat, but it just keeps growing. The latest is a mini-blog in a blog for updates to the gbarto.com website that I set up on blogger. I also finally got those archive links on the right-hand side to automatically work with the blog archive setup; because the archives have their own directory I'd been getting stymied till a duh moment instructed that I merely needed to add the start of the url to the coding.Update: switched gbarto.com updates to the right-hand column under the archives.
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posted by gbarto at 2:11 PM:
1,700 Evacuated After Dam BreaksWater surges toward northern Michigan town of 20,000 in Upper Peninsula
That's Marquette, Michigan, home of Northern Michigan University.
Never been to Marquette, myself - too damn far from anywhere else in Michigan, at least - but have known a few people who went to school there and claim it's worth the drive. Hope they get it taken care of.
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posted by gbarto at 3:28 AM:
French news headlines:Le Monde: Retirement Reform: Gridlock Continues. Fillon's counteroffers proved wanting but he hasn't had anything new to say since talks broke down, it would seem. So the mess continues.
Le Figaro: Retirement: CFDT and CFTC Want to Resume Talks.
Libération: Retirement: Breakdown in Negotiations.
Ouest-France: Retirement: Tense negotiations.
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posted by gbarto at 3:16 AM:
18 Shell Stations Bombed in PakistanFour injured as two men on a motorcycle station-hop with explosives
Terrorism on the cheap. Does this go with what Reynolds has been saying about Al-Qaeda acting in Saudi Arabia because they're too weak to operate outside fundamentally unfriendly territory?
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posted by gbarto at 3:13 AM:
China: Execute SARS SpreadersThreatens those who cause harm by deliberately spreading deadly disease
Oh, I can just see the possibilities for taking care of "problem people" now.
Hope somebody keeps stats on how many threats to public health are members of Falun Gong and other groups on the outs.
Quarantining is fine with careful outside monitoring to make sure that those who die in quarantine do so from unrelievable SARS, not from a) withheld medicine, b) added "medicines" or c) simple murder, state sponsored or no; people who cannot spread the disease because a) they don't have it or b) it's determined they're no longer contagious should not be held.
Of course the cynic in me wonders why they haven't, to the contrary, sent people with SARS to join in the Falun Gong exercises. Maybe China is getting a very little better.
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posted by gbarto at 2:54 AM:
We're testing some site design questions. If there is a problem, please bear with us.The TurkeyBlog
Update. Things seem to be behaving.
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Wednesday, May 14, 2003
posted by gbarto at 11:49 AM:
Stop Prison Rape
Rich Lowry had an excellent column the other day addressing this sick phenomenon and worse, the way in which it is treated in popular culture. When we instituted our justice system, it was supposedly to mete out reasonable punishments for wrongful acts. Prison rape is the cultural equivalent of the parent who beats her kid bloody because she didn't clear the table - a soul-destroying act which does not punish, does not teach, but plain and simple violates and too often corrupts the spirit. Bravo to those trying to take action against it.
Rich notes that Ashcroft is on board but low-level Justice staffers are opposed, even though the current bill is only a start, gathering statistics but doing little more. Do you suppose they've got a secret? I suspect that our officials have been as cavalier as a bad Jay Leno monologue about this awful subject and would rather not see their heinous indifference to lawlessness in the place where law should have ultimate authority come to light. It should.
The TurkeyBlog supports this bill and stronger ones. Our prisons must be about punishment as a tool for punishing, of course, but also for edification and improvement. As a good parent punishes so the child will learn, will grow and will do better in life for knowing right and wrong, so should our prison system. A lot of the detainees, alas, didn't have such great parents. They need to be shown a better path they've never known, not to be converted from troubled human beings into talking animals. Otherwise, we may as well make every offense that gets prison time a death sentence, for that is what it will in time become.
We can do better. (via Virginia Postrel)
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posted by gbarto at 11:29 AM:
A Saudi lapse?15 Saudis Carried Out Riyadh Attacks
Saudi Arabia admits security lapses before blasts that killed at least 25
I'm so, like, astonished!
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posted by gbarto at 11:27 AM:
Chechen Bombing Kills 14Two women blow selves up at memorial service near Grozny
While I'm much more sympathetic to the Chechen cause than to the Palestinian one, this is wrong. In killing themselves, the bombers did the work of their Russian butchers. In killing fellow Chechens, they did the same. In killing anyone else, they are guilty of atrocities that belie the good name their cause ought to have.
Suicide bombing may sell as an act of frustration, of political conviction, or a million other things. But at bottom, it is suicide: intellectual, moral, social and - often - political self-destruction.
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posted by gbarto at 11:22 AM:
Standoff at the Mustang RanchFeds plan to put famous brothel on eBay; ex-madame wants it saved
I guess the Mustang Memorial Preservation Society better get its bid ready.
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posted by gbarto at 11:14 AM:
UN Acts to Kill Taiwanese
Or rather to watch them die.
We hear a lot about the UN, the great "international" body that "represents the world." The informed reader will recognize these canards as so much pabulum. The UN does not represent the world. The UN represents a select group of nations and admits new ones according to the whims of its members. China won't admit that Taiwan is an independent nation, hence the UN won't admit it.
Of late, we've heard a lot about the World Health Organization and its role in the fight against SARS. But it hasn't even been to one of the two countries where the disease first became a problem. Like a jealous ex-lover, China would rather watch the Taiwanese die than admit it doesn't control them. The World Health Organization has been more than happy to join China in watching the Taiwanese die because it isn't really the World Health Organization, it's the UN Health Organization. Consequently, China - which has withheld information, lied to health care officials, lied to the international community about if, when, where and to what extent it had the problem - is the darling of the WHO while Taiwan simply doesn't exist.
It's time for a change. It's time to either abandon the pretension to the UN being a real international body or make it one. And it's especially time to stop sending money to NGOs like WHO that pretend to serve the world but only serve their UN masters. There is a petition calling on the WHO to be true to its ideals. No idea about the group circulating it, but I'm giving a link and you can decide if you'd like to sign. I'm sending the second letter, myself.
There are people who will talk about political realities, tough calls, realpolitik, etc. Bull. The UN and WHO sell themselves to starry-eyed dreamers as transcending nations; they can damn well live up to it or go to the dustbin where liars of such proportion belong.
Taiwan in the WHO petition link (via the turkeysister)
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posted by gbarto at 5:04 AM:
French news headlines:Le Monde: Retirement: After the strikes, negotiations. François Fillon meets with union leaders tomorrow. One to two million took to the the streets. Note that this is out of 55-60 million citoyens de la République; i.e. 3% of the population give or take seems to be determined that France will not have retirement pension reform other than their way. And in the grand French tradition, this will be celebrated as a "people's movement".
Le Figaro: Fillon versus the demonstration of force. Says a spokesman for the government, "We must explain better." True. But not to quell the marchers, who are reminiscing about May 1968 and imagining the difference they could make - If we lock arms we can overturn economics... they must think - but to erode the support from within the 40% of the population that thought the marchers should have free rein.
Libé: Pursuit of the strike in question. Says Libé, general assemblies will decide today what becomes of the movement.
Ouest-France: Retirement [reform]: The Massive No! of the Streets.
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posted by gbarto at 12:10 AM:
Hallelujah! The great Neil Cavuto of Fox News rips Paul Krugman a new one.Let me see if I have this right, Mr. Krugman. Journalists who opposed this war are OK. Those who support it are not. Says who? You?
I'm less of a journalist because I was in favor of this war, but you're more of a journalist because you were not? You imply that by being in favor of this war, I'm pandering, and by extension, my company is pandering to the White House.
Nowhere does it ever occur to you, one can legitimately not agree with you. That doesn't make me less of a journalist. But, Mr. Krugman, it does make you more of an ass. Here's the difference: You insinuated it, I just said it.
Now may I suggest you take your column and shove it?
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posted by gbarto at 12:05 AM:
Democrats Fault Administration for Saudi AttackWASHINGTON — Democratic lawmakers say President Bush is somewhat responsible for the homicide bombings in Saudi Arabia, saying had the United States not been distracted by war in Iraq, it could have further debilitated Al Qaeda, the terror network blamed for the attack.Let's try this one out:
Republicans say Sen. Minority Leader Tom Daschle is somewhat responsible for the homicide bombings in Saudi Arabia, saying had the President not been distracted by cynical filibustering of his judicial nominees, he could have better concentrated on our policies for dealing with Al-Qaeda, the terror network blamed for the attack.It is games like this, and particularly the effort to get to the microphones before the bodies are even cold to attack President Bush, that have left me completely cynical and completely uninterested in any sense of fair play or honest consideration of the Democrat viewpoint.
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Tuesday, May 13, 2003
posted by gbarto at 11:58 PM:
China Coal Mine Blast Kills at Least 6323 others missing after gas explosion rips through mine in eastern China
There's our solution! We make the terrorists work in Chinese coal mines!
There's a book - wish I could remember the title - about a coal mine disaster in the '20s that I read recently. Absolutely horrifying to think of being on the wrong side of the flames.
In the meantime, how's that for your scary perspective? Gathering energy for the PRC proved to be more lethal than facing an Al-Qaeda attack.
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posted by gbarto at 11:55 PM:
Latest numbers:19-Member Team Linked to Blasts
Saudi officials link Al Qaeda team to terror attacks at three foreign compounds in Riyadh that killed at least 30 people, including eight Americans
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posted by gbarto at 3:28 PM:
Martin Roth has thoughts on how churches are reacting to the Iraq thing; funny how liberal denominations prefer that people be enslaved to their being rescued by awful Americans. You'll have to scroll down to find the post. Hopefully Martin will get permalinks one day.* * *
posted by gbarto at 3:22 PM:
Here's Doctor Weevil on the Grecians.* * *
posted by gbarto at 3:18 PM:
A Dog's Life has distressingly awful news about China - they're killing pets to contain SARS, even though there's zero indication pets spread it. In other words, they're murdering Sparky to show they're doing something.Fuckers.
More proof that China, for all its years as a culture, has work to go to become a civilization. More proof that the descendants of Mao are not ready for prime time, that China, for all the talk, is just the largest of the backward, ill-governed, third-world nations.
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posted by gbarto at 3:08 PM:
Marcus has some delightful perspective on paying to care for retirees, the mess with it in France versus here and one way of addressing it.As for nearby posts on sodomy laws, establishment clauses, etc., regular readers will know that the TurkeyBlog is among those nasty libertarians Marcus questions. I won't revisit that debate today - must be off to my legalize cocaine march (kidding) - but will simply note that there are places where I agree with Marcus and places where I do not.
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posted by gbarto at 2:33 PM:
FBI to Probe Saudi Terror AttackCounterterrorism experts head to Riyadh to investigate homicide bombings that killed at least 20 people, including seven Americans
At least 20... An hour ago, AOL was saying 90 dead, but they've backed off, and say it was the State Department that had the inflated number.
In any case, I don't care about the number. The important thing is that we start pulling not just our troops but all our people out of Saudi Arabia and let the House of Saud bear the consequences of the xenophobia it nurtured. It's time we stopped giving our lives to save their butts even as they raise hell with our other efforts in the Middle East, wiffle and waffle on even Saddam and generally act as though we ought be immensely grateful that they're willing to continue to abuse our good faith if only we will let them.
America should leave, as should our partners, and Bandar and friends should have to figure out how to explain to the average schmuck why things didn't significantly improve once Mohammed's old stomping grounds were freed of the infidel corruption.
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posted by gbarto at 2:22 PM:
Interlude: This and the next two passages comprise restaurant reviews, a longish book review and an example of university idiocy. The post after dates clear back to 4am PST on 5/13 but is about "serious stuff." Click here to go there if you so desire.Restaurant reviews:
I'm not one for Indian food; in an Indian restaurant I usually have - I think I remember this right - a Kafta Kebob or a Kafta Kebob. It's some ground lamb and herbs and spices thing at any rate. My fiancée can attest to the time I got a curried something or other and ordered a refill on my water every time I saw a waiter. In other words, don't look for my reviews for exotic dishes (The only places I can give rave reviews for exotic dishes are Kakkari's in San Franciso and La Méditerranée in Berkeley and neither needs them). That said, there is a little Indian restaurant on Castro Street in Mountain View, CA (if you've never heard of the city, you needn't bother reading further), called a Taste of India. From 6am to 11am they serve "American breakfasts" which are indeed exactly what you'd expect from a homestyle American restaurant serving breakfast. The prices are reasonable, the service is friendly if subdued, and they could use your business. So if you're scared of Indian food, here's a safe chance to visit an Indian restaurant. Give it a try.
I'll put in a plug for the Los Gatos Baker's Square while I'm at it; the pies are excellent and the servers - with the one or two inevitable exceptions - are too.
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posted by gbarto at 2:11 PM:
Book review: Straw Dogs by John Gray (not of Men Are From Mars... fame):I happened to skim the first pages of Straw Dogs while in a bookstore this morning. The idea - what if we consider the universe as other than man-centered? - is not new but may merit further investigation. I'll note that even if it isn't, it may be useful for us to consider it that way since for us it is. But moving along...
Further investigation may, as I noted, be merited. But investigation requires data collection followed by hard thought about what the data means. In this, Gray seems pretty weak. Admittedly, I haven't read the whole book - the clerk was looking nervous about someone wandering in off the street, taking a book and making notes - but the first 30 or 40 pages aren't encouraging. Gray seems on a regular basis to invoke Darwin with assumptions about a) what Darwin deduced about mankind's place in the world and b) what this proves beyond question to all people save unthinking right-wing religious reactionaries. It's hard to believe, though, that the book could be as controversially stunning as the dusk jacket claims if this is so. Alas, it seems that this gentleman is as dogmatic about a by now outmoded understanding of what Darwin revealed as are the backward reactionaries with whom he would do battle. He does not question, does not probe, does not demand that Darwin stand up to the scrutiny to which he would subject everything else.
An example of how Gray misses the mark: He cites a prominent geneticist (should have written down the name) who says we'll soon start designing our own genes, and wonders at the ludicrousness of thinking this frees us to set our own destiny. He almost... almost... manages to ask the question of whether our genes won't decide for us what kind of genes to design within the geneticist's own understanding of the world. But he is too quickly off on a jag about the foolishness of belief in human exceptionalism and why this is all Christianity's fault and how different things would have been if the simple Hindus or the stoic Confucians or the pick your non-Christian simple but true stereotypical religious denomination or sect had produced the mind that founded Darwinism. In short, like so many "brave" works, this is another unthinking hatchet job on Western and Christian thought that misses its own best points because it is too busy frothing or wondering at the majesty of the East to take the trouble to think things through.
Straw Dogs alludes to the Dao in its title; here's the passage (Henrick's translation):
Heaven and Earth are not humane;/They regard the 10,000 things as straw dogs./The Sage is not humane;/He regards the common people as straw dogs.Such a sentiment is pretty common in the anti-Christian left: Their contempt for the idea of the divinely created human is too great for their professed love of the common people to overcome their disdain. Contempt and disdain alike are, of course, emotions. Emotions that can get pretty intense. Gray took a shot at a philosophical work, perhaps, but his emotional discomfort about his Christian heritage was too great for him to move from dogmatic anti-Christianity to actual analysis. Pity.
If you're looking for a really great book that can actually land a punch or two on the old orthodoxy instead of just spouting the new one, there is a really great book - or series of books - with an innovative approach to deflating the old myths and showing how ridiculous what we defend as good and proper or divinely ordained can seem. It hasn't convinced me, but it's made me think about my own beliefs and smile at them more than once, while Gray merely left me shaking my head at how poorly passion substitutes for argument. The first book is called The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams. The philosophy is clearer and better argued, the examples are clearer and it's actually fun to read.
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posted by gbarto at 1:31 PM:
Lighter fare: The turkeysister passes along this memo, sent to graduating seniors at the University of Arizona. It's striking to note that this - what's described in the memo - is a tradition, which probably means that people the age of the guy who authored the memo started it. Why do hip young college kids latch onto the nerdy antics of such old squares?May 12, 2003Serious stuff to follow.
TO: Graduating Students
FROM: George H. Davis
Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Pete Morris
GPSC President 2002-2003
Jani Radebaugh
GPSC President 2003-2004
Consider the meaning of throwing tortillas during Commencement. For some, this practice is probably intended as a celebratory gesture, similar to a shout of hurray. But what an action means is not completely contained in the intentions of the person performing the action. Actions have meanings for observers as well.
For many observers of Commencement, the meaning of a thrown tortilla is neither innocent nor fun. To begin with, the throwing of tortillas diminishes the dignity of the experience. Commencement is not a party but a ceremony, and revelry and disruption during the ceremony simply make it less ceremonial. More importantly, however, many within our student population, and our Tucson community, experience the throwing of tortillas and similar action as an alienating practice with undertones of racism. Despite these negative aspects, the practice persists, simply because large numbers of students hear that it is customary to throw tortillas at Commencement.
Graduation marks the end of long effort for most students. It is sad to think that this important ceremonial occasion is being compromised in a manner that is, to some, particularly depressing and discouraging. Knowing that few of you would choose to have these effects on others, we ask that you refrain from throwing tortillas during Commencement.
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posted by gbarto at 3:59 AM:
This morning's headline, for the record:10 Americans Killed In Saudi Bombings
Powell arrives in Riyadh after terror strikes on U.S.-Saudi business, three compounds housing foreign residents.
Slowly, the 9/11 attacks are working their way back home and we are again being reminded of the evil that lurks in the House of Saud. Our troops will be out in a few months; our sympathies for this bankrupt regime and the Wahhabist sentiments it has promoted should follow.
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posted by gbarto at 3:46 AM:
Den Beste's thoughts on the massacre in Saudi Arabia: Damn shame but an important reminder of what we're up against and that it involves something ugly in the House of Saud.* * *
posted by gbarto at 3:41 AM:
Matt Welch has thoughts on Jayson Blair and fraud at the NYT, along with a bright idea: set up a system to make sure reporters' sources see the articles in which they're cited.* * *
posted by gbarto at 3:34 AM:
Let's see what the French newsheadlines are:Le Monde: Retirement Reform: A black Tuesday in France.
Transportation paralyzed, schools and offices closed, with more than 100 marches across France, the day of strikes and demonstrations against retirement reform plans unfolds with an intensity not seen since... 1995Seven years of behaving themselves was just too much.
Lower down: Saudi Arabia: Three Explosions Target Expatriates
Le Figaro: Retirement: Demonstration of Force by Unions. The only demonstration of force much known to France of late.
Libé's weblead is a "To Our Readers" about the fact that Libé won't be at your local kiosk. The unions involved in getting it there are on strike.
Ouest-France: Retirement: Mobilization of Great Intensity; Transportation Nearly Paralyzed.
So it seems, folks, that once again the fogeys are trying to relive May 1968 and everyone else too. A royal pain, though one the oh-so-popular leader of the part proposing reform deserves. Not sure about his p.m.
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posted by gbarto at 3:21 AM:
Calif. Lawsuit Seeks to Ban OreosBlack-and-white treats contain fats too dangerous for kids, lawyer says
They'll have to ban Gray Davis' head.
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posted by gbarto at 3:12 AM:
Damn!
Powell: 10 Americans Killed in Saudi Bombings
That's ten Americans and a crapload of others that these terrorists don't give a shit about because their addled little pea-brained minds are too busy orgasming over the anti-Americanism that shows up in the local papers (and occasionally the papers in Europe) to think that their actions have consequences for anything outside their orgy of hatred. May their God see His name shamed as the God of Abraham, revealed to Jew, Christian and Muslim, watches this foul cause waste away as the backward worshipping of idols that Islamicism, Osamaism and Wahhabism are.
Powell went ahead with his plans to visit Riyadh, arriving safely on Tuesday. He was greeted on his arrival by Prince Saud, the Saudi foreign minister, who expressed his sorrow and vowed to cooperate with the United States in fighting teerrorism.Wonder if Saud stops to think about the extent to which his government promoted the attitudes that lead to these things, wonder if he realized that he was being bitten squarely on the ass for everything that kookier Saudis, including a member of the Saudi royal family, have believed from the BS used to justify the backwardness of the Saudi régime.
"These things happen everywhere," Saud said. He added that the bombers "know only to hate and kill," and said his government would increase its counter-terror efforts.
State Department officials said the American school in Riyadh likely will be closed Tuesday, and advised Americans to remain at home until further notice. Earlier this month, it had advised Americans earlier against traveling to Saudi Arabia because of increased terrorism concerns.Great! Damn straight, stay away from Saudi Arabia. But is advising Americans to remain at home such great advice? Seems to me that's where the problem started. They ought to start camping outside Saudi palaces so the House of Saud will have reason to get off its ass and start addressing why killing us is such an evil idea instead of running anti-Jew, anti-Israel crap even post-9/11 as though you can promote wholesale hatred and keep the fires burning just hot enough for your own causes without danger of them flaring up.
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Monday, May 12, 2003
posted by gbarto at 1:28 AM:
Tired of pop-up ads out of nowhere? They're actually exploiting a screw-up in the configuration of Windows messaging systems. Click here for easy directions for the Win XP fix. This morning I was getting ads every five minutes; haven't had any in several hours now.* * *
posted by gbarto at 1:20 AM:
Mark Steyn interview at Enter Stage Right, including a plug for the ever modest Natalie Solent. (found at Welch's)* * *
posted by gbarto at 12:56 AM:
NY Times: Sorry About Faked StoriesProbe conducted by the paper shows reporter committed 'journalistic fraud'
I wasn't aware they ran true stories.
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posted by gbarto at 12:45 AM:
Fox News is headlining a car bombing in Chechnya, 16 dead, no story yet.Here's the AFP update at Le Monde:
Au moins seize morts dans un attentat à l'explosif en Tchétchénie / At least 16 dead in explosion in Chechnya
At least 16 people [died] and several others were injured Monday in the bombing of an administrative building in the north of Chechnya, according to officials of the pro-Russian Chechen administration...It was a truck bomb that leveled the building and made a mess of surrounding houses according to preliminary reports.
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posted by gbarto at 12:42 AM:
French news headlines:Le Monde: Colin Powell bumps up against stumbling blocks in Jerusalem. He's been trying to get a) the US, Russia, the UN and the EU working together in the push for peace and b) the Israelis and Palestinians to work together on what the so-called Quartet comes up with. But the Israelis and Palestinians have only one belief in common about the process: the other is at fault for the problems to date.
Ouest-France: On the same subject, Ouest-France says Powell is trying to force some dialogue. But not succeeding, his protestations to the contrary, to judge by the reporting.
Le Figaro: Jean-Pierre Raffarin faces his first test of strength. The unions are preparing to raise hell over proposed retirement reforms. He claims to be serene about all this, but should he be? PMs that stand against French unions don't generally experience ministerial longevity.
Libération: Retirement Reform? Sure. But not like this. Another story notes that 60% approve of the mobilization (against the plan).
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Sunday, May 11, 2003
posted by gbarto at 11:55 PM:
Stop Unsolicited Ads for Free by fixing your Windows Settings!
Let us sing the praises of Killer Death Robot on the Nameless Tavern tech support board. If you've been getting ads for Viagra, Porn, etc. - or more likely ads for $20 services to stop the ads - here is your answer (at least for XP):
Go to control panel, administrative tools, services, scroll down to messenger, hit the stop button and change startup type to disabled.Here is the link for the post. For those who are really not proficient:
1. Click Start
2. Click "Control Panel" (It's under "My Network Places", most likely in the second column.)
3. On the left-hand side of the screen is a box that says Control Panel. Underneath is a message. If it says:
a) "Switch to Category View" proceed to step 4.
b) "Switch to Classic View" click it.
4. You are now in the Control Panel's Classic View. Doubleclick the icon that says "Administrative Tools" (it's near the top).
5. You are now in "Administrative Tools." Doubleclick the icon that says "Services."
6. A very odd window labeled "Services" will open up. There is a list starting with entries like "Alerter" and "Application Layer..." and "Application Manager...". Scroll down until you find an item labeled messenger. Click (not doubleclick) on it.
7. Right-Click on Messenger (click the right mouse button). Click the "Stop" option (if it's not available, the service is already shut off).
8. Right-Click on Messenger again and select "Properties."
9. Halfway down the Properties Menu that pops up is an item, "Start-up Type." Set this to "Disabled."
10. At the bottom of the Properties Menu, click the button labeled "Apply."
11. Close all the windows you've opened and resume normal use. The ads should go away.
Be warned, some of this may be tied into MSN messenger; if you use that service it may give you difficulties. Not sure. If this doesn't work, I'll let you know, but it's behaved for me for a couple hours now.
Update: It seems to be working. Once again, a million thanks to The Nameless Tavern's Killer Death Robot, for whom we have the utmost admiration for posting a solution.
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posted by gbarto at 12:30 PM:
Cicero has a story explaining exactly why my Passport account doesn't include financial info. Microsoft is a great company that does a lot of great things, but there are places where they need a lot of work.* * *
posted by gbarto at 12:23 PM:
UMass to be the Minutemen no more? A Dog's Life has thoughts. Go read the post to see what the future holds: Autoerogenically active nancyboys?* * *
posted by gbarto at 12:20 PM:
Natalie Solent has comments on how textbooks treat Mao's "Great Leap Forward." Notably, that they fail to note that it ended with China's "Great Fall on the Face," a resultant famine that would have made Stalin shudder with glee.* * *
posted by gbarto at 12:10 PM:
'We Have Accepted the Road Map'Palestinian PM Abbas discusses Mideast peace plan with Powell; Arafat sits on sidelines
How could he not, knowing Ariel Sharon's unwillingness to work within it? You don't get freebies like this every day.
More troubling is Powell's unwillingness to take right of return off the table. Obviously, though, if Palestinians can screw up Israeli demography, there's no reason why Israelis shouldn't be able to build settlements in the Palestinian territory.
Powell should know better than to ask Israel to face demographic suicide. And given that Sharon, not Barak, is currently PM, it's unlikely he's going to get any deals at all therefore. No Nobel Prize for him.
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posted by gbarto at 11:58 AM:
My experience with Balloon In A Box.com: Alas, the Turkeyblog is something of an idiot sometimes. Must learn that when a site boasts same day shipping, that means it leaves the warehouse that day. This does not explain, of course, why they were still running their Mother's Day page (which is gone now) when it was, in fact, too late for Mother's Day.The Balloon In A Box website does not scream out "Deliver a balloon in 5-7 days!" Did not proclaim, "Better to send that Mothers' Day surprise a day late than never at all!" And obtusely boasts about ship dates when 90% of sites ask what day you want it there and figure out the appropriate shipping option. 1-800-Flowers, among others, even thoughtfully let's you know that it's too late to send an item so you don't waste your money.
I compounded the website's obtuseness (does anyone other than an ISO-9000 auditor get excited about turnaround time and ship dates as opposed to delivery dates?) by cheerfully asking for what I thought was delivery on 5/9 or 5/10 but which turned out to be shipping. So a warning for shoppers: I should have known better than to believe that Balloon In A Box could deliver and you should too. Here, for my mortification of the flesh, I offer the e-mail exchange in which I first make a fool of myself and then get a proper dressing down for my irrational faith in Balloon In A Box.com:
Email the First (edited to remove credit card info, etc.):So there you have it folks. As my more liberal readers will already have decided, I'm not very sharp. It seems I'm not even smart enough to shop at Balloon In A Box.com. Be sure you are before you do business with them. And do your shopping in the morning when your thinking skills are at their sharpest or you, like I, might make the mistake of thinking that Balloon In A Box is an example of miraculously speedy service, and not just great turnaround time.
Thank you for placing your order with Balloon in a Box USA!
...
Comments:[Message in here; the form said to include desired dates at the end] ... Please deliver 5/9 or 5/10
...
Email the second:
Your gift has shipped today 5/9/03 via FedEx Ground! Your expected delivery date is 5/15/03.
You can track your shipment at www.fedex.com using tracking number: ---
Thank you for choosing Balloon in a Box USA!
Brendan
Customer Service
Balloon in a Box USA
brendan@ballooninaboxusa.com
Email the Third:
Brendan-
Did you not read the delivery date? Why was I not contacted to either change shipping options or cancel? Your web site said same day delivery all over the place but I was never even asked anywhere about shipping options other than the default.
Your website's arrangement is a big disappointment.
Email the Fourth:
Dear Geoffrey,
Thank you for your email. Our website does not say same day delivery. It says same day shipments. In addition to this, we only offer one shipping option (ground) due to the fact that our balloons contain helium gas and therefore cannot be shipped using air-transportation. This information is clearly stated on the shipping information page of our website. This page is viewable from every page of our website before the checkout process. Furthermore, there is a specific shipping paragraph, on the Mother's Day, giving shipping information and providing a link to the transit time map.
Due to the high volume of orders we receive and our quick turn-around time, we cannot contact customers to make sure they have read the shipping information. I am sorry you feel this way about our website, but we cannot be responsible for customers not reading the shipping information, which is on the page they are ordering from.
Thank you for choosing Balloon in a Box USA.
Brendan
Customer Service
Balloon in a Box USA
brendan@ballooninaboxusa.com
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posted by gbarto at 2:42 AM:
Ukraine: No Deaths in Plane AccidentDoors of Ukraine-owned plane opened over Congo; death toll unknown
Good to know the Ukraine is on top of things. I understand they wouldn't have said this, but they just entered a competition with China to see which nation could most blatantly mislead the international community and still have people take an interest in what they have to say.
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posted by gbarto at 2:39 AM:
Saw The Quiet American at the dollar theater tonight. Much better film than some of the reviews indicated. And with a central point about the way that abusive and purely destructive violence can move us and wrongly. Which leads us here:Abu Sayyaf Takes Credit for Attack
Bomb tears through crowded market in Philippines, killing at least nine
There may be those that view attacks like these as noble or bold, but I don't see how the detonation of innocence is going to win the people's hearts and minds. These are terrorists and thugs and a disgrace to any ideal for which they might purport to stand.
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posted by gbarto at 2:33 AM:
French news headlines:Le Monde: Middle-East: Summit Meetings. Powell is trying to bring peace to the region with the latest talks.
Ouest-France: Andorra: The Smoker's Tourism Paradise. Apparently, if you're a smoker, Andorra's a great place to go, a veritable tobacco shop.
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