tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35656402011-04-21T22:26:14.590-04:00on war, politics, and stuffBrian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1161100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1080667104284170042004-03-30T12:18:00.000-05:002004-03-30T12:21:55.076-05:00

The blog is dead! Long live the new blog. See ya there.

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1075659649513702962004-02-01T13:20:00.000-05:002004-02-01T14:56:19.436-05:00

I just had a weird experience at the BBC website. (Yes, I know, is there any other kind?) While looking for their coverage of the Hutton report, I clicked on a link from their main page that had the text "BBC chief 'was sacked'". On the story page, the headline was "Dyke 'sacked' by BBC governors". Scare quotes are from the original text. The main point of the story, however, wasn't that Greg

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1074297846867528312004-01-16T19:04:00.000-05:002004-01-19T13:35:27.576-05:00

You really ought to give Iowa Hawkeye Iowa Dubuque, Des Moines, Davenport, Marshalltown, Mason City, Keokuk, Ames, Clear Lake Ought to give Iowa a try! Tings is heating up, mon. (To radically switch cultural references.) Looks like a tightening three-way race in Iowa. Or something. Dean seems to have lost his Big Mo. Boring candidates are right on his heals. Yawn. The interesting thing is

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1072979232191826382004-01-01T12:47:00.000-05:002004-01-01T12:48:44.950-05:00

So it's a new year. It's one of those years divisible by four, giving us the bounty of an additional day, the Summer Olympics, and a US Presidential election. The extra day is ok (but why couldn't it have been in the summer- who needs an extra day in winter?) The Olympics are boring- and I know- I was in Atlanta in '96. But it looks like it'll be a take-no-prisoners election. That means fun!

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1072748075468665162003-12-29T20:34:00.000-05:002003-12-29T20:36:04.856-05:00

This will bring a tear to your eye. There are several large photos, so be patient. (Via Davids Medienkritik.)

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1071426304318543262003-12-14T13:25:00.000-05:002003-12-14T13:32:14.123-05:00

Was watching NBC news' coverage of the Saddam capture for about half an hour this morning. A few phrases uttered about 15 minutes apart caught my attention. Tom Brokaw, describing Saddam's later days in office, mentioned some opinion that Saddam didn't have strong day-to-day control of the government- that he was paying more attention to his novels, "famous or infamous, depending on your point of

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1071410311514220042003-12-14T08:58:00.000-05:002003-12-14T10:00:07.593-05:00

World Reaction: George Galloway: "It might be seized upon by the prime minister as something to laugh about, but I very much doubt if it will be the last laugh, because the truth is the country was taken into the war on the basis of a lie. "This will not stop the Iraqi resistance... if anything, it may set the resistance free, if you like, from the cloud of Saddam Hussein, and transform it

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1071365994716932492003-12-13T20:39:00.000-05:002003-12-13T21:13:31.403-05:00

Steven Den Beste has posted a rant about the familiar absence of objectivity from the likes of Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. The particular instance he commented on is the just-released Human Rights Watch report on the war in Iraq. You know the drill- they report that US has committed so many war crimes and human rights violations, while giving short shrift to actually evil

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1070747093341400282003-12-06T16:44:00.000-05:002003-12-06T16:45:52.123-05:00

Will the left ultimately end up being consumed by Islamism? When I first read about it, the idea of a coalition between the hard left and Islamism seemed as outrageous to me as cooperation between Saddam and al-Qaeda seems to anti-war types. I was probably being overly generous to the left. I was aware that communists of various stripes were behind the Iraqi war protests and that they met up

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1070674552043581162003-12-05T20:35:00.000-05:002003-12-05T20:36:50.856-05:00

We have all discovered, to our horror, that the turkey Bush held was not actually served to the troops, and may not even have been edible. But this scandal gets even worse. You know that platter of perfect desserts that the waiter brings around after the entree? I've learned from a trusted source that none of those is the dessert that you'll get if you order one. It's shameful but true, folks.

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1070671072107609832003-12-05T19:37:00.000-05:002003-12-05T19:38:49.810-05:00

Thanks be to the Prophets (or wormhole aliens, depending on one's point of view) and the shapeshifters at Amazon.com, the seventh, and sadly, last season of Deep Space Nine arrived at the homestead yesterday. Ahh, every episode, every line, every frame, and it's finally mine, all mine! After the the excitement died down, I realized, geez, I've spent $700 on Star Trek this year. But the cases

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1070518848792213742003-12-04T01:20:00.000-05:002003-12-04T01:21:44.436-05:00

There’s lots of talk on the net about the complaints that President Bush hasn't attended any funerals for military personnel killed in Iraq. Charles Krauthammer and Andrew Sullivan have commented on the very appropriate reasons why Bush has not done so. John Cole looks at the history of Presidents attending such funerals and finds that there isn't much of one. Krauthammer says of the Ba'athist/

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1070331410638058552003-12-01T21:16:00.000-05:002003-12-01T21:17:43.576-05:00

I ripped off this background, which I call 50's green, from Andrea at Too Much to Dream, who's long been on my blogroll (and this therefore gives me permission to steal from her- but not her bandwidth). Cool formica, huh? I plan on switching it out every so often (or sooner if Andrea yells at me), since my bizzarre blog format seems to be begging for some kind of backdrop.

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1070311500695132152003-12-01T15:45:00.000-05:002003-12-02T13:48:14.233-05:00

Wayne Madsen responds publicly to the thoroughly debunked 6 am Thanksgiving dinner story with an article at Counterpunch titled Wagging the Media. Does Madsen admit he made a gross error in judgment? Does Madsen say he should have investigated a spurious 5 am landing typo before ranting about it? Does Madsen aver to do better in the future? Is the Pope Jewish? Madsen's article is difficult to

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1070292244607254802003-12-01T10:24:00.000-05:002003-12-01T12:56:33.403-05:00

Steven Den Beste has been doing some cold, Jacksonian calculating about what it would take for the US to go nuclear in this war, and what the consequences may be. A guy (?) from Tehran later wrote Den Beste that it all seems to much like an American "final solution." I understand the concern, or horror, even, but I believe Den Beste's response is correct (as I frequently do). Anyway there was

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1070142334425985872003-11-29T16:45:00.000-05:002003-12-01T15:52:58.263-05:00

I emailed Wayne Madsen about the previous post because I usually give someone a heads up if I'm posting about them. In reply, Madsen reminded me to keep the time controversy in mind and wrote that Mike Allen (who was in the pool) wrote: A little after 5 am Baghdad time, about 10 hours after takeoff from Andrews, the cabin lights were turned off and all the shades were down. Twenty minutes later,

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1070132748380625612003-11-29T14:05:00.000-05:002003-11-29T17:18:37.420-05:00

Wayne Madsen, "investigative journalist and columnist," and co-author of "America's Nightmare: The Presidency of George Bush II," is reporting at Counterpunch that: Air Force One touched down at Baghdad International Airport, under cover of darkness, at 5:20 AM Baghdad time. Bush was on the ground for two and a half hours, his plane departing Baghdad at around 7:50 AM. Err, no. Change all those

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1069468475348984552003-11-21T21:34:00.000-05:002003-11-21T21:36:32.763-05:00

The telly's been just mad with JFK explainers and reminiscences. I've 'ad it up to 'ere. I don't mean to downplay the significance of a US President's assassination, but goh blimey, I hate to think what the 50th'll be like. Worst of the bunch has been Chris Matthews's little MSNBC program. The Camelot business is just so awkward these days, but some people, beholden to their viewers' demos, are

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1069120150356323332003-11-17T20:49:00.000-05:002003-11-17T20:51:13.513-05:00

BBC Headline: Ex-soldier convicted as Washington sniper. The BBC doesn't mention why Muhammad's ex-profession is any more headline-worthy than other aspects of the killer's life, like, say, his current religion.

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1068936731549561112003-11-15T17:52:00.000-05:002003-11-15T18:03:10.123-05:00

Yes it seems like a contradiction in terms. There's a back-story. David Neiwert is a journalist of the left who has used his blog, Orcinus, to document the alleged rise of fascism in the Bush adminstration, or at least among Bush's supporters, and in the country generally. On that blog he has published a 15-part series called Rush, Newspeak and Fascism, which is also available as an 87 page pdf

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1068922075411236982003-11-15T13:47:00.000-05:002003-11-15T13:56:36.780-05:00

Mark Byron posts some right-wing porn that's easily the equivalent of Ted Rall's lefty letter to the Iraqi resistance. I know nothing about Byron, but he surrounds his fantasy news item with disclaimers that he would never actually support the assassination of Democrats. And Rall of course uses the device of making the Iraqi insurgents the author of his anti-American screed (though that '

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1062970716641671372003-09-07T17:38:00.000-04:002003-11-11T22:49:31.046-05:00

The long discussion going on in the comments for this Micheal Totten post (found via Demosthenes), and this American Prospect article by Paul Berman that Totten links to have reminded me of some essentials in the war that I wouldn't say that I've forgotten, exactly, but which I have let slip from front and center. The details of the war and occupation, both horrible and inspiring, can distract

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1062730179876430902003-09-04T22:49:00.000-04:002003-09-04T22:54:19.960-04:00

Well that was unwatchable. I couldn't keep myself from flipping around. Each time someone began a story about their family history (ugh) or mentioned health insurance (eesh), my thumb went right for the channel-changing button, bringing instant, sweet relief. Ahh. When I was tuned in, and paying attention, which aren't the same thing at all, the Spanish was often outrageous and quickly became

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1061785553273855892003-08-25T00:25:00.000-04:002003-08-25T00:59:42.540-04:00

Check out my long argument with David Neiwert over at Oliver Willis' place. David's the reporter who called me out on my From Multiculturalism to Anti-Americanism in Six Easy Steps post. That was fair enough (I guess), but his latest theories do not hold water.

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1061242292521804762003-08-18T17:31:00.000-04:002003-08-18T17:41:35.923-04:00

Well I'm back in the USA. And glad for it too, in the good to come home sense. Quite apart from any socio-politico-economic advantages one's home might have, there's always the land and the people that welcomes one home in a way that makes ideology secondary. It reminded me of how I felt on my 1999 cross-country road trip. Me and my buddy drove up to Chicago, over to Washington state, down to San

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1060798829990658842003-08-13T14:20:00.000-04:002003-08-13T14:25:15.966-04:00

It's a damn big place. Not as hot as I would have thought- it is a mile and a half above sea level however. There's lots of stuff around that you'd have to call 'culture'. But I'm working with little chance to see much of it, and less time to post about it. High school Spanish is finally paying off (what's left of it, anyway). More when I return.

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1060554991738075162003-08-10T18:36:00.000-04:002003-08-10T18:36:31.640-04:00

Gregory Hines died yesterday, of cancer. I wasn't aware that he was sick. He was one of those talents that Hollywood never quite knew what to do with. Running Scared, White Knights, and Will and Grace are slick but soulless works that are beneath what I think he was capable of. He'll be remembered for what he did on Broadway, and History of the World, Part I, Mel Brooks' last good movie.

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1058931595555730502003-07-22T23:39:00.000-04:002003-07-22T23:40:27.243-04:00

Links to other stories available from the BBC's Saddam sons 'dead' page: Saddam sons 'dead' UK: Deaths a 'relief' for Iraqis US cheers 'good' Iraq news Nice, that last one. But how about: 'President' Bush welcomes 'news' Iraqi 'council' issues decree WMD documents 'found' That last one also works as WMD 'documents' found or 'WMD' documents found. Or I could just go all out with 'WMD' '

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1058928271566862452003-07-22T22:44:00.000-04:002003-07-22T22:50:27.770-04:00

In my continuing role as the blogger grammarian, I'd just like to point out that Howard Dean's 16 Questions aren't questions at all but declarative statements with question marks tacked onto the ends. Here's an example: 14) Mr. President, we need to know why your Administration had no plan to build the peace in post-war Iraq and seems to be resisting calls to include NATO, the United Nations and

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1058874058044474312003-07-22T07:40:00.000-04:002003-07-22T20:37:31.363-04:00

MSNBC is reporting on the growing Calls for U.S. mission in Liberia: "We’re dying here,” screamed some in the crowd, as two American servicemen in camouflage watched from behind bulletproof glass. One man held up a hastily scrawled sign: “Today G. Bush kill Liberia people.” There's no doubt that the situation in Liberia is awful, and people are getting killed. But this situation, when seen

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1058748869179389062003-07-20T20:54:00.000-04:002003-07-20T20:54:28.996-04:00

ForNow, in comments to this post of mine, calls the format cool, but "forbidding". I can see that. Those buttons on the right seem to be multiplying like rabbits. So, in what is optimistically a clarifying measure, I've color-coded the buttons. Navigation of posts is now in green; meta-navigation (if you'll allow) is red; and the usual blog features like the blogroll and the link to the current

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1058136049597372012003-07-13T18:40:00.000-04:002003-07-13T19:22:21.526-04:00

Alright. I think I've got this horse dealy more or less how I want it. Well, okay- for now. The interface is simple, and by simple I mean complex, though I hope it is also intuitive. There's a 'stack' of 'cards'. Without doing anything, you can see the titles of all the cards in the stack. To see a little bit more of what a particular card is about, hover over it with the mouse and you can see

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1058032545250367712003-07-12T13:55:00.000-04:002003-07-13T19:09:26.490-04:00

Kerry's Lennon GambitNY Post: "Sen. John Kerry is distributing fliers in New York with a 30-year-old photo of him and Beatle John Lennon to woo anti-war presidential voters as he competes with rival Howard Dean in blasting President Bush on Iraq." Here's the photo: This is cynically meant to convince the anti-war crowd that despite the fact that Kerry voted in favor of the Iraq war, he really

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1057894712819343482003-07-10T23:38:00.000-04:002003-07-13T19:09:44.900-04:00

The Dean ProblemYou know what Dean's main problem is? It's not his leftist take on the war. It's not the fact that his political experience was gained in a state smaller than Arkansas. It's that smile. It reminds me, unpleasantly, of that fake Kevin Nealon smile when he did that male Barbara Walters character on SNL. You know, after he made the interviewee cry. It's creepy.

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1057813224321690612003-07-10T01:00:00.000-04:002003-07-13T19:10:09.856-04:00

More BBC CrapSafety measures. That's the header over the following two paragraphs in a BBC article about the July 9 protests in Iran. The authorities had jammed the transmissions of American-based TV and radio stations run by Iranian anti-regime exiles, who had in the past directed people to protest sites. The authorities also apparently disabled the mobile phone system in the immediate area of

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1057725515387045232003-07-09T00:38:00.000-04:002003-07-13T19:10:30.313-04:00

Navigator Compliance is HereWell, not totally. There remains a bunch features available on this page in Internet Explorer that you still don't have with Netscape Navigator. Like the swooshy animation and the keyboard-enabled interface. But this blog is now at least readable with Navigator 7, and presumbaly 6 as well. 4 is right out. More later when I feel like wasting more hours that I'll never

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1057529235026843872003-07-06T18:07:00.000-04:002003-07-06T18:11:04.316-04:00

Privacy vs. Equal ProtectionThe Lawrence decision. This is one of the best decisions to come out of SCOTUS since the Boy Scouts decision, ironically enough. Both rulings affirm human rights, in the first instance affirming (not granting) the right of people to sexually do as they please in private, and in the second, affirming the right of people to associate only with those they choose to. I'm

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1057430268426976572003-07-05T14:37:00.000-04:002003-07-13T16:11:12.650-04:00

227!OK. A day late. It's the though that counts. But just what is that thought?

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1057423909783281732003-07-05T12:51:00.000-04:002003-07-09T23:29:39.980-04:00

The StackSo Lileks writes this thing about a new paradigm- stacks- for online newspapers/blogs that he read about in a Weekly Standard article by David Gelernter, who in turn is involved with this company which is selling a Windows Explorer-type application based on the stacks paradigm. Lileks isn't impressed by the file access part of the application (see the company- Scopeware- screenshot of

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1057287363191697692003-07-03T22:56:00.000-04:002003-07-13T13:06:57.836-04:00

BBC CrapFrom a July 4 BBC article: "The United States has imposed sanctions on five Chinese firms and a North Korean company for selling weapons technology to Iran." Quite noticably, nowhere does this article mention the recent IAEA scolding of Iran and its nuclear program. Where is the even-handed background info that's supposed to clue us in on the story so far? "America has accused Iran of

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-1056740556796879942003-06-27T15:02:00.000-04:002003-07-20T21:02:37.550-04:00

I' ve been shunted to the new Blogger interface, and I just happened to be goofing around with a new hyperactive template. How's it look? Not too annoying I hope. It's still a work in progress so if I have any remaining visitors after my blogging sabbatical, comments are welcome. I'll have more about it later when I have the time.

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-896019482003-02-23T11:17:00.000-05:002003-07-13T16:12:04.956-04:00

The OmnilateralistsA commenter on an LGF post makes the following point: "ALL polls consistently show that without UN support the American people DO NOT want to go to war unilaterally." Someone else retorts: "This is such a tired canard by now. Can't you do better? Multilateral does not mean just Germany and France." The first commenter replies: "To me multilateral means with the support of the

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-883806572003-02-01T11:26:00.000-05:002003-07-13T16:11:33.560-04:00

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-883116232003-01-31T00:44:00.000-05:002003-07-10T00:05:15.060-04:00

You and Your Big SpeechSo SotU 2 happened. It was a good speech, not a great speech. It reassured those who were already there, gently persuaded those who were looking for persuading, and did nothing for those who were already dead set against. (All of politics now takes place in the middle twenty percent.) Germany and France have some time to back pedal. Germany will; France won't. The

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-879332272003-01-23T21:39:00.000-05:002003-01-23T21:54:05.000-05:00

Defending CommunistsDavid Neiwert responds and then responds again to my response to his initial response to my multiculturalism post. Well it turns out that what I'm really doing is fighting on behalf of white nationalism! Well he doesn't say I'm a white nationalist in so many words. Neiwert links me to William Lind who wrote A Short History of Cultural Conservatism, which is a "classic example"

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-877066982003-01-19T21:59:00.000-05:002003-01-19T23:34:54.000-05:00

War on Dissent, episode 87bCheck this out. I'm taken to task by an actual journalist. David Neiwert, in a post called The War on Dissent, episode 87, says my piece From Multiculturalism to Anti-Americanism in Six Easy Steps is worthy of Rush Limbaugh. This piece might also be titled: "How to Smear Anyone Who Criticizes American Actions as Treasonous Bastards Who Are Aiding the Enemy in Two Easy

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-876554032003-01-18T18:19:00.000-05:002003-01-18T18:20:35.000-05:00

Blogger Anti-War CoverageAnna of BBB has her usual sarcastic commentary and some great original photographs of today's anti-war protest in DC. Check it out. I think that I have a better feel for the demonstrations from reading Anna's report than from having read the dull, dull reportage on CNN or the BBC. Advantage: blogosphere! OK, let's retire that line.

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-876513892003-01-18T16:15:00.000-05:002003-01-18T16:16:57.000-05:00

Attack of the Giant Puppet Heads! The puppets, the puppets! The giant puppet heads! It's good to see that the anti-war movement is moving forward and is right in tune with the giant puppet head-loving American public. I can't wait for the Marionettes for Peace rally next month. (Photo: AP; ripped from the BBC.)

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-876209912003-01-17T21:52:00.000-05:002003-01-17T22:05:08.000-05:00

From Multiculturalism to Anti-Americanism in Six Easy StepsThere is a connection between multiculturalism and anti-Americanism. But how can acceptance of the fact that there are no absolutes when it comes to cultural truths lead to hatred of the United States? Follow along and see. We start with a simple and widely accepted axiom. 1. We Cannot Judge Other Cultures This much is obvious to anyone

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-875753562003-01-17T00:28:00.000-05:002003-01-17T21:55:54.000-05:00

The Islam Show, Pt. IIFrom FrontPage (link via Sullivan): "So why is it somehow all right to offend Catholics and not Muslims? It's a question of relative fear, of the (perceived or real) difference between facing an angry Catholic activist and an angry Muslim one." [Art critic Emily] Hall ends her paragraph with a chilling quote from gallery owner Anderson [who removed a piece of art

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-872792062003-01-11T17:31:00.000-05:002003-01-11T18:12:57.000-05:00

Public SolutionsHere's a line from Michael Pollan's NYT review of Greg Critser's new book Fat Land, which is about how fat Americans are: So instead of seriously entertaining any public solutions to what he has so convincingly demonstrated is a public problem, Critser ends by imploring us to eat less, get off our duffs and, incredibly, bring back gluttony as a leading sin. Public solutions,

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-870507882003-01-07T03:17:00.000-05:002003-01-07T03:17:51.970-05:00

The Islam ShowIn the Western tradition, nothing is sacred. Everything can be and eventually is criticized and ridiculed. Politics, religion, heroism, honor, truth- none are immune. If you happen to take something seriously, you must realize that many others don't take it seriously at all, and they don't have to either. These others who disagree with you may occassionally be quite blunt about it

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-869481492003-01-04T23:50:00.000-05:002003-01-04T23:50:02.740-05:00

Saudi Arabia = Al QaedaWell, not in the details, but for practical purposes, yes. The report asserts that the Saudi funds represent the most important source of financing for Al Qaeda and that Riyad, pressured by leading officials, has failed to stop the flow of money to Al Qaeda in wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 suicide attacks on New York and Washington. (Thanks to LGF for the story.) More and

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-868548932003-01-02T21:01:00.000-05:002003-01-02T21:01:52.520-05:00

On the Other HandRemember when Bush made his "Axis of Evil" State of the Union address and there were all those complaints that Iraq, Iran, and North Korea were different and we shouldn't treat them the same? From the BBC: Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright called Mr Bush's comments "a big mistake". "First of all they (Iran, Iraq and North Korea) are very different from each other,

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-867936512003-01-01T14:27:00.000-05:002003-01-01T14:27:33.850-05:00

Happy New Year To You Too!Along with the new year, this blog has a new look. Whaddaya think? No doubt it's buggy as hell on other OS/browsers. And you need JavaScript enabled. If you feel so inclined, drop me an email or comment if you see something out of whack. But I like the looks of it, and it's got pop-up menus! Anyway, here's to 2003. It's got to be better than 2002 (doesn't it?).

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-866954952002-12-30T07:53:00.000-05:002002-12-31T20:16:55.000-05:00

Goof!In the article below, I mentioned Flight 92. Of course, it was Flight 93, as M. Simon emailed to remind me. Folks, alcohol and blogging do not mix! Won't someone think of the children!? And a hello to all the Tim Blair readers clicking over here. Thanks for the link, Tim!

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-866863572002-12-30T00:59:00.000-05:002002-12-30T07:47:04.000-05:00

Big Bullshit in Little AustraliaThe assholes who consider themselves the loyal opposition are spewing their same old divisive warnings and aiming for national paralysis, as is their wont. The Australian federal government has started an anti-terror campaign for TV, radio, and newspapers wherein they ask citizens to be on the lookout for suspicious behavior and to call a 24-hour hotline to report

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-866687832002-12-29T15:53:00.000-05:002002-12-29T15:55:32.000-05:00

Déjà Vu All Over AgainWhile tooling around the Independent, I came across a gem of an article which had this in it: Aid agencies have warned that one million refugees could flee Iraq if Britain and America do not pull back from war. Their warnings of a "humanitarian disaster" were echoed yesterday by the International Development Secretary, Clare Short.... So tiresome. As if the Saddam regime

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-866677332002-12-29T15:15:00.000-05:002002-12-29T16:49:00.000-05:00

She Blinded Him with Science!I have purchased, read, and enjoyed several of Richard Dawkins's books: The Blind Watchmaker, Climbing Mount Improbable, and Unweaving the Rainbow. His illustration of how evolution works and his defense of the theory in the face of the usual critiques are simply brilliant. I especially like the deliberate excoriation of determinism in his books, something that other

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-835557872002-10-26T11:23:00.000-04:002002-10-26T19:13:44.000-04:00

Russian Theater Hostage Crisis EndsThat's good news. An interesting line from Reuters: "In freezing rain, the hostages were ferried quickly out of the theater, many to hospital and away from waiting journalists." Poor Reuters. A somewhat delicate question is the matter of the 67 hostages who died when Russian special forces stormed the theater. To my mind, this is no different from the 9/11 US

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-834906412002-10-24T21:58:00.000-04:002002-10-26T12:39:14.000-04:00

HeadlinesThe news headlines from two news agencies that are fed into my Yahoo! home page read a lot like a multi-front WWIII. Top Stories from Reuters Oct 24 9:43pm ET Rifle in Sniper Suspects' Car Is Murder Weapon Sniper Suspect Was Expert Marksman Who Scared Wife FBI Says Al Qaeda Targeting Railways One Dead as Chechens Hold 100s in Theater Siege Israeli Tanks Enter West Bank City of Jenin -

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-832227382002-10-19T15:44:00.000-04:002002-10-21T13:34:21.000-04:00

My Contribution to the War EffortEric Raymond, master of his domain over at Armed and Dangerous, recently asked for web geeks out there to come up with a graphical button to promote the still evolving Anti-Idiotarian Manifesto. I stepped up to the plate and hey: He liked it! He liked it! (The previous reference could have been either the Life cereal ad or Sally Field. Yes, they're both tired.)

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-832205522002-10-19T14:32:00.000-04:002002-10-19T15:29:30.000-04:00

The ConversationThis dialogue between Abu Al-Jihadi, an influential Islamic activist of indeterminate nationality with thousands of followers, and Fay West, a well-respected American intellectual who holds some chair at some prominent university, was overheard recently on some media outlet. Together they discussed some of the issues facing the world since the War on Terrorism began. I think this

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-830594132002-10-16T09:18:00.000-04:002002-10-16T09:20:54.000-04:00

The French VoteA piece by Demosthenes rebuts the observation made by some that French opposition (so far) to attacking Iraq is based on French oil interests in that country. Demosthenes says about the claim: That's legitimate, but I've never been one to believe or argue that economics is the root of all human activity, just one of the aspects and manifestations of it. It's too bad that

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-828372122002-10-11T08:11:00.000-04:002002-10-19T16:37:11.000-04:00

Prez Wins NobelThat's former President Jimmy Carter. Congratulations to him. The timing of this award is significant however. The Norwegian organization is sending a message to Americans: this is the kind of US president the whole world can get behind and it's unfortunate the current US president isn't more like him. Too bad the US is not now acting toward Iraq like it did toward Iran in 1979.

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-822509282002-09-28T19:47:00.000-04:002002-09-28T19:50:21.000-04:00

Rumours and InnuendoThere's some questionable questioning going on about some supposed connection between my return and and a piece of space junk. Well, I know what some will say: "It's our patriotic duty to ask questions and that makes us more patriotic than all you sheeple out there." As long as everyone realizes that patriotism resides in the asking, and not in coming up with any solutions,

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-819283762002-09-21T18:51:00.000-04:002002-09-21T19:13:47.000-04:00

I'm Back, Baby!broc7, after an extended vacation from the blogosphere, during which he has studied the philosophies of Sufi masters, the economic policies of Richard Rubin, the aerodynamic properties of the unladen swallow, and Austin Powers's mojo, has returned, as if from the dead (that's for you, Jett), and has, sadly, also begun to refer to himself in the third person. We can see that much

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-791755652002-07-19T23:24:00.000-04:002002-07-19T23:24:52.036-04:00

QSoul Bossa Nova would be cool even if wasn't the Austin Powers theme. It's a Quincy Jones number.

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-791745382002-07-19T22:48:00.000-04:002002-07-20T15:05:24.000-04:00

Complexity and Universal TruthArmedLiberal is hosting a debate tackling post-modernism, the search for universal truth, and totalitarianism. Just a little light reading for a lazy summer afternoon before the real fireworks start. In a roundabout way, the debate began as a response to Stanley Fish's watery defense of post-modernism, or maybe as a response to Jonah Goldberg's attack on Stanley

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-791690022002-07-19T19:13:00.000-04:002002-07-19T19:13:34.956-04:00

Oh, AshleighOn the Ashleigh Banfield last night, the hostess conducted man-in-the-street interviews with half a dozen or so Iraqis in downtown Baghdad (a city name which will forever remind me of Woody Woodpecker, but that's a different- and rather sad- topic). She went to some length pointing out that a "government minder" was with the crew at all times observing the interviews. She even showed

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-790874272002-07-17T21:24:00.000-04:002002-07-17T21:35:50.000-04:00

Useful FictionsOne of the foundations of the United States is this: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-789827142002-07-15T14:29:00.000-04:002002-07-16T19:39:18.000-04:00

Lindh Cops a PleaBBC. Now that was unexpected. Johnny Spann's father is upset that Lindh (or Walker, whatever) will now only get twenty years instead of a possible life sentence. But I think the government made the right decision here. A public trial wouldn't have been any help to us, and twenty years is a long time. Plus Lindh has agreed to cooperate with government investigations and future

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-789759012002-07-15T11:30:00.000-04:002002-07-16T19:40:19.000-04:00

Ozblog 2: The SequelSo Don Arthur repsonds to Paul Wright by saying that Paul is unthinkingly applying narratives he's learned from several cheesey movies to the current War on Islamofascists. (Ozblog 1 is here.) Don's response is really a non-answer, a deconstruction that makes no attempt to examine the real world. He nearly admits as much: I think that this is what Paul and I have been doing

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-789487062002-07-14T18:57:00.000-04:002002-07-16T20:02:03.000-04:00

The Sovereignty ThingBunch of posts on Demosthenes' site which make the claim that the US can't violate another nation's sovereignty by invading it or instituting "regime change" no matter what the political character of the nation is- i.e. how brutal or awful they are. In a response to Robert Musil: ...put down the Federalist Papers and go read some Hobbes- legitimacy does not come from

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-787596072002-07-09T23:27:00.000-04:002002-07-16T20:03:14.000-04:00

UnchallengedA different perspective on American hegemony from Matthew Parris writing in the Spectator: Has it not yet dawned on the British political class that this is how boss nations behave? What earthly use is it separately to chronicle and individually to deplore every crass or clumsy intervention, every insensitivity to a smaller nation’s point of view, every instance in which the interests

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-787558602002-07-09T21:42:00.000-04:002002-07-16T20:04:14.000-04:00

A Unipolar PrimerThere's a great (if longish) article at Foreign Affairs by Stephen G. Brooks and William C. Wohlforth that analyzes America's pre-eminent position in the world today and sizes up potential challengers (conclusion: there aren't any). Everyone should read it. Here are a few choice snippets: To understand just how dominant the United States is today, one needs to look at each of

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-786607532002-07-07T18:09:00.000-04:002002-07-16T20:08:41.000-04:00

Ozblog DebateThere's an interesting exchange currently underway among some Australian bloggers. Start here with Paul Wright. Then go here for Don Arthur's response. Paul continues here. My opinion on this is obvious to anyone who's read me before. The worst of Don Arthur's argument is essentially that the US brought this on itself through its sheer power. Or at least that an attack on the

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-786528492002-07-07T13:34:00.000-04:002002-07-16T20:10:13.000-04:00

ICC and American AttitudesThere was an interesting series of comments to a post by Demosthenes about just why the American constitution disallows our participation in the International Criminal Court. Demsothenes' post itself was a response to a great post at USS Clueless. Demosthenes points out that the problem isn't necessarily the US constitution per se, but American attitudes towards

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-785575202002-07-04T14:40:00.000-04:002002-07-16T20:11:02.000-04:00

Power and ResponsibilityThere's a strain of thought that informs us that with power comes responsibility. When we're children and have little power, our actions have few consequences of any weight and we tend to be shielded from those consequences. As we gain more power to affect our own lives, we discover that our actions do have consequences, both good and bad, and we learn that we must live

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-785515262002-07-04T11:25:00.000-04:002002-07-16T20:18:57.000-04:00

Apres Moi...Jonah Goldberg, writing in TownHall.com, mentions a central problem with two of Gore's campaign issues (link via VodkaMan): I think Gore would lose in the primaries, even if he weren't the weird man he is. His only two issues -the war on terrorism and the ongoing business scandals -are great for any Democrat but him. Unfortunately, both al-Qaida's rise and big business' irrational

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-784310232002-07-01T16:09:00.000-04:002002-07-16T20:19:45.000-04:00

Germany vs. BrazilDaddy Warblogs misses the point somewhat in response to an Instapundit reader's comments on the significance of Americans' perceived overwhelming support for Brazil over Germany in the World Cup. Says the Daddy: ...the idea that anyone whatsoever within the EU countries gives two monkeys which way American support is going in the World Cup final is a peculiarly solipsistic (not

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-783162332002-06-28T12:02:00.000-04:002002-07-16T20:20:55.000-04:00

Ironic, Ain't It?Good political-strategic analysis (link via LGF) by SF/Fantasy writer Orson Scott Card of how the upcoming Iraqi war is affected by the current Israeli-Palestinian war. He thinks we've got to topple Saddam even if a coalition, soured by Israeli actions, proves impossible. But the one plan that will lead most surely to disaster is to wait and wait and wait for our coalition

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-782756052002-06-27T13:11:00.000-04:002002-07-16T20:21:41.000-04:00

VouchermaniaThe Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of school vouchers today. Here are some juicy quotes from the losing side (Reuters): [Souter:] "Public tax money will pay ... for teaching the covenant with Israel and Mosaic law in Jewish schools, the primacy of the Apostle Peter and the Papacy in Catholic schools, the truth of reformed Christianity in Protestant schools and the

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-782567612002-06-27T01:16:00.000-04:002002-07-16T20:22:23.000-04:00

Fighting the Last WarThat's a cliché. It's usually invoked to refer to generals who fight a war using tactics learned during the previous war, which by the time of the new war are outdated and inappropriate. History abounds with many examples of this, but I will leave it to Victor Davis Hanson to enlighten you on this matter further. It should seem obvious that mistakes military leaders can make

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-782509262002-06-26T22:37:00.000-04:002002-07-16T20:23:21.000-04:00

Democracy and IslamI've been thinking a lot about democracy lately, and how it fits into this whole war thing that we're in the very earliest stages of. (The current quiet we're experiencing right now is eerily like the quiet that preceded WWI, assuming I know anything about the quiet that preceded WWI, which I don't!) Anyway, I posted here about the United States and its fear of democracy in

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-781615202002-06-24T23:31:00.000-04:002002-07-16T21:04:44.000-04:00

Bush's Big Mid East SpeechIt was a good speech. Some aimless or wobbly aspects of Bush's policy with respect to the Palestinian situation were brought back into the fold of the War on Terrorism in a very appropriate way. I think it represents a good start at regaining the initiative which has been lost somewhat over the last six months. Brazenly, I've taken it upon myself to comment on it.

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-781059342002-06-23T17:18:00.000-04:002002-07-16T20:25:27.000-04:00

Stone Cold LogicNo, that's not Mr. Spock's WWE alter ego. It's my take on where the US stands with regard to the WOT. I hope it stands up to that title. Ready? First, Al Qaeda, if we don't fight them, will eventually nuke an American city. This is fundamentally what we're working to prevent. All other considerations are secondary to the goal of preventing this from happening. I don't think

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-780846432002-06-23T00:05:00.000-04:002002-07-16T20:26:19.000-04:00

Counters DownI took the hit counter off the site because braveheart.com's server seems to be down. A piece of JavaScript that's served from there runs the counter. The lack of this script apparently prevented my browser, and maybe yours too, from displaying this page. Maybe I'll put Braveheart's counter back up, or maybe I'll find another. I'm awash in a sea of alternatives here already.

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-780728802002-06-22T16:20:00.000-04:002002-07-16T20:26:54.000-04:00

Demosthenes WatchUnder-appreciated blogger (and aren't we all) Alex Frantz has another good post on his site. This time re Demosthenes' criticism of Instapundit calling Palestinian culture a "psychotic death cult". Demosthenes only offers the usual far left multi culti blather. F'r instance he mentions the difficulties Palestinians have seeking medical treatment in Isreali hospitals with no

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-780696452002-06-22T14:21:00.000-04:002002-07-16T20:29:38.000-04:00

Phobos and DemosSome Islamic-majority countries are run by dictators with American support. Egypt Saudi Arabia Kuwait We know the drill by now. The leaders of these countries are dictators or absolute monarchists and the people don't like to live under their rule. So the governments spread vicious anti-American and anti-Semitic propaganda as a distraction. That the countries accept American aid

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-780356182002-06-21T14:38:00.000-04:002002-07-16T20:30:21.000-04:00

Same Old, Same OldYasir Arafat is now ready for peace. This is the way the man has always done business: attack Israeli citizens and rally the troops until Israel starts to mount a serious response, declare peace, haggle, end the talks, attack Israeli citizens and rally the troops.... Will the rest of the world fall for this Palestinian business as usual? Probably. Will Israel fall for it this

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-780055822002-06-20T22:02:00.000-04:002002-07-16T20:48:22.000-04:00

Fair TradeJay Nordlinger ended the always entertaining Impromptus in NRO today with this: Finally, you may know that Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd is in Geneva, to be medically cared for. There is a fine mosque there. He asked the city fathers for permission to build another one. They replied: Yes — when it is possible to build a church in Riyadh. That's classic. Or as Mark Steyn once wrote, down

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-780041182002-06-20T21:18:00.000-04:002002-07-16T20:30:57.000-04:00

Dr. Bill (of Rights, that is)Great and thoughtful post from Dr. Frank on the Bill of Rights and how to preserve it and the country at the same time (link via Matt Welch). The doctor quotes Nat Hentoff who wrote, "I'd appreciate hearing from resisters who are working to restore the Bill of Rights." Hmmm. Restore. Reminds me of the "Not in Our Name" folks when they say, "...the basic rights of the

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-780020192002-06-20T20:13:00.000-04:002002-07-16T20:32:16.000-04:00

Citizen CombatantsThe president has eschewed the possibility of judicial review in establishing the status of US citizens as enemy combatants. The Justice Department filed papers with the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals that argued that that court had no business ordering the government to allow captured Taliban Yaser Esam Hamdi (who it turned out was born in Louisiana and is thus a US citizen) to

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-779555012002-06-19T19:44:00.000-04:002002-07-16T20:47:38.000-04:00

Blog of the Week (of the Year)Dr. Frank's on FoxNews.com! Congratulations to him and his loved ones.

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-778698672002-06-17T21:49:00.000-04:002002-07-16T20:32:57.000-04:00

Civil Rights Cont'dAlex Frantz continues a discussion that begin on his blog, and that I joined in the comments on the far left Demosthenes blog. It's a well written piece that nicely sums up the civilian trial or military tribunal concerns (and that also happens to agree with me). Common ground has been found, and now we can all sleep soundly.

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-778609272002-06-17T17:19:00.000-04:002002-07-16T20:33:36.000-04:00

Thanks for the LinksThanks to Steven, Joanne, Dr. Frank, Andrea, David, and everyone else who provided a link to this site in its very first week, bringing traffic in numbers unknown to mortal men. Special thanks to Charles over at LGF for adding me to his world-famous anti-idiotarian page. I'm in some great company, as Oscar nominees say every damn year. (We're not worthy! We're not wothy!)

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-778199222002-06-16T17:55:00.000-04:002002-07-16T20:34:48.000-04:00

Confronting the New ParadigmIn a Washington Post piece called Why a First Strike Will Surely Backfire, William A. Galston makes the case against US-led regime change in Iraq. The central argument here is that the US shouldn't mess with the international status quo: We are the most powerful nation on Earth but we are not invulnerable. To safeguard our own security, we need the help of the allies

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-778168192002-06-16T16:07:00.000-04:002002-07-16T20:35:31.000-04:00

Breakfast of ChampionsShould General Mills put representatives of the NYPD, FDNY, and PAPD* on the Wheaties box? Of course! Here's a friendly petition to let the General Mills CEO know that you think so too. I signed it and so should you. *The PAPD, for those who don't know, is the Police Department of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, an interstate agency. The Port Authority owned

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565640.post-778063882002-06-16T08:20:00.000-04:002002-07-16T20:36:15.000-04:00

Iraq AttackBob Woodward writing in the Washington Post reports on what the CIA has been up to lately. President Bush early this year signed an intelligence order directing the CIA to undertake a comprehensive, covert program to topple Saddam Hussein, including authority to use lethal force to capture the Iraqi president, according to informed sources. Sounds about right. One of Woodward's

Brian O'Connellnoreply@blogger.com