Archive » 2005 » February

Didja hear what Hunter Thompson’s relatives and friends want to do with his ashes? From AP:
Hunter S. Thompson, the “gonzo journalist” with a penchant for drugs, guns and flame-thrower prose, might have one more salvo in store for everyone: Friends and relatives want to blast his ashes out of a cannon, just as he wished.
“If [...]

There have been too many twists and turns in the Terri Schiavo case to keep up with over the last week. Prolifeblogs.com and Blogs for Terri are on top of all the new developments; the Terri Schiavo news aggregator is here.
The latest bombshell is Pinellas Circuit Court Judge George Greer’s decision to extend a stay [...]

Am scheduled to do a KPCC-FM radio debate in about 5 or 10 minutes with my old friend Eric Muller on FDR’s evacuation, relocation, and internment policies. I think you can listen live here.

This is an intriguing story. Hope we hear more:
NEW YORK - Korn guitarist Brian “Head” Welch has parted ways with the hard rock act, citing a recent religious awakening. Welch broke the news Sunday on Bakersfield, Calif., station KRAB-FM.
“I had it in my heart to come here and explain to you,” Welch said. “I’m good [...]

Exclusive photo. Credit: michellemalkin.com. Country singer Lyle Lovett (left) jokes around on a private tour of the air marshals training facility in Washington, D.C.
The embattled head of the Federal Air Marshals Service, Tom Quinn, is up to no good again. When he’s not bullying rank-and-file marshals for blowing the whistle on idiotic dress code and [...]

This time in Haiti. From AP:
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) - The United Nations is investigating a woman’s allegations that she was raped by three U.N. peacekeepers from Pakistan, a U.N. official said Tuesday. The men claim they paid to have sex.
The 23-year-old woman made the report to the police over the weekend, said Damian Onses-Cardona, a [...]

Liberal bigot Ted Rall is now sneering at blogger Ed Morrissey’s day job.
Keep stepping in it, Ted. It’s the only (mildly) funny thing you do.
Update: Chris Muir, a truly talented cartoonist, weighs in.
Update II: Frank J. asks bloggers, “Who the hell do you think you are?” and other haughty MSM questions. His own answers [...]

My column today is on a strange trend that I’ve been hearing about from concerned parents and child psychiatrists. It’s called “cutting.” If you’ve got kids, especially young girls, please give it a read. Here’s the intro:
Have you heard of “cutting”? If you’re a parent, you’d better read up. “Cutting” refers to self-mutilation — using [...]

The accused would-be Bush assassin Ahmed Abu-Ali has many Muslim supporters, including 955 who have signed this petition on his behalf.
The Baron spotted at least one intriguing name on the list: # 11, Abdelhaleem Ashqar of Alexandria, Va.
Ashqar faces federal racketeering charges in connection with alleged fund raising for the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
The Baron [...]

Mexican school libraries are stocking up on copies of a book that glamorizes violent drug traffickers. From AP:
MEXICO CITY – Mexico’s school libraries are stocking a book that includes the lyrics of “narcocorridos” – folk songs that glorify drug traffickers – causing a storm of criticism in a country where the drug market and its [...]

From the Atlanta Journal Constitution:
To our readers
Julia Wallace - Staff
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
A column on page 3 of the Feb. 11 Wheels section recounted a story about a man who survived an avalanche in Slovakia. A one-paragraph synopsis of this story also appeared in Atlanta & the World on Feb. 2. In fact, the story [...]

Didja hear about the U.N.’s new blog, run by former Kerry aides Peter Daou and Debra DeShong? Among the blog’s initial entries are an attack on FOX News’s Oil for Food investigative report and links to pro-Kyoto Treaty propaganda.
Yeah, that’ll solve Kofi Annan’s problems.
Interestingly, in a mass e-mail I received frou Daou yesterday he writes:
You [...]

I’ve been sifting through tons of stories about the Choicepoint identity theft debacle.
ZDNet has a good overview and the Washington Post reports today on how the ID theft scam that rocked Choicepoint affected some 4,500 residents in the Beltway area. More about the Nigerian con artist who participated in the ID theft ring (he was [...]

WorldNetDaily publishes its list of the 10 most underreported stories of 2004.

Bill Burkett, the former Texas national guardsman who fed those infamous bogus memos to CBS, now appears ready to sue the network, reports Ratherbiased.com.

Tomorrow is “Free Mojtaba and Arash Day“–an effort by the Committee to Protect Bloggers to turn up blog pressure on Iran to release two bloggers jailed for expressing their opinions on the Internet. Contact info and e-mail addresses for Iranian government officials here.
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Previous coverage:

Bloggers behind bars

Seymour Hersh and Bill Moyers win prestigious George Polk Awards for journalism. Or whatever.

My four-year-old daughter has taken such a liking to Avatar: The Last Airbender that we are now sitting through a second, back-to-back broadcast of the premiere on Nickelodeon.
At least it’s an improvement over Mulan 2.

The Condoleezza Rice action figure–”dressed in navy blue pant suit, powder blue blouse & imitation faux pearl necklace included”–is now on sale for $24.95.
Story at the Scotsman.

N.Y. Post columnist Steve Dunleavy asks an excellent question:

WHERE’S THE TIMES WHEN COPS ARE CLEARED?
Good read.

Little Green Footballs has been all over the story of Democrat Maurice Hinchey, the N.Y. congressman who claims Karl Rove planted the CBS Rathergate memos.
Confederate Yankee, a constituent in Hinchey’s district, can’t get anyone from the congressman’s office to respond to his inquiry about the remarks. The local press has buried the controversy. E-mail [...]

Here’s a surprisingly fair report from the N.Y. Times on the violence and harassment faced by campus military recruiters. Excerpt:
Since the beginning of 2003, there have also been more than a dozen other often violent incidents aimed at military recruiters or property throughout the country, according to the police, recruiters and the Federal Bureau of [...]

We’ve been tracking the U.N.’s sex scandal in the Congo. But over the weekend, the other U.N. sex scandal came to a head.
Top U.N. official Ruud Lubbers resigned Sunday over long-brewing accusations of sexual harassment from at least four women, including an American woman who worked on the staff UN High Commissioner for [...]

First reports in from AP:
ASPEN, Colo. - Hunter S. Thompson, the acerbic counter-culture author of books such as “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” fatally shot himself Sunday night at his Aspen-area home, his son said. He was 67.
The King of Gonzo’s last column for ESPN.com was published Feb. 15:
Shotgun Golf with Bill Murray.
Denver Post [...]

History teacher/blogger extraordinaire Betsy Newmark reports on an interesting question asked at the Quiz Bowl tournament held at Duke University this weekend.

Tim Worstall has started a very useful roundup of blogging in the British Isles. Check it out.

Wizbang links to a brutal takedown of N.Y. Times reporter Somini Sengupta’s highly publicized report on “Baby 81,” an infant who survived the tsunami disaster and was allegedly claimed by as many as eight sets of parents. The debunkers of the story are not a conservative media watchdog, but Lanka Business Online, a Sri Lankan [...]

John Hinderaker of blog powerhouse Power Line will be a guest on CNN’s Reliable Sources today talking about the Gannon story. John’s take is here.

My fellow opinionated wives, you will love this. Print out and post on the fridge for hubby to read every morning:
LONDON - A woman who keeps quiet during an argument with her husband is four times more likely to die from heart disease and other causes, according to a study published in the American Heart [...]

Lots of readers keep sending me a link to this anti-military site: Forsake the Troops.
Not going to link to it myself. Here’s the address if you must see it: www.forsakethetroops.info.
True or Better has background on the guy who apparently created the site. Seems he has pulled a similar stunt before.
Whether it’s a hoax or not, [...]