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From CNN Breaking News -- U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld warns Syria that the U.S. considers military shipments to Iraq a 'hostile act.' Rumsfeld Warns Syria Whew... and here I was, worried that we wouldn't find some way to escalate this thing. Let's face it, either they had to expect this (that not all Arab states would sit back and watch) and so made contingency plans--or they were unconscionably clueless and thought we'd be able to act with complete impunity and the rest of the world would sit back and watch, presumably because Sadaam is such an evil man. Either option disgusts me.

a quick update... the actual Elizabeth quote on Sunday was "To my mind, we all do worship but one god, the rest is quibbling over titles." Thanks Tally.

Synchronicity is messing with my head... Main Entry: syn chro nic i ty Function: noun Date: circa 1889 1 : the quality or fact of being synchronous 2 : the coincidental occurrence of events and especially psychic events (as similar thoughts in widely separated persons or a mental image of an unexpected event before it happens) that seem related but are not explained by conventional mechanisms of causality -- used especially in the psychology of C. G. Jung We've all experienced this at some point or another (I assume). I get it most often with words--I'll see a new word or a name somewhere and then hear it several times over the next few days. But lately, it's been getting weirder... Last week, I was cleaning the cats' litter boxes and, when I unfolded some newspaper, I saw an ad for Old School, the movie with Luke Wilson, Will Ferrel and Vince Vaughn. The ad had pictures of their faces on a brown, flag motif background with a row o...

Oh, for christ's sake... First it's freaking "Freedom Fries" and now this... COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina House members say the Dixie Chicks should apologize for lead singer Natalie Maines' criticism of President Bush by performing a free concert for troops. Republican state Rep. Catherine Ceips introduced a resolution Wednesday calling for the country music trio to perform for South Carolina troops and their families. Don't our freaking "leaders" have anything better to do with their time? And I love how, apparently, celebrities must sacrifice their right to having an opinion and expressing it (you know, free speech?) simply because they're celebrities. Maybe a concert stage wasn't the best venue for a political statement and, frankly, I'm not turning to the Dixie Chicks for political enlightenment, but really...

Ok, so I really meant this thing to be about more than just politics. But Hollywood just hasn't been cooperating. I mean, look at what's out there... Willard: Ok, Crispin Glover is PERFECT for this role, but really, did we need a remake of a 30-year old, revenge of the nerd (by rat, no less!) movie? Audience response (a dismal #8 opening weekend with about $4 million in box office) would suggest the answer's no. Agent Cody Banks: Sorry, I'm not twelve. (Besides, the reviews have not been friendly). The Hunted: If I wanted to watch Rambo, I'd rent the freakin' DVD! Bringing Down the House: Steve Martin, Queen Latifah (Oscar-nominated Queen Latifah, I might add) and Eugene Levy in what looks like an embarassingly unfunny movie that has, inexplicably, raked in somewhere north of $50 million in 2 weeks. We must REALLY need our escapism right now! And what do we have to look forward to? The Core?!? This one has one of the most ridiculous sounding pr...

So this is the guy in charge of the DOD's Total Information Awareness office... Admiral Poindexter, the former national security adviser for President Ronald Reagan, whose felony conviction as part of the Iran-contra scandal was reversed because of a Congressional grant of immunity. Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy, doesn't it?

Hmmm... thought I included a link to the New York Times article. Let's try it again... An Order of Fries, Please, but Do Hold the French There... Got it now.

So a pair of Congressmen (Bob Ney of Utah & Walter Jones of N. Carolina), in a display of solidarity (I presume) with the President decide to ban the word "French" from the menus in the House. No more French Fries, now they're Freedom Fries! That'll show those pesky French a thing or two, won't it? Teach them to disagree with our President. (So, let me get this straight--these two clowns have nothing better to do up on Capitol Hill right now than to further perpetuate the image of the ugly American by this ridiculously petty gesture? Good to know who's running things these days, huh?) My favorite part of the New York Times article is this: "There is, apparently, some historical precedent for the switch... during World War I, anti-German sentiment prompted Americans to begin calling sauerkraut liberty cabbage and frankfurters hot dogs." As if this is somthing to be proud of! Just a couple of thoughts here... a) this is hardly a shining ...

Great quote... The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference and undernourishment. -Robert Maynard Hutchins, educator (1899-1977)