BunkBlog

Apparently Joe Millionaire fans are less willing to pay for a silly shirt mocking one of the characters than some people believe. Sold one of those I have no happy shirts, and it was to the person who suggested the design. Go figure.

Wonder how Mike’s bomb-the-liberals shirts are doing…
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Germany won’t help with war on Iraq. And a collective, “So what?” rose up from the crowd.
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Is it real or is it satire?

WASHINGTON, DC–With concern over North Korea’s nuclear capabilities growing, President Bush reassured the American people Monday that “extreme force” will be used to remove Saddam Hussein from power if the Iraqi president fails to give up suspected weapons of mass destruction.

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Bend, Oregon has banned people who smell bad on their buses.

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As others have said recently, why are we debating whether Iraq is a bad guy or not, when they keep shooting at us? It’s not rocket science – if they are shooting at our spy planes, which are flying in areas that are sanctioned by international accord and the peace treaty we forced them to sign at gunpoint, they are hiding shit. DUH!
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In response to this story about the culpability of using a web log to mention anything at all not completely personal, I have added a disclaimer to the bottom of my main web site, as well as on my journal page. I hope you understand. 🙂

With regard to the new TSA screening rules, they have this to say, implying that they are addressing weaknesses that caused the 9/11 attacks:

Legislation requiring that checked luggage be screened was passed in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks in which four commercial jets were hijacked and crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania, killing about 3,000 people.

Um, there weren’t any bombs in the luggage, folks. The planes were smacked into skyscrapers. Again we have new security measures that do not in any way enhance security. Great.

Silly rules

• Don’t park too close to buildings, although there have been no instances of carbombs at U.S. airports in legal parking spots anyhow. (The legal parking spots have never been close enough to the terminals to cause major damage.)
• Don’t lock your bags, although bombsniffers and normal security already covers bombs there (i.e., if you aren’t on the plane, neither is the bag).
• Don’t overpack, yet we’re reducing the definition of “oversized” by 25 pounds.
• For months, no curbside check-in was allowed. Did Al Qaeda use skycaps? And, if curbside check-in was a security hazard, why is it now allowed again?
• Only ticketed passengers in the terminal, because the planes are vulnerable behind those blast doors or something.
• Don’t profile passengers, because that’s offensive. Instead, make the 90-year old woman take off her orthopedic shoes to check for explosives. Smart use of resources.
• Don’t allow armed pilots, because completely defenseless people are our best security?

Can you tell I’m a little amused by the bizarre logic behind the Transportation Security Administration? It ranks right up there with the silly ritual upon check-in when the ticket agent asks you if you have let someone else play with your luggage. Gee, there was this charming gentleman in a bernoose who watched it while I went to the restroom.

DPRK protests missile seizure as piracy – if they didn’t think they were doing something wrong, why were the SCUDs hidden under layers of cement bags? Looks like smuggling, smells like smuggling…
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While we stare unflinchingly at Hussein, with our secret confirmation that he’s lying, what should be happening around the world?
North Korea is restarting its breeder reactors and telling the UN to fuck off.

But, let’s worry about Iraq, they’re much more dangerous. Oh, and that promise to Afghanistan that we’d pick up the pieces after we blew up their country? We’ll think about it.

Gotta love international politics.

Britney likes girls – Britney Spears has the hots for Jenna Jameson, porn star.

Feds cancel TIPS program – TIPS being the system where you were supposed to narc on your neighbor.

Disney bans Palm – standardize on Blackberry or iPaq devices.

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For further proof that our education system is, perhaps, lacking in some basics, this story from CNN today:

WHERE IN THE WORLD

Among 18- to 24-year-old Americans given maps:

• 87 percent cannot find Iraq
• 83 percent cannot find Afghanistan
• 76 percent cannot find Saudi Arabia
• 70 percent cannot find New Jersey
• 49 percent cannot find New York
• 11 percent cannot find the United States

They can’t find New Jersey – ok, well, who would want to. But, for nearly half the respondents to be incapable of finding New York? Damn.

Pakistani gunman executed after many appeals, 9 years after killing 2 CIA workers and injuring 3 others. Our Pakistani “allies” burn US flag in protest. He’s a Hero, you know.
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From the creator of The Bachelor

What next, bloodsport?
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Faked inscription on the famous ossuary supposed to help confirm Jesus’s historical reality.
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Toyota plans to have no pure-gasoline autos by 2012

I’m waiting to see the MR2 hybrid. Then I wouldn’t have to feel guilty about wanting a sporty car while also wanting to be ecologically and economically thoughtful. 40 mpg sports car? Oh, yeah!

Toyota sold nearly 37,000 hybrid cars last year, out of nearly 6 million total sales. And they expect to transition to all-hybrid by 2012? Neat trick. Apparently hybrid cars cost $3000 more to produce than a comparable pure-gasoline driven auto.
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This is a great article on the growing disparity between the very rich and the more plebeian masses.

Pretty good reading, if a bit long.
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From the files of “the headline sounds more interesting than the story” –

Firefighter in uniform “tricked” into appearing in porn film
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OK, this guy is a total nutcase, of the Tim McVeigh type. He claimed to be a demolitions expert – he was a truck driver. He claimed to be a sniper – he shot expert once. He claimed to be a Green Beret – he was a truck driver!

He was stationed at Fort Ord and Fort Lewis, the two army posts I at which I was stationed during my years in the army. Suppose I ever met him? Nope, he was a truck driver in an engineering battalion. M.I. geeks don’t associate with anyone whose GT score is below 100.

Glad they caught this jackass, but it’s too bad he was military. McVeigh did enough damage, and the string of spouse killings is no ray of light either.

So, here’s a discussion question (not an invitation to a flame war) – Does the military attract violent men, do men become violent from being in the military, or is the correlation not statistically significant and the media is blowing it out of proportion? Discuss.
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Coach tapes girls locker room. Yeah, like it’s an isolated case or something.
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CNN repeatedly mentioned last night that John Mohammed, although former army, was never trained as a sniper.

As has been said repeatedly by anyone with any firearms training, 150 meters is not sniper range. If you miss a slow-moving target at anything closer than 300 meters with a scope, you’re just a bad shot.
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