Windtalkings, 2003-01-20

Here's some interesting stuff I've come across lately:

• Photodude notes that the music industry wants all ISPs to pay them a fee, which they could then pass on to all their customers. The arrogance of these people truly knows no limits.
  
  
• Speaking of clueless arrogance, Scrappleface reports that Sheryl Crow's comments have been taken to heart, and the USA has decided not to have enemies. So glad that's settled now.
  
  
• In contrast, take this leftist journalist, who wrote: "Who, you may be asking incredulously, would want their country to be bombed? What would make people want to risk their children being blown to pieces? I thought this too until, last October, I spent a month as a journalist seeing the reality of life under Saddam Hussein." Read it.
  
  
• Bala Ambati wonders "...where are moderate Muslims protesting the actions of Islamic fundamentalists with "Not in our name" banners or "No blood for Qur'an"? (We have one here, and this blog is his sign... wish there were more.) Bala is apparently an opthamologist of no small water - no idea where he finds the time to write, but I'm glad he does.
  
  
• Kevin at LazyPundit has some very interesting thoughts on the reasons Bush and his team went along with the U.N. weapons inspectors: to safeguard the U.S. buildup in the area. Bill Quick at DailyPundit disagrees, Kevin responds, and it all makes for a very interesting debate.
  
  
• Meanwhile, recent cooperation between the inspectors and Western intellncies appeas to have uncovered something more significant than the chemical warhads. It may be evidence that Saddam has been pursuing a nuclear program despite Iraq's formal oficial denials to the U.N. CPO Sparkey over at Sgt Stryker has the link.
  
  
• Are Black Republicans just window dressing? If these stories are true, this is shameful... and this response is, if anything, worse. There are unquestionably racists in both American parties, and the Democrat kind are certainly more vocal. None of this removes the onus on the Republicans to deal with inexcusable crap like this in their midst. If the response alone is true, someone in the California Republican Party deserves a serious ass-kicking.
  
  
• I knew my praise of Christopher Hitchens would come with consequences. Seems the leftist Zorro also has a growing respect for the right. Hitchens even has some tongue-in-cheek suggestions re: how his opponents could keep that momentum going.
  
  
• Last week's self-contradiction award goes to TIME Magazine, for an article in its pages about "America's Ultra-Secret Weapon" - High Powered Microwaves (HPMs) that can fry electronics. Guess it isn't ultra-secret now, is it? (Hat Tip: Watch/, Randall Parker)
  
  
• In other lighter fare, Charles at Little Green Footballs had to explain publicly that his bit about an Arab League protest of Israeli Ilan Ramon's recent space voyage was a gag. Somehow, the inclusion of the term "atomic wedgies" in the "report" failed to clue some people in.
  
  
• One thing's for damn sure... this flight has zero chance of having Islamic terrorists get on with concealed weapons. Actually, they'd probably be religiously forbidden to get on, period. Who knew the solution to terrorism in the skies was so simple, and so cheap?
  
  
• It's COLD up here in Ontario! But Andrew Sullivan has some relevant poetry to ease your mind.