And now roses are blue.

Posted by: annika at 04:49 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
Post contains 11 words, total size 1 kb.

i totally agree with Ariel Sharon's belief that French Jews should emigrate to Israel to escape "the wildest anti-semitism." That comment has caused that old slug, Chirac to revoke his invitation for Sharon to visit Paris.

Don't worry about it, Ariel. i've been to Paris, you ain't missing much.

Other Frenchies are up in arms* over Sharon's statement too.

'France is not Germany of the 1930s,' said Julien Dray, spokesman for the opposition Socialist Party . . .

'The French have actually gone further than any other country in Europe in recognizing that they have a mountain of a problem on their hands,' says David A. Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee, who consults with the French government. Indeed, from their point of view, anti-Semitism may turn out to be the least of it. The huge number of Muslim young people born in France who actively resist acculturation, he says, leaves French officials 'baffled and challenged'

At least behind closed doors, French officials are even starting to entertain the proposition that the virulence and relentlessness of their criticism of Israel and its supporters feeds the insalubrious climate in which crimes against Jews multiply. Despite French newspapers' vigorous coverage of the latest apparent anti-Semitic attack, a further evolution may be needed before French intellectual and media elites will go that far.

Update: Dawn's opinion is the opposite of mine.

Posted by: annika at 03:16 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
Post contains 307 words, total size 2 kb.

i'm trying to be a responsible employee and stay off MT this morning. So, i'll just recommend two very interesting takes by two very interesting liberal bloggers who can sometimes throw a curveball.

Hugo Schwyzer on the Amy Richards abortions.

Matthew Yglesias on the assault weapons ban.

Enjoy.

Posted by: annika at 10:49 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 52 words, total size 1 kb.

i've been slogging my way through My Life, by Bill Clinton for the last week or so. i'm about 90 pages into it. The book is written in casual prose, almost like a blog, and it's easily accessible to the least common denominator. Anyone expecting multi-syllable words and complex sentences from this "Rhodes Scholar" will be disappointed. Clinton is a competent writer, but he's no Thomas Jefferson. He's not even a Theodore Roosevelt. Further proof to my mind that those fawning ignorami who insist that he was "our smartest president" are way off base.

Clinton delights in naming people he knew as a young man, probably for their own benefit, so they can point to the book and say "hey, I'm in it," or "hey, my dad/brother/sister is in it." The first few chapters are full of anecdotes that are only marginally interesting: Bill's boyhood encounter with an angry ram, the famous confrontations with his abusive stepfather, the famous handshake with President Kennedy, the time Bill's car got stuck in the mud at a bauxite quarry.

i'm no fan of Clinton as a president. He had some successes in office, but lord knows he hurt this country in many ways, which we are only now beginning to fully realize. But as a man, as a historical character, he fascinates me. Like Henry VIII, he's a tragic leader who cannot be ignored if you have any real interest in history. And like King Henry, Bill Clinton was a sincere idealist, who left his country in a mess because he let his cock do more thinking than his head.

At this early stage in my reading, i thought it might be fun to see what Clinton had to say about the man who aspires to carry on his progressive Democratic legacy. i'm talking about the presumptive Democratic nominee for president at the time of the book's celebrated release: Massachussets senator John Kerry. As you may have heard, Clinton's book damns Kerry with faint praise. Actually there's almost no praise at all.

According to the index, John Kerry is mentioned only seven times, despite his being a "prominent" United States senator since 1985, throughout the entirety of Clinton's two terms. By contrast, Senator John McCain is mentioned eleven times. The other Kerry, Bob Kerrey of Nebraska, earned seventeen mentions in Clinton's index despite having been senator for only eleven years compared to John Kerry's twenty years. In fact, all but one of John Kerry's seven apearances in President Clinton's book are in passages where he's only one name in a list of names.

Here are the seven passages that mention the "prominent" senator from Massachussets, John Kerry:

. . . America's efforts to reconcile and normalize relations with Vietnam were led by distinguished Vietnam veterans in Congress, like Chuck Robb, John McCain, John Kerry, Bob Kerrey, Chuck Hegel, and Pete Peterson, men who had more than paid their dues and had nothing to hide or prove. [p. 161]

. . .

There was support in Congress from her brother, Senator Ted Kennedy, Senators Chris Dodd, Pat Moynihan, and John Kerry; and New York congressmen Peter King and Tom Manton. [pp. 578-579]

. . .

My decision was strongly supported by Vietnam veterans in Congress, especially Senators John Kerry, Bob Kerrey, and John McCain, and Congressman Pete Peterson of Florida, who had been a prisoner of war in Vietnam for more than six years. [p. 581]

. . .

After the meeting I went to Boston for a fund-raiser for Senator John Kerry, who was up for reelection and would likely face a tough opponent in Governor Bill Weld. I had a good relationship with Weld, perhaps the most progressive of all the Republican governors, but I didn't want to lose Kerry in the Senate. He was one of the Senate's leading authorities on the environment and high technology. He had also devoted an extraordinary amount of time to the problem of youth violence, an issue he had cared about since his days as a prosecutor. Caring about an issue in which there are no votes today but which will have a big impact on the future is a very good quality in a politician. [p. 659]

. . .

. . . [I]n July[,] I normalized relations with Vietnam, with the strong support of most Vietnam veterans in Congress, including John McCain, Bob Kerrey, John Kerry, Chuck Robb, and Pete Peterson . . . [p. 665]

. . .

At the end of the month, I announced that the Veteran's Administration would provide compensation to Vietnam veterans for a series of severe illnesses . . . that were associated with exposure to Agent Orange, a cause long championed by Vietnam veterans, Senators John Kerry and John McCain, and by the late Admiral Bud Zumwalt. [pp. 713-714]

. . .

. . . [F]our of the seven Senate candidates I had campaigned for won: Tom Harkin, Tim Johnson, John Kerry, and, in Louisiana, Mary Landrieu. [p. 734]

Sure, one might attribute the lack of extended praise to the mighty Clinton ego, but if you look elsewhere in the book you will find paragraph after paragraph where Clinton ladles extravagant compliments over the most minor characters in his life. i would think he'd have spent a little more time on the "next Democratic president of the United States" if he had really wanted to.

Then again, it's very likely that Clinton has someone else in mind to be the next Democratic president. Who could that be? Hmmmm . . . i don't know . . . Let me see . . . could it be . . . Satan?

Posted by: annika at 11:43 AM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
Post contains 974 words, total size 6 kb.

1 It raises a number of interesting questions, including the main point I keep trying to make: Who on earth is the GOP going to run in 2008? The bench doesn't have any obvious young stars right now, unless folks really think the world is ready for a black woman (Rice) as president. Colin Powell is way too liberal for the hard right. Cheney is a non-starter. You have to have a pro-lifer, which knocks out Giuliani and Schwarzenegger, even if the latter can get a new constitutional amendment through. Jebbie? Not a chance, not with the infidelity issue so clear.

Posted by: Hugo at July 18, 2004 01:11 PM (ntfdi)

2 Kerry a leading authority on technology? The man wants to prohibit the new manufacture of a class of firearms that are functionally no different than what was being made in the early 1900's. Assholes like him would replace the MAG-58 with a Vickers if left to his own devices. But one thing you should keep in mind about the book: Herr Klinton is nothing if not egotistical. Any mention of anyone else will either be used to demonstrate his humility or to serve some other purpose. Don't be too shocked if he doesn't wax poetic about anyone to any degree that would overshadow him - unless of course he either A: would seem like an asshole in not doing it (i.e. talking of JFK fondly) or B: he can use it to cash in on something down the road. The praise of seemingly minor characters in his life is easy: they pose no threat or challenge to him while bolstering his image as a "people person" (more or less). Odds are you wont' find anything so generous concerning someone he views as a rival. I assume you've read Rand, Locke & others of similar mind so for an anti-dote after you're through reading Bill's book might I recommend something by John Ross or Boston T. Party? There are the almost polar opposite of any liberal/socilaist books flaoting around - possibly to the point where the ocnservative in you would find them extreme, but a little extremity is good for ya. BTW, you do realize by mentioning that you're fascinated with slick willy you're just reinforcing your pro-lizard stance don't ya?

Posted by: Publicola at July 18, 2004 04:03 PM (Aao25)

3 I KNEW she looked familiar!!

Posted by: Brent at July 18, 2004 06:19 PM (w+y2e)

4 Clinton isn't a "Rhodes Scholar" any more than Annika is an admiral. He dropped out. Only people who finished the program are entitled to that title.

Posted by: Eric M. Johnson at July 18, 2004 10:24 PM (svki/)

5 "Clinton is a competent writer, but he's no Thomas Jefferson." And TJ didn't even have the army of ghost writers that one presumes did most of Bill's real work.

Posted by: Dave J at July 19, 2004 07:57 AM (VThvo)

6 Kerry shows up seven times in Clinton's book? Wow! I think that's more than he showed up for critical votes in the Senate last year, and probably a few more times than Slick and Satan were actually seen together in public (er, I mean Santa).

Posted by: d-rod at July 19, 2004 08:43 AM (/B70b)

7 So when you are done with the book, I offer $5 (plus shipping) for you to send it to me, so I can be highly entertained as well : ) Since, you don't want to KEEP it do you? : )

Posted by: Jennifer at July 19, 2004 11:29 PM (iwROl)

8 Maybe he tried to dumb the book down so his fans could read it? Just one idea, LOL. And that was one great photo there -- scary.

Posted by: 2flower at July 21, 2004 05:52 PM (CDNE8)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

Only n more days until Rip On Matt Iglesias Week!

No, not the dude that's engaged to Anna Kournikova. i'm talking about the liberal blogger who spells his last name incorrectly.

Posted by: annika at 09:06 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 41 words, total size 1 kb.

If i might be allowed to boast a little, in a blog post yesterday, Steven Den Beste articulates what i've been trying to tell people about the Iraq War for two years now. Summed up in my most pithy way: "It's the regime change, stupid!"

At the risk of sounding like a "me-tooer" (i really have been making this point all along, but never as clearly, alas, than Mr. Den Beste) here is the relevant stuff, quoted at length:

WMDs were never the real purpose of the invasion. WMDs were the focus of the spotlight, however, because of serious diplomatic efforts to gain [United Nations Security Council] approval for an invasion. Within the context of the UNSC, the only way to justify an invasion was to claim that Iraq had not fully cooperated with UN inspectors. Which, . . . Saddam's government had not, even as late as March 2003.

But the public justification made in the UN had nothing to do with the real purpose, the real strategic goal which required the invasion. [Washington Monthly blogger Kevin Drum] makes casual reference to that, when he says, Facts on the ground have never been allowed to interfere with George Bush's worldview, and he wasn't about to take the chance that they might interfere with his war.

Except that 'facts on the ground' did not interfere or contradict the real purpose, which was to depose a corrupt dictator and to 'nation build' so as to make one core Arab nation a better place for the people living there. By so doing, the goal was to infect the imaginations and aspirations of the citizens in other nations in the region, to 'destabilize' the corrupt dictatorships in charge and to try to bring about long term change to the whole region. And that could not be publicly proclaimed at the time without deeply imperiling the strategy for the overall war.

So why were we at the UN? Mainly because Tony Blair needed to fulfill a promise made to the more leftist MPs in his party that he would not take the UK to war without a UNSC resolution or an 'unreasonable veto'. There were other reasons as well, but that was the most important one.

So we went to the UNSC to seek permission for something we actually had the capability of doing. (The only permission Bush actually required was granted to him by Congress in October of 2002.) And when it finally became clear that permission would not be forthcoming, we went ahead and did it anyway.

. . .

For some, that made it an 'illegal war'. It was a 'war of choice', not a 'war of necessity'. It was a 'violation of international law'.

None of those distinctions actually matter. . . . They're also all matters of opinion, subject to considerable dispute. . . .

. . . I happen to think that the invasion was necessary. But it wasn't necessary in order to gain revenge for direct Iraqi involvement in the 9/11 attack (there's no significant evidence that Saddam's government was directly implicated in that) or to prevent 'imminent danger'. It was necessary in order to prevent significant non-imminent danger.

In my view, anti-war people have been too focused on the past. The war was illegal, they insist. There were no WMDs. Saddam and Al Qaeda didn't cooperate.

Neocons, of which i count myself one, always focused on the future. They said: After 9/11, we can no longer afford to trust that Saddam will not create and provide WMDs to the terrorists. WMDs which they intend to use against American civilians.

The existence or non-existence of WMDs in Iraq at the time of the war does not change the fact that Saddam . . . had . . . to . . . go.

Link props to David Boxenhorn, who has a slightly different take on justification and priorities.

Posted by: annika at 02:04 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
Post contains 660 words, total size 4 kb.

i just did a quick calculation of my blogroll's demographics to see if it's really as diverse as i'd like to think it is. Actually, it took a hell of a long time to go through the whole thing and the result is still an approximation. For my survey i looked at all my non-mu.nu blogs and included the mu.nu blogs i read regularly.

Here are my ethnic diversity numbers:

White bloggers: 81%
African-American bloggers: 2%
Hispanic bloggers: 1%
Asian or Pacific Islander bloggers: 5%
Native American bloggers: 0%
Other bloggers or ethnicity unknown: 11%

Left-of-center bloggers: 10%
Right-of-center bloggers: 76%
Non-political bloggers: 14%

Male bloggers: 63%
Female bloggers: 29%
Gay or bisexual bloggers: 1%
Mixed or unknown: 8%

Posted by: annika at 11:48 AM | Comments (12) | Add Comment
Post contains 166 words, total size 1 kb.

1 FYI: I am both African-American and Hispanic. Hope that helps.

Posted by: Dawn Summers at July 16, 2004 12:42 PM (HLOeu)

2 Age would be another factor to consider. What percent of your readers are over/under 30? 40? 20? 60? I teach gay and lesbian history and I have an Afro-Colombian girlfriend... does that help?

Posted by: Hugo at July 16, 2004 01:25 PM (ntfdi)

3 Hey Dawn, i had you down for African-American, but i didn't know you were hispanic too. i ran the numbers again and revised for two other multi-racial bloggers i know of. Just like the census. It's hard to categorize bloggers unless they are open about their background. Glenn was easy 'cause his blog is called "Hi, I'm Black." But some bloggers don't even post with their name, so i can't even tell the sex. Categorizing by age would be super-hard, although i suspect a good percentage would be in their 20's and 30's, with a respectable number over 40. It was interesting going through all the blogs looking for that stuff. i don't know if it says anything about bloggers in general or if it's just my own taste. And Hugo, you got lumped in with the SWM's, your girlfriend notwithstanding. ; )

Posted by: annika! at July 16, 2004 01:38 PM (zAOEU)

4 Wow. I had no idea you could do such fancy work on your blog! I am glad I am unable, I waste too much time just having a counter attached!

Posted by: Jennifer at July 16, 2004 02:07 PM (Wr1uX)

5 I teach gay and lesbian history Annie, This is just too cartoonish. Please tell me you are making this androphobe, Dworkin fantasy, male-feminist character up? I'll sleep much better knowing that.

Posted by: Radical Redneck at July 16, 2004 02:34 PM (bsJun)

6 Miss Annika. I can offer two suggestions to help with your diversity: Alphecca (if he's not already on your list) http://alphecca.com/ & Right Side of the Rainbow http://www.rightrainbow.com/ Both are run by gay men, are well written & pro-gun/right leaning. Course I was most curious about a category you didn't mention: how many bloggers that you read are pro-dog or pro-cat? I trying times like these I think you're readers deserve to know which side you're on in the feline v. canine issue.

Posted by: Publicola at July 16, 2004 02:47 PM (Aao25)

7 Ha Ha Publicola. i can't do that because then i have to get into who's pro-lizard and pro-marsupial and all that shit and it opens up a whole can of worms.

Posted by: annika! at July 16, 2004 03:15 PM (zAOEU)

8 So, you're pro-lizard are you? Now we finally know Miss Annika's dirty little secret. I for one am shocked & disappointed, but so be it. Just watch V. I hope you'll do the right thing & re-think your position.

Posted by: Publicola at July 16, 2004 03:29 PM (Aao25)

9 Radical redneck, you must come visit me sometime, big boy... And I'll bet my redneck bona-fides are pretty damn good too. I know my way around a John Deere, I've got lots of Merle Haggard and Steve Earle CDs, and in high school, went through a tin or two of Copenhagen (never Skoal). And Annie, I am decidedly pro-rodent.

Posted by: Hugo at July 16, 2004 04:04 PM (ntfdi)

10 Dawn is about as 'African' as I am.

Posted by: Karol at July 18, 2004 06:29 PM (f/hiR)

11 But you're Asian.

Posted by: dawn summers at July 19, 2004 07:43 AM (HLOeu)

12 Salut

Posted by: Andrew L at November 04, 2004 10:27 PM (WgEFB)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

My advice for the two Johns (which will help them in the upcoming debates with President Bush and Vice-President Cheney) is to stick to format. They should not change their message now, it's obviously very popular among their supporters. But i would suggest that they simplify the message so that it's easier to understand. You see there's quite a few dim-bulbs out there who would vote Democrat if only the Democratic platform were shorter and easier to commit to memory.

Here's my advice:

To John Edwards: You're the attack dog. So every time Dick Cheney says something, your retort should include the word "Halliburton." It might be difficult to work that into all your debate answers, so if you get stuck simply begin yelling "HALLIBURTON! HALLIBURTON! HALLIBURTOOOOON!" You will surely get a loud cheer out of the hand picked audience of CNN approved lefty Bush-haters. And the beauty of this debate tactic, besides its simplicity, is that every wacked out lefty understands it, because they revert back to the same tactic themselves whenever confronted by that pesky foe known as "logical reasoning."

To John Kerry: Try not to speak. But if you must, follow the same strategy outlined above, except say "Vietnam" instead of "Halliburton."

Posted by: annika at 09:53 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 225 words, total size 1 kb.

Downtown Sac-town has just as many weirdos as any other self respecting city. Take for instance Homo Sapiens Fountainus-walkus. He's out there now, tramping around with his backpack, walking in the fountain and fouling the water with his disgusting feet.

Posted by: annika at 03:45 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 50 words, total size 1 kb.

Maybe i should change the name from "Rip Matt Yglesias Week" to something else. "Rip" looks to much like "R.I.P.," which is not exactly the message i want to convey.

Update: i got it! i'll call it "Rip On Matt Iglesias Week."

Posted by: annika at 01:29 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 52 words, total size 1 kb.

The following countries are sniveling cowardly wimps:

France
Germany
Spain
Dominican Republic
Nicaragua
Honduras
Thailand
Norway
New Zealand
The Philippines

Posted by: annika at 10:39 AM | Comments (12) | Add Comment
Post contains 32 words, total size 1 kb.

"Britney was my sex-mad bride": Jason Alexander tells all.

Link thanks to Jennifer, who seems to always find this stuff before me. ; )

Posted by: annika at 08:40 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
Post contains 40 words, total size 1 kb.

On his radio show tonight, Alan Colmes mentioned the website of a new liberal propaganda tool called "Fuck the Vote" The site is absolutely not work safe, so here's the idea, in their own words:

SEXY LIBERALS OF THE U.S. UNITE in taking back the government from the sexually repressed, right-wing, zealots in control! Everyone knows liberals are hotter than conservatives - we look hotter, we dress hotter, our ideas are hotter, and we are infinitely hotter in the sack. We must use this to our advantage - as one more weapon in a diverse arsenal to strip the conservatives of their power (by stripping them of their clothes first).

Believe it or not, even the most seemingly deeply rooted right-wing ideologue can be manipulated by sex. As we all know, the sex drive is a powerful beast that has the potential to change people. People lie for sex, they cheat for sex, they even kill for sex - and you can be sure that they will change the way they think (and therefore vote) for sex. All you need to be armed with are your sexy progressive values, a razor-sharp wit, your genitalia, and a mindset that doesn't mind taking one for the team.

At Fuck The Vote we provide a Pledge Sheet that can be used conveniently before becoming physically intimate with a conservative, The Pledge Sheet asks the signee to make a promise to vote for anyone but George Bush in the November election. FTV has not endorsed a single candidate but recommends strategic voting. We also encourage FTV fans to take road trips this summer to swing(er) states to collect pledges. If you collect a pledge let us know about it on the Swinger States page! Have safe fun fucking over Bush while fucking for votes.

So, why not have a conservative version of this thing? Using the liberal pledge as a template, it might go something like this:

I, the undersigned, pledge my vote for George W. Bush on November 2, 2004 in return for getting laid by a hot freaky conservative.

I understand that this pledge is a symbol of good faith that I will cast my vote for a strong, safe and vibrant America, for a president who will stand up straight and tall for the values that make this country great, who will defend this country rigidly as we plunge forward into the future, and for a tax policy that stimulates growth by pumping more and more money into the private sector again and again and again. I further promise that i will not vote for candidates who promise a flaccid foreign policy or a limp and disappointing economic plan.

Posted by: annika at 08:49 PM | Comments (12) | Add Comment
Post contains 541 words, total size 3 kb.

1 Awesonme! I found this and mentioned it on my blog the other day...but not with your twist!

Posted by: Jennifer at July 14, 2004 10:58 PM (Wr1uX)

2 I'm still undecided. I might vote for Kerry, but a hot freaky conservative could influence me to pull the lever for Bush (so to speak).

Posted by: d-rod at July 15, 2004 07:57 AM (6lzRE)

3 Oh, I could tell you some things about what some liberals do in bed... ah, the memories. But then I became a good Christian boy, put away the piercings, and worked hard at repressing all that energy!

Posted by: Hugo at July 15, 2004 08:54 AM (9ndHD)

4 I'm sure both of these plans will be just as effective in influencing this year's election as the Lysistrata Project was in influencing last year's policy in Iraq.

Posted by: Xrlq at July 15, 2004 10:48 AM (k4RhX)

5 Is that their mission statement or did they copy if from the intro to My Life?

Posted by: Stephen Macklin at July 15, 2004 11:38 AM (UquFN)

6 well, in their defense, the "anyone but bush" motto could have some perks...

Posted by: candace at July 15, 2004 12:58 PM (hZHYA)

7 My boyfriend is a Conservative. Hot and rockin', he is.

Posted by: Amy at July 15, 2004 02:46 PM (RpVKX)

8 Where do I sign?

Posted by: Desert Cat at July 15, 2004 10:46 PM (c8BHE)

9 I can't wait to "get laid by a hot freaky conservative", but I have to wait for him to get back from Iraq first...

Posted by: Sarah at July 17, 2004 06:49 AM (vMhet)

10 I'd sure like to tell some conservative I'd vote for Bush and then exploit them...where do I sign up?

Posted by: Chuck at August 11, 2004 01:57 PM (uftg2)

11 The phrase "hot freaky conservative" shall now be stuck in my mind for the next weeks. (Kinda like the words "widgets," "greenacre," and "due diligence" from the law school days.)

Posted by: Mark at September 08, 2004 05:15 PM (Vg0tt)

12 The phrase "hot freaky conservative" shall now be stuck in my mind for the next 2 weeks. (Kinda like the words "widgets," "greenacre," and "due diligence" from the law school days.)

Posted by: Mark at September 08, 2004 05:15 PM (Vg0tt)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

Besides my family, my best friend and my former-boyfriend, things i miss include: morning runs on San Vicente Boulevard, Bill Handel's radio show, The Hollywood Bowl, and it may sound trite but yes, i miss sunset at the beach. Oh yah, and deli food. You can always find good deli food there. And, of course, convenient parking most of the time.

Things to not miss include: traffic jams due to road construction on every single street everywhere at all times, all tailgaters, and stupid Mercedes-Benz drivers who don't think they have to stop at four way stop signs because they're oh-so-much-more-important than everyone else. These drivers are probably the same pretentious a-holes who sit in Starbuck's and make it a point to talk about their latest "project" as loud as possible.

Posted by: annika at 06:38 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 155 words, total size 1 kb.

1 Hey Annika, have you tried the 33rd Street Bistro at 33rd and Folsom east of Business 80? Yummy, yummy, but cheap food

Posted by: Chris at July 14, 2004 08:20 PM (Tatcr)

2 Know the similarity between hemmoroids and Mercedes Benzes? Sooner or later, every asshole in West Los Angeles has one or two.

Posted by: shelly s. at July 15, 2004 12:44 PM (AaBEz)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

i had intended to make this announcement last Friday, but i pulled the post because of my family emergency. So now, i am at liberty to reveal the following:

Coming soon, right here at annika's journal:

Rip Matt Yglesias Week!

It promises to be a fun summertime diversion.

Stay tuned for details and schedule.

Posted by: annika at 03:18 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 64 words, total size 1 kb.

Over at Trying to Grok, Sarah has an excerpt from Teresa Heinz-Kerry's recent appearance on Larry King's show.

LARRY KING: What do you think, Teresa, would be the effect of another terror attack on the United States politically?

TERESA HEINZ-KERRY: I don't know. I think most Americans subconsciously believe something is going to happen. It's a matter of when. And it's a matter of how.

KING: Strange way to live, though.

HEINZ-KERRY: Yeah. But you know, Europeans have lived that way and other people around the world have lived that way. Americans have been very safe, at least as a nation.

Anyway, the exchange reminded me of a news program i saw while on vacation in Portugal two years ago. It was on either BBC or Sky News or CNN International. One of those English language channels they have on hotel cable in Europe.

The show was a panel discussion with your typical Euro-lefties outnumbering a token representative of the Bush administration, who was a State Department guy who's name i don't remember.

One Euro-lefty said to the State Department guy, regarding the 9/11 attack: "Now you Americans know what we in Europe have been dealing with for decades."

The State Department guy (you could tell he had been holding his tongue throughout the discussion, despite all that typical Euro-condescension) then responded with words that i remember to this day, because it so clearly states the difference between America and the rest of the world.

He said something like: "Well we're not going to deal with it. We're Americans."

i'm sure that sounded pretty arrogant to the Euro-lefties, but Betty and i applauded him, right there in our hotel room. Because that's what America is all about. We fix things. Let Europe adapt to terrorism. We'll have none of that. We'll fix the problem, even if it means taking risks and pissing people off.

It may be a cliché but it can't be said often enough: true Americans don't forget that we saved Europe's ass three times in the last century. Europeans hate to be reminded of that fact, though.

What the left refuses understand is that the Iraq war was necessary in order to fix the problem of terrorism. One reason the left doesn't understand is because the Bush administration has done a poor job of explaining it. The other reason is that the left simply hates America.

The Iraq war was a first step in fixing the terrorism problem. This is not going to be a band-aid solution. Bush and Blair, and those coalition members who still have the guts to stick this thing out, understand that we are in a struggle that will only get worse if we don't change the way we "deal with it." The other option is to adapt to terrorism, like the Europeans, and we know how unsuccessful that strategy has been.

We went into Iraq and kicked out Saddam Hussein because we need to change the Middle East. We can't leave it as it is, an incubator of violent anti-Americanism and anti-semitism (which are synonyms to the enemy). We need to bring democracy to that backwards-ass area so that they will stop attacking and killing people.

Sure, not everybody believes that method will work, but what was the alternative? Bush has been pro-active rather than re-active about the problem of terrorism. We needed a bold solution, with "outside-the-box" thinking rather than what the Euros and the left want us to do - which is to continue the failed policy of responding with tough rhetoric and weak law enforcement solutions.

i, for one believe that democratization of the Middle East will work, and that we can accomplish that goal, given enough time and effort. Democracies are by their nature more peaceful than autocracies. Democracies never attack other democracies. i can't think of a single historical example of a democracy attacking another democracy (not counting civil wars, and even then, the American Civil War barely fits).

But Heinz-Kerry, because she's both a Euro and a lefty, cannot understand America and the things that make this country great. It's the optimism and can-do attitude of Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan that gives us the boldness to succeed. If the lefties and the Euros see that as arrogance, so be it. To paraphrase a favorite bumper sticker, we'll save their asses, whether they like it or not.

Posted by: annika at 11:47 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
Post contains 757 words, total size 5 kb.

After missing two and a half days of work, i spend my morning searching the web for this Wednesday's poem. That's how much i love you all.

You may see that i changed the blog's epigram over there on the left. The new epigram is a verse from Bob Marley's "Buffalo Soldier," which states one of my main purposes for doing this blog, however arrogant or ironic the epigram might sound.

The Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters is a classic of American literature. If this book was not assigned to you in high school, you should call your principal and demand to know why.

i saw Spoon River performed a few years ago at a little theater in L.A., and i also acted one of the parts for an acting class in college. The idea of the book is that each poem is what one of the dead persons in Spoon River's graveyard might say if they were able to talk. It's heavy on irony, but there's a good amount of wry humor, too.

So, to balance the sentiment of the Bob Marley quote on my sidebar, you might find the theme of the following poem from Spoon River useful.

Oaks Tutt

My mother was for womanÂ’s rights
And my father was the rich miller at London Mills.
I dreamed of the wrongs of the world and wanted to right them.
When my father died, I set out to see peoples and countries
In order to learn how to reform the world.
I traveled through many lands.
I saw the ruins of Rome,
And the ruins of Athens,
And the ruins of Thebes.
And I sat by moonlight amid the necropolis of Memphis.
There I was caught up by wings of flame,
And a voice from heaven said to me:
“Injustice, Untruth destroyed them. Go forth!
Preach Justice! Preach Truth!”
And I hastened back to Spoon River
To say farewell to my mother before beginning my work.
They all saw a strange light in my eye.
And by and by, when I talked, they discovered
What had come in my mind.
Then Jonathan Swift Somers challenged me to debate
The subject, (I taking the negative):
“Pontius Pilate, the Greatest Philosopher of the World.”
And he won the debate by saying at last,
“Before you reform the world, Mr. Tutt,
Please answer the question of Pontius Pilate:
‘What is Truth?’”

Posted by: annika at 10:42 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 405 words, total size 2 kb.

i'm back up north again. Mom is doing great. She's tired but the doctors say if she changes her diet and takes her medication she should be okay. She's never had any heart problems before, that was always Dad's thing, so this was a shock to us all. Anyways, i just got into town and i'm going to have a few beers and go to sleep early. It's terribly hot tonight. This post is intended as a buffer since the last post was such a downer and it's been up all weekend and i just want to put the whole thing behind me right now. It was a very trying weekend, with lots of family shit to sort out, but that's another story.

Posted by: annika at 09:08 PM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
Post contains 127 words, total size 1 kb.

My mom is ill, i am leaving for L.A. to go see her right now. Any kind thoughts sent up above on her behalf would be very much appreciated. Thanks.

Update: My mom is doing okay. She had a heart attack, which they tell me was minor. She underwent angioplasty with the balloon and they are going to keep her under observation for a few days. Thankfully, she didn't need surgery, which was my great fear. i already went through that twice with my dad.

It was scary for me because i drove six hours to get down to L.A. from Sacramento and i was pretty much in the dark until i got here. But i was so relieved to find her well and in good spirits when i arrived. Thank you to everyone who kept her in your thoughts and prayers. i know it helped.

Posted by: annika at 01:41 PM | Comments (21) | Add Comment
Post contains 152 words, total size 1 kb.

1 My thoughts and prayers will be with your family.

Posted by: ginger at July 09, 2004 01:50 PM (BgaW7)

2 Annika, My prayers are for your mother - may she get well soon.

Posted by: OS at July 09, 2004 03:06 PM (aPNMH)

3 As the Koreans say: Bballi gon-gahng hashigi-baram-nida! I hope for her quick recovery! Kevin

Posted by: Kevin Kim at July 09, 2004 03:20 PM (8c4Q2)

4 As my pentecostal friends say, "I'm lifting her up before the throne". God bless you, your mom, and your family.

Posted by: Hugo at July 09, 2004 03:43 PM (ntfdi)

5 I hope she gets well soon, annie.

Posted by: d-rod at July 09, 2004 04:14 PM (8AosN)

6 Your mum is in my thoughts, as are you for a safe journey.

Posted by: The Maximum Leader at July 09, 2004 05:06 PM (0PRJS)

7 I just did, and will again.

Posted by: Rodger Schultz at July 09, 2004 05:47 PM (dBjTm)

8 Oh, Annika, God bless you and your mom. We'll say a prayer!

Posted by: Brent at July 09, 2004 06:20 PM (w+y2e)

9 I hope your mom gets better soon.

Posted by: Karol at July 09, 2004 08:18 PM (f/hiR)

10 To Annika's mom: best wishes and get well soon!

Posted by: Chris at July 09, 2004 09:43 PM (MQo8N)

11 Annika: Sometimes these events can serve as warnings and allow us to change our lifestyles, thus they turn out to be blessings in disguise. I pray that is one of those times, and that whatever stresses may have brought this on will be lessened by your mother knowing that she is loved and valued by her family and friends. My thouughts and prayers are with you and her.

Posted by: shelly s. at July 10, 2004 02:59 AM (AaBEz)

12 We're sending good thoughts and wishes to your family!

Posted by: Ted at July 10, 2004 08:38 AM (ZjSa7)

13 I'm glad your mom didn't have to have surgery. I know how scary it is when a mom is sick. Thanks for letting us know she's doing okay!

Posted by: Shae at July 10, 2004 05:34 PM (jXzqo)

14 I'm so relieved to hear the update! Give some hugs from us to you and your mom!

Posted by: Brent at July 10, 2004 08:31 PM (w+y2e)

15 I'll Keep praying for your mom.

Posted by: Chuck at July 11, 2004 11:01 PM (s6c4t)

16 I'm glad to hear she's doing well--We're still thinking good thoughts for your mom.

Posted by: Victor at July 12, 2004 07:06 AM (L3qPK)

17 What no heart cath? Angio's are old tech

Posted by: Aunt Myrtle at July 12, 2004 09:13 AM (S9P+3)

18 Certainly glad to hear things are improving, nothin beats family.

Posted by: Scof at July 12, 2004 10:12 AM (XCqS+)

19 glad to hear your mom is ok..best wishes for a speedy recovery!!

Posted by: jimi at July 12, 2004 10:56 AM (zE10C)

20 Best wishes to your mom for a speedy and full recovery. And best wishes to you for comfort during this stressful time. Hang in there!

Posted by: Todd at July 12, 2004 01:16 PM (OPYfK)

21 Glad to hear that your mom is doing okay and that she is in good spirits!! You and yours will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Posted by: Amy at July 12, 2004 01:41 PM (RpVKX)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

Drudge has a photo montage of the two Johns groping and cuddling each other at every photo opportunity.

Now i'm not offended by two men being physically affectionate with each other (not even two political candidates who until two days ago were rumored to have disliked each other intensely). It's just that this Democratic touchy-feely shit is such an obvious attempt to pander to us female voters. Yah, i'm sure the polls and focus groups say we're supposed to respond more favorably to men who hug each other. Maybe we do in a general sense, i don't know. But i do know that in the midst of a war, in which our enemy has made no secret that they want us all dead, and that they are not interested in negotiating on that point, and that they'll stop at nothing to kill us all, and as violently as possible . . . well let's just say i'd rather have a couple of men who shake hands leading our side in that situation.

Drudge link via Blogeline.

Exclusive annie's j Update!: Yoko Ono has recorded a perfect campaign theme song for the two Johns!

Exclusive annie's j Update 2!: OMG, i think this Kerry-Edwards love fest is getting totally out of hand!

Posted by: annika at 02:28 PM | Comments (12) | Add Comment
Post contains 221 words, total size 2 kb.