Choose Your Allies Carefully And You'll Die Peacefully In Your Sleep

... Ally yourself with the US, on the other hand, and a short drop on a long rope may be in your future. After one of the great kangaroo courts of our time, Saddam has swung. Despite the illegality of a 'special trial' in the first place, despite the changed judges mid-trial, despite all the intimidated witnesses and assassinated lawyers, and despite the looming presence of Uncle Sam in the background every single moment, this little piece of nonsensical play-acting has reached its conclusion.

And what is that conclusion? Just what was this farce intended to accomplish? Justice? Certainly not. Revenge? He did nothing at all to us.

Tying up a loose end? Ah, now that might just be it.

Thanks for the memories, Saddam.

Felons Lose The Right To Vote, But Get To Build Voting Machines

It's the time of year for Top Ten and Top Twenty lists, and here's one of the more arresting examples: 20 Facts About Voting In The United States.

12. Diebold employs 5 convicted felons as developers. These are the people who write the voting machine computer code.

13. Diebold's Senior Vice-President, Jeff Dean, was convicted of 23 counts of felony theft in the first degree.

14. Diebold Senior Vice-President Jeff Dean was convicted of planting back doors in his software and using a "high degree of sophistication" to evade detection over a period of 2 years.

Business As Usual

Now, doesn't it seem like we've heard this song before?

World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz faces mounting criticism from directors of the international lending organisation who say he relies on political advisers with little expertise in development while driving away seasoned managers.

Cronyism before competence? But that's worked out so well before!



Memo to the Third World: a hurricane is coming. Yes, another one.

The More Bread You Have ...

The less you have to eat, apparently. The latest example? Jeff Skilling, the disgraced former Enron CEO whose accounting shenanigans cheated thousands of their retirement savings, will not see the inside of a cell.

A U.S. appeals court will allow ex-Enron Chief Executive Jeffrey Skilling to stay out of prison while it considers granting him bail...

Or, while it considers how best to draw out the appeals process another two years, before a Presidential pardon makes all this moot.

Someone Tell This Man What Day It Is

"And one of the things that has changed for American foreign policy is a threat overseas can now come home to hurt us" - Some delusional bubbleboy


Deceased crew members of the USS Arizona are said to be shocked by this revelation.

Of course, the President is merely driving home a much earlier-established synchronicity. But the message we're drawing from this 'New Pearl Harbor' is not the one certain people intended. We survived the greatest war - of arms and ideals - in the world's history. Our values and our democracy prevailed over fascism and nationalist tyranny. We shall not surrender those values or that democracy now.

Remember Pearl Harbor. Draw what lessons from it you may. Regardless, you will know one thing that the President does not.

Another Rat Flees The Ship

Or the ship is sailing out from under him. Mr. Bolton could not whisker his way past the Foreign Relations Committee even before the recent mid-term election. Now that it seems the political winds are at last shifting, he's wisely set a new course for himself.

Although Bush could not give Bolton another recess appointment, the White House was believed to be exploring other ways of keeping him in the job, perhaps by giving him a title other than ambassador. But Bolton informed the White House he intended to leave when his current appointment expires, White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino said.

Even a rat knows not to linger on a sinking ship! Look to see the words 'resigns', 'leaves', 'quits' and 'indicts' frequently in the next few weeks, as more administration rats, toadies and lickspittles head over the gunwhales.


There is no such thing as John Bolton.

Convert Anything To Anything

Well, almost anything. Zamzar offers quick free online file conversions without signing up for or downloading anything.

Million Dollar Math

A recent feature in Discover describes a handful of great unsolved mathematical puzzles, in reference to the Clay Mathematics Institute's Millennium Prize Problems.

As with all great human endeavors, there is a wiki devoted to these problems.

Bunnyblogging Revisited

Ready, set, scurry!