And Then We Can Come Home

Hopefully, even the most peacful of activists knows that we can't just pick up and leave Iraq on a dime. The last thing we want/need is a chaotic scenario that resembles the fall of Saigon. Unlike the aftermath of the invasion, it has to be strategized and planned so that both our troops and Iraqis are safe and that there is some semblance of stability. General Wesley Clark has a few thoughts. Will anybody listen?

"But in calling for an immediate withdrawal, the peace movement can’t duck a central question: Just how do we leave?

On Friday, Sheehan appeared on a Congressional Black Caucus breakfast panel with General Wesley Clark, the former NATO commander and presidential hopeful, who was there to address the issue of whether the U.S. can 'win' the war in Iraq.

'We’re involved in a war that we didn’t have to fight. That’s the simple truth,' Clark said. 'Now it’s in trouble, deep trouble. I wish it was just as simple as saying, Mr. President, you made a mistake, get those troops out now.'

The trouble is, he continued, that the Islamic extremists 'really do want to attack us. Getting out of Iraq will be a great defeat for us unless we do it in the right way.'

Clark said the anti-war movement should demand that Bush establish a 'regional dialogue with other Arab states, including people we don’t like, like Syria and Iran,' and focus on 'changing the minds and cutting off the recruiting' of those now blowing up tanks and buses in Iraq.

'We need to turn off the flow of weapons and fighters going into Iraq and turn off the invective and fears and create a climate where the Iraqis don’t need to fight each other,' he said. 'And then we can come home.'

I just wish that everyone who had a suggestion contrary to the President's didn't get beaten over the head with "We aren't going to cut and run. We are going to win." speech. No matter when we leave, insurgents of some type are going to be trying to bomb us on the way out. I think people need to understand what winning is and be prepared for the fact that all still probably won't be well in Iraq or the region.

Bill's Holiday Ornaments

I guess in all his rabid bluster, he failed to realize that the merchandise he is always peddling exhibits the wretched war on Christmas quite nicely! Come on Bill! An "O'Reilly Factor Holiday Ornament?" Why do you hate Christmas?



If everyone at Fox has bought into the idea that progressives are attacking Christmas, they need to tell the shop keeper and the webmaster. I wonder how long it will be before they change the text?

Jingle Bells, Batman Smells!

Last time I checked, this country is still called the United States of America - a place with freedom of thought and freedom of speech. So what difference should it make to Bill, sexual harrassing, O'Reilly if I say Happy Holidays during the holiday season instead of Merry Christmas (which I generally say on that day).

During the November 28 'Talking Points Memo' segment of his Fox News show, The O'Reilly Factor, host Bill O'Reilly decried those who avoid using the holiday greeting 'Merry Christmas': 'Anyone offended by the words 'Merry Christmas' has problems not even St. Nicholas could solve.' He further asserted: 'Every company in America should be on its knees thanking Jesus for being born.'"

Irish Catholic Bill probably needs to cut the rhetoric and remember how Christmas came about. Companies need to thank the Holy Roman Empire for manufacturing this holiday to celebrate the birth of Christ in order to ease the Roman pagans into the religion that was being thrust upon them. It was a political move - not a spiritual one.

In 350, Pope Julius I declared that Christ’s birth would be celebrated on December 25. There is little doubt that he was trying to make it as painless as possible for pagan Romans (who remained a majority at that time) to convert to Christianity. The new religion went down a bit easier, knowing that their feasts would not be taken away from them.

Christmas (Christ-Mass) as we know it today, most historians agree, began in Germany, though Catholics and Lutherans still disagree about which church celebrated it first ...

The controversy continues even today in some fundamentalist sects.

How Stupid Is This Man?

Are times really that hard that Bill O'Reilly has to dream up enemies? I think I've said it before but I'll say it again. Because he is forever instigating some type of "beef" with someone or some entity he is just a suited up 50 Cents with an undeserved outlet to spew his tirades over nothing.

The following media operations have regularly helped distribute defamation and false information supplied by far left websites:

- New York Daily News
- The St. Petersburg Times
- MSNBC

These are the worst offenders. In the months to come, we expect to add more names to this list. We recommend that you do not patronize these operations and that advertisers do the same. They are dishonest and not worth your time and money.

His loud mouthed, inarticulate, thugged-out, grease ball of a friend, Bo Dietl, is a regular on MSNBC's IMUS In The Morning. Will he start a beef with him now?

Ruh Rho For Real For Rove

Works for me!

Earlier this month, attorneys say Fitzgerald received additional testimony from Ralston — who said that Rove instructed her not to log a phone call Rove had with Cooper about Plame in July 2003." If this checks out, Rove is sunk.

Wouldn't Pay A Buck For Fifty Cents

I know it is insane for me to have two posts on 50 cents today but people keep sending me these links just to get my blood pressure up. Even if I hacked 20 years off of my age, would I ... could I ... ever, ever ... buy a motorized version of 50 cents? -- Long Pause -- NOPE!

"His movie may not being making much money but rapper 50 Cents is trying to make money other ways. It’s a universally acknowledged truth that ’sex’ sells, and now rapper 50 Cent is hoping that the same will come true for him as well, as after trying his hands at almost everything, he is planning to release his own new line in condoms and sex toys.

The rapper, who already has a clothing line and a range of energy drinks, is planning to extend his business into the lucrative sex market , by making condoms, and even creating a vibrator that looks just like him. A sign of surefire vanity that is historically a hit or miss effort by an artist regardless of genre.

Contactmusic quoted him as telling America’s GQ magazine. "I need to make a 50 Cent condom, and a motorised version of me. A motorised version of me will definitely have to be waterproof, so you could utilise it in the tub. A lot of them (vibrators) aren’t waterproof,"

"Blue is my favourite colour, so it would probably be blue. But I don’t know how big. I don’t know if big is better because I’m not sure a man wants his woman playing with a really big dildo. But I want to do something like that, to create something that’s popular and exciting sexually for women," he added."

What kind of interview was this? How do you go from discussing Bush to sex toys? Somebody was high! Was it 50 or the interviewer?

Bush Got Game

Well, I guess I can thank God for small favors. 50 Cents sees the "gangsta" in Bush and would have voted for him if he could have. Perhaps Bush will pardon some of his felony convictions so he can drum up support from his fellow hoodlums.

In a bizarre outburst, 50 Cent has heaped praise on President Bush saying he wants to meet him.

The views contradict those of the likes of Kanye West who accused Bush of not caring about black people in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Fiddy even said that if he didn’t have felony convictions preventing him from balloting, he would have voted for Bush in the last election.

As breaking news reports, Fiddy said: 'He’s is incredible… A gangster. I wanna meet George Bush, just shake his hand and tell him how much of me I see in him.'

This is just what Bush needs: the support of a rapper who has been shot nine times, still has a bullet fragment in his tongue and a bullet hole posing as a dimple in his face. If Bush's street cred with 50 weren't so funny, it would be downright frightening. I guess the next G-Unit member will be calling himself Killa Bush or something! This puts him right up there with the Gottis.

I Ain't Sayin' She's A Gold Digger ...

Come on! Is it about prostitution now? What about the men? Do they have to wait for bling too?

The Other White Meat

... or Afghanistan: The other Iraq

The killing of an abducted Indian worker in Afghanistan by the Taliban is the latest evidence of a dangerous new turn in the country's militancy, a UAE paper commented today.

"The signs of Afghanistan going the Iraq way in violence and deaths should be ominous not only to President Hamid Karzai but also the international presence in the country. It is possible that the Indian worker's killing is a new trend-setter,"'' according to ''The Gulf Today.

In its daily comment, the paper said : "Maniyappan Raman Kutty, a worker with India's Border Roads Organisation, was working on the Zaranj-Delaram Road project in Afghanistan when the Taliban abducted him and another person. His body was found, throat slit. The Taliban demanded BRO withdraw from the road project if Kutty was to be freed. The deadline passed and there was no second chance for talks.

"This is the first time an Indian becomes a victim of terror while working overseas. Seven Indians were abducted by an Iraqi groups several months ago, but were released after lengthy negotiations. There are several Indians working for firms, mainly in the transport sector, that suppy goods for the coalition troops in Iraq.

"There has been wide condemnation of Kutty's killing in Afghanistan. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that there will be no change in the country's policy of helping Afghanistan's reconstruction projects.

"What is important is the way the Taliban is changing tacticts in its fight against the Karzai government as well as the presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan. The usual method has been direct attacks using bombs and rocekts against government and military targets. However, the groups seems to have adopted the methods of Al Qaeda and other militant organisations engaged in Iraq.

"Abductions and killings are now becoming routine in Afghanistan."

Naturally, no one is really paying attention to this new democratic state. Few seem to have realized that we've lost more soldiers this year than in the year of the initial invasion. No one seems to be paying attention to the ring of fire we've created in the Middle East with our troops trapped in the center.

Noooooooooooooooooooooo!

Since I am a reality show junkie, I saw the spawning of this relationship when it began two seasons ago on The Surreal Life. Growing up in the 70s, of course I watched the Brady Bunch and, being an America's Next Top Model fan, I knew who Adrianne was. On The Surreal Life, I didn't understand her fixation with Chris Knight -- who could be her daddy. But she was VERY aggressive and I am not sure what middle aged man could/would resist a woman (more than half his age) who is putting herself out there on her back and prone. I found "My Fair Brady" nauseating. Aside from the sex, he didn't seem to have an ounce of respect for her and she just appeared to whine, plead and beg, constantly, for him to make a commitment. It was ridiculous and, granted, she is in her early 20s, I know I would have been done had a man told my mother (who is his age) that things would progress when her communication skills matched her sexual maturity (her mother cried). The man is anal retentive and twice divorced. She could be his daughter and had to blackmail him into a commitment. Why are they doing this?

As a member of 'The Brady Bunch,' Christopher Knight grew up in front of the cameras. So it should be no surprise that his wedding will be a reality TV event.

Knight, aka Peter Brady, met Adrianne Curry, the first winner of 'America's Next Top Model,' on VH1's 'The Surreal Life.' That spawned a reality show about their romance - 'My Fair Brady.'

VH1 announced this week that 'Brady' will be back for a second season, and the cable channel plans to capture all the excitement when Knight, 48, and Curry, 23, tie the knot.

I Don't Understand!

What the heck is up with all of these wackos escaping from jail?

Eight inmates escaped from a county jail Friday by breaking an upper floor window and climbing down a rope made of bed sheets, authorities said.

Four were quickly recaptured before they could leave the jail grounds, said Will Paulakis, a Yakima County Corrections Department division chief.

Authorities were searching for the other four, including a 20-year-old man scheduled to go on trial Dec. 5 on charges of second-degree murder, another charged with burglary, and two in custody on second-degree assault allegations.

All were maximum security inmates, Paulakis said."

You Gots To Be Kidding Me!

After making a total mockery of what FEMA is supposed to be about and, clearly, failing the people of New Orleans and the entire Gulf Coast, this man is about to become a disaster consultant:

He learned his lessons, and now they're for sale.

Ousted FEMA director Michael Brown, who was vilified over his handling of the Hurricane Katrina disaster, plans to make a fresh start in Colorado, selling his expertise about how emergency planning can go right or so very wrong.

'You have to do it with candor. To do it otherwise gives you no credibility,' Brown said Wednesday. 'I think people are curious: 'My gosh, what was it like? The media just really beat you up. You made mistakes. I don't want to be in that situation. How do I avoid that?' '

In an interview with the Rocky Mountain News, Brown acknowledged key mistakes he made while overseeing the federal response to the hurricane that ravaged Louisiana and Mississippi. He also lashed out at the media and discussed plans to base his fledgling consulting business in the Boulder-Longmont area of Colorado, where he lived before joining the Bush Administration in 2001.

I really wish I had what it took to be that brazen and arrogant. When I am not good at something, I don't pretend that I am. If I'd contributed to the loss of life and the purveyor of unnecessary misery and chaos, I wouldn't want to show my face or hold my head high for a long time. Who on earth would call this moron for advice on what not to do? All they have to do is watch archived footage from CNN to see what NOT to do. I suppose I'll really scream if George Bush hires this guy and pays him with taxpayer dollars.

More TomKat Yuckiness!

Dang! Right before Turkey Day I have to read something that makes me lose my appetite. Now crazy Tom wants to monitor this alien implant at home.

Tom Cruise has reportedly purchased an Ultrasound machine so that he can moniter his alien fetus anytime he wants. Katie Holmes isn't due until next year, but Tom wants to make sure that the new Prince of Scientology is safe at all times.

He also told Barbara Walters in an interview that the pair won't get married until after their alien is born. They are planning a summer/autumn wedding.

There's not going to be a wedding, is there? Once Katie gives birth to his alien spawn he will get rid of her! He will finally has the key to make him immortal!

Boil Her In Oil!

Sheesh!

A popular south Indian actress has been pelted with sandals, tomatoes and rotten eggs and hauled before court for telling Indian men not to expect their brides to be virgins anymore.

Khushboo, a 35-year-old star of Tamil language movies, told a magazine in September there was nothing wrong with premarital sex -- as long as it was protected sex.

She is now out on $100 bail, and banned from making any more public comments or giving interviews.

Anything To Highlight A Fool

I am definitely going to laugh at this one! We all know that this is just a slam to Bush and his oil rich croanies but at least those cash strapped by the Bush economy will benefit.

Thousands of low-income Massachusetts residents will receive discounted home heating oil this winter under an agreement signed Tuesday with Venezuela, whose government is a political adversary of the Bush administration.

Citgo Petroleum Corp., a subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company, will supply oil at 40 percent below market prices.

It will be distributed by two nonprofit organizations, Citizens Energy Corp. and the Massachusetts Energy Consumers Alliance.

The agreement gives President Hugo Chavez's government standing as a provider of heating assistance to poor U.S. residents at a time when U.S. oil companies have been reluctant to do so and Congress has failed to expand aid in response to rising oil prices.

U.S. Rep. William Delahunt of Massachusetts, a Democrat, met with Chavez in August and helped broker the deal.

He said his constituents' needs for heating assistance trump any political points the Chavez administration can score.

Hat tip to Daffodillane

It's All About The Benjamins!

Well, I'll be damned! After many of the NBA players went into conniptions after being told they'd have to wear business casual attire while travelling and arriving/departing from games, they may end up profiting from the new rule. I recall that one of them pouted that he should be given a clothing stipend if he had to wear certain attire. Many players may just get paid after all:

The National Basketball Association's controversial new dress code has some clothing manufacturers offering players free clothing in an effort to land endorsement deals, according to a published report.

Trade publication Advertising Age reports that Levi Strauss & Co.'s Dockers brand has offered to outfit all 450 NBA players with business-casual clothing at a cost of almost half a million dollars. And J.A. Apparel Corp.'s Joseph Abboud, maker of high-end suits, has sent a letter to more than 100 first- and second-year NBA players offering a clothing-for-advertising deal, according to the publication. Both companies are privately held.

In addition, Italian fashion house Valentino has contacted the league about an apparel deal, executives familiar with the matter told Ad Age.

I agreed that the kuckleheads should have been better dressed so I guess I cannot complain. But, gees, it just seems wrong that they should get paid after acting like such little bitches!

Ahhhh, capitalism!

They've Given The Word. Will We Keep Ours?

We said we'd leave if/when they asked us to. Now it seems as though the factions in Iraq finally agree about something. They want us out! The question is: will we leave without a fight ?

"Leaders of Iraq's sharply divided Shiites, Kurds and Sunnis called Monday for a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces in the country and said Iraq's opposition had a "legitimate right" of resistance.

The final communique, hammered out at the end of three days of negotiations at a preparatory reconciliation conference under the auspices of the Arab League, condemned terrorism, but was a clear acknowledgment of the Sunni position that insurgents should not be labeled as terrorists if their operations do not target innocent civilians or institutions designed to provide for the welfare of Iraqi citizens.

The participants in Cairo agreed on "calling for the withdrawal of foreign troops according to a timetable, through putting in place an immediate national program to rebuild the armed forces ... control the borders and the security situation" and end terror attacks."

Also, it is a little bit telling that they are not calling the insurgents terrorists and acknowledge their "legitimate right" of resistance. Does that mean they will kill more of our soldiers to make us leave?

Wait A Minute! Wasn't Mary ....?

Though I really don't want to digress into my views on whether I thought that Mary had a virgin birth, I believe that all agree that according to the Bible, she was an unmarried woman at the time of conception (however that came about). So how is it that they are asking teachers to convey the teachings of the Catholic faith when the mother of the man the very church was built upon found herself in the same predicament.

Newsday reports today on a 26-year-old teacher at a Catholic preschool who was fired last month for being unwed and pregnant. Now, the New York Civil Liberties Union has taken up her case, and filed a complaint against both the school and the Diocese of Brooklyn.

"This is a difficult situation for every person involved, but the school had no choice but to follow the principles contained in the teachers' personnel handbook," diocese spokesman Frank DeRosa said in a statement. Newsday notes that the handbook says that each teacher must "convey the teachings of the Catholic faith by his or her words and actions."

But lawyers at the NYCLU -- which argued a similar suit in Buffalo in 2003 and won -- argued that administrators enforced the policy in a way that disproportionately affects women.

"The school used her pregnancy as a marker," attorney Cassandra Stubbs told Newsday. "How do they determine if male employees engage in premarital sex?"

If the father of the child worked at the same school, I wonder if he would have been fired?

Brought To You By The Letter X

And if the X fits ...

We Never Had The Burden Of Proof?

Why the heck did they present all of that trumped up information in order to convince the American public that Saddam was a threat? Does this now mean we can randomly attack anyone we want at will because they cannot prove to our satisfaction that they aren't cooking up a plan to attack us? I don't know who listens to Dick Cheney anyway but I wish he'd shut up.

"Vice President Dick Cheney on Monday accused critics of 'corrupt and shameless' revisionism in suggesting the White House misled the nation in a rush to war, the latest salvo in an increasingly acrimonious debate over prewar intelligence.

Cheney also denounced proposals for a quick U.S. withdrawal from Iraq as 'a dangerous illusion' and shrugged off the failure to find weapons of mass destruction. 'We never had the burden of proof,' he said, adding that it had been up to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to prove to the world that he didn't have such weapons.

Following President Bush's lead, Cheney praised the character of Rep. John Murtha even as he voiced strong disagreement with the Pennsylvania Democrat's proposal last week to pull out all U.S. troops."

Another thing! Dick Cheney and the entire Bush team are hardly the ones who should be accusing anybody of being "corrupt and shameless!"

Still Clueless And Dangerous

No surprise. Even in this day and age, I run across bone heads with similar views on this and other things related to women. Men still don't get that no means no and that rape is not about sex but about violence and power. Why should men only be held accountable for sexual assault if the victim is an infant/child or an elderly nun? Why do 1 in 3 people think that if the victim is a vibrant young woman who is sexy, she is responsible for a man's inability to control himself?

"On a break from jury duty, I spotted this horrifying story in the Guardian about a new Amnesty International report showing that in the U.K., one in three people interviewed believe that a woman who behaves flirtatiously is partially responsible should she be raped. About a third of people also believe the woman is partly or wholly to blame for getting raped if she is drunk. And a quarter of the people interviewed believe she was asking for it if she was wearing sexy clothing. It's hard to pick the most troubling statistic in this report, but I'm going to go with this final one -- that 'nearly 15 percent of respondents thought a woman would be partly responsible for being raped if she was known to have many sexual partners, and 8 percent [thought she would be] totally responsible.'"

(Oh, and there are some woman who think this way too)!

Presenting The Leader Of The Free World

It is one thing for Michael "Wakco Jacko" Jackson to make faces at the press. Despite his musical genious and my fond memories of him as the lead singer of the Jackson 5, even I can acknowledge that he may be one tick on the otherside of crazy. But THIS is the President of the United States of America and the defacto leader of the free world.

Irked by a reporter who told him he seemed to be 'off his game' at a Beijing public appearance, President George W. Bush sought to make a hasty exit from a news conference but was thwarted by locked doors.

At the end of a day of meetings with Chinese President Hu Jintao and other Chinese officials, Bush held a session with a small group of U.S. reporters and spoke at length about issues like religious freedom, Iraq and the Chinese currency.

The final reporter he called on critiqued Bush's performance earlier in the day when he stood next to Hu in the Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square to deliver a statement.

'Respectfully, sir -- you know we're always respectful -- in your statement this morning with President Hu, you seemed a little off your game, you seemed to hurry through your statement. There was a lack of enthusiasm. Was something bothering you?' he asked.

'Have you ever heard of jet lag?' Bush responded. 'Well, good. That answers your question.'"

My God! I honestly don't think I can take another three years of this man!

Across The Border

Bill O'Reilly has long since crossed the border into the land of beyond ridiculous. The invitation for al Qaeda to attack San Francisco because parents don't want their children being lured into the military on school grounds. I realize that FoxNews pays him big bucks to capture the minds of the mindless but, for crying out loud, he is just getting idiotic.

Appearing yesterday on a conservative San Francisco radio show, Bill O’Reilly offered his first public comments since being criticized for saying he would approve of an al Qaeda terrorist attack on the California city.

O’Reilly not only stood by his comments, but claimed they “needed to be said”:

I mean, look, everybody knows what’s going on there. What I said isn’t controversial. What I said needed to be said. I’m sitting here and I’m looking at a city that has absolutely no clue about what the world is. None. You know, if you had been hit on 9/11 instead of New York, believe me, you would not have voted against military recruting. Yet the left-wing, selfish, Land of Oz philosophy that the media and the city politicians have embraced out there is an absolute intellectual disgrace."

Sorry, he is the intellectual disgrace!

Sex And The Stick

I guess the latest issue of New York magazine is causing a stir in some circles. I probably wouldn't have thought twice about the photo because I am so used to seeing images like that.

Both Feministing and Gawker have noticed that the cover of New York magazine's annual "Sex" issue features a tangle of the limbs and lips belonging to dozens of lily-white people.

I'll second that and jump in with my own observation: that what New York terms, in its headline, "The State of Play" is pretty undernourished, small-chested, and totally shorn. None of these people seem to have an ounce of fat on them. Nor, despite their supposedly amorous embraces, does it look like they have ever perspired. In their whole lives. And apparently, women who are sexy do not have any hair on their bodies except for the stuff on their heads. They also have boyish bodies and vacant stares.

A friend's husband once made the remark that men who prefer stick thin women with no curves or shape were really lusting after adolescent boys. I'd never thought of it like that before but it makes me think about that everytime I see someone oogling some waif or, from an ethnic standpoint, some of these very petite and juvenile looking Asian women. I really have to check myself sometimes because, particularly here in California, there seem to be many white men who consider themselves "Asiaphiles." When I see such couples I almost automatically think "pedophile" and am sure I grimace in some way. It feels rather awful to admit that but, particularly when the men are grossly unattractive or much older, I just get icked out and think the worst.

I Hate BAKs!

This is a mini-vent about bad assed kids! In my apartment complex, my parking space faces the window of a first floor apartment. Over the years, many people have lived there and I've never really taken note of the residents. A few months ago, a family moved in and, apparently, one of the children occupies the room that faces my car when I pull in. On a regular basis, I see this child (peering through fully drawn blinds) watching me unload groceries, my purse, backpack and whatever else from my car. I almost always have a load. There also appears to be a cat who is there sometimes (and, of course, I say "hi kitty kat" most of the time).

Well, today I return from a grocery store run and this little child is outside on a scooter/skateboard. She says "Excuse me, can you not look in my window?" After digesting what this CHILD said to me, I am appalled and ready to break into full sister mode that she would have the audacity to address an adult that way. So, I reply, "If you are standing in your window STARING AT ME, I am going to look back ... LITTLE GIRL! YOU DO NOT TALK TO ADULTS THAT WAY!!!"

Turning 45 today, I know that because I am petite and have smooth skin, I can still look like a kid - particularly to a kid. But, god dammit, I will not be sassed by some fat little redneck child who feels she can glare at me out of her window (and I even used to smile at the little urchin from time to time) then tell me not to look at her! Who raises these little heathens?

Okay, vent over. Happy Birthday to me!

Next!

Okay! They can filibuster away for all I care! This is getting ridiculous!

Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito boasted about his work arguing that 'the Constitution does not protect a right to an abortion' while trying to become a deputy assistant attorney general in the Reagan administration, according to documents released Monday.

Alito, a federal appellate judge nominated by President Bush to the nation's highest court, was a young lawyer working for the solicitor general's office in 1985 when he applied for the position under Attorney General Edwin Meese.

As part of his application, Alito sent a document saying his work in the solicitor general's office had included helping 'to advance legal positions in which I personally believe very strongly.'

'I am particularly proud of my contributions in recent cases in which the government argued that racial and ethnic quotas should not be allowed and that the Constitution does not protect a right to an abortion,' he wrote.

That sentence provides one of the first clear-cut statements attributed to Alito about abortion, which will be one of the main topics of his January confirmation hearing as retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's replacement.

Sleepy Loser!

Wah, wah, wah! Poor baby couldn't get to bed before 10 p.m.! I am so sick of this fool!

President Bush was furious with the staff preparation for last week's inter-American summit in Argentina where his trade proposals ran into unexpected opposition.

The president was reported as particularly unhappy with the work by his National Security Council staff in getting ready for the meeting. That added to Bush's distress in Buenos Aires, dealing with violent street demonstrators and hostile fellow presidents led by Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and including Argentina's Nestor Kirchner.

The crowning indignity for Bush was the Friday night state dinner starting at 10 p.m., an hour when the president normally is in bed. He left the dinner early, but it was midnight by then.

God Forbid If I Can Buy My Own Drinks

It's so refreshing to see such a young little thing so well trained in the tradition of sexism and chauvinism. Here's an opinion column by a college student on the changing roles of men and women.

The day men and women have the same level of power is the also the day when chivalry dies. Many women enjoy visiting bars and having men buy them drinks in exchange for a casual conversation. It seems that after all the work women put into getting ready for a night out, they won't compromise their ability to get free alcohol for the sake of self-independence.

Other women appreciate a man paying for dinner or movie tickets. But in a world where men and women see each other as equals, a man might not open his wallet and show a level of gallantry toward an intriguing woman.

Many of life's common courtesies would disappear if men and women were the same. Women would have to protect themselves and a lot of women would find themselves walking home alone instead of being escorted home by a man. A man's reflex to open a door for a woman would be replaced with the thought of her being comfortable enough to open the door for herself.

Just a few questions/comments:

• Women would have to protect themselves from whom?
  
• I didn't know men had natural reflexes to open doors. Many don't get the hint unless a woman (who actually does expect it) stands there waiting for him to do so.
  
• Drinks in exchange for conversation is called prostitution (in the strict sense of the word).
  
• I didn't realize that a man (or woman) paying for dinner was so crucial to the balance of power in a relationship (and refer to the item above).
  

Though I know many older men who still think like this, I still forgive this youngun for still having these notions in this day and age. Perhaps he'll find someone who will allow him to do all the things he listed above that validate his manhood. For the record, many women do pay for their own drinks and dinners because they know full well that many men ultimately expect some form of affection in exchange for him footing the bill. Most men tend to get the hint that if a woman pays for herself, he probably won't be getting none at the end of the evening. If they want to call it gallantry, that's fine. Women wising up over the past couple of generations, and seeing wining and dining for what it is, are hardly seeking equality. They are seeking to promote the notion that the honor of their company is worth more than a couple of drinks and a plate of food.

Why Does Walmart Hate Christmas?

Here we go again with Christian bullies claiming that saying Happy Holidays is an attempt to steal Christmas. Wal-Mart says that it intends to use the Happy Holidays greeting in lieu of the more narrow Merry Christmas so now the drum beats are sounding and the wagons are circling.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. on Thursday said it no longer employs a worker who wrote to a shopper that Christmas is a mix of world religions, but that the company does support the generic greeting, 'Happy Holidays,' as being more inclusive amid year-end celebrations by numerous faiths.

The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights criticized the world's largest retailer and called for a boycott over Wal-Mart's approach to Christmas.

'We want a) an apology for insulting Christians by effectively banning Christmas and b) a withdrawal of its insane statement regarding the origins of Christmas and c) a revision on its website,' Catholic League President Bill Donohue said on the group's Web site.

In an interview, Donohue dismissed Wal-Mart's statement that it was respecting multiple beliefs as 'corporate arrogance.'

'If Wal-Mart, which is the family-friendly institution, gets away with this, then all the other department stores will just fall into line,' he told The Associated Press on Thursday.

The dispute erupted after a Wal-Mart worker responded to a woman who complained that the company was repla