March 18, 2005
Hidey-Hole Fabrication
"I was among the 20-man unit, including eight of Arab descent, who searched for Saddam for three days in the area of Dour near Tikrit, and we found him in a modest home in a small village and not in a hole as announced," Abou Rabeh said. ... "Later on, a military production team fabricated the film of Saddam's capture in a hole, which was in fact a deserted well," Abou Rabeh said.
According to this guy, though, the Marine's story doesn't pan out. He mentioned a Marine of Sudanese descent dying, but there's no record of any deaths like that. He also mentions that it was the 4th ID that captured Hussein, so why are we talking about a Marine?
The consensus, anyway, is that the Marine is telling stories and it only got picked up because Reverend Moon runs UPI.
al-Medina via UPI via WHAM
March 17, 2005
Tom Shone's Curdling Embarassment
This is a gem of a book. I can't think of another that captures so well the livid warmth, later curdling into embarrassment, that characterizes the jejune, impassioned and borderline-pretentious tastes with which we first find, and then lose, ourselves; and it comes illuminated with an adult's forgiving fondness for the cultural Mussolinis we once were, age 15.
March 14, 2005
Real Fucking Stupid Idea Act
The Real ID Act, passed by a 261-161 margin in February, states: "[T]he Secretary of Homeland Security shall have the authority to waive, and shall waive, all laws such Secretary, in such Secretary's sole discretion, determines necessary to ensure expeditious construction" of barriers and roads in the vicinity of the border.
All laws?
I mean, this is an muthagrabbin' Act of Congress. And last time I checked, words mattered (to everyone but liberal judges, I suppose). Could Michael Chertoff murder twenty thousand border-jumpers and build a fence with their bones? Could he force America's obese to march to the border, link hands, and play Red Rover with wave after wave of Mexicans? Could he show his tit at the Super Bowl if he demonstrated it would help his cause?
March 02, 2005
I should call these geniuses next time I lose my keys
Archaeologists in Egypt uncover three coffins hidden behind 4,200-year-old statues. (Reuters)
By Jamie Tarabay, Associated Press | March 2, 2005
SAQQARA, Egypt -- Archaeologists uncovered three coffins and a remarkably well-preserved mummy in a 2,500-year old tomb discovered by accident...
