10. juli 2003

Headline of the day "Sony recalls shocking laptops" (CNN) And it wasn't even about the price. 11:34:21 PM    comment []

More accusations against Bush over Iraq war Accusations against the Bush administration's handling of the prelude to the Iraq war is mounting. It has been alleged that the government was very selective in its use of intelligence, and that accusation is now strengthened further. Greg Thielmann, a former high official in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, says the administration misrepresented the evidence thoroughly. But Thielmann, one of four critics at a session held by the private Arms Control Association, said the Bush administration had formed a "faith-based" policy on Iraq and took the approach that "we know the answers; give us the intelligence to support those answers." Bush stands his ground, even after admitting the claim about attempted uranium purchases from Niger proved false, but in another development, Rumsfeld said there was no new evidence of Iraqi WMDs that made the coalition move against Iraq, but a new interpretation of the threat after 9/11. "The coalition did not act in Iraq because we had discovered dramatic new evidence of Iraq's pursuit of weapons of mass murder," Rumsfeld said. "We acted because we saw the existing evidence in a new light through the prism of our experience on Sept. 11." The Bush administration is not alone in playing hard and loose with facts, however. The Guardian, building on the same information as other news outlets, is doing exactly what it is accusing the Bush administration of doing, when it says that Thielmann accused the White House yesterday of lying about the threat posed by Saddam Hussein. There is a significant difference between lying, that is, intentionally saying what you know to be false, and being absolutely convinced that something is true, to such a degree that you misrepresent facts to support a preconceived idea. While all too human, it is in itself a serious charge, one that both Bush and many leftist journalists seem to be guilty of. 3:55:07 PM    comment []

Shoe in mouth disease CNN's right wing pundit Tucker Carlson (picture) has been forced to eat his shoes after Hillary Clinton's book "Living History" has sold more than a million copies. Tucker claims to be a man of his words, and suggestions for shoe cuisine have arrived from a number of chefs. The NY senator have let him off the hook, however. Yesterday, Clinton surprised her nemesis by showing up on the set of "Crossfire" bearing a chocolate "right wing tip" cake from Colette's Cakes in Manhattan. "I have to say, I didn't predict it," Carlson said of Clinton's book-selling success. "Well, there's a lot you've been wrong about," the former First Lady replied, and laughed. Biographies normally don't come close to the sale of Hillary Clinton's much hyped book, so Carlson might have thought he was safe. Even after the shoe cake stunt, Carlson says he is a man of his word and will eat a pair of shoes. "I'm going for slip-ons, nothing with laces." 12:01:07 PM    comment []

Who in '04? If you're American, check out the American Presidential Candidate Selector. It asks you questions and tells you which candidate is the closest to you. I did the test just for the fun of it, and found that if I had been American, I would be better off voting for Kucinich (87% match), Kerry (82%), Gerphard (77%), Dean or Edwards (both 75%). I agreed 72% with Lieberman. I only matched 11% with current president George Bush. I am proud to say I managed to agree 0% with conspiracy nut and part-time fascist Lyndon LaRouche (yes, apparently he's still running). 11:11:32 AM    comment []

Canada to sell pot for medical use "Canada became on Wednesday the first country in the world to start selling marijuana to several hundred seriously ill people but said the pot project could be halted at any time." (Reuters) Of course, many of the world's governments sell opiates and amphetamines to its citizens for medical use, so what's the problem? 2:41:34 AM    comment []

© Copyright 2003 Jan Haugland. Last update: 01.08.2003; 01:51:42.