Wednesday, September 29, 2004

What woman needs a man? Women in Japan are finding that an artificial boyfriend is just as good as a real one, so far as cuddling is concerned: AFTER a long night at work as a radio DJ, Junko Suzuki likes to snuggle at bedtime - and she says she's found the perfect partner: a man-shaped pillow. Linen maker Kameo Corp.'s new "Boyfriend's Arm Pillow" - which consists of a headless torso and a stuffed arm that curls around the sleeper - might make some people uneasy. But not Ms Suzuki, or about 1000 others in Japan who have bought the pillow, which Kameo says is the first of its kind. The product went on the market last December. "I like to sleep holding someone's hand," Ms Suzuki, 34. "And this pillow makes me feel relaxed because I can hold the arm and feel something warm at my side." All they have to do now is program it to ask about her day, say "I love you," and talk about "the relationship," and real men will become obsolete. [Via Drudge] 5:30:39 PM    comment [] Brace yourselves ... I'm surprised the following didn't attract more comment in the Blogosphere, but Gen. John Abizaid, head of CENTCOM, had the following exchange with Tim Russert on Meet the Press this past Sunday: MR. RUSSERT: General, should the American people be prepared? Should they brace themselves for a long and bloody fall and winter leading up the elections [in Iraq] in January? GEN. ABIZAID: Tim, the American people need to brace themselves for a long war in the Middle East and Central Asia, and they need to brace themselves for a long war in the Middle East and Central Asia because the battle is being waged out here between extremists and moderates.  It's not a war that ultimately needs to entail large number of American forces, but it's a war where intelligence, where economics, where political and diplomatic power need to come together with military power to defeat this ideology of al-Qaeda, Zarqawi, Ansar al-Islam, the Islamic movement of Uzbekistan, etc. This ideological movement is just starting to gain strength.  People in the region do not like it.  They don't want it to be successful.  They need our help to win the fight on their own, and that's what we need to do.  It'll be a long process, it'll be a difficult process, but it'll be one that can be successfully fought if we come together not only at home but in the international community and with the peoples of the region to set the standards for good government and the standards for a moderate lifestyle. In other words, in order to prepare for perpetual war in the Middle East and Central Asia, we must unite at home behind the president. Postscript: Perhaps the comments shouldn't surprise. After all, we've always been at war with Central Asia, haven't we? 5:11:07 PM    comment []

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