Thanks to MSN's coverage of the war, we have the following screen capture clip art:



So, feels like time for a new poll to me!

 
Some selected synonyms for Shock:

antagonize, appall, disgust, insult, outrage, overwhelm, revolt, sicken, traumatize

Some selected synonyms for Awe:

alarm, blow away, flabbergast, frighten, horrify, intimidate, scare, showboat, terrify

Oh sure, there's other, far more positive choices; but was the Pentagon really going for Electrify and Dazzle?

 
I want one. Good to have this war's reporting finally satiate my gadget lust.

 
I noticed in my referrals from Google today that someone found this site using the search query "guff war".

Why am I absolutely thrilled by this?

Why am I ticked off to be #2 in the search results?

When a simple misspelling can cause such extreme reactions, I think blogging has come to mean far more than it should.

 
Finally got the housemates to switch away from Fox News for a few minutes, just to check out CNN. I immediately zoom in on their ticker banner title:

Strike on Iraq

A strike. Somebody in Atlanta doesn't like the W word.

"Where's the picket line?" I ask. I look around; not a smile. I realize I've again marked myself as a potential socialist. You get used to it.

 
Meanwhile, as the war against terror is pursued (or is that the terror against war?), the world keeps tilting on its axis...


Ah, Salma. You are amazing, talented, beautiful, etc., but you really need a comedy writer's help. Or a writer with a grasp of comedy. Or a guy who can... well, you get the picture. So call me. No, seriously. I'm in the book.

 
As someone who's had serious doubts about our endeavor in the war with Iraq (and specifically the motivations behind it), I find the possibility that Iraqi's senior military officials may simply throw up their arms in unison extremely heartening. Let's hope this is a sign things will move to a resolution that's as quick and bloodless as possible.

That way I can stop looking over my shoulder for the thought police. Anti-American, my ass.

Now, just so this post isn't totally devoid of humorous effect:


Whoa. Some glasses you got there, Saddam.

 
An important list of upstanding, troop-supporting Americans.

 
Top Autobot Joins the National Guard. Which means Megatron is working for Saddam?

(Link caught untransformed at Eschaton.)

 
Due to circumstances almost beyond my control, conservative radio personality Rush Limbaugh plays each weekday afternoon through the house where I reside. But sometimes the agony pays off. I just heard him make note of how Al Gore has joined the board at Apple. Choice quote out of the former chubby's mouth:

"[Al Gore] wouldn't know the Internet if he was at a computer."

How quickly we forget our own nasty political memes. I mean, if you *claim* you invented something, certainly you can pick it out of a line-up, right?

And what does Apple's board have to do with the Internet? Forget I asked.

So it seems Rush is annoyed over Al going to Apple because his little radio operation is run on Macs. Or something. Anyway, if it gets under Rush's skin, then I'm for it!

 
Fox News Channel is on in the background — not my fault — reports coming in of air sirens sounding in Baghdad — hey was that an explosion? — oh darn apparently no U.S. bombs dropping yet — the countdown clock has long since finished ticking — we're most certainly getting ready to roll — things are speeding up so gotta pre-empt Hannity licking Alexander Haig's a— could all be going down real soon now — the war has quite probably most definitely in all probability begun — we'll be hearing from Dubya real real soon now — yea'up it's a comin' it's a comin' hold onto your duct tape!

Ah, how giddy Fox News appears right now. Like watching kids in a candy store.

 
I've decided to become a wah blogger. No, that's not a mistype. No, I'm not writing with a Boston accent.

A wah blogger.

What's a wah blogger? Well it's almost, but not quite, entirely unlike the opposite of a war blogger, without all that nasty anti-American stuff being tossed your way. Basically, it just means that after I come across anything Bush & Co. says or does, I respond here with a simple "wah?"

Trust me, I'll be doing it often.

 
I'd like to thank Blogger for going down so completely for a little while there. Nothing better than losing a couple well thought out blog posts to make you reassess Ned Ludd.

 
My favorite Wednesday meal: Turkey Surprise. Actually, this one ain't much of a surprise, now is it?

 
Hey everybody, it's the ironic Supreme Court justice. The piece is pretty funny, but only if you read it while tossing some books in the fire.

 
Gentlemen, could you please remind everyone?

Adam Boulton [Sky News]: "One question for you both. Do you believe that there is a link between Saddam Hussein, a direct link, and the men who attacked on September the 11th?"

President George W. Bush: "I can't make that claim."

Prime Minister Tony Blair: "That answers your question."

Thank you, gentlemen.

 
The Blog Recorder is now live.


Pass it on. Like a virus. A nice, very interesting virus everyone wants to catch.

 
We have a cunning plan.

Note #1: War reparation through privatization. Any chance we can invest?

Note #2: Yes, the phrasing is an unveiled reference to Baldrick.

 
As Gee Dubya speaks in the background...

Before you "fair and balanced" pundits hit the airwaves to tell us how bold and masterful his speech was, I have a question: You know he doesn't write a word of what he's reciting; so why claim anything coming out of his mouth is "his?"

Feel free not to answer. In fact, don't even bother questioning. You never do.

[UPDATE: Sorry, forgot the new rule: no questioning allowed.]

 
Nearly forgot today is Monday. Hence, here is the

Poem of the Week: A Poem About War

 
Normally I'd link (amusingly) to the Newsweek piece The Arrogant Empire, which deals with, well, America. However, being an arrogant empire tends to leave us with the attitude of "who gives a shit."

 
In regards to life imitating fiction:

"The reign of "Choking Man" may be over.

The middle-aged, stocky, pleasant-mannered man who staged fake choking incidents across Southwest Florida -- and sent one woman to the hospital -- is now receiving psychiatric treatment in a local mental health facility.

<snip>

The saga of Choking Man bears a strange resemblance to "Choke," a 2002 novel by Oregon author Chuck Palahniuk."

I think I'm going to write a novel about how everyone in the world sends me money. If you're a publisher, feel free to contact me.

 
In regards to French — er, Freedom — issues: Tick. Tick. Tick.

 
In regards to people throwing around the label "anti-Bush" like it actually means something derogatory, I'd like to provide the following possible responses for anyone on the receiving end:

• Yeah, so?



• Took you quite a while to figure that one out, Brainiac. They can use people with acumen like yours in our intelligence services.



• Thank you for holding such a minimalist opinion of me you think I'd take sides on such weighty issues as war, the economy, and our collective future based purely on whether I'd go out for a beer with Dubya. Now, drink up!



• When Bubba was president I don't recall the epithet "anti-Clinton" being synonymous with anti-American. Considering how "anti-Bush" is now used this way, it must have been. So: go back to China or Russia or wherever you come from, you commie pinko bastard.

 

"If I were given a choice of pressing one of two buttons - one to do away with terrorism or another to do away with those Democrats up in Washington - I wouldn't even have to think about it. I would do away with the Democrats, and do this country a favor."

Gotta love a guy who prefers terrorism over a political party.

 
Am I the only one getting a brief, single word message before the Blogger home page shows? Feels like I'm hitting a virtual Magic 8 Ball.

 
Jolt Gum. When drinking caffeinated product isn't enough.

 
Yeah, so Barbie has a weblog. So what. Crass marketeering. Commercialization of the web. Blah. Blah. Blog.