But I couldn't remember where the "on" switch was. And there's something wrong with the screen. Also, the copy is oriented incorrectly, and you have to hold the thing sideways.

Does anyone remember how this is done? I seem to remember using these things all the time . . . but they seem counter-intuitive now.

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Would it be dangerous or unfaithful of me to go to a palm reader? I should think it would be okay, if one didn't take it any more seriously than one took, say, reading a horoscope.

Show of hands, please.

(Dear Mom:

Stand down. You're an athiest, remember? It oughtn't to matter at all what I do in this regard. Not that I'm defensive, although I'm aware that I've disappointed you deeply by not joining the Church of There Isn't Anything.

Please know that I respect the spiritual traditons of No, No God Anywhere, Nosirree Bob.

Have you heard the one about the First Unitarian Church of Kensington?)

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It starts on the East Coast, and ends on the West Coast. It's long and boring. It was rejected twice before I figured out that I should be submitting pieces I actually like to literary journals, so when the rejection slips come I can snap my fingers and condemn their shitty taste and inability to see my sheer fucking poetry-in-prose for what it is.

Turns out the way to write about a road trip is under stress and on the fly.

If today's the last day for a while, Harrell, you'd better make it good.

UPDATE: "You didn't tell me you were going to kill it!"

Silly me, thinking The Shape of Days would stay on the web, and simply not be updated. Oh, well. If you didn't read my link this morning, you're SOL. We can only hope you-know-who resurfaces someday, with more verbal crack.

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But in my less-Christian moments I'd love to get this bitch a taste of her own medicine.

We got rid of slavery in the 19th Century; I wonder if the Middle East will manage it in the 21st. If so, it will be just as bloody a process.

The way a country treats women often tells you all you need to know about it: beyond that, the news rarely gets any better.

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But it doesn't get this harsh.

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It's this weird thing that happens a couple of times a year. You know that stuff we use for plants?—the gardener sets it up so it pours up into the air, and comes down on the landscaping, and I guess it keeps everything healthy and cuts down on the risk of wildfires.

Well, once in a while I go outside and this stuff is like, everywhere. So I figure the sprinkler's broken and I should talk to the gardener so it will get fixed.

But then I get into my car, and it's like everyone's sprinklers are broken. I mean, the plant-food stuff is all over the place. Just rampant.

I mean, it's on the streets. In vacant lots. Like it's just coming out of the sky or something. The kooky thing is, it tends to get cold when this happens.

I'm afraid the gardener is going to charge us extra again to fix it, like he did last year. I'm not sure how he manages to fix all the neighborhood sprinklers at once, but he always manages to get it done sooner or later.

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Its citizens are tired of getting more-timely health care for their pets than they are permitted to for themselves. And its Supreme Court just blew the lid off.

(Via Insty.)

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He's decided to bow to the cultural imperative of his Tribe, and start looking for a Jewish girl.

His most recent pitch was not 100% successful, since the girl—an Israeli—turned out to already have a boyfriend. Nonetheless, he liked her, and became friends with both her and the guy—who is also Israeli.

And now these two need help with a marketing piece, which already exists in Hebrew.

"She can send it to me in Hebrew," I tell him. "But it'll cost her more, since before I even start editing it I'll have to get Mr. Linguistics to translate it. Fortunately, I know he'll do it for a bottle of premium vodka, so I'll just add that cost to their bill."

"Okay, then," he replies. "I'll give her your number, and you can all work it out. Just one thing."

"Yeah?" I'm getting impatient, of course, as he pauses. And then:

"Don't let them Jew you down on the price."

Now if a fellow Anglo-Saxon had said such a thing, I'd probably be furious—depending on how they meant it. But I busted up.

Context is everything, no?

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and Goldstein recommends that they keep it civil.

Though I must say my reaction to the idea of barring gays, bisexuals, TS's, etc from adoption was that it truly was "homophobic."

Still, Jeff has a point: debate the thing on its merits. Engage.

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I don't mind sexy dreams, and I don't mind violent ones, but I hate it when the two happen at the same time.

And the tenor of the sexy dreams has changed so much that I wonder if the alterations in my hormonal cocktail, post-40, have some bearing. In particular, I wonder whether my testosterone levels are going up. As a chick I associate estrogen low points with bitchiness and the desire to snipe at those around me. Sex is usually the farthest thing from my mind at such times.

Then the estrogen comes back, life is beautiful, and I have that "happy, horny" week.

With Prozac in the mix I can weather that estrogen drop a bit better. But there are moments that I'm convinced my dreams are giving me a vision of a more masculine sexual drive than I ever had when I was young. As a kid (teens, 20s, 30s) my sex dreams featured individuals. Now there are, um, more individuals. And not all have such distinct faces, characters, and identities. They feel like the dreams of a 17-year-old boy.

And I know hormonal interactions are a lot more complicated than estrogen vs. testosterone, but I slept late that week in physiology class, so I don't remember them all and I'm operating on yin-yang caricatures.

Still: a friend of mine had a daughter who went through a gender-identity crisis, and eventually elected to become a man. As she started the testosterone shots, she—he—called dad up to say, "I had no idea what you've been coping with all these years. I am unbelievably horny and restless."

Bottom line: by the time I'm done with menopause, my male characters will be the envy of my writer's group.

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1 Nelly, hold the phone. You're "post-40"? From your picture I assumed you were some sophomore at one of the Seven Sisters. This changes everything.

Posted by: jason at February 27, 2006 04:37 PM (WtU/b)

2 Have you seen a real picture of me, or are you going by the avatar at the top of the page? She's a drawing, you know Frankly, I love mentioning my age, because of the shock value. It's fairly pathetic, if you want to know the truth, like when I'd buy booze in my 30s, for my friends--even though I didn't drink that decade. 'Cause the odds were reasonable that I'd get carded. Cheap ego food. Pathetic, on a certain level. On the other hand, I've lost a couple of jobs--and a fair amount of money, therefore--because people could not convince themselves that someone who looked like a child might truly be capable of performing the work at hand. So I feel entitled to enjoy the whole thing now.

Posted by: Attila Girl at February 27, 2006 04:49 PM (s96U4)

3 Interesting prospective. I often thought that the sudden fits of rage women have were because of the same feelings men have learned to control since they were 15 (or older if they were slow learners). I was just afraid of the backlash for mentioning such a thing. Whereas I thought men just became more complacint. Testosterone levels still being to high to give them female qualities, at least for the most part. (I still have sudden urges to rip people,..... uh maybe to much info). Question, if it is too personal you can of course refuse to answer? Do your dreams have confused genders? Or do you find yourself in a dominate role? Ever want to run over that guy jaywalking in front of you whol flips you off when you honk at him? Also be careful of drugs of course. I don't even want to tell you about the wonderful dreams I had on codiene. I wish to avoid a psychiatric evaluation.

Posted by: Jack at February 27, 2006 05:31 PM (atfL8)

4 1) I've heard that theory--that women under the influence of PMS are dealing with urges men cope with from adolescence onward. I don't buy it, since I've dealt with too many female rage-aholics. (And, perhaps, been too many female rage-aholics.) After all, anger and rage are different from the desire for bloodshed for its own sake. The angry/malicious person can content herself with mental torture and psychological dominance. The edgier aspects of my post-40 dreams go well beyond dominance, rage, and revenge, and cross into the realm of more detached cruelty. Cruelty for its own sake, and the bloodier the better. 2) Answers: (a) No, I don't confuse genders in my dreams. (Waking might be a different matter.) I really don't consciously associate masculinity with dominance, though I understand the stats on serial killers have something to say on that score. (b) Dominant role? That appears vague. Are you talking about SM-style fantasies? 'Cause I definitely don't associate the dominant position in SM with masculinity. You must also remember that I was raised in a female-run household, so I'm no stranger to feminine authority. (c) I don't so much want to run over people as vaporize them when they inconvenience me. I'm bright, and therefore a bit impatient. Again, though: I don't want to fall victim to my impatient rage, so I generally talk myself down in a hurry. I think what's mysterious to me now is that I'm not the angry person I was in my teens and 20s. But I'm guilty of casual brutality in my sleep that shocks me when I wake up. Anger is different from aimless aggression, as I see it. Though I couldn't tell you which is more dangerous in real life.

Posted by: Attila Girl at February 27, 2006 06:57 PM (s96U4)

5 There have now been many large studies in which people have kept dream journals (either written or audio) and a much smaller sample in which people in a sleep lab or wearing a home EEG recording unit are awakened during various sleep stages to provide dream reports. What becomes clear from these studies is that, in general, dream content is very highly biased toward negative emotional states. Fear, anxiety and aggression, are the dominant emotions in about 70% of dreams recorded in dream journals. Only about 15% of these dreams are clearly emotionally positive. These results seem generally to hold cross-culturally: Dreams of being chased are the most common single theme found around the world, from Amazonian hunter-gatherers to urban dwellers of Europe. Interestingly, the proportion of dreams with prominent anxiety, fear and aggression is greater in dream journals which rely upon spontaneous waking than it is in situations where people are awakened artificially in the last third of the night (reduced from 70% to about 50%). One interpretation of this disparity is that dreams with negative emotions are more likely to awaken the sleeper, who will then remember and record them.

Posted by: Prof. Purkinje at February 27, 2006 07:17 PM (2RAeV)

6 I'd still take the somewhat disturbing dreams i have now over the nightmares I had when I was 17-18. I'd dream that my mother was chasing me. Which, you know--happened. I'm much less scared by thoughts of chopping people's arms off, because it's much less real to me. I'm pretty confident I'll never do any such thing, of course. So I guess I trust myself more than others. Silly me.

Posted by: Attila Girl at February 27, 2006 07:38 PM (s96U4)

7 So life isn't just delicious, it's also just a dream. So now we know who is writing those slasher films. I recognized your work in 'Kill Bill 1&2."

Posted by: Darrell at February 27, 2006 09:08 PM (ACr8c)

8 "We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep."

Posted by: Attila Girl at February 27, 2006 11:37 PM (s96U4)

9 "my male characters will be the envy of my writer's group"...which raises an interesting question. Writers must, of course, create characters of the opposite sex, which requires them to attempt to live in the mental world of that character. How well, in general, do they accomplish this? Are there things about female characters that male writers almost always get wrong (as evaluated by actual women)? Are there things about male characters that female writers almost always get wrong (as evaluated by actual men)? Any writers who do this particularly well (or, for amusement, particularly badly)?

Posted by: David Foster at February 28, 2006 07:23 AM (5F0ML)

10 Well, it's difficult for men to write erotica from a female POV. In this regard the original Fanny Hill (Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure, IIRC) was hilarious. One of my favorite crime writers, T. Jefferson Parker, wrote almost exclusively about men, and father figures loomed large in his books. But when he finally broke out and wrote a female character in The Blue Hour, he was so successful that she became his his first "franchise" (series character). Truth be told, I can get just as insecure trying to write about "normal" women, since it's difficult for me to get inside their heads. Thanks goodness I know a few.

Posted by: Attila Girl at February 28, 2006 10:56 AM (s96U4)

11 I meant dominate as in controlling the situation, boss instead of worker. I have simple and extremlly ellaborate dreams. Some of my dreams can stop one night and pick up a month or two later and continue from where I left off. My dreams include; Sex (of course) Killing Being killed (sometimes I am both the killer and the killed). Color (especially grass, skys and blood). Taste Touch (except my feet). Pain Writing Reading Math Pain Sound Flying (although it is hard to stay aloft as I have to use my mind to levitate). I use to share some of my dreams with others at work till I found out that many of them did not dream or thought my dreams were REALLY REALLY strange. My abolute goriest dreams were when I was on codiene. Maybe it is the prozac that is affecting your dreams. Now I have come to accept that it really is me and not the rest of the world 8^).

Posted by: Jack at February 28, 2006 01:55 PM (NhHsJ)

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. . . to watch the DVD of Shattered Glass. I remember hearing the movie discussed in my publishing group when it first came out, though when the original scandal broke I was helping Attila the Hub with his indie comedy, and I only heard the story in snippets, without looking into it much.

Naturally, when Jayson Blair was exposed, it renewed interest in the Stephen Glass saga because of the overlap in the two situations.

Overall, it was very nicely done. Naturally, I was torn up to watch Michael Kelly portrayed on film; afterward, the husband and I started swapping quotes from our favorite Michael Kelly columns (his: the parody of Al Gore's childhood, spent splitting rails in the farm on the top floor of a five-star hotel in Washington, D.C.; mine: the piece about the chilling effect the Bush Administration was having on free speech, that ends up as a laundry list of political voices in this country—from mainstream papers through niche publications and on down to the blogs that were just becoming popular at that time).

This flick explains how Hayden Christensen ended up playing Darth Vader. Not very well, of course: it's like getting the guy who portrayed a terrific Judas taking on the part of Satan. Wrong freakin' fall from grace, guys. For the Star Wars prequels, more of an epic feel was needed. (Although with Lucas' dialogue, it might not have made much of a difference to get the right actor in that role: it was sort of Dick and Jane in the Eternal Struggle Between Good and Evil. Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

But, Shattered Glass. Depressing, of course, on a certain level. There are magazines I worked at where one might be able to get by with some fabrication (though perhaps not the level Glass managed), and magazines where one definitely couldn't. Hint: the process is more rigorous at publications that have research departments, versus those that simply direct the copy editors to work overtime, verifying the spellings of proper nouns and checking on people's titles.

I've worked at magazines wherein the only things that really got checked were the sidebars that had contact information for companies and organizations. After all, it's important that advertisers be able to sell things to the readers. Who do you think pays for all those glossy pictures? And that (usually crappy) coated stock they're printed on? Four-color photography doesn't grow on trees, you know. (At least, it didn't before the internet became ubiquitous.)

Can't we all just be honest, here? A lot of magazines are just picture books for older kids (kids in their 30s/40s/50s/60s, a lot of the time). The actual text doesn't get the attention it deserves because visually driven editors can't convince themselves—deep down—that anyone actually reads this stuff. They figure that at most it gets skimmed. What are a few typos and awkward phrases between friends?

But Shattered Glass isn't about journalistic ethics. Nor is it about partying at CPAC, though it was nice to see how creative that old libel was—and how stale the stereotypes were of young conservatives in "Spring Breakdown." (It turns out they're sexists! Imagine! I'm still looking for a version of that story online; if anyone is in journalism class and knows where to find it, let me know. The snippets I've seen quoted are hilarious.)

The whole tale is a tragedy, and Christensen shows us a con man who exploits his youthful looks as part of his act. But Peter Sarsgaard really steals the movie. He's something special, and I wish I were willing to see Jarhead in order to watch him develop as an actor. I'm not, of course.

The movie is about what happens in the human soul when it isolates itself. It's how a person might behave—did behave—when he becomes addicted to the adulation and approval of others. And we're all capable of this: placing the need for strokes above the need to make true connections.

Everyone has to come out of the cave sometime. Try it—and leave your ego inside, okay?

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. . . to catch Shape of Days, before Harrell takes a breather to learn his new job.

He tells us to get our blog on while we still can. And, being from Texas, he thinks Virginia is mountainous; he should see the Sierra Nevadas. That's some topography for you there, Buddy.

Via con Dios, Jeff. I always knew you had guts.

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Much as you might be tempted to, don't fall down and worship the marketing materials I dropped off on your doorstep. It's against the Ten Commandments, after all.

And no more rush jobs, okay? It interrupts my indolence. I came awfully close to having to work on that project, which of course makes me quake in fear.

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Though the woods are lovely—dark and deep.

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1 Just wanted to see where you stand on port-gate. Let me guess you are with the president no matter what he does. As always! See if you have the ability to surprise me, Joy.

Posted by: Azmat Hussain at February 26, 2006 02:03 PM (GtDum)

2 So, Mr. Hussain, what is the correct position on the port issue? So far as I know, a significant number of the ports or the USA are operated by foreign companies, including Chinese and Malaysian. Does adding another 6 make that much of a difference?

Posted by: I R A Darth Aggie at February 26, 2006 02:57 PM (1hM1d)

3 Amazing, Azmat, how all the Left Cult members have actually welcomed any bad news in Iraq, pooh-poohed/dismissed good news in Iraq, sneered at Iraqi voting, welcomed dead Americans in Iraq and yammered loud and long that there is "no such thing" as Islamist terror. And suddenly they think the guy they believe has made up the 'War on Terrah' in a ZionistXtianHalliburtonNeoCon conspiracy is selling out to the same terrorists they think never existed in the first place? I think the true line is that some are against the President, no matter what he does.

Posted by: Darleen at February 26, 2006 02:58 PM (FgfaV)

4 Nice little trap, Azmat: I'll bet if I were against the port deal I'd be a racist. But since I'm leaning toward it, I'm blinded by my loyalty to Bush. I'd just like the matter to be decided without prejudice based on the ethnicity of those involved. Because, you know: I try to be rational.

Posted by: Attila Girl at February 26, 2006 04:40 PM (s96U4)

5 Well my position is simple, its a diversion tactic by Karl, it will go through after 2006. And ofcourse in favor of Mr. Bush. In the meantime, some other republicans get to use the homeland security issue to win another election. And no Attila I would never accuse you of being a racist, you let me post here. Without knowing my true colors For all you know I might be that brown color, (tan) so many people admire and want in this country. Oh and Ms. Darleen what a beautiful name, I welcome all good news from Iraq, especially involving troop withdrawls. I don't want dead Americans and that is why I support Mr. Rumsfeld, who wants to reduce the number of troops. And I have never been against the President, I just believe that there is a communication gap between cultures, which cannot be bridged by slogans like "we are danes"

Posted by: Azmat Hussain at February 26, 2006 08:50 PM (GtDum)

6 "Well my position is simple, its a diversion tactic by Karl, it will go through after 2006. And ofcourse in favor of Mr. Bush. In the meantime, some other republicans get to use the homeland security issue to win another election." A majority of the American people are against the deal. They're blaming Bush, and by extension, the Republican Party for it. The Democrats are using this to their advantage and getting good poll numbers out of it. How will the Republicans get a win out of this? "And no Attila I would never accuse you of being a racist, you let me post here. Without knowing my true colors For all you know I might be that brown color, (tan) so many people admire and want in this country." Which country are you from, again? "And I have never been against the President, I just believe that there is a communication gap between cultures" Which cultures are you refering to? "which cannot be bridged by slogans like "we are danes"" Is "Allah akbar!" one of those slogans as well?

Posted by: Daniel at February 26, 2006 09:32 PM (GIhW0)

7 Color is so arbitrary. I don't mean that in a sloganey way: I just mean that I am very pale, and my brother is very brown because he got some of the stray DNA from our whisper-thin American Indian ancestry. We look like we're different ethnic stocks entirely, but we both clearly have markings from both our parents. These physical traits are just a crap-shoot.

Posted by: Attila Girl at February 26, 2006 10:30 PM (s96U4)

8 Daniel, A majority of Americans are against the deal, that is why some of the republicans are going to look good standing up to the president for those people. Also they will look good by joining a bipartisan approach to homeland security. The president does not have to worry about re-election, so he can look bad for a while and take one for the team. Karl is a genius, note he didn't even get caught but some other loser did. I am from many countries, lets see, my ancestors came from Arabia, my parents came from India, I was born in UK, I have been a Pakistani, a Canadian, a Brit, and now perhaps a US citizen. I have a choice of living and working in many places in the world, so these arbitrary boundary lines do not mean much to me. Which country are you from again? is a narrow minded provincial statement. Really we are all from the same planet Earth. And Daniel, I really do not want to be the one to bother you with this idea, that on this planet we have many cultures, including the male culture and a female culture. And those different cultures have trouble communicating with each other. Allah -u-Akbar, last I checked translated into God is great. By the way my name "Azmat" also means great! Now apperently, that particular atribute of God is a bee n yo bonnet, so perhaps you should ask your self what that is all about. Do you not believe that God is great? Or at least Good? Daniel "from the hebrew meaning "God is my judge" I like that slogan as well. I hope you use that often, cause really noone should judge you except God. Cheers

Posted by: Azmat Hussain at February 26, 2006 11:43 PM (GtDum)

9 Azmat, I believe one of the reasons "Allah Akbar" makes Anglo-Americans tense is because sometimes when we hear it, it's on videos of people getting their heads sawn off while this slogan is shouted (apropos of nothing, I imagine). So there's this little negative association going on.

Posted by: Attila Girl at February 26, 2006 11:53 PM (s96U4)

10 Now apperently, that particular atribute of God is a bee n yo bonnet, so perhaps you should ask your self what that is all about. Do you not believe that God is great? Or at least Good? Which G*d would that be? the one that calls for the blood of the infidel, the Jew and the apostate? or the one that said love G*d with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself? I'm having severe difficulty accepthing that both visions are of the same G*d.

Posted by: I R A Darth Aggie at February 27, 2006 05:14 AM (1hM1d)

11 Well, wait: we can challenge mainstream Muslims when we don't feel they are being vocal enough in distinguishing themselves from the Islamofascists, but we shouldn't go so far as to conflate them with the murderous fringies who murder in the name of the Almighty. In fact, despite the fringies' recents persecutions of Christians and Jews, traditional Islam worships the same G-d as the other two main monotheistic faiths do, and in fact recognizes them in a special way, as fellow "people of the book." So bear in mind that when you're talking to a mainstream Muslim, he/she has the same G-d you do. So as a Christian, I do indeed worship Allah. This does not stop me from criticizing the evil done in His name. In fact, it gives me a special obligation to do so. But He is the same Deity Azmat recognizes. My point in the comment above was only to point out how some Westerners came to associate His Name, in Arabic, with violent, tortuous murder. And that this is not a little problem.

Posted by: Attila Girl at February 27, 2006 02:15 PM (s96U4)

12 Sorry for the delayed response. So, let me get this straight. You're saying that Rove and Bush got together (perhaps at some modern-day Wolfshanze) and concocted a scheme whereby Bush would come up with a deal *so ludicrous* that his fellow GOP'ers would rally against said deal (and Bush), thus paving the way for another Repub victory in '06? Do you think that maybe despite Repub opposition, the American people will still associate Repub office candidates with Bush and the ports deal and give the nod to the Democrats? Or does Rove have *that* much power to influence. I am from many countries..... Oh boy. You're from everywhere but you're from nowhere, borders don't count, etc etc. Ah, but then again these borders count - "...and now perhaps a US citizen Just what we need - another immigrant here bashing the US. It's so terrible in the US yet you just have to live here. And Daniel, I really do not want to be the one to bother you with this idea, that on this planet we have many cultures, including the male culture and a female culture. And those different cultures have trouble communicating with each other. It's OK. There's no bother. I'm not sure what you're talking about with your male/female culture bit. However if I were you, I wouldn't go talking about it at Harvard - they might boot you off the campus. Anyway, are you saying that this "communication gap" explains the beheadings, the suicide bombers, the planes flown into buildings, etc? Daniel "from the hebrew meaning "God is my judge" I like that slogan as well. I hope you use that often, cause really noone should judge you except God. I admire your ethno-linguistic abilities. While I have some snarky comments about that sentence of yours, in the interests of civility I'll hold off and sign off - for now.

Posted by: Daniel at February 28, 2006 05:51 PM (GIhW0)

13 I enjoyed you response Daniel.

Posted by: Azmat Hussain at March 01, 2006 05:58 PM (wosqx)

14 Hello Daniel, 1. I think you got it straight. 2. The Repub candidates will appear to be standing up to the president, and uniting the country. 3. These borders count (haha) to you who have no where else to go. Not to me I move freely, and am able to pick and choose where my contribution is most needed. 4 Who says I was bashing US? My analysis does not Ever involve bashing US or the people living in it. The reason, I am here is so that I can contribute to people like you. And maybe convince you that your attitudes are not helping. 5. I don't know if you are aware of this but the atomic bomb in japan was a mistake in communication (cultural not translation). 6. Please by all means be as snarky as possible, I take no offense. I am used to it by now. Besides I will not judge you, others well...

Posted by: Azmat Hussain at March 01, 2006 11:31 PM (PHUbk)

15 1. I think you got it straight. Don't you think that's a bit.....paranoid? 3. These borders count (haha) to you who have no where else to go. Uh, this isn't the Soviet Union. We can leave anytime we want. Maximum Leader Bush can't confine us here. 4 Who says I was bashing US? My analysis does not Ever involve bashing US or the people living in it. "Without knowing my true colors For all you know I might be that brown color, (tan) so many people admire and want in this country." The reason, I am here is so that I can contribute to people like you. And maybe convince you that your attitudes are not helping. Yeah, that's exactly what we need - to get lectured to by people with your helpful attitudes. 5. I don't know if you are aware of this but the atomic bomb in japan was a mistake in communication (cultural not translation). Are you trying to say that dropping the bomb on Hiroshima/Nagasaki was wrong? You've just opened up a whole new can of worms. Oh dear.

Posted by: Daniel at March 04, 2006 12:20 PM (GIhW0)

16 Daniel: 1. Not paronoid, just a theory, which may be false or true, only the future will tell. 3. Where can you go? I don't think that you can leave the US and become a citizen of another country without giving up your citizenship here. That is your option, but it does not allow you to retain all that you have worked for here. Check your Laws buddy, besides how many countries are inviting US citizens these days. Let me see, you might wanna go to Germany, an ally, or France, or Italy, lets not forget Poland. Perhaps you can get political asylum in Afghanistan. 4. That is neither bashing US or its citizens, just a social comment on all the people who buy tanning lotion. 5. I don't know about any can of worms, but since when did killing thousands of people unnecessarily, become the right thing to do? If the communication had taken place all those deaths and injuries could have been avoided. 6. Seriously Daniel, do you believe that the Use of the Atomic bomb to kill hundreds of thousands of people is a Good thing? Especially when it could have been avoided. If that is the case you are a unique American, cause most people that I talk to think that such abject disregard for human life, could only be found in some German or Soviet Leaders of the 30's.

Posted by: Azmat at March 04, 2006 09:58 PM (YEd2k)

17 1) Yes, a theory. A theory born of paranoia, completely out of touch with reality. It appears that Islamists and the Left in general are afflicted with mass schizophrenia. You don't want to be lumped in with them now, do you? 3) Wrong-o, Az! Y'ever hear of "dual citizenship"? And what are you saying - if you leave the US the government will swoop in and seize all your earthly possessions? Once again, this isn't the Soviet Union. Maybe this happens in one of the many "cultures" you've lived in but it doesn't happen here. I think YOU'RE the one who needs to bone up on the laws here, especially with your impending citizenship. Which countries are refusing US citizens? N.Korea maybe. 4) Yes, yes, of course. 5) & 6) Alright - I'm not going to get dragged into a whole different topic, so I'm going to make this brief. The only thing that "communication" has to do with all this is that the US "communicated' to Japan what we were about to do and that it could have been avoided by their surrender. Japan chose to ignore us and paid the price. Yes, many civilians were killed in the bombings. Why were the bombs dropped, you may ask? The US was planning to invade Japan. It was estimated that a *minumum* of 500,000 US soldiers (it probably would have been much more ) were going to die taking the islands. Japan was training and arming its citizens - from young children to old people - to fight the US forces. The Japanese mindset was to fight to the last man and not surrender. In order to take the islands we would have had to kill most of the population, losing hundreds of thousands of GI's in the process. The only thing that convinced them to surrender was the dropping of the A- bombs. You might get off on lots of US casualties, whether it's 1945/46 Japan or 2006 Iraq. But given the choice between the deaths of GI's or Japanese civilians (who would have been combatants at some point anyway) most Americans would have - and still would - chosen the Japanese. Then you say this - "If that is the case you are a unique American, cause most people that I talk to think that such abject disregard for human life, could only be found in some German or Soviet Leaders of the 30's." I don't know who you're talking to but you may want to get out once in a while and away from the Islamist/anti-American Left echo chamber you're in. And while you're at it, brush up on your US history. You're severely lacking in basic knowledge. One other thing. It's not just German or Soviet leaders of the 30's but also present day Islamists. You seemed to have forgotten them, for some strange reason.

Posted by: Daniel at March 05, 2006 09:11 PM (GIhW0)

18 Daniel, you have ONLY studied history in US right. No wonder, are you aware that history is taught differently all over the world, and what you read in your text books is not what other parts of the world read. You are wrong about the Japanese response, it was a miscommunication. I don't have to convince you either, you have a right to be ill-informed it is a democracy. I don't know any present day Islamists, neither have I ever heard of any of them, And I suggest niether have you. Do you know any Islamists? What does that term mean? Please explain. 3. Please try to gain the citizenship of another country and come back to US and see what happens. You are mistaken. The cases of dual citizenships are very complex, for example my daughter will have dual citizenship by birth and because of her parents. But in general the US is very strict about that. Perhaps the only country in the world that has complex laws to ensure that its citizens do not become citizens of another country at the same time. Some thing to do with that allegiance. No they will not swoop down and take your property, but if you live somewhere else and try to collect social security that will not work. You have to be a resident, ofcourse you can do stuff illegally and avoid the tax man, but if you read the fine print when you come back the IRS will say hey how come you are filing taxes as a resident when you live else where.. Know all about it cause it applies to me. Had to do research on the subject.

Posted by: Azmat Hussain at March 06, 2006 04:51 PM (wosqx)

19 I have a link for you Daniel, but can't post it for some reason

Posted by: Azmat Hussain at March 06, 2006 06:03 PM (wosqx)

20 Daniel best I can do is cut and paste: Section 349 of the INA [8 USC § 1481] specifies several conditions under which US citizenship may be lost. These include: becoming a naturalized citizen of another country, or declaring allegiance to another country, after reaching age 18;

Posted by: Azmat Hussain at March 06, 2006 06:07 PM (wosqx)

21 Daniel, here is the link on cross cultural communication, or miscommunication I should say. http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1971/mar-apr/Turner.html

Posted by: Azmat Hussain at March 06, 2006 10:00 PM (Vp1bn)

22 Dear sir - How am I mistaken about dual citizenship? All I said was that it's available. You're correct - at times it can be rather complex. But so what? If it's such a terrible deal then go to another country and become a dual citizen there. And what's this? - No they will not swoop down and take your property, but if you live somewhere else and try to collect social security that will not work. You're trying to say that you want to go live in another country but still have the American people pay you? Now, you might be saying "Yeah but, I paid into that. It's my money." You pay into it, sure, but what happens after what you paid in runs out? We (Americans) pick up the rest. And you're complaining that you can't get it in another country? That's a lot of gall, my friend. A lot of gall. Your communication link was rather interesting. Understanding the enemy in either a hot or cold war has been going on for centuries. However, the Hiroshima stuff isn't the trump card you might think it is. Yo, check it - Human history is marked by many serious instances of the failure of communication because of cultural differences. Sometimes even one word can weigh heavily in the balance. This appears to have happened when the Japanese were given an ultimatum to surrender prior to the use of the atomic bomb in 1945. The erroneous translation of the Japanese word mokusatsu so that it was understood to mean “to ignore” instead of “to withhold comment” led to a failure in communication at a time when negotiations were under way to end the war. The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the entry of the Soviet Union into the war against Japan, and a train of serious consequences followed that might have been avoided had the message been understood as intended.12 "Erroneous translation"?. I looked it up here and here. Looks right to me. And you may want to take a bang of this. If there was any kind of misunderstanding it was Japan's fault, not ours. Look. We did what we had to do to end the war and save American lives. They started it and we finished it. I get the feeling that if Iran used a nuke on us or elsewhere (read:Israel) you wouldn't be so upset. Or if Pakistan dropped one on India and wiped out a bunch of Hindus. Would you be decrying "miscommunication" then?

Posted by: Daniel at March 07, 2006 06:28 PM (GIhW0)

23 Yes Daniel, that would be very upsetting, I have frinds and relatives in both places. Communication is a two way street, it is always easier to blame the other party. Re: dual citizenship, I think you missed my point totally. No it is not available to you, in the sense that you can have both. You would have to surrender it if you take an oath of allegiance elsewhere. Do some reading, It was not about saving american lives, it was about showing the world especially Russia that We had the Bomb. Japan was ready to surrender and that was already picked up by the intelligence. What can I say to you Daniel. Please continue to live where you are, the rest of the world is not ready for you yet.

Posted by: Azmat Hussain at March 09, 2006 04:32 PM (wosqx)

24 By the way did you notice the Bait and Switch on the port deal. The dems are sure looking stupid Now. And I predicted it. This was just a Rove tactic and they fell for it. Bait and Switch works on the dems all the time. And the republicans all got to look good standing up to the president. By the way this was needed cause the polls were sugesting that republicans keel over on every issue with this president. How ineffective the senate and congress had become, that was the public perception. But now that perception has changed. Also forgotten are all other important issues, like War in Iraq, Health Care, Spending, Cuts in education, and the list goes on like homeland security, and spying, Scooter and Abermoff.

Posted by: Azmat Hussain at March 09, 2006 04:39 PM (wosqx)

25 US immigration law is a bit murky. At one time, yes, your US citizenship would get dropped if you applied elsewhere but that's not necessarily true now. Some in Japan's ruling elite wanted surrender. Most others did not. Your total disregard for the lives of American servicemen (then and now) blinds you to the truth. Let me ask you this - Japan's westward march towards India (and what is now Pakistan) was stopped by British and American servicemen, primarily white and Christian. What do you think would have happened if Japan wasn't stopped? What do you think would have happened to you? Uh, OK, I'll stay where I'm at. I was thinking of going to Pakistan to live. After all, there's just so much tolerance, freedom and opportunity there but if you say so I'll just stay here instead. The Democrats, in their zeal to sink the U.S.S. Bush, usually end up looking like the fanatics they really are. However, that doesn't translate into guaranteed GOP victory. And the Rove angle is just tin foil hat-time. If you believe that you'll believe just about anything. Communication is truly a two-way street. You implore others to read books and listen etc, etc but you don't seem to take your own advice. You should walk down the other sidewalk sometime. Well, I think our little convo has run it's course. I've thoroughly enjoyed it despite the fact that we'll never agree. I wish I could answer you in a more timely manner but I've been really jammed up lately with only limited computer time. That makes it rather unfair to you. Being the true Gentleman of The West that I am, I ask you to please have the last word. Any final points, facts, figures, insults, jeremiads, anything you wish. Let it fly. I'm sure we'll meet again on Miss Joy's wonderful blog and continue the back and forth, the ebb and flow, et al. Until then. Yours for liberty, Daniel

Posted by: Daniel at March 12, 2006 09:58 PM (GIhW0)

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Isn't life delicious?

Posted by: Attila Girl at 04:26 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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. . . that I'm not in the mood to finish the brochures and other promotional whatnot for my father's business.

And the fact that they are due tomorrow doesn't really change that.

The mood thing, I mean.

Perhaps I could trick myself: you know. "Whatever you do, Joy, don't proofread that marketing material for Dad. And if you really, really must do that, don't make sure they'll print correctly. Whatever you do. That would be very wicked indeed."

Surely there's a fence around here I could whitewash . . . now that would be a good time.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 11:57 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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from those on the front lines of the Cartoon War.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 03:57 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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And Goldstein tells him, in the most respectful way, to buck up.

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. . . has video of Christopher Hitchens' speech at the Danish Embassy in Washington, D.C., where a peaceful demonstration was held in support of those who uphold free speech. (Note to Angelenos: I'd love to see these held on Fridays in our fair town—possibly in front of the Federal Building near UCLA, where we do all our most fashionable protests.)

Hitchens remarked that if time permitted, they should march to the Iraqi Embassy, to support the government there and condemn the saboteurs who bombed the Shia Shrine. It's a lovely thought.

My favorite pic from Schwarz' post, featuring a sign made out of Legos:

Insty's main roundup is here, and he runs this pic, among others:

And elsewhere Glenn runs an update, which documents the presence of Danishes among the supporters of Danes:

Malkin also has some links.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 03:34 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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I had no idea Venomous Kate had a regular column up over at Wizbang! Cool stuff.

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