Category: Internet

— A prediction: the Athens Olympics in 2004 will be a total disaster. The Mrs. and I visited Greece last October, and just getting around Athens is a major nightmare. The Grecians are trying to upgrade their Metro, but they’re way behind schedule. Similarly, all the upgrades and construction to the venues are behind, and the IOC has admonished the Grecians on several occasions to get their act together. The Games will have to be scaled-back considerably if they’re to take place at all. Modern Greece doesn’t know how to get things done. The Parthenon was built in 30 years with hand tools, but 30 years of renovations with high-tech equipment have succeeded only in keeping it from crumbling, not in restoring it to its former glory.

That being said, Greece is a fun place if you don’t have much to do. While most of it’s falling down, the locals still know how to have a good time, especially if there’s a bunch of drunken Japanese tourists to be entertained.

This is getting a little stale, but just for the record, here’s a nice picture that illustrates the Korean Kamikaze in action. If this isn’t a deliberate take-down, I’ve never seen one.

— A lot the the discussion about America’s enemies in the Middle East since 9/11 has revolved around Islam, and whether it’s an inherently defective religion or not. Since most of the hatred comes from Arab countries, and isn’t evenly distributed around the Islamic world (most Muslims are not Arabs), it’s occurred to me that the problem isn’t Islam or anti-Zionism as much as it’s Arab Tribalism. Islam adapts itself to local beliefs and mythology. One of the people Tom Friedman talked to on his recent trip to Saudi Arabia echoes this notion (
A Traveler to Saudi Arabia)

“The tribal mentality here is very strong, and in the desert, when the tribe is attacked, you’d better stick together or you’re dead. People know there are problems with our [Islamic] education system, and part of them is glad you’re raising it. But they feel under attack, so they won’t talk frankly to you [or want to be seen as making] changes because you demand them. The real problem is not the books, but the preachers who use their Friday sermons to tell [young] people that America wants to destroy Islam.

This link came from the VodkaPundit.

an article in the on-line edition of the Atlantic Monthly (linked by InstaPundit.Com) concludes with this wild claim: “the big ‘problem cult’ of the twenty-first century will be Christianity.”

When will these idiots learn?
Continue reading “Blurring an important distinction”

were: “Yes I am a Jew and my father is a Jew.” See Men’s News Daily

— Here’s a humble prediction: in the Olympic short-track speedskating competition tonight, one or more Korean skaters will crash, taking one or more American skaters down with him. Kim Dong-sung will not be the Krashing Korean Kamikaze;
Continue reading “Krashing Korean Kamikazes”

— Mr. Green links to this story on French efforts to ban a coercive cult: French court asked to ban Paris $cientology church. The French prosecutor pleads:

“The methods of $cientology, its deceitful promises of results which call for large donations of money, amount to a form of mental manipulation,” Forey told the court. “The aim of this organisation is purely commercial.”

I’m with the Froggies on this one,
Continue reading “Cult of $cientology in trouble in France”

— Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the
time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his
feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather
frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath.
This made him a super calloused fragile mystic hexed by
halitosis.

— Celebrity blogger Matt Welch suggested that it might be fun to Google some the “1,355 jackasses across the globe” who signed the “Free Slobbo Milosovic” petition. Here’s my contribution: no. 1353, Illarion Bykov, Web Designer, USA. This luminary has penned a number of articles asserting that the events of 9/11 were the caused by a conspiracy of Bush, Myers, and Rumsfeld. See: Guilty for 9-11: Bush, Rumsfeld, Myers.
Continue reading “Slobbo petition”

— send application to Beavis, c/o Associated Press. The Nando Times: No gold for Kwan, as Hughes steals the show:

“Slutskaya had a wide opening, and she skated better than Kwan. But she was conservative, not bothering with any triple-triple combinations that have become her trademark. And she had a sloppy landing on a triple flip.”