The Question Mark

Today NPR, and pretty much everyone else, had the story of the Israeli bombing in Qana. To which Prime Minister Ehud Olmert responded with:

“Citizens of Lebanon, we are sorry for the pain caused to you, and the fact that you had to pick up and flee your homes, and also the casualties caused among innocents. But we will not apologize to those who put a question mark on the right of Israel to exist.”

Now I don’t know if he intended it in the way I took it, but this annoyed me greatly. I do have questions about Israel’s right to exist. To be clear, I have no question that the people of Israel have a right to exist, but Israel as a nation? I think there are question marks there. And to say there are none is to deny both history and cognitive thought in the same way as those who blindly lash out at those that question the war here in the states, or drowning out the voices that question the effects of global warming.

I’m not saying Israel should not exist. I don’t have enough information to fully answer that for myself yet. I’m not saying that we should not have gone to war in Iraq or that global warming is not a problem. But what I am saying is that we have the right to question all of these things. I have the right to explore the situation for myself and be spared persecution for my investigation. And to say we don’t is to deny our very nature as human beings… and to be as close-minded and prideful as those they, and we, fight against.

Santa, Inc.

Forbes recently released a list of the 15 wealthiest fictional characters:

1. Santa Claus ($ ∞)
2. Richie Rich (24.7 billion)
3. Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks (10 billion)
4. Scrooge McDuck (8.2 billion)
5. Thurston Howell III (8 billion)
6. Willie Wonka (8 billion)
7. Bruce Wayne (6.3 billion)
8. Lex Luthor (4.7 billion)
9. J.R. Ewing 2.8 billion
10. Auric Goldfinger (1.2 billion)
11. C. Montgomery Burns (1 billion)
12. Charles Foster Kane (1 billion)
13. Cruella De Vil (875 million)
14. Gordon Gekko (650 million)
15. Jay Gatsby (600 million)

You’re telling me that Lex Luthor has less money than Thurston Howell??? Puh-lease.

It’s just more propoganda perpetrated by the biased liberal media.

Hat tip: Independent sources

Someone Must Pay

As a companion piece to Jeremy’s post on Andrea Yates I would like to offer up this sad story. Not because it is comparable to Andrea’s situation in any way, but to put two faces on our justice system.

In August of 2003, 86 year old George Weller killed 10 people on the Santa Monica Boardwalk.

Often considered one of the most devastating vehicle crashes in the city’s history, George Russell Weller, now 89, apparently lost control of his car after he rear-ended a Mercedes Benz at the intersection of Fourth Street and Arizona Avenue, July 16, 2003.

Weller hit the accelerator instead of the brake and traveled 995 feet through the Farmers Market at speeds of up to 60 mph, hurling pedestrians into the air before stopping, a California Highway Patrol report said.

Ten people were killed including a 7-month-old baby and a 78-year-old. Weller has pleaded not guilty to 10 felony counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. His criminal trial is expected to begin in September.

Open Rant Night At THM

I’ve had a couple rants building up inside me and now, heading into the hopefully relaxing weekend, I’d like to divest myself of that baggage. Please feel free to both enjoy my rant and then cut loose below with your own rant… Sometimes it just feels good.

Rant #1: Rewarding Engineering teams (or other individuals or teams) for fixing things they broke in the first place.

Zawahari Declares War On… Everyone.

Among other quips on his recently released tape (no word yet on the director’s cut DVD), Zawahari had this little gem:

“It is a jihad for God’s sake and will last until [our] religion prevails. We will attack everywhere.”

I probably shouldn’t… but I find this line funny. Like it is a line that sounds like it could be delivered by George Costanza.

On a serious note, bring it on. Come on out of your holes, leave a trail, and get popped. We’re waiting.