We finally have an answer to whether or not Anousheh Ansari is a Muslim. Sort of.
In this USA Today article (per a commenter in the other linked post), she’s quoted as calling herself a “liberal Muslim” (whatever that means).
Whether To Laugh Or Cry, Take Two
Such may indeed be the state of our edumacational system. Early to bed, early to rise, makes one have no fear except fear itself.
[Sunday morning update]
Alan K. Henderson has some more misnamed action figures.
Quiz Question
Who discovered the mouth of the Columbia River?
Religion Of Peace™ Update
The group that kidnapped and converted the Fox News guys has declared that they will attack all non-Muslims in Gaza and “Palestinian” territories. They call themselves “Holy Jihad Brigades.” Gee, consider: names like this, and Hezbollah (Party of God).
Good thing this isn’t a religious war. Lord only knows what they’d call themselves if it were.
Interesting Side Effect
Boeing had a successful test of a missile defense system. But it seems to have exceeded…errrr…expectations:
Although not a primary objective of the test, the kill vehicle intercepted the warhead and destroyed it.
Dang. As John Miller notes, talk about burying the lede.
[Update after 7 PM EDT]
Well, at least Reuters (of all people) managed to figure out the significance of the test, even if the Boeing PR people couldn’t. Here’s the lead of their story:
The U.S. military shot down a target ballistic missile over the Pacific Friday in the widest test of its emerging antimissile shield in 18 months, the Defense Department announced.
Should I Laugh, Or Cry?
Really, this was just an idle question:
…what would they say at Turtle Bay if Iran offered up “peacekeeping troops” in south Lebanon? Since they don’t formally recognize Iran’s role in the war, how would they refuse? For that matter, why wouldn’t they accept an offer from Syria to help “police” its border with Lebanon?
Well, now we know the answer:
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Friday that Syria has pledged to step up border patrols and work with the Lebanese army to stop the flow of weapons to Hezbollah.
Well. That should sort things out.
Blame Bush
The demotion of Pluto was seized on by the Democratic National Committee as another Bush Administration failure.
Having Their Say
If you want to see some really ignorant and moronic commentary on space policy, check out the public thoughts on this BBC bulletin board. I couldn’t make myself click past the first page of it.
If They Take Away Our Guns
…how will we shoot the UN bureaucrats, who don’t believe in an individual right of self defense?
Will Franklin has some thoughts:
The report goes out of its way to clear up any silly confusion about self-defense for States, including totalitarian regimes, as somehow also applying to lowly individual human beings:
“Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations applies to the States acting in self-defence against armed attacks against their State sovereignty. It does not apply to situations of self-defence for individual persons.”
How ironic, that the preeminent human rights organization in the world, the UN, gives the full panoply of protections and immunities under international law to someone like Kim Jong-Il, whereas if you engage in self-defense you are ‘violating the rights of another.’ This goes to the heart of an entire belief system rampant in the world today that thinks that all violence is bad regardless of circumstances and context, and that the problems of violence are caused by weapons and not those that wield them.
The Hoover Economy
Unemployment is down to 4.7%.
I blame George Bush. Having a robust economy is just an evil Rovian plot to retain Republican control of the Congress this fall.