All posts by Rand Simberg

Satire

A Lofty Goal

Andy Borowitz has one for CBS News. It’s probably an unfulfillable dream, though.

“After a full investigation of the events leading up to the broadcast of this story, we have concluded that idiots were responsible,” said network spokesman Palmer Gravinese. “Consequently, under a new policy of CBS News, idiots will no longer be permitted to participate in the gathering or production of news at CBS.”

Adding that the network appeared to be “riddled with idiots,” Mr. Gravinese said that CBS had set 2006 as a target for the broadcast giant to be completely idiot-free, but cautioned, “We realize that’s an ambitious goal.”

Administrative

Light Bloviating Today

And perhaps the weekend, depending on the whims of Jeanne.

Hey, if it’s a weekend in southeast Florida, it must be time for a hurricane!

It looks very much like we’ll have to put the storm shutters and plywood back up, and prepare for a whole lot of shakin’, rain and wind goin’ on sometime in the next forty-eight hours. We filled the cars last night–the lines weren’t bad, but the Mobil I went to was already out of regular (didn’t matter, since the Bimmer takes high-test, though I cheat and only give it 89 octane, with nary a knock).

Off to the store this morning to get the last scraps of food, amidst the panicked hordes. We’re actually not in bad shape, since we restocked after Frances in anticipation of Ivan, who on his long excursion seems to have obligingly hit everyone in the southeast except us, and so we still have supplies on hand. We even still have a few bags of ice in the garage freezer. The main thing is perishables (I’d like to pick up a frozen roast and chicken, which serve as ice-chest coolers until they thaw, after which they can be thrown on the grill).

I’ve decided that this is one more reason to be unhappy with Florida living (not that I didn’t already have enough), but it probably is unusual.

I hope. I do know that I’m starting to get stressed out from hurricane fatigue.

Political Commentary

John Kerry, Nuanced Diplomat

The Senator seems to think that he knows what’s going on in Iraq better than the Iraqi Prime Minister.

Of course, he probably just thinks that Allawi is an illegitimate puppet installed by the imperialist criminal Bush regime.

[Update at 2:20 PM EDT]

It was in response to this amazing question by a reporter:

Prime Minister Allawi told Congress today that democracy was taking hold in Iraq and that the terrorists there were on the defensive. Is he living in the same fantasy land as the president?

Did anyone hear this? Was the question serious, or was it veiled sarcasm at Kerry’s description of the president’s views? I can’t tell from just the words–one would have to hear the tone as well.

If the former, if the press thinks that this is helping their candidate, they’re living in a fantasy land.

similar thoughts.

It would seem that Mr. Kerry is only interested in cultivating “allies” whose foreign policy is opposed to that of the US, while treating with contempt our actual allies in this war (Britain, Australia, Italy, and now Iraq).

I don’t think that’s going to play well on November 2nd.