Johnnie Cochran

I met him once. Very personable, friendly guy. He talked to me about Geronimo Pratt like he had known me all my life.

One more point: if he had been proscuting the O. J. Simpson case, O.J. would be in jail today. Mr. Cochran was just that good.

Nichols and Jackson

My guess is that Brian Nichols will fare better than Michael Jackson should both of them get convicted. Brian admitted to his misdeeds (at least that is what Ashley Smith reports) and is more likely to seek grace and forgiveness. He knows that he has done a bad thing. Michael Jackson does not know that he has done a bad thing. Denials persist. He will die a "victim" unless he confesses like Nichols did. Michael has no future without confessions.

Was toilet paper a factor?

Was toilet paper a factor in the killings in Minnesota? Word on the street was that he used toilet paper the week before he went on his killing rampage. Folks, Prozac is a buzzword that causes people to stop thinking and causes them to "feel" that they know what went wrong. "Aha! It was Prozac!" Please stop. Prozac and its cousins have done far more good than harm, but the media misses that point along with other good news. Declining suicide rates in the western world over the last 20 years is boring. A "Prozac Killing!" Newsworthy!

Give me a break.

Schiavo

I don't know if I am capable of starving an enemy of mine to death. I am capable of divorcing my wife if it were in her best interest. Mr. Schiavo, let Terri's mother have her back.

Mr. Bonds

Poor Barry. I guess he is done (whatever that means).
All of the jeering that would come if he passed Babe
Ruth or Hank Aaron was too loud for him. And it hadnt
even come yet. He could not come clean, but he could
blame the media. What a whiner!

cell test

This is a test to see if I can send a post from my
cell phone.

Israel and Iran

I got
this article from the Times of
London. All I can say is that Israel is going to do what Israel needs to do.
No backing down.

The Sunday Times - World

March 13, 2005
Revealed: Israel plans strike on Iranian nuclear plant
Uzi Mahnaimi

ISRAEL has drawn up secret plans for a combined air and ground attack on
targets in Iran if diplomacy fails to halt the Iranian nuclear programme.

The inner cabinet of Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, gave “initial
authorisation” for an attack at a private meeting last month on his ranch in
the Negev desert.

Israeli forces have used a mock-up of Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment plant
in the desert to practise destroying it. Their tactics include raids by
Israel’s elite Shaldag (Kingfisher) commando unit and airstrikes by F-15 jets from
69 Squadron, using bunker-busting bombs to penetrate underground facilities.

The plans have been discussed with American officials who are said to have
indicated provisionally that they would not stand in Israel’s way if all
international efforts to halt Iranian nuclear projects failed.

Tehran claims that its programme is designed for peaceful purposes but
Israeli and American intelligence officials — who have met to share information in
recent weeks — are convinced that it is intended to produce nuclear weapons.

The Israeli government responded cautiously yesterday to an announcement by
Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, that America would support
Britain, France and Germany in offering economic incentives for Tehran to abandon its
programme.

In return, the European countries promised to back Washington in referring
Iran to the United Nations security council if the latest round of talks fails
to secure agreement.

Silvan Shalom, the Israeli foreign minister, said he believed that diplomacy
was the only way to deal with the issue. But he warned: “The idea that this
tyranny of Iran will hold a nuclear bomb is a nightmare, not only for us but for
the whole world.”

Dick Cheney, the American vice-president, emphasised on Friday that Iran
would face “stronger action” if it failed to respond. But yesterday Iran rejected
the initiative, which provides for entry to the World Trade Organisation and
a supply of spare parts for airliners if it co-operates.

“No pressure, bribe or threat can make Iran give up its legitimate right to
use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes,” said an Iranian spokesman.

US officials warned last week that a military strike on Iranian nuclear
facilities by Israeli or American forces had not been ruled out should the issue
become deadlocked at the United Nations.

Additional reporting: Tony Allen-Mills, Washington

Outsourcing and Lou Dobbs

I agree with Larry Elder in HREF="http://www.townhall.com/columnists/larryelder/le20050310.shtml">his column
about Lou Dobbs. What has gotten in to Mr. Dobbs? Why does he get so upset
about outsourcing? We all do it. The computer I type from was made by someone
else. I outsourced this because I lacked the time, energy and ability to build
it myself. I outsource oil refining and show up at the gas station instead of
drill for my own. I can make more money going to my 9-5 than I can save by
growing my own crops. I will continue to outsource.

Outsourcing and Lou Dobbs

I agree with Larry Elder in his column about Lou Dobbs. What has gotten in to Mr. Dobbs? Why does he get so upset about outsourcing? We all do it. The computer I type from was made by someone else. I outsourced this because I lacked the time, energy and ability to build it myself. I outsource oil refining and show up at the gas station instead of drill for my own. I can make more money going to my 9-5 than I can save by
growing my own crops. I will continue to outsource.

Israel and Iran

I got this article from the Times of London. All I can say is that Israel is going to do what Israel needs to do. No backing down.

The Sunday Times - World

March 13, 2005
Revealed: Israel plans strike on Iranian nuclear plant
Uzi Mahnaimi

ISRAEL has drawn up secret plans for a combined air and ground attack on targets in Iran if diplomacy fails to halt the Iranian nuclear programme.

The inner cabinet of Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, gave “initial authorisation” for an attack at a private meeting last month on his ranch in the Negev desert.

Israeli forces have used a mock-up of Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment plant in the desert to practise destroying it. Their tactics include raids by
Israel’s elite Shaldag (Kingfisher) commando unit and airstrikes by F-15 jets from 69 Squadron, using bunker-busting bombs to penetrate underground facilities.

The plans have been discussed with American officials who are said to have indicated provisionally that they would not stand in Israel’s way if all international efforts to halt Iranian nuclear projects failed.

Tehran claims that its programme is designed for peaceful purposes but Israeli and American intelligence officials — who have met to share information in
recent weeks — are convinced that it is intended to produce nuclear weapons.

The Israeli government responded cautiously yesterday to an announcement by Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, that America would support
Britain, France and Germany in offering economic incentives for Tehran to abandon its
programme.

In return, the European countries promised to back Washington in referring Iran to the United Nations security council if the latest round of talks fails
to secure agreement.

Silvan Shalom, the Israeli foreign minister, said he believed that diplomacy was the only way to deal with the issue. But he warned: “The idea that this tyranny of Iran will hold a nuclear bomb is a nightmare, not only for us but for
the whole world.”

Dick Cheney, the American vice-president,emphasised on Friday that Iran would face “stronger action” if it failed to respond. But yesterday Iran rejected the initiative, which provides for entry to the World Trade Organisation and a supply of spare parts for airliners if it co-operates.

“No pressure, bribe or threat can make Iran give up its legitimate right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes,” said an Iranian spokesman.

US officials warned last week that a military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities by Israeli or American forces had not been ruled out should the issue become deadlocked at the United Nations.

Additional reporting: Tony Allen-Mills, Washington

Saudis, Israel, and Terrorism

I caught this article at Jihad Watch that tells a lot about the Saudis, Israel and terrorism. The Saudis can't seem to acknowledge Israel no matter what they say.

Andretti in Vegas

3 racer, 3 succesful qualifying runs. I am pleased.
Hopefully he will be in the top 35 after the fifth
race and wont have so much pressure each week. Lets
hope for a strong finish this week for the #14.

Condi for president

Should I get a Rice for President bumper sticker. Dr. Rice and Mrs. Clinton were part of the talk on C-SPAN's "Washington Journal" this morning. I would love to see Dr. Rice run. I trust her on foreign policy (hit 'em and hit 'em hard). Defense of the homeland is the most important thing I want from a president these days.

I look forward to the tension that her run would create in the black community. A gauntlet would clearly be thrown in front of us. How will we handle it? Will we pick it up or drop it? We already know that we can support a black person (Jessie). Can the community support a woman? a Republican? If not, what will be the excuses? I can hear them already: She's Bush's puppet. Where is her man? She's not one of "us." She hates herself and hates us too. I am sure the ugly "Condoskeeza" epithet will be derisively uttered by some clown. Oh well, the desperate can have opinions as well.

All the same, I am with her if she runs.

Mike(s) at 50?

I don't think either Michael Jackson or Mike Tyson will see their 50th birthdays. Their decisions and behaviors will get them killed. They are both past their primes and neither seems to know what to do with all the free time that comes from being has-beens. I don't know how they will die, but self-destruction will play a role. I hope I am wrong.

Black Progress

I happened upon this site called Black Progress Network today and, with a brief scan, found it to be favorable. I did not see an ethos of more government or blaming white people for our problems. The site looks promising.

China

On Morning in America, the focus of the seminar is on China. I have to work out 2 things on order to coherently grapple with my primary dilemma. One is to determine if I am afraid of China. It is a country that has 1/4 of the world's population. If I am afraid, then I am more likely to look at ways to appease China, engage China but not go to the brink of war or beyond with China. If I am afraid of war with them, then I am much more inclined to give economics a chance. I would much prefer to engage China knowing that I am not afraid. Then the engagement is more authentic and not a cover for cowardice.

That said, I look forward to hearing more and then sticking nose in some books on China. My knowledge base is thin. Perhaps Ethan Guttman's Losing the New China will be a start.

Cato and Schwarzenegger

This, from the Cato Institute, caught me by surprise. I was ready to not like Schwarzenegger because I thought he was too liberal. Also, I will have to keep my eye on Bill Richardson.

"The 50 governors are meeting in Washington this week, which makes it an apt moment for the Cato Institute to release its biennial ranking of their fiscal performance," according to an editorial in today's Wall Street Journal. "Researchers Stephen Moore and Stephen Slivinski find that the top-ranked governors have learned the dual lesson that you can't tax your way to recovery and that the best way out of a deficit is to cut spending. By that measure, Arnold Schwarzenegger is the nation's best governor. The Governator has cut taxes, slashed spending, held a 'garage sale' to get rid of excess state assets, and established a budget task force that has identified $32 billion in savings over five years."
"A Fiscal Policy Report Card on America's Governors: 2004," shows that "states that keep tax rates low and restrain spending growth have the best economic performance and thus the best long term fiscal health."
New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, who earned a B, is the highest scoring Democrat in the nation and one of the best governors overall. The report card praises Richardson for cutting taxes and strictly limiting increases in state spending.

Kiev

I got this story from this link:

KIEV, Ukraine The U-S embassy in Ukraine says an African-American diplomat was severely beaten by a group of youths in Kiev.Robert Simmons was attacked Saturday night by what he described as a well-organized group of more than a dozen skinheads wearing combat boots. He serves at the U-S Agency for International Development in Uzbekistan,
Simmons tells The Associated Press the attackers didn't touch friends who were with him "but were not black." He says police did not appear until after the beating. The U-S embassy in Kiev says it will push the Ukrainian authorities to find the attackers.
Such attacks are not common in Ukraine, but a November message posted on the official embassy Web site warns Americans of "reports of racially motivated incidents against non-Caucasian foreigners."

I wonder what's up with this.

Next Right

I checked out Next Right this morning. Looks good. Short posts and to the point.

To add to his 10 points, I would argue that we depose the Black Taliban. Enough of the black thought police.

Gotta take a look at Tears of Iran. I hope that Iran tips next.