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6.1.2002 5:33 PM The planes that crashed into the WTC and the Pentagon were remote controlled. That's what Theirry Meyssan claimed in a lecture given before the Zayed Center for Coordination and Follow Up (ZCCF). Now, I wouldn't bother commenting on a ridiculous, crack-pot, Art Bell, quack theory, but the ZCCF is a think tank created by the Arab League. This is the same Arab League that united behind a peace plan a few months back in Beirut. Sean Hackbarth | 5.30.2002 11:41 PM The FBI's new intelligence gathering policies must be watched closely to prevent abuse. What shocked me was learning that agents couldn't to go public places or search for counterterrorist information on the Internet unless they had approval. That means agents couldn't even do a simple Google search on bin Laden links in the U.S. These new policies don't assure that the FBI will get and use the information it gathers correctly. Information from Arizona combined with that from Minnesota could have given officials more warning that a big terrorist attack was planned. 9.11 may or may not have been prevented. We will never know. What we do know is that the FBI must do a better job analyzing and acting on the information they already have. Internal change has to happen and heads should roll. "FBI Gets More Freedom for Domestic Surveillance" Sean Hackbarth | 5.29.2002 7:39 PM It's good to know that San Francisco, that bastion of free speech, doesn't respect the speech of pro-lifers. Am I shocked at the hypocricy? No. That area is governed by liberals with a mindset where their political beliefs are precious, but the opposition's are evil and must be squelched. "Pro-lifers Censored in San Francisco" Sean Hackbarth | 6:11 PM Great, another season of watching a decrepit, hobbled Ozzy wandering around cursing incoherently. I watched a few episodes and do not understand the buzz. Instead of laughing at this family, I felt sorry for them. Ozzy's home life consists of painting in what looks like a coloring book, while complaining about pets. He limps around at home, yet somehow gets it together to put on a high energy show. Have they ever shown Ozzy taking shots so he can stand up straight on stage? The kids are just weird-looking teenagers who are allowed to swear in front of their parents. Sharon is the most normal. She's a workaholic who runs Ozzy's career and takes care of the heavy metal god. There is some sense of a normal family life. Ozzy and Sharon don't let their kids do anything they want, and they hold them accountable when they break the rules. Overall, it's just bland television. It's what the Real World has become: banality edited into 30 minute segments. Except, the Osbournes have no Barbie doll look-a-likes. "MTV Signs Osbournes to New Season" [UPDATE: Paul Cantor writes that "Ozzy and his clan are just plain likable." He also thinks the Osbournes uphold family values--something Dan Quayle also noted in a speech a few weeks ago. These points don't take away from what I see as boring television. It's mildly entertaining in a freak show kind of way, but it quickly becomes tiresome.] Sean Hackbarth | 5.28.2002 4:45 PM If it has any decent amount of gameplay, America's Army could be one of the most effective pieces of wartime propaganda in U.S. history. The Army is giving the game away for free, so their goal must be to get as many teens playing this game as possible. After completing missions in the Quake-like "Operations" portion of the game, those teens may hunger for the real thing and join up. Since the game was designed by the Army, it should be very realistic, giving civilians an inside look at how a platoon works. But will it show the bloody, ugly side of war? It's not all glory, courage, and victory. It's also death, pain, and agony. I'll soon find out, because my free copy is on its way. Sean Hackbarth | 4:31 PM No shock in this small corner of the Web over Brian Williams as Tom Brokaw's replacement. I saw it back when he became the number one pretty face at newly-created MSNBC. What Williams won't be able to do is bring viewers back to network evening news. All-news cable channels and the Internet have changed news viewing habits forever. I'm guessing that Williams will be the last anchor of the "Nightly News." Eventually, NBC will see that news is best left to cable and will end the newscast. "Williams to Succeed Brokaw in 2004" Sean Hackbarth | 4:24 PM Prediction time: No one will ever be convicted for the murder of Chandra Levy. I base this on the following quotes of Dr. Jonathan Arden, D.C.'s chief medical examiner:
Dr. Arden doesn't know where she died, what she died from, or when she died. Nevertheless, he thinks she was murdered. She probably was, but to convict requires evidence. If the police find anyone with the motive and opportunity to kill her, the suspect will have a field day with the medical examiner. It wouldn't take Johnny Cochrane to turn a prosecutor's case into a sieve. This should be my first and only five minutes on this story. Case closed. Move on and let true crime writers like Anne Rule figure out what happened. "Chandra Levy Was Murdered, Examiner Says" Sean Hackbarth | 2:04 AM Rod Dreher had the Bayou at LSU. While going to UMD, I had the Anchor--even though it was across the bridge in Superior, WI. Just like the Bayou, the Anchor was a dive. The chairs, stools, and tables were old. The doors to the bathrooms didn't completely close. There was some pinball machine that was straight out of 1985. Did it have charm? Sure, a little. The place had a nook where board games sat on shelves--not that I remember anyone ever playing them. You always saw a sailor who just arrived back from delivering a load of taconite. Some grizzly woman fried hamburgers and fries in the back. But the reason friends and I went to the Anchor was the cheap beer. On Monday nights, you could get a big pitcher of Budweiser for $2. Bring 5 friends along and you were guaranteed a great buzz. Besides the cheap beer, my best memories of the Anchor are laughing at College Democrats believing the same socialist bunk after quaffing a few. Were College Republicans any better? We still believed the same conservative beliefs late into the night, but at least our ideas were correct in the first place. I wonder if the Anchor is still around. I have no desire to find out. Somehow going into a college bar years after being in school wouldn't feel the same. Returning to the Anchor would be like trying to relive the past. What's done is done. We should learn from the past, but not wallow in it. But do they still serve their 3-pound burger, the Gutbuster? "Memorializing the Bayou" Sean Hackbarth | 12:08 AM I'm still hunting for the Gould-Marx connection. Here's a paragraph from the Times of London obituary:
A group of Net-savvy Marxists mourned the death of Gould [note 5.24 entry], but it doesn't explicitly say they considered him a comrade-in-arms. "Times Obituary: Stephen Jay Gould" [via Peter Pribik] Sean Hackbarth | 5.27.2002 11:53 PM To all those who are serving or have served to defend the U.S., thank you. Your sacrifice is not forgotten around here. Sean Hackbarth | 5.26.2002 11:50 AM It was too daunting a task for the newly created Transportation Security Administration to have federal workers running airport security checkpoints by 11.19. The TSA is now resorting to $500 bonuses to keep current security workers from finding other jobs until they're fully trained or replacements are found. Airport security was passed only for Congress and the President to demonstrate that they were doing something about airline security. They made no case that a properly monitored collection of private firms couldn't do the job better. (Europe contracts security out to private companies.) So now, we're stuck with nationalized airport security with all its bloat and inefficiency. "Airport Security Revamp Sputters" Sean Hackbarth | |
ABOUT When I'm not pondering the fate of the universe, I'm reading, writing, or selling books. Here you'll find comments on politics, culture, books, and music. Not necessarily in that order. MAILBOX sean--at--theamericanmind.com  Support democracy and human rights in Iraq! 
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