Considering what we now know W. knew in the months leading up to 9/11, and what we know will happen in the near future, I kinda wish he wouldn't resort to spin as his first option.

I like it. Game 1 was over early...Lakers blow out to a quick lead, the game never gets closer than five points the rest of the way...I only hope the next three weeks are this easy.
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Gone for the night. I'm traveling to a birthday party at Mt. Baldy(add your joke here), and I won't be back til tomorrow afternoon, in time (I hope) for Game 1. Send your cards and letters to esstheman2@netscape.net.. Late....
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Empire, si, Republic, no? A new hope....
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So, does anyone have an opinion on this new Flyers' head coach?
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They thought Bin Laden was only planning a "traditional sort of hijacking"? What is that, exactly? Flying the jet to Bahrain in exchange for hostages? Blowing it up over Scotland? Yeah, I guess I understand why the White House would not want to panic the American people over something as trivial as that. Thank god Al Gore wasn't selected by the Supreme Court; he might have tried something irrational last August, like tighten security at our nation's airports....
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It appears that few of you took advantage of the link I offered (below) to download the latest Star Wars film, probably having read a review like this one. However, a minor quibble: at one point, the critic makes reference to a plot twist involving the parentage of Boba Fett, and refers to the character as a "vengeful" bounty hunter from the first three movies. In fact, Mr. Fett does not have a line in Episode Four: A New Hope, and his appearances in the other two movies are ridiculously brief (I think his only line in The Empire Strikes Back was "he's no good to me dead"). His motivation is more that of a dedicated professional than one riven by a spirit of vengeance. But then again, you're free to disagree...
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Coming on the heels of that embarrasing story about the GOP attempting to sell commemorative photos of the Usurper on 9/11(probably on his way to Nebraska or Louisiana, as I recall), the headlines yesterday about his foreknowledge that the Evil One was planning something big with airplanes can't be helping his credibility as a "leader". To me, the scandal isn't that he may have received advance word about hijackings; even today, with the long check-in lines and the patina of extra security at our airports, and the detention of every suspicious-looking Muslim, some nutcase (an airlines pilot, maybe) can still fly a plane into the Statue of Liberty one morning if he forgets to take his Prozac. There is only so much that you can do, and the President is going to get word of many such threats. What bothers me is that this administration kept the news secret for eight months. During that time, his A.G. has led a jihad against our civil liberties, when, as it turns out, there was evidence that he knew something might be happening last summer, but did nothing about it.

By the way, remember how some were saying after 9/11 that those attacks were Clinton's fault....
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Slow Wednesday ahead, so anyone interested in a funny theatrical experience should check out Billingsgate next week; its the final show, and I hear its good.

Another day closer to the grave...and a third straight title for the Lakers.
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Right now, one of the big topics on other "blogs" has to do with the assasination of a Dutch politician, Pim Fortuyn. Since he was a minor politician in a small European country, his death has obviously not resonated with normal Americans, but among the American right, he had become something of a folk hero, because a) he hated Muslim immigrants, and was in the process of building a political career around that issue; and b) he was gay, and had libertarian leanings on most social issues. In most of the civilized world, a) is enough to get you labeled as a racist, (ie., Le Pen, David Duke) since any indiscriminate hatred of the entire membership of a racial or ethnic group usually qualifies. However, the wingnuts in this country have seized on b) as a means of legitimizing a). See, if he's gay, and he smokes a joint now and then, how can he be a fascist, etc. Since September 11, Muslims have become the ethnic group that its ok to hate (replacing the French, I guess), so bigots who are smart to focus their bile on that group get a pass. Which just goes to show, if fascism ever comes to power again, don't be surprised if its led by a non-white, non-Christian, or non-straight politician.

Disturbing story in the LA Times, especially so when you realize that this creature does exist, and is better known to the public as the "San Antonio Spurs"

Once again, anyone who feels the need to contact Smythe's World may do so at esstheman2@netscape.net.