This is fun, from Conservative Belle, Joe Cartoon has a poll for the 2008 presidential candidates and even would-be candidates. Being Joe Cartoon, it of course involves kitchen appliances and violent cartoonish demises. This is the one poll where you won't mind spamming for Ron Paul.

Posted by: Open Blog at 08:05 PM | Comments (25)
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An 18-month attempt to persuade Iran to halt uranium enrichment collapsed Friday after a senior EU envoy failed to dent Iran's resolve to expand the technology, despite the threat of new U.N. sanctions.

(emphasis mine)

Really? I would have bet hard cash that threat of sanctions would have worked this time.

The Iranian envoy on sanctions, past and threatened:

"What did they achieve?" he asked about the two sets of sanctions already in place "Nothing. In fact, we made the greatest technology headway and breakthroughs in that specific period of time."

In other news, Michael Moore announces his 18 minutes of intense dialogue with "four rotisserie chickens, two racks of Applebee's baby back ribs and a gallon of egg nog" ended "rather well". Reports that he later turned down a waffer-thin mint have yet to be substantiated.

Posted by: Open Blog at 07:38 PM | Comments (11)
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I've been nervous about cats ever since last month when my host decided that a shower was just too much of a bother what with the latest developments in de-funk technology, and I started smelling vaguely like the year-old bologna she keeps for special occasions.

These guys look suspicious to me.

Posted by: Open Blog at 05:53 PM | Comments (23)
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Over at the Corner, Kathryn Jean Lopez points to an exchange between lovely/creamy White House Press Secretary Dana Perino:

Posted by: Open Blog at 02:04 PM | Comments (144)
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He was an X-Games guy long before there was an X-Games.

Posted by: DrewM. at 01:37 PM | Comments (42)
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Dissatisfied with the disgrace that was the CNN-YouTube debate, Redstate and Human Events has joined forces to offer the Republican candidates a "do-over", this time with conservatives in charge of vetting the questioners:

We have a base of readers who represent the Republican wing of the Republican Party. You – and the Republican Party – deserve to face the questions posed by undecided Republicans, not Democratic activists. We will solicit and obtain YouTube videos from those people and vet each questioner to establish that they are – really - - undecided Republicans. We hope to include soldiers in the field in Iraq, Young Republicans, and others who still have not decided among you.

Today, allow us to make you this offer: We will organize a debate at a time and date amenable to you all. We will work with a national broadcaster to broadcast the debate as well as offer it online. We, not the liberal drive by media, will ensure the questioners are who they say they are. And we will choose them based on criteria that will be fully disclosed to you all which ensure the questioners arenÂ’t activists for any Democratic candidate.

This is an excellent idea. I hope the candidates take them up on it.

Posted by: Open Blog at 01:27 PM | Comments (42)
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Style over substance at the Tiffany Network? Considering no one actually watches their news it’s probably not that big of a deal.

You are wicked smart, funny, irreverent and hip, oozing enthusiasm and creative energy. This position requires strong people, reporting, story telling and writing skills. Managing tight deadlines should be second nature. Knowledge of the enviro beat is a big plus, but not a requirement.

The Deciders…remember they are smarter and better trained than the rest of us.

h/t The Corner

Posted by: DrewM. at 01:20 PM | Comments (31)
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Style over substance at the Tiffany Network? Considering no one actually watches their news itÂ’s probably not that big of a deal.

You are wicked smart, funny, irreverent and hip, oozing enthusiasm and creative energy. This position requires strong people, reporting, story telling and writing skills. Managing tight deadlines should be second nature. Knowledge of the enviro beat is a big plus, but not a requirement.

The DecidersÂ…remember they are smarter and better trained than the rest of us.

h/t The Corner

Posted by: DrewM at 01:20 PM | Comments (34)
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A Zambian radio correspondent opted to get circumcised on the air to protect himself and raise awareness about AIDS prevention. Researchers last year concluded that circumcised men are less likely to get HIV from vaginal sex.

Gondwe, who says he undergoes an AIDS test several times a year, said in an interview Friday he finds it "sad" that more people don't talk about circumcision as a prevention method.

"We as journalists also have a role to play in the fight against the disease," he said.

Gondwe, on the radio piece and in an online diary Friday, recounts his Nov. 22 procedure. Listeners can hear him gasp as a doctor injects him with a local anesthetic, but he assures them the procedure is otherwise painless. He was up, walking to his car and driving himself home soon afterward.

Gondwe and the radio station are receiving messages from offended listeners, but the AP piece doesn't tell us what it is that has offended them.

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 12:41 PM | Comments (28)
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Final Update for This Post:

All hostages released. The hostage taker may be a local crazy guy named "Troy Stanley." They're still trying to get him out of the HQ. There is some conjecture that his bomb is actually made up of flares.

Earlier post:

I'm just looking through the story now.

Michelle Malkin is all over it.

As is Gateway Pundit.

Thanks to SOC and geoff for noticing it.

More: FOX has it, CNN is covering the train collision in Chicago.

The fellow, in his 40s, has taken two hostages. I see in news stories he's described as "armed", but it's not clear that they mean with a gun or are just referring to the bomb (or fake bomb) duct-taped to his chest.

There are sharpshooters standing by.

Question: what is it that this guy wants? He obviously doesn't want to kill others and die or he would have done it before he let two others go. So is he just a nut?

Oh, okay. FOX reports that his demand is to speak with Clinton. Weird.

And again: Arbalest points out that it was hella premature to call this fellow a "suicide bomber." At this point he's just a hostage taker with a bomb. God willing, he won't become a suicide bomber and that the two hostages will be released soon.

This is going into its second hour and it doesn't look like the New Hampshire authorities are releasing any official information (they've understandably got more important things to do). It's just conjecture at this point.

CNN briefly covered it before going back to the train crash to hypothesize that the bomber had himself released the first two hostages and told them to call 911.

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 11:22 AM | Comments (135)
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