AFP Story

There's not much else at the link above, and normally I avoid blogging about anything even remotely political, but this news caused a mini-aneurysm.

First is the absurdity of actually trying this man in a court. He should be dropped in a hole somewhere until he wants to talk about anything he might know that could save American lives.

Second - "alleged" bomber? The article actually states the following: "Abdulmutallab also confirmed he had taken medication to treat injuries." What injuries, do you ask? Those acquired by setting your underwear on fire, that's what injuries. But wait, he didn't do that did he? He's not guilty.

Finally, there's the whole courage-of-your-convictions thing. If you were willing to blow yourself up to kill a planeload of passengers, shouldn't you be willing to plead guilty and send a message to the whole world that you're a dedicated man? Isn't pleading not guilty at this point a little cowardly? I can understand that you're going to be a financial and emotional drain on the courts and American society, but that doesn't seem worthy of someone of the flaming undergarments ilk.

Just makes me nauseated. I can't wait for the trial, let alone the appeal. Hopefully the authorities are treating him with kid gloves and helping him get over his "injury."

Posted by Carl at 7:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Alert Reader and Ruby Tuesday Connoisseur Tammy and I went to, ah, Ruby Tuesday tonight. We were standing in the entryway where people who are not being help stand, waiting patiently to be helped, when a man approached us. He made eye contact with Tammy and said:

"Are you being helped?"

He continued approaching us as he said this, and Tammy responded:

"No."

Still walking towards us (reminiscent of the "castle charging" scene by Sir Lancelot the Brave in Monty Python and the Holy Grail) he nodded a small nod of recognition as if to say "Sorry about that I'll seat you now" and then walked right past us and out of the restaurant.

* * *

I actually laughed out loud when the door shut behind him. It was partially from being bemused - because, really, who doesn't laugh when bemused? - and partially from the oddity of the whole thing. Who was this man? Did he work there? Or was he just a complete random stranger? Where was he headed?

While that entire situation was confusing it's not as confusing to me as something President Bush apparently said to the World Economic Forum. He told the Middle East that they were running out of oil, and that they (presumably the people in the Middle East with oil) had better get ready.

I really have no problem with that part. But keep in mind this comes on the heels of his Saudia Arabia trip wherein he asked the Saudis (wait for it) to pump more oil to ease prices.

So on the one hand they're running out of oil but please pump more and faster so that we'll have cheaper prices. Does that make any sense at all? If you've been reading here for any length of time you've probably surmised that my own politics lie right-of-center. But not even I can understand how this works, and I'm a political geek of the first order.

I'm entirely open to the possibility that there's some sort of Jedi Mind Trick at work here but I can't see it. It's like someone who asks you if you're being helped, and upon finding out that you're not promptly leaves the building.

Or as Sir Lancelot might explain:

Sir Lancelot: We were in the nick of time. You were in great peril.
Sir Galahad: I don't think I was.
Sir Lancelot: Yes, you were. You were in terrible peril.
Sir Galahad: Look, let me go back in there and face the peril.
Sir Lancelot: No, it's too perilous.

Posted by Carl at 9:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)