Comments on life, love, and the pursuit of sanity from a two wheeled perspective.

 
Quote of the Day
I don't really post a "Quote of the Day", but if I did, Michelle over at A Small Victory would take the cake today.

IF MEAT IS MURDER THAN MURDER SURE TASTES GOOD WITH MUSTARD!

Heh heh. Here's the post.
posted by Jeremy at 12:28 PM

 
Post-Belgazor Government Scrapping War Crimes Law
In a move calculated to avoid the fate of the previous head of Belgium's government, newly elected Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt announces that the now infamous war crimes law will be round filed.

Belgian officials said today that they will scrap a controversial war crimes law under which cases have been launched against President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

The Belgian prime minister, Guy Verhofstadt, said the move by his new government was aimed at preventing abuses of the law. "I think we have definitely solved this question," he said, hours after his government was sworn in by King Albert II.

The 1993 law gave Belgium jurisdiction over war criminals regardless of where their alleged crimes occurred. Human rights organizations hailed the law as a novel weapon that would put dictators and despots everywhere on notice, but critics, including members of the Belgian government, warned that it interfered with Belgium's foreign relations and could bring on a flurry of cases filed mainly for political reasons.

Yeah, and a flurry of death at the hands of Buck the Marine.
posted by Jeremy at 11:55 AM

 
Hell Yeah!
Wired's review of some of 2003's best electronic gadgets. Hmmm, where did I put that credit card?
posted by Jeremy at 11:37 AM

 
Now That's Comedy
Heh, heh.

Here at ShinySideUp, we give you 100% more "Heh" than Instapundit.
posted by Jeremy at 2:57 AM

 
Israeli Hardball
While the story itself deserves a good, old fashioned, boot party style Fisking, the news reported in its first two paragraphs deserves the attention, and the full support, of the world.

Israel could deport or arrest Palestinian President Yasser Arafat if he holds up his prime minister's efforts to implement a U.S.-backed "road map" to Middle East peace, Israeli diplomatic sources said Saturday.

"Israel conveyed to Washington that if Arafat continues to undermine Abu Mazen, we will reconsider his location and status," a source said, using Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas's nom de guerre. "By status we mean immunity."

Arafat has been askin' for the pimp hand for a good, long time. Israel may be about to give it to him. If the rest of the "international community" has the balls to back a move like this, perhaps this "road map" idea might gain a little credibility.

Link via Drudge.

UPDATE: A real road map to peace.
posted by Jeremy at 2:47 AM

 
All Hail IMAO
Today is the first blogiversary of IMAO, and in accordance with the edict issued by Frank J. (whose last name apparently doesn't being with "J"), I hereby officially link to IMAO and command all 4 readers per day to go visit Frank.

I would like to point out, however, that I have had IMAO on my blogroll for quite some time. I don't remember exactly when I first started reading IMAO, but my archives tell me that my first link to IMAO was posted on February 7, 2003, not even a month after the birth of ShinySideUp. Futher research reveals that although I started my IMAO linkage with a link to one of Frank's "favorite posts", I have never, ever, not once, gotten a link from Frank. Admittedly, the bloggage to be found here at ShinySideUp has slowed to a mere trickle, making this a very bad time to demand a link from Mr. NOT J., but I'm going to do it anyhow.

Link ShinySideUp Frank. Do it. We're fellow martial artists, freedom lovers, French haters, Moore bashers, and dammit man, you've linked my sister! More than once!

OK, enough of that. Happy Birthday Frank. ScrappleWhoever has never topped Nuke the Moon.
posted by Jeremy at 8:50 PM

 
Webcasters vs. RIAA, Game On
Via Wired, we find that the Webcaster Alliance is planning to take on the RIAA over a royalty agreement that could potentially put a lot of smaller webcasters out of business.

The Las Vegas-based Webcaster Alliance will send a letter today to the RIAA, threatening to sue the group for violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act unless the RIAA agrees to reopen negotiations over the royalty rates webcasters must fork over to artists and record labels, Webcaster Alliance attorney Perry Narancic said.

"We're trying to negotiate with these people, but with a big stick," Narancic said.

The existing royalty rates structure would force as many as 90 percent of small commercial Internet radio stations to close if left unchanged, Narancic said.

(Emphasis added) I'm not going to even pretend to understand all of the pro/anti RIAA stuff I hear on a daily basis, but I have a generally negative view of the RIAA, and I enjoy hearing about a lawsuit against them every once in a while.

Negotiate, with a big stick. I can deal with that.
posted by Jeremy at 7:53 PM

 
Happy 227 You Ol' Bastard!
It's the 4th of July, time again to reflect on the birth, growth, and present state of this great nation of ours. I really don't have any big plans other than hoisting a few red, white, and blue Pabst in the United We Stand coozie. I hope that you and yours have a safe and happy 4th.

Here's some advice aimed at helping you have a safe and happy 4th. Russell issues a timely warning, saying, "Don't put fireworks up your nose!" And Charles reminds those of you who might be less than enthused about these great United States, "it is probably not wise to cheese us off." Yeah.
posted by Jeremy at 11:49 AM

 
Good People
When one of your favorite personalities is also "good people", that's a bonus.

[Stephen King] bought all 275 tickets to the 7:45 p.m. showing at Clearview Cinemas on East 62nd Street Friday night. "When one couple rushed up to the theater and audibly groaned at the 'sold out' sign, King called out, 'Which movie did you want to see?' " our witness reports. "As the pair were telling him, they realized who they were talking to - and he generously handed them two tickets." King kept distributing tickets until right before the trailers started, then sat down with a group of friends.

Makes me feel good, reading that story, and makes me think, "If I were a gozillionaire, that's the kind of guy I'd like to be." Link via Lileks through Gawker.
posted by Jeremy at 3:51 PM

 
Double Standards and Racism
Being a blond haired, blue eyed Republican can be mighty dangerous in the People's Republic of California.

Hinkle told UPI that at the Feb. 19 hearing, Vice President for Student Affairs Cornel Morton called attention to Hinkle's blond hair and blue eyes and the fact that Hinkle was a white male member of the Republican club. Morton said that to students of color, this could represent "a collision of experience." The chemistry of the situation has racial implications, Morton said, and Hinkle was naive not to acknowledge this.

Collision of experience my ass. Link via Inoperable Terran.
posted by Jeremy at 8:27 AM

 
Hell Yeah!
Now here's a move that needed to be made.

The United States has cut military aid to 35 countries over their refusal to exempt US troops from prosecution by the new International Criminal Court (ICC).

...

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer says the US government will never accept the court.

posted by Jeremy at 7:13 PM

 
Hubba, Hubba
Chris Lawrence has a bold new look over at Signifying Nothing. It's much nicer than the old setup, IMHO. He's also been kind enough to blogroll me. Thanks, Chris.
posted by Jeremy at 11:36 PM