I was in the first issue of the wonderfully sick and twisted Scared Naked Magazine (Dec 2002) It appears I am also in what may turn out to be the last (June 2004). The magazine has gone on “indefinite hiatus” for what the publisher calls “personal and printer issues”.

One reason I enjoyed being published in this magazine is that it was one of several “horror” magazines that Locus Magazine followed, so I appeared in their annual Index of Science Fiction. I was only paid $5 for each poem (+ 1 copy of the magazine), but appearing in that list made me feel special. (Someday I will get there for a story rather than a poem.)

Well, I know how at least one regular reader of this blog feels about him, but Peter David at least agrees with me on the how winnable the War against Terror ism is.

I feel inidividual battles against terrorism can be won, and terrorism can be reduced, but any so called war would never end. We’re still fighting Johnson’s War Against Poverty forty years later. The situation has improved. No question about it. But its not a winnable war either. It is however a war we need to continue fighting. I’d have no problem with any politician saying “We are going to fight terroism, and continue fighting terrorism, and we will reduce terrorism around the globe, and we will continue reducing it.”

I know the word ‘reduce’ isn’t a strong one. Maybe a good speechwriter could come up with a better way to phrase it. Maybe I could given some time. But to suggest this is a winnable war is a lie. You’re either lying to the American People, or lying to yourself.

Newt may agree with me too, though I can’t find the transcript, and he is on record as saying that it is the male instinct to hunt giraffes, so he’s not the best source.

The Welfare Queen has some great coverage of the Republican Convention Day 1, with photographs. Her captions are incredible.

Are these fruit wrappers too racy for children?:

Both Democrats and Republicans claim the war on Terrorism can be won. (Bush recently stated it’s possible it won’t be, but has backtracked).

My question, for anyone who agrees, is how?

You can fight a war against a country, and either win, lose, or get lost in a quagmire.

But fighting terroism is like fighting crime or poverty. It can be reduced. Major practitioners can be captured and prosecuted. But actually end it for all time?

The only way that will happen in our lifetimes is if the Messiah comes in our lifetimes.

Christy pointed me here to see this map, which came from here.

She thought it was funny. I do too. (And sadly true in some circumstances.)

The original site the map came from isn’t written in English, so may be difficult for some to read. For example, myself. I direct you to an index of their comics, perhaps someone else can find a direct link to the page the map appears on.

Daily Reason to Dispatch Bush

Hip Hop Artist or Entry on US Govt Terrorist Watch List?

Fake Samarian Gods Referenced in the Motion Picture Ghostbusters, or Surnames of Professional Hockey Players.

Kentucky Derby Winner or Kentucky Headhunters Song

60 scientists were polled, and a list of 10 top SF films of all time were generated. Results

Director Ridley Scott had two films in the top 10 – Blade Runner at #1, and Alien at #4. Kubrick placed #2 with 2001, and Lucas was at #3 with Star Wars. Solaris, Terminator, The Day the Earth Stood Still, War of the Worlds, Matrix, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind completed the list.

Here’s the list of 60 scientists – including Richard Dawkins and Gregory Benford.

They also chose their top 10 SF authors

1. Isaac Asimov
2. John Wyndham
3. Fred Hoyle
4. Phillip K Dick
5. HG Wells
6. Ursula K Leguin
7. Arthur C Clarke
8. Ray Bradbury
9. Frank Herbert
10. Stanislaw Lem

Asimov definitely deserves the #1 spot…Clarke should be higher.

Theresa LePore…does that name sound familiar?

She is the Palm Beach Elections supervisor responsible for the 2000 Butterfly Ballot. Below is her choice for the 2004 ballot.

From the butterfly ballot to the broken arrow, Supervisor of Elections Theresa LePore is setting up the county for another election meltdown potentially, said the Delray Beach retiree, who was communications director for Children’s Hospital in Miami and a communications specialist for the Palm Beach County School District.

Kemp and others wonder why LePore had to complicate matters by using the broken arrow when voters could be asked simply to fill in a circle to indicate their vote, known as bubbling in.

”People have to bubble in a lot of things today, but I’ve never seen where you have to connect an arrow,” he said.

It looks simple enough — but apparently it is confusing to some, and no other counties in the area are doing it that way. Most are using the bubbles.