Hanging's too good for 'em...

Gateway Pundit has the good goods on the outcome of the trial of Saddam Hussein's cousin, "Chemical Ali."

He'll hang--along with two others--for killing 180,000 Kurds using chemical weapons (Gee, no WMD there!) during the 1988 Anfal campaign.

I think they should skip the hanging and administer low doses of nerve agent over a week or two--making sure to revive him as necessary--and then cover him in honey and strap him down over a colony of fire ants...that would be a good start.

(Hat tip, as usual, to Instapundit.)

Farewell Stargate SG-1

The Stargate SG-1 series finale played out tonight and although there are two movies in the works (TV or straight-to-DVD), it is the end of an era.

Let us hope that this is not that last that we'll see of Claudia Black, Christopher Judge, Ben Browder, Michael Shanks, Richard Dean Anderson, and Beau Bridges in these roles that have become like family to so many.

Amanda Tapping is making a jump to Stargate Atlantis next season, so we will still get to admire LTC Samantha Carter, Ph.D. for some time to come.

The episode itself, "Unending" gave us some wonderful moments, most of which, IMHO, involved Daniel and Vala ,but everyone got to show us, once again, why this series only got better with time...

SciFi Friday will not be the same without it--indeed, it has not been the same since SciFi moved Battlestar Galactica to Sundays--but there's always Atlantis.

And DVDs

Indeed.

VRC rears its ugly head!!

Protein Wisdom has an account of an allegedly overheard confab between Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Babs Boxer (D-CA) regarding how best to legislatively control the Vast Rightwing Conspiracy's (VRC) uncontrollable talk radio.

It is obvious that the great unwashed masses can't possibly actually choose to listen to those irrationally exuberant, war-mongering, fundamentalists, isn't it. Why 'tis the responsibility, no, the raison d'etre of the Liberal Left TM to safeguard the balance of the Force and defeat the forces of Empire...wait, wrong movie.

I think they should get someone with a lot of money, like George Soros, to bankroll it and hire a gifted Liberal Orator, like Al Franken, to anchor the network, and create a Liberal Left TM version of Talk Radio and call it something appealing, something patriotic, like, like, Air America! YEAH! That's gotta be a guarenteed hit. I mean, who wouldn't listen to THAT!! Whoa! Look out righties! If the Left figures that out, it's all over!

Anyhoo, go read the piece. Even if the conversation didn't actually happen, it's still true, non?

(H/t Instapundit)

Editor needed at Pop Mech

Popular Mechanics: has an article about the Gibbs Aquada amphibious car. It should be on sale in the US next year--that's cool!

You may think that the ability to transition from land vehicle to water vehicle in only 13 seconds is the coolest thing. Or, perhaps, that you can accomplish this by pressing a single button without having to exit the vehicle is even cooler.

On the contrary, most commenters found the statement that the "power switches from a four-cylinder, 175-hp V6 engine to water-jet propulsion" to be the most amazing part of this vehicle.

Yep. Those wacky four-cylinder, V-6 engines.

AQ Terrorist at large in US

Gateway Pundit has the goods on Adnan Jumaa who is wanted by the FBI.

From Pakistan comes news that Adnan G. El Shukrijumah has successfully smuggled nuclear material across the US and is planning an attack on the United States during the holy month of Ramadan which begins on September 24th.

He is suspected of being ordered by OBL to carry out an attack on the US that will be worse--or, at least, larger in scope--than September 11. He is supposedly at large in the US after smuggling radioactive material over the Mexican border.

If you think you've seen him--or if you see him after reading this--contact your local FBi office. BTW, there's a $5 million reward for info leading to his, erm, interdiction.

H/t to Ace of Spades who is maintaining links and pictures of this Moderate Muslim TM in his sidebar.

GDP: The World VS US States

Strange Maps has a comparison of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) between US States and foreign countries.

That is to say, the states in the map have been renamed with a country whose GDP as a nation corresponds to the GDP of the state!

It does not take population into account--put another way, it is NOT a per capita representation of wealth.

Coalition, smoalition...we don' need no stinkin' badges!!

Donate to the Flux Capacitor

The Seattle Probably-Incorrect has an article about physicist John Cramer who is preparing to conduct an experiment into quantum entanglement at the University of Washington.

The catch is that the experiment is being funded through donations since more traditional sources (e.g., NASA, DARPA, other grant sources) declined to fund the experiment.

"The University of Washington has set up a special account to which individuals or groups can contribute funds for John Cramer's experiment.

Tax-deductible contributions to the project may be made by contacting Jennifer Raines, UW Department of Physics, at jraines@phys.washington.edu, or mailing a check made out to the University of Washington with a notation on the check directing deposit to the account for "Non-Local Quantum Communication Experiment" to:

Jennifer Raines, Administrator

Department of Physics

University of Washington

Box 351560

Seattle, WA 98195-1560"

To help or Obey?

Porkbusters is offering to help House Appropriations Committee Chair David Obey (D-WI) review the 36,000 earmarks introduced so far. Follow the link if you'd like to sign up and help the committee determine if any earmark requesters have unethical connections to the funds that they are requesting.

To House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey:

I read with interest news reports that you may only include earmarks in last-minute, un-amendable conference reports, as opposed to amendable House appropriations bills, because you and your staff reportedly need "extra time to evaluate the 36,000-plus earmark requests members have submitted to the Appropriations Committee this year."

You have also been quoted you as saying: "I think we have a helluva lot more ability [to root out bad earmarks] than the individual working alone."

Chairman Obey, I share your concern about unworthy projects receiving federal funding due to a lack of careful and thoughtful evaluation, and I agree that one individual working alone would have a very hard time completing this task in a timely manner.

Therefore, I would like to personally volunteer my time to help you and your staff in evaluating this year's earmark requests.

As you know, Internet technology has made research faster and easier than at any previous time in human history. By releasing your 36,000 earmark requests publicly, I and other taxpayers across the country could work together in a cooperative effort to determine which Members of Congress may have financial conflicts attached to their earmark requests, which local projects may be unworthy of federal funding and which may have value to the taxpayers.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter. I and millions of my fellow taxpayers across America stand ready to help you evaluate these 36,000 earmarks requests. After all, we are the ones who are paying for these requested projects -- the least we can do is help you evaluate their merit.

Disclaimer: Of course, this is all contigent on Representative Obey releasing the earmarks to the public.

(H/t Instapundit!)

Bill Killa

Right Wing News has an inside source (as in GOP aide) with some interesting insight into the behind-the-scenes manuevering regarding the Amnesty, uh, Immigration Bill's apparent demise.

I wonder if those senators who support the bill realize that future, possible, maybe support from the Hispanic vote and Chambers of Commerce are moot because current constituents are not about to re-elect them if they continue in this manner.

(H/t to Ace of Spades and Instapundit)