Boob Tube Alert!
(Via FR with translation by poster longjack) Jeder Zweite weiß nicht, dass Schröder Kanzler ist:

One out of two doesn't know that Schröder is Chancellor

A new online interview method has brought to light some amazing results: Hardly half of the Germans know what Gerhard Schröder, Joschka Fisher, or Angela Merkel do professionally.

Indeed, 99 per cent of the people asked by the polling institute Forsa in the until now unpublished survey recognized Schröder in a photo, but only 51 per cent correctly answered which office he holds.

For the survey of 1630 citizens the opinion researchers used so-called set top boxes, with whose help the participants answer by remote control questions presented on the TV screen. Forsa boss Manfred Güllner expects to achieve a higher objectivity from his invention because the people asked are not influenced by interviewers.

Maybe they thought the snap of Gerhard was another Grecian Formula commercial.

Surely you jest!
(Via Gweilo Diaries) BBC chief intervenes on Gilligan health fears:

The publication of evidence from the BBC journalist at the heart of the David Kelly affair was delayed yesterday following a personal plea from the corporation's chairman that publication might affect the journalist's health.

In a surprise move, the Commons foreign affairs select committee said it would not publish the transcript of last Thursday's evidence session with BBC journalist Andrew Gilligan that ended with the committee expressing serious doubts about his reliability as a witness.

Although the committee had pledged to publish the evidence this week, it reluctantly decided not to do so after Gavyn Davies, the BBC chairman, privately contacted Donald Anderson, the committee's chairman.

A venomous shit sack gets the vapors, so the transcript won't be published. Hmmm, that's a new one!

In case you've forgotten who's responsible for the Liberia mess
Kenneth Timmerman has all the details:

The current crisis was in part the creation of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, a Democratic Party activist who claims to champion the rights of Africans to self-governance. As special envoy for democracy and human rights in Africa, starting in October 1997, Jackson was President Bill Clinton's point man for Africa. It was Jackson who spearheaded Clinton's 10-day African safari in March 1998, at a cost to taxpayers of $42.8 million. And it was Jackson who legitimated Liberian strongman Charles Taylor and his protégé, the machete-wielding militia leader in neighboring Sierra Leone, Cpl. Foday Sankoh. Without Jackson's active intervention, both leaders were headed toward international isolation and sanction. Thanks to Jackson, both retained power to murder another day.
...
"During his 24 hours in Liberia, the Rev. Jackson met several times privately with President Taylor and appeared to establish a strong personal bond with him," the April 29, 1998, memo from the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia reads.
...
Jackson said in an interview that he considered Sankoh and Taylor to be like the gang leaders in Chicago, who could be "redeemed" by his careful ministrations. Rather than confront them, Jackson befriended them, over the howls of the State Department professionals.
...
"Secretary [of State Madeleine] Albright delegated Africa policy to [U.S. Rep. Donald] Payne [of New Jersey] and the Congressional Black Caucus," Sierra Leone's outspoken ambassador to Washington, John Ernest Leigh, told this reporter. A House International Affairs Committee staffer who followed Jackson's meetings with Taylor put it more bluntly: "The whole effort under Clinton was to mainstream Charles Taylor, and Jesse Jackson had a lot to do with it."
...
"If there are any adversaries who are not ready to reconcile, please leave the room," Jackson told the auditorium. He then demanded that Liberians stop using the Internet to publish information on Taylor's atrocities. "The international community frequents the Internet and takes note of whatever information is disseminated on the information superhighway," he said. "So, please stay off the Net."
...
Then Jackson made a blunder that would make him an object of ridicule and scorn across Africa: He compared Sankoh to former African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela, who went on to become president of South Africa. On May 16, Jackson was all set to take off for Sierra Leone when an urgent message came into the State Department, warning that Jackson could be assaulted physically should he attempt to land. Foreign Minister Sama Banya even went on state radio in Freetown, urging Jackson to stay away. "When people in Freetown heard Jesse Jackson's statement comparing Foday Sankoh to Nelson Mandela, they were up in arms," recalls Sierra Leone Ambassador Leigh. "Comparing Nelson Mandela to a guy who was ripping arms off of babies was the biggest insult to Africa you could think of.

Much more by following the link. I guess the Clinton plan of sending a thug to deal with thugs had a few bugs.

And what is Jesse saying these days? Predictably, Jackson says racism explains U.S. inaction in Liberia. I don't know the tune, but the words are familiar.

It's those artistes again!
(Via Give War A Chance) Salzburg statue not fit for a prince:

A giant statue of a naked man with a two-foot erection has caused a row in Salzburg after being exposed on the eve of a visit by Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne.

If he's going to be scandalized by that, he's a bigger wuss than I thought. But the royal fuss obscures the question of why, besides being modern artistes, the perps put this deal together:

The artwork was described as a tribute to Viagra

Nothing like the eternal verities! You can click through for a photo, but let's just say that the relevant part is cropped.

Someone pick up the Clue Phone
Well here's a shocker - Mercenaries given go-ahead to abduct Liberian leader:

The internationally backed War Crimes Tribunal in Sierra Leone has given the green light for mercenaries to arrest the Liberian President, Charles Taylor - if they can raise their own funds for the operation and deliver him across the border.

"We would not turn down anybody legitimate - whether government, international organisation or private company - who can deliver Charles Taylor or any other fugitive of justice," Alan White, the court's chief of investigation, said on Thursday.

Saddle up the horses! But wait:

But while encouraging bounty-hunters, Mr White made it clear he was not offering a payout. "We won't pay anybody. We're not in a financial position to do that and would not engage in that anyway."

What a grasp on reality! Sounds like they want the Salvation Army to do it.

It's the United Nations confirming its reputation every day.

Big Food Alert!
Joe Soucheray in the St. Paul Pioneer Press - Big Food lawsuits mean the end of our way of life:

Even sooner than expected, the big push is on to make sure that kids blame somebody else for being fat, namely large corporations, which can be sued. I was sent the front page from the Duluth News Tribune the other day, a front page from July 6, when the main story advanced the idea that being fat is not your fault.

No, being fat is the fault of urban sprawl, global food policies, frenetic lifestyles and whatever else the trained journalism professional allowed herself to believe. I read the story, sighed heavily and made a mental note to dump anything in the old 401k that has to do with food.

Because they're coming to get you, Big Food. They learned how to do it against Big Tobacco, and now they are licking their chops at another billion-dollar payday.

And wait'll they discover Big Hair!

Perils of inflation alert!
Yet another weird twist to the City Hall killer story - HIV Assassin was fueled by Fear of 'Gay' Blackmail :

The City Hall killer was an HIV-positive man who made meticulous preparations for his own death before setting out to assassinate a political rival who he believed was blackmailing him because he was gay, law-enforcement sources said yesterday.

But aside from that, the real eye opener is the lucrative nature of being a mere NY City Councilman:

Law-enforcement sources said that hours before he gunned down Davis, Askew told the FBI the councilman had offered him $45,000 to give up a primary election challenge and threatened to hurt his family if he did not.

Askew also claimed Davis offered him an additional $15,000 annually and a no-show staff job.

Pretty good payoff to just get rid of a dubious primary challenge. Those City Councilmen must have more taxpayer loot on hand than one would think!

Smooth career move alert!
Jayson Blair's got a gig! Actually two of them as Keith Kelly relates in the NY Post:

Jayson Blair is getting back into the journalism game already.

The disgraced former New York Times reporter has landed two plum assignments, one from Esquire and another from Jane.

He'll be reviewing the new Stephen Glass movie for Esquire and writing about workplace pressures for Jane.

I can see it now - "Oooooo! The pressure was so intense I made up about a hundred stories!" Nice to see that the folks at Esquire and Jane run high class operations and don't try to bring in the readers with mere freak shows. How long before they start featuring Bat Boy?

Today's Hoot!
From the latest Bleat:

After Prager came one of the more amusing, and painful, interviews I’ve ever heard. Medved interviewed the actor Eric Roberts, he of Star 80 fame. Apparently Mr. Roberts had issued some political manifesto; apparently Medved had treated it with less than boundless respect; apparently Roberts fired back an email to Medved that contained many provocative contentions. The only one I heard was this: Republican budget cuts were responsible for that old man who plowed his car into the Santa Monica farmer’s market.

As I understood Mr. Robert’s explanation, we spend too much money on the military, which is “killing people all over the world,” and not enough on programs that would drive seniors to the grocery store or the doctor. Medved - who sounded as though he was doing the interview with a big, silly, incredulous grin - asked what that had to do with the old man, who was well-off and had no need of any such program. Roberts - by then desperately out of his league - insisted that the lack of such a program to stop seniors from driving when they were past the age of 77 and provide state-funded chauffeurs was “a crime against humanity.” I am not making this up, as a certain fellow says.

Then came the break. I thought: does Eric Roberts realize that he can just hang up the phone? Sometimes it’s best just to realize that you are being disemboweled, and give up. What’s the worst the show can do - call you back with that extra-angry ring? don’t answer. Take the dog for a walk. Have a smoke.

Back from the break. Medved asks a question about these budget cuts, and to everyone’s surprise he’s answered by a female voice. It’s Eric Roberts’ wife. He couldn’t take it anymore. He didn’t want to be “soundbited.” So he gives the phone to his wife and says you do it. The entire nation gets the image of Eric Roberts in the next room curled up in a beanbag talking to Mr. Teddy.

That's mostly how I think of Eric Roberts anyhow. Oh yeah, Eric is backing Ku Ku in the Democrat presidential scrum.

Which reminds me, did you know Kucinich was a ventriloquist? Sheesh, he looks more like the puppet!

Here's a laugh

The present budget crisis and partisan gridlock make a progressive champion necessary.

The likely rules governing a California recall make a progressive victory possible.

And Arianna Huffington's courage and wit would make her candidacy irresistible!

They're coming out of the woodwork! I foresee hijinks ahead!

As for Arianna, it's like voting for a Gabor without the brains or looks.