I found myself watching it a bit in the afternoons, and saw all of the women's bronze medal match won by the Canadians over the U.S. Okay, so some of that is attributed to the babes on our squads, but after three hours you really start to figure out the game.

The women figure skaters have looked fabulous. What about the men? I don't know about looks (in that purely heterosexual leave-a-seat-between-you-and-friend-at-a-movie-theater way), but their hair was frightful. I'm surprised no one sported a mullet, but they were fluffy enough to make up a dozen Fabio wannabes. There are 70's porn stars with better coifs (so I've heard).

For perspective on the whining over Pres. Bush's "Axis of Evil" comments, let's hop in the Way Back machine and travel all the way back to 1987. Then-Pres. Reagan goes to Berlin and tells Gorby and his commie cronies to "tear down this Wall."

The media freaks out, the European elite gasps in horror, American panty wastes of the Left tear out their hair that this will signal a nuclear holocaust, and some 25,000 West Berliners march in protest against Reagan.

Less than three years later, the Wall falls, followed by all of communist Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.

Georgia postponed the execution of a man considered mentally retarded, who thinks that Sigourney Weaver is God. Well duh, everyone knows that in Georgia he should have said Julia Roberts (Kim Basinger is also acceptable).

While it was pretty silly for Sec. of State Colin Powell to go on MTV and get the usual trifling questions from the youth of America, one response to a ridiculous question made it all worth it.

A woman from Norway pulled out the Evil America line and asked, "...how do you feel about representing a country commonly perceived as the Satan of contemporary politics?"

Powell's reply: "Well I reject the characterization. Quite the contrary. I think the American people, the United States of America, presents a values system to the rest of the world that is based on democracy, based on economic freedom, based on the individual rights of men and women. That's what has fueled this country of ours for the last 225 years. I think that's what makes us such a draw for nations around the world. People come to the United States, they come to be educated, and they come to become Americans. We are a country of countries and we touch every country and every country in the world touches us. So far from being the Great Satan I would say that we are the great protector. We have sent men and women from the armed forces of the United States to other parts of the world throughout the last century to put down oppression. We defeated fascism, we defeated communism, we saved Europe in World War One and World War Two..."

Powell proceeded to note that the U.S. did not stay and conquer Japan or German. Instead we built them up and gave them democratic systems. Powell added: "Did we ask for any land? No, the only land we ever asked for was enough land to bury our dead. That's the kind of nation we are." (Media Research Center)

Here's something that could leave you vomiting in your mouth: Congressman Gary Condit told the New York Times that one of the best reasons for Californians re-electing him is that it will help criminal investigators maintain public interest in the whereabouts of Chandra Levy.

I wish that was a joke.

One reason for the smile on my face: Atlanta now has an all 80s radio station! Now I can relive those good old days of adolescence every day, and remember pinch-rolling my jeans, going to a Poison concert. . . er, you're making fun of me now, aren't you?

Thus, another nerd moment for me, again dealing with palindromes: It happened at 8:02 this past Wednesday night, lasted for 60 seconds only, and it won't happen again for 110 years. At two minutes after 8 p.m., it was be 200220022002, military time. The 20th day of the second month in the year 2002. And on the military's 24-hour clock, 20-02. (20 hours plus two minutes).

Islam means peace, part one: Reuters reports on a speech during Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, at the Grand Mosque, Islam's holiest shrine. Given by Sheikh Osama Abdullah Khayyat, he repeatedly said "God give your glory to Islam and Muslims." The Sheikh concluded it with "Lord, defeat those tyrant Jews."

Islam means peace, part two: A Saudi man who had sex with his sister-in-law has been sentenced to six years in prison and 4,750 lashes. The sister-in-law, who says she was raped, gets only six months in jail and 65 lashes--still an awfully stiff sentence, given that, as the Associated Press puts it, "the court found she had not consented to the relationship." (OpinionJournal.com)

Islam means peace, part three: I may despise Valentine's Day, but I won't tell anyone else not to buy some chocolates and watch a romantic movie. In Saudi Arabia, the religious police banned stores from selling red flowers - or anything else remotely 'romantic' - and motorists were banned from putting flowers on their cars. Children were even forbidden to wear the color red to school on Feb. 14.

Islam means peace, part four: The British have arrested a Muslim cleric, Sheikh Abdullah al-Faisal, of east London, who allegedly sold tapes urging his followers to kill Jews has been charged with incitement to murder, a Scotland Yard spokesman said on Wednesday.

Islam means peace, part five: Reuters quotes an unnamed Pakistani official as saying: "I have been told that the last words uttered by (Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel) Pearl in the videotape, immediately before his throat was slit, were 'Yes I am a Jew and my father is a Jew.' "

Islam means peace, part six: Self-recognition brings new hope. Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf gave a speech in which he reportedly said: "Today we are the poorest, the most illiterate, the most backward, the most unhealthy, the most un-enlightened, the most deprived, and the weakest of all the human race."

Andrew Stuttaford at National Review notes that during these trying times, while Christian churches and groups frequently request Islamic scholars and leaders to provide information on the Muslim faith, you never hear of Muslim congregations asking Christian leaders to visit in order to "teach them about Christianity."

A President's Day poll revealed that African-Americans overwhelmingly chose Bill Clinton as America's greatest leader ever. Abraham Lincoln (chosen overwhelmingly as the best by whites) finished second, and he freed the slaves, for goodness' sake! Meanwhile, their favorite Cavorter-in-Chief committed adultery in the Oval Office and was impeached for perjury, one of his many illegalities while in office.

If that's what it takes to get the black vote, then count me out. Tell the GOP leadership to forget even trying, because that's not who they should want as constituents!

In a case of "White man speak with forked tongue," Sen. Ernest Hollings, D-SC, "who earlier falsely said several Bush administration officials including Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill were connected to Enron, has apparently been caught in another factual mistake." Hollings claimed that his Senate Democratic colleague Dianne Feinstein of California had been unable to talk to Vice President Cheney about energy policy at a time when Enron officials did have access to Cheney. The White House has now produced a picture of an energy policy meeting last March and there was Feinstein, talking to Cheney weeks before he spoke to Enron. (Fox News, Special Report with Brit Hume)

May the Lord forgive me, but I actually find myself liking N'SYNC in those "Baby Back Ribs" ads for Chili's Restaurant.

Do you remember the hubbub a few years ago over California Prop 227, which ended bilingual education? The Left claimed that it would doom non-American-born students to lives in the ditch, shining the shoes of the elitist Leftist Hollywood starlets.

The Weekly Standard unearthed some statistics that blow such poppycock out of the water:

The state's testing of second grade students shows that students with limited-English proficiency who are now taught in English-only classes are vastly outperforming those languishing in the vestigial bilingual programs. For instance, 28 percent of the mainstreamed students score above the 50th percentile on the reading test, while only 13 percent of their peers consigned to bilingual classrooms do so.

Batman's Words of Wisdom: "Let that be a lesson. In the future, be more careful from who you accept free lemonade."

Homer quote: "No matter how good you are at something, there's always about a million people better than you."

Random site: The MegaPenny Project -- Did you ever wonder how many pennies it would take to...?

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