****Exlusive****Must Cite MPJ****Bin Laden Not Captured, Still****

News Flash--In an MPJ Exclusive, Dr. Rusty Shackleford can reveal that Osama bin Laden is still not in custody. MPJ can further reveal that left leaning bloggers question the timing of this news.

Posted by: Rusty at 11:57 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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34 hostages have been killed since 9/11 and the threat of killing two Frenchman finally gets the Religion of Peas moving. Telegraph:Iraq's most senior Sunni religious body said yesterday it would issue a fatwa outlawing the abduction and execution of any foreigner in the country....

The fatwa was issued by the country's committee of Muslim scholars, or ulema. Although it had called for the release of reporters Georges Malbrunot and Christian Chesnot in the past, it had refused to condemn the kidnapping and execution of hostages from countries that backed the US invasion.

"We are going to issue a fatwa declaring that the kidnapping of foreigners in general is not Islamic and ordering that all hostages be released immediately," said Sheikh Abdul Sattar Abdul Jabbar, a senior cleric.PS-Religion of Irony update:

Refusing to comply with a fatwa, the most serious command that can be issued in Islam, risks damnation and execution.

Posted by: Rusty at 11:48 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Blog-sister Jane has a piece published in the Washington Times. Congrats. PS-I am highly offended that the Moonies don't want me in their cult!!

Posted by: Rusty at 11:21 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Ask and ye shall receive. Thanks everyone for such insightful advice (except Rick James). The general consensus seems to be that bloggers like me, who write ten or more posts a day, ought to take a day off devoted to other activities. I know Mrs. Shackleford sure appreciated the fact that the computer stayed off all day. For lighter bloggers this might not be the case. The risk of course is that the sitemeter plunges when you do not post. I guess I'll live with that.

Just to clear up some confusion out there, I am a believer. On top of that I attend church regularly--every week in fact. And to add insult to injury I actually have some position of authority in the church--frightening, isn't it? So if I ever sound blasphemous you can be sure it's tongue in cheek. Besides, I think God doesn't mind people poking fun at all the dumbasses out there. Errr, well, at least I hope he doesn't.

Posted by: Rusty at 11:14 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I've been feeling pretty guilty about blogging on Sundays. As a Sabbath observer, I'm thinking that blogging isn't the most spiritual activity nor does it add to my overall day of rest experience. I'm not going to blog tomorrow and I'll see how I feel. Any other Sabbath observers out there who want to chime in? Do you think it's something I ought to think about giving up one day a week? I'm looking for both the religious/spiritual angle and the strictly rational argument. Anyway, I'll check back in on Monday and see what the masses think.

Posted by: Rusty at 10:41 PM | Comments (11) | Add Comment
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I was just reading about how former Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy conviction was overturned. That's right, sodomy. Oh, and this wasn't a replay of Lawrence v. Johnson. He was let out on a technicality. Had he the evidence that he had actually had sex with another man been better, well, let's just say Mr. Ibrahim would not be on a plane to see London's fabulous night-life right now. So, let's just keep the whole gay marriage thing in perspective, shall we? I'm looking in your general direction Sullie.

Posted by: Rusty at 09:33 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Another Turkish truck driver. ABC News:

Iraqi militants threatened to behead a Turkish truck driver if his company and the Kuwaiti contractor it works for don't stop their operations in Iraq within 48 hours, according to a videotape aired on Arab television Saturday.

Posted by: Rusty at 09:17 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Snooze. I've heard this one before. He's dead. Teets up. Six feet under. Wormfood. Proof? He's the Jihadi equivalent of Paris Hilton, pure media-whore. Go a month without seeing Paris on TV and you know she's dead. Same rule applies to Ossama bin Laden. AP:

The United States and its allies have moved closer to capturing Osama bin Laden in the last two months, a top U.S. counterterrorism official said in a television interview broadcast Saturday.

"If he has a watch, he should be looking at it because the clock is ticking. He will be caught," Joseph Cofer Black, the U.S. State Department coordinator for counterterrorism, told private Geo television network.

Asked if concrete progress had been made during the last two months - when Pakistan has arrested dozens of terror suspects including some key al-Qaida operatives - Black said, "Yes, I would say this."

Posted by: Rusty at 09:03 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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That's a good appetizer. I'd suggest a nice incitement to murder lawsuit to go with that. The main course would be to never let it open again. And for dessert? How does a nice JDAM sound? If killing in war is justified, why is shutting down hostile media outlets not? You know, cause when you kill someone dies. But when you shut down hostile media, the principle of free-speech is broken, but lives are saved. There has to be a trump card in there somewhere. Xinhuanet:

The Iraqi interim government Saturday renewed closure of offices of the Arabic-language satellite television network Al-Jazeera over incitement toviolence.

The decision was taken as the Qatar-based channel did not submit explanations requested by the Iraqi government, the prime minister's office announced in a statement.

The statement said during the temporary closure since Aug. 5,the Iraqi Government had expected the al-Jazeera management to offer an explanation to the presented allegations or to officiallyrequest a description of the possible threat that the channel maybe imposing. However, none of this has happened."

"Additionally, al-Jazeera TV has not respected the decision taken by the ministerial national security committee and has continued to broadcast from within Iraq and interview individuals on Iraqi soil regardless of the temporary closure order," added it.

The government, therefore, decided to extend the ban on al-Jazeera from operating within Iraq until a time when its headquarters sends an official response of their policies andmotives within Iraq, said the statement.

Washington and Baghdad has frequently accused al-Jazeera ofinciting violence by screening "exclusive" video tapes from Muslim extremists, including al-Qaida terror network mastermind Osama binLaden.

Posted by: Rusty at 08:58 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Wait, so a friend of Bush's father tried to pull a few strings when no string pulling was necessary? It reminds me of the student's Mom who called me on the day of a test begging me to let her son take a make-up. "Okay," I says to her, "I'll do you a favor--but don't go spreading it around that I let him take a make-up." Of course, I would have given him the make-up anyway and her son might have known that had he bothered to read the syllabus. But it always makes people feel good if they think they are the reason something gets done.

Posted by: Rusty at 08:46 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I knew it. Look long enough and the hidden hand of the J-O-Os will be revealed in all dastardly deeds:

Ali Abdullah, an Islamic scholar in Bahrain who follows the ultra-conservative Salafi stream of Islam, also condemned the school attack as 'unIslamic'. However, he insisted Muslims were not involved and revived an old conspiracy theory: 'I have no doubt that this is the work of the Israelis, who want to tarnish the image of Muslims.'

Posted by: Rusty at 08:21 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Something is truly wrong with the blogosphere.

Thank you everyone for linking me!!!! If you're not on my blogroll too, I apologize. Just send me an e-mail saying, "Hey, dorkwad, where's my link?"

PS-Don't expect this to last. These things have a tendency to change rapidly.

Posted by: Rusty at 08:00 PM | Comments (13) | Add Comment
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Remember, the live-blogging of the Wonkette/Andrew Sullivan ambush will begin at 4:15 CDT.

Click here to join the butchery!!

UPDATE: Whew. Steve pulled through for us, even if Sullie didn't show. I think I heard something about meeting a bear on the way to the meeting....Anyhoo, this is what it is like to be a political scientist. I know on TV there's a whole lot more grave-robbing and bullwhip swinging, but in reality the life of a political scientist is not so glamorous. FYI-Woodrow Wilson was the 1st President of the American Political Science Association. Yips!

PS: Steve

Busted!! Gordon the Cranky Neocon has the 'real deal'

Posted by: Rusty at 03:36 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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Bush Opens Double-Digit Lead Mecca leaning bow: Allah

Posted by: Rusty at 02:59 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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I've never been a fan of Robert Reich, but I always respected his analysis...until now. I think he's been reading too much Chomsky and might have eaten a bad shroom. Does Reich really believe this stuff? From his site plugging his book Reason:

Bush's top 7 agenda items for a second term:

1) Invade and occupy Iran. [It's all a neocon conspiracy!!]

2) Make tax cuts permanent for richest 5 percent. [True, if not selective in data usage]

3) Patriot II: Let Ashcroft eavesdrop, monitor, watch, question anyone at any time. [Stop beaming radio beams into my head Ashcroft!!]

4) Gut most remaining evironment and worker safety protections. [Notice the word 'remaining' as if somehow the last four years have seen serious erosion in either.]

5) Pack Supreme Court with Scalia and Thomas clones, to overrule Roe v. Wade, bar gay marriage, and put prayer back in schools. [a) yes b) dumb conclusion c) 'allow' is different than 'put' dumbass]

6) Redistrict all congressional seats, to assure a permanent Republican majority. [Hey dumbass, state legislatures do this not the President.]

7) Make the budget deficit so big that Social Security has to be privatized because there's no money to fund it. [Backdoor conspiracy theory, you are a complete loon. As a percent of GDP we have had far greater deficits and I still pay my SS taxes. I mean, I wish this were true, but the deficit has nothing to do with SS.]

Liberals' top 7 things to do to make sure Bush doesn't have a second term:

1) Make sure America knows Bush's top 7 second-term agenda items. [Reinforce people's natural gullibility and predisposition to believe in conspiracies.]

2) If you're not in a "battle-ground state," call every acquaintance who is, and ask whether they're better off today than four years ago. If the answer is "no," recruit them to go door-to-door for Kerry. [Of course, since the unemployment rate is only one-half of one percent higher today than it was four years ago you will need to call 200 people before you will find someone who is worse off today than they were four years ago. With not use the money saved on long-distance phone calls to give to a nice charity instead?]

3) Leave work from October 19 to November 2, to go door-to-door for Kerry. [Yes, that way when your boss fires you we can blame the increase in unemployment number and make Bush look bad.]

4) Say ocrats will give us affordable health care and better jobs" to everyone. [Lie to people. If you believe this and you say it you're not lying, your just stupid. Either way, your probably better off saying nothing at all.]

5) Call and remind right-wing talk radio hosts that the Framers of the Constitution erected a wall between church and state. [Lie to people, again. The framers wrote "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" and that "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States." That's it. One founder wrote of a 'wall of seperation between Church and State.' One.]

6) Mention "Alabama National Guard" every time anyone says "Swift Boat." [Fair come back. Then again, why not mention "cut off ears" "raised villages" and "Ghenghis Khan" back at them.]

7) GIVE 'EM HELL. [Bring it on.]

To think that your position is reasonable, while the opposition is unreasonable is the height of arrogance. This is doubly so when you are not talking about a position, but rather an ideology which may includes multiple positions--each of which may or may not be reasoned. To argue that liberals are liberals because reason compelled them to it is the height of arrogance. The same is true for any ideological construct.

PS-Speaking of Nazi Ashcroft, Gordon has some quotes from Reich at the GOP convention.

Posted by: Rusty at 02:20 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Reuters:

Lebanon's parliament is going ahead with a vote to extend the term of Syrian-backed President Emile Lahoud on Friday despite a U.N. Security Council resolution warning Damascus against interfering in Lebanon.

Posted by: Rusty at 01:22 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Look away. This post is not happening. The real problem is Osama bin Laden. Al Qaeda is a small organization. Let's send special forces to take them out. BBC:

....20 hostage-takers had died in exchanges of fire with troops, at least nine of them Arabs.

Posted by: Rusty at 01:07 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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And a speedy recovery.

UPDATE: Atrios readers take off tin-foil hats, question timing:

Say a prayer, if that's your style, that Bubba pulls through with flying colors and that his anesthesiologist is a diehard Dem.
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I think it's great that this and the hurricane and even the russian school disaster(terribly tragic) is taking attention away from the RNC. more...

Posted by: Rusty at 12:59 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Saudi Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Bin Ahmad al-Muqrran is in custody. Update: CNN

The recently captured militant came to the attention of Saudi authorities after the atttack in al-Khobar. They said he was identified as one who provided information and support for the four men who participated in the attack.

Twenty-two people died in al-Khobar in a hostage standoff that began May 29, ending with Saudi troops storming the residential compound where militants had taken more than 200 people hostage.

Linked by Communist Infiltrators

Posted by: Rusty at 10:12 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Spin this:

Economy Adds 144,000 Jobs, Jobless Rate Dips to 5.4 Percent

Cowbell™ is a registered Trade Mark of the Paris Hilton Corporation.

Posted by: Rusty at 09:39 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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