OH, THAT HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT

It's embarrassing: The U.S. State Department plans to delay the release of a human rights report (which was due out today) because, as one official put it, the report describes actions taken by the U.S. government to encourage respect for human rights by other nations, and releasing it now (in light of the American abuse scandal at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq) could "make us look hypocritical." No shit, Sherlock.

Posted by Jan Herman on May 05, 2004 02:00 PM (0 comments & pings so far)
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TEMPERATURE RISING

I presume you've seen this by now, but in case you haven't: "Disney may block anti-Bush film." The film in question is Michael Moore's latest, "Fahrenheit 9/11," which is to have its premiere later this month at the Cannes International Film Festival.

The New York Times quotes Moore's agent as saying that Disney CEO Michael Eisner feared that distributing the documentary (produced by its Miramax Films division) would endanger tax breaks Disney receives for its theme park, hotels and other ventures in Florida, where the Maximum Leader's brother, Jeb Bush, is governor. Disney executives denied that.

Moore told the Times: "At some point the question has to be asked, 'Should this be happening in a free and open society where the monied interests essentially call the shots regarding the informatioin that the public is allowed to see?'"

The real reason for Eisner's concern is that Osama bin Laden's family and other powerful Saudi clans who've been linked to the Bush family own vast amounts of Disney stock. (Nah, just kidding.)

Posted by Jan Herman on May 05, 2004 12:52 PM (0 comments & pings so far)
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THE SPECTRUM FROM BLUE TO RED

The chart that explains it all for you: A state by state tabulation of the average IQ, income and winning presidential candidate in the 2000 election, according to the Ravens Advanced Progressive Matrices. The matrices are a product of The Test Agency, a well-known British publisher and distributor of psychometric tests, testing software and management training.

--------------------------AVG IQ---AVG Income--'00
(1) Connecticut..............113.........$26,979.........Gore
(2) Massachusetts..........111.........$24,059.........Gore
(3) New Jersey...............111........$26,457.........Gore
(4) New York.................109........$23,534..........Gore
(5) Rhode Island.............107........$20,299..........Gore
(6) Hawaii.....................106........$21,218..........Gore
(7) Maryland..................105.......$22,974..........Gore
(8) New Hampshire..........105.......$22,934..........Bush
(9) Illinois......................104.......$21,608..........Gore
(10) Delaware................103.......$21,451..........Gore
(11) Minnesota...............102.......$20,049..........Gore
(12) Vermont.................102.......$18,834..........Gore
(13) Washington..............102.......$20,398..........Gore
(14) California.................101.......$21,278..........Gore
(15) Pennsylvania.............101......$20,253..........Gore
(16) Maine......................100......$18,226...........Gore
(17) Virginia....................100......$20,629...........Bush
(18) Wisconsin.................100......$18,727...........Gore
(19) Colorado....................99......$20,124...........Bush
(20) Iowa.........................99......$18,287...........Gore
(21) Michigan....................99......$19,508...........Gore
(22) Nevada......................99......$20,266..........Bush
(23) Ohio..........................99......$18,624..........Bush
(24) Oregon......................99.......$18,202.........Gore
(25) Alaska.......................98.......$21,603..........Bush
(26) Florida......................98.......$19,397...........Bush
(27) Missouri....................98.......$18,835...........Bush
(28) Kansas.....................96.......$19,376...........Bush
(29) Nebraska..................95.......$19,084...........Bush
(30) Arizona.....................94.......$17,119...........Bush
(31) Indiana.....................94.......$18,043...........Bush
(32) Tennessee................94........$17,341..........Bush
(33) North Carolina............93........$17,667..........Bush
(34) West Virginia.............93........$15,065..........Bush
(35) Arkansas...................92.......$15,439...........Bush
(36) Georgia.....................92........$18,130..........Bush
(37) Kentucky...................92........$16,534..........Bush
(38) New Mexico...............92........$15,353..........Gore
(39) North Dakota.............92........$16,854..........Bush
(40) Texas.......................92........$17,892..........Bush
(41) Alabama....................90........$16,220..........Bush
(42) Louisiana...................90........$15,712..........Bush
(43) Montana....................90.........$16,062.........Bush
(44) Oklahoma...................90........$16,198..........Bush
(45) South Dakota..............90........$16,558..........Bush
(46) South Carolina.............89........$15,989..........Bush
(47) Wyoming....................89........$17,423..........Bush
(48) Idaho........................87........$16,067..........Bush
(49) Utah.........................87........$15,325..........Bush
(50) Mississippi..................85........$14,088..........Bush

This could be a joke. If so, it's a good one. No worse, certainly, than the outcome of the 2000 election.

Posted by Jan Herman on May 05, 2004 10:04 AM (1 comments & pings so far)
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