2002-11-14 - 1:22 p.m.

This looks like a joke, a crude parody, but it's not. And to think, I complain about my writers sometimes. I'd rather be forced to "disappear" at the hands of the Saddam government than to serve as this guy's editor.

How does diplomacy with these people work? Have you ever tried to debate with those scary "lost tribes of Israel," "true Hebrew" types with their science-fair-style foamboards, shouting to high heaven in Times Square? Of course you haven't. So I don't pity Kofi Annan or anyone who has to spend any time in the U.N. building with this guy.

But what does Kofi do, after slogging through this letter? He tells the U.S. to back off, bub. This, after the letter from Iraq harps on how the country's sovereignty is primary--even though they agreed to that recent U.N. resolution that essentially forfeited a piece of Iraqi sovereignty by allowing unfettered inspections. Seems like they want it both ways, no? Hm. I wonder if Saddam's really going to let the inspectors do what they need to do. Wait, a minute, no I don't. Scary times ahead, I fear. But scarier is letting the problem get any worse than it almost defintely already is.

Sweet. More politics. Haven't busted that out in a while, so I'm allowed. I won't even bother to get domestic on your ass; that's just too depressing at the moment.

Nami's b-day was super-fun yesterday, and I didn't screw up in my gift-giving (an important ritual in many societies, especially among barbarians), so all is good. Plus we're going to PA tomorrow, so smell ya later, folks.