I started out looking for classes to take during Summer and Fall sessions.  I'm thinking of maybe taking some math, communications, or more economics classes.  We'll see.

But in the course of looking up some references for the history of rhetorical argument and its personalities (one of the class descriptions mentions Stephen Toulmin and Chaim Perelman), I discovered this argument against boycotting French goods.

The argument seems pretty sane, if a bit misguided.  While it's true that the French were there for the US throughout its birth, I can't see how that's relevant to our current situation.  So I'm reading through the article, thinking that although it's kind of cockeyed, it's still thought-out, when I notice this banner at the top of the page.  Enticed enough to click it, I find out that George Washington wasn't the first president!  Ok, so it turns out they were nuts.

Anyway, if should be boycotting French goods, why not just send back everything?  I mean, let's stop making stupid gestures that waste our time and tax money - ie. Renaming "French Fries" in the House cafeteria to "Freedom Fries".  Let's do something to really piss off the French.

Speaking of congress, et al, don't they have to approve any military action anyway?  Don't they at least have to be informed?  I guess not.

The ultimatum that Bush provides to Hussein is pretty clear.  "Get out or blow up."  But let's think about this.  Assume that Hussein has some place to go outside of Iraq.  Maybe Libya.  I know that I can't pack my entire house in two days.  And he lives in a palace.  Maybe Bush should have offered him a week.  Of course, just during the two days he did have, he has approved the use of chemical weapons by his generals.  Or maybe we're just protecting ourselves from our own weapons.

Also during the past few days, the French have been trying to assassinate Bush by feeding him a lot of pretzels.  Surely one of them is likely to get lodged in his throat.  Perhaps this is a retaliation for the renaming of other french foods, like "Freedom Toast" for french toast and "Rancid Bubbly Water" for Perrier.  (I am humored by the symbolic use of the Statue of Liberty.)

Speaking of food and politics, get your conservative ice cream here.  It's the political antithesis of Ben and Jerry's.  But the web site is not as pretty.

Finally, while we discussing food, you might also find that your next president is a box of Tic-Tacs.  Why not?  They got more sense than Bush.  Is that an expression?  "Less sense than a box of Tic-Tacs"?  It should be.  Anyway, exercie you right to vote and choose the better candidate for 2004, W. or a box of candy.

Polls of this kind are certainly bound to recruit bias, as shown in the results (Tac-Tacs currently lead with a 90% margin).  I imagine there is something odd going on in the traditional polls, too, which show that 70% of americans are idiots and unconditionally support the war.  Further evidence that polls suck.

So if you're looking for something to add to your web site that's not a poll, you might be interesed in this new ticker I found.  It keeps track of casualties in the upcoming war on Iraq.  Get your Iraqi bodycount ticker now!

At the same time, you might want to list your site with PeaceBlogs.  It's kind of like blogs of war, but, um, different.  Hopefully the reason is obvious.  I guess the first shot has already been fired.

Meanwhile, a tobacco farmer drives his tractor into a ditch to protest domestic subsidy cuts.  I think it's pretty clear that while we shouldn't be supporting war we should also not be protesting war.  There are so many other more important things on which our nation needs to concentrate.