New York Post Online Edition: news

New York Post Online Edition: news Those Larouche people are freaky.

FAIR ACTION ALERT: Dennis Miller's Defense: Ethics Don't Apply to Him

FAIR ACTION ALERT: Dennis Miller's Defense: Ethics Don't Apply to Him "I don't know what I think of George W. Bush when he first got in, but I've grown fond of the man, and maybe it's the times we live in. They say he's not an environmentalist. But every time I see his ranch on TV, it looks pretty nice. You know something, if we all took care of our own, we'd have a great environment." -- Dennis Miller

Pixar ends Disney distribution deal, saying time to move on - Jan. 29, 2004

Pixar ends Disney distribution deal, saying time to move on - Jan. 29, 2004

NOVA | The Elegant Universe | Watch the Program | PBS

NOVA | The Elegant Universe | Watch the Program | PBS This show about String Theory is awesome. Awesome. Please. Well, here goes an attempt at a thought it gave me: Godel and The Physicists Goedel in a second for goodball's like me: "What it does say is that every consistent axiomatic system which is complex enough to include arithmetic contains a true statement that cannot be proved within the system" Quantum mechanics and relativity are two different sets of laws that were developed for different sets of information: one set that developed when the information was derived from the very small and short-lived atomic and subatomic particles, and one set developed when the information was derived from the very heavy, large and long lasting planets and stars and galaxies. These "worlds" are normally quite seperate and so the fact that the theories don't relate is no biggie, from a practical standpoint in most cases. But they both describe the same stuff-- things, ya know, stuff you can do stuff with. Stuff is the stuff that has mass, duration, and extension. Grammar fails. Ack, my keyboard just started deleting... So lemmie skip something for now... String Theory is the unprovable true statement. Also, if science is the provable testable, and philosophy is not, then what does goedel tell us about the relationship between the two?

Professor Kowalik, I was a student in your Nietzsche course a couple years ago. I had always found it interesting that as a Philosophy student, I studied Nietzsche through the German department. You’re class was one of the very best of my UCLA career and one of the few that has stuck with me over time. Now I am hoping you can once again help me where my department cannot. There is a story to tell but I would prefer to talk on the phone. If you would consider sponsoring an independent study of mine, please contact me as soon as it is convenient. My academic and intellectual futures are on the line. Cheers & please excuse the bombast, Jordan

Will There Be A Bush/Giuliani Ticket In '04? :: Disinformation :: The gateway to the underground - news, politics, conspiracy and weirdness.

Will There Be A Bush/Giuliani Ticket In '04? :: Disinformation :: The gateway to the underground - news, politics, conspiracy and weirdness. empty speculation or political dream team? I Have no idea. But I have a feeling Giuliani wouldn't do it.

Media Whores Online

Media Whores Online: "Dear Mr. Safire,"

Boy the Bear's Age Gauge

Boy the Bear's Age Gauge

Miller - ok, the link on the left that says the sundowners should take you to your page. you can start updating it as soon as we get to talk and I can tell you what to do.

Delta Force - Black Hawk Down: Team Sabre Review for PC at GameSpot

The first Amazon.com Team Sabre user review: 5 stars Awesome!, January 21, 2004 Reviewer: mikeulhill13 from Twain Harte, CA - USA I bought this game today and started playing it. The graphics are better than the original BHD and the enviorments are more complex. there are multiple ways to play through most missions so you won't see yourself going through linear paths as you might have on the original BHD. The jungle levels in Colombia are amazing! The trees and jungle canopy are rich and the water and dirt look just right. There are new weapons to aid your quest, (sadly, still no AK.) Your team is smarter and better reacting this time around, I am pleased to see them dieing less! I was so impressed with the first BHD I didn't hesitate to pick Team Sabre up and after three missions I can say it was a great purchase. It is defineitly worth the money as well. $20 is fantastic and pretty much affordable for everyone. I would recommend this game to any fan of the first BHD.

During this year's Super Bowl, you'll see ads sponsored by beer companies, tobacco companies, and the Bush White House.1 But you won't see the winning ad in MoveOn.org Voter Fund's Bush in 30 Seconds ad contest. CBS refuses to air it.2 Meanwhile, the White House is on the verge of signing into law a deal which Senator John McCain (R-AZ) says is custom-tailored for CBS and Fox,3 allowing the two networks to grow much bigger. CBS lobbied hard for this rule change; MoveOn.org members across the country lobbied against it; and now our ad has been rejected while the White House ad will be played. It looks an awful lot like CBS is playing politics with the right to free speech. Of course, this is bigger than just the MoveOn.org Voter Fund. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) submitted an ad that was also rejected.4 But this isn't even a progressive-vs.-conservative issue. The airwaves are publicly owned, so we have a fundamental right to hear viewpoints from across the ideological spectrum. That's why we need to let CBS know that this practice of arbitrarily turning down ads that may be "controversial" -- especially if they're controversial simply because they take on the President -- just isn't right. To watch the ad that CBS won't air and sign our petition to CBS, go to: http://www.moveon.org/cbs/ad/ We'll deliver the petition by email directly to CBS headquarters. You also may want to let your local CBS affiliate know you're unhappy about this decision. We've attached a list of the CBS affiliates in your state at the bottom of this email. Remember, a polite, friendly call will be most effective -- just explain to them why you believe CBS' decision hurts our democracy. CBS will claim that the ad is too controversial to air. But the message of the ad is a simple statement of fact, supported by the President's own figures. Compared with 2002's White House ad which claimed that drug users are supporting terrorism,5 it hardly even registers. CBS will also claim that this decision isn't an indication of political bias. But given the facts, that's hard to believe. CBS overwhelmingly favored Republicans in its political giving, and the company spent millions courting the White House to stop FCC reform.6 According to a well-respected study, CBS News was second only to Fox in failing to correct common misconceptions about the Iraq war which benefited the Bush Administration -- for example, the idea that Saddam Hussein was involved with 9/11.7 This is not a partisan issue. It's critical that our media institutions be fair and open to all speakers. CBS is setting a dangerous precedent, and unless we speak up, the pattern may continue. Please call on CBS to air ads which address issues of public importance today. Sincerely, --Adam, Carrie, Eli, James, Joan, Laura, Noah, Peter, Wes, and Zack The MoveOn.org Team January 22nd, 2003 P.S. Our friends at Free Press have put together a page which explains simply how CBS and the FCC rule change are integrally linked. Check it out at: http://www.mediareform.net/media/ P.P.S Here are the CBS affiliates in your state: KCBS-TV, Los Angeles: (323) 460-3000 KFMB-TV, San Diego: (858) 571-8888 KPSP-TV, Thousand Palms: (760) 343-5700 KBAK-TV, Bakersfield: (661) 327-7955 KCOY-TV, Santa Maria: (805) 925-1200 KGPE-TV, Fresno: (559) 222-2411 KION-TV, Salinas: (831) 784-1702 KPIX-TV, San Francisco: (415) 362-5550 KVIQ-TV, Eureka: (707) 443-3061 KOVR-TV, West Sacramento: (916) 374-1313 KHSL-TV, Chico: (530) 342-0141

What�s Bush Hiding From 9/11 Commission?

What�s Bush Hiding From 9/11 Commission?: "The President is fortunate that until now, the bipartisan National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States has received far less attention than controversies over the design for a World Trade Center memorial. At every step, from his opposition to its creation, to his abortive appointment of Henry Kissinger as its chair, to his refusal to provide it with adequate funding and cooperation, Mr. Bush has treated the commission and its essential work with contempt. "

Salon.com stuff: "A legal black hole"
The No Jobs President
Bush leaves no bride behind

Media Whores Online: "Here, CNN's Miles O'Brien informs America that it is patriotic and proper for George W. Bush, unelected occupant of the White House, to turn the State of the Union speech into a blatantly partisan and political campaign commercial - but it is improper and unpatriotic for Democrats to respond with partisan and political facial expressions and head movements to said speech. MILES O'BRIEN: You know, the look of Ted Kennedy...as he just kind of...first of all, whatever your politics, is that respectful of the State of the Union Address to do that? DEM STRATEGIST ROBERT ZIMMERMAN: Well I think one thing you cant criticize Ted Kennedy for is for the respect and patriotism he and his family have shown our country. But I think that look of concern was reflected by so many of us, because while you talk about the audience being very partisan in its response, I can't recall a more partisan or blatantly political state of the union speech in a very long time. MILES O'BRIEN: Well it is an election year, Robert! it's an election year!"

PC Games: Black Hawk Down: Team Sabre Review A review of my first credit as an associate producer, and my first credit even on a video game.

Axis of Super Evil

Axis of Super Evil

Al Franken Responds to Bush's State of the Union | MFA A fun listen, and Al thought the line about diplomacy was the most egregious, as did I.

"For diplomacy to be viable, words must be credible, and no one can now doubt the word of America." --Bush 1/20/04 Hahahahahahahahahhahahahahahhaha hahaabahahahahhahahahahahahaha -=wiping eyes=- -=sigh=- That is rich... The best is the way they showed Colin Powel on TV right at that moment standing up to applaud in agreement. Sometimes I wish there was a hell. By the way, it looked like he had three teleprompters, one on each side and one in the middle. Is that how they do it now? Check it out on the replay, the way his eyes fixate on three particular spots as he reads somebody else's speech word for word (except when he screws that up). It's good that he was wearing that American flag lapel pin, or else how would we know who he is or what country he comes from? And now everyone is wearing it. What a leader.

"Maybe" is a thin reed to hang your life on but it's all we've got. -- Woody Allen

Rumors of the blog's demise are far from true. However writing has been difficult as of late. I think there are a few reasons. These days my mind is occupied by personal matters: Career, family, relationship, money, living scenarios, and so on. These may make good blog fodder, but I have trouble writing about them. I prefer to write about things that I have at least some modicum of insight into, as opposed to the complete confusion that generally pervades the morass that is introspection. Plus I don't want to have some amorphous blob of a blog that yappers on with a lack of direction about things like my lack of direction. Actually, my problem is not a lack of direction as much as an abivalence in direction... or really a multivalence. There are tons of things I want to do very scencerly. but when I think about my age I am reminded that I really cannot do everything... and the decisions I make now will likely chart the course of this ever-accelerating, ever-shortening life. What's the saying? "It is not where you dig your well, but how deep you dig it." But also I'm just too busy living and working these days. I had an excellent weekend. Friday we had a terrible band practice. Saturday I played games, went on a hike in malibu where I soaked up some beauty. Later that night Chris and I went to Sasha birthday party which was amazing. Chris got ripped and fell on the record player. Sasha and his 'mates played honkey tonk blues. Sunday I saw my grandmother and did some errands. Well it might not sound busy but after a 55 hour work week I like to do as little as possible. Going to the bathroom can feel like a chore. Yeah the Dean got whooped. That's ok with me, I enjoyed Kerry's speech last night, even if his special interest rhetoric has a broken record feel to me. I like Clark too. I'm not too sure about John Edwards... what are your thoughts? My real concern is that WHOEVER is frontrunning will get beaten down by the media like Dean did, like gore did, while Bush gets off relatively scott-free.

Powergrid Fitness

Powergrid Fitness This machine turns your xbox, PS2, or whatever into an excercise machine. Cool.

South Park and Mormons - Setting the Record Straight: Part 4

South Park and Mormons - Setting the Record Straight: Part 4: "So according to Special Book of Mormon Witness David Whitmer, Joseph Smith only used one seer stone to translate the Book of Mormon, not two as South Park shows."

ripped from bartcop.com

A Warmonger explains war to a peacenik by Bill Davidson - source unknown Peacenik: Why did you say we are we invading Iraq? WarMonger: We are invading Iraq because it is in violation of Security Council resolution 1441. A country cannot be allowed to violate Security Council resolutions. PN: But I thought many of our allies, including Israel, were in violation of more security council resolutions than Iraq. WM: It's not just about UN resolutions. The main point is that Iraq could have weapons of mass destruction, and the first sign of a smoking gun could well be a mushroom cloud over New York. PN: Mushroom cloud? But I thought the weapons inspectors said Iraq had no nuclear weapons. WM: Yes, but biological and chemical weapons are the issue. PN: But I thought Iraq did not have any long range missiles for attacking us or our allies with such weapons. WM: The risk is not Iraq directly attacking us, but rather terrorist networks that Iraq could sell the weapons to. PN: But couldn't virtually any country sell chemical or biological materials? We sold quite a bit to Iraq in the Eighties ourselves, didn't we? WM: That's ancient history. Look, Saddam Hussein is an evil man that has an undeniable track record of repressing his own people since the early Eighties. He gasses his enemies. Everyone agrees that he is a power-hungry lunatic murderer. PN: We sold chemical and biological materials to a power-hungry lunatic murderer? WM: The issue is not what we sold, but rather what Saddam did. He is the one that launched a pre-emptive first strike on Kuwait. PN: A pre-emptive first strike does sound bad. But didn't our ambassador to Iraq, April Glaspie, know about and green-lighted the invasion of Kuwait? PN: Osama Bin Laden? Wasn't the point of invading Afghanistan to kill him? WM: Actually, it's not 100% certain that it's really Osama Bin Laden on the tapes. But the lesson from the tape is the same: here could easily be a partnership between Al Qaida and Saddam Hussein unless we act. PN: Is this the same audio tape where Osama labels Saddam a secular infidel? WM: You're missing the point by just focusing on the tape. Powell presented a strong case against Iraq. PN: He did? WM: Yes, he showed satellite pictures of an Al Qaida poison factory in Iraq. PN: But didn't that turn out to be a harmless shack in the part of Iraq controlled by the Kurdish opposition? WM: And a British intelligence report... PN: Didn't that turn out to be copied from an out-of-date graduate student paper? WM: And reports of mobile weapons labs... PN: Weren't those just artistic renderings? WM: And reports of Iraqis scuttling and hiding evidence from inspectors... PN: Wasn't that evidence contradicted by the chief weapons inspector, Hans Blix? WM: Yes, but there is plenty of other hard evidence that cannot be revealed because it would compromise our security. PN: So there is no publicly available evidence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? WM: The inspectors are not detectives, it's not their JOB to find evidence. You're missing the point. PN: So what is the point? WM: The main point is that we are invading Iraq because Resolution 1441 threatened "severe consequences." If we do not act, the Security Council will become an irrelevant debating society. PN: So the main point is to uphold the rulings of the Security Council? WM: Absolutely. ...unless it rules against us. PN: And what if it does rule against us? WM: In that case, we must lead a coalition of the willing to invade Iraq. PN: Coalition of the willing? Who's that? WM: Britain, Turkey, Bulgaria, Spain, and Italy, for starters. PN: I thought Turkey refused to help us unless we gave them tens of billions of dollars. WM: Nevertheless, they may now be willing. PN: I thought public opinion in all those countries was against war. WM: Current public opinion is irrelevant. The majority expresses its will by electing leaders to make decisions. PN: So it's the decisions of leaders elected by the majority that is important? WM: Yes. PN: But George Bush wasn't elected by voters. He was selected by the U.S. Supreme C... WM: I mean, we must support the decisions of our leaders, however they were elected, because they are acting in our best interest. This is about being a patriot. That's the bottom line. PN: So if we do not support the decisions of the president, we are not patriotic? WM: I never said that. PN: So what are you saying? Why are we invading Iraq? WM: As I said, because there is a chance that they have WMD that threaten us and our allies. PN: But the inspectors have not been able to find any such weapons. WM: Iraq is obviously hiding them. PN: You know this? How? WM: Because we know they had the weapons ten years ago, and they are still unaccounted for. PN: The weapons we sold them, you mean? WM: Precisely. PN: But I thought those biological and chemical weapons would degrade to an unusable state over ten years. WM: But there is a chance that some have not degraded. PN: So as long as there is even a small chance that such weapons exist, ee must invade? WM: Exactly. PN: But North Korea actually has large amounts of usable chemical, biological, AND nuclear weapons, AND long range missiles that can reach the west coast AND it has expelled nuclear weapons inspectors, AND threatened to turn America into a sea of fire. WM: That's a diplomatic issue. PN: So why are we invading Iraq instead of using diplomacy? WM: Aren't you listening? We are invading Iraq because we cannot allow the inspections to drag on indefinitely. Iraq has been delaying, deceiving, and denying for over ten years, and inspections cost us tens of millions. PN: But I thought war would cost us tens of billions. WM: Yes, but this is not about money. This is about security. PN: But wouldn't a pre-emptive war against Iraq ignite radical Muslim sentiments against us, and decrease our security? WM: Possibly, but we must not allow the terrorists to change the way we live. Once we do that, the terrorists have already won. PN: So what is the purpose of the Department of Homeland Security, color-coded terror alerts, and the Patriot Act? Don't these change the way we live? WM: I thought you had questions about Iraq. PN: I do. Why are we invading Iraq? WM: For the last time, we are invading Iraq because the world has called on Saddam Hussein to disarm, and he has failed to do so. He must now face the consequences. PN: So, likewise, if the world called on us to do something, such as find a peaceful solution, we would have an obligation to listen? WM: By "world", I meant the United Nations. PN: So, we have an obligation to listen to the United Nations? WM: By "United Nations" I meant the Security Council. PN: So, we have an obligation to listen to the Security Council? WM: I meant the majority of the Security Council. PN: So, we have an obligation to listen to the majority of the Security Council? WM: Well... there could be an unreasonable veto. PN: In which case? WM: In which case, we have an obligation to ignore the veto. PN: And if the majority of the Security Council does not support us at all? WM: Then we have an obligation to ignore the Security Council. PN: That makes no sense. WM: If you love Iraq so much, you should move there. Or maybe France, with all the other cheese-eating surrender monkeys. It's time to boycott their wine and cheese, no doubt about that. PN: Here... have a pretzel, instead. "

BartCop's most recent rants

BartCop's most recent rants: "'It's one thing to believe Bush's policies are leading his country toward a bleak future of massive debt, increased terrorism, and environmental catastrophy but does Dean have to be so mad about it? He just comes off as petty. I mean, if America liked angry presidents JFK would have beaten all those secretaries instead of nailing them.' --Stephen Colbert, of the Daily Show, on why he believes Dean is too angry to appeal to the general electorate, "

Salon.com News | The media vs. Howard Dean

Without the Gore press fiasco as a backdrop it might seem as if Dean were simply wading through an inevitable rough patch with the press -- that pundits and reporters are practicing the usual baptism-by-fire, forcing the unlikely front-runner to earn his stripes. That's a legitimate, even expected part of any race for the White House. But watching the striking similarities between the way the D.C. press is covering Dean and how it treated Gore, and contrasting it with the way it has treated President Bush, it's becoming harder to avoid the obvious conclusion: that Democratic presidential front-runners and nominees are held to a higher, tougher standard by the Washington press corps. I've been waiting for this article. I'm sick of this dean can't win bullshit. EVERYBODY is after him. Rove says he WANTS to have Dean as his opponent. Don't believe it. Dean is galvanizing lots of people. I think the Democrats could activate many voters with this man. He speaks to all of us who use embarressed to have G.W. as out commander in chief-- all of us who want to be proud of this country again.

Op-Ed Columnist: The Awful Truth

This O'Neil flap is funny isn't it? I thought this was old news. It's obvious that Bush and his cabal used 9/11 to get into Iraq's panties so of course they've wanted to do that before 9/11. The Awful Truth: "So far administration officials have attacked Mr. O'Neill's character but haven't refuted any of his facts. They have, however, already opened an investigation into how a picture of a possibly classified document appeared during Mr. O'Neill's TV interview. This alacrity stands in sharp contrast with their evident lack of concern when a senior administration official, still unknown, blew the cover of a C.I.A. operative because her husband had revealed some politically inconvenient facts." -- Paul Krugman Make sure to read the "investigation" link i buried in that quote. You will find some suprising statements O'Neil made on TV this morning: "People are trying to say that I said the president was planning war in Iraq early in the administration. Actually there was a continuation of work that had been going on in the Clinton administration with the notion that there needed to be a regime change in Iraq." On Weapons of Mass destruction: "I think the fact that we have not found them makes the point. But that doesn't make the point that we should not have got rid of Saddam Hussein." The Reuters story ends with this bomb: "Pressed whether he would vote for Bush in the November presidential election, O'Neill said he probably would, but he said the American people needed to demand more of their leaders. " O'NEIL will likely vote for Bush!? Did somebody get to him, or is he just nuts? Is he trying to save his own ass, or is he just an ass?

if you ever played metal gear solid...

you must click here

Satan #8723648726897w2.

SAURON CAPTURED BY US RANGERS!

... He was in a spider hole too. Aren't my photoshop skills enormous?

Bush to Announce Missions to Mars, Moon

Bush to Announce Missions to Mars, Moon Jesse, our firewall blocked your attachment but you didn't think I would miss this, right? Tentatively I would say this is awesome news. I am 100% for space exploration. It's part of my transhumanist worldview. But seriously folks, isn't it exciting? Why the hell didn't we do this before? Can you believe that as a planet we spend our money on weapons to blow each other into smithereens when we could be using that same money (and technological research) to explore space and feed every single person on this planet "not one person excluded." Bush probably just wants to blow other planets into smithereens but I'm with him on this... Unless he's trying to sell the moon to corporations or some bullshit like that.

Video gaming and its discontents

Salon.com Technology | Video gaming and its discontents: "It's the best of times, it's the worst of times for video gamers. There are no interesting games, there are stacks of interesting games. Gamers are bored with games, they are excited about games. The Entertainment Software Association reports that the average gamer is now 28 years old, and maybe that's part of the problem: We are not so easily distracted by shiny pretty things anymore. But how to resolve the contradiction that where some find ennui others wait with bated breath?" I think about the issues presented in this article a lot. There is a part of me that wants to be a part of the birth of a new art, a medium that I grew up along side of... But the truth is I have grown faster than games... Despite my deep affection for, and excitement about games, I am concerned that they are not evolving quickly. Their growth has been stunted by corporate control and the sheer mass of skill, time, and money that are required to make a premier title. Nobody wants to risk it. This article articulates the issue from a gamer's perspective, but fails to properly explore it. Figuring out how to attract female games is not the issue, we're talking about the discontent of current gamers, but the article really spends most of its words on the girl thang. When the games are broader in scope and stronger in content, the fems will play. Regardless, the end of the article expresses it wonderfully: "We're ready for cultural products. Good, bad, and ugly games. Experimental games. Games that are not entirely successful but try out a new idea or a new technology. Games that are more than just games. We're getting there. And for all the love of video gaming that gamers still bear, that seed of discontent is just what's needed to keep looking for the next great thing that breaks boundaries, wakes people up and rocks the world."

Yahoo! News - Powell Refutes Think-Tank Report on Iraq

Yahoo! News - Powell Refutes Think-Tank Report on Iraq: "'My presentation ... made it clear that we had seen some links and connections to terrorist organizations over time,' Powell said. 'I have not seen smoking gun, concrete evidence about the connection, but I think the possibility of such connections did exist and it was prudent to consider them at the time that we did.'" Oh Colin. I can't believe you're gonna burn in hell with BushCo. Why don't you take responsibility and not make a mockery out of your whole life. (PS, yes I am saying this stuff to colin as an associate producer of computer games, SHHHH)

how about some pics of my room and the view. Jason took these when he was visiting a few weeks ago. Thanks Jason.

Yahoo! News - Study Warns of Global Warming Extinctions

hooray!

Yahoo! News - Study Warns of Global Warming Extinctions

hooray!

Bush in 30 Seconds

hope you got broadband

Radical Pragmatistism: “If Ralph Nader runs -- if the Green Party makes the terrible mistake of running a presidential candidate -- don't give him your vote. Listen, here's the thing about politics: It's not an expression of your moral purity and your ethics and your probity and your fond dreams of some utopian future. Progressive people constantly fail to get this….”

Washington Goes to War (with Howard Dean)

you better watch out...

I'm not, as Big Brother suggests, trying to make a big deal about the lyrics of a song. Rather I'm trying to use these lyrics as a springboard for a critique of Christmas... And since I've tried to hint at the way Christmas makes palatable many of the basic tenants of the Christian religion, the critique is aimed more broadly. Miller, the song's first verse is actually: You better watch out, You better not cry, You better not pout, I'm telling you why... Pretty sinister if you ask me. You better not misbehave little boy or girl... or else! Santa Clause's list brings the story of the judgement into our homes every year in a very real way for children. Hopefully in a happy way, but the missive is powerful nonetheless: You better behave, you are in the panopticon, and there are consequences.

He knows if you've been good or bad, so be good for goodness's sake.

Isn't that typical? We're supposed to be "good for goodness's sake," and what is to motivate us toward that end? A supernatural figure who somehow knows if we've been good or bad. In this simple christmas carol we have discovered the fire and brimstone of the new testament, with both its dark fantasy and empty speciousity. After all, if we are good in order to receive Santa's gifts, then we are not good for goodness sake. Yet this is what we sing to our children. Who is santa to judge if we've been naughty or nice anyway? At least God would know. But god is perhaps to abstract for kids. So we create a pagan god for our children, and through him we dilute the prophecy of the judgement day, and serve it to our youth year after year with their mother's milk. Jesus preached of forgiveness, not judgement, but Santa only gives to the good. Clearly the two of them have a philisophical dispute. For further information, I suggest "The Spirit Of Christmas" by Trey Parker & Matt Stone. Jibbah and the Jibblog welcome you to 2004.