Motto

If ever I sort out the whole business of whether I'm armigerous, I intend to engrave upon my escutcheon the motto: "Nihil Facillius Nihil Simplex" ("Nothing easy, nothing simple", sort of). You've read about my adventures with various retail outlets. Now our new Vonage phone doesn't seem to want to work with Shaw. Stay tuned for further developments.

In a similar vein: I was preparing to roast that complicated Christian Gentleman, *, for his late remark that Besayev, Chechen leader and terrorist "deserved" death. But if as Putin and GWB promise he was the mastermind behind Breslan, I have to agree with the general sentiment. And I still don't really feel it's an appropriate remark for a head of state.

Certainly doesn't reflect this sudden non-shift in policy (so sayeth Tony Snow). Said announcement seems to have gone out on the QT--you think they'd want to shout it to the world, no?

Or maybe they don't want us asking where the other 550 suspects are? Or why the CIA is still allowed to waterboard suspects between airplane rides?

Whil we're talking about secretive regimes: The stilted, earnest headlines at Itar-Tass are something else. Yes, I know they're translated, but still . . . I found this gem particularly amusing:

RF ready to deal blow on terrorists in any part of world

I guess the idea is that coked-up, violent, ideology-driven people are somehow less threatening? (Have they seen the White House lately?)