The is cold and flu season. And don't forget pneumonia. There is a vaccine to prevent pneumonia, which may be needed only once if you are over 65. Ask your doctor about the "pneumonia shot."

A well-known pollster was asked if he saw any inconsistencies in the public reaction to September 11. His comment was surprising. He said that as he traveled around the country he saw American flags everywhere. But.... he did not see any (or many) flags in Hollywood. Very interesting when you think about all the "patriots" in Hollywood who are always telling the president and the government how to do things.

Some airlines are starting to beef up their cockpit doors, even before the Congress passes the bill that will mandate it. Two of the things they are doing are adding deadbolt locks and bullet-resistant Kevlar, like police have in their vests. Gee, those sound like good ideas. At least I thought so when I suggested both (among other things) in my Outback for December 29, 2000.

A Japanese TV commentator has apologized for his remarks that "Jews were targeted for anthrax attacks because they control the U.S. media." His remarks were attacked as being anti-Semitic. That's a pretty far stretch. Osama and his gang hate all Jews I am sure. I have wondered several times how many Jews worked in the World Trade Center, which was a financial hub - and if the terrorists might have factored that into their calculation to hit the towers. Take a look at the big shots in print and TV journalism and in Hollywood. Jews are represented in these areas far beyond a statistical expectation. It is a fact of life. They are smart and creative. They have the jobs. Many change their names to avoid being labeled "a Jew" and whatever ramifications that might have. It is easy to see why the Hollywood community is on edge. They have good reason to be. Don't nag me about being prejudiced. I was ready to convert to Judaism once in preparation for a possible marriage to a Jewish lady. I dated four Jewish women over the years. I just call it like I see it.

There are conflicting reports of how widespread it was, but Hillary Clinton was booed and jeered when she took the stage to introduce an act at a benefit performance in New York. Large numbers of NYC fire and police personnel were in attendance and many were said to have been among the most vociferous. One is quoted as saying that she was booed "because of the claptrap that comes out of her mouth." It is good to see that there are some discerning citizens in New York.

If you have any doubts about the intelligence of celebrities, please watch the celebrity editions of "The Weakest Link" on NBC. Two examples: "What is the maximum number of Mondays in any month?" The answer given was "one"! "Which president wrote 35 books, including the autobiography of Theodore Roosevelt?" The answer given was Hoover or somebody back then. The correct answer was President Theodore Roosevelt. Think about that one. He wrote his own "autobiography." Amazing.

Americans Succumbing to a Climate of Fear

One of the primary goals of terrorists is to promote fear. Well, they did a good job. And whoever is behind the Anthrax letters (I have always thought it was from within, by a nutcase who wants to settle scores) is doing an even better job. While I am on the treadmill, I often watch Oprah Winfrey, especially when she has Dr. Phil on the show. They had a show on "coping with your fear" which revolved around irrational fears that everyday citizens would be targets of terrorist attacks. One lady was afraid to come out of the house, to go shopping, to visit her mother across town, etc. And she was but one of many who had completely irrational fears about the danger that they might be in. One lady worked in the Sears Tower and was afraid to go to work. Dr. Phil said that if she could not conquer that fear, then she ought to think about changing jobs. But not to spend each day in terror.

The near paranoia shown by guests on Oprah is not isolated, it is widespread. Part of the problem is that most Americans have never experienced any substantial threat to their lives. I doubt that a terrorist bombing in Russia or in Israel engenders the widespread fear that we see in America. Part of the problem is the incessant media coverage of the September 11 events and aftermath and now the Anthrax letters. Part of the problem is that the government has not done a good job of reassuring the public. First they tell us that the government is ready to handle any chemical or biological attack. Now, they admit that they don't know how Anthrax got spread to some many places in the mail distribution chain. Then back to the media fanning the flames of insecurity by all the so-called experts who have as many opinions as there are days on the calendar.

Ezekiel J. Emanuel, a Cancer doctor and bioethicist, writing in my favorite publication on Oct. 22, 2001, made some interesting points. At the point where only one person had died from Anthrax, he said that the risk of dying from Anthrax was less than that of driving one mile. The odds of an average American getting an Anthrax letter is less than one in a billion, less than the risk of being struck by lightning.

The doctor chided a man who bought a stockpile of $1900 worth of Cipro. He said to take the Cipro back and get a refund. Keep driving your car, but buckle up. And stop asking for antibiotics for every cold.

The hoarding of Cipro is one clue as to the irrational panic in this country. People are even going to Mexico to stock up. Even if you were exposed to Anthrax, Cipro is not the only drug to use, and it might not be the first choice. Also, look at the side effects of Cipro. I would have to very, very sure I needed it before I started gobbling Cipro.

Americans are also starting to stock up on gas masks (nearly useless), and on food. If you suspect the end is near, have plenty of drinking water on hand. You can go only about three days without water. But, you can go without food for nearly a month without serious medical consequences. I once fasted, under medical supervision, for 26 days. We drank only a couple of cups of water a day. No food, no juice. Only water! Never felt better. For those who have never missed two meals in a row, if you have to stay in your bunker for 30 days, there are more serious problems afoot than the fact that you have run out of food.

Dr. Phil on Oprah put it best. In order to shake a woman out of her shell and unfounded fear, he literally yelled at her. "Do you think that Osama bin Laden is going to get up in the morning and say "I am going to get Shirley's ass today in Cleveland?" (I forget the name of the lady and her city, but it was not NYC.) Everybody laughed. Terrific point, Dr. Phil. America should heed it. Be careful, reports suspicious people and activities to the authorities, but don't stay in the house because you are afraid of being struck by lightning - on a clear and sunny day.

Secure ID Cards and Visas

The U.S. Army is going to start issuing secure Smart ID cards, which will assist in limiting unauthorized access to military facilities, military computer networks, and so on. I favor a National ID Card. It will be interesting to see how the Army card works out. It could be the prototype for a National ID card. Remember, there are about 7-8 million people illegally in this country. Whatever reservations you have about a National ID Card, think long and hard about those millions unaccounted for within our borders.

The airlines are going to issue new badges to all of their personnel. Incredibly, the FAA rule is that it is permissible to have 5% of the badges missing or unaccounted for. There ought to be zero tolerance for missing airline badges. We cancel a credit card if it is lost or missing. For goodness sake FAA, get with the program.

Senators Dianne Feinstein and Jon Kyl are introducing legislation that would require millions of foreigners to carry "biometric smart cards" to travel to the United States. The data would be entered into several databases, including INS and State Department (and the CIA and FBI, one would hope). I have a half-developed idea. Make the cards so that they could be read by an ATM machine (which takes your picture when you make a transaction). Add software that would tie ATMs into the government database (but not for your ATM card, of course). Then, require foreign visitors with these "secure visas" to check in once a month at an ATM machine. Most visitors stay less than a month, so it would not inhibit or scare off the casual tourist. But, it would prevent us from "completely losing" a foreign visitor once they enter the country. If they do not check in, the FBI starts looking for them.

Anti-Terrorism Bill Sniping Begins

The USA Patriot Act of 2001 has been signed by President Bush. You can download it from the Internet (H.R. 3162). I have scanned through it (my download is 150 pages!) and am surprised at the breadth of the legislation. It is truly remarkable in the number of areas it covers. Usually, the Congress will argue for days over the amount of the peanut subsidy program. For whatever rough edges it has, this proves that Congress can work together and with dispatch, once they stop haggling and spending most of their time raising funds.

Some of the sections might eventually fail a Constitutional test. The "experts" who are predicting that our privacy and civil rights are doomed are coming out of the woodwork like termites. But, for all the hand wringing and whining that has been going on in the media and among the "experts," there are rays of hope.

Professor Laurence H. Tribe is a professor of Constitutional Law at Harvard. He wrote an article in The Wall Street Journal for September 27, 2001. He pointed out that: "The Constitution is written mostly in measured rather than absolute terms. Witness the ban on 'unreasonable' searches and seizures. As Chief Justice William Rehnquist wrote, 'The laws will ... not be silent in time of war, but they will speak with a somewhat different voice.' " Read Prof. Tribe's writings. He is one of the few sane and rational voices amidst the clatter of the liberal "we are all doomed to abuses of our privacy and civil rights" gang in Eastern media and academic circles.

Professor Tribe also said, "... we should act on the theory of 'better safe than sorry,' and resist the temptation to trust the judiciary to trim the excess." That has a familiar ring, since that is what I said on September 20th. Prof. Tribe and I have exchanged cordial e-mails. I started mine by telling him that I almost turned to another channel when I head the words "Harvard Law Professor." Oh, no. Another Harvard bleeding heart. I then went on to compliment him on his analysis and suggest that he was a rare find among the gloom and doomers we usually hear. I treasure his response, which I will not quote due to his "right to privacy of communications."

I admit to not being a very good student of American History. That puts me in with about 99.9% of the rest of you. In the October, 23, 2001 issue of The Wall Street Journal, there was an article by Jay Winik entitled "Security Comes Before Liberty." Mr. Winik takes us back and looks at some of the "outrageous" government actions over the years in attempting to preserve security at the possible expense of liberty. He speaks of the Alien and Sedition Acts passed during the John Adams term of 1798-1799. One provision allowed for deportation of aliens considered dangerous to he nation's welfare. (Do a search on the Act to see its incredibly stern provisions.)

President Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus during the Civil War, among other things. (A writ of habeas corpus is an order to being someone into court to see if their detention is lawful.) We all remember Franklin Roosevelt signing an order that interned in "relocation centers" about 100,000 Japanese in the United States during WWII, citizen or not.

Mr. Winik notes that the threat to the U.S., on its own soil is unprecedented. Yet, he thinks that the Bush Administration has shown remarkable restraint (in the laws and orders being proposed or already passed). He says, "both the administration and the civil libertarians would do well to recall that our history demonstrates that war-time restrictions on civil liberties have neither been irrevocable nor have they curtailed our fundamental freedoms in times of peace."

But ... But ... But... Before the ink of the president's signature was dry on the USA Patriot Act of 2001, the liberal media and the civil libertarians were attacking the bill as radical and a threat to our freedoms. Bullshit! I try not to watch the parade of experts who come on TV and trash the new anti-terror bill. It is these people and their mind set that got us into the weakened condition we found ourselves to allow the atrocities of September 11, 2001 (now called 911 by the hip media and experts). One snuck up on me the other night as I was fast-forwarding through my recording of the NewsHour on PBS.

Four "experts" were assembled to discussed the USA Patriot Act of 2001, which had just been passed! Not a single act had been taken by the FBI, or anyone, under the provisions of the bill. One guest was a law professor whom I had never heard of. He thought the bill was reasonable under the circumstances in which we find ourselves - fighting for the survival of the country. One retired FBI agent opined that he could have used the news tools years ago in rooting out terrorism. Then, came the two civil libertarians, who trashed the bill as radical and a threat to our individual freedoms. For God's sake guys, wait until there have been some significant abuses before you start running your mouth! All you are doing is divide the country and start us on the road to the kind of fanatical PC and civil-rights paranoia that caused the problem in the first place.

Here is a brief portrait of the two "civil-rights" experts who tell us that this is a radical bill that will endanger our basic freedoms. David D. Cole, Professor of Constitutional Law at Yale. I would judge him to be in his 30's. Mr. Cole graduated from Yale, worked as a clerk for a judge, was an attorney for the Center for Constitutional Rights. Among his crowning achievements, he litigated the case that says it is okay to burn the American flag. He was on the side of the flag burners. He also was involved in a case with the National Endowment for the Arts which challenged the constitutionality of restrictions on federal funding for the arts. If you recall, some of the federal money supported "artists?" who put a cross in a bottle of urine and other work that clearly offended the sensibilities of a majority of Americans. Prof. Cole was on the side of Cross in the Urine Bottle guys. He writes in several publications and is a commentator on National Public Radio Recall that he was trashing the new bill at its inception on a PBS TV show. You do understand the connection between NPR and PBS, don't you?

So, there's the problem. Prof. Cole is rather typical of the Constitutional Law "experts" who appear on TV. He has never had a real job! I would like to ask Prof. Cole the following questions: Have you ever been in a fist fight? Have you ever served in the military? Have you ever been a Federal agent? Have ever been a prosecuting attorney or worked in the office of a U.S. Attorney. Have you ever drank beer and chatted with a black man convicted of murder? Have you ever done anything that would remotely qualify you to talk in "real-life terms" about terrorism and what laws might be effective to combat it? I suspect that the answers to all the questions would be NO! My response would be: "Then what the hell gives you the right to pontificate about things that you know about only from books? Get a real job, get some life experience outside the law library, grow up, and come back and try again. Right now, your opinions have very little weight."

The other civil-libertarian on the News Hour the night of the day the anti-terror bill was passed was Jerry Berman, Executive Director of the Center for Democracy and Technology. (www.cdt.org) You can read about his work and his background on the web site. Two things jumped at me. Mr. Berman was from 1978-1988 Chief Legislative Counsel at the ACLU! He got his B.A.,M.A., and law degree from the University of California at Berkley. Oh, brother, I need read no further. I'm sorry. That is just too much to take. Thank you PBS for bringing this fine man onto your program to tell us about how our rights are threatened. Once again, the ACLU and Berkeley have been, and will continue to be part of the problem, not the solution.

We have the liberal media, many of whom admit they went into journalism not to report but to make changes in the world, and liberal law professors who have never had any brush with the realities of fighting crime, the mafia, or terrorists on our own soil. And the media usually "rounds up the usual suspects" when they need somebody to interview. They are usually from Washington, New York, or the eastern academic elite. There is a pretty strong bias there, on a variety of subjects. What is wrong with this picture? You think about it every time you see legal or civil-rights experts on TV.

I did my part. I sent a scathing (and frankly intemperate) e-mail to Jim Lehrer at PBS complaining about even having a segment on the NewsHour the day the anti-terrorism bill was passed. And then I launched into an attack on Prof. Cole and Jerry Berman. If you see something that you think is not right, that is inappropriate, or is biased, let the media know. Don't just change the channel to the baseball game. They will keep feeding you this crap as long as you take it lying down.

So, we have a new anti-terrorism bill with some rather broad powers. First, I have never seen a group in Washington associated with law enforcement in whom I have more faith in their integrity and ability to do what is right (and I go back as far as the Truman Administration). First, we are fortunate to have George Bush and Dick Cheney in the White House at this critical time. Attorney General Ashcroft is a man of unquestioned integrity and resolve. The new FBI director, Robert S. Mueller, III, seems to be a rock and willing to admit to past FBI failures. Maybe there will be a new CIA director soon. It is hard to judge the performance of the boss of a secret agency, other than by the remarks of his political enemies.

Secretary of State Powell is so far above the norm for his position that when he testifies before the House or Senate, nearly every question is preceded by words of praise for his work at State - even from most Democrats! Donald Rumsfeld at the Pentagon is an experienced and hard-nosed administrator. If I were in government today, I would be proud to work for any of the men mentioned. That was not always the case, if you read my column of Sept. 20th. I don't know where Ms. Garvey at the FAA came from. She seems to me to be the only weak link in the chain that protects us, but that may be an unfair judgement. As an aside, I think that airport screening should remain private, but with training and oversight by the U.S. Customs Service. Those folks at Customs know the drill. The FAA should stick to making sure the air-traffic control system is upgraded and that major parts don't fall off of airplanes in flight.

Attorney Gen. Ashcroft made an interesting comparison the other day. He talked about the need for tough measures (that may strain at our civil rights a bit) against terrorism just as Attorney General Bobby Kennedy saw to it that their were tough measures put in place to combat the Mafia. The average citizen has no grasp of the monumental scope of the Mafia decades ago. Bobby Kennedy looked like a library assistant, but he was tough mentally, as tough as they come. He once said that to get the Mafia, they should be arrested for "spitting in the street," if no other charge could be brought. Well, we are at the point folks where terrorists and those who support them need to be arrested for spitting in the street.

I have some personal experience with Bobby Kennedy's campaign to cripple the Mafia. I was a young ATF agent (then A&TTD) in Philadelphia at the time. Bobby decreed that the various federal agencies work together to combat the Mafia. There was a lot of protected turf in those days. The FBI was disliked by most other federal investigators and by local law enforcement. The FBI was arrogant. They "adopted" cases for federal prosecution that had been made by local police and others - and then took all the credit. The big thing was not to do anything to embarrass the Bureau. This lead to inability to act in many cases. It's a long story, but trust me that the FBI was not regarded well in law enforcement circles. Their pejorative name was "The Philbricks," which was taken from the name of the lead character on a TV show about an undercover FBI agent. I think the show was called, "I Led Three Lives."

Anyway, Bobby said "all you boys play nice in the sand box together." And we did. The FBI had historically shied away from investigating the Mafia. Everyone in the know said that the Mafia was too tough a nut to crack, and J.Edgar Hoover did not want the negative publicity from failures to jail mob members. I remember when FBI agents came to our ATF offices in Philly to ask us what we knew about the Mob in Philly. We had been pursuing them for making alcohol and on gun charges for years. Bobby got us new radios. We actually were using WWII walkie- talkies, which weighed about ten pounds, were huge, and subject to constant interference on the low frequency band that was used.

Probably because I knew how to change the batteries in the walkie-talkies and was a ham radio operator, I was chosen to attend a school in Washington for Technical Investigative Aids That was the euphemism for bugging, wiretapping, lock picking, clandestine photography, and the covert opening of envelopes. (In an incredible incident years later, while in the CIA, I ran into the guy who had taught us to open envelopes covertly during our Treasury school.) I actually have a graduation certificate around here somewhere, complete with the obligatory gold seal. On graduation day, a senior Justice Department attorney addressed the group. Basically, he told us to go out on the streets and "fight fire with fire," and if we got in trouble not to call Bobby Kennedy and ask for help. In other words, you do what you have to do - even if you have to carry the ball a little bit out of bounds. But you are on your own - if you screw up and make the headlines.

I never did anything that invaded the rights of a single citizen who was not associated with the Mob. It was not too long after that I was accepted by the CIA. I will never forget the first interview over the phone to the local CIA cover office in Philly. "Do you have a degree in political science? Are you fluent in any foreign language." And on and on. Finally, I stopped the interviewer short. "Listen, I am the expert here in Philly in my office on wiretapping, bugging, opening envelopes, and so on. Could you use my skills?" The answer was "Can you come in to see me about 3 p.m. today? I was told that I was only the second guy to ever enter my particular job with "prior experience." So, when I hear all this garbage from the "experts" on TV how all of our rights are going to be violated, I just wish for the sake of the country that even one of them actually knew what it took to catch a mobster or a terrorist. And that very few innocent people get swept up in the net by mistake. It is much better to apologize to a few people than miss some critical bit of information.

I would also like to suggest a new standard of conduct for attorneys. When someone comes to you and wants to sue the government because an innocent e-mail got caught up in an Internet sweep by the FBI, you ask if there has been any harm to their reputation or their job. If not, please suggest that at most your client seek an apology and an explanation of how the matter happened.

Every time an "expert" goes on TV and tell us "in advance" how the new anti-terrorism bill is radical and will disrupt people's lives. Every time a lawsuit is filed because of a minor mistake in the enforcement of the new laws. Every time an "expert' comes on TV and raves about a case where someone was questioned by the FBI even though they had nothing to do with terrorism - Osama bin Laden will be sitting in his cave laughing. "Those stupid-ass Americans haven't got a chance against us. We kill 5-6000 of their people on one day and they quibble about the fine points of legislation and the enforcement of those laws - on the day the bill is passed. Our liberal friends will keep the country divided. We will triumph. Remind me to send a contribution to the TV people and the experts on civil liberties who are helping us so much - without us even asking. Get me the name of that law professor who thinks the new bill is radical. We owe him. "

TV "Crawls" - Annoying and Distracting

Like Osama bin Laden, we might also hunt down and eliminate the first person who started using a "crawl" on TV screens. A crawl scrolls typed information across the bottom of your TV screen while you are watching a program. They have been used sparingly for weather alerts and important news flashes for years. In recent times, they have become ubiquitous, especially on the cable news shows. CNN was one of the first to employ a crawl full-time on its news show, as I recall. Now, they even do it on "Larry King Live."

Who among you can concentrate on the words being spoken on the screen and read and comprehend fully a moving message at the bottom of the screen at the same time? My brain can process only spoken and/or written material from one channel at a time. Maybe you are more fortunate.

Finally, I had enough. I wrote e-mails to all the shows and networks that were employing "crawls" and told them I was going to stop watching their network. I moved MSNBC, CNN, CNN Headline News, CNBC, FOXNEWS and other offenders off my Favorites list on my satellite onscreen guide. This left me with ABC, CBS, and NBC as my only source or TV news. This was more than I could stand. So, I solved the problem for $00.02! I cut a strip of cardboard the width of my 32 inch TV screen and about 1 « inches high. I taped two hinges of duct tape at the bottom and a piece of duct tape at each end. Now, I can watch one of the cable shows without seeing the crawl. Actually, the only TV news I watch is Special Report with Brit Hume on FOXNEWS.

Here is the challenge. Make a TV add-on box that will allow the viewer to "drag and drop" black boxes, rectangles, or whatever on the TV screen to cover crawls and logos. It would also be good for homophobes who want to look at Grace but not Will. Or, for those who want to block out Hillary or whomever on "Meet the Press." Of course, I don't watch "Meet the Press" or any of the Sunday morning "newsmaker" shows. I learned a long time ago, that it takes about 100 hours of viewing to hear one straightforward and honest answer from the guests. If any really important or truthful is said, it will be summarized later on an Internet news site or in a newspaper.

Some of My Research Sources

Anybody who read this column regularly knows that I constantly quote The Wall Street Journal. Part of the reason is that it is the only "paper" news source I read every day. And they seem to be able to always have capable and credible sources for editorials and articles. But that is far from my only source. I read Internet sources for about an hour a day. Among them are MSNBC.com, FOXNEWS.com, CNN.com, ABC.com (notice there is no CBS in this list), The Christian Science Monitor (csmonitor.com), The Times of London (thetimes.co.uk), The Dallas Morning News (dallasnews.com), The Los Angeles Times (latimes.com),AP newswire, Newsmax.com, Newsweek.com, U.S. News online (usnews.com), The Washington Post (washingtonpost.com), The Washington Times (the conservative balance to the liberal Wash Post - washingtontimes.com), The New York Times (nytimes.com), among others. Once in a while I will check the Philadelphia paper (where I once lived and have a friend who is a reporter) or the Boston Globe for an East-coast story. I also check computer and technical websites .

For quick searches on the Internet, I use google.com, and for complex searches I use Copernic 2001 Pro - which searches many search engines at once and keeps a record of your entire search. One stop everyday is http://dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/top_stories for general news, health news, entertainment news, and tech news. I also have 50 medical research sites saved as Favorites. I check drudgereport.com each day. He does very little original reporting, but has links to the hot news stories and a great list of links to columnist of all stripes.

About TV news. If I watch any show, it will be Special Report with Brit Hume on FOXNEWS. Otherwise, I prefer to watch C-SPAN. While they are in session, you can listen and watch the actual debate on a bill. You don't have to depend upon what spin NBC, ABC, or CBS might put on that debate. But the best part is when the Congress is out of session (they work about a 3-day week on the average). C-SPAN covers Congressional hearings, Washington Press Club speeches and a host of other politically-oriented meetings and seminars. You can watch the FBI chief, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, and cabinet ministers by the handful testify before various committees.

You hear the straight scoop, if there is any in Washington, right from the horse's mouths. You see and hear the real experts testify, such as the head of CDC or a doctor who worked in Anthrax research. You see and hear the guy who is in charge of rebuilding the Pentagon. You see the Defense, State, and White House press briefings, in their entirety. You are not limited to a one sentence headline or a sound bite on the evening news. C-SPAN is an American treasure. They turn on the cameras and let you see what people are saying and doing. There is no "voice over" telling you what you should be inferring from what you are seeing. Check their schedule at c- span.org and record some stuff now and then while you are at work or play. You will be better informed than if you read the paper or watch TV news shows.

Suggested Reading From Past Columns

(Right-click on an underlined link and select: "Open in New Window" to leave this window in place)

Terrorism

"Various reflections on the events of Sept. 11, 2001Thursday, Sept 20. Must read Outback re Sept 11 Events

"The World Trade Center & Pentagon Attacks!" Update on Sept. 11 to Outback for September 8, 2001

Global warming and environmental debate:

"Rush to Glacier National Park Before All the Glaciers are Gone" September 8, 2001
"Chipping Away at the Global Warming and Environmental Alarmists," September 1, 2001
"John Stossel And ABC's 'Tampering With Nature,'" June 29, 2001
"The Kyoto Protocol & Global Warming - A Monumental Scam?" June 16, 2001
"Public Interest Groups With Sometimes Very Little Public Interest," May 12, 2001
"Environmentalism For Dummies - Part II," April 21, 2001
"Environmentalism For Dummies," April 7, 2001
"Environmental and Animal-Rights Terrorists," March 24, 2001

Politics:

"My Friend Senator Jesse Helms," September 8, 2001
"Forget Liar & Adulterer - Cong. Gary Condit is Simply Stupid," September 1, 2001
"Government Waste and Fraud," August 18, 2001
"President Bush's Excellent Adventure," June 29, 2001
"The Bush Budget - Fighting Over 4% Growth Versus 8% Growth Is Nonsense," April 21, 2001
"The Chinese Demand for an Apology Regarding the Aircraft Accident is Preposterous," April 7, 2001
"Campaign Finance Reform - A Senatorial Catharsis - And National Snow Job," March 31, 2001
"Florida Secretary Of State Literally Begged Networks Not To Call Election Early," March 24, 2001
"Charlton Heston Speech at Harvard," March 10, 2001 (about free speech, PC, et al.)
"The Ever-Expanding First Amendment," January 26, 2001
"Bush Administration Needs To Review The Mission Of Federal Law Enforcement," January 26, 2001
"New York, What Were You Thinking?" November 13, 2000 (Re: Hillary Clinton)
"Lessons Learned In Election 2000?" November 13, 2000
"How the Federal Government Corrupts the Constitution to Intrude Into Your Life," October 30, 2000
"Let's All Make Fun of the Dumb Guy From Texas," December 15, 2000 (Pres. Bush)

Prescription drugs - advertised on TV - abuses in the pharmaceutical industry - supplements:

"Prescription Drug Plans," September 8, 2001
"Baycol Cholesterol Drug Withdrawn From the Market," August 18, 2001
"Prozac Gets New Life!" July 28,2001
"The New Cholesterol Guidelines - Everybody Gets A Pill," July 7, 2001
"Bitter Pills To Swallow," June 2, 2001
"The Drug Companies Continue Their Assault On Your Pocketbook," May 19, 2001
"FDA Questions Practice of TV Ads for Prescription Drugs," March 31, 2001
"Prescription for Disaster," September 11, 2000

Health - General:

"Trans Fatty Acids - The Hidden Fat," August 4, 2001
"Your Body Clock," August 4, 2001
"My Medical Writing Credentials - Such As They Are," July 7, 2001
"The 'Eggs Are Bad For You' Alarmists Strike Again," May 12, 2001
"Herbal Remedies, Supplements, And Alternative Therapies," September 18, 2000

Computers and Technology:

"LCD Flat Panel Displays & Dual Monitor Video Boards," August 18, 2001
"DishNetwork's Personal Video Recorder Dish Pro 501," July 28, 2001
"Internet Via Satellite," June 16, 2001
"The Internet in China," April 21, 2001
"Mark Cuban is the Posterboy for Dotcom Mania," April 21, 2001

Interesting Books to Read:

"Your Body Clock," August 4, 2001
"Body of Secrets," by James Bamford, July 28, 2001 (About NSA)

A case history of horrendous abuse by Federal law enforcement:

"FBI Sniper At Ruby Ridge My Be Tried For Manslaughter," June 9, 2001.

Crime, guns, gun-control:

"Eyewitness Testimony is Suspect," August 18, 2001
"The AMA Is Losing Its Way," June 29 2001
"Doctors Have Written the Wrong Prescription for Guns," April 14, 2001
"The FBI and the Hanssen Case," March 10, 2001
"FBI Director Freeh Stays On," January 26, 2001 (Some clues to recent FBI failures)
"Aircraft Cockpit Security," December 29, 2000

Late Night TV Cruel Humor, et al.:

(I quit watching late night in disgust, so there are no new articles on the subject.)

"David Letterman Grovels For The Colombians," May 19, 2001
"Are Leno And Letterman Using The Same CD-ROM For Constructing Jokes?" May 12, 2001
"Late Night Comedians Struggle To Lampoon Bush," May 5, 2001
"Late-Night TV Sick Humor," August 28, 2000
"Late-Night TV Political Comedy," August 14, 2000

Hollywood, Entertainers, Celebrities:

"Celebrities Rush to Move Overseas in Protest of Bush Victory," January 5, 2001
"The Mother of all Hollywood Activists," December 22, 2000 (Jane Fonda)
"Elton John, Political Pundit - Druggie - Drunk - Compulsive Spender," Dec. 15, 2000

Telemarketing:

"Telemarketers, Caller-ID, et al.," August 4, 2001
"Rid Yourself of Telemarketers," October 23, 2000

Miscellaneous:

"The Decline in the American Work Ethic," May 12, 2001
"Made in USA," January 5, 20001
"How Many Gigabytes in Your Brain?," December 15, 2000

COPYRIGHT 2001 Richard C. Rhodes

You are welcome to quote sections from this page - or the whole page, as long as the source URL is included. Of course, I would be flattered if anyone linked to this page. It is very hard to be the writer, editor, fact checker, copy editor, and publisher of anything. So, I welcome corrections of fact, notes of misspelled words, and so on.