Jefferson Says We Should Be Talking

Terror Alert Level

Reports that the current terror alert is due to intelligence murmurs about a man clad in red who claims to have access to every home in America and promises to give the children "a surprise" this Christmas remain unconfirmed at this time.

This weekend, if nothing else, proved that Saddam Hussein was something of an idiot. You can indeed be a dictator of a Middle East country, have a history of opposition to Israel, a list of human rights abuses, confirmed links to various terror organisations, and even have a fully active nuclear weapons programme, but still be called a "statesman", and welcomed back into the international community. He should be kicking himself.

(oh, and by the way, have any of you heard these rumours that seem to be going around; that the Kurds captured Saddam Hussein, drugged him, and called in the Americans? Making his capture something of a PR stunt? Would look rather bad for the Bush Administration if it was true, I suppose…)

currently playing: The Beach Boys — I Just Wasn't Made For These Times

Best of 2003: The Crew — Christopher Priest

It was A Black Book. Only it wasn't, of course, but it had a black character and it was written by a black man. That was enough to doom this inventive comic which could have been Marvel's answer to DC's popular "Losers" if only they had given it a little more time. Or promoted it. Or let Priest promote it himself. Now that Marvel's "trade anything that moves" program has been flung out of the window along with Bill Jemas, this series will probably never see a trade collection, which is a great shame. If you're looking for an action-adventure full of twists and turns, start going through the quarter-bins and find this gem (see also: Xer0, The Ray, Steel #34-#52, Quantum & Woody, and Black Panther).