Our own Courtney Messerschmidt, AKA GrEaT sAtAn”S gIrLfRiEnD was recently the subject of an in-depth interview with veteran journalist Carl Prine, in which she succeeded in dazzling him utterly! Here’s a slice:

Prine of Departure: Ready for your interview?

Courtney Messerschmidt: yes methinks so…

Courtney Messerschmidt: do you need mt size for fashion tips?

Prine of Departure: What’s “mt” size? I don’t understand. Is that one of your terms? What’s up with this strange language you speak? What are ‘deets?’ Do you talk like this all the time, even in class?

Courtney Messerschmidt: All the fashion stuff you post. mt should have been ‘my as’ in my size Deets is slang for details. Ppl say it all the time — even some teachers. I can converse normally — believe it or don’t — Foreign policy stuff is somewhat dry — for whatever reasons and I enjoy ‘amping’ (which means to amplify — or ‘make more bigger sounding’) it up into ‘FoPo” and attempting to endear it to the next posse of young ppl.

Prine of Departure: Just a moment. I’m sending this to Starbuck for a translation.

Prine of Departure: While we’re waiting for the translation (and Starbuck adding fluency in your unique, Nell-like dialect to an OER bullet point), is “Courtney Messerschmidt” your real name, or a nom de guerre?

Starbuck’s Translation: Ha! I had to ask hr about “deets” the first time I heard it. The first two sentences are hard to understand without the context, though.

People say ‘deets’ all the time, even some teachers. I can converse normally, believe it or not…

The rest is cut and dry, ending with “attempting to make it more appealing for the next generation of young people”. Though I question whether you can “amp” something “up” to an abbreviation.

It gets really interesting when she starts speaking German and French.

Courtney Messerschmidt: hmmm in the purest sense. amplifiers turned rock and roll into rock so…it could be said that “…you can amp something up into an abbreviation

Courtney Messerschmidt: prob means probably — ppl means people

Prine of Departure: I feel like an archaeologist who just discovered the hieroglyphs of an exotic civilization.

Prine of Departure: So, is “Courtney Messerschmidt” your real name?

Courtney Messerschmidt: yes sir. prob the reason i got so interested in military stuff cause ppl were always asking about it and going on and on about Willi Messerschmittt and his ME’s. When i was 1st allowed online i took the nom d guerre of courtneyme109. The ME is a play on words of course and the 109 is scrambled code for 1990 — when i was born. Plus the BF 109 combat plane was sleek, stylish, fast and ahead of her time. Just. Like. Me

Prine of Departure: OK, what’s the deal on your site with all those chicks draping over each other or blowing pouty kisses or otherwise vamping about while you link to Foreign Policy? Do you ever worry that guys come to your joint just to catch a peek of sophomores in their underwear?

No one comes to Line of Departure to see me in underwear. In fact, I think they would pay cash money not to suffer the image.

Courtney Messerschmidt: It’s an attention magnet no doubt. Accidentally on purpose perhaps.

My BFF (best friend forever) Lauren was camera happy and we used it in “Soft Power.” The site. Just Exploded. Off the charts and viral. We knew we had stumbled onto something because the stats were showing up at the highest ‘diplopolitary’ levels of American, Allied and Enemy Commands. From MoD to State to Pentagon — even NATO, Shang Hai Coop, UN,Revolutionary Guards, CENTCOM, Royal Saudi Navy, Saudi Modesty Police — it was unreal. The email became much the same — most requesting — you guessed it — more pictures and more essay/analysis.

By the time “Surge Baby Surge!” hit the scene — GsGf was the darling of intelligentsia that have followed it every since. It also drives certain girl hating elements in sunny climes east of Suez batty to have subjects like their precious Payambar E Azam Military Drills sexed up with a provocative pic.

We tend to think of it as a necessary tool. After all — on a post about Hiz’B’Allah — would you rather see a pic of the creepy, overtly robust Body Part Collector Rocket Rich General Nasrallah or a cute girl?

The true answer though is to get people interested in foreign policy — admittedly a very very dry boring assetted subject. Injecting passion in a sexyful, fun to be with kind of way with levity and deathly seriousness seems to be working.

Courtney Messerschmidt: Readers tend to check my links and down load the pics. Am reliably informed there are some worthy screensavers and desktops at GsGf.

Prine of Departure: OK, so how old are you? Are you still in school? Are you going to take a commission? What’s with your kink for COIN?

Prine of Departure: I just sent those paragraphs to Starbuck. I feel almost like one of those American tourists hanging outside the Sheraton in some dusty third world capital. If I talk really slowly, I’m sure you will understand me.

Courtney Messerschmidt: Fixing to hit legal limits in all 50 states– later this month in fact!

Simply can’t wait to be able to present an ID that isn’t fakebelieve or borrowed. School is a killer right now, kinda grinding my way through. Out for the summer but about to return. Dang it.

My particular worldview was and is shaped by several counterminiously connected things. Being raised up by ancient veterans in a society full of them (and antique Civil War Battlefields), ensured that in the debate about Pre Surge Iraqi Insurgency chiz — Courtney did not want America to lose. I was one of the first to download the Counter Insurgency Manual, reached out to several of the authors and gained invaluable insight. And funnily enough — it totally backed up my neophytical worldviews.

COIN is a slow. Nasty. Business — and it isn’t into time constraints imposed by political considerations. Yet it works.

Prine of Departure: FM 3–24 confirmed your worldview? You poor, poor thing.

OK, so what are you going to do when you get out? State Department? More school? U.S. Marine Corps?

Courtney Messerschmidt: State has really caught my eye.

Several think tanks and authors have expressed interest in internships, gigs (that means a paying job) and positions. Currently drafting and redrafting a book on Future FoPo

I wanted to join the Army and drive panzers but they won’t let girls into armor and my admittedly atrocious driving skills turns Guderian’s admonishing admonishment that a panzer’s engine is as big of a threat as the 120mm stiff thing sticking out that projects high velocity projectiles into a double entendre for sure!
State needs to be drastically — I would use the term fundamentally — transformed. I’m just the girl to do it.

Prine of Departure: By “Future FoPo” you mean an analysis of future foreign policy goals and challenges of the U.S. and our allies? Do you have a name for it yet?

Courtney Messerschmidt: Oh yes. Future Foreign Policy: Strategic and Tactical Designs for the New Millennium.

Prine of Departure: Starbuck isn’t getting back to me with those translations.

Prine of Departure: Damned Starbuck.

Prine of Departure: OK, well, let’s speak in a language we both understand: The diplomatic, economic, military and intelligence elements of strategy and fashion.

I suppose we could take as an Ur-text something by Clausewitz or your fave, Stephen Walt, but let’s find something much more meaningful than either of them.

Cosmo.

I really think the tips for ensuring good bar service are similar to our policy of buying Iraqi militia loyalty during the so-called “Surge.”

Have a messy roommate who doesn’t clean up after herself and keeps living off our our maid service? NATO!

“Disorganized co-worker” screams a lack of unity of command.

Courtney Messerschmidt: Every threat to internat’l order after Cold War involved a gov that fell short of Western and economic standards.

Every security problem that Great Satan felt called upon to address would be alleviated, if not solved altogether, if the regimes responsible for them could be remade to American specs.

Any unelected regime is illegitimate — and they all tend to project misery, gendercide and, intolerance far beyond their weight class and their borders. Tormenting their own people and their neighbors. There is simply no reason to tolerate their existence.

Another reason why realism or realpolitik in Internat’l Relations is deader than S’Ddam. All that ‘forever quest’ that the sad, played ancient amoral corrupt cult of stability chasers wasted their substance own has totally failed to bring stability. It has ensured wars, genocide and terrorism.

Many 2 dimensional critics freak and insist yours truly is insisting on military D Day style ops to remake the world. Uh, no.

Illegit regimes and should be hounded and confounded at every opportunity using every trick in the book until magically transformed into tolerant, egalitarian societies with a penchant for periodic, transparent elections, a free, uncensored press, a nat’l treasury under public scrutiny, a military under civie control and an independent judiciary under elected Gov oversight.

Utterly scintillating and pure Courtney. Read the rest here.

And yes, Andrew Sullivan is also flacking the interview in his Daily Beast column….

Remember us when you’re Secretary of State, Courts!

The latest National Journal bloggers poll results are up, with thoughts from several council members. At issue is the expected voter anger come November and the likelihodd of a Republican takeover of the House. Debbie Hamilton (Right Truth) gets a special mention.

Congratulations to the Provocateur, Mike Volpe, for getting mentioned by op-ed columnist John Kass of the Chicago Tribune. Like Kass, Volpe is fascinated by (and studies and reports on) the corruption that permeates Chicago’s political class. Great job!

The National Journal features a weekly bloggers poll on hot political topics. A number of Council members are part of this panel. This week’s poll is now in the Blogometer section and Bookworm gets a special mention at the top.

She was answering whether President Obama is likely to end up serving only a single term. Unlike Bookworm, and the other council members, I still think that he’ll be a two term president. While his politics may not be popular, I believe he is a skilled enough campaigner that he will be able to run on his personality not his record. Clearly, on the right side of the blogosphere, I am in a minority.

Do you have an opinion?

First of all happy 6th blogiversary to council member The Glittering Eye. Much continued success!

Many thanks to Council friend Doug Ross for recently mentioning council members American Digest, Wolf Howling and Soccer Dad!

As Watcher, I’d like to keep the blogging world apprised of the activities of the Council members. A number of us are polled weekly by the National Journal. The latest bloggers poll is here. The question were whether passing health care reform will help the Democrats or the Republicans and between Rahm Emanual and David Axelrod, who helps and who hurts the White House.

Hello Weasel Watchers! A mixed post by me, Terry Trippany, your old watcher! As of today I pass the baton off to council member Soccer Dad who will take over my duties as The Watcher.

While this is a sad event for me it will certainly be exciting times for the Watcher’s Council.  Soccer Dad will become the third Watcher for a site that has been on line for at least 6 glorious years.

We have come a long way in that time. The earliest record of the Council dates back to August 27, 2004, where the Way Back machine archives the original site.

Here is how it looked back then:

I will continue to work with the Council as “The Watcher Emeritus”. My role will be a technical role. A role that builds on my strengths and works better with my schedule. Time willing I will return with more regularity to Newsbusters.

Please give Soccer Dad a warm welcome. David will continue the great tradition of the Watcher’s Council and introduce a fresh new perspective.

Remember, a weasel only wins if you let him get away with his weasely ways! Please help the council to expose such weasel’s by passing our posts off to your friends. If you have a blog and have written that great post please send an e-mail to .

Thank you for your support. We couldn’t do it without you.

If you have a Facebook account I recommend that you look us up and become a fan at the Watcher of Weasels fan page. I will try to give previews of the upcoming contests and use it as the main conduit of communication between our readers and The Watchers Council.

Don’t be shy! Come on over and join in the discussion!

If you don’t have a Facebook account yet you should. Of all the social networking sites this is one of the most secure sites and allows you to tailor your anonymity and privacy to suit your own needs.

While you are up there invite your friends with the “share” link after becoming a fan of our page.

Hope to see you there!

- The Watcher

I am a bit ahead of myself on tomorrow’s competition so I decided to take this moment to link up a couple of articles that might keep you occupied for today.

In the failing our children slowly section comes this article about some California schools receiving “bathrooms in a box” as an emergency measure for classrooms that are under lock down for various reasons but mostly because of school wide fights.

They are now fixtures in every classroom in Turlock, California.

Teachers returned from winter break to find a bathroom-in-a-box on their desk, complete with toilet paper and all the accessories, marked For Lockdown Only.

Staff members assembled the kits to use during long-term lockdowns like the four hours Patterson High School students spent in their classrooms last fall when fights broke out on campus.

Shielded by their classmates, Patterson teens used trash cans as toilets until police allowed students and teachers outside.

The incident spurred school superintendents across Stanislaus county, to discuss ways to make sure history did not repeat itself.

Hence, in Turlock, the emergency toilets. Maintenance workers put together 701 of them over the winter break, enough to supply every classroom in the district that needed one. They cost $20 (£13) each, or about $14,000 total – the equivalent of nearly 200 high school textbooks.

I attended high school in the late 70′s in a Chicago suburb and can’t remember there being a rash of school violence. Sure there were incidents but they were relatively few. Crap, schools even had rifle and archery clubs back then. In our high school fights could be settled on the top floor gym that was set up as a boxing ring. Most people didn’t go there more than once.

Nowadays however it seems that school administrators and teachers have completely lost the ability to control their students; something I consider an ugly product of liberal policies and rampant litigation by parents that are offended when their children get disciplined. Sad.

Speaking of weasels (the nicest thing I can say about the people I am making reference to) make sure you head over to Zombie Time to see how pro-Hamas morons in California protest Israel. Some of these people are professional protesters but most are just joooohaters.

Pretty embarrased to be American at times like these. What a great lesson for the kids of America.

See you tomorrow.

After a long and arduous selection process we are proud to announce two new members to the Watcher of Weasels Council.

Please join me in welcoming Mere Rhetoric and The Provocateur as our newest members.

We have spent a couple of months revamping the site and looking for writers that will bring the most compelling topics to your attention.

Please visit our new members and read what they have been up to.

Regards,
The Watcher