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Tierney On Why Men Compete
As usual, a very interesting column from John Tierney.
For a quarter-century, women have outnumbered men at Scrabble clubs and tournaments in America, but a woman has won the national championship only once, and all the world champions have been men. Among the top-ranked 50 players, typically about 45 are men.
Tierney notes the rise of Scrabble "groupies". Will there soon be blogging groupies?
Other Voices:
Mary at Stone Court calls it SocioBioBaloney.
Richard Bradley of the HuffPo says Tierney's suffering from the Gladwell Effect.
If it seems surprising that a column which explicitly endorses evolution is getting slammed by the left-wingers, Echidne has the answer:
I'm a believer in evolution in general because I can see the evidence for it. When it comes to evolutionary psychology I'm a lot more cynical, and the main reason is the near-total absence of clear evidence for the most misogynistic arguments possible. It seems to me that most evo-psychos attempt to explain the status quo as impossible to change and in that sense they all have wingnut (caveman?) axes to hone. Never mind that the society has changed drastically over centuries, evo-psychos always stress its unchanging nature.
I could not find any reactions to this article from the right side of the blogosphere.
Posted by pat at 07:05 PM | Comments (0)
The 10 Most Damaging Books to Civilization
Human Events lists the 10 most damaging books to civilization in the last 200 years judged by 15 conservative figures are as follows:
10. General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money, John Maynard Keynes, 1936
09. Beyond Good and Evil, Feidrich Nietzsche, 1886
08. The Course of Positive Philosophy, Auguste Comte, 1830-1843
07. The Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedman, 1963
06. Das Kapital, Karl Marx, 1867-1894
05. Democracy and Education, John Dewey, 1916
04. The Kinsey Report, Alfred Kinsey, 1948
03. Quotations from Chairman Mao (Moa's Little Red Book), 1966
02. Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler, 1925-1926
01. The Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels, 1848
I agree with the top four. But I would move Nietzsche from 09 to 05 and toss off 08 and replace it with How Capitalism Underdeveloped Black America, Manning Marable, 1983
Unlike the article, I encourage everyone to read these books to know thy enemy!
Posted by Aaron at 06:10 PM | Comments (10) | TrackBack
INTER-BLOGATORY TRAVEL
 | HELP WANTED: Helms says someone with no experience can make $22 an hour in the oil patch, if he or she can pass a drug test. ... He says there are 250 open jobs in the oil patch right now, and companies are scouring for workers. h/t DakotaPundit |
 | Sisu's favorite quote from the latest Clinton book: "No, I'm not doing it," she snapped to an aide. "I'm not going out there with that man." |
 | Recommended by THIRDWAVE: Tired of reading what the MSM is reporting from the warzone? I know I am. Here's two Cobra pilots that blog straight from where the action is. They both have blogs and update them frequently with their daily activities, life in Iraq, and their take on the fighting. |
 | Madonna's panties pulled: A pair of panties worn by have been withdrawn from sale on internet auction site eBay. Vendor Tony Cochrane said: "Afterfive days, we had an offer of £100 from a buyer in the US. |
 | Christian Slater Arrested on Sex Abuse Charge: "Basically he grabbed a woman's behind on the street," Doherty told CNN, adding that the actor was "intoxicated at the time." Does that mean he scored some Cialis? |
Posted by kitty at 02:25 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
Gannon Takes Lie Detector
We've had two wonderful interviews with Jeff Gannon. Let's see if his answers hold up to scrutiny under a lie detector test to be performed on PAX TV Tonight at 8pm EST:
Known for lobbing softball questions at current President George W. Bush, elite press corps official “Jeff Gannon” came under scrutiny by Democrats and fellow press corps members, who discovered his real name is James Dale Guckert with a checkered past and possible agenda. Was “Jeff Ganon” fed questions by the Bush administration to use as talking points at White House briefings or just a man trying to overcome his past and pursue a career as a journalist? Additional segments include a man who tries to prove to his girlfriend that he is no longer smoking marijuana, and Steve Gardner, one of Senator John Kerry’s 12 swift boat crew members, who says he was threatened by a political operative, fired by his company and is currently broke because he refused to stand with Kerry at the Democratic Convention.
I am also very interested in see how Steve Gardner does. I am sure that if (when) they both pass, will any news media pick up on it?
Posted by Aaron at 01:08 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
The MSM...Enemy of the U.S.?
I expect this entry to get a few negative comments, but what the heck...I'm not even going to say anything about the article, but will let you all read it for yourselves and come to your own conclusions:
Mainstream News Media Vs. America
OK, let the commenting begin!
Posted by at 11:12 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
10 Reasons Not To Kill President Bush
As if we needed reasons not to hope for the death of the leader of our country. That anyone would hope for his untimely demise just shows how many sick idiots there are out there.
However Jennifer McBride, writing for the Oregon Daily Emerald of the University of Oregon, felt she had to put forth ten reasons why wackos shouldn't hope for an assasination of George W. Bush. Here are two of them:
President Bush's status as a martyr would leave the electorate more polarized than ever, especially if liberals were seen as publicly irreverent to President Bush's memory. It would be a little different if natural selection decreed death-by-snacking, but toasting an assassin's success leaves a decidedly bitter taste in the national mouth.
Slaying President Bush is simply immoral. Anyone who advocates purposefully killing someone defenseless (and a democratically elected leader, no less) is clearly value-challenged. I don't understand the logical contortions some people must go through to be anti-death penalty yet pro-assassination.
Read the rest here.
McBride's personal thoughts on Bush include the following:
In all seriousness, I don't hate President Bush. I dislike a lot of his administration's choices, but I think he's a good man doing a difficult job.
And while I don't quite like ALL of her reasons I give credit to a college student who has the guts to stand up for decency in the face of criticism not only from fellow students, but likely her instructors. She should be applauded.
Posted by at 09:31 AM | Comments (10) | TrackBack
France to EU: Drop Dead!
Polipundit is reporting that pollsters say France will vote down the EU constitution, with between 55% and 57% of the voters declining.
The irony here (as Pam pointed out a few posts below) is that the reason the French voted down the EU constitution is that they're afraid it will force them to become more capitalistic and less socialistic.
Posted by pat at 11:04 PM | Comments (1)
Head Like a Hole
The rock band Nine Inch Nails said on Friday it canceled plans to appear on next week's MTV Movie Awards after the network questioned the band's plans to perform in front of an image of President Bush. Using NIN language...Shut the F*CK up and sing! Geeze! I love this band and Reznor's gifted musical talent. Why must it be infuse with political imagery when none is warrented?
Alas, another great album I wanted to but cannot buy:
Posted by Aaron at 06:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
American Idiots
Life is tough when you are a celebrity or a celebrity-wannabe.
Movie producer Oliver Stone has once again been arrested on drug charges. The news comes as no surprise. The movie “JFK” proved long ago that Oliver’s stoned.
Corey Clark is angry because the 2005 season finale of American Idol made fun of Clark’s allegation against AI judge Paula Abdul. Just what was Clark expecting from AI? Thus far Clark has refused to help the Fox Network’s investigation of Clark’s allegation. Perhaps Clark is waiting to receive an offer from Oliver Stone.
Finally, the father of teenage actress Lindsay Lohan is being sent to prison for up to 4 years for various crimes. There is nothing particular that makes the elder Lohan worthy of the national spotlight. However, Lindsay needs her father’s troubles to be in the spotlight so people will think that Lindsay is the product of bad parenting. Lindsay has such a bad reputation in Hollywood that movie producers won’t cast her in movies with Oscar potential. Plus, single men are passing Lindsay over for her rivals. Not even Corey Clark will kiss her.
Lindsay had been hoping to have a successful singing career – that is until Americans were introduced to a young woman from Oklahoma who can really sing – American Idol winner Carrie Underwood.
There is still hope for Lindsay Lohan. If Oliver Stone believes Corey Clark, then Lohan could play the part of Paula Abdul in the Stone flick “AI”. That way Lindsay could have a boyfriend that her rivals wouldn’t want.
Posted by Dodo David at 06:05 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Holding My Breath on Judicial Nominees
There is a new "chillin" caucus out there saying that the McCain Accord on judicial nominees ain't that bad.
I am now inclined to agree:
Two of President Bush's blocked judicial nominees, cleared for confirmation by this week's Senate compromise on filibusters, gained quick approval Thursday by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The nominations of Richard Griffin and David McKeague for the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati were approved by voice vote without debate. The nominees now move to the full Senate for confirmation votes.
Democrats had blocked Griffin and McKeague at the request of Michigan's two Democratic senators, Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow. But they agreed not to hold up the nominations anymore as part of the discussion over the use of judicial filibusters.
I am NOT inclined to throw Bolton under the bus, but if these two sail through, then I am inclined to agree that the deal was good and that we need to simply rev up the base to make sure that when the filibuster is used against a Supreme Court nominee or two--then we fight the good fight.
Bolton threw cold water on the "Gang of Seven" but if this is true that there is no blockage of the unmentioned judges--then I might have to reholster my gun and say...maybe it's okay.
Posted by Aaron at 04:22 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
The EU Constitution: France Votes Today
First of all, why do all of those European countries seem to vote on Sundays? Oh right, because they don't care about religion anymore.
Snarkiness aside, this is the day that could make or break the EU constitution France votes today and as all member states must ratify it, a no vote in France could well stop the process in its tracks. However, some experts are saying that's not necessarily so, as it could pass in another referendum. The constitution must be ratified by all by September of 2006; plenty of time for more hashing out..
According to the Telegraph UK, the French "no" means something much different than a British "no":
The French want more social protection and stronger workers rights enshrined in the constitution [figures - ed.]. The majority of those in Britain who oppose the constitution think the EU is taking too much power away from Westminster.
Europe is at a crossroads. Socialism and bureaucracy run amok has emasculated many of the countries, and citizens who once bowed to kings now bow to paper pushers in Brussels. Each country once had its own identity. Now, those identities are being pushed aside in order to create a super-state that, it is hoped, will be able to put the U.S. in its place (those darn Colonials).
Yet even if the EU constitution is accepted without a hitch, Europe faces many obstacles that are really self-imposed. Socialism is really a new form of the old feudal system, with the government doling out restrictions in the guise of benefits, and many have lost their will to do any more work that is necessary. The immigration and deliberate non-assimilation of Muslims is a bomb waiting to go off, as many of these people feel no allegiance to the countries in which they live, work, and raise their children.
The more nations that vote "No", the stronger the Eurosceptic case becomes. However, even without widespread support for the constitution, politicians will salvage parts of it by implementing them in other treaties. No doubt the EU's political pace would slow to a crawl for some time while the damage was repaired.
That's the crux of the situation. No matter if the people vote "no," the politicians will make sure they get their way in the end. Isn't that what bureaucracy is all about?
Posted by at 09:27 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!
Yesterday was Aaron's birthday and I forgot.
So, even though this is a day late, the wish is just as sincere.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AARON!
Posted by kitty at 01:12 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Hunter S. Thompson Update--Now With Jeff Gannon Tie-In!
(Crossposted from Brainster's)
HST's still dead, still the subject of countless stories.
Organizers of a memorial for Hunter S. Thompson plan to erect a 150-foot structure _ courtesy of actor Johnny Depp _ to shoot the gonzo journalist's ashes onto his ranch near here.
Friends and acquaintances gathered Thursday to discuss the Aug. 20 invitation-only service, which will be six months after Thompson shot himself in his Woody Creek home.
Actor Johnny Depp poses for a portrait June 21, 2003, in Los Angeles. Depp, who portrayed the author in the movie version of Hunter Thompson's book "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" will pay for the construction of a 150-foot tower, which will resemble Thompson's "gonzo fist" emblem with a cannon at the top. As per Thompson's wishes, his cremated remains will be shot out of the cannon onto his property.
Jon Equis, the event producer working with Thompson's family, said the tower will be 12 feet wide at the base and 8 feet wide at the top, where a cannon will be placed.
Depp, who portrayed the author in the movie version of Thompson's book "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" will pay for the tower, designed to resemble Thompson's "gonzo fist" emblem.
As Thompson requested, his ashes will be shot out of the cannon onto his property.
Meanwhile, Jeff Gannon just keeps on giving. Turns out that he's at least partly responsible for HST's "assassination".
: But even in death, Hunter is causing trouble.
: Conspiracy theorists claim he was assassinated
: because he was about to blow the lid on a White
: House child sex porn ring with links back to
: the Franklin Cover-Up case, (which uncovered
: 15 year old callboys staying at Bush Snr's
: White House).
: Jeff Gannon, A White House journalist, was
: recently unmasked as a male escort entrepreneur
: called James Guckert, but crazy conspiracists
: reckon he is really Johnny Gosch, a kid taken by
: a paedophile ring in Des Moines in the 80s. One
: of the other victims of the ring, Paul Bonacci,
: testified that he helped kidnap Gosch to
: participate in a paedo orgy at the Bohemian
: Grove club... an event he claimed was secretly
: filmed by Hunter Thompson.
Coming soon: Was Jeff Gannon at the Grassy Knoll?
Posted by pat at 10:50 AM | Comments (2)
Tierney: The Decline and Fall of War
John Tierney's back with a reflection on a Gregg Easterbrook piece in TNR that's attracting a lot of attention.
I posed that question nearly a decade ago to my favorite prophet, Julian Simon, the economist who spent his career refuting doomsayers' predictions. He was convinced that three horsemen of the apocalypse - famine, pestilence, death - were in rapid retreat, and he suspected that the fourth was in trouble, too.
"I predict that the incidence of war will decline," he told me in 1996, two years before his death. He based his prediction on the principle that there is less and less to be gained economically from war. As people get richer and smarter, their lives and their knowledge become far more valuable than the land, minerals and natural resources they used to fight over.
Meanwhile, the number of people fighting has plummeted, even though population has grown enormously. "From what we know about war, we can only conclude that it's a much lesser problem today," said Monty Marshall of George Mason University, a co-author of the "Peace and Conflict" report. "War between countries is much less likely than ever, and civil war is less likely than any time since 1960."
Easterbrook's piece notes that the number of wars being fought worldwide peaked in 1991 and has been falling steadily ever since. The year 1991 is significant, for that was the year the Soviet Union finally collapsed. Since then, the Kremlin has not been fomenting "people's" revolutions around the globe. Easterbrook also cites the complementary phenomenon of the growth of democracy.
Another thing I appreciate about Tierney is his use of citations and footnotes in his columns, with links to the original material. That's not just rare in the newspaper world; as far as I know it's unique. I've said it before and I'll say it again; he's rapidly moving up my list of favorite pundits.
Posted by pat at 08:47 AM | Comments (1)
What do the Brits think about the EU?
Tim Worstall has posted a contest on his blog, asking for the best obnoxious bumper sticker slogans for the EU his readers can come up with. Here are some of my faves:
EU will be assimilated
Screw EU!
The EU: Serf ‘n’ Turf
EU. Ewwwwwwwww.
Click here to see more. The contest will run throughout the weekend, and the winner will be announced Monday.
Posted by at 10:16 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Condi Is the Bomb!
Oh, I just had an adult moment in my pants watching Secretary Rice take charge of an audience peppered with protestors.
A speech by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was briefly interrupted today by protesters.
At least two people stood up soon after Rice began a speech at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco. The protesters wore what appeared to be black robes and black hoods -- an apparent reference to the prisoner abuse scandal at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison.
The best part is her response that wrought a standing ovation. Watch it here.
My theory: Cheney steps down in September of 2006, where Bush will appoint Rice as his VP just in time for the 2006 election cycle (read: first black/female vice president which takes away from the possible Clinton/Obama ticket). This not only gives John McCain the finger, but allows Rice to run as an incumbent with experience that HRC just cannot match.
Posted by Aaron at 06:42 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
Deep Thought on John McCain
Could it be that John McCain wants Bush's nominees to be defeated by the Democrats because he fears his campaign finance bill would be struck down with a conservative Supreme Court?
I know they ruled earlier on the matter, but the Court could take it up again with a different Chief Justice.
Posted by Aaron at 06:02 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Non
I love Ace's mastery of language and imagery. This is too funny [regarding the impending doom of the EU "constitution"]:
Let's hope that whatever happens, a great many Europeans are dismayed and even filled with "heart-ache" and write a lot of navel-gazing columns and letters to the editors and maybe get off of America's tits for like five minutes.
Posted by Aaron at 11:20 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Thune to Vote No on Bolton
A wonderful welcome to readers from Polipundit. Please check out our entire site and my personal site at Brainster's Blog.
Well, this is a bitter pill.
Asked whether his opposition to Bolton was because of his qualifications or the base-closing plan, Thune said dryly: "I'm concerned about our diplomatic posture as a nation, and I'm concerned about our defensive posture. These issues are not unrelated."
Thune otherwise would not say why he would vote against Bolton's nomination.
"Everyone has to come to their own decision about it, and that's the decision I have come to," Thune said. "John Bolton is not the best man for this job."
I'm not one to judge a politician by one vote, and by most accounts Bolton will be confirmed anyway. I don't really know if it's a case of grandstanding over a base closure as the linked article in the (notoriously anti-Thune) Argus Leader indicates. But I am disappointed that he's fallen for the borking.
Posted by pat at 10:52 AM | Comments (9)
Weighty Matters
If you're like me, you struggle with the odd few pounds. My job, for instance, involves a lot of sitting on my duff and a 5-hour round trip commute, which leaves me precious little time for exercise. So I am constantly hopping on and off the diet merry-go-round, hoping that "this time will be the last time."
Of course, there are people out there who struggle with much more than 5, 10, or even 20 pounds. These people are either obese or morbidly obese, and they have become the latest punching bags of American culture.
The debate rages on about whether those who are obese die disproportionately earlier deaths than those who are not obese. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recently said the numbers of people who die as a result of their weight was lower than they originally stated...down from 400,000 per year to 112,000.
That's quite a difference.
Of course, no one would dispute that being morbidly overweight definitely has its drawbacks as far as quality of life. But the gamut of public opinion on those who are obese range from pity to outrage. (This column by Larry Elder illustrates the latter. No, Larry's not outraged...one of his talk show callers is.)
Is there a happy medium somewhere?
Enter Paul Campos, author of a new book entitled The Diet Myth: Why America's Obsession with Weight is Hazardous to Your Health. I haven't read it (it's on my ever-growing list). What I have read, however, is this interview with him by Nick Schulz on Tech Central Station. He makes a few interesting points:
That's one of the things people don't appreciate about this phenomenon. It's not that this is somehow, in any way, limited to the United States. If you look at any developed economy, roughly half the population or more is "overweight." Nations in Western Europe have the same average BMI or even higher than we have in the United States...
Fat people...they aren't just in America anymore.
I really think that what's fueling this on a basic level are these anxieties about decadence and over-consumption and laziness and that somehow we've got something wrong with ourselves as a nation. And this is always being projected out on to this matter of weight.
Translation: capitalism is bad.
One that really sums up the depth of the craziness on this is the initiative that has been undertaken in Arkansas by Gov. Huckabee, who is pushing through legislation to mandate the placement of a weight index that is on the report cards of all children in Arkansas Public Schools to grade them by weight. A similar initiative has just been passed in Texas and others along the same line are being considered in a variety of other states.
Being graded on weight? What's next, being graded on personality?
I'll have to read the whole book before I make up my mind as to whether or not I completely agree with Campos. What I do agree with, however, is that extremely overweight people in this country are fast becoming second class citizens, and that thinner folks need to realize there are more factors to being overweight than simply "having no control."
And, being overweight doesn't mean you are a loser.
Posted by at 10:06 AM | Comments (10) | TrackBack
Krugman Running Out of Bubbles?--updated!
I know that people who write the articles don't write the headlines. But you gotta appreciate the one on the latest Krugman column: Running Out of Bubbles.
Of course, Krugman himself is running out of bubbles. A year or two back he warned direly of a "double-dip recession". That didn't happen, so now he's onto the housing bubble, which could in turn lead to recession:
But although the housing boom has lasted longer than anyone could have imagined, the economy would still be in big trouble if it came to an end. That is, if the hectic pace of home construction were to cool, and consumers were to stop borrowing against their houses, the economy would slow down sharply. If housing prices actually started falling, we'd be looking at a very nasty scene, in which both construction and consumer spending would plunge, pushing the economy right back into recession.
There's always a happy ending sometime in the future for Krugman. Here's my take: There will be no bubble. Housing prices will stop galloping forward eventually, but there's no reason to expect them to drop at this stage of the economy. The economy leads the housing market, it doesn't trail it, despite this ridiculous comment:
So what happens if the housing bubble bursts? It will be the same thing all over again, unless the Fed can find something to take its place. And it's hard to imagine what that might be. After all, the Fed's ability to manage the economy mainly comes from its ability to create booms and busts in the housing market. If housing enters a post-bubble slump, what's left?
That's patent nonsense. The housing market can be important to the overall economy, but it's hardly the driver of demand. I don't know how energetically people are pulling equity out of their houses; I certainly haven't drawn down any of the appreciation in value of my home; I've been happy to find my loan to value ratio declining into the 30% range.
California has gone through several housing market booms. In the early 1990s things turned sour there (remember the Michael Douglas flick where he's a laid-off defense worker who goes postal?), but by the mid-1990s they were back in business. In the late 1990s you had the dot com boom in the SF Bay Area; that was clearly unsustainable, but guess what? It's back again.
Update: A Stitch in Haste has some excellent thoughts on this.
Posted by pat at 09:34 AM | Comments (0)
Destroying Embryos vs. the Death Penalty
I am not going to parse through William Saletan's argument that because Bush opposes federal funding for cloning and embryionic stem-cell research, then he is a hypocrite. All it demonstrates is that the left believes in the goodness of evil.
He argues that putting people to death for murder is the same as human cloning and embryonic stem-cell research!
He can find no difference morally about a person who, given the gift of life, chooses to use his life to end the life of others being executed versus an embryo days old being destroyed.
I am not an ardent "pro-lifer." I believe the Bible is very specific about when a human being receives a soul--at birth, not conception.
However, I am not convinced that abortion is not wrong nor a sin. Pregnancy is something to be celebated; women should be celebrated for being able to birth life, and children from sexual abuse should demonstrate how something glorious can come from the trenches of horrific evil.
But to compare an embryo to a murderer is so ridiculous that it can only come from an idiot...enter William Saletan.
Posted by Aaron at 07:33 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
Spector Skips Town
One vote was missing to invoke cloture on John Bolton. Senator Arlen Spector was "missing" from the role call.
The only excuse I will accept is that he had medical complications with his bout with cancer.
Otherwise, throw him under the bus with Judge Saad, Judge Pickering, Judge Meyers, Judge Kuhl, Judge Kavanaugh, Judge Haynes, and Judge Estrada.
I used to work at Covington & Burling--Senator Spector's law firm. He is highly regarded and I respect him. But he is not a leader. He is a compromiser. Margaret Thatcher said something like compromise/consensus is the absence or leadership.
This does not bode well with Senator Bill Frist either...
Posted by Aaron at 07:01 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
Hollywood Jumps In to Smear DeLay
According to Drudge, Hollywood once again jumps into bitter DC politics when an episode of NBC's LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT suggests a judge killer would wear a 'Tom DeLay' T-Shirt!
Will Law & Order suggest in a future episode that anyone who wants to pull the plug on a brain-dead patient would wear a Howard Dean t-shirt? (This is in reference to Dean's free usage of the term brain-dead.)
Enough already!
Posted by at 01:38 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
BLUBBERING RINO
Georgie Porgie puddin pie
was criticized and made to cry.
Crocodile tears right on cue,
Georgie Porgie boo hoo hoo.
What an embarrassment this is!
Jaaaaaay-zus, Georgie, get a backbone already!
.
Posted by kitty at 12:56 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
CONGRATS TO PAT!
Our very own brainster PAT's prediction is mentioned in Howie Kurtz' column!
Posted by kitty at 11:09 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
GOOD NEWS
 | And now for a breath of fresh air, AnkleBitingPundits have discovered some interesting data concerning voter turnout in 2004. |
.
Posted by kitty at 10:37 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
DISGUSTING
 | Educational smut for kids: The book is "Rainbow Party" by juvenile fiction author Paul Ruditis. The publisher is Simon Pulse, a kiddie lit division of the esteemed Simon & Schuster. Maybe this is sexist ... I don't care ... but it bothers me that a man wrote a book about pubescent girls giving bj's and then calls it "an interesting topic." But that's just me. h/t Pat |
 | Meanwhile in Scotland: AT THE High Court in Perth yesterday, the judge, Lady Smith, released on bail a convicted paedophile who had admitted raping an 11-year-old schoolgirl. |
 | PARIS BURGER AD NOT FOR KIDS?: Lawmakers are working behind the scenes to get her sizzling TV ad for eatery chain Carl's Jr. in which she writhes half-naked on a Bentley, cavorts with a garden hose and sucks her finger banished to late night. Sources say several influential pols have quietly told networks the commercial, labeled "basically soft-core porn" by the Parents Television Council, isn't fit for children and shouldn't air before 10 p.m. |
 | A special note to Kevin & Britney: If you love your child -- and I know you do, because if you didn't people would have spotted you both constantly smoking and drinking -- you'll give it up for adoption. Give the child a fighting chance to break the cycle of white trash servitude. Check out Britney gets silly in front of the camera. |
 | Linda Foley: "Journalists ... are also being targeted for real, um ...in places like Iraq. What outrages me as a representative of journalists is that there's not more outrage about the number, and the brutality, and the cavalier nature of the U.S. military toward the killing of journalists in Iraq." |
Posted by kitty at 10:30 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBack
How Not To Argue the Torture Question
Bob Herbert gives us an excellent example of what to avoid:
Ahh, pretty words. Now I wonder when Mr. Bush and Mr. DeLay will find the time to address - or rather, to denounce - the depraved ways in which the United States has dealt with so many of the thousands of people (many of them completely innocent) who have been swept up in the so-called war on terror.
And:
Torturing prisoners, rather than making the U.S. safer, puts us all in greater danger. The abuses of detainees at places like Guantánamo and the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq have come to define the United States in the minds of many Muslims and others around the world. And the world has caught on that large percentages of the people swept up and incarcerated as terrorists by the U.S. were in fact innocent of wrongdoing and had no connection to terrorism at all.
You see the error? Herbert is a captive of his bleeding heart liberalism, so he can't resist throwing in the possibility that the people being tortured are innocent. It's what I call kitchen sink arguing; throw everything at your enemies and hope that something sticks.
But the problem is that by emphasizing that these people might be innocent leads us to say, okay, let's not torture innocent people. It's wasteful and quite possibly counterproductive. Now, let's get on with torturing the bad guys, right?
Oh, no, we can't torture anybody, would certainly be his response, but his argument only works for those who are innocent. Think about his claim that "Torturing prisoners, rather than making the U.S. safer, puts us all in greater danger."
Oh, really? Now I can buy that for folks who are legitimately innocent, but let's take Zaccarais Massaoui, for example. Suppose that sometime between his arrest in mid-August 2001 and September 11th of that year, the FBI had tortured the secret of the 9-11 plot out of him. Would we have been safer?
Of course. Now some might argue that they would not allow it anyway, even with the benefit of hindsight. That's pretty idiotic, in my humble opinion because we know how horrific 9-11 turned out to be.
Now we're 3-1/2 years past that date. We know that if Al Qaeda strikes again it will likely be even worse. We should have the debate about torture, but let's not confuse the issue with whether somebody might be innocent, because that is a distraction. If we know the guy's a bad guy and probably has information, should we torture him.
And, just to make it clear, let's remember what Herbert is talking about when he says "torture":
...techniques like "sensory deprivation, isolation, sleep deprivation, forced nudity, the use of military working dogs to instill fear, cultural and sexual humiliation, mock executions, and the threat of violence or death toward detainees or their loved ones."
This is not bamboo shoots under the fingernails or Chinese water torture. This is basically harassment.
Posted by pat at 01:22 AM | Comments (3)
Yo Momma Is so LifeLike, She....
Alpha Patriot points us to the bloggosphere's "Yo Momma's" contest held at The Minor Fan, The Major Lift. Which one would you say is most true about us at LifeLike Pundits...
Your blog is so stupid Rosie O’Donell made fun of it in free verse on her blog.
Your blog is like a sausage patty: no links.
Your blog is so boring Nick Denton wants to pay you $1000 a month not to write.
Your blog is like a pedestrian walkway: no traffic.
Your blog is so lame even Greg Lindsay refused to write for it.
Your blog is like Martha Stewart during her trial for securities fraud: no comments.
Your blog is so ugly Matt Drudge sent you an e-mail offering to help you redesign it “so it’s more aesthetically pleasing."
Your blog is like the intensive care unit after 8 P.M.: no visitors.
Your blog is so self-indulgent Stephanie Klein sent you a box of tampons and a note that says, “Get over it.”
Your blog is so badly written it got you your own column at the New York Press.
Your blog is like Jason Kidd’s domestic situation after court-ordered anger-management classes: no hits.
Posted by Aaron at 08:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Did We Really Need to Register this Sex Offender?
Um, I ran across this picture from the Corner by way of Garfield Ridge by way of Ace of Spades. He is a registered sex offender in Lucas County, Ohio. Personally, I don't believe it is real. Therefore, LET'S HAVE A CAPTION CONTEST!
Why do I think this is not real? Because the site is NOT a state site (it wouldn't be a .net site for something like a sex offender registry) and photos of offenders are always mug shots--not seated.
And yes, it did horrify me. If anyone in Ohio lives near him (map found on the website) please feel free to confirm or deny his existence.
UPDATE: Longtime friend of LLP, DoubleU, discovers that this picture has made it to the pages of snopes.com. Surprisingly, the argument is in favor of the photograph being legit.
Posted by Aaron at 07:17 PM | Comments (10) | TrackBack
Voinovich: Senate's Stuart Smalley
This is rich. I am still looking for a link to the transcript or video--but Voinovich nearly breaks down saying he is against Bolton's nomination to the UN because he feared for his children and grandchidren.
My question is this: if you were so friggin' concerned with the well being of your family, then why couldn't you make the time to attend the committee hearings?
This is like Kerry not attending intelligence hearings then telling people he's a Richard Clarke disciple.
Charles Krauthammer made an excellent point on Special Report with Brit Hume: Voinovich's sensitive speech where he almost broke down in tears demonstrates the kind of person Democrats and Voinovich want to send to the UN--a crybaby begging for forgiveness.
Please. Just send this clown to the UN if that's what you want.
Posted by Aaron at 07:04 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
McCAINIA
 | Cruel McCain: Child pornography. Ugly Chelsea Clinton joke with ugly Reno reference. That McCain is a laff-riot and so sensitive, too. |
 | Brainster speculates: McCain runs in 2008, and wins New Hampshire (where "independents" are allowed to vote in either primary), sending the media into swooning fits. And doesn't win anywhere else, allowing the media to concoct the narrative that his bid was derailed by dark forces in the GOP. A rerun of 2000, in other words. |
 | Rush: [D]oes John McCain have more contempt for his own party than for leftists? Does he? He failed to get the nomination in 2000. He spent four years in various forms of payback. He opposed Bush's tax cuts, he's been a steady critic on the war strategy ... it's clear that a little get-even-with-'em-ism has been going on. |
Posted by kitty at 12:40 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
ORWELL AT THE EMMYS
Lee "Diagnosis Murder" Goldberg finds dealing with a simple problem not so simple.
The Hazards of Emmy Voting:
Things have become Orwellian in the fight against piracy that all the DVDs (and the occasional VHS) are encoded with some digital marker that can be traced right back to you. Which means if you toss your DVDs, and your trash man digs'em up and rips 15000 bootleg copies to sell on the streets, you could be fined hundreds of thousands of dollars, drummed out of the ATAS, perhaps even go to prison, just for emptying your garbage.
.
Posted by kitty at 10:10 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Time to Repeal the 17th Amendment?
Aaron suggested this topic. The 17th Amendment is one of the lesser-known amendments to the US Constitution. Although it is not common knowledge, prior to its ratification senators were elected by the legislatures of the various states. Here's how the original provision in the Constitution read:
Clause 1: The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof, (See Note 3) for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.
However, the 17th Amendment, which was ratified in 1913 provided for the direct election of Senators. FindLaw notes:
The ratification of this Amendment was the outcome of increasing popular dissatisfaction with the operation of the originally established method of electing Senators. As the franchise became exercisable by greater numbers of people, the belief became widespread that Senators ought to be popularly elected in the same manner as Representatives.
The 17th Amendment continued the diminution of the States's powers and rights. It seems quaint nowadays when someone identifies themselves more as a citizen of any individual state than an American, but this was quite common back in the 1800s, and persisted well into the 20th century at least as a stereotype about Texans.
We tend not to think of government the way it evolved--from local government to regional government to statewide government to national government. And at first, at every step the lower level governments had the power. But very quickly, at every stage the higher level governments took over.
Advantages of repealing the 17th Amendment:
1. Restore some power to the States by giving them representation in the Federal government.
2. Create accountability between the State and its senators. As it is now, very few sitting senators are defeated, with the result that they can ignore their home states with virtual impunity. Give the state legislators the power to choose senators and you'll see a lot of them jockeying for the spot themselves. And of course if there's a housecleaning in the statehouses, it will quickly make itself felt in the Senate.
3. Create more interest in state legislatures.
Of course, it's something of a pipe dream. Just to get it out of Congress requires a 2/3rds vote of each house, so the nay votes of 34 senators would kill it. That said, if it ever did clear the Senate, it might actually stand a decent chance of passing.
Posted by pat at 12:57 AM | Comments (5)
Were Islamic Terrorists Fall Guys for Spanish Socialists?
(Forgive the cheesy cast photo of that show The Fall Guy from the early '80s...I couldn't help myself.)
The headline is disturbing, but possibly true. In an article on the National Review's website, Frank J. Gaffney explores this frightening possibility. Regarding the 3/11 attacks in busy Spanish train stations that ultimately tossed the conservative government out on its ear, the Madrid newspaper El Mundo
...suggests that, almost immediately after the 12 bombs went off in one of the city’s busiest train stations, some in the Spanish police force fabricated evidence, then swiftly hyped it to the domestic and international press. The object seems to have been to support the oppositions’ claims that Islamists angry over the government’s support for the war in Iraq were responsible for the attacks.
If this is true, then it can only prove that Spanish socialists were so desperate to win that they'd do just about anything.
We can't cut the Islamic terrorists any slack, of course. But if, IF, members of the Spanish socialist party were at all responsible for setting these guys up in order to win an election, then they are just as scary, if not more so, than the Islamic thugs willing to maim and kill innocent victims by bombing.
Gaffney reminds us that
...if the leads published in recent days pan out, it would appear that Spain’s 2004 elections were stolen by terrorists, alright. But the terrorist operation that brought the socialists to power may have been an inside job — in effect, a coup perpetrated by some of the same authorities who are responsible for preventing terror. Explosive stuff, if true. But all preliminary and speculative right now. [emphasis added]
The entire article can be found here. Will there be an investigation? Let's hope so...
Posted by at 10:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Thank Your Senators for Cloture Vote
I called Senators Sarbanes and Mikulski from Maryland and said as a constituent I wanted them to vote for cloture on Bush's nominees.
They did.
I just sent them this note (note how this supports cloture votes without sounding overly partisan--like a chain letter from Moveon.org)...It's so personal, you could copy and paste it!
As a constituent, I called your office last Thursday requesting that you vote for cloture on Bush's nominees which would thereby make the so called "nuclear" or "constitutional" option unnecessary. I appreciate your vote today supporting cloture on Judge Owen's nomination.
Please continue to vote for cloture on all of Bush's nominees. I believe that extraordinary circumstances would require membership to the KKK--not simply being conservative--for a judicial filibuster. Abe Fortas was corrupt and was shown to be unethical with finances and his dealings with the White House.
I support your right to vote against any nomination the Bush Administration sends to the senate...but if a nominee isn't horribly corrupt, then we should vote for cloture until the Democratic Party starts winning elections. Let's support winners and not sound like crybabies.
Below is the list of Senators you should contact and praise for their affirmative vote for cloture on judicial nominees...
Alabama: Sessions (R-AL), Yea Shelby (R-AL), Yea
Alaska: Murkowski (R-AK), Yea Stevens (R-AK), Yea
Arizona: Kyl (R-AZ), Yea McCain (R-AZ), Yea
Arkansas: Lincoln (D-AR), Nay Pryor (D-AR), Yea
California: Boxer (D-CA), Nay Feinstein (D-CA), Yea
Colorado: Allard (R-CO), Yea Salazar (D-CO), Yea
Connecticut: Dodd (D-CT), Nay Lieberman (D-CT), Yea
Delaware: Biden (D-DE), Nay Carper (D-DE), Yea
Florida: Martinez (R-FL), Yea Nelson (D-FL), Yea
Georgia: Chambliss (R-GA), Yea Isakson (R-GA), Yea
Hawaii: Akaka (D-HI), Yea Inouye (D-HI), Not Voting
Idaho: Craig (R-ID), Yea Crapo (R-ID), Yea
Illinois: Durbin (D-IL), Yea Obama (D-IL), Yea
Indiana: Bayh (D-IN), Yea Lugar (R-IN), Yea
Iowa: Grassley (R-IA), Yea Harkin (D-IA), Yea
Kansas: Brownback (R-KS), Yea Roberts (R-KS), Yea
Kentucky: Bunning (R-KY), Yea McConnell (R-KY), Yea
Louisiana: Landrieu (D-LA), Yea Vitter (R-LA), Yea
Maine: Collins (R-ME), Yea Snowe (R-ME), Yea
Maryland: Mikulski (D-MD), Yea Sarbanes (D-MD), Nay
Massachusetts: Kennedy (D-MA), Nay Kerry (D-MA), Nay
Michigan: Levin (D-MI), Nay Stabenow (D-MI), Nay
Minnesota: Coleman (R-MN), Yea Dayton (D-MN), Nay
Mississippi: Cochran (R-MS), Yea Lott (R-MS), Yea
Missouri: Bond (R-MO), Yea Talent (R-MO), Yea
Montana: Baucus (D-MT), Yea Burns (R-MT), Yea
Nebraska: Hagel (R-NE), Yea Nelson (D-NE), Yea
Nevada: Ensign (R-NV), Yea Reid (D-NV), Yea
New Hampshire: Gregg (R-NH), Yea Sununu (R-NH), Yea
New Jersey: Corzine (D-NJ), Nay Lautenberg (D-NJ), Nay
New Mexico: Bingaman (D-NM), Yea Domenici (R-NM), Yea
New York: Clinton (D-NY), Yea Schumer (D-NY), Yea
North Carolina: Burr (R-NC), Yea Dole (R-NC), Yea
North Dakota: Conrad (D-ND), Yea Dorgan (D-ND), Nay
Ohio: DeWine (R-OH), Yea Voinovich (R-OH), Yea
Oklahoma: Coburn (R-OK), Yea Inhofe (R-OK), Yea
Oregon: Smith (R-OR), Yea Wyden (D-OR), Yea
Pennsylvania: Santorum (R-PA), Yea Specter (R-PA), Yea
Rhode Island: Chafee (R-RI), Yea Reed (D-RI), Nay
South Carolina: DeMint (R-SC), Yea Graham (R-SC), Yea
South Dakota: Johnson (D-SD), Yea Thune (R-SD), Yea
Tennessee: Alexander (R-TN), Yea Frist (R-TN), Yea
Texas: Cornyn (R-TX), Yea Hutchison (R-TX), Yea
Utah: Bennett (R-UT), Yea Hatch (R-UT), Yea
Vermont: Jeffords (I-VT), Nay Leahy (D-VT), Yea
Virginia: Allen (R-VA), Yea Warner (R-VA), Yea
Washington: Cantwell (D-WA), Nay Murray (D-WA), Nay
West Virginia: Byrd (D-WV), Yea Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea
Wisconsin: Feingold (D-WI), Nay Kohl (D-WI), Yea
Wyoming: Enzi (R-WY), Yea Thomas (R-WY), Yea
Posted by Aaron at 07:43 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
SKEPTICAL ... BUT INTERESTED
Could be an interesting book, but I'm very skeptical of the hype. I'll withold judgment until I read the excerpts in VF.
NewsMax has learned that a new book about Hillary Clintonis being rushed into print months ahead of schedule and Vanity Fair magazine will soon publish an excerpt of the work.
Publishing insiders say the book and its revelations could destroy her bid to run for the presidency in 2008.
The tell-all book by Edward Klein, "The Truth About Hillary: What She Knew, When She Knew It, and How Far She'll Go to Become President," was originally slated for publication in September.
[Editor's Note: NewsMax will be among the first to offer this book reserve your copy Click Here Now.]
But the publisher, the Sentinel imprint of the Penguin Group, has moved up the publication date to June 21 due to the "intense interest and speculation" generated by several media reports on the book, Sentinel spokesman Will Weisser told NewsMax.com.
Vanity Fair will beat the embargo with a special excerpt due out June 5, a source close to the publisher said.
Posted by kitty at 03:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
RODHAM & RUDY
Saint Hillary
By Jackie Mason & Raoul Felder
Now that there is a new Pope, bringing with him the possibilities of naming new saints, there appears to be a movement of biblical proportions afoot for the beatification of Hillary Clinton.
...
[I]n what must be one of the most interesting miracles since the fishes and loaves, she has transmuted herself into a figure of faith, principle, and piety. Like Saul on the road to Tarsus, who had seen the light of his Lord, she has transformed herself.
...
[M]any Methodists will be surprised to learn that the practice of their faith is not incompatible with anti-Semitism. Remember Dick Morris revealing that when he was close to the Clintons and there was a disagreement concerning money owed him, Hillary, in anger, addressing his demand for payment, referred to him as "You people." ... Also, who can forget the wet one she planted on Mrs. Arafat -- who turned out to be so low that even the Palestinians wanted to get rid of her.
.
RUDY & THE RIGHT
By John Podhoretz
What we saw here was a very preliminary test case of Giuliani's political future and his capacity to overcome the cultural and moral obstacles in his path in the Republican Party. The failure to engage pro-lifers in an anti-Giuliani protest - a protest that was effectively granted a seal of approval by the leading Catholic cleric in the area - indicates the reservoir of affection for Rudy in the party runs quite deep.
He was given a hero's welcome at the GOP convention here in New York last year. And in the most recent Marist College poll of Republican contenders, Rudy leads the field (including John McCain) with 27 percent.
Still, if he chooses to run for president in 2008, Rudy will have a very hard road to travel because of a few things he said in the past while running for office in New York City.
...
So can Rudy win? Based on the last eight election cycles, the answer is a provisional yes.
Posted by kitty at 01:42 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
EXPOSING OUR ELECTED NITWITS
Posted by kitty at 10:22 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Senator John McCain, et al.
Don't just fume...let them know how you feel:
McCain
241 Russell Senate Ofc. Bldg.
United States Senate
Washington DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2235
Fax: (202) 228-2862
Phoenix
5353 North 16th Street
Suite 105
Phoenix, Arizona 85016
Phone: (602) 952-2410
Fax: (602) 952-8702
Tempe
4703 S. Lakeshore Drive
Suite 1
Tempe, Arizona 85282
Phone: (480) 897-6289
Fax: (480) 897-8389
Tucson
407 W. Congress Street
Suite 103
Tucson, Arizona 85701
Phone: (520) 670-6334
Fax: (520) 670-6637
Graham
Washington Office
290 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-5972 phone
Upstate Regional Office
101 East Washington Street, Suite 220
Greenville, South Carolina 29601
(864) 250-1417
Midlands Regional Office
508 Hampton Street, Suite 202
Columbia, South Carolina 29201
(803) 933-0112 phone
DeWine
Washington, D.C. Office
140 Russell Senate Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2315
Fax: (202) 224-6519
TDD: (202) 224-9921
Cincinnati, Ohio Office:
312 Walnut St.
Suite 2030
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Phone: (513) 763-8260
Fax: (513) 763-8268
Cleveland, Ohio Office:
600 East Superior Avenue
Room 2450
Cleveland, OH 44114
Phone: (216) 522-7272
Fax: (216) 522-2239
Columbus, Ohio Office:
37 West Broad Street
Suite 300
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (614) 469-5186
Fax: (614) 469-2982
Warner
Washington Office
225 Russell Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-2023
(202) 224-6295 FAX
Roanoke District Office
1003 First Union Bank Building
213 South Jefferson Street
Roanoke, Virginia 24011
(540) 857-2676
(540) 857-2800 FAX
Norfolk District Office
4900 World Trade Center
Norfolk, Virginia 23510
(757) 441-3079
(757) 441-6250 FAX
Posted by Aaron at 10:01 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Senator McCain Seals Bid to Lose 2008 Presidential Primary
The pomp and circustance surrounding this deal stinks. Unlike W. Bush landing on the aircraft carrier, the "McCain Accord" on judges--in a blatant subversion of he majority of Republicans--only postpones the filibuster vote, but the media treated McCain like he was Christ returning to earth to bring order back to the universe.
This is naked media whoring. McCain, so high no himself, sealed his doom in the Republican primary for 2008 with this deal.
I will join any republican effort to ensure his loss in 2008.
More optimistic posts here:
I still suspect that the "compromising senators" will realize their mistake tomorrow by about noon once Rush and his callers vent.
Posted by Aaron at 12:19 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
Another Quiz...This Time, State Capitals
Recently, I posted a quiz on American manufacturing.
Today, it's a quiz about state capitals. It's short...only 11 questions...I received an 8 out of 11 (roughly 73%).
It's time to