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Bad Hair Day (Humor)
Bill Cosby hosts a TV show titled "Kids Say The Darndest Things" (formerly hosted by Art Linkletter).
I need to arrange for my four-year-old son Dawson to appear on that show. He already has a talent for embarrassing me. His talent might as well be put on public display. Perhaps Dawson would be discovered by a Hollywood talent scout.
While I was blogging, Dawson climbed up on my chair and stood so that he could see the top of my head. At that moment Dawson spoke the words that every middle-aged man dreads to hear:
"No hair."
Upon hearing Dawson's words, I felt like Larry the Cucumber without his hairbrush.
For the record, both of my grandfathers had full heads of hair when they died. My father still has all of his hair, and Dawson was born with a full head of hair.
I don't need my son telling me that I am turning into Larry the Cucumber.
Does anyone know a talent scout in search of an adorable 4-year-old boy?
PS: Dawson's daddy has updated his biography to include (Gasp!) a photo of the Dodo. Click here to see it if you dare.
Posted by Dodo David at 08:31 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Poverty in America: It Ain't What It Used to Be
Michael Bowers at The Star has some interesting statistics on the meaning of poverty today compared to that of yesteryear:
Today, even the poor have a bewildering array of comforts. "More than 98 percent of American homes have a telephone, electricity and a flush toilet," the study says. "More than 70 percent of Americans own a car, a VCR, a microwave, air conditioning, cable TV, and a washer and dryer." In 1900, almost no homes had such conveniences.
[...]
Now go to the Web site "globalrichlist" and type in $39,000. Guess what. Your new household income ranks in the top 4 percent of all the people in the world. Only 72 million people make more than you do. Almost 6 billion make less. And you didn't even have to go to college.
Click here to read it all. Poverty just isn't what it's cracked up to be...and that's a good thing.
Posted by at 06:48 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Renaming GWOT
What do you think is the best new acronym?
WARM = War Against Radical Muslims
WORM = War On Radical Muslims
Glo-WORM = Global War On Radical Muslims
WW4
WORI = War on Radical Islam
WARI = War Against Radical Islam
Vote at the Astute Blogger.
Thanks, Polipundit for the link.
Posted by Aaron at 06:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Judge Declares She Know's What Everyone Is Thinking
Federal Judge rules that key parts of the Patriot Act are unconstitional because those portions, "remain too vague to be understood by a person of average intelligence and are therefore unconstitutional."
Other than the fact that she feels that her opinion alone is higher than 550 elected officials, why didn't she tackle, say, the federal tax code or the Democratic Party platform first?
Posted by Aaron at 06:04 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
JUST WHEN Y'THOUGHT YOU'D HEARD IT ALL
Is this a joke? Was the 14-yr-old babysitter charged? After reading the account, I can't fathom why the 8-yr-old was charged with anything.
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8-Year-Old Charged For Sexual Conduct With Sitter
(KUTV) SALT LAKE CITY, Utah A mother is upset after a 14-year-old babysitter engaged in sexual conduct with her eight-year-old boy, and the eight-year-old was charged with lewd conduct. Prosecutors have since dropped the charges against the boy, but his mother is still concerned... Prosecutors say that, while the babysitter initiated the contact, the young boy was a willing participant.
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Posted by kitty at 02:13 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Democrat Quote of the Day (07/31/05)
"Unlike most of America, I don't actually hate Hillary. I am prepared to believe she is a good senator. But the fact that anyone's taking her seriously as presidential material just shows how out of touch the Democratic Party is. I love this party. It is my party. Its ideals are my ideals. I am not about to abandon it. However, I can't help feeling that at the moment it has abandoned me. Looking desperately for leadership in a scary world, the Democrats offer me a choice between whackos and cowards."
- Susanna Rodell, editorial-page editor of The Charleston Gazette
Posted by Dodo David at 10:24 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
WAR GAMES
This map was probably outdated by the time it was originally posted. However, it's still worth posting for its wallop. Once again Mark Steyn has written a must-read piece on how radical Islamists are not playing games; they're playing for keeps.
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Terrorists way too cozy in United Kingdom
So here's how things stand four years after 9/11: United Kingdom taxpayers are subsidizing the jihad.
...
A ''criminal'' approach gives terrorists all the rights of criminals, and between British and European -- and, indeed, American -- ''human rights,'' that's quite a bundle. If it's a war, you can take wartime measures. But, if you fight this thing as a law enforcement matter, Islamist welfare queens will use all the above to their full extent. So today imams living off welfare checks openly promote the murder of Tony Blair, British troops, etc., with impunity.
Madrid and London -- along with other events such as the murder of the Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh -- are, in essence, the opening shots of a European civil war. You can laugh at that if you wish, but the Islamists' most oft-stated goal is not infidel withdrawal from Iraq but the re-establishment of a Muslim caliphate living under sharia that extends to Europe, and there's a lot to be said for taking these chaps at their word and then seeing whether their behavior is consistent with that.
Furthermore, there's a lot more of the world that lives under sharia than there was, say, 30 years ago: Pakistan adopted it in 1977, Iran in 1979, Sudan in 1984. Fifty years ago, Nigeria lived under English common law; now, half of it's in the grip of Islamic law. So, as a political project, radical Islam has made some headway, and continues to do so almost every day of the week.
And by all indications it's only going to get worse:
Biggest suicide wave in a bloody 2,000-year history
The use of suicide attacks in conflict dates back to at least 2,000 years ago but the savage wave of bombings that has hit the Middle East, America and much of Europe in the past five years is the worst that the world has known.
Since the twin towers of the World Trade Center were brought down by Al-Qaeda on September 11, 2001, scores of suicide attacks across the globe have killed more than 4,400 people.
According to a study by Robert Pape, associate professor of political science at the University of Chicago, the monthly toll of attacks has been steadily escalating and shows no sign of abating.
Meanwhile, if you thought that granting the Nobel Peace Price to Jimmy Carter would shut him up, think again. In the midst of this terror, Jimmy Carter is traveling everywhere and anywhere people will listen and telling them, in essence, that the terrorists are justified for their acts because America, and President Bush in particular, are wrong. Isn't this the definition of treason?
Carter: Guantanamo Detentions Disgraceful
Carter also criticized the U.S.-led war in Iraq as "unnecessary and unjust."
"I think what's going on in Guantanamo Bay and other places is a disgrace to the U.S.A.," he told a news conference at the Baptist World Alliance's centenary conference in Birmingham, England. "I wouldn't say it's the cause of terrorism, but it has given impetus and excuses to potential terrorists to lash out at our country and justify their despicable acts."
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Posted by kitty at 10:01 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Brooks: Life Lessons from Baseball
David Brooks' column this weekend is a pleasant and light-hearted look at his son's youth league baseball team, and the lessons drawn therefrom.
They have a physical confidence about them now, which comes from knowing they have become good at something really hard. They have come into contact with coaches who commanded an authority that, frankly, surpasses that of many of their teachers; coaches who talk more directly about character, self-sacrifice and discipline than other people in their lives or in their culture. They have become members of the community of baseball, the oddballs, near-stars and legends from Little League to the Hall of Fame, who speak a similar language and share a common attitude.
The attitude comes from the reality of the game, which is that the difference between a home run and a pop-up is minuscule. A pitcher dominates one day and is shelled the next. So the players, even our boys, develop this emotional resilience, this fatalistic ability to accept the good and the bad, which will serve them well in life.
Posted by pat at 01:39 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Democratic Implosion
Someone at the Democratic Party's national headquarters must have pushed the "Self Destruct" button, because each day the party acts like a sinking ship.
The Dodo isn't the only person to think so. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has published an editorial titled Dems in the doldrums/The party still hasn't got its act together.
Among the many Democratic problems is the problem concerning Senator Hillary Clinton. She is seen by Democrats as a 2008 contender for the U.S. presidency. Yet, she is a devisive figure within her own party. The Washington Times reports the following:
But some of the [Democratic] party's leftist groups are unhappy with Mrs. Clinton's cozy relations with the DLC, a group founded in the 1980s to wrest control of the party from its liberal leaders. "By aligning herself with the DLC, it is pretty well guaranteed that there will be somebody running for the nomination to her left," said Roger Hickey, co-director of Campaign for America's Future, a liberal activist group that has been playing an increasingly influential role in the party. "She is going to have to choose between the DLC and the progressive activist base of the party," he said.
During a meeting of the DLC, Senator Clinton said, "I know the DLC has taken some shots from some within our party, and that it has returned fire, too."[Quote Source]
To make matters worse, Senator Clinton has a bit of an image problem. Jacob Weisberg explains:
[Hillary] still lacks a key quality that a politician can't achieve through hard work: likability. As hard as she tries, Hillary has little facility for connecting with ordinary folk, for making them feel that she understands, identifies, and is at some level one of them. You may admire and respect her. But it's hard not to find Hillary a bit inhuman. Whatever she may be like in private, her public persona is calculating, clenched, relentless—and a little robotic. . . in American elections, affection matters. Democrats lost in 2000 and 2004 with candidates Main Street regarded as elitist and aloof, to a candidate voters related to personally. Hillary isn't as obnoxious as Gore or as off-putting as Kerry. But she's got the same damn problem, and it can't be fixed.
Meanwhile, a Democratic fissure has appeared in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Prior to the vote on CAFTA, FOXNews reported the following:
"House Democrats, who traditionally oppose such free-trade agreements, say they are united in opposition." [Quote Source]
Such proclaimed unity turned out to be false, because 15 House Democrats voted in favor of CAFTA. If just 3 of those Congressmen had voted the other way, then CAFTA would have failed.
Finally, the Democratic Party's ATM machine keeps breaking apart. Recently, the United Food and Commercial Workers union joined other unions in breaking away from the AFL-CIO. It is no secret that some Democrats fear that the break up of the unions will result in less union money being given to the Democratic Party.
The Dodo doesn't believe that the Democratic Party is a lost cause. However, the Party is seriously needing a dose of political medicine.
Posted by Dodo David at 08:42 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
THIRDWAVE HAS RETURNED
 | They caught the perp and THIRDWAVE identified him. |
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Posted by kitty at 08:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Tierney: Mission to Mars
His latest piece is the beginning of a series on a private group that is currently running simulations:
The Marsonauts are sticklers for staying "in sim," simulating every inconvenience they can imagine on Mars. No venturing outside the Hab without at least half an hour of preparation: putting on a spacesuit and helmet, wiring a radio, and going through five minutes of decompression in the airlock. No removing a glove to dig for a fossil. No food or bathroom breaks in the field.
Hard to gauge this one, but it's certainly an interesting read. Tierney arrived somewhat skeptical but was won over by the serious approach.
Posted by pat at 10:31 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
JUSTA REMINDER
 | Do you like to write? Ever wonder if your writing is any good? Miss Snark, a NY City literary agent, has generously offered to critique your work. Feedback from an agent is rare; mostly they send form letter rejections. So, take advantage of this opportunity! Miss Snark admires bravery! Click here for the details. |
Posted by kitty at 12:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
"WE DO NOT HELP THE ENEMY"
Cindy Adams is a gossip columnist for the NY Post. She knows everyone and they in turn talk to her. She's scooped the snooty top shelf reporters/journalists on many occasions. I honestly don't know what Cindy's politics are, but I wouldn't be surprised if she's voted for Democrats in the past. Whatever. Regardless of her politics, Cindy is an American and today's column proves it:
AREN'T we lucky? Isn't it great? We have patriotic ingrate Jane Fonda, the multiple divorceé who was born with a silver hoof in her mouth, acting as spokespig for our country again. Although she's born here, isn't there a way we can throw her out since her basic career is to bad-mouth the United States of America? If being a smoker is against the law, how about being a traitor? If spitting on the sidewalk is not allowed, how come spitting on the U.S.A. is OK? If double-parking gets a fine, shouldn't there be some small punishment for treason?
Hanoi Jane taking the money she made in this God-blessed country and spending it on a nationwide oink against us? Hanoi Jane who in 1972 betrayed United States prisoners of war during the blood-filled Vietnam days? Harming our nation and then apologizing just long enough to sell a book, a video or a monster of a movie? Three husbands left her. The whole rest of us should, too.
While signing her book someplace, this woman announced a hideous anti-Iraq bus tour she intends to take. She now announces she'll take her 32-year-old son, Troy, with her. Isn't anyone going to stop this? Isn't there some law against this? And her kid's comment about why mummy dearest is doing it? "I guess she thinks it's time for people to do something."
I know what they can do. They can drive her the hell out of here. Look, we don't all favor this war, but we do favor our country. Right or wrong, it's our country. We love it. We support it. We do not help the enemy.
Go to Jackson's Junction for the t-shirt!
Posted by kitty at 09:10 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
YOUR KICK BACK FRIDAY GRIN
 | Gone Country A week before the last Presidential election, a liberal friend of mine e-mailed me that he thought Kerry would win by about two percentage points. I should have told him to turn on the country music station where he lived. That week found John Kerry criss-crossing the Midwest with aging rock and rollers. President Bush hung out with NASCAR drivers and with country stars who never age. It was obvious who was going to win. |
Posted by kitty at 08:50 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Krugman: Why Can't We Be French--Updated!
Here's one of those silly little fluff articles that the NY Times' editorial page writers toss off quickly.
Americans are doing a lot of strutting these days, but a head-to-head comparison between the economies of the United States and Europe - France, in particular - shows that the big difference is in priorities, not performance. We're talking about two highly productive societies that have made a different tradeoff between work and family time. And there's a lot to be said for the French choice.
First things first: given all the bad-mouthing the French receive, you may be surprised that I describe their society as "productive." Yet according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, productivity in France - G.D.P. per hour worked - is actually a bit higher than in the United States.
Yes, but the key is "per hour worked". The French work far fewer hours on average, and fewer of them work; the unemployment rate is over 10%. You might think that Krugman, who just wrote a column claiming the current 5% unemployment rate is much higher might be a little timid about championing an economy with a far higher unemployment rate, but you'd reckon without Krugman's willingness to ignore inconvenient facts.
I've been looking at a new study of international differences in working hours by Alberto Alesina and Edward Glaeser, at Harvard, and Bruce Sacerdote, at Dartmouth. The study's main point is that differences in government regulations, rather than culture (or taxes), explain why Europeans work less than Americans.
But the study also suggests that in this case, government regulations actually allow people to make a desirable tradeoff - to modestly lower income in return for more time with friends and family - the kind of deal an individual would find hard to negotiate. The authors write: "It is hard to obtain more vacation for yourself from your employer and even harder, if you do, to coordinate with all your friends to get the same deal and go on vacation together."
Sigh. No, government regulations don't allow people to make a tradeoff. They force them to make that tradeoff. And it's curious that in a column that stresses more time with family, the lament is the inability to coordinate a vacation with friends.
Update: Our buddy Bulldog Pundit at ABP has more on this ridiculous article.
Update II: Tom Maguire notes the same thing:
Briefly, Krugman has been telling us for several years to ignore the signs of an improving economy and focus on the fact that the job market in the US is not as good as it was at the height of the boom.
But with the French Choice, we are advised that folks not working can be a good thing, too.
Posted by pat at 01:02 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
I'LL TELL YOU IF IT'S CRAP FOR FREE!
Calling all writers! The blogosphere's very own literary agent, Miss Snark (who lives in the 212 area code of "Mayor Mike's Metropolis"), has made an offer to critique your work for FREE! I've never had any dealings with literary agents other than Lucianne, and even then it was hi-how-are-ya-love-your-site kind of e-mail correspondence. But our Miss Snark personally put up the offer herself on her very own blog. So, if you ever wondered if you have what it takes to succeed as a writer, now's your chance to get a professional opinion.
"It's not right for us"
Let's look at some numbers: 85% of the material I get is unpublishable. That's a LOT of crap in the slush pile. Is yours crap? I don't know. Email me the first page and I'll tell you.
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Posted by kitty at 06:43 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
The "John Roberts Is Gay Photo"
I'll give it 24-48 hours before this picture is all over Ameriblog or DailyKos saying this PROVES Judge Roberts is a closet case. "Don't you see him and the officer checking each other out???"
I wonder what the gay crowd would think if Roberts were gay and still wanted to overturn Roe.
Posted by Aaron at 11:25 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
INTERBLOGATORY TRAVELS
 | OH! MY! GOD! John Hawkins has posted the absolute BEST ad yet for the 08 election , which begins with "After the first 8 years of sleaze and scandal ... " with "Kiss it" and other assorted memorable Clinton-esque phrases. |
| Michael Moore is a shitty tipper: Bill $248.73 This fat bastard first bitched about not being able to get a table by the window ... After busting my ass trying to bring him the next plate before he finished the first he only leaves a dollar and some change for a tip. h/t SmallDeadAnimals Click for USMCs opinion:) |
 | Howard Kurtz Doesn't Get It: Kurtz just doesn't get the reaction on our side to Jane Fonda ... [S]omewhere in there [she] managed to find time to laugh and pretend to be shooting down US flyers with an anti-aircraft gun. |
 | Jackson's Junction has the Traitor Jane shirt: Here's a more appropriate way of letting Jane know what we think of her without the gratuititous use of profanity...$1 will be donated to the USO for every shirt sold. |
 | CafePress Offically a Tool of the Democratic Party: In my regular CafePress Watch category, I usually focus on how CafePress prevents besmirching murderous Che Guevara or continues to allow products that encourage the use of words like nigger and rape and symbols like a swastika. |
And now for something completely different ...
 | Still sweltering? Try cooling off with the penguins. |
 | Jessica Simpson: ABC Ignores Iraq Reality: It's not clear if she's talking about the sacrifices of our soldiers, the Iraqi people or both. But a self-centered, pampered resident of LaLa Land finally understanding something about sacrifice? Maybe she's not such an airhead after all. |
 | Potty Mouth Prez?: George W. Bush loves his dirty jokes. Penn Jillette...tells us the president passes along zingers to him through their mutual pal, Texas mystery novelist and musician Kinky Friedman. |
Posted by kitty at 11:19 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Fool Me 8 Times
Shame on me...
Ann Coulter discusses the praise of a certain nominee to SCOTUS:
— "He's a scholarly man; he has a good education; he has been recommended by legal authorities; he has a good record in lower courts." — President Bush
— "This decision had the advantage of being acceptable to conservatives, plus Democrats won't be able to attack him. There is nothing to grab a hold of, to whack him on." — An administration official
— "Virtually every conservative who knows him trusts him and thinks he's a competent guy." — Newt Gingrich
— "(He) has voiced opposition to many forms of abortion. He dislikes affirmative-action programs, contending that they amount to reverse discrimination. Also, he has vigorously defended ... the Lord's Prayer in its public schools." — Los Angeles Times
— "He is a remarkable intellect and he's had great experience and he's had wide knowledge, and you all would enjoy an evening or more with him." — C. Boyden Gray
— "This guy is a complete S.O.B. of a conservative and you can't prove it." — P.J. O'Rourke
— "When you look at the man's record, his experience, his integrity and his ability to deal with tough questions of law in a way that the courts should, in a restrained way, not to attempt to legislate from the bench, I think he's a man in tune with the times." — Dick Thornburgh
— "His view is: 'Here's what it says state government can do — and if it doesn't say it can do it, then it can't do it.'" — Lawyer who argued cases before the nominee
— "(He) seems to be a judicial conservative, what we call a constitutional constructionist. ... That's satisfactory with us, if that's true." — National Right to Life's John Willke
— "He is a 'stealth nominee.' ... The right's not yelling; the left is trying to yell but can't find much to yell about." — Bob Beckel
— "This is a home run." — President Bush's chief of staff
Who is Ann talking about?
David Hackett Souter.
Who would trust a guy with "hack" in his middle name?
Posted by Aaron at 07:22 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
A Sane Article on Profiling
Yes.
Truth be told, commuters need to be most aware of young men praying to Allah and smelling like flower water. Law enforcement knows this, and so should you. According to a January 2004 handout, the Department of Homeland Security advises United States border authorities to look out for certain "suicide bomber indicators." They include a "shaved head or short haircut. A short haircut or recently shaved beard or moustache may be evident by differences in skin complexion on the head or face. May smell of herbal or flower water (most likely flower water), as they may have sprayed perfume on themselves, their clothing, and weapons to prepare for Paradise." Suspects may have been seen "praying fervently, giving the appearance of whispering to someone. Recent suicide bombers have raised their hands in the air just before the explosion to prevent the destruction of their fingerprints. They have also placed identity cards in their shoes because they want to be praised and recognized as martyrs."
The bodies of the London suicide bombers were recognized by their identification cards. And on the eve of the 9/11 attacks, the hijackers shaved and perfumed themselves with flower water in a pre-martyrdom ritual called ablution. But don't expect the federal authorities to screen for these indicators on Amtrak, which pulls into Penn Station in New York and Union Station in Washington, two of the biggest commuter-rail depots in the country. Not only is there no passenger profiling on Amtrak, but there's no screening or mandatory searching of carry-on bags. The only restriction on bags is a 50-pound weight limit - and that's not much comfort when you recall that the bombs used in London weighed only 10 pounds.
The best thing to do if you see somebody like that on the subway with you is to crowd up next to him so that your body absorbs most of the destruction. Unless you can push Jane Fonda in front of you first.
Terrific article. I am sure there will be horrified shouts from the left on this one.
Posted by pat at 01:07 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Today's Democratic Party (as of 07/27/05)
Oklahoma humorist Will Rogers said, “I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat.” Today’s Democrats could honestly say the same thing about the current condition of their political party.
Take for example a statement recently made by Tom Vilsack, Iowa’s Democratic governor. During a conference of the Democratic Leadership Council, Vilsack stated, “We've got to be for something, and it is pretty clear that America is waiting for us. They are desperate to know what we are for.”
To make matters worse for the Democrats, the chairman of the DNC keeps making utterly foolish statements. Recently, Howard Dean said, “The president and his right-wing Supreme Court think it is 'okay' to have the government take your house if they feel like putting a hotel where your house is.”
Democrats must have shuddered upon hearing Dean’s statement, because the dissenting justices in the Kelo vs. New London decision were the conservatives, and because none of the justices were appointed by the current president.
Dean made another bewildering statement: “We are Democrats because we have moral values.”
Oh?
Not long ago, Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) said, “The Democrats at times have lost their way. We are trying to decide what our core values are.”
Now, Democrat officials are worried about the impact of the split in Organized Labor. Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY) said, “I don't know what's going to happen but it's not going to help. I really hoped it wouldn't come to this. It's not the money; it's the lack of unity on the issues and not having a solid front.”
In summary, today’s Democratic Party has “got to be for something” because it isn’t for anything. Today’s Democrats “have moral values” but don’t know what those values are. Today’s Democrat leaders are concerned about a “lack of unity on the issues and not having a solid front.” Plus, the chairman of the DNC has such twisted thinking that he thinks the current president is responsible for the Kelo vs. New London decision.
Will Rogers certainly knew what he was talking about.
Posted by Dodo David at 09:52 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
INTER-BOOB-ATORY TRAVELS
 | HOLLYWOOD HELL: IT'S time for your regular Hollywood update -- in which people who earn and lose and gross hundreds of millions of dollars figure out ways to trash America, democracy and freedom. |
 | AL GORED: RAY Siller, head writer for Johnny Carson's"Tonight" show for 14 years, is a partisan who wrote one-liners for Vice President George H.W. Bush. When he heard about Al Gore launching a cable channel, Current, on Aug. 1... Siller told pals at Zocalo: "Gore figures if the ratings suck, he can always demand a recount . . . He's targeting that elusive 57-year-old anal-retentive, sour grapes, fat loser demographic." |
| Baghdad Hill Blues: Over There, which debuts tonight on F/X, marks a milestone in television as the first series to fictionalize an ongoing war...Standing on the side of our soldiers in Iraq -- the majority of whom do believe in their cause -- would be far more difficult for Bochco to defend during all those award show after-parties. |
 | Democratic Self-Strangulation: Chuck Schumer was none too pleased with press reports on Monday that his junior colleague from New York, Hillary Rodham Clinton, had announced that she would not oppose the nomination of Judge John Roberts to the Supreme Court. |
 | Hil triggers game sex probe: Is Bill in them? Sen. Hillary Clinton has apparently prodded the Federal Trade Commission into investigating hidden sex scenes in the controversial video game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas." THAT should increase sales :) |
 | While reporter sits in jail, hubby sets sail: Jason Epstein, husband of jailed New York Times reporter Judith Miller, has lately been making himself scarce at the federal facility in Virginia where his wife has been incarcerated for the past three weeks. Feel the love :) |
 | "Too Much Implant": A woman apparently had D sized breasts to start and went to another surgeon who told her (by report) that breast implants would give her the "fake breast look" she desired...[H]e placed 550 cc implants and now she states that she is a droopy EE cup three years later. Click for larger view :) |
Posted by kitty at 10:10 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Clueless Media on John Roberts
Could columnists sound more ignorant? Listen to this "demanding" piece by Paul Campos in the Rocky Mountain News on why John Roberts should answer the questions:
Imagine if during last fall's presidential debates the candidates had refused to answer specific questions about what they would do about various controversial issues, but instead insisted on giving only general answers regarding their "political philosophies."
I don't have to imagine. The two Johns never stuck to a philosphy but poll positions. When asked about whether a person is born gay, John Kerry started talking about the political implications of Dick Cheney's daughter being gay. John Edwards ran on a "Two Americas" philosophy that was never challenged with questions on what he would precisely do. In fact, can anyone remember EXACTLY what Kerry and Edwards would do? No. They ran solely on a political philosophy of "Bush is bad--ask France."
It goes without saying that the public wouldn't tolerate such behavior, nor would anyone in the political establishment or the media defend it.
But they did! 59 million people voted for a man based on no specifics other than he was not Bush or a Republican. The media carried this jerk all year. Where was the analysis of the Swift Vets? Anyone remember forged documents? What was Kerry's SPECIFIC position on Iraq?
Why, then, are so many people willing to let nominees for the Supreme Court get away with similar behavior?
Because Supreme Court nominees are not up for public scrutiny. Did this man go to college? The politicians outline their specifics, as George W. Bush did when running for president, on the type of justices they will appoint. That is the moment the public decides--not during a confirmation hearing. Therefore, no appointed judge needs to campaign across America by answering questions on specifics (as if they were fortune tellers knowing the cases they decided) simply to please this jerk.
Politicians campaign. Bush did and won. Therefore, he gets to choose the nominee. It is not then up to the nominee to recampaign to the public. His nomination was decided on November 2, 2004. I suggest Mr. Campos take a course in American Politics and Constitutional Law.
Let us hope he can pass.
Posted by Aaron at 07:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
"Vigilance" Defined, Officials Sigh
I read an article today in the Washington Post that actually made me feel at ease...sort of. My fellow Metro (subway) riders here in DC are paying the same attention I am. What is unsettling is the slow response from Metro officials:
Jittery about the bombings in London and told to be vigilant, Metro riders spotted an unattended backpack yesterday on the last car of a Blue Line train and did exactly as officials have been urging. They alerted the train operator.Um, no. What's SKETCHY is how a train that could have had explosives on it passed through three of the most crowded stations in DC. Trains will have everyone unload if some jackass holds up the door closing--but suspicious package that could be a bomb? Hold on tight!But the suspicious bag stayed on Train 401 as it rolled through two more stations -- Metro Center, a major hub, and McPherson Square, a few blocks from the White House -- before Metro officials took the train out of service and inspected the backpack.
"This woman came in frantically and said, 'Call the operator on the intercom -- there's a suspicious package in the last car,' " she said. "A man called the driver on the intercom, and I could hear the driver insisting we had to clear the doors, to move the backpack because she was having trouble closing the doors."
As the doors closed at Federal Triangle, the operator announced that there was an unattended bag and that security officials would "hopefully" board the train farther down the line, Lewis said. And the train proceeded.
At the next stop, Metro Center, Lewis got off and found two Metro Transit Police officers on the platform. "Did the conductor tell you there was an unattended bag on the last car of that train?' " she asked as the train pulled from the station. They told her that was the first they had learned of it, she said. One officer said he would report it by radio.
When the train pulled into McPherson Square, Donnelly got off and saw transit officials empty it and pull it from service.
"This can't be what they're supposed to do," said Donnelly's husband, Paul, who was having second thoughts about taking the Metro to the Nationals game last night. "Is this what the Israelis would have done? Is this what London would have done today?"
Metro spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said she did not have enough information to explain the actions of the train operator, whether the operator followed Metro policy or what Metro policy is regarding the handling of unattended bags.
"I don't have answers to those questions," Farbstein said. "A lot of this is still sketchy."
Posted by Aaron at 06:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Interesting Post on Labor Force Participation
About a week ago I put up a post about a Paul Krugman column on how the unemployment rate is higher than generally reported. A couple days ago I noticed that we had gotten a trackback ping on that post. It was really too late to update, but I thought that the post was interesting and intelligent enough (not surprising since it comes from a professor of Economics at UCSD) to link separately.
Rather than just look at labor force participation rates across the entire population, as Krugman and his devotees suggest, Professor Hamilton looked at various segments. What he found was that the percentage of men aged 45-54 working has been on a long-term decline that does not appear to be cyclical, that the percentage of women aged 35-44 has hit a plateau, and that the real "losers" in the current job market appear to be mostly teenagers.
Interesting and intelligent post.
Posted by pat at 12:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Terrific Maureen Dowd Column--No Kidding
It's a very personal column, on her mother who recently passed away. But it's well worth the read. You'll probably laugh at the same places I did, and for once, it's the places Maureen intends.
Note that my fellow L-Dotters, never afraid to bash Slow-Mo, agree with my assessment of this piece.
Bulldog Pundit has similar thoughts. As I mentioned in the comments over there, this column shows that Maureen can still write when it comes from the heart and not from the spleen.
Posted by pat at 09:38 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
The Spiritual Side of Blogging
Regular readers of Lifelike Pundits may be wondering what has prompted the inclusion of religious posts on this blog. Being that I, the Dodo, am the one creating such posts, permit me to explain.
A few month's ago over at La Shawn Barber's blog, Tom Grey wrote the following in that blog's feedback section: "Too many Christians are TOO spiritual to hold my interest, and too many non-Christians are too EMPTY of any religious feeling."
Tom has a valid point. Blogs devoted exclusively to religion can be boring even to people of faith. Yet, blogs completely void of religious content are unpleasing to readers who incorporate religion into their daily lives.
Thus, I am adding religious posts to Lifelike Pundits in order to cater to the religious appetites of readers.
I should give you warning. Although I am a Christian, I am not a member of the Christian Right. Technically, I am a Protestant, but I do not fit the mold of a Protestant fundamentalist. Therefore, do not be surprised if my religious posts conflict with opinions expressed by other Christian bloggers.
My goal is not to proselytize, but rather to entertain and to provoke thought.
Now, please turn in your Bible to the Book of . . .
Posted by Dodo David at 08:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
U.N. Watch: The U.N. vs. Zimbabwe
The U.N. has written a "harshly worded report" condemning the Zimbabwean government's razing of urban slums, a move which has left over 700,000 people homeless and without employment.
"While purporting to target illegal dwellings and structures and to clamp down on alleged illicit activities, (the operation) was carried out in an indiscriminate and unjustified manner, with indifference to human suffering," says the executive summary, obtained late Thursday by The Associated Press.
The report, using unusually harsh language for the United Nations, says the operation clearly violates international law and demands the government stop the destruction immediately.
While I applaud the condemnation of yet another atrocity perpetrated by Zimbabwe's "duly elected" president Robert Mugabe (and the thugs he employs to do his dirty work), I seriously doubt the "harshly worded report" will amount to more than a hill of beans when all is said and done.
The U.N. is a bunch of niminy piminy bureaucrats who crave world power, but don't know what to do with what little power they currently have. Consider the fact that they issued numerous resolutions against Saddam Hussein's Iraq, warning him of dire consequences if he didn't disarm or allow arms inspectors in. He didn't. Yes, there were dire consequences, but who dished them out? The U.S., Britain, Italy, Poland and others who joined an alliance to stamp out the evil perpetrated and rooted in Iraq. What did the U.N. do? Kofi Annan called the war "illegal." Thanks for the help, Kofi.
The U.N. is also quite unable to do what it should be best at doing, which is distributing humanitarian aid to nations in need. Consider the flop which was the Oil-for-Food program (it ended up lining the pockets of both Saddam Hussein and U.N. bureaucrats) and the sexual abuse of women and children in the Congo by U.N. "peacekeepers" who were there (ostensibly) to protect them.
Let's see...U.N. peacekeepers rape women and children but no one demands that they get out of the Congo (or elsewhere where innocents are vulnerable), while American soldiers legitimately interrogate prisoners of war in Guantanamo Bay and people are shouting that we need to close the facility down.
What's up with that?
So here we have another U.N. proclamation condemning the evil, brutal actions of another Third World despot, but what will be done about it? The U.N. is basically like an ineffectual parent: the kind who threatens all sorts of punishment if the rules are broken, but ultimately is too wimpy to follow through. The child then continues with more and more outrageous behavior until he is completely out of control and the parent throws up his hands and says, "I don't know what went wrong."
We'll see if the U.N. follows up this "report" with any action. But I doubt it.
Posted by at 08:36 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
"Progressive" Reasons for a Draft
Am I the only one who finds it hilarious that the anti-war left, which expended so much energy back in the Vietnam War days opposing the military draft, now sees it as wonderful and necessary?
David M. Kennedy writes an oped in the NY Times today calling for the return of compulsive service:
The life of a robust democratic society should be strenuous; it should make demands on its citizens when they are asked to engage with issues of life and death. The "revolution in military affairs" has made obsolete the kind of huge army that fought World War II, but a universal duty to service - perhaps in the form of a lottery, or of compulsory national service with military duty as one option among several - would at least ensure that the civilian and military sectors do not become dangerously separate spheres. War is too important to be left either to the generals or the politicians. It must be the people's business.
Let's be honest here. Kennedy doesn't really support the idea of national service. It's just an attempt to gin up the anti-war movement by convincing college kids that it's their rear ends on the line. I remember attending a speech by Timothy Leary in the mid-1970s where he was asked why the youth movement of the 1960s died out so rapidly in the 1970s. He attributed it to Kent State, which showed the protestors that they could die for their actions. He's close; it's more likely the end of the draft in 1972, which showed the protestors that they were not likely to die for the lack of protest.
Kennedy hints at that:
Some will find it offensive to call today's armed forces a "mercenary army," but our troops are emphatically not the kind of citizen-soldiers that we fielded two generations ago - drawn from all ranks of society without respect to background or privilege or education, and mobilized on such a scale that civilian society's deep and durable consent to the resort to arms was absolutely necessary.
Just in case we didn't get the message, the Times publishes another oped from a former WWII Marine:
Only 135,000 men and women in American uniform are fighting - volunteers, members of the National Guard, reservists. There is no draft. No threat of a uniform hangs over the citizens of a nation of nearly 300 million who, in polls, support the invasion of a remote country upon whom our government would pin guilt of 9/11 ... and then attack. An invasion that was ordered by an expertly trained but combat-innocent fighter pilot and a draft-deferred character with "other priorities" during the Vietnam War.
No matter how many times we say that Iraq was largely uninvolved in 9/11, while still retaining ties to Al Qaeda, the idiot left (and this Marine, despite my respect for his WWII service, obviously qualifies) continues to claim that the administration blamed Saddam for 9/11.
The Left has had a lot of fun with their "chickenhawk" characterization of those who, despite being in favor of the war in Iraq, have not served in the military. Perhaps it is time to turn that around, and start referring to the folks who opposed the draft when it was their time, but support it now, as "Draft Codgers".
Captain Ed has a post up on this as does columnist (and former Marine) Jack Kelly of Irish Pennants.
Posted by pat at 11:03 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
INTERBLOGATORY TRAVELS
 | Cambridge bans kilts at graduation: Cambridge University has banned students from wearing kilts at graduation ceremonies, provoking outrage from some Scots. Other forms of national dress and armed forces uniforms have also been banned. The university said that it wanted all students to be seen as equals Better view :) |
 | 'CLUB GOTTI' SHUTS: The landmark social club [Bergin Hunt and Fish Club] in Queens that was John Gotti's not-so-secret base of operations ...has been shuttered, marking the end of a notorious era in the Mafia. ...After nearly 40 years as a Mafia haunt, the place is now up for rent. |
 | Fringe Democrats: "Neas is probably going to get a lot of airtime, because there isn't anyone willing to get out too far on [Roberts]."... "Our folks ... can't do the slash and burn stuff the way Ralph is [doing it]. Frankly, we cringe every time he goes on the air... Compare that to the man he's talking about, with the smile and the kids, and who do you think wins?" |
 | SUFFER IN SILENCE by David Reid: David Reid has penned...an excellent tome about going through Hell Week as a Navy BUD (Basic Underwater Demolition)/SEAL-in-training. Sure, we've all read the books and seen the movies. A few of us managed to make it through G.I. Jane. But the descriptions and flowing narration make it stand out. |
 | She's No Dummy: According to this story from Drudge Hillary Clinton is going to support the confirmation of Judge Roberts. This is a very calculated, shrewd, and smart move on her part. ...Hillary is perhaps the only 2008 wannabe who can seem to go against the far left Moveon.org's and Kos's of the world, but still have them back her enthusiastically in 2008. |
 | Moron Tancredo: If the mere discussion of bombing Mecca will dissuade a suicide bomber, then maybe it ought to be on the table. But what if it encourages a suicide bomber? What if the jihadists decide that the sacrifice of Mecca suits their ends by rallying all of Islam to the battle against the West? |
 | MONSTER ISLAND: Monster Island is a novel posted in blog format...Pleased be advised that this website contains graphic textual depictions of violence and gore and is not appropriate for sensitive readers. h/t MJ Rose |
Posted by kitty at 09:32 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
The Christian Right and the 10 Commandments
Some members of the Christian Right have been grumbling about the decisions that the U.S. Supreme Court made regarding displays of the Ten Commandments on government property.
Members of the Christian Right are failing to ask an important question regarding such displays: Do such displays have any effect whatsoever on the people who see the displays?
If the displays are ineffective, then the displays are nothing more than form over substance.
People supporting such displays may experience warm, fuzzy feelings upon seeing such displays, but if people want warm, fuzzy feelings, then why not erect displays of Mickey Mouse instead?
The irony is that fighting to have religious displays permitted on government property does nothing to convince people to convert to any particular religion.
During the first two centuries of Christianity's existence, Christian displays were the last things that would have been permitted by the Roman government. Yet, Roman citizens kept converting to the Christian faith. Their conversions were the result of the way that Christians treated others. In short, Christians won coverts by obeying the two commandments that Jesus said were the greatest: Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.
Christians don't need to have the Ten Commandments displayed on government property.
Christians need to have the Two Greatest Commandments displayed in their lives.
The latter display wins converts; the former display doesn't.
Posted by Dodo David at 10:20 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
Michael Moore in Drag
Wow. Michael Moore showed up at a Marine's funeral in drag:
The family of a Marine who was killed in Iraq is furious with Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll for showing up uninvited at his funeral this week, handing out her business card and then saying "our government" is against the war.
Rhonda Goodrich of Indiana, Pa., said yesterday that a funeral was held Tuesday at a church in Carnegie for her brother-in-law, Staff Sgt. Joseph Goodrich, 32. She said he "died bravely and courageously in Iraq on July 10, serving his country."
In a phone interview, Goodrich said the funeral service was packed with people "who wanted to tell his family how Joe had impacted their lives." Then, suddenly, "one uninvited guest made an appearance, Catherine Baker Knoll." She sat down next to a Goodrich family member and, during the distribution of communion, said, "Who are you?" Then she handed the family member one of her business cards, which Goodrich said she still has.
"Knoll felt this was an appropriate time to campaign and impose her will on us," Goodrich said. "I am amazed and disgusted Knoll finds a Marine funeral a prime place to campaign."
Here's what he looked like:
Posted by Aaron at 04:07 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
SPANISH AMERICAN WAR IS OVER!
Mallard Fillmore by Bruce Tinsley, King Features Syndicate
Larger View
Tell your Congressman and Senators to
support repeal of the Spanish- American War tax!
100 years is enough!
Posted by kitty at 11:54 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Just a Spoonful of Sugar...
Kristof offers that in his latest column. It starts out with effusive (but not undeserved) praise of the the Christian Right:
Liberals took the lead in championing human rights abroad in the 1970's, while conservatives mocked the idea. But these days liberals should be embarrassed that it's the Christian Right that is taking the lead in spotlighting repression in North Korea.
"The biggest scandal in progressive politics," Tony Blair told The New Yorker this year, "is that you do not have people with placards out in the street on North Korea. I mean, that is a disgusting regime. The people are kept in a form of slavery, 23 million of them, and no one protests!"
Actually, some people do protest. Conservative Christians have aggressively taken up the cause of North Korean human rights in the last few years, and the movement is gathering steam. A U.S.-government-financed conference on North Korean human rights convened in Washington last week, and President Bush is expected shortly to appoint Jay Lefkowitz to the new position of special envoy for North Korean human rights.
But (you knew there was a but coming, right?) this time Kristof is throwing a bone to our side while hoping to entice us over to his. The goal? To get us to accept bilateral talks:
Our first step should be to talk directly to North Koreans, even invite senior officials to the United States. Many conservatives would accept direct talks, as long as the agenda included human rights (on the model of the Helsinki accords).
Here's one obvious advantage to having multilateral talks. Because when China is part of the talks, there's one major country at the table that can say, "I don't care what you do to Seoul." Ironically that may make the South Koreans safer.
Posted by pat at 01:53 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack