Monday, June 6. 2005
Truth about Hillary Pile on Dean, pile on Hillary. Gee whiz, guys - it's summer. Well, gotta break their momentum and their spirits, I guess as soon as convenient, especially if they deserve it. And Hillary does need a little truth applied to her. Here it comes, in Vanity Fair and in Klein's book. We will see whether she is covered with teflon or not. Doubt it - she is charmless, visibly calculating, and a left-wing nutjob regardless of her camo-of-the-week. Tip to Repubs: show her rabid Wellesley graduation speech and she's a goner. Maybe Dan Rather will show it on 60 Mins. - aw, no, I guess he is off the air. Otherwise, no doubt he would have wanted the story. Well, someone can show it 4 days before the election...and it's real.
 Piling On Dean: Well, who cares? But everyone likes to pile on when a bozo like this is making a fool of himself. Biden and Edwards, at the moment. From my standpoint - GO DEAN - The True Un-Nuanced Voice of the Vermont and Massachusetts Dems. Keep him in the DNC and at least he won't be practicing medicine any more, which seems like an excellent idea: he seems a bit impetuous.
1944 F armall Model H Time to get back to work, fellow bloggers. Check the oil, crank that thing up, and get rolling.
Darfur. Why is no-one doing anything? Has the entire world decided that Africa is a lost cause? If you want a waking nightmare, put yourself in the shoes of these folks for about ten seconds. But the question is serious: Why?
"Larry is a Weenie, Larry is a weenie." Heather McDonald: Even Harvard’s bottomless resources cannot buy a miracle, however. So instead of a magician, the university has brought forth the next best thing: a report on “diversity” that, like all such products, possesses the power of shutting down every critical faculty in seemingly intelligent people. For connoisseurs of diversity claptrap, Harvard’s just released “Report of the Task Force on Women Faculty” is a thing of beauty, a peerless example of the destruction of higher learning by identity politics. Because the report will undoubtedly serve as the template for future diversity scams in colleges across the country, it’s worth studying. Read entire in City JOurnal. Vote won't affect EU: No, they will just keep on doing what they do, regardless: CSM They have created a kingdom of bureaucrats. NPR: There must be something sick and perverse in me that enjoys some of the NPR stuff. With only 2% of their income now coming from the govt=us, time to quit that 2% and let them do their thing. What the heck. Piece in Intell. Conservative. Hayek is of course the hero of modern conservatism and a fountain of wisdom. View from 1776 is always referring to him. A good piece on Hayek from Ocean State. Koran. Will post nothing re this trivial silly non-issue. Not worth the virtual ink and I am fresh out of virtual urine. But I will quote LaShawn: Despite what they may say, Muslims are and have always been on a mission to conquer and kill infidels. They’ve been doing it for centuries and will continue until we’re all dead, or they’re all dead, or the world ends, whichever comes first. We need to get over ourselves and focus on stopping the spread of Islamofacism. Period. Save civility and Koran “handling” for less perilous times. Gun Nut. The real thing in NJ, the kind of idiot that makes responsible gun owners look bad. Shame on this old fool (82 years old). The Dutch EU Vote has been sort of ignored by the MSM. Nice summary in Squaring the Boston Globe - quotes from the voters are great. Christian-Hating Dems: Why, why, why? Someone please explain to me why the Dems hate Christians. Harkin, in this case, but it might as well be Dean. Hillary too smart to say stuff like this, whatever she thinks - and that you will NEVER know. Captains Quarters.
"90% of this game is half mental." Yogi Berra
Saturday, June 4. 2005
 Pardon this poor photo of this wonderfully-colored bird which is common in the eastern woodlands and edges, and in suburbia, with its masterfully-woven hanging nests and its loud call which announces its presence.
We must have seen a dozen of them last weekend in New Haven. Like the tanager, it looks like a jungle bird and, indeed, during our winter, it is. Read about this splendid bird here.
Friday, June 3. 2005
Last chance to email the FEC Today is the last day the FEC will be taking public comments on their plans to regulate campaign-related speech and advertising on the internet, including blogs. Reportedly, the FEC has been disappointed by the low volume of comment. Please refer to yesterday's post here, and send the FEC a polite email, not a rant, about how you use or view blogs and how that relates to your opinion on political campaign speech-regulation on the Internet, esp in the "Blogosphere". Make sure you include your name and address - they don't read anonymous.
 Downtown Wellfleet, MA, on Cape Cod - last summer, of course - note the Olympics sign. Rain and/or fog, as usual. And blueberry or cranberry pancakes. Cranberry is the best.
Live Aid, Band Aid, etc. Bob Geldorf is back with another version of his save-the-world rock concerts. Chrenkoff has the real story about how these well-meaning but naive efforts misfired.
Kerry and the Bible Maybe it's because Gwynnie is under 24 inches tall, but she seems to notice things others don't, like how do you flush a Koran down a toilet into a septic system that you have to use daily? As a Corgi, septic systems only amuse her, but she knows they are really, really important to people. She also knows that paper clogs them mercilessly. She also knows that no person smart enough to be in the Army would foul his or her own septic system! The latest item about which she is astounded is that no bloggers have commented upon is Mr. Kerry's famous recent quote: "I went back and reread the whole New Testament the other day. Nowhere in the three-year ministry of Jesus Christ did I find a suggestion at all, ever, anywhere, in any way whatsover, that you ought to take the money from the poor, the opportunities from the poor and give them to the rich people." Gwynnie suggests a new game of fill-in-the-blanks: Nowhere in the three-year ministry of Jesus Christ did I find a suggestion at all, ever, anywhere, in any way whatsover, that: ___________________! The only rule is that what you use to fill in the blank must appear nowhere in the three-year ministry of Jesus Christ, no suggestion at all, ever, anywhere, in any way whatsover! Suggestions to get you started: Nowhere in the three-year ministry of Jesus Christ did I find a suggestion at all, ever, anywhere, in any way whatsover, that children shound be allowed to eat pizza after noon! Nowhere in the three-year ministry of Jesus Christ did I find a suggestion at all, ever, anywhere, in any way whatsover, that you ought to take the money from the rich, the opportunities from the rich and give them to the poor people. Nowhere in the three-year ministry of Jesus Christ did I find a suggestion at all, ever, anywhere, in any way whatsover, that John Kerry has ever picked up a Bible! Nowhere in the three-year ministry of Jesus Christ did I find a suggestion at all, ever, anywhere, in any way whatsover, that John Kerry was fit to be president!
Don't give it away until you've got it.
Alberto Vilar, the major Cuban American Philanthropist who donated large sums of money to his favorite causes has been charged with fraud. Mr. Vilar traveled the world to see Operas in the famous Houses like Covent Garden and provided funds to save many of them. I recall walking into the Hospital for Special Surgery and seeing his name plastered all over the walls. Perhaps it was delusions of grandeur or he just wanted to see his name on a few walls but his narcissism or generosity got the better of him and his clients. His fiance left him and he is sitting in jail trying to make the $10 million bail.
McCain permanently in the doghouse: kiss the ass of the NYT and you are GONE, pal. AI is as gone as McCain: story here. What jerks. Grow up or go away. Deep Thought: No, not Deep Throat - that was a tempest in a teapot, all to get Tricky Dick who the lib media hated. Not that he was a nice guy, but who in politics is? They do far worse right here in West Bumfuk, MA. than Tricky Dick ever dreamed of. No, this is Henrie's piece on what Traditionalist Conservatism is all about. It deserves your time. Satanic EU: Auster thinks so.
"There is no cure for stupid." Anonymous but famous psychiatric quote
Thursday, June 2. 2005
Summer Reading: Summer Accommodations Sex, violence, mystery, Judge Crater, and suspense...and coming of age in a classic 1950s Jewish Catskill resort which is very humorously depicted. A medical school pal has written an absorbing novel - God bless him. Especially because he doesn't write like a shrink, which he is, and a darn shrewd one. Favorite quote: "The good things in life you have to seek out and reach for; the shit will always find you." That pretty much sets the stage for the plot - as it does for life.
Most readers are probably already aware of the recent proposal by Sen. Ted Kennedy and (nominally Republican) Sen. John McCain to grant amnesty to millions of illegal aliens and create a massive new immigration category allowing an additional 400,000 unskilled workers to enter each year to take those pesky jobs that "no Americans want to do." This proposal is already reminiscent of the catastrophically failed 1986 amnesty, which legalized millions of illegals without providing the promised border or employment enforcement afterwards, resulting the massive, uninterrupted influx since that time. The biggest red flag, however, should be the name of the Massachusetts senator attached to the bill. For our readers' benefit, here is a little excerpt from remarks delivered by Kennedy in 1965 prior to the passage of the Immigration Act of that same year (which ushered in the current age of mass immigration): "The bill will not flood our cities with immigrants. It will not upset the ethnic mix of our society. It will not relax the standards of admission. It will not cause American workers to lose their jobs." (U.S. Senate, Subcommittee on Immigration and Naturalization of the Committee on the Judiciary, Washington, D.C., Feb. 10, 1965. pp. 1-3.) As many people have noted elsewhere, Kennedy's description of what would not happen in fact provided a brilliantly concise and accurate picture of what actually did happen, right down to the letter. Let's compare those remarks with some he recently gave in reference to the bill currently on the table: "This bill is not amnesty. This bill does not provide a free pass to anyone. This bill does not give an automatic pardon to anyone. This bill does not put those that have been illegal that are here in the United States at the front of the line," Mr. Kennedy said. As one might say, fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. Now, Kennedy may be technically correct when he says there is no "free pass" involved, but it hardly sounds better to tell the truth, that American citizenship is now on sale for the low, low price of $2,000 (the fine that illegals must pay to be eligible for a green card and citizenship). In any case, while this is the sort of thing we might expect from Kennedy, McCain has truly sold out his nation and his Arizona constituents, who just a few months ago overwhelmingly passed a ballot referendum denying certain social services to illegals. Stay tuned for more on this story.
 Guns and Tort Law
Naturally the WaPo calls this a handout to the gun business but I wonder whether it might be a model for tort reform in general. If you kill someone with a Stanley hammer, can your victim's family sue Stanley, and Home Depot, where you bought the hammer? There are plentiful laws regulating the sale of firearms already, and none concerning the very lethal hammer. What is insane in this country is tort litigation, which has become a gold mine, and not "evil" products. This isn't about justice, it's about $.
Yes, Dear A couple celebrating their 80th wedding anniversary shares their secrets with the world. Humility and moderate alcohol use seem to be part of the picture. Plus true love, of course.
Excellent summary of insurgency tactics in Iraq, and their evolution, and the counter-measures, in Conferderate Yankee. Feeling good? Read this one in Democratic Underground and feel like your normal grumpy self again. Or laugh. Bloggers and the FEC: Let the FEC know what you think - RedState has the links and the info, and I quote RedState here: My apologies for missing this, but I've seen this quote from yesterday's Tribune article tossed about on some blogs and in some cases used as a justification for people remaining on their backsides. Web loggers, who pride themselves on freewheeling political activism, might face new federal rules on candidate endorsements, online fundraising and political ads, though bloggers who don't take money from political groups would not be affected. In short: um, no. People that support campaign finance reform often repeat the mantra: "we don't regulate speech, we regulate money." Over and over we hear it. But if it's not true, it's certainly not complete. The FEC can regulate anything of value - even perceived value. Don't believe me, see for yourself. (2 USC 431) (A) The term “contribution” includes— (i) any gift, subscription, loan, advance, or deposit of money or anything of value made by any person for the purpose of influencing any election for Federal office Getting worried yet? Good. If you sell advertising on the open market and then give an ad away to a regulated political entity - you're stuck. Worse would be the FEC determining that favorable blog posts were the equivalent to advertising. |  | | Jun 1st, 2005: 08:43:15, Not Rated This is a free speech issue, as is all campaign finance regulation. They are only taking input for two more days, so send your opinion, as I already did, in a friendly, informative, respectful manner to: Internet@FEC.gov |
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A cat's meow and a cow's moo, I can recite em all
Just tell me where it hurts yuh, honey,
And I'll tell you who to call.
Nobody can get no sleep
There's someone on everyone's toes
But when Quinn the Eskimo gets here
Everybodys gonna wanta doze.
Come all without, come all within,
You'll not see nothing like the mighty Quinn. Dylan, from Quinn the Eskimo
Lyrics here.
Wednesday, June 1. 2005
Steyn on Broadway Who is this mystery man, and how does he know everything about everything? Steyn on Spamalot and the Broadway scene.
The Top 125 Political Blogs Surprising list, compiled by Right Wing News. Don't look for Maggie's there - we are an "eclectic" blog, not a political blog. In fact, we are kinda bored by politics unless something stupid tees us off. Which it does, all too often, alas.
Carmen Miranda A cultural icon, no? The Brazilian bombshell. You need this for your cultural education: audio and visual.
One of the ugliest diseases ever. In Western Civilization, we want childbirth to be a time of joy and contentment and fulfillment. That's a happy semi-myth, but it sure did happen for me. Breast-feeding a new baby makes "the world go away" in the most pleasant way. PPD, though rare, as contrasted with "baby blues," which is common, can be devastating. Brooke Shields did a book about her PPD. Get the word out, Brooke. It is easily cured.
Bird People "A loosely-knit community of birdwatchers in New York’s Central Park; ornithologists with their specimen collections at a dozen different natural history museums; bird banders gingerly extracting birds from mist nets and collecting data in upstate New York; six people searching for a nearly extinct bird in a Louisiana bayou: these are the strands that are woven together by The Birdpeople as it documents a passionate fixation."
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