Saturday, September 30. 2006
Pajamas Media's Roger Simon interviews Joe Lieberman. It is politically interesting. The Youtube is here.
How good is this? (our bold print) Human beings are fallen creatures in a fallen world. This concept is thoroughly misunderstood by the secular mind. In fact, “misunderstood” is perhaps not strong enough a word, because it presumes that one may understand it from the outside. However, as is true of all important metaphysical ideas that are couched in religious language, they can only be comprehended from the inside. One must first be in a religious world to know the world from which religion arises. Otherwise you are somewhat like a music critic who happens to be deaf.
For similar reasons, many people believe that you must first somehow decide whether or not God exists before joining a religion, but the opposite is true. One becomes religious so as to make God present in one’s life. Whether or not God exists is a separate issue. The important point is to make him present and real, and thus inhabit the space where our true humanness emerges. Anything short of this makes you merely human, which is necessarily to say less than human, in the sense that a person who does not transcend himself sinks beneath himself (i.e., we are speaking vertically, not of wordly civil responsibilities and the rights that that derive from them).
Whole thing at One Cosmos.
When a man comes home from a difficult day at work, nothing brightens his spirits and makes him feel more appreciated than being greeted at the door by the smiling face of the woman he loves with an ice-cold beer in her hand! (T-rated image below - right-click on continuation page)
Continue reading "It's a guy thing"
The old Soviet doctors from the Serbsky Insitute for Social and Forensic Psychiatry seem to be up to their old tricks, but to a much lesser extent than in the Soviet days of the "reformist delusion" diagnosis. Still, Russia seems like a country which is comfortable with authoritarianism in all of its forms. Story in WaPo.
This came in over the transom: Subject: Marine Intel Officer, Comments about Iraq Classification: UNCLASSIFIED All: I haven't written very much from Iraq. There's really not much to write about. More exactly, there's not much I can write about because practically everything I do, read or hear is classified military information or isdepressing to the point that I'd rather just forget about it, never mind write about it. The gaps in between all of that are filled with the pure tedium of daily life in an armed camp. So it's a bit of a struggle to think of anything to put into a letter that's worth reading. Worse, this place just consumes you. I work 18-20-hour days, every day. The quest to draw a clear picture of what the insurgents are up to never ends. Problems and frictions crop up faster than solutions. Every challenge demands a response. It's like this every day. Before I know it, I can't see straight, because it's 0400 and I've been at work for twenty hours straight, somehow missing dinner again in the process. And once again I haven't written to anyone. It starts all over again four hours later. It's not really like Ground Hog Day, it's more like a level from Dante's Inferno. Rather than attempting to sum up the last seven months, I figured I'd just hit the record setting highlights of 2006 in Iraq. These are among the events and experiences I'll remember best. Worst Case of Déjà Vu - I thought I was familiar with the feeling of déjà vu until I arrived back here in Fallujah in February. The moment I stepped off of the helicopter, just as dawn broke, and saw the camp just as I had left it ten months before - that was déjà vu. Kind of unnerving. It was as if I had never left. Same work area, same busted desk, same chair, same computer, same room, same creaky rack, same . . . everything. Same everything for the next year. It was like entering a parallel universe. Home wasn't 10,000 miles away, it was a different lifetime. Most Surreal Moment - Watching Marines arrive at my detention facility and unload a truck load of flex-cuffed midgets. 26 to be exact. I had put the word out earlier in the day to the Marines in Fallujah that we were looking for Bad Guy X, who was described as a midget. Little did I know that Fallujah was home to a small community of midgets, who banded together for support since they were considered as social outcasts. The Marines were anxious to get back to the midget colony to bring in the rest of the midget suspects, but I called off the search, figuring Bad Guy X was long gone on his short legs after seeing his companions rounded up by the giant infidels. Most Profound Man in Iraq - an unidentified farmer in a fairly remote area who, after being asked by Reconnaissance Marines (searching for Syrians) if he had seen any foreign fighters in the area replied "Yes, you." Worst City in al-Anbar Province - Ramadi, hands down. The provincial capital of 400,000 people. Killed over 1,000 insurgents in there since we arrived in February. Every day is a nasty gun battle. They blast us with giant bombs in the road, snipers, mortars and small arms. We blast them with tanks, attack helicopters, artillery, our snipers (much better than theirs), and every weapon that an infantryman can carry. Every day. Incredibly, I rarely see Ramadi in the news. We have as many attacks out here in the west as Baghdad. Yet, Baghdad has 7 million people, we have just 1.2 million. Per capita, al-Anbar province is the most violent place in Iraq by several orders of magnitude. I suppose it was no accident that the Marines were assigned this area in 2003. Bravest Guy in al-Anbar Province - Any Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician (EOD Tech). How'd you like a job that required you to defuse bombs in a hole in the middle of the road that very likely are booby-trapped or connected by wire to a bad guy who's just waiting for you to get close to the bomb before he clicks the detonator? Every day. Sanitation workers in New York City get paid more than these guys. Talk about courage and commitment. Second Bravest Guy in al-Anbar Province - It's a 20,000 way tie among all the Marines and Soldiers who venture out on the highways and through the towns of al-Anbar every day, not knowing if it will be their last - and for a couple of them, it will be. Best Piece of U.S. Gear - new, bullet-proof flak jackets. O.K., they weigh 40 lbs and aren't exactly comfortable in 120 degree heat, but they've saved countless lives out here. Best Piece of Bad Guy Gear - Armor Piercing ammunition that goes right through the new flak jackets and the Marines inside them. Worst E-Mail Message - "The Walking Blood Bank is Activated. We need blood type A+ stat." I always head down to the surgical unit as soon as I get these messages, but I never give blood - there's always about 80 Marines in line, night or day. Biggest Surprise - Iraqi Police. All local guys. I never figured that we'd get a police force established in the cities in al-Anbar. I estimated that insurgents would kill the first few, scaring off the rest. Well, insurgents did kill the first few, but the cops kept on coming. The insurgents continue to target the police, killing them in their homes and on the streets, but the cops won't give up. Absolutely incredible tenacity. The insurgents know that the police are far better at finding them than we are. - and they are finding them. Now, if we could just get them out of the habit of beating prisoners to a pulp . . . Greatest Vindication - Stocking up on outrageous quantities of Diet Coke from the chow hall in spite of the derision from my men on such hoarding, then having a 122mm rocket blast apart the giant shipping container that held all of the soda for the chow hall. Yep, you can't buy experience. Biggest Mystery - How some people can gain weight out here. I'm down to 165 lbs. Who has time to eat? Second Biggest Mystery - if there's no atheists in foxholes, then why aren't there more people at Mass every Sunday?
Continue reading "A Marine's Letter from Iraq"
Sonnet #30 When to the sessions of sweet silent thought
I summon up remembrance of things past,
I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,
And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste:
Then can I drown an eye, unused to flow,
For precious friends hid in death's dateless night,
And weep afresh love's long since cancell'd woe,
And moan the expense of many a vanish'd sight:
Then can I grieve at grievances foregone,
And heavily from woe to woe tell o'er
The sad account of fore-bemoaned moan,
Which I new pay as if not paid before.
But if the while I think on thee, dear friend,
All losses are restor'd and sorrows end.
Friday, September 29. 2006
 "Scientists form group to support science-friendly candidates." Guess who they do not like? (hint: they apply moral criteria to policy...) NYT
Are there Ivorybills in the Fla. panhandle? Maybe. Lawyer Advt. Hall of Fame: "Call me if you hate your spouse like poison." Haha. Guy has a Youtube too. At Overlawyered The EU upholds Hitler's ban on home schooling. I told ya that the EU is a fascist organization. Mayor Bloomberg wants to be everybody's Jewish mother. "Don't eat that." "Don't smoke." "It's raining - put on your rubbers." Absolutely obnoxious, intrusive, and infantilizing of adult citizens. Where does he think we are - England? I agree with Dr. Helen. Are doctors equal? They get paid the same. DB's Rants Education is not subject to market pressures. Why not? Because they couldn't handle it. RWN Sen. Inhofe is fed up with the reception to his entirely reasonable global warming speech. Link to his original speech, and text of his comments on the reaction to his speech above. A quote: I have been engaged in this debate for several years and believe there is a growing backlash of Americans rejecting what they see as climate scare tactics. And as a result, global warming alarmists are becoming increasingly desperate. Perhaps that explains why the very next day after I spoke on the floor, ABC News’s Bill Blakemore on Good Morning America prominently featured James Hansen touting future scary climate scenarios that could / might / possibly happen. ABC’s “modest” title for the segment was “Will the Earth Become Too Hot? Are Our Children in Danger?” The segment used all the well worn tactics from the alarmist guidebook -- warning of heat waves, wildfires, droughts, melting glaciers, mass extinctions unless mankind put itself on a starvation energy diet and taxed emissions. But that’s no surprise – Blakemore was already on the record declaring “After extensive searches, ABC News has found no such [scientific] debate” about manmade catastrophic global warming. ( http://abcnews.go.com/US/print?id=2374968 ) You have to be a pretty poor investigator to believe that. Why would 60 prominent scientists this last spring have written Canadian Prime Minister Harper that “If, back in the mid-1990s, we knew what we know today about climate, Kyoto would almost certainly not exist, because we would have concluded it was not necessary.” ( http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/financialpost/story.html?id=3711460e-bd5a-475d-a6be-4db87559d605 ) On Tuesday’s program, the ABC News anchor referred to Blakemore as “passionate” about global warming. “Passionate” is one word to describe that kind of reporting, but words like objectivity or balance are not. I believe it’s these kinds of stories which explain why the American public is growing increasingly skeptical of the hype. Despite the enormous 2006 media campaign to instill fear into the public, the number of people who believe that weather naturally changes -- is increasing.
And This past Monday, I took to this floor for the eighth time to discuss global warming. My speech focused on the myths surrounding global warming and how our national news media has embarrassed itself with a 100-year documented legacy of coverage on what turned out to be trendy climate science theories. Over the last century, the media has flip-flopped between global cooling and warming scares. At the turn of the 20th century, the media peddled an upcoming ice age -- and they said the world was coming to an end. Then in the 1930s, the alarm was raised about disaster from global warming -- and they said the world was coming to an end. Then in the 70’s, an alarm for another ice age was raised -- and they said the world was coming to an end. And now, today we are back to fears of catastrophic global warming -- and again they are saying the world is coming to an end. Today I would like to share the fascinating events that have unfolded since my floor speech on Monday.
Read the whole story (link above) and find out. "Experts" oppose use of DDT to attack malaria, here. (h/t, Junk Science) Smart bloggers are always talking about Karl Popper. Who was he? Wiki. I only knew him from his concept of falsifiability - a criterion for a scientific claim (ie, it includes criteria by which it may be modified or disproven).
Ya gotta love that argument. It's our fault! They should be upset. We fight back. That is a surprise? Maybe it is, after Clinton/Albright. Let them die angry. Why not? Allah loves that. Let's make Allah happy! Hey, Ned Lamont! Let's please Allah! Change your ideas, and let them die. They want it, and need it, badly. Be multicultural, and consider their feelings! Let's give them the deaths they long for. It's a form of "caring," plus it meets their emotional needs.
A dead church? Tod Bolsinger quotes Peterson on "dead institutions." It's the dead bark that protects the living word. He is heavy - he's my brother. Joe has mixed feelings on the Values Voters meeting. And deals with it admirably - as usual. Better than I would. Evang. Outpost
 Maggie's readers know that we love Mark Helprin. A recent interview with him in Doublethink, via Small Dead Animals. A quote:
And by the way, when I was a freshman at Harvard, the first demonstration that I saw was one guy who was carrying a sign protesting. So I stopped and I talked to him, and he told me about how awful America was and everything like that. His case was that his father had been one of the members of the Hollywood Ten, and he had been forced to relocate to the south of France and write his screenplays under a pseudonym. And he says, “Well, it wasn’t right. He was completely innocent.” But the parents lied to their children. They didn’t tell their children. And I said “Well actually, he was a Communist. It was legal to be a Communist. But he should have said so. Or, even if he shouldn’t have said so, your telling me that he was not a Communist does not change the fact that was a Communist.” So he looked at me like he had found a lunatic Red-baiter. Right? “How do you know?” I said, “Because my mother was in his cell.”
To hear the voice of God, turn down the volume of the world. From a roadside sign, h/t Slower Pace
 Maggie's Farm endorses Joe Lieberman for CT! Lieberman is leading Lamont in the polls. Good. We may not care for left-wing Lieberman too much, but at least he understands the critical challenge of the time. But quit whining, Joe. Speak out!
LaShawn reconsiders the concept of "birthright citizenship." Counting terrorists. Haha. Who can count them? Somebody must be counting them, if Bush is increasing their numbers. RWNH How to carefully think through your real estate purchases and investments, esp with respect to financing and mortages. Useful stuff from Maxed Out Mama. Do you want to pay off your mortgage? How Kling went from a leftie to a libertarian. He is not alone. It had something to do with using his brain. Part lll of Dr. Bob's path to God. Need I mention that it is honest and moving? Everything free in America: Pregnant Mexicans border-hopping for the free citizenship and the free delivery. Rational balance and healthy skepticism on climate. The New American. (h/t, Ace) The more people that are married in a district, the more Republican it is. Ten Napel considers this fact. Voter ID. Is there a need for it? Bainbridge opines, and the commenters coomment, many of them interestingly. Why does Britain distrust the EU? For reasons like this one. (By the way, the EU is a latent totalitarian quasi-oligarchic state on the way to becoming a regional tyranny, requiring eventual revolution to repair.) And more on the EU, which is growing weary of its growth and its internal immigrants and economic competition. Why didn't they just stop with the trade agreements, and not be so grandiose? Dalrymple on Evil. Dalrymple needs his own blog - quote from the piece at NER: In his introduction, Professor Hollander speculates as to why Nazi atrocities should, deservedly, be so well known and their lessons so well- absorbed, while those of communism, that are not exactly unknown, and on an even greater scale than Nazism’s (no thanks to Nazism for that, of course, because Nazism was stopped in mid-atrocity), have comparatively so little emotional resonance: an unfortunate fact which it is the purpose of his book to change. Perhaps the difference exists because elements at least of communism still exert an attraction for so many intellectuals, and no one wants to acknowledge that his ideals justified and in part motivated mass murder on an unprecedented scale. Who would not rather deny the meaning of scores of millions of deaths, than abandon his illusions?
From an Amazon review of Gilbert's Stumbling on Happiness: Here are some of the most important points of this book:
1) We often exaggerate in imagining the long- term emotional effects certain events will have on us.
2) Most of us tend to have a basic level of happiness which we revert to eventually.
3) People generally err in imagining what will make them happy.
4) People tend to find ways of rationalizing unhappy outcomes so as to make them more acceptable to themselves.
5) People tend to repeat the same errors in imagining what will make them happy.
6) Events and outcomes which we dread may when they come about turn into new opportunities for happiness.
7) Many of the most productive and creative people are those who are continually unhappy with the world- and thus strive to change it.
8) Happiness is rarely as good as we imagine it to be, and rarely lasts as long as we think it will. The same mistaken expectations apply to unhappiness.
Gilbert makes these points and others with much anecdotal evidence and humor.
A pretty happy read, but not as happy as you think it is going to be.
Thursday, September 28. 2006
"Oh, the gentlemen are talking and the midnight moon is on the riverside,
They're drinking up and walking and it is time for me to slide.
I live in another world where life and death are memorized,
Where the earth is strung with lovers' pearls and all I see are dark eyes.
A cock is crowing far away and another soldier's deep in prayer,
Some mother's child has gone astray, she can't find him anywhere.
But I can hear another drum beating for the dead that rise,
Whom nature's beast fears as they come and all I see are dark eyes.
They tell me to be discreet for all intended purposes,
They tell me revenge is sweet and from where they stand, I'm sure it is.
But I feel nothing for their game where beauty goes unrecognized,
All I feel is heat and flame and all I see are dark eyes.
Oh, the French girl, she's in paradise and a drunken man is at the wheel,
Hunger pays a heavy price to the falling gods of speed and steel.
Oh, time is short and the days are sweet and passion rules the arrow that flies,
A million faces at my feet but all I see are dark eyes." "Dark Eyes," off 1985's Empire Burlesque. Dylan hauled out and dusted off this song at the request of Patti Smith during their joint December 1995 tour, after Dylan told her she could pick any song of his she wanted for their duet performances. Dylan hasn't played it since, but we still have the recordings, one of which you can download here. Dylan and Patti Smith perform "Dark Eyes" during the New York show, Dec. 11, 1995. Too bad it was a school night for the 14-year-old Dylanologist, or he would have been there for sure...
Rush played a clip today of Nancy Pelosi suggesting applying the Golden Rule to our terrorist enemies. Thus far, she has not suggested applying the Golden Rule to fellow Americans, like Republicans, however.
 Lost on Feb. 12, 1935, the USS Macon has been found in 1000 feet of water in the Pacific. This was the last US military dirigible. Photos and story at Live Science. Image from Live Science.
If others do not respond to your love with love, look into your own benevolence; if others fail to respond to your own attempts to govern them with order, look into your own wisdom; if others do not return your courtesy, look into your own respect. In other words, look into yourself whenever you fail to achieve your purpose. When you are correct in your person, the Empire will turn to you. Mencius (aka Meng Zi, Meng Ke) circa 400 BC
More Clinton predictions
from Dick Morris. Gateway More of what Condi said: Babalu Oh dear. The Moslems might not like Mozart! Opera cancelled in Germany for fear of Moslems. However, Chancellor Merkel is not in such a hurry to be a dhimmi, bless her. On the subject of Moslems, Capt. Ed highlights a piece by Max Boot called "The View from the Western Street" - about time someone worried about that street. Tim Blair has the updated list of what artists can no longer do in Australia, to keep Moslems from making a mess. Moving on to the lovely and charming Afghanistan, Dr. Demarche contends that, with the Taliban resurgence, whoever wants it most will get it. The White Man's Burden. Jay Tea reconsiders nation-building. How Obama became an overnight millionaire. Hey - it's a good gig, being a Senator, especially the perks and book deals. Gun man Col. Jeff Cooper died. A marriage and family blog a reader sent us: And they lived happily ever after Image: Hotel room view, Fiesole
Wednesday, September 27. 2006
 The CD of his Carnegie Hall Concert of 2005 is released this week.
Chinin of the NYT visited Jarrett and interviewed him. It is worth reading for Jarrett fans. A quote: Mr. Jarrett is one of the most renowned pianists in the world, a virtuoso equally at home performing Bach or bebop. And though he had been a child prodigy and a member of Miles Davis’s best jazz-rock bands, it was his Herculean solo improvisations — full concerts seemingly conjured out of thin air — that brought him worldwide renown. His 1975 album “The Köln Concert” (ECM) is the all-time best-selling solo piano recording in any genre, with more than three million copies sold. In a recent conversation at his home in northwest New Jersey, Mr. Jarrett shed some light on the discipline behind his creative process, which his more perceptive audiences valorize as much as his facility at the piano. And he took a rare clinical walk-through, like a coach reviewing game film, of the spontaneous opus that ECM is releasing on Tuesday as “The Carnegie Hall Concert.” The album documents in its entirety a performance that surpassed even the hopes of the crowd, which clamored for, and got, five encores. “There was so much comfort exuding from his body into the instrument, and out to us in the audience, that you felt like there were no boundaries at all,” said the pianist Jason Moran. “It was a real reminder of what the possibilities of the instrument are, and what the possibilities of a solo concert are.”
The whole piece is here. Image from the NYT article from this past Sunday.
John and some other Maggie's Farm buddies, standing in front of Class Action at Bud 'n Mary's Marina on Islamorada last Saturday. The fish are mainly King Mackerel, plus a couple of snapper. They released the sharks they caught. 
Tuesday, September 26. 2006
 Linda Greenhouse of the NYT admits it - She's a Leftist and does advocacy journalism. npr via YARGB
"We were not left a comprehensive strategy to fight al Qaeda," said Condi Rice. Piece at Captain Ed. Well, the entire NIE report is declassified and was released last night. Sister Toldjah/ I like Viking's summary of the issues, and his links. The top ten lies about the Iraq war. RWN "There he was on live television, the man those who have worked for him have come to know – the angry, sarcastic, snarling, self-righteous, bombastic bully, roused to a fever pitch. The truer the accusation, the greater the feigned indignation." Thus spake Dick Morris, re Clinton, via Sensible Mom, with more at her blog. How to hate Jews like an Egyptian. Unbelievable. LGF The latest crazy church-state case. Volokh's comments. Some fun, and some seriousness, about the AZ 9-11 Memorial. Why AZ, anyway? Michelle An extraordinary piece from Anchoress about Bill Clinton - both tender and tough. And empathic in a way that Bill can never experience.
Thanks to Assistant Village Idiot for pointing out what those lies were that the Hungarians are getting steamed about. Because they are ordinary, everyday political lies, and not specific deceptions. Here is what Prime Minister Gyurcsany said, as quoted in Brussels Journal: “I was speaking about the whole elite. We repeated and repeated that you can be richer, fulfil your dreams, and we can give you happiness and fortune as a gift. This is a real lie. For the last 15 years, none of us were brave enough to initiate deep reform. We wanted to avoid painful measures and always found excuses not to act. That’s the real lie.” He added that he is the first politician who is brave enough to admit his mistake, i.e. Gyurcsány is the first politician in Europe who is honest enough to admit his dishonesty.
First in Europe? How about first in history? A vigorous wag of the dog's tail to this guy. Whole piece in Brussels Journal.
The null hypothesis is not a logical fallacy. We are discussing it as a base for further discussions of fallacies in future posts on the subject of the risks of action vs. inaction and Type 1 and Type 2 errors. Outside of the world of statistics, the "null hypothesis" has become equated with the "nil hypothesis," which means, basically, nothing. That is to say, that nothing occurred that was not by chance or accident, or maybe by undiscovered or undiscussed causes. Thus it is a handy tool to use as a starting point for an honest discussion, debate, or argument. The null hypothesis is what many logical arguments ultimately argue about, or around, whether it is made explicit or not (it is a basic assumption of thinking in Western Civilization). When a null hypothesis is not assumed, a case for something is often termed "biased." (As we will discuss in a future post, "bias" is often a very useful and reality-oriented posture, and is the reason we do not look for Bluebirds in Brooklyn.) In law, the null hypothesis is the presumption of innocence. In science, it is the presumption that there is no connection between two phenomena. (Scientists and social scientists often complain that it is difficult to publish papers which support null hypotheses.) Hypotheses other than null hypotheses are often termed "alternative hypotheses." In general, it is easier to destroy an hypothesis than to prove one: proof is usually too much to ask for. Let's take one incendiary example: Null hypothesis: Blacks are not economically discriminated against, and there is nothing of interest here to debate or discuss. Fact: Black households have lower incomes than white households. Hypothesis #1: Employers pay blacks less money, or blacks get lower-paying jobs because of their color. Fact: Black households with intact marriages have essentially the same average family incomes as whites, but blacks have very high rates of unmarried families. Logical conclusion: An extraneous factor, such as marital status, may be determining the data, not skin color. The null hypothesis is supported by these facts. A liability example: Null hypothesis: Jim is innocent of liability or neglect. Fact: Jim had no proper fence around his pool, and the neighbor's beloved Shitsu wandered over, fell in, and drowned, so the neighbor wants $100,000. for pain and suffering. Hypothesis: Jim is guilty of not properly fencing his pool. Fact: Hurricane Jose knocked down his pool fence a week ago. Logical conclusion: Facts support the null hypothesis. Jim is innocent of negligence because of an accident of nature. A vegetable example: Null hypothesis: What you eat has no relationship with colon cancer. Fact: People who eat lots of broccoli have lower rates of colon cancer. Hypothesis #2: Broccoli helps prevent colon cancer. Fact: People who eat broccoli tend to eat lots of other veggies too. Hypothesis #3: Eating lots of veggies helps reduce colon cancer rates. Fact: Volume of dietary roughage (cellulose) probably correlates with reduced rates of colon cancer. Logical conclusion: The null hypothesis is probably wrong. There is some relationship, although causality is not demonstrated (that would be a cum hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy - a favorite fallacy of litigators). You might reduce your risk of colon cancer a bit by eating plenty of daily veggies and salads. (Still, your genes - or your GI doctor - may determine the outcome, eventually.) We wll build on this null hypothesis subject in the next Fallacy posting, which will highlight Type l and Type ll errors. More on the subject of the very important Null Hypothesis here. (I enjoy giving myself this elementary refresher - hope you like it too. Next installment probably on Thursday.)
Dems want to thwart honest voting. Hmmm. If I have to prove my identity to get on an airplane, why not for somethng important, like voting? Heck - everybody suspects that Dem big city politics are dishonest. Why not prove that they are honest? Prof B agrees. I have to show ID when I vote up here. Gun control is inconsistent with liberal values. Correct. (h/t, Massbackwards) And, speaking of guns, Alphecca led me to a gun law blog that was new to me - Gun Law News Who was Pvt. Francis Lupo? Rhymes with Right. PETA doesn't want you to dine on cockroaches. Can I crush them with a fly-swatter, instead? RWN. But dang, they are so good and crunchy and low-fat, I just love to munch them in the morning. Outed as a Jew? Krauthammer on George Allen. Am I mistaken, or did Hillary and John ("I served in Vietnam") Kerry not advertise their Jewish blood? Speaking of Hillary, Jewish or not: Iowa doesn't seem to like her very much. She really isn't an Iowa sort of gal, is she? More dirt on the Lamont family. It's his wife's turn, now. Politics is rough, and nice guy golfer Ned is probably not ready for prime time yet. It's dirty laundry season. Ex-Donk
Monday, September 25. 2006
 Western women don't seem to give a damn about Nazanin.
Did Clinton go postal? Polipundit thinks so, but I strongly suspect that everything Bill Clinton does is calculated for effect and for his advantage - even when appearing to be pissed off. Dino sees it the same way. Which sports car are you? I am a Nissan 350Z. I answered honestly, except I had to pretend to be a woman on the topless question. Adultery as a lifestyle choice. Villainous Company The Swiss get tough on immigration. Smart. Hope they set an example. Ape-man child found. AOL news Ned Lamont under the microscope. Turns out he isn't so fond of unions when he's the CEO. Poor Canada, land of the Loonie. The Loonies are indeed trying to take over. Check out the Little Black Book of sex education, via Dust My Broom. The New Deal and Fascism. Coyote. More women hunters. Is this a good thing? Alphecca WalMart does $4. prescriptions. Are they competing with the Medicare plan? If so, they win. Synthstuff Image stolen from Stumbling
 When a snake-oil salesman has the crowd going good, the last thing he needs is someone in the crowd getting wise and breaking the mood. That's why they always have a shill in the audience, trying to keep the vibe going. Well, Bill Clinton had the mood going the way he wanted, but a crummy made for TV movie is mucking up his act. The shills are muffing it for him, and he knows it.
Now, Bill Clinton was two presidents, really; he spent his first term as a the most orthodox of liberals, trying to nationalize the healthcare industry like some Arkansan Peron. The voters slapped his nose, hard, with Newt Gingrich, and Bill Clinton 2.0 signed the the conservative's Welfare Reform bill and NAFTA, then settled in to his second term as a sort of Democrat version of Warren G. Harding. He spent a lot of time trying to cobble together some narrative that would serve as his legacy, but his legacy was both defined and degraded by his shameful behavior and the lengths he would go to avoid facing up to the essential infantilism of his tenure. And it's hard to get around it: Bill Clinton had nothing to offer on the central problem of the post Soviet Union age: Islamic totalitarianism. Neither he nor any of his acolytes identified the danger that would sweep into the vacuum left by the collapse of the CCCP, and they slashed the Defense budget, cheated at golf and just plain cheated, and waited around for Monica to bring him a pizza. But hindsight for his followers is not 20/20, it's blind; how many people even remember the World Trade Center was bombed the first time while he was president? Clinton's Whitehouse just worked overtime to make sure that the intelligence agencies never talked to each other, and never told him anything he didn't want to hear. But almost by mistake, the idea that Clinton slept while Osama Bin Laden worked late was broached, and Clinton desperately wants to get that toothpaste back in the tube. The president is never really "on vacation," They all go places remote from the WhiteHouse, but the duties, responsibilities, the staff -- all of the machinery of government -- never sleep. But there is a limited amount of attention any chief executive can pay to their duties, and Clinton seemed then, as we are being reminded now, to be preoccupied with all sorts of pointless and self-serving folderol to the detriment of the United States, and in its turn, the whole wide world. Clinton doesn't like that idea to be out in the ether, because the image he's trying to cultivate of his time in office pops like a bubble under close inspection. He was doing pretty good for a while, considering how many things that belonged to America got blown up while he was in office. But Sandy Berger can't stuff everything down his pants, after all. And Clinton's taken to shouting at everybody that will listen to him, going back into his old playbook for the only thing that has ever worked for him: pretending to be the poor victim of an unfair attack, while viciously attacking his opponents. So I leave you, dear reader, with visual evidence, intentionally made to make Bill Clinton seem like what he was not, which was charming; and unintentionally showing you exactly what he was, and is: a shameless pandering slacker, always on the make for attention, never paying attention when it matters: What President Clinton was doing while Osama bin Laden planned the second World Trade Center attack.
Continue reading "While Clinton Slept"
Wierd Al gets it. From YouTube.
 This species of the Southern longleaf pine forests (which have been harvested almost to extinction and re-planted with faster-growing commercial pines) has been in the news recently (see Monday links below). It has been endangered since the 1970s because of habitat loss. I have never seen one, but haven't spent any time trying to.
They are one of a very few bird species which are found only in the US. As with other woodpecks like Downies and Hairies, the red cockade is usually not visible. These birds have unusual breeding habits: they are "cooperative" breeders, and the males incubate the eggs. Read about them here at CLO, from which we borrowed the photo. What can be learned from the news story? I think the message is that the Feds cannot expect American citizens to roll over every time a Federal bureaucracy decides they know what is best. However, it is one of the jobs of the Feds, for better or worse, to try to protect endangered species. These are Federal laws and, in this case, their enforcement threatens individual property rights, which Americans feel as strongly about - or more so - than they do about the Second Amendment. So if the Feds want to do their job effectively, they need to approach such issues in a humble, friendly, cooperative, compromising manner. In DC, far from the piney woods of North Carolina, it is all too easy to feel the power, and to forget who pays their salaries and for whom they work.
To our visitors from City Journal: We are pleased to have you visiting the Farm. Please check out our blog, while you are here. You might like our mix of topics, and you might want to bookmark us, and to visit the Farm regularly. Gentlemen, start your chainsaw engines: NC homeowners at war against Feds seek to drive Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers from their neighborhoods. Am Thinker. And speaking of birds, an Archaeopterix update. Science Daily Why is Clinton so angry? It is quite clear why. I wish he could be a real man and simply tell the truth. And the truth, most likely, is that he did not see any political gain in going after Bin Ladin. It would have required taking a big political risk - aka leadership: being the leader of the free world requires more than craftiness and slyness. Captain Ed has the right view, I think. Greenleaf, Idaho. Mayor wants every homeowner to be armed. They aren't, already? How many times have we said similar things? East is east, etc. From a useful piece titled Observations on Arabs, via YARGB - good find. One quote: Since the beginning of the Iraq phase of this conflict of civilizations, I've experienced the teeth-grinding frustration of watching both pro- and anti- Iraq sides make the exact same mistake - that of supposing that these people are bascially Americans in funny costumes. In this respect, George Bush and Michael Moore are equally clueless, as was Jill Carroll apparently.
Husock in City Journal takes a look at liberal housing policy. One quote: Polikoff dreams of extending urban relocation programs to thousands more communities across the country. One wonders when or if liberals will recognize that no magic government-housing scheme can solve the real quandary at the heart of Waiting for Gautreaux: the dysfunctional life habits of the underclass. There’s simply no alternative to encouraging marriage and intact families and pressuring the poor to adhere to middle-class norms—and, yes, providing counseling, mentoring, and training to help. One wishes that Polikoff, who seems like a caring person, would take notice of the facts he reports in the pages of his own book.
He is absolutely right. People are not poor and neglectful because of skin color or neighborhood - they are poor or neglectful, or have kids but no husbands, or because they do not function well, or do not run their lives reasonably and responsibly. Occasionally, because of bad luck. And sometimes by choice. The polluting habits of the Lear Jet liberals. Sad but true: jets far worse than cars. How can you tell if a Latino is living near you? It's a short video. Can you teach ballet without touching the student? Doubtful, but the Brit PC Police want them to try. Spiked. Search engine market share: right-clicked from our pal at AlphaPatriot: 
Fascism is always descending on the United States, but somehow it keeps landing in Europe. Tom Wolfe (h/t, No Pasaran)
Sunday, September 24. 2006
Mix and match. Do it yourself post-modern Leftist dialectics, at No Pasaran.
Was in Nashville for the long weekend - found the big Home Depot, and of course the Outdoor World of Bass Pro Shops and Redhead. Saw Music Row twelve times, and passed by the Opry on I-40 about the same, but heard none of the music except from the speakers at the gas station and the hotel lobby. Do they have music in Nashville? Something about the South: the wives go to Outdoor World with their hubbies. Overheard: "Honey, don't you think you want that same thing in the waterproof version? You could get wet and miserable out there, sweetie. It's only a little bit more. We can put it on the Mastercard." Will some feminazi shoot me if I say "The women are women and the men are men boys men whatever." And we, at Maggie's Farm, love the Southern mentality, and the accents, too. And biscuits 'n gravy. We like to believe that the gravy provides a nice, smooth, healthy, slippery coating to those major arteries. This photo of the Nashville Outdoor World was early in the morning, before they open. But, as with Cabelas, you always wonder why there are so many people INSIDE on a weekend when it's about being OUTDOORS. The parking lot fills up fast. I know the answer: Guys love gear the way women love shoes. Did they have anything I needed? No. Did I buy a few things? Yes. It's the American Way. 
Proverbs 32:10-31 10A capable wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.
11The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.
12She does him good, and not harm,all the days of her life.
13She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands.
14She is like the ships of the merchant, she brings her food from far away.
15She rises while it is still night and provides food for her household
and tasks for her servant-girls.
16She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17She girds herself with strength, and makes her arms strong.
18She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night.
19She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.
20She opens her hand to the poor, and reaches out her hands to the needy.
21She is not afraid for her household when it snows, for all her household are clothed in crimson.
22She makes herself coverings; her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23Her husband is known in the city gates, taking his seat among the elders of the land.
24She makes linen garments and sells them; she supplies the merchant with sashes.
25Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.
26She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28Her children rise up and call her happy; her husband too, and he praises her:
29“Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.”
30Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31Give her a share in the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the city gates.
Saturday, September 23. 2006
Re-posted from August 11, 2005  Interviewing Morons and Slackers - Hot Tips for Senior College Students, Plus the Glory of Maine
Pardon my rant, but I am fed up. I am heading to Northeast Harbor through Labor Day tomorrow, thank God, to play with my little Hinckley Picnic Boat which I paid (!) someone to drive up there from CT, do a little bluefishing and striper fishing, get my three lobster pots out, play a little or hopefully a lot of tennis, read twenty books, go to a bunch of nice cocktail parties, and bang around the woods with the kids and the grandkids, and do some minor bird-watching, but I have been forced to run through what seems like a hundred educated fools over the past few months, so let me blow off a little steam. We hire lots of folks every year. All we care about is what you bring to the table. We do not care what sex, color, sexual preference, or anything else that you are (as long as you speak grammatical English including correct use of the subjunctive, which I am a stickler about, and can pass our own patented quick-essay-writing test which I instituted. We give you the topic, and you get 30 minutes to write the most penetrating and knowledgable essay you can. Your one chance to show us what you have under the hood - if we're impressed by it, you will have a great opportunity to prove yourself. If you cannot write adequately under pressure, you cannot think adequately under pressure). We'll also give you an IQ test, but none of those psychological tests. We don't even care where you went to school (provided you had meaningful competition to deal with. Third tier - sorry - we just don't have the time for you no matter how good you might be - you probably paid a lot of money for a second high-school-level education. Time is money, sorry to say, and we are beholden to unforgiving shareholders). We really just care about what you can offer us. We expect a lot, but if we get a lot, we'll compensate you well, and if we are disappointed, you'll be gone in a flash. Period. Everyone is on parole, guilty until proven innocent, useless until proven valuable. That's reality. Assume, at least for your first year or so, that your file will contain abundant negatives. You will deserve them, even if we like you a lot. We do it so we can dismiss you if we decide to, and to educate you, and to motivate you, and because you won't understand what you are doing for a while anyway. Among the other "delights" of my job is the pleasure of interviewing - I decided this year to personally make final approval for employees for two of our our companies, for new hires mainly over $90,000, bonus not included. These are companies that we are trying to aggressively move forward, and need good people. For my own education, and to assess the cut of their jibs, I took on this chore. (I tend to be partial to quirky, brainy, awkward people who love detail but can readily cut to the core of things. I am repelled by smoothies and I like people who will stand up to me, respectfully, of course - I do not find ass-kissers or flatterers useful, but be warned, because many dumb employers love it. At least this is my feedback from my pal in HR, who speaks to me fearlessly since I depend on his judgement so much, and is my tennis partner at home.) This group included plenty of 2005 graduates, BAs, MBAs, and assorted other degrees. A word to the wise in HR: I hereby do not want to waste my time interviewing anyone who has not taken calculus, statistics, macro- and micro-economics, or pre-med biology, and probably chemistry and preferably a few physics courses. Why? Because these are the only things left that are certain to demand intellectual rigor, and separate the men from the boys, as it were. I don't care about your grades, and I don't care what your major is - just show me you will tackle difficult things and that you have a problem-solving attitude. We can train you to do anything, if you arrive with the goods: IQ, discipline, strong sense of duty, enjoyment in taking on tough assignments, ability to use harsh criticism, and the right amount of ambition - not so much as to corrupt you, and not so little as to not be motivated. I could be missing some great hires, but I refuse to spend another five minutes of my life with a BS artist, basket-weaving major, "really nice guy" from Brown who can play squash. Nothing against squash. But got better things to do, like striper fishing. Well, I might seriously consider a Fly Fishing Major from Brown...do they have that major yet? Later, Bird Dog. I am on vacation as of right now.
Time to return to the old duck camp in Manitoba, on Lake Winnepegosis - the lake with the name that sounds like a rare infectious disease. Bird Dog, regrettably, will miss the trip this year, but Gwynnie will not. Boats gassed up and warmed up, and ready to go. No need to go out before daybreak - the ducks there like to sleep in. Weather is either Bluebird weather or sleeting in late September, but breakfast is coffee, scrambled eggs, home fries, bacon, toast, left-over steak from dinner, cereal, and fruit, and should suffice. Plenty of ammo, apples, granola bars and water on board our duck boat. Let's go. Wait...I left my gun in the gun-room. Anybody got their camera? And hey, where's the dog at? And did we remember the radio? Where the heck are my gloves? I thought I threw them in my bag... And my favorite, after you depart the dock: "Did anyone remember to grab the ammo?" 
Friday, September 22. 2006
Were any other of our horsey readers there? I know one who was at the auction on Sept 16th. Sounds like it was good fun. Mostly weanlings, I guess, but others too. Some people in the East love Quarter Horses as trail horses but, these days, you have to go west to buy a good one. The Weavers are said to breed the best. Originally bred for sprinting (quarter-mile) races in the Eastern US, their smaller size, maneuverability, lithe muscularity, delicate feet, and cow-sense made them the standard cowboy horse. They come in good colors, but the Grey and the Blue Roan are my favorites: 
Wierd conspiracy theories could not exist without this handy fallacy, but it is one for which juries are often total suckers. Argumetium ad ignorantium - "argument from ignorance", or "argument from incredulity", does not mean argument from stupidity - it means argument from a proposition which cannot be proven as fact, or from a proposition which cannot readily be disproven due to "ignorance" - eg lack of data. The lack of certain evidence for, or against, something does not make it either untrue, or believeable. Nor does the lack of certain evidence for something make an alternative theory more likely to be true. "It's hard to believe that a couple of terrorists knocked down the Trade Center, so it seems that Bush and the Israelis must have blown up the World Trade Center towers, and faked the TV images with the cooperation of TV news, so Bush could go into Iraq to get free oil to reward his rich friends. It's a huge conspiracy for the benefit of the Illuminati." Prove that is wrong. It is amazingly easy to make propositions which are simple lies, or absurd, but difficult to prove wrong. Thus you raise doubt, which can appeal to the paranoid part of people. Here's another: "Abe Lincoln greatly enjoyed his male friends and colleagues, so he probably was gay." Prove that isn't true. "The authors of the Second Amendment could not have intended that Americans should be killing eachother by having guns to protect their homes, so we should ban guns." Well, name me one of those guy's families which had no guns in their homes, but it's a bit late to do a poll now, so you can assert anything you want, based on your bias. I'd bet every one of the Founders had many guns in their home. Or, "Would my client, an experienced driver, forget to put n his parking brake? Impossible. My client deliberately declined to put on his parking brake, because he was afraid that the brake might fail on his '57 convertible Chevy, so he put it safely in "park" before it unfortunately, and tragically, but innocently, rolled down over all of those nice families at the beach." Try to prove I am wrong on that. Doubt? He's a nice guy - your next-door neighbor - not a murderer or a manslaughterer. He just likes antique Chevys, like we all do.
Thursday, September 21. 2006
Aliyah, 9 /9/06: A Wedding After war, my first wedding. Mordechai’s. And Sharona’s. In Netanya, how to find the wedding emporium? Netanaya, the Nice of French emigres, most of whom but a generation removed from North African refugees -- Algeria, Tunisia, Morrocco. Escapees to La Patrie, home of laicite, they now escape Paristan to find refuge in Israel. I fly in from the States the day of his wedding, cab to my Merkaz Klita apartment, drop off luggage, then seek out the wedding. But before I could get there, I will tell you of Mordechai. He, who calls me loudly, Akhi, “My Brother.”
He and I in Ulpan together for some six months. He made aliyah, because he is a Zionist, moved her to make a Jewish life, now needed a Jewish wife, an Israeli one. At one point, took a drag on a Gallouis, grimaced, then fiercely tossed it to the ground, never to smoke a French cigarette again. He is done with France.
Mordechai teases me. In France, his Jewish friends -- the Ashkenazi from Poland, Germany -- would tease Mordechai when he listened to Mizrachi tapes, the nasal singing from Morroco or Yemen. They accused him of being “almost an Arab,” and he responded, “You’re almost Jewish.” When I -- an Ashkenazi both Polish and German --worked at my Hebrew -- a throaty ayin or chet -- he would chide me, and I said that I was working at being almost Jewish. He left home at seventeen, his parents had told him several times that they had never wanted children. Lived in the streets. He did guitar, Jimi Hendrix his lodestar. Taught guitar. Played with bands. Cut some discs. Also did sports, got into school, first for a masters in sociology, then to the Sorbonne for his Ph.D. in sociology of science. We discussed Yossi Ben David at the Hebrew University, Michael Polanyi at Chicago, and Thomas Kuhn, who died too young. Mordechai wanted to talk with me about his thesis, wanted it translated into English. But he insisted that we only speak Hebrew -- our common language, he insisted. This limited what I could discuss about sociology. But it did not limit our friendship. He loved Rutie, our ebulliant, lizard-booted Hebrew teacher. The boots with engraved silver tips and especially the embossed heels gave her a heel, a height, a touch of attitude which she thinks she needed. When in a feather, she would about crow, straining at her full five feet, insisting that she was closer to six feet. Born during the rainy season in a tent in the early ‘50’s, her parents refugees from Syria. Always in a rush, she explained, so she couldn’t wait for the hospital. She envied Bridgitte of France, for her perfect waist, understated grace. She adored Mordechai; wanted me to uncle him.
And Mordechai loved her.
Continue reading "Guest Author, Aliyah Diary: A Wedding"
Coulter thinks we are overdoing it with the moral purity thing: Or as the New York Times wrote in the original weasel talking points earlier this summer: "The Geneva Conventions protect Americans. If this country changes the rules, it's changing the rules for Americans taken prisoner abroad. That is far too high a price to pay so this administration can hang on to its misbegotten policies."
There hasn't been this much railing about the mistreatment of a hostage since Monica Lewinsky was served canapes at the Pentagon City Ritz-Carlton Hotel while being detained by the FBI.
The belief that we can impress the enemy with our magnanimity is an idea that just won't die. It's worse than the idea that paying welfare recipients benefits won't discourage them from working. (Some tiny minority might still seek work.) It's worse than the idea that taxes can be raised endlessly without reducing tax receipts. (As the Laffer Curve illustrates, at some point -- a point this country will never reach -- taxes could theoretically be cut so much that tax revenues would decline.)
But being nice to enemies is an idea that has never worked, no matter how many times liberals make us do it. It didn't work with the Soviet Union, Imperial Japan, Hitler or the North Vietnamese -- enemies notable for being more civilized than the Islamic savages we are at war with today.
Whole thing at Human Events online.
"I pulled out for San Anton',
I never felt so good.
My woman said she'd meet me there
And of course, I knew she would.
The coachman, he hit me for my hook
And he asked me my name.
I give it to him right away,
Then I hung my head in shame.
Lo and behold! Lo and behold!
Lookin' for my lo and behold,
Get me outa here, my dear man!
I come into Pittsburgh
At six-thirty flat.
I found myself a vacant seat
An' I put down my hat.
"What's the matter, Molly, dear,
What's the matter with your mound?"
"What's it to ya, Moby Dick?
This is chicken town!"
Lo and behold! Lo and behold!
Lookin' for my lo and behold,
Get me outa here, my dear man!
I bought my girl
A herd of moose,
One she could call her own.
Well, she came out the very next day
To see where they had flown.
I'm goin' down to Tennessee,
Get me a truck 'r somethin'.
Gonna save my money and rip it up!
Lo and behold! Lo and behold!
Lookin' for my lo and behold,
Get me outa here, my dear man!
Now, I come in on a ferris wheel
An' boys, I sure was slick.
I come in like a ton of bricks,
Laid a few tricks on 'em.
Goin' back to Pittsburgh,
Count up to thirty,
Round that horn and ride that herd,
Gonna thread up!
Lo and behold! Lo and behold!
Lookin' for my lo and behold,
Get me outa here, my dear man!"
"Lo and Behold," off The Basement Tapes, a collection of songs released in 1975 but recorded in the summer of 1967 (with the exception of some of the tracks by The Band, which, it later became known, were actually their own studio outtakes).
A Film Not by Ken Burns. Damn funny, whatever your skin color. You will never see a Ken Burns film the same way, again. Dr. Fingeroot is perfect, and the music is not only perfect, it is real good. YouTube at AlphaPatriot
 Churchill and Global Warming?
Steve Hayward of The Commons did a speech at the American Political Science Association recently, The Use and Abuse of Churchill in History. (Found it before Powerline linked it, but those guys are SCARY FAST.) Link to the whole speech here, but here is a quote: It is worth remembering how long we waited before finally facing the challenge posed by Nazi totalitarianism and Hitler. Many were reluctant to acknowledge that an effort on the scale of what became World War II was actually necessary, and most wanted to believe that the threat could be wished away with trivial sacrifices. For several years before the awful truth was accepted, one Western leader spoke out forcefully and eloquently about the gathering storm. Winston Churchill was uncompromising in his insistence that every effort be immediately bent to the task of ensuring Hitler’s defeat. After Neville Chamberlain concluded the Munich Pact of 1938, which gave Czechoslovakia to Hitler in return for his pledge not to take over still more territory, most Britons were happy and supported the policy that later was condemned as appeasement. Churchill, however, grasped the essence of what had occurred and of the unavoidable conflict that lay ahead. From here Gore goes to quote at length the ultimate paragraph of Churchill’s Munich speech in the House, though, like the BBC’s Wilderness Years adaptation of the speech done in the late 1970s, he omits the final phrase, "as in the olden time." From here Gore continues his main theme: "Thus do we meekly acquiesce in the loss of the world’s rain forests and their living species, the loss of the Everglades, the Aral Sea, the old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest, the topsoil of the Midwest. . ." etc. "Bitter cups all--but only ‘the beginning of the reckoning,’ only the first of a steady stream of progressively more serious ecological catastrophes that will be repeatedly proffered to us . . ." In An Inconvenient Truth Gore ratchets up the comparison, making out skeptics of his eco-apocalypticism, or doubters of the proposed remedies such as the Kyoto Protocol, to be the moral equivalent of Nazi appeasers. Gore cites the conclusion of Churchill’s 1936 speech attacking appeasement: "The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays, is coming to a close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences."
  This piece is a bit behind the news cycle, but what the heck. Breasts are interesting subjects which keep popping into the news: see Anchoress. More on "boobgate" at Protein. Boobgate is just too silly, and not worth commenting on at any length. (Ed: Basil does a great job with the subject today.)
But remember the fuss about that BabyTalk magazine cover last month? I thought it odd that many were upset by story about the mom breast-feeding her baby on the cover. Some termed the image "disgusting." Meanwhile, that magazine for new moms probably sat on a magazine rack five feet from a wide variety of porn magazines. Why did anyone find that Baby Talk cover worthy of comment at all, much less negative comment? Can a society be puritanical and licentious at the same time? Well, why not? We're not supposed to be reminded that breasts are for food? Nobody gets upset about using T&A to sell things (tits=hits, as the old blog expression goes), but something about using breasts to feed babies seemed to touch a nerve. Very strange, because feeding a baby is the most natural and beautiful thing in the world, or so we are told. I figured that it bothered people because it's an animal function, and we aren't animals, are we? John of Part-time Pundit has a theory, as quoted in his piece Where Feminism and Motherhood are Forced to Do Battle, in the Daily Illini: Earlier this summer, breast-feeding mothers were harassed by staff at Sholem pool for breast-feeding in public. Women caring for their children have been harassed in restaurants, parks and pretty much anywhere you find children congregating.
The law is quite clear that breast-feeding is not indecent or sexual. The medical community and community health advocates have concluded breast-feeding is what is best for the baby (and usually the mother). However, there is still tremendous public pressure against breast-feeding.
Despite the fact I see more boobs walking across the Quad, or for that matter watching C-SPAN, somehow breast-feeding is apparently too much for this promiscuous college town. After all, Champaign County does have a syphilis epidemic for a reason. A society that uses breasts to sell every conceivable product on the market is horrified by the concept of a breast being used for its designed biological purpose.
It could seem plausible to blame the religious right; After all, they were responsible for the protests over the infamous Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction of 2004. However, the religious right is generally more child-friendly than those on the other part of the political spectrum. The religious right supports women having children in the first place, as opposed to the left which supports slaughtering them on the altar of abortion.
Here is a more reasonable theory about the source of resistance to breast-feeding: It collides head-on with radical feminism. When former Harvard President Lawrence Summers suggested there are biological differences between men and women, he was run out of town. Breast-feeding is the ultimate expression, next to child-birth, that women are indeed different from men.
The whole piece is here.  In my opinion, breasts are multi-purpose organs: breasts are for feeding babies; tits are for fun, bosoms are for comfort, and snuggling; and boobs are ART to look at. Guys look at boobs - always. We cannot control our eyeballs, which have little tiny minds of their own. And, dear lady readers, we love 'em all, regardless of size or shape. I know that you understand, ladies: you check us guys out in your own sneaky ways.
No workplace rules or social rules will ever prevent men from staring, or admiring, or glancing, or covertly appreciating. Guys are made to like them - and women are always interested in their own, too. No amount of PC will prevent this fun and intriguing male pastime. But I think that it is an unusual guy - or an adolescent boy - who would find nursing mothers sexually titillating. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breast-feeding for a minimum of 12 months. Not only is it best for the baby, but it's best for the mom, too. Every month a mom breastfeeds, she reduces her risk of breast cancer. Moms with jobs find it challenging, unsurprisingly. Image on top of blog: Picasso's Nursing Mother For a t-rated, adolescent-type humor image, see continuation page for a gal for guys (or gals) who think they have it all.
Continue reading "Tempest in a B-Cup: Breasts, Bosoms, Boobs and Tits"
 77% of Aussies think it is government's role to make them happy. That is the craziest thing I have read this year. Government? Hahahahaha. You'd think they could answer with something at least slightly less stupid, like their spouse, mistress, gigolo. Now their dog - that would make good sense as an answer. My suggestion: government to add Prozac and Grey Goose to the Aussie water supply, and, if that does not work, opium also. What, me worry?
Paul meets Agrippa: An inspiring mini-sermon from Middlebrow. The NYT is advertising itself: Truth and Accuracy. They need another ad line: How about "The Dead-Tree Daily Kos"? Or, as an alternative, "All the News We Want You Morons to Know." Or "Pravda on the Hudson"? The left loves Ahmadinejabbywobby. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. But wait. Ahamadinejobby doesn't like at least 50% of them. How many women of the Left have had sexual relations outside of marriage? He would kill them first. Betsy. Is there a single torture the US uses on Jihadists which is not also used in frats? Or just in college? Is this the stuff that has Colin Powell's panties in a wad? Moonbat update from Moonbattery: I pledge allegiance to the Mexican flag, and to the corrupt dump of a country for which it stands,... Also, Mayor Bloomberg wants to PAY YOU to go to the doctor. Dear Mayor B: NYC is lookin' real nice, but leave us ALONE already! We are grown-ups. Are you nuts? How much does the Left hate Christians? Quite a lot. RWN Enforcement of borders is what Americans want. It's our country. Just One Minute shows Kaus, getting it right. The regrettable discrimination and double standards in our schools. Gal teachers can play, but not guy teachers. What the heck? RWHowler NPR getting long in the tooth. What's the average age of their tax-subsidized listeners, anyway? And Squaring the Boston Globe is right - their men sound like they have no testicles and never played a sport. It's wierd, really. The Scarecrow Syndrome. The dumbing down of education isn't an accident: it's an agenda. Just give the slow ones a diploma and tell them to get a job and to quit wasting the teachers' time. Here's the plan unfolding, in the UK. Samizdata. Some farm workers are crapping in the field, on your organic spinach. Hey, it's organic, right? You want those poor oppressed farm workers to walk all the way to the toilet? That's cruel. Daily Pundit has it. A quote from Coyote Blog: The US does harm when we fail to live up to our values. Radical Islam does harm when they successfully pursue what they value.
Whole piece here. Want to go hunting in Canadanistan? They should welcome our dollars, and our recreational tourism, right? Look at this BS. To add insult to injury - you need to print it out on 8X14. Who are they kidding? Do I look like a lawyer? Mr. Harper - please fix this travesty. Thanks, pal. All I am bringing is a damn 12 ga s/s for grouse. For heaven's sake! Finally, we get a fence, not amnesty. I'd be surprised if the fence doesn't pass both houses. Poli. Honestly, I'd like amnesty for every wrong I have ever done, but no-one is offering that to me.
Wednesday, September 20. 2006
We were fishing through the cut-out bin at the used record store and came across this gem. If Punxsutawney Chavez comes out of his hole and sees the shadow of El Diablo Bush, do we get six more weeks of $2.25 per gallon gasoline?
Mitchell gets it (quoted his piece in full, below, from Democracy Project). Our bold font: Today's Democratic leadership came of age during the 1960s and 1970s, in the era of anti-Vietnam War protest. Moreover, the party activists have a left wing view of the world whereby conflict between labor and capital, oppressed and oppressor, first world and third world, black and white or left and racist right play a central role. Much as Marx omitted a careful discussion of how communism would work, with the result that his philosphy was the ugliest, most violent and vicious of all philosophical ideas, today's leftists conceptualize themselves as protestors rather than leaders. This includes the leadership of the Democratic Party. The Democrats have not been able to articulate a coherent strategy for the Middle East because they see themselves as protestors who right wrong rather than leaders who obtain and use power effectively. The focus on demonizing Bush and the left's inability to articulate a strategy for Iraq illustrate my claim. Should the protest Democrats win the White House and Congress, America will be set on a self-destructive course. It would be nice to see competent Democrats running agains competent Republicans, but there are few competent Democrats too be found, and the few that can be found such as Senator Lieberman, are demonized by the rest.
Bush speaks up for America at the UN. Quit the terror - we want peace. It's the right message. Comments in the NY Sun. "They say that it's the institution..." Thinkin' about blaming it on "the system," at Asst Village Idiot. One quote: The Zen koan "The Tao that can be described is not the real Tao," applies here. The system that can be described is not the real system. Better to start from the idea that there is no system at all.
Free Willy Nelson! Does this explain his politics? Protein From the author of Path to 9-11, Cyrus Nowrasteh: In July a reporter asked if I had ever been ethnically profiled. I happily replied, "No." I can no longer say that. The L.A. Times, for one, characterized me by race, religion, ethnicity, country-of-origin and political leanings--wrongly on four of five counts. To them I was an Iranian-American politically conservative Muslim. It is perhaps irrelevant in our brave new world of journalism that I was born in Boulder, Colo. I am not a Muslim or practitioner of any religion, nor am I a political conservative. What am I? I am, most devoutly, an American. I asked the reporter if this kind of labeling was a new policy for the paper. He had no response.
Whole piece at Ed Driscoll Experts want to move the Mississippi to save New Orleans. Why not. What the heck? It's just water, right? NYT Science News Wish I had written this, quoted from a piece by Malzahn in Spiegel Online: One thing should be kept in mind, however: The often violent protests that erupted in the Muslim world in the wake of the cartoon controversy have often been manipulated and fuelled by Islamists. The bile currently being flung at the pope is no different. But the attacks against the pope are especially grotesque. The severe criticism -- often coupled with threats of violence -- directed at the speech held last Tuesday by Benedict XVI is not just an attack on the head of the Catholic Church. The malicious twisting of the pope's words and the absurd allegations made by representatives of Islam represent a frontal attack on open religious and philosophical dialogue. That so many in the Muslim world joined the protests against the pope merely show just how influential Islamist extremist groups have become. The political goal of the Islamists is clear: any dispute between Christianity and Islam must obey the rules handed down by political Islamism. Bending to this demand would be a mistake -- indeed it would be tantamount to turning one's back on freedom of expression and opinion. What will come next? Perhaps a complaint that Allah feels insulted by the numerous European women who don bikinis during a summer trip to the beach. It could be anything really -- militant Islamists will always find something. But the response needs to be firm.
Big Supermarket is Watching You. How stores study buying behavior to get you to buy more. Science News My father asks for nothing. He was a ball gunner on a Liberator. Sippican Dennis Prager interviews Howard Zinn. I won't quote from it, but you have to read it. Unbelievable. They let this bozo write textbooks? His knowledge of history seems so...um... incomplete. Or selective? Almost like he had an agenda or something? And we feature yet another supposed historian with selective memory of what he learned in school. This is Rick Moran quoted from his piece on Juan Cole's comments on "Moslem sensibilities": Shooting old women in the back, burning churches, and threatening the life of the leader of a billion Catholics is an excellent demonstration of Muslim “sensibilities” I must say. Cole’s analysis is spot on. Who woulda thunk it? All the burning, and killing, and screaming, and gouging, and stabbing is the fault of the West and our mean old ancestors who told the fanatic’s ancestors that their religion was dirt. Failing that, it is the legacy of those superior airs put on by the Brits and the Frogs that is causing our Muslim brothers so much pain. Of course, the good professor conveniently forgot to mention the most famous footstools in history – the Ottomans – and their bloody, inhuman rule over the Middle East. By the time Napoleon saw the pyramids, the Ottoman’s had made themselves at home in the region for nearly 300 years. Known as “the sick man of Europe” the Ottoman’s proved that they not only could out-atrocity the west on any given day, but also proved that they could be pretty damn good colonial oppressors themselves even when they weren’t feeling 100%. Of course, the Ottomans didn’t worship Jesus. They didn’t recognize the Pope’s authority. They never saw the inside of a synagogue (except to set fire to one), nor did they worship, Bal, Babel, Ra, Isis, or any other regional deity. They followed the teachings of the Prophet Muhammed.
Don Surber makes the case FOR pork-barrel spending. Don - that argument is 100 years old, from the days when they didn't have so much of our money to play games with. It is ours, remember. We earned it. Your argument, Don, is that politicians are slimy jerks for whom the pork greases the wheels. I am sure that that is true. To think like an Islamist, you have to take a time machine to the Dark Ages. Few of us can do this. Quote from a piece by Eric at Classical Values: There's a crucial difference between the West and its attackers: the bottom line is simply that we in the western world don't act that way. We don't riot when insulted; we don't burn when inflamed. That difference is what we in the West naively call civilization. We tend to assume that all people want to be civilized. The enemies of civilization don't. They want to kill us. For things like looking at the wrong pictures. For quoting obscure Byzantine emperors. And what do we do? We apologize, because among civilized people, an apology is seen as the civilized thing to do when someone is offended. The problem is, uncivilized people see apologies as weakness. No number of apologies is ever enough. Which means one is too many.
Image: That would be a Jersey Cow. A good looking, smaller, and manageable breed of dairy cattle. Read about their history here.
Tuesday, September 19. 2006
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 Two hat-tips and three generous wags of the dog's tail to Dinocrat, who found this excellent piece by Spengler in Asia Times, entitled Jihad, The Lord's Supper, and Eternal Life. A quote:
What distinguishes Allah from YHWH and (in Christian belief) his son Jesus is love. God gives Jews and Christians a path that their foot can tread, one that is not too hard for mortals, to secure the unobtainable, namely immortal life, as if by miracle. Out of love God gives the Torah to the Jews, not because God is a stickler for the execution of 613 commandments, but because it is a path upon which the Jew may sacrifice and yet live, and receive his portion of the World to Come. The most important sacrifice in Judaism is the Sabbath - "our offering of rest", says the congregation in the Sabbath prayers - a day of inactivity that acknowledges that the Earth is the Lord's. It is a sacrifice, as it were, of ego. In this framework, incidentally, it is pointless to distinguish Judaism as a "religion of works" as opposed to Christianity as a "religion of faith".
To Christians, God offers the vicarious participation in his sacrifice of himself through his only son.
That is Grace: a free gift by God to men such that they may obtain eternal life. By a miracle, the human soul responds to the offer of Grace with a leap, a leap away from the attachments that hold us to this world, and a foretaste of the World to Come.
There is no Grace in Islam, no miracle, no expiatory sacrifice, no expression of love for mankind such that each Muslim need not be a sacrifice. On the contrary, the concept of jihad, in which the congregation of Islam is also the army, states that every single Muslim must sacrifice himself personally. Jihad is the precise equivalent of the Lord's Supper in Christianity and the Jewish Sabbath, the defining expression of sacrifice that opens the prospect of eternity to the mortal believer. To ask Islam to become moderate, to reform, to become a peaceful religion of personal conscience is the precise equivalent of asking Catholics to abolish Mass.
Islam, I have argued for years, faces an existential crisis in the modern world, which has ripped its adherents out of their traditional existence and thrust them into deadly conflicts. What was always latent in Islam has now come to the surface: the practice of Islam now expresses itself uniquely in jihad. Benedict XVI has had the courage to call things by their true names. Everything else is hypocrisy and self-delusion.
Read the whole thing. Image: Botticelli's very late work, Mystic Crucifixion
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