Maggie's Farm

Dr. Helen on "Desperate for friends?" Are we becoming a friendless society? I doubt that this is anything new.

Transvestite gangs terrorizing New Orleans stores. Did they get the idea from Monty Python skits?

Garrison Keillor is "the shock jock of wholesomeness."? Sam Anderson in Slate. But does his comfy schtick reflect the real Gary? Doubt it. Now Jackie Mason is a guy whose schtick is very close to his real self.

Why Hillary can't win. Hawkins - h/t, Alpha. And may I take this opportunity to ask the obvious question to our feminist friends: What has this lady ever done, other than marry a successful man - and leverage that celebrity? Aw, who cares? But that's what they would be saying if she were a Repub.

Palestinians threaten chem and bio attacks. Claim they made them. Right - and they invented the automatic camel milker too. LGF

Dem poll numbers slipping. Am. Spectator

Michelle's update on pieces on the NYT's treason. Scroll up - she has more.

A .357 Smith and Wesson goes berserk in an Ohio Mall.

Cottontail rabbits endangered in New England. Not in my neighborhood, they aren't.

Who ever heard of this Glenn Reynolds guy? Well, his remark on Bill Keller's defense of the Times was pretty smart (h/t, Just one minute):

A deeper error is Keller's characterization of freedom of the press as an institutional privilege, an error that is a manifestation of the hubris that has marked the NYT of late. Keller writes: "It's an unusual and powerful thing, this freedom that our founders gave to the press. . . . The power that has been given us is not something to be taken lightly."

The founders gave freedom of the press to the people, they didn't give freedom to the press. Keller positions himself as some sort of Constitutional High Priest, when in fact the "freedom of the press" the Framers described was also called "freedom of the use of the press." It's the freedom to publish, a freedom that belongs to everyone in equal portions, not a special privilege for the media industry.

Correct. It is a people's freedom, making blogs possible - the mini-me pamphleteers and Tom Paines of our time. But if lowly blogger posted classified material, me suspects lowly blogger might be receiving friendly visit from Mr. FBI.

Nouns! The top 25 most commonly-used nouns, in order of use: time, person, year, way, day, thing, man, world, life, hand, part, child, eye, woman, place, work, week, case, point, government, company, number, group, problem, fact. (h/t to someone, but I forget who). It says a lot about what we think and write about.

Vietnam again? Wait a minute...the Tet Offensive had the enemy on their knees. But who knew? Not Walter Cronkite. The MSM lost that war, not the USA. Powerline refers to the "calcified" brains of the MSM, stuck in the past. Jack Kelly on Vietnam, Dan Rather, the MSM, Vietnam, etc.

The media jihad against the US: Atlas takes a look. Volokh considers the legal implications - can the Times be prosecuted? Peter King wants the NYT prosecuted: Ace discusses.  Just One Minute takes a closer look at Bill Keller's explanatory letter.

An interesting future for the Townhall website: A center for centrist Repubs. Daily Pundit

The WMDs - Lib. Leanings agrees that nothing that is found will make any difference.

Who is a liberal and who is a conservative? It isn't obvious. Auster takes a look.

What nation has the third largest population? The USA. We will hit 300,000,000 this fall, and the baby that tips us over the number will be Hispanic. Rhymes with Right

A quote from a speech by Dem strategist George Lakoff from 2002, trying to explain the conservative worldview. Interesting that he neglects the subject of freedom entirely. Squaring the Boston Globe dug this up:

Well, the progressive worldview is modeled on a nurturant parent family. Briefly, it assumes that the world is basically good and can be made better and that one must work toward that. Children are born good; parents can make them better. Nurturing involves empathy, and the responsibility to take care of oneself and others for whom we are responsible. On a larger scale, specific policies follow, such as governmental protection in form of a social safety net and government regulation, universal education (to ensure competence, fairness), civil liberties and equal treatment (fairness and freedom), accountability (derived from trust), public service (from responsibility), open government (from open communication), and the promotion of an economy that benefits all and functions to promote these values, which are traditional progressive values in American politics.

Whereas

The conservative worldview, the strict father model, assumes that the world is dangerous and difficult and that children are born bad and must be made good. The strict father is the moral authority who supports and defends the family, tells his wife what to do, and teaches his kids right from wrong. The only way to do that is through painful discipline — physical punishment that by adulthood will become internal discipline. The good people are the disciplined people. Once grown, the self-reliant, disciplined children are on their own. Those children who remain dependent (who were spoiled, overly willful, or recalcitrant) should be forced to undergo further discipline or be cut free with no support to face the discipline of the outside world.

Therefore,

So, project this onto the nation and you see that to the right wing, the good citizens are the disciplined ones — those who have already become wealthy or at least self-reliant — and those who are on the way. Social programs, meanwhile, "spoil" people by giving them things they haven't earned and keeping them dependent. The government is there only to protect the nation, maintain order, administer justice (punishment), and to provide for the promotion and orderly conduct of business. In this way, disciplined people become self-reliant. Wealth is a measure of discipline. Taxes beyond the minimum needed for such government take away from the good, disciplined people rewards that they have earned and spend it on those who have not earned it.”

When in doubt, don't.

Benjamin Franklin

The state of the visual arts: London museum displays base of sculpture - thinks it's the whole thing. Sculptor wins prize, and is wise enough to let the story speak for itself. Driscoll

Politest city in the world? Yes, NYC, where eye contact is considered a threat ("Hey - whatchew lookin' at?"), wins. In my experience, it is true. h/t, Ace.

Andrew Sullivan (why do we read him?) says:

"This is a battle between barbarism and civilization. We cannot destroy our moral compass in order to save it."

I say: "The hell we can't". Well, not destroy it permanently, but there are times for a bit of practical morality and practical immorality - like when someone is trying to kill you. The big world isn't nursery school, and when soldiers worry more about being good than killing and breaking, they will be useless, and a danger to eachother. Where did this idea of "nice war" come from, anyway?

You won't believe this. ABC News collecting data from "how is global warming affecting your life?"  That's easy to answer: It's already hotter than May was, and I am having to run my air conditioner, thus burning tons of fossil fuels, which will probably cause July to be even hotter. People are so gullible, I bet they get tons of responses ("my roses are fading faster", "I was sweating like a dog today", etc) - all due to a 1 degree change in the past 100 years. And no, dogs do not sweat.

On the same subject of climate hysteria, Londoners terrified by climate, and refuse nuclear power.  Well, they should give up their cars and subways and electric, for starters. What else? (h/t, Am Thinker) Also, if you ask me, Londoners should be praying for climate change.

Did you see this already? 3 airline plots foiled since 9-11.

Aw, shut up already: The UN has plans for world gun control. I guess taking firearms and grenade launchers from genocidal maniacs in Africa is just too difficult. More self-satire from the UN which is as arrogant as it is impotent...and you know, if they had the power, they would make gun control exceptions for their own bodyguards.

The Holy Trinity has been determined to be sexist and patriarchal, according to Presbyterians. Big surprise there - isn't everything sexist and patriarchal, these days, including ham sandwiches? It is comforting to know that the Presbys are focusing on the really important subjects like the gender and sexual orientation of the Holy Spirit.  Moonbattery

National Parks etc: Middlebrow has a map of the world's largest marine preserve, signed into law by who? last week. Not Bush? Also, in a move sure to please conservationists, the Parks have made a policy decision to favor protection over recreation. That is the right move. For idiot fun, try Disneyland, not Yellowstone.

Volokh critiques Slate on its tenth birthday, respectfully but pointedly. We should all criticize like this.

Whole Foods to discontinue selling live lobsters as "inhumane." I call that decision inhumane to humans. h/t, Junk Science

Where did all of the Indian tech engineers come from? Private schools, in India.

The missile shield. The American libs always opposed it - but why? Let's be grateful that Reagan pushed forward with it. Quote on subject from good piece in NY Sun:

Maybe Senators Clinton and Schumer were reading the New York Times, which in December 2002 pronounced that "rushing" to construct a missile defense was "premature." Advised the Times editorial, "It would have made more sense to wait." For what could the editors of the Gray Lady be waiting - for Kim Jong Il to strip down to his underwear and fetch up as the Naked Cowboy, strumming a guitar and yodeling Joan Baez songs in Times Square? The serious answer is that we are watching an extraordinary moment in the showdown unfolding as America, for the first time, switches on its anti-missile defenses. It is one of those moments when the country will begin to understand the depth of President Reagan's understanding of the dynamics of the nuclear age.

and, I might add, to understand the suicidal foolishness of the Left. Read the piece (link above)

Summertime! The news, and the blogs, lose some intensity in the summertime. And the less we post, the more readers we seem to have. Hmmmm.

Stumbled into this piece at Chequerboard - discussing income inequality and output inequality. It makes sense. h/t, Vanderleun

Collier and Horowitz consider the party of "retreat and defeat," in the light of Vietnam. We were defeated at home, no doubt. Front Page

Monte Carlo methods. These are now used all the time, and there was a time when I could understand the math. I just tried to reconnect with the concepts.

Squid recipes. Many of them, on the right side of the page.  If they called it Sea Turkey, or Ocean Carrot, or something, people would eat more of this fine critter. In my opinion, tastier than octopus, but its name is too squiddy.

Are we allowed to discuss the genetics of intelligence and Jews? Auster wonders.

Iran. Beth is mildly annoyed by the Guardian's reportage. But Sandmonkey likes the Iranian soccer babe cheerleaders. For good reason.

A bear in your kitchen, eating your oatmeal. What do you do?

Conspiracy theories in the Arab world. Augean Stables.

You dirty rat. Study shows rats living in filth are healthier than those in clean laboratory conditions. Plus implications for the human immune system, and support for our preference never to bathe, shave, clean the house, or wash anything. NYT

Left-wing nostalgia. Living in the past can distort your view of the present. Driscoll on Barone's piece.

Gators, bears, cougars: They are less fearful of man (and dogs), and more likely to attack.  We should leave them their own space, and quit moving into theirs: there really is enough space to go around.

Murders up: Things getting back to normal in New Orleans. Gov. calls in National Guard.

What are the limits of the Clean Water Act? The Supreme Court cannot decide. The issue is land ownership vs. wetlands protection.

Call me Jose - Me no pay tax: Become illegal and cash in: P/T Pundit

The history of the inheritance tax. View from 1776

I am Pasquale Orsini. Shape of Days - nice piece of writing.

What is Murtha really thinking? And how can he get so much press if he doesn't make sense? Rick Moran

Details on Al Quaida's NYC subway attack plan. Protein. I think they were afraid that they would piss us off even more.

What happened to the Aztecs? New theory - a virus. Alpha Patriot found it.

Couples coming to the US from around the world to chose their babies' genders. Our Old Doc talked about medical consumerism this week - and this is ridiculous. And why, may I ask, do they all want boys? Kevin MD

How the US provides welfare for the world. A sad story of those who exploit our good intentions. VDARE

An interview with the head Xbox designer. Ars Technica

Senate votes 93-6 not to pull out of Iraq. Guess the 6 - it isn't difficult. Red State

Bush to establish largest marine preserve in the world. Env. Econ

"Obesity is a market failure that only government can fix." Don't they always use that excuse? The Commons. (And what happened to last year's "hunger crisis", that "only government could fix"?)

Don't worry about Iran: The NYT tries to paint a "nice" Iran (why?), but fails. Am Thinker

Brit govt to address "obesity crisis"!?!? Talk about a nanny state. Get yer hands out of my panties pantries. Guardian, h/t to someone - I forget. My suggestion: Thank God you have enough food, and, 2. deal with the Jihadists in your midst and, 3, tell your govt to leave you alone! Even the venerable Lancet is getting on board with this "crisis": Tangled Web. Shouldn't obesity be a personal choice....like abortion and anorexia and Guiness for breakfast? Plus we need fatties around, to make the rest of us look good...and can you imagine a skinny Churchill?

I'd rather entrust the government of the United States to the first 400 people listed in the Boston telephone directory than to the faculty of Harvard University.

William F. Buckley, Jr.

Life support has been removed from the Senate's irresponsible Immigration Bill. Polipundit

Your home is dangerous. Stay away from it: go to the bar after work, and play golf all weekend, to keep yourself safe.  Hazards in the Home

An objective look at the role of faith in Bush's policy-making, by a liberal: Wayne Slater via Stingray

Al Gore under fire by climate scientists. They think he is full of baloney.

Chavez spoiling for a fight with the US, loading up on Russian guns, planes,etc: US is amused but basically indifferent. They can destroy their country, and become a joke, if that is what they want.

David vs. Goliath: Peter Woit takes on String Theory, and has an impact

Ralph Peters praises Bush, slams press, re Iraq

Liberal goes into business: Is transformed! HH

The Fallaci trial in Italy. Truly shameful. Atlas has it all. (Yes, indeed she do.) I expect a bit more from even Italy.

A medical student enters the real world and finds maggots: NYT (h/t DB's Medical Rants)

Women are weak and cannot be expected to take care of themselves. Ace.

Yet another knuckle-dragging red-state yahoo antedeluvian brain-dead scientist finds Christ: the Director of the National Genome Institute. At our new gun-lovin' buddy, Mr. Cramer.

Dumbing our kids down: the secret curriculum. A book.

Bad and good news for Lefties: Rove will not be charged, but Jupiter storms are worsening (due to Bush). RWN

Falun Gong in trouble in Canada? Huh? SDA, with a quote from McCullough:

The mainstream media in general had no problem seeing Clinton going to church with a Bible prominently in hand because they knew that it was a phony act calculated to gain sympathy. Clinton talked about his faith, but the press gave him a pass because they knew that it was just a political ploy and that his actions never reflected his talk.

WW II - many in the "intelligentsia" and many of the "elite", and the MSM, were not happy with that war either. Dinocrat reminds us. What is it about those categories of folks that makes them tend to eagerly fight other Americans on issues, but notably unwarlike when it comes to defending the US against external dangers?

Bin Ladin, on Russia in Afghanistan (via Bird of Paradise, via Bernard Lewis):

And, as he put it, "We have now dealt successfully with the more deadly, the more dangerous of the two infidel powers. Dealing with the soft, pampered, and degenerate Americans will be easy."

A budget .45? Kim says it doesn't exist.

The MMR Vaccine Scare: the researcher who linked the vaccine to autism is in deep trouble for shoddy research. By the way, there is no linkage.

There is a collector's version of Wodehouse out. Prof. B has the details. I want it.

Everytime it rains between now and November, we will be reminded that Bush caused it. I agree with Lib. Leanings. Vote Republican, and the infinitely-stupid, infinitely-evil, all-powerful, and weather-controlling Bush will not let it rain on your parade, wedding, or graduation. How can a moron control the weather? It must be ROVE!

Hypoallergenic cats. An idea whose time has surely come.

Animal House frat raided by party-pooper cops.

Cezanne's Provence. I am ready to go, right now. NYT

Vaccine approved for cervical cancer and papilloma virus. NYT

Surgeons pick their music for the OR. Well, if they like Abba, who cares? You're asleep.

"Anti-Americanism is the opiate of the masses." So says Roucaute in Le Figaro.  No Pasaran also notes that the French had 23 suicides in prison in the past 6 months. I guess that's different.

Two very important questions about climate for our enviro friends: Polipundit. (Did I mention that I love palm trees?)

A new collection of Stephen Foster tunes. h/t, LGF

Men are Just Sex Objects. If you haven't read Dr. Bliss' piece, scroll down. Worth it. Also, read Lilek's piece (scroll down) - it is a hoot.

Grading on a curve: Law Prof Volokh defends the idea. My opinion? It depends.

We are importing teachers from the Phillipines to fill the need. News to me. Don't we need more leaf-blowing professionals? PoliPundit

The US matters to the UN, but the UN doesn't matter to the US. Brown stepped in it. Arrogant Soros ass-kissing jerk. Belmont

Tom DeLay gave a fine good-bye speech. I still don't know whether he did anything wrong. Lib Leanings

Read this yet? You probably did. Scott Ott: Dems determined to fight on despite Zarquawi Loss

That frame around the Zarquawi photo really bothered me. Huh? What a moron. RTLC. Perhaps a different frame? Gold, but with some red highlights to pick up the color of the blood on the bastard's face?

Dutch Poll: Islam not compatible with European civilization. Finally. Allah

The big lie of the Senate Immigration Bill. VDARE

Kesler noted this question from Wolf Blitzer at the press conference today "In an otherwise good interview of the venerable Zalmay Khalilzad live from baghdad, Wolf wrapped up with the final Question: "Collateral Damage, Mr. Ambassador. Do you know if there were any innocent civilians killed as collateral damage in the double-bombing?"  What an idiot. Kesler uncannily predicted this train of thought of the MSM.

Some true ignorant insanity from Zarquawi's family and friends in Jordan. Jihad Watch.

Telepsychiatry. Lacks the personal touch, but it's got to be better than nothing. NYT

Bathing suits for fatties. Now this is a practical post for the blog.

I think many, including RTLC, underestimate the calculations which are going on with Iran.

Got a coupla minutes? This is a good brainteaster - for the whole family. Humbug   No Magic Marker on your monitor, please.

Dixie Chicks are struggling. Of course. What do they think this is, the 1960s? Shut up and sing. When they talk politics, they sound like old farts.

The return of Patches generates hate mail against RI GOP. Surely that makes good sense.

The science behind the swerve of the Adidas World Cup ball. BBC

Louis Gottschalk. From a book review in the NYSun: "When he died in 1868, Louis Moreau Gottschalk was the most famous musician in the Western hemisphere."  An early rock star, living an interesting life in interesting times. NY Sun

Skinvisible kills avian flu on contact. There's an investment idea.

Romney on abortion: Let the states decide. We agree.

Sperm from older guys: It isn't as good. Science Daily

Al Gore definitely into Green: His current finances. Forbes A nice nest egg, for a politician.

Enviros split on wind power. We think wind power is ridiculous, and destructive, and a dumb feel-good thing that kills birds and bats. NYT

Top 22 states for tooth loss. Haha. Could have guessed. Slower Pace. Yes, W Va wins!

The past five years have been our 1930s. But we are learning. Dinocrat

The missing tape of Pablo Neruda is finally found. WaPo

Two opinions on the Bilbray election: Rick Moran says it doesn't mean much. Kesler thinks it means a lot. Am. Thinker accurately predicted that if Busby won, the MSM would play it up, but if Busby lost, the story would be bured as meaningless.

Do our employees in Congress ever really work? Not very hard, and lots of free travel: Capt. Ed. The pay sucks, but the hours are minimal, your staff does all the work, and you can drink and chase skirts during work hours, and the benefits and retirement can't be beat. And you don't pay Social Security taxes! Plus you get to be Mr. Big...at least in DC.

How Evil are you? Quite evil, no doubt. Take the test. h/t, RTLC

A fine piece re D-Day yesterday, at The Shelf. They used approx. the same photo we did: stirring photo, because you can feel yourself on the landing craft, having to get off.

Jihadist predicted how they will defeat the West. Thus far, quite accurate. And Rightly So.  the problem with the West is that we assume other cultures are as rational and civilized as we are. Guess again. Innocence can be suicidal.

Repealing the Estate Tax forever is a good idea. It won't happen, though - for no good reason. Prof B. is on the story.  Why is it a good idea to get rid of it? Because the tax is anti-family, pro-govt dependency, and because it damages family businesses. The mega-rich guys all get around it, which is why the Kennedys and Rockefellers are still rich, but the kids of the dairy farmer down the road had to sell his 200 year-old family farm because in MA the land is worth about 5 million now, and the kids didn't have a spare 2 million to pay the estate tax. Not to mention the fact that it represents double-taxation. I'd like to see every American family accumulate enough wealth to be independent of govt "largesse", in time.

Things that the newspaper isn't telling you: Not only is a superb economy benefitting the entire country (blue states the least - no surprise there, because they tend to discourage growth), but industrial orders continue to put pressure on manufacturing. Powerline

How's the fishin? Daily (almost) updates on Long Island Sound fishing - always here. Apparently the squid didn't like all the rain. Maybe I knew people jigged for squid, but forgot. I do like to eat them, but not fried like the Italians eat them -that's like fish-flavored chewing gum. Very lightly sauteed in butter, olive oil, and garlic, then add a bit of white wine, parsley and hot pepper flakes or Tabasco - a perfect appetizer, or a great topping for spaghetti. Never overcook squid, because it gets rubbery fast.

Noodles are from China. 4000 year-old noodles found.

$275/hour. That's what some SAT tutors are getting in Westchester County, NY, according to Opie.

Home schooling as a lifestyle choice. NYT

The US would be just fine without immigrant labor. NYT Opinion

The anti-Chavez backlash in South America. That didn't take long. WaPo

How to be a post-modernist in 2 easy steps. Humbug

Dan at A Slower Pace is trying to make his life more sane. Since I enjoy his blog, I will refrain from suggesting that giving up blogging might be a first step.

Border-cams. Monitored by anyone! There's an idea.

The Toronto Star cannot figure out what these guys have in common. Maybe they're just mixed up kids?

The Toronto Bomb - how big? Great White North

What's your opinion? Did she say that illegals can vote?

Academic frauds. RWN covers the subject here. What pompous morons. But how can they enter reality, if they remain in lala land? 

And student idiots. Can anyone imagine an 18 year-old turning in his teacher for this? DO NOT hire this guy - too dumb for life. This kid has clearly been TAUGHT by the nice teacher - but he cannot LEARN. And he is no gentleman.

Loonies complain about circus elephants. Please! Who wouldn't want to be a circus elephant? It's a good gig.

See no evil. The Clinton administration, Al Quaida, and Able Danger. Front Page.

CARS. This movie is going to be big. Adults will need to find some kid as an excuse to go. Trailer here. 

Dr. Sanity takes a look at the narcissism of politics, and the corruption which grows from it. Makes sense to me.

Media terror against the USA: noDNC figured out why they do it.

Inconvenient truths: Terrorist arrests ignored. Ace

Do not look. Some disgusting and entirely tasteless photos from Maggie's Farm fan and Lansing radio host Rich Michaels. 

The "dark side of croquet." Haha. Watch the Brits ban croquet, because it's "mean." Honestly, what kind of pussy-men would complain about "vicious" croquet? Maybe the pussy-men at the BBC. These aren't your grandfather's Brits. They need to try lacrosse sometime.

Sager at RCP calls it Cultural Federalism, but I call it plain Federalism - and I like it. Why "cultural" issues ought to be left to the states. We are a big country - why not? That giant sucking sound is the sound of local power getting sucked into DC, and it never quits.

Moms want to drive SUVs. Most popular was the Escalade. That's a wierd choice, a bit of a pimpmobile, but who understands Moms? Nobody, except maybe other Moms.

Why is American medical care so expensive? Kling has the answer, and anybody who has ever had $10,000 worth of tests for a simple complaint knows that he is right: American physicians are test-addicted, partly out of fear of lawsuits and partly because they are spoiled by technology and leave judgement behind. Only in America will a dizzy spell buy you an MRI. Good piece by Kling - worth a whole post.

Did I miss something? When was Huck Finn banned from America's public schools? Powerline. May I ask why? Have they banned Moby Dick yet? White guys try to kill a nice little whale in that tale. What are they reading now? Maya Angelou and Mao's Little Red Book, no doubt. The Librarian/academic "community" confuses me...they want unlimited porn and gay sex education in second grade, but they ban Mark Twain and the Bible. What am I missing?

If you live in LA, you are paying for this. Wizbang. Suckers!

Michelle supports Dunkin Donuts. So do we. I could use one right about now.

New Orleans is a sinking ship. Sensible Mom. Get out of there, people. It is Gatorville.

Truthful warning labels for products: Samizdata. This product contains sub-atomic particles moving at the speed of light...

Importing Mexico's Welfare and Mexico's underclass. Why would we want to do this? They are the 9th largest economy in the world...Daily Pundit. Mexico is a mouse, tweaking a lion's tail.

The Homeland Security scam. It is a total scam. Omaha? Please - Osama never heard of Omaha, nor have most Americans heard much about it other than Mutual of Omaha. Am. Princess. What a joke, but it's our money that is being flushed down the toilet.

The UN wants money to rescue Hamas. Are they serious? China will probably go along with it. Buy them off?  Captain Ed

Long Island Jews ally with illegals, claim "they are just like us."  Ummm. View from the Right.

Hillary wants me to drive 55?!?!?!  Jimmy Carter all over again? Driscoll. I will never drive 55.

Never watched Oprah? Neither have I. But you can read about her secret of success here, at TNR

Experienced salesman needs job.

A rough day for the ol' blog. We had to shorten things up a
bit to accommodate the avalanche of very welcome but often
argumentative visitors. We never dreamed there would be so much interest in Al Gore...and Al Gore wasn't even the main subject of Dr. Bliss' piece today. Please argue, visitors and readers - but argue rationally or, if irrationally, then at least with humor. I have to hand it to Fark - they have some big numbers of avid and loyal readers. Wow. Many thanks to Chris for keeping us up and running with duct tape, baling wire, and chewing gum.

Australian High Schools complain that the press is looking at their curriculum plans. What are they - secret revoutionary cells? Almost sounds that way. Protein. Maybe they should remember who pays them.

Put down the bong, Canada.  Update on the Moslem cartoons in Canada and Denmark. Atlas

Why did Bush beat Kerry? Funny photos - very revealing. YARGB

Bad news on how immigration amnesty has been working under current law - a hotbed of corruption, sneakiness, government contract deals, cheating, lying for pay, scummy politics, and general sliminess. VDARE. This needs to be sent around.

Iraq is safer than Washington, DC. More stats at Gateway. 

Something we missed on Memorial Day: The 553rd anniversary of the fall of Constantinople. It wasn't pretty. Gates of Vienna.

Radical Chic. You thought it was something from the dopey 60s. Nope - some still think it's cool. Dalrymple on The Guardian's antiquated fascination with totalitarian Marxist thugs and murderers - and their clothing.

What is the hatred of WalMart all about? Is it envy of success, or is it snobbery of the elites, or what? Zinsmeister at AEO takes a look at the subject of the most successful retail organization in the world.

Here's a 1997 Peugeot you might want to bid on, on Ebay.

Unemployed? Like outdoor work? Like sunshine? Want a macho career where you can drive a pick-up, drink beer all day, and wear whatever you want? Gator-catcher.

Chief No Nag explains how illegals are driving Americans out of the middle class. Maxed Out Mama

The Man Without a Country. We all used to have to read this - not a bad thing. Neo-neo reflects on patriotism - another good thing, even if un-cool at Manhattan cocktail parties.

How does Saint Al do this, and how can I? Purchasing indulgences, at Moonbattery.

Beyond Marx: Class Autobiographies. Here's one at S&M. Great quote: "Everyone is scarred by their upbringing. The only question is: how?"

It's about time: a blog called Chesterton and Friends.

Best piece I have seen on the politics of immigration. McIntyre at RCP

California Cabernets beat French wines, 30 years later.

Starbucks plans for the future: More than latte. Check out that stock chart, too

A new book from Larry McMurtry: CSM says his best since 1988

Quoted from a piece at Atlas:

The way I see it is this.  European societies face a problem in that the Muslim populations in their midst are growing at a faster rate than the native population.  Over time, the proportion of those societies made up of Muslims is going to increase. It's often said that one consequence of this is that Europeans adopt a spineless attitude towards Islamic terrorism, attempting to appease it rather than address it, for fear of provoking civil unrest in their own countries.  This invertebrate attitude on the part of Europeans is cited as something that will lead to the inevitable downfall of their civilisation and, maybe within our lifetimes, their eventual partial or total submission to an Islamic way of life with all the horrors that brings.  It's seen as a suicidal strategy, born of weakness.

How the federal government plays a huge, but hidden, role in land use. NYT Science Times

Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace - but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!

Patrick Henry, March 23, 1775

We posted the Image below of Arlington National Cemetery, last Christmastime, along with the story of Merrill Worcester, of Maine's Worcester Wreath company, who donates these wreaths: