Sunday, June 8. 2008
From Tom Friedman on Israel: From outside, Israel looks as if it’s in turmoil, largely because the entire political leadership seems to be under investigation. But Israel is a weak state with a strong civil society. The economy is exploding from the bottom up. Israel’s currency, the shekel, has appreciated nearly 30 percent against the dollar since the start of 2007. The reason? Israel is a country that is hard-wired to compete in a flat world. It has a population drawn from 100 different countries, speaking 100 different languages, with a business culture that strongly encourages individual imagination and adaptation and where being a nonconformist is the norm. While you were sleeping, Israel has gone from oranges to software, or as they say around here, from Jaffa to Java.
Read the whole thing at the NYT
Saturday, June 7. 2008
How about a vaccine for human flatulence? The Reaper in action, in Afghanistan. Video Bob will be touring in New England in August We need more leaders like Vaclav Havel Is DC's military checkpoint plan unconstitutional? The blooming of red Burgundies Getting Mugabe out. LA Times Israel: Iran attack unavoidable Cashing in on Castro's cashing out. Parliament has little to do anymore. Peak oil vs speculation. Blodget on oil prices
Friday, June 6. 2008
RFK in Palestine. Belmont Anna Quindlen gets the gay marriage issue wrong. Ankle Biting Oregon Health won't pay for cancer drugs, but will pay for doctor-assisted suicide. That is called Pragmatism. NASA is doctoring temps. Ace Some wealthy UBS clients are going to be very sorry. EU to ban ads for performance cars. Lucky Europeans to have such wise and caring rulers. Shut Up and Sing Department: Dylan praises Obama
Thursday, June 5. 2008
 Rick Moran on Hillary. A quote:
I will fight her hammer and tongs over what will be an effort to pass national health insurance regardless of who wins in November and her other schemes. But I will do it with a new found appreciation for her tenacity and a recognition that she is more than just an empty pantsuit.
Obama as King Canute. Never Yet Melted. The guy really does speak messianically (sp?). A quagmire. US Out of DC Now! It's a civil war. John Bolton lights into Obama. Michelle Now that a woman has come within inches of the White House, can we declare feminism obsolete? And with Obama's nomination, can we declare the obsolescence of the old Civil Rights movement? From the peak of the housing bubble, Americans have lost a lot of $. Bubbles create a false sense of wealth. No one has to starve in Africa. It's their rulers. That's why Clinton gave up on Africa. Easily fooled. Obama as Candide? I don't think so. Don't break one of those supposedly greenie fluorescent bulbs. A quote from Nidra Poller, via Scott at Powerline, on the Al Dura Affair: The French media blackout of information about this gigantic media hoax is an indication of the abysmal absence of a vibrant free press here in France. The media sleaze Sarkozy, trash Bush, and protect Charles Enderlin whose reports from Israel perpetuate the tiresome bashing that serves no honest purpose. This zombie French press silence should not be contagious. American mass media broadcast the al Dura image, participated in the dissemination of the hatred it bears. They have not even begun to examine the case, the footage, the sources.
They never checked with Snopes first.
Basic life skills: How to shake hands Random facts: Population of Long Island in NY State: 7.5 million. Population of Iowa: 3 million. More on McCain's speech: Leaves FOX speechless. Shake your tomatoes, and related topics. SISU Once again, global temps take a dive in May What happened to free markets and hard work? Conspiracy. "What happened to Thrift?" WSJ Why we can count on rates going up: Inflation. SDA is a good place to get summaries of the antics of the Steyn Witch Hunt
Wednesday, June 4. 2008
The below came in over the transom (thanks, reader), and our fact checker is on strike this week so you have to take this as it is: 1.) Selma Got Me Born - NOT EXACTLY, your parents felt safe enough to have you in 1961 - Selma had no effect on your birth, as Selma was in 1965. (Google 'Obama Selma' for his full March 4,2007 speech and articles about its various untruths.) 2.) Father Was A Goat Herder - NOT EXACTLY, he was a privileged, well educated youth, who went on to work with the Kenyan Government. 3.) Father Was A Proud Freedom Fighter - NOT EXACTLY, he was part of one of the most corrupt and violent governments Kenya has ever had. 4.) My Family Has Strong Ties To African Freedom - NOT EXACTLY, your cousin Raila Odinga has created mass violence in attempting to overturn a legitimate election in 2007, in Kenya. It is the first widespread violence in decades. The current government is pro-American but Odinga wants to overthrow it and establish Muslim Sharia law. Your half-brother, Abongo Obama, is Odinga's follower. You interrupted your New Hampshire campaigning to speak to Odinga on the phone. Obama's cousin Odinga in Kenya ran for president and tried to get Sharia muslim law in place there. When Odinga lost the elections, his followers have burned Christians' homes and then burned men, women and children alive in a Christian church where they took shelter. Obama SUPPORTED his cousin before the election process here started. Google Obama and Odinga and see what you get. No one wants to know the truth. 5.) My Grandmother Has Always Been A Christian - NOT EXACTLY, she does her daily Salat prayers at 5am according to her own interviews. Not to mention, Christianity wouldn't allow her to have been one of 14 wives to 1 man. 6.) My Name is African Swahili - NOT EXACTLY, your name is Arabic and 'Baraka' (from which Barack came) means 'blessed' in that language. Hussein is also Arabic and so is Obama. Barack Hussein Obama is not half black. If elected, he would be the first Arab-American President, not the first black President. Barack Hussein Obama is 50% Caucasian from his mother's side and 43.75% Arabic and 6.25% African Negro from his father's side. While Barack Hussein Obama's father was from Kenya, his father's family was mainly Arabs. Barack Hussein Obama's father was Arab (his father's birth certificate even states he's Arab, not African Negro). http://www.arcadeathome.com/newsboy.phtml?Barack_ Hussein_Obama_-_Arab-American,_only_6.25%25_African 7.) I Never Practiced Islam - NOT EXACTLY, you practiced it daily at school, where you were registered as a Muslim and kept that faith for 31 years, until your wife made you change, so you could run for office. 4-3-08 Article "Obama was 'quite religious in 8.) My School In Indonesia Was Christian - NOT EXACTLY, you were registered as Muslim there and got in trouble in Koranic Studies for making faces (check your own book). February 28, 2008. Kristoff from the New York Times a year ago: Mr. Obama recalled the opening lines of the Arabic call to prayer, reciting them with a first-rate accent. In a remark that seemed delightfully uncalculated (it'll give Alabama voters heart attacks), Mr. Obama described the call to prayer as "one of the prettiest sounds on Earth at sunset." This is just one example of what Pamela is talking about when she says "Obama's narrative is being altered, enhanced and manipulated to whitewash troubling facts." 9.) I Was Fluent In Indonesian - NOT EXACTLY, not one teacher says you could speak the language. 10.) Because I Lived In Indonesia, I Have More Foreign Experience - NOT EXACTLY, you were there from the ages of 6 to 10, and couldn't even speak the language. What did you learn, how to study the Koran and watch cartoons. 11.) I Am Stronger On Foreign Affairs - NOT EXACTLY, except for Africa (surprise) and the Middle East (bigger surprise), you have never been anywhere else on the planet and thus have NO experience with our closest allies. Lots more, below. Just "distractions from the critical issues," of course...
Continue reading "More Obama issues that the MSM ignores"
A quote from his Obama's Real Religion: ...what troubles me most is what he said... while campaigning in Oregon: "We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times ... and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK." "That's not leadership," Obama declared. "That's not going to happen." What's not going to happen? Us continuing to drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes at 72 degrees? Or other nations saying OK? We already know, from Obama's comments at a private meeting with big-pocket donors in San Francisco, that he's an elitist who sneers at the common people who cling to religion and guns because they're bitter about job losses twenty years ago. But what this statement reveals is that Obama's real religion has nothing to do with Reverend Wright. Obama is a true believer in the religion of Environmentalism.
Well, I don't know. You never know whether pols believe in anything or not - except in their own advancement. In any event, he is, at the least, pretending to drink the Kool-Aid. Or will they ban Kool-Aid, and make us all drink organic Chardonnay?
Ghana more advanced than the US. Ghana opts for nuclear energy. Is Todd Purdam a "scumbag"? Bruce Kesler says no. Pickled. Red wine slows aging. McCain launches his campaign with an excellent speech, poorly, uninspiringly and stumblingly-delivered. He cannot compete with Obama in flash, but he's got to do better than this. The WSJ asks "Who is Obama?" The young Senator has been a supernova exploding into our politics, more phenomenon than conventional candidate. His achievement in winning the Democratic nomination has been impressive. Now comes a harder audience. The presidency has to be earned, and Americans have a right to know much more about the gifted man who is the least tested and experienced major party nominee in modern times.
AVI asks: "Do you really want to help the poor and the developing nations of the world, or do you just want to do those things that feel good?" He alerts us to The Copenhagen Consensus on the world's top 30 problems. "Climate" comes in 30th. Quote from the above piece in Reason: At number 30, the lowest priority is a proposal to mitigate man-made global warming by cutting the emissions of greenhouse gases. This ranking caused some consternation among the European journalists at the press conference. Nobelist and University of Maryland economist Thomas Schelling noted that part of the reason for the low ranking is that spending $75 billion on cutting greenhouses gases would achieve almost nothing. In fact, the climate change analysis presented to the panel found that spending $800 billion until 2100 would yield just $685 billion in climate change benefits.
Betsy on Dem populism, which, as we have often noted here, is negative as it is designed to inspire childish feelings of helplessness and grievance - and the delusion that government can offer you a life make-over. She quotes Mrs. Obama: Obama begins with a broad assessment of life in America in 2008, and life is not good: we’re a divided country, we’re a country that is “just downright mean,” we are “guided by fear,” we’re a nation of cynics, sloths, and complacents. “We have become a nation of struggling folks who are barely making it every day,” she said, as heads bobbed in the pews. “Folks are just jammed up, and it’s gotten worse over my lifetime. And, doggone it, I’m young. Forty-four!”
From these bleak generalities, Obama moves into specific complaints. Used to be, she will say, that you could count on a decent education in the neighborhood. But now there are all these charter schools and magnet schools that you have to “finagle” to get into. (Obama herself attended a magnet school, but never mind.) Health care is out of reach (“Let me tell you, don’t get sick in America”), pensions are disappearing, college is too expensive, and even if you can figure out a way to go to college you won’t be able to recoup the cost of the degree in many of the professions for which you needed it in the first place. “You’re looking at a young couple that’s just a few years out of debt,” Obama said. “See, because, we went to those good schools, and we didn’t have trust funds. I’m still waiting for Barack’s trust fund. Especially after I heard that Dick Cheney was s’posed to be a relative or something. Give us something here!” Give us something? Like what? Would the Presidency suffice for your family, Mrs. O?
Tuesday, June 3. 2008
 June 14th is Flag Day. Got your bright shiny new one?
I love our flag, but remain quite fond of the old Gadsden flag.
 Both Andrew Coyne and Ezra Levant are live-blogging the BC kangaroo court today.
How volunteerism became un-American. Pajamas. Only right-wing nuts volunteer for things, of course, such as for the armed forces, etc etc. Emotional trauma: talking about it doesn't help. Well, maybe for some it does, but apparently not for most. Is the UN a haven for pedophiles? Iowa sells votes for ethanol subsidies - that ethanol which ruins our lawn-mower and brush-wacker and chain saw engines. Now swing state Florida has its own plan to extract our money from pandering pols. Disgusting. The Death and Life of Bushwick, Brooklyn. Malanga at City Journal. Fascinating. It's partly the story of government policies gone wrong - as usual. One quote: As race riots ripped apart other cities, including Detroit and Newark, unscrupulous real-estate agents and speculators tried to frighten white Bushwick residents—a practice known as “blockbusting.” Homeowners would find ominous messages in their mailÂboxes—“Don’t wait until it’s too late!”—as well as encouraging ones: “Houses wanted, cash waiting.” In a massive scandal reminiscent of today’s subprime-mortgage meltdown, speculators bought homes from Bushwick residents for an average of $8,000 apiece, and then, using fraudulent appraisals and a Great Society federal mortgage program that insured home loans to low-income buyers, sold them to poor blacks and Puerto Ricans at prices that they couldn’t afford— on average, about $20,000 per home. Many defaulted, abandoning their homes and massively depressing local property values. By 1972, in one city estimate, some 500 Bushwick buildings stood empty because of the bad loans; others, not part of the federal program, also emptied as housing prices plummeted and buyers balked at investing in the neighborhood.
Obama say's he'll remove the wage ceiling for Social Security taxes (without increasing benefits). What states' workers get hit hardest? I read the WaPo Sunday editorial about winning the war in Iraq, but I just noticed the last line: "Now he (Obama) needs a plan for success." Don't count on it: the Left has much invested in American weakness and failure. Glenn says: THOUGHTS ON BIGOTRY AND DESTINY from Eric Scheie. All I know is that if Obama isn't President, it'll be because of racism. And if Hillary isn't President, it'll be because of sexism. And if either one somehow does manage to get elected in spite of all the bigotry, that will nonetheless be a sign that the federal government needs to redouble its efforts to extirpate whatever bigotry is still out there.
Related to above: Dem Party "tolerant and inclusive no more" Obama's Marxist political ties
From our friend Ed Driscoll. Good stuff. If this is interrupted for some reason, go to Driscoll's site.
The Iraqi Army is finally dealing with the reality of Iran's proxy war in Iraq.
Monday, June 2. 2008
Good grief: Senate votes to begin global warming debate. I have a much better idea for those guys and gals: Begin your summer vacations now. Leave Washington. Enjoy America - it's really a nice place full of tons of good people, even if it is a bit warm in the summertime.
 Conservatives: More generous, and now more honest, too. What does all that mean?
For liberals, soldiers are victims. Am Thinker. Not to me. To me, it's a remarkable service to me, my family, and my country. More on Bishop Michael Azir-Ali, at Sisu. In the UK these days, maybe you have to be named Azir-Ali to speak the unvarnished truth. Want to be rich? Don't get too happy. More on how Sarkozy lost France. WSJ. What a pity. A master blog post: "Barack Obama's Song of Himself," by Scott Mirengoff. READ IT. How Obama won the nomination, and why it feels hollow An Aussie stands up for America. Tiger. I'd like to hear more of that from Americans. A longer solar cycle. Cooler years ahead. No recession in Iowa. As we have said, the only recession is on Wall Street. Mr. Free Market says: I have to say that it is to Britannia’s credit that we take it upon ourselves to import so many people that are unskilled, don’t share our traditions & values or even speak our language … just so that we can give them huge amounts of the taxpayers money. It makes me proud to be British.
Happiness, for only $2.50. Help you make friends, too. Pin-up on loan from friend Theo's collection of fine art.
The below came over the transom, but I see that the facts were extracted from this article in the WSJ: She graduated from Southern Cal and was a special-needs teacher.
After her Dad died, she became involved with his beer-distributing firm and is now the chairwoman. Sales have doubled since she has taken over from her father.
They have a marriage prenuptial agreement, her assets remain separate.
She is involved around the world clearing land mines - travels to these countries on a detonation team and serves on their board.
They have a 19-year-old serving in Iraq, another son in the Naval Academy, a daughter recently graduated from Columbia Univ., an adopted daughter in high school, and a son who is the finance guy at the beer firm.
Raised kids in Phoenix, AZ rather than Washington DC. (Better atmosphere) He commuted.
In 1991, Mrs. McCain came across a girl in an orphanage in Bangladesh. Mother Teresa implored Mrs. McCain to take the baby with severe cleft palate. She did so without first telling her husband. The couple adopted the girl who has had a dozen operations to repair her cleft palate and other medical problems.
They have a Family Foundation for children's causes.
She is active with "Halo Trust" - to clear land mines, provide water and food in war ravaged and developing countries.
She will join an overseas mission of "Operation Smile", a charity for corrective surgery on children's faces.
She has had two back surgeries and became addicted to pain killers. She talks openly about it, which she says is part of the recovery process.
I am surprised the media is so quiet about her attributes.
Waiting for - or planning? Jules has a dandy summary, Audacious Hopefulness. If that mystery tape comes out on YouTube, it might be time for Obama to throw Michelle under the bus too. I've lost track - has he already thrown Farrakhan under it yet, or not? (The MSM didn't tell me that Obama used Pfleger as a counselor. Sheesh.)
This should be interesting, although Obama's life has already crippled him for a national election. Why go to work? Academia: A closed shop. No diversity, please. Neoneo The AP sticks like glue to the Dem narrative. The sky is falling, but if we elect Obama, all will be well. Hillary to be offered "dignified exit." Duh. Yes, let's put her in charge of our medical treatment again. She's a doctor, right? Related: What the heck is Bill Clinton all about, besides babes and drinks and money and hacker golf and lowlife nouveau-riche jet-setter pals? Not an adult yet, methinks. McCain trusted more. Duh. Does Sex in the City make you hungry for sex in the city - or to act like it? Driscoll. Never saw that show. Something on TV with boob jobs? Reap as ye sow, Father Pfleger. That is one angry priest with a heart overflowing with contempt. He is well-known to Obama, I see. The EU has Milk Quotas? Are they the Soviet Union, redux? Swiss citizenship update. Not so easy to become Swiss. Easier than becoming a Japanese citizen, though. Impossible without being Japanese. Microsoft should renew bidding for Yahoo AVI considers the topic of Christian Environmentalism. When churches get involved in politics, they lose their authority, in my opinion. Dem activists determined to get rid of Bush and Cheney. GE to sell its appliance division. I guess they have bigger fish to fry. The NYT made an effort to be an apologist for Black Liberation "Theology." Failed, but got it in print first, and that's what matters. Powerline Is Christian evangelism hate speech in the UK? Dems: Global warming will bring war! Is that a promise? Sheesh. Related: For many years, environmentalists have been in favor of higher oil and energy prices, and their policies - no drilling, gas taxes, no nuke plants, etc. - have been part of it. But now that prices are up, they do not sound pleased. Blogger Jon Swift wondering what to do. I think his spouse wants him to get a job. In that case, he should. A quote: ...frankly there is nothing quite so satisfying as getting paid little or nothing for one's work.
Yes, it is fun to fart around uselessly on these internets.
Sunday, June 1. 2008
"Only in France." France to regulate country and western dancing. Ya can't make this stuff up. Hybrid sales are booming, especially the Pious. Aussie website tells kids when to die to save the earth. Supply and demand with body organs. 2 posts on the subject at Cafe Hayek Is AQ disintegrating? This sounds delicious These people are sick, but not in the way that they think they are. Some sanity coming to Canada? Ezra Levant. Also, RCMP to investigate Human Rights Commission. The Steyn show trial this week should be interesting. What does Obama stand for? This is at Wesleyan last week:
Saturday, May 31. 2008
2 highly amusing Ikea ads In your heart, you know he's right. Go to 1964, and listen to a few Goldwater ads. He was right about pretty much everything. What a shame that he wasn't elected. (thanx, B)
 The Army of Two: The legend of Rebecca and Abigail Bates and the Scituate lighthouse. (Image from the essay)
Unbelievable: Obama on how the Christian right drives people apart. Related: Dem women increasingly wary of Obama Right Wing Prof notes uncontacted tribe sighted in Amazon, and links to his post on The Utter Intellectual dishonesty of Anthropologists At No Pasaran: When the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968, there were no mass demonstrations in London. Why was that? Can anyone around at the time enlighten me on that worrying issue?
Perfect roommate? Blue Crab Rubik's Cube links Bob Dole fires both barrels at McClellan Warren Buffet is now giving essentially all of his money away. Well, I guess that dude has more money than I could spend in a morning at Costco, mid-day at the gun shop, and an afternoon at the Maserati dealership. Repubs have the chance to be the party of cheap energy. Good idea The banana problem, and how bananas are a parable for our times The Wall St.-driven NY metro area economy beginning to show some strain. In the current slowdown, women, children and minorities Wall St. hardest hit. Excellent piece on oil profits, at Outside the Beltway Has women's suffrage messed up democracy? Villainous. Excellent comments Al Franken: A serious candidate? Note the link to his Playboy "essay" Chances dim for climate change legislation. Good news
Friday, May 30. 2008
One comment on McClellan's book: I have no doubt that the Bush Admin, like all admins, had and has many flaws and unpleasant secrets. However, most peoples' consciences would prevent them from airing the dirty laundry of their friends and benefactors - and I do mean benefactors, because McClellan was the lamest WH press sec I have ever seen. He made Bush sound articulate. Still, thank God for a free country where people are free to publish such things. Restaurant grease theft rises McCain bumpersticker at Smallest Minority via Civilization Comes First at Classical Values. That's a little rough - McCain is a fine fellow. It's funny, though. Our collectivist candidates. Megan McArdle After they ban kitchen knives, will they ban cricket bats? croquet mallets? Hutzpah Department: Moslems offended by War on Terror. Related: Pelosi claims Iran's good will reason for peace in Iran. And now for something completely different: Lurchers, Terriers and Ferrets Glenn Beck on jobs Americans won't do World rebels against big government environmentalism. That's what comes of overreaching. Rocky, Bullwinkle, and Me. A good rant. A quote: I feel like Rip van Winkle. I wake up, and the conservatives are just as fond of passing laws and restricting liberty and intruding where it’s none of their business as the liberals.
Dems would be better off with Hillary. I think so too. Jennifer Rubin at Pajamas discusses the electoral challenges Obama faces, beginning: It is no secret: Barack Obama’s near-nomination rests largely on a coalition of African Americans, high income voters, young people and self-described “very liberal” Democrats. These voters have consistently turned out in primary races, giving him a majority of the pledged delegates (if you don’t count Michigan and Florida). Many pundits, joined by Hillary Clinton, have focused on the absence of white voters in Obama’s coalition. The numbers are striking.
Collapse of Christianity is wrecking Brit society, says Bishop Phantom Guilt, Revisited, at Thompson. It's about the vanity of Liberal guilt. Quote: ...“it’s all my fault” is only a notch and a half away from saying “it’s all about me.”
Father Michael Pfleger is a piece of work, here preaching at Obama's church. Or is it a church?
Thursday, May 29. 2008
 Income inequality - in the NFL. Malanga
Prayers for Tony Snow A Blue Planet in Green Shackles. Vaclav Klaus Remarkable: Monkey brain controls robot arm. Teaching new tricks with glass. NYT What went wrong in Iraq - from Al Qaida's point of view. Related: Whatever happened to news from Iraq? Related: Remember the surge? Freaking stupid voters? Coyote Judge says Dell deceptive CT takes lead in taxation Coal Cap Disaster. Kudlow How come my post on Conservatism: Dead or Just Resting received so little commentary from the commentariat? It has good links. Reasons to vote for McCain. Tiger Rev. Wright still hurts Obama. Reminds us that he's not in the mainstream culture. A "Green Tax" rebellion in the UK The EU: Doing what Napoleon and Hitler couldn't CNN finds the cloud in the silver lining: Looking at government statistics, however, things don't look that dire, which is one reason why economists are dickering over whether the country is in a recession. Unemployment is at a relatively low 5% and inflation is running at a modest 3.9%. The economy expanded at an estimated 0.6% in the first quarter, weak but still in growth territory. Most experts are predicting more bad times ahead...
Image was found by Grow A Brain. To me, it depicts Obama voters. Or maybe inhabitants of the EU.
|
