Friday, February 07, 2003
Alterman Radio Appearance
Eric Alterman will be appearing on the Johnny Wendell Show on Sunday on KFI out of Los Angeles at 6PM PST (9PM EST). They have streaming audio which can be found here.
Moyers' Transcript
here
creepy.
creepy.
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MOYERS: I just go through here, you know? "Will give the Attorney General the unchecked power to deport any foreigner?"
LEWIS: Right.
MOYERS: Including lawful permanent resident aliens. It would give the government the power to keep certain arrests secret until an indictment is found never in our history have we permitted secret arrests. It would give the government power to bypass courts and grand juries in order to conduct surveillance without a judge's permission. I mean these do really further upend the balance between liberty on the one hand and security on the other.
True Patriots
About 30 naked women lay down in the snow in Central Park forming the words 'No Bush' in an event described as a 'nude political action photo shoot' in New York on February 7, 2003. The protesters are opposed to U.S. President George Bush's policies and possible U.S. led war against Iraq.
Symbolman and American Stranger from Take Back the Media and Blah3.com will be on MSNBC at 4:30 on Sunday, discussing things with Joe Scarborough and Mark Foley.
Talkleft has more on Save the Cute Puppies and Sweet Kittens and Adorable Innocent Babies Act of 2003*
*Formerly known as USA Patriot Act II.
*Formerly known as USA Patriot Act II.
You just can't parody this stuff
So, Fox News is actually running, non-stop, a little orange-colored "TERROR ALERT HIGH" logo above the their standard logo.
Oh Lordy, CNN is doing it too.. and CNN's is even bigger.
Oh Lordy, CNN is doing it too.. and CNN's is even bigger.
Patriot Act II
Be very afraid.
Section 501, “Expatriation of Terrorists”: This provision, the drafters say, would establish that an American citizen could be expatriated “if, with the intent to relinquish his nationality, he becomes a member of, or provides material support to, a group that the United Stated has designated as a ‘terrorist organization’.” But whereas a citizen formerly had to state his intent to relinquish his citizenship, the new law affirms that his intent can be “inferred from conduct.” Thus, engaging in the lawful activities of a group designated as a “terrorist organization” by the Attorney General could be presumptive grounds for expatriation.
(via Tom Tomorrow)
Section 501, “Expatriation of Terrorists”: This provision, the drafters say, would establish that an American citizen could be expatriated “if, with the intent to relinquish his nationality, he becomes a member of, or provides material support to, a group that the United Stated has designated as a ‘terrorist organization’.” But whereas a citizen formerly had to state his intent to relinquish his citizenship, the new law affirms that his intent can be “inferred from conduct.” Thus, engaging in the lawful activities of a group designated as a “terrorist organization” by the Attorney General could be presumptive grounds for expatriation.
(via Tom Tomorrow)
New Hampshire GOP head Resigns
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The executive director of the state Republican Party resigned Friday after being accused of lying about hiring a telemarketing firm to jam Democratic phone lines on Election Day.
Chuck McGee's departure was announced by party Chairwoman Jayne Millerick. In a telephone interview, Millerick would not say whether the allegations prompted the resignation.
What Plagiarism?
Joe Conason ends his discussion of the plagiarism story with this comment:
What any American reading these stories must wonder is why our own news organizations have ignored this remarkable story so far.
Indeed.*
I mean, regardless of what one thinks about the relevance of this to the war/no war question, it should be a major news story, and it has practically gone unreported. Ibrahim al-Marashi was on Lou Dobbs yesterday and Lou didn't even bring it up. A major "intelligence report," released at a critical moment in the war debate and praised by Colin Powell in a key speech to the U.N., was discovered not to have been the result of any intelligence gathering at all. It has caused major embarrassment for our only real ally in this thing and increases the possibility his government won't survive this decision - and our press has been practically silent on it thus far?
*As Spike and Buffy noted the other night, the phrase "who you gonna call?" is no longer fit for being used. I believe indeed is about there as well.
What any American reading these stories must wonder is why our own news organizations have ignored this remarkable story so far.
Indeed.*
I mean, regardless of what one thinks about the relevance of this to the war/no war question, it should be a major news story, and it has practically gone unreported. Ibrahim al-Marashi was on Lou Dobbs yesterday and Lou didn't even bring it up. A major "intelligence report," released at a critical moment in the war debate and praised by Colin Powell in a key speech to the U.N., was discovered not to have been the result of any intelligence gathering at all. It has caused major embarrassment for our only real ally in this thing and increases the possibility his government won't survive this decision - and our press has been practically silent on it thus far?
*As Spike and Buffy noted the other night, the phrase "who you gonna call?" is no longer fit for being used. I believe indeed is about there as well.
No Thanks
Rittenhouse Review has a few words about Camille Paglia, who is apparently against the war in Iraq. Lovely. Thanks for the, uh, 'help.'
Moral Calculus
One dead american soldier = X dead innocent unarmed noncombative Iraqi civilians.
What is X?
Not a clue here.
What is X?
Not a clue here.
Line of the Week
Charles Pierce:
Why does Tucker Carlson insist on dressing like the Wonka brother they ran out of the family chocolate business?
he wins the honorary mention too:
PPS — How do all those Fox News stars feel about that ad on the back of The Nation? I mean, they’ve spent months ripping the antiwar people for associating with the radical left, and now Fox News is PAYING for them to do it. Priceless.
Why does Tucker Carlson insist on dressing like the Wonka brother they ran out of the family chocolate business?
he wins the honorary mention too:
PPS — How do all those Fox News stars feel about that ad on the back of The Nation? I mean, they’ve spent months ripping the antiwar people for associating with the radical left, and now Fox News is PAYING for them to do it. Priceless.
More Coble
Is That Legal? is all over the hideous comments and beliefs of Representative Coble.
This isn't just some crackpot member of the Ann Coulter circle, this is the man who is in charge of Homeland Security in the House.
This isn't just some crackpot member of the Ann Coulter circle, this is the man who is in charge of Homeland Security in the House.
Pass the Popcorn
Wonder who wins this one...
Anyone know what Frank Gaffney said?
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Conservative activist Grover Norquist says the American Conservative Union must take tougher action and ban a Florida vendor -- who sold anti-Muslim material at the group's Conservative Political Action Conference last week -- from future conventions.
Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, e-mailed fellow ACU board members this week, calling for a resolution apologizing "for the discomfort and insult that these offensive materials caused."
He also said a CPAC panelist, Frank J. Gaffney Jr. of the Center for Security Policy, had impugned the patriotism of a Muslim who works at the White House, because of his religion. Gaffney was formally uninvited from Norquist's "center-right coalition meeting" Wednesday -- the weekly lunch for conservative A-listers.
Gaffney said his comments were "addressing a serious national security issue and do not remotely qualify for his characterization as racist or bigoted."
ACU Chairman David Keene has not committed to banning the vendor and opposes Norquist's resolution. "We are not in the business of enforcing orthodoxy at CPAC or within the movement," he wrote to Norquist in an e-mail he sent to the whole board. "[Gaffney's] views may be obnoxious to you, but I'm sure some people find everything we say about a myriad of issues equally obnoxious."
Anyone know what Frank Gaffney said?
O'Reilly - Bigot
via the Hamster we see that 'ole Bill thinks using racial slurs is A-Ok!
The Hamster has some more context.
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O'REILLY: Oh, I am with you there. You've got to get the high-tech stuff there.
But I'll tell you what. I've talked to the commanders, and they tell me, look, you deploy us down there, we stop the drug traffic dead, we stop it dead, all right. They're not even going to try.
We'd save lives because Mexican wetbacks, whatever you want to call them, the coyotes -- they're not going to do what they're doing now, all right, so people aren't going to die in the desert.
The Hamster has some more context.
Alterman Media Appearance Update
John Gibson is supposedly running the segment, originally scheduled for yesterday, some day after 5. O'Reilly is scheduled for February 11, and Nachman for Sunday, February 9.
Max Mishkin, American Patriot
In my own state, too.
Could this law be as screwed up as it the reporter makes it sound? That is, individuals aren't allowed to be exempted due to their beliefs - whatever they are - but religious institutions are allowed to be exempt?
(via Pandagon)
UPDATE: The law does allow individual opt-outs, but it requires the parents to be informed when it happens.
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Max Mishkin, a suburban Philadelphia high school sophomore who gets straight A's in all honors classes and plays in the school band, describes himself as "patriotic."
But Mishkin, 15, who also works on the school newspaper, doesn't think much of a new state "patriotism law" that requires students in public, private and parochial schools throughout Pennsylvania to recite either the Pledge of Allegiance or the national anthem each class day.
The new law, signed late last year, was to take effect today, but state officials last night agreed not to enforce it until a lawsuit filed by Mishkin and a private school in Harrisburg is heard by a federal judge.
Several Philadelphia lawyers, assisted by the American Civil Liberties Union, filed the lawsuit late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, contending the new law was unconstitutional.
The lawsuit comes on the heels of a controversial ruling last year by a federal appeals court in San Francisco stating that the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance violated the principle of a separate church and state.
....
The new law "compels private schools, like the Circle School, and their students to adhere to a state-imposed ideology in a state-mandated manner," the lawyers complained.
Private schools that violate the law would face suspension or revocation of their license.
State Attorney General Mike Fisher and Secretary of Education-designee Vicki Phillips were named as defendants, along with eight members of the state Board of Private Academic Schools.
Under the law, schools must see to it that students recite either the Pledge or the national anthem at the beginning of the school day.
The only exception is for religious schools, which don't have to comply with the law if the school believes such forced recitals violate the "religious conviction on which the school is based."
Could this law be as screwed up as it the reporter makes it sound? That is, individuals aren't allowed to be exempted due to their beliefs - whatever they are - but religious institutions are allowed to be exempt?
(via Pandagon)
UPDATE: The law does allow individual opt-outs, but it requires the parents to be informed when it happens.
Good Trial Lawyers, Bad Trial Lawyers
I'm sure we'll see lots of outrage about the greedy trial lawyers handling these cases.
Good Kurds, Bad Kurds
Recently, filmmaker and photojournalist Kevin McKiernan went looking for human rights abuses against the Kurds. They had been much touted as a reason for why Saddam was an evil bastard. He did find them - being committed by the Turkish military. Of course, the U.S. media didn't care about Kurds in Turkey, the bad ones, just Kurds in Northern Iraq - the good ones.
It looks like they soon may all be Bad Kurds, as Andrew Sullivan's wailing about their plight grows a bit more silent each day.
Lovely.
UPDATE: Nathan Newman is on this as well.
It looks like they soon may all be Bad Kurds, as Andrew Sullivan's wailing about their plight grows a bit more silent each day.
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American diplomats are engaged in delicate negotiations here that could allow tens of thousands of Turkish soldiers to occupy part of northern Iraq behind an advancing A merican army, Turkish and Kurdish officials said today.
A United States official confirmed that the negotiations were under way, but said that the Turks would be restricted to a limited area close to the border and that the numbers discussed by the Turks and Kurds were exaggerated.
The plan, which is being negotiated in closed-door meetings in Ankara, the Turkish capital, is being bitterly resisted by at least some leaders of Iraq's Kurdish groups, who fear that Turkey's leaders may be trying to realize a historic desire to dominate the region in a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq. The Kurdish officials say they fear a military intervention by the Turks could also prompt Iran to cross the border and try to seize sections of eastern Iraq.
...
The Turkish officials echoed comments made Wednesday by the Turkish prime minister, Abdullah Gul. He suggested that the Turkish Army's role would go beyond humanitarian concerns to protecting Turkish interests in the region.
"Turkey is going to position herself in that region in order to prevent any possible massacres, or the establishment of a new state," Mr. Gul told Turkish reporters.
Lovely.
UPDATE: Nathan Newman is on this as well.
Minnesota is Doing Important Things
Gays and Lesbians to lose state protections
You have to love these people. How dare you persecute me by not letting me persecute others!
Supporters of the bill say that they don't want people to be persecuted or harassed but that the law is doing just that to Christian conservatives and others who consider homosexuality a violation of God's law.
As vaara notes, the bill also includes this:
Dibble said he found it particularly offensive that the bill would remove sexual orientation as a classification in the human-rights law's definition of Holocaust survivors and victims.
I suppose they're not claiming that homosexuals were not put into the gas chambers, just that, well, maybe they kinda deserved it.
Minnesotans can take action here.
You have to love these people. How dare you persecute me by not letting me persecute others!
Supporters of the bill say that they don't want people to be persecuted or harassed but that the law is doing just that to Christian conservatives and others who consider homosexuality a violation of God's law.
As vaara notes, the bill also includes this:
Dibble said he found it particularly offensive that the bill would remove sexual orientation as a classification in the human-rights law's definition of Holocaust survivors and victims.
I suppose they're not claiming that homosexuals were not put into the gas chambers, just that, well, maybe they kinda deserved it.
Minnesotans can take action here.
White House Proposes 9.3% Funding Increase
For the White House.
If this were the Clinton administration we'd already have 867 identically worded op-ed pieces from the conservative borg about how greedy Clinton was taking our taxpayers' money, how Clinton was fiscally irresponsible, how it was unpatriotic in a 'time of war,' blah blah blah. These same editorial writers would then fan out to all of the talk shows making these same points, which would then be parroted by the "non-partisan" journalists. Oh, and Limbaugh would accuse Clinton of treason and Bob Barr would draft his 47th article of impeachment.
Liberal Media my ass.
Buy the book!
If this were the Clinton administration we'd already have 867 identically worded op-ed pieces from the conservative borg about how greedy Clinton was taking our taxpayers' money, how Clinton was fiscally irresponsible, how it was unpatriotic in a 'time of war,' blah blah blah. These same editorial writers would then fan out to all of the talk shows making these same points, which would then be parroted by the "non-partisan" journalists. Oh, and Limbaugh would accuse Clinton of treason and Bob Barr would draft his 47th article of impeachment.
Liberal Media my ass.
Buy the book!
MSNBC to put Bigot Savage on the Air
Jeebus. I bet some network honcho is in a cemetery right now with a shovel, trying to salvage some DNA from the festering corpse of Father Coughlin to send to the Raelians for an express job.
I look forward to their next new show - Andrea Dworkin is Making Sense! *
*I thought I'd stolen that joke from another blogger. I did - Ted Barlow.
I look forward to their next new show - Andrea Dworkin is Making Sense! *
*I thought I'd stolen that joke from another blogger. I did - Ted Barlow.
These People Hate Democracy
Alleged attempt by Republicans to jam Democrats' "get out the vote" phone banks:
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Manchester police have alerted the U.S. Justice Department to an Election Day operation allegedly ordered by a Republican telemarketing dealer that jammed get-out-the-vote phone banks operated by the city’s firefighters union and the state Democratic Party.
Lt. Fred Roach of the city’s detective bureau said this week Idaho-based telemarketing firm Milo Enterprises was hired by GOP Marketplace of Alexandria, Va., to make repeated hang-up calls to a group of New Hampshire phone banks on Nov. 5.
Union and Democratic officials said the phone jam, broken by Verizon after two hours, lasted long enough to hurt their efforts to reach people who needed rides to the polls. Union president William Clayton said many intended contacts with potential riders, especially seniors, were not made, and, “I know a lot of them got shut out” of voting.
What Liberal Media?
What liberal media indeed.
Contact:
Neal Conan at Talk of the Nation (totn@npr.org) and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on the show.
Terry Gross at Fresh Air (freshair@whyy.org) and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on the show.
Diane Rehm at the Diane Rehm show and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on the show.
Click and Clack at Car Talk and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on the show (hey, why not? The loathsome Kaus has a car blog..)
Todd Mundt at the Todd Mundt show and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on.
On the Media (onthemedia@wnyc.org) and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on.
Contact the Connection and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on.
Contact Wait Wait Don't Tell Me (waitwait@npr.org) and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on. Oh, and go bother Adam Felber about it to - maybe he has some pull.
Contact Michael Feldman from Whaddya Know and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on.
Contact All Things Considered (atc@npr.org )and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on.
Oh, and buy the book. And read the Nation cover story here.
Contact:
Neal Conan at Talk of the Nation (totn@npr.org) and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on the show.
Terry Gross at Fresh Air (freshair@whyy.org) and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on the show.
Diane Rehm at the Diane Rehm show and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on the show.
Click and Clack at Car Talk and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on the show (hey, why not? The loathsome Kaus has a car blog..)
Todd Mundt at the Todd Mundt show and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on.
On the Media (onthemedia@wnyc.org) and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on.
Contact the Connection and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on.
Contact Wait Wait Don't Tell Me (waitwait@npr.org) and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on. Oh, and go bother Adam Felber about it to - maybe he has some pull.
Contact Michael Feldman from Whaddya Know and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on.
Contact All Things Considered (atc@npr.org )and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on.
Oh, and buy the book. And read the Nation cover story here.
It's okay for Bush to lie...
just not okay for him to deceive poor Andrew Sullivan!. Wahh!
Sterling notes that two years ago in the New Republic, Andrew said presidential lying was a good thing. Now it's a bad thing.
Maybe this is that moral clarity and absolutism we keep hearing about.
But, anyway Andy, I haven't been deceived - I always knew Bush was neither a compassionate nor fiscal conservative, and that he would cave on most trade issues.
We couldn't even keep our promise to cut textile tariffs with Pakistan. Argentina's economy is in the dump and we can't even help out by getting rid of our beef import quota.
Sterling notes that two years ago in the New Republic, Andrew said presidential lying was a good thing. Now it's a bad thing.
Maybe this is that moral clarity and absolutism we keep hearing about.
But, anyway Andy, I haven't been deceived - I always knew Bush was neither a compassionate nor fiscal conservative, and that he would cave on most trade issues.
We couldn't even keep our promise to cut textile tariffs with Pakistan. Argentina's economy is in the dump and we can't even help out by getting rid of our beef import quota.
Thursday, February 06, 2003
Paxman Shaves the Poodle
Jeebus I wish Paxman would take Timmy Russert's job.
Can you imagine anyone subjecting Bush to an interview like this?
Read it here.
Astroturf Update
Bush has officially demonstrated genuine leadership 102 times. And, sadly, probably still counting.
5th Column?
White Supremacists Accused of Spying
Kirk Lyons is also a major power in the Sons of Confederate Veterans and the League of the South.
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A former Washington Army National Guard intelligence officer arrested earlier this week on espionage charges had a top-secret clearance and had drifted toward the radical right in recent years, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
Rafael Davila, 51, and his ex-wife, Deborah Davila, 46, are suspected of providing white supremacists and other radical organizations with sensitive materials involving the strategic response of the Guard to a variety of emergency situations, both foreign and domestic, according to a Department of Justice source.
Military officials confirmed Rafael Davila's clearance level but would not comment on what information he allegedly provided.
The two were arrested Tuesday after a grand jury in Spokane indicted them on unlawful possession of "documents related to the national defense of the United States" in 1999 — the year Rafael Davila retired from the Guard with the rank of major.
Rafael Davila is named in a single felony count while Deborah Davila is named in three counts, including providing false statements to the FBI in April 2000. According to the indictment, she lied when she told agents she did not know Kirk Lyons — a firebrand North Carolina lawyer who has defended the Ku Klux Klan and White Patriot Party and who has advocated for "Southern ethnic cleansing."
Lyons was involved as a defense lawyer in a 1987 trial in Fort Smith, Ark., in which Butler and 10 others were charged with a seditious conspiracy to overthrow the government by acts of violence. All the defendants were acquitted.
A federal law-enforcement source said some of the national security documents were passed on to Lyons.
Lyons has not been charged with a crime. He told The Associated Press he barely knew Deborah Davila but that she had attended his wedding, which was performed by Aryan Nations founder Richard Butler at the group's former compound near Hayden Lake, Idaho.
Kirk Lyons is also a major power in the Sons of Confederate Veterans and the League of the South.
Diplomacy, Rumsfeld Style
From Der Spiegel and the actual quote in Taggesspiegel:
(sent in and translated by reader a.s.)
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"Rumsfeld hatte in einer Anhörung über den Umfang der Unterstützung für die Irak-Politik gesagt: «...Und dann gibt es eine ziemlich große Gruppe von Ländern, die angedeutet haben, dass sie in der Koalition mit dem Wiederaufbau in der Ära nach Saddam Hussein helfen wollen. Und dann gibt es drei oder vier Länder die gesagt haben, sie würden gar nichts tun: ich glaube Libyen, Kuba und Deutschland haben angedeutet, dass sie in keiner Weise helfen wollen.
Rumsfeld said in a hearing on the question of support for Iraq policy: "There are many countries that have indicated that they want to help the coalition with rebuilding in the post-Saddam Hussein era. And then there are three or four countries that have said that they want nothing to do with it: I believe that Libya, Cuba, and Germany have indicated that they do not want to help at all."
(sent in and translated by reader a.s.)
This one's gonna hurt. Torture Wolf! Quick!
Oh poor Wolfie, he's a broken man...it hurt to read those results.
Oh poor Wolfie, he's a broken man...it hurt to read those results.
Who compiled Blair's dossier?
1) British Intelligence
2) Blair's political office.
3) American intelligence.
4) Some flunky working for Paul Wolfowitz.
other suggestions?
2) Blair's political office.
3) American intelligence.
4) Some flunky working for Paul Wolfowitz.
other suggestions?
New General Counsel at EEOC
More payback.
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His qualifications seem to be that, before a recent stint in the Bush Administration's Department of Labor, he spent a few years representing employers in discrimination suits (with no published appellate decisions in employment law cases to his credit, as near as I can tell from Lexis) and was -- did you even have to ask? -- part of the Ken Starr investigatory team.
Are we going to have to bomb London now?
Someone bold reporter should ask Condi about this one:
[bold reporter?-ed. Yeah, I know, I know..]
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Iraq's declaration even resorted to unabashed plagiarism, with lengthy passages of United Nations reports copied word-for-word (or edited to remove any criticism of Iraq) and presented as original text. Far from informing, the declaration is intended to cloud and confuse the true picture of Iraq's arsenal. It is a reflection of the regime's well-earned reputation for dishonesty and constitutes a material breach of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1441, which set up the current inspections program.
[bold reporter?-ed. Yeah, I know, I know..]
The Best MI6 Could Do?
MI6, Britian's spy/international intelligence agency, employees around 2000 people.
This is their headquarters:
And they can't even get someone to dummy up a convincing dossier on Iraq without resorting to cutting and pasting?
And didn't anyone tell Powell?
I would call my colleagues attention to the fine paper that United Kingdom distributed yesterday, which describes in exquisite detail Iraqi deception activities.
This is their headquarters:
And they can't even get someone to dummy up a convincing dossier on Iraq without resorting to cutting and pasting?
And didn't anyone tell Powell?
I would call my colleagues attention to the fine paper that United Kingdom distributed yesterday, which describes in exquisite detail Iraqi deception activities.
Channel 4 Picks up on the Dossier Story
Interesting.
Read the rest.
UPDATE: You can watch the report here. About 12 minutes in. Which I'll go do..
Oh man, it's true. Most of the stuff is from information taken right after the first Gulf War.
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The government's carefully co-ordinated propaganda offensive took an embarrassing hit tonight after Downing Street was accused of plagiarism.
The target is an intelligence dossier released on Monday and heralded by none other than Colin Powell at the UN yesterday.
Channel Four News has learnt that the bulk of the nineteen page document was copied from three different articles - one written by a graduate student.
On Monday, the day before the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell addressed the UN, Downing Street published its latest paper on Iraq.
It gives the impression of being an up to the minute intelligence-based analysis - and Mr Powell was fulsome in his praise.
Published on the Number 10 web site, called "Iraq - Its Infrastructure of Concealement Deception and Intimidation", it outlines the structure of Saddam's intelligence organisations.
Read the rest.
UPDATE: You can watch the report here. About 12 minutes in. Which I'll go do..
Oh man, it's true. Most of the stuff is from information taken right after the first Gulf War.
What Liberal Media #1 At Eschaton!
So far 47 of you have ordered it, which clearly puts it at the top of the Eschaton Bestseller List. Not quite as presitigious as that of the Times, but hey.
On a related note, via Calpundit I see that Alterman is going head to head against Bozell for the second time over in the National Review's sandbox.
Here's the transcript from last night's show. As far as I can tell Bozell didn't score a single point. That's my fair and balanced opinion, as always.
Alterman will be on Fox News at 5pm today, apparently.
And, while we're on poor Brent Bozell, the Hamster notes that how our boy Brent feels free to piss on the grave of the recently deceased Sarah Petit, in the article I mention below. But, we should feel sorry for the moralizing Brent. After all, it is his cousin that's been violating a commandment or two, not the nasty homosexuals he can't stop talking about.
On a related note, via Calpundit I see that Alterman is going head to head against Bozell for the second time over in the National Review's sandbox.
Here's the transcript from last night's show. As far as I can tell Bozell didn't score a single point. That's my fair and balanced opinion, as always.
Alterman will be on Fox News at 5pm today, apparently.
And, while we're on poor Brent Bozell, the Hamster notes that how our boy Brent feels free to piss on the grave of the recently deceased Sarah Petit, in the article I mention below. But, we should feel sorry for the moralizing Brent. After all, it is his cousin that's been violating a commandment or two, not the nasty homosexuals he can't stop talking about.
War Profiteers
So, anyone know how much we're going to spend to "upgrade" Turkish ports and bases?
And which companies are getting the contracts...
And which companies are getting the contracts...
Shut Up!
Take Back the Media gives us Shut Up! With Kelly Osbourne and Bill O'Reilly. (flash)
For context, see the O'Reilly/Glick transcript here.
For context, see the O'Reilly/Glick transcript here.
Did the UK plagiarize their Iraq Dossier?
I just woke up so I haven't had a chance to look into this, but it sure sounds odd.
(this is a very instapundit type post, I admit. "not endorsing, but looks interesting!")
(this is a very instapundit type post, I admit. "not endorsing, but looks interesting!")
Wednesday, February 05, 2003
Defending Ceci Connolly?
Oh Lord, has is it come to this? Have I sunk so low?
I apologize, but we're going to have to take a quick trip to the parallel universe inhabited by Brent Bozell. Crazy Brent has written a column attacking the supposed mischaracterizations of Jerry Thacker. Thacker, you will remember, had withdrawn himself from consideration for a position on the President's Advisory Commission on HIV and AIDS, after the Washington Blade and then the Washington Post revealed that Thacker had referred to AIDS as a "gay plague" and to homosexuality as a "deathstyle."
Bozell says this:
Actually, I agree with the last sentence. This *is* Ceci Connolly after all.
However, this is a masterful bit of cheap propoganda by Brent. He actually has no idea if Connolly had other confirmations of this quote. Neither do I. But, I can do in 4 seconds what either Brent or Ceci could have done and find the Google archive of Thacker's website, where the word "deathstyle" sits proudly.
Help for Homosexuals. A message on the nature of homosexuality and how Christ can rescue the homosexual. Includes statistics on homosexual behavior, tips for ministry to those practicing this "deathstyle" and information on the homosexual movement and its political agenda.
There are a few other things in that article I could take issue with, but 'ole Brent can be forgiven for his sloppiness. He's probably busy readying a column condemning the immoral behavior of his cousin Christopher Buckley.
I apologize, but we're going to have to take a quick trip to the parallel universe inhabited by Brent Bozell. Crazy Brent has written a column attacking the supposed mischaracterizations of Jerry Thacker. Thacker, you will remember, had withdrawn himself from consideration for a position on the President's Advisory Commission on HIV and AIDS, after the Washington Blade and then the Washington Post revealed that Thacker had referred to AIDS as a "gay plague" and to homosexuality as a "deathstyle."
Bozell says this:
-
Connolly didn't put these comments in context. On the Web site of his Scepter Institute, a biography of Thacker explained that in 1986, "He knew vaguely about the 'gay plague' known as AIDS, but it seemed a distant threat." But then he, his wife and daughter contracted the disease through a tainted transfusion. The Post story did not explain that the plague quote a) did not come out of Thacker's mouth, as implied, nor that b) it was put in quotes in this biography. By that standard, Connolly could be deprived of future government work, given that she, too, used that quote.
So Thacker wasn't really "quoted" on "gay plague." What about the "deathstyle"? Connolly did explain in print how she got that one: from a Web site summary of Thacker's remarks on AIDS at his alma mater, Bob Jones University. Once again, Connolly couldn't find Thacker saying it. So how can she state as fact that Thacker used the term, instead of attributing it directly -- and solely -- to the university staffer trying to summarize? She can because she wants to. Being a Post reporter means never having to worry about being factually sloppy.
Actually, I agree with the last sentence. This *is* Ceci Connolly after all.
However, this is a masterful bit of cheap propoganda by Brent. He actually has no idea if Connolly had other confirmations of this quote. Neither do I. But, I can do in 4 seconds what either Brent or Ceci could have done and find the Google archive of Thacker's website, where the word "deathstyle" sits proudly.
Help for Homosexuals. A message on the nature of homosexuality and how Christ can rescue the homosexual. Includes statistics on homosexual behavior, tips for ministry to those practicing this "deathstyle" and information on the homosexual movement and its political agenda.
There are a few other things in that article I could take issue with, but 'ole Brent can be forgiven for his sloppiness. He's probably busy readying a column condemning the immoral behavior of his cousin Christopher Buckley.
It's for their own safety
Jesse, Hesiod, and TalkLeft all mention the comments of the delightful congressman from North Carolina, Howard Coble.
Recently, Josh from OxBlog said regarding the possibility of internment of Arab residents and Arab-Americans, "Outside of the Ann Coulter circle, no one has proposed anything of the sort, and no one will."
I wish it were so, but the evidence just doesn't back up that assertion. Or, at least, the Ann Coulter crowd is far bigger than and more influential than he thinks. Interestingly, Ann Coulter did once work for Arab-American Spencer Abraham, but that's another story.
Anyway, I would suggest that there is a non-trivial segment of the population who feel as this congressman do - That the internment of Japanese-Americans was a right and necssary thing to do. There is an even larger segment of the population that agrees with Glenn Reynolds:
The wrongfulness in the World War Two internments, after all, wasn't that they happened, but that they were unjustified. Had significant numbers of American citizens of Japanese descent actually been working for the enemy, the internments would have been a regrettable necessity rather than an outrageous injustice."
In other words, rounding up people simply based on their ancestry would be okay if enough people who look like them are doing bad things.
September 11 was a one-off, thankfully. As horribly destructive as it was, and as much as it put the country on edge, there weren't any successfull followups. I have little doubt that if their were regular terrorist activities linked generally to Arabs/Muslims and Arab/Muslim-Americans in this country which came even close to the scale of activities in Israel - that there would be huge popular support for the mass roundups and detentions. I have zero doubt that if we experienced terrorists attacks on the scale of Israel - normalized for our population size - that it would happen. That is, if after 9/11 we had even the absolute numbers of suicide bombings and death toll that Israel has had I would be surprised if there wasn't something resembling a mass roundup or detention. If we multipled that by about 35 to reflect our larger population, it would be a done deal. We shouldn't forget this event either:
I agree with his sentiment, frightening as it is, though not with the point that the "government would never envision them." Of course the government has envisioned them, the only question is the threshhold at which they would implement them.
Nor should we forget when now-Senator Chambliss, then Congressman and Chair of the House Subcomittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security said "just turn [the sheriff] loose and have him arrest every Muslim that crosses the state line." It wasn't clear what he intended to do with the Muslims who were already living there.
It is true that Senator Chambliss is likely a member of the Ann Coulter circle. He's also a U.S. Senator. It's clear how he thinks.
UPDATE: David Neiwert has more.
(fixed multiplier to be closer to correct)
-
''We were at war. They (Japanese-Americans) were an endangered species,'' Coble said. ''For many of these Japanese-Americans, it wasn't safe for them to be on the street.''
Like most Arab-Americans today, Coble said, most Japanese-Americans during World War II were not America's enemies.
Still, Coble said, Roosevelt had to consider the nation's security.
''Some probably were intent on doing harm to us,'' he said, ''just as some of these Arab-Americans are probably intent on doing harm to us.''
Recently, Josh from OxBlog said regarding the possibility of internment of Arab residents and Arab-Americans, "Outside of the Ann Coulter circle, no one has proposed anything of the sort, and no one will."
I wish it were so, but the evidence just doesn't back up that assertion. Or, at least, the Ann Coulter crowd is far bigger than and more influential than he thinks. Interestingly, Ann Coulter did once work for Arab-American Spencer Abraham, but that's another story.
Anyway, I would suggest that there is a non-trivial segment of the population who feel as this congressman do - That the internment of Japanese-Americans was a right and necssary thing to do. There is an even larger segment of the population that agrees with Glenn Reynolds:
The wrongfulness in the World War Two internments, after all, wasn't that they happened, but that they were unjustified. Had significant numbers of American citizens of Japanese descent actually been working for the enemy, the internments would have been a regrettable necessity rather than an outrageous injustice."
In other words, rounding up people simply based on their ancestry would be okay if enough people who look like them are doing bad things.
September 11 was a one-off, thankfully. As horribly destructive as it was, and as much as it put the country on edge, there weren't any successfull followups. I have little doubt that if their were regular terrorist activities linked generally to Arabs/Muslims and Arab/Muslim-Americans in this country which came even close to the scale of activities in Israel - that there would be huge popular support for the mass roundups and detentions. I have zero doubt that if we experienced terrorists attacks on the scale of Israel - normalized for our population size - that it would happen. That is, if after 9/11 we had even the absolute numbers of suicide bombings and death toll that Israel has had I would be surprised if there wasn't something resembling a mass roundup or detention. If we multipled that by about 35 to reflect our larger population, it would be a done deal. We shouldn't forget this event either:
-
Kirsanow, who was appointed to the commission last year by President George W. Bush, said after the session that he personally doesn't support such camps and the government would never envision them. He said he was merely saying public opinion would so strongly favor the idea that it would be difficult to prevent. There would be a "groundswell of opinion" for the detainment, he said.
I agree with his sentiment, frightening as it is, though not with the point that the "government would never envision them." Of course the government has envisioned them, the only question is the threshhold at which they would implement them.
Nor should we forget when now-Senator Chambliss, then Congressman and Chair of the House Subcomittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security said "just turn [the sheriff] loose and have him arrest every Muslim that crosses the state line." It wasn't clear what he intended to do with the Muslims who were already living there.
It is true that Senator Chambliss is likely a member of the Ann Coulter circle. He's also a U.S. Senator. It's clear how he thinks.
UPDATE: David Neiwert has more.
(fixed multiplier to be closer to correct)
Chrysler Racial Discrimination Suit
I'm sure Dinesh D'Souza will make a fine expert witness for the defense.
-
DaimlerChrysler denied low- interest car loans to customers because they were black and employed a financing manager who regularly spewed racial epithets, a federal lawsuit in Chicago alleged Monday.
Six African Americans from the Chicago area sued the fifth-largest automaker, alleging they were victims of redlining and were recently turned down for Chrysler loans at a South Side dealership, then named
Marquette Chrysler Jeep, which is now under new ownership. The customers had received high marks for their credit histories but had to get loans with higher interest rates at other financial institutions, the lawsuit
contends.
....
"Do you really believe that these people really think that they should have a new car?" the manager allegedly asked. "These people shouldn't be able to get financing for a Schwinn [bicycle]. Those n------ have never
paid anyone."
The zone manager said he would allow "some n------" to take out loans at suburban dealerships "because at least they're smart enough not to get shot while trying to buy a car in the ghetto."
Help Get Alterman on TV
Contact the Today Show at today@nbc.com and politely suggest that Katie Couric, who had the woman that called her Eva Braun on her show, might like to speak with Eric Alterman about that and related issues.
Contact Howard Kurtz at kurtzh@washpost.com and suggest that he might want to have Eric Alterman on Reliable Sources.
Contact Howard Kurtz at kurtzh@washpost.com and suggest that he might want to have Eric Alterman on Reliable Sources.
They're All Chicken!
Even NPR won't have Eric Alterman on! What Liberal Media? indeed!
Contact:
Neal Conan at Talk of the Nation (totn@npr.org) and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on the show.
Terry Gross at Fresh Air (freshair@whyy.org) and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on the show.
Diane Rehm at the Diane Rehm show and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on the show.
Click and Clack at Car Talk and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on the show (hey, why not? The loathsome Kaus has a car blog..)
Todd Mundt at the Todd Mundt show and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on.
On the Media (onthemedia@wnyc.org) and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on.
Contact:
Neal Conan at Talk of the Nation (totn@npr.org) and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on the show.
Terry Gross at Fresh Air (freshair@whyy.org) and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on the show.
Diane Rehm at the Diane Rehm show and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on the show.
Click and Clack at Car Talk and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on the show (hey, why not? The loathsome Kaus has a car blog..)
Todd Mundt at the Todd Mundt show and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on.
On the Media (onthemedia@wnyc.org) and politely say how nice it would be to have Eric Alterman on.
Tuesday, February 04, 2003
When the Tigers Broke Free
And kind old King George sent mother a note
when he heard that father was gone
It was, I recall, in the form of a scroll
with golden leaf and all
And I found it one day in a drawer of old
photographs hidden away
And my eyes still grow damp to remember
His Majesty signed with his own rubber stamp
It was dark all around
There was frost in the ground
When the tigers broke free
And noone survived from the Royal Fusiliers Company C
They were all left behind
Most of them dead
The rest of them dying
And that's how the High Command took my Daddy from me
-R. Waters
when he heard that father was gone
It was, I recall, in the form of a scroll
with golden leaf and all
And I found it one day in a drawer of old
photographs hidden away
And my eyes still grow damp to remember
His Majesty signed with his own rubber stamp
It was dark all around
There was frost in the ground
When the tigers broke free
And noone survived from the Royal Fusiliers Company C
They were all left behind
Most of them dead
The rest of them dying
And that's how the High Command took my Daddy from me
-R. Waters
Your Typical Lott Fan
John Lott still has some fans - you know, American Renaissance magazine, Instapundit....Here's what the reviewer for AmRen said:
-
Not surprisingly, the decrease in crime has been greatest where there was the most to begin with, and this means cities with large black populations. As Prof. Lott explains, "While many blacks want to make guns harder to get, the irony is that blacks benefit more than other groups from concealed-handgun laws." As he notes, the percentage of young blacks in an area is the single variable that best predicts the level of violence. If the non-criminals in these places start carrying weapons it evens the odds and discourages predators – just as it does everywhere else – and there are more predators to discourage.
The graph on this page shows the average drop in violent crime the year after passage of a "shall issue" law, as a function of the percentage of the population that is black. The blacker the population the greater the benefit. Washington and New York City, which have some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country, would benefit greatly from letting honest citizens carry guns.
As the graph makes clear, for areas with few blacks the declines in violence are modest, but for the country as a whole, the effect is certainly significant. Prof. Lott concludes that if the entire country had liberal concealed-carry laws, in 1992 there would have been 1,400 fewer murders, 4,200 fewer rapes, 60,000 fewer aggravated assaults, and 12,000 fewer robberies.
This makes perfect sense. What criminals fear most is the possibility that an intended victim will pull a gun and blaze away. This fear is so great that changes in concealed carry laws have a measurable effect even when only a small percentage of people actually carry guns. Once the bad guys know that people might be armed, it pays to assume everyone is armed.
O'Reilly Welcomes Bigot!
Has anti-gay bigot, and rejected Bush administration member, Jerry Thacker, on his show.
Embraces a bigot, but too much of a wimp to take on Eric Alterman!
What a pathetic cowardly loser!
Gay hatred good! Eric Alterman tooooo scary!
E-mail Bill O'Reilly, the frightened little bunny, and ask him why he's scared of the Bearded Liberal Eric Alterman!
UPDATE: The Hamster notes that Bill O'Reilly is an anti-American hypocrite!! Will Bill O'Reilly apologize for having himself on his show?!?!?
Embraces a bigot, but too much of a wimp to take on Eric Alterman!
What a pathetic cowardly loser!
Gay hatred good! Eric Alterman tooooo scary!
E-mail Bill O'Reilly, the frightened little bunny, and ask him why he's scared of the Bearded Liberal Eric Alterman!
UPDATE: The Hamster notes that Bill O'Reilly is an anti-American hypocrite!! Will Bill O'Reilly apologize for having himself on his show?!?!?
Neal Pollack resigns from PNAC.
-
This cannot be a slow burn, my Beagles. The world trembles in fear at our might, but the French are arming. If they get the Belgians on their side, we may have a protracted European front on their hands. I cannot sit by idly, twiddling as part of a secret organization of powerful men bent on world domination. We must take action now. That's why I'm forming PNAC II: The Wrath Of God, an even more secret organization whose board is even more influential as the original PNAC. The membership is confidential, but I do have one wild-card spot available.
Is Bill O'Reilly a Coward?
Apparently blowhard is too chicken to face Eric Alterman.
E-mail Bill O'Reilly and ask him why he isn't man enough to have Eric on.
E-mail Bill O'Reilly and ask him why he isn't man enough to have Eric on.
Going Gizmodo
Not to steal Gizmodo's thunder, but I just got a Norcent DP-300 DVD play from Amazon. It's cheap, comes very well reviewed by the geek sector - largely because they're usually pretty easy to make Region-Free. One can't guarantee that, as there are always lots of different versions, but for the one I just got it was no problem at all. They also have both NTSC and PAL outputs and voltage selector. So, if you have need to play international DVDs or play your DVDs internationally - this is a good deal.
Buy one here!
You can even go to Amazon.co.uk and get Buffy season 4 and season 5!
Buy one here!
You can even go to Amazon.co.uk and get Buffy season 4 and season 5!
Take Action Now!
You can use this spam machine to contact all of the current advertisers of the Rush Limbaugh show! Now, you can keep the current message which tells the advertiser how wonderful the disgusting one is, or you can put in your own message! (i suggest the latter, of course.)
UPDATE: The spam is no longer editable.
UPDATE: The spam is no longer editable.
Why I Care About John Lott
Readers of my weblog have probably noticed I don't talk a lot about guns. There are a couple reasons I don't - one is that I don't know much about them. Another is that I'm definitely not "anti-gun" in any sense of the word, though I'm sure I'd probably support many measures that would have me branded as such by the gun crowd. A third is that any discussion of the topic inevitably sends not one but many Mary Rosh-types over and it isn't worth the effort.
As for thinking Lott is somehow payback for Bellesiles - well, I never read Bellesiles' book. I think I looked at the blurb on the cover once and thought "oh, that's interesting" but that was the extent of my exposure - or interest - in the book. I never actively defended him - or wanted to - as it wasn't something I knew a thing about. I was a bit troubled that it seemed that it wasn't enough to destroy the guy's career - probably deserved - but that his detractors were intent on destroying the man. I was a bit turned off by the continuing spectacle, which I mostly saw through blogs, and I probably agree with the sentiments expressed by Sullywatch in comments:
Though I never really followed the issue closely, I did note one thing - that Bellesiles' detractors were invariably big fans of John Lott's book. Now, I'd never read the book. I had read enough criticisms of it to know it was a piece of a propaganda with some really shoddy and sometimes clearly dishonest work. But, it wasn't something I ever focused on enough to have anything to say about it. Besides, I didn't want to have the Mary Roshes scurrying over to bug me. Still, I was always a bit amused that the sanctimonious Bellesiles bashers were simultaneously propping up the dishonest Lott.
The real reason I care about John Lott is that the man testified to congress about the patterns of disenfranchisement in Florida during the 2000 election. The work was so hideously obviously deliberately dishonest, as Dr. Lichtman easily demonstrates, that the man obviously has no ethics. In fact, his willingness to present disinformation to cover up the disenfranchisement of voters makes him anti-democratic and anti-American as far as I'm concerned, and his willingness to try and cover up the disenfranchisement of black voters makes him a bigot.
As for thinking Lott is somehow payback for Bellesiles - well, I never read Bellesiles' book. I think I looked at the blurb on the cover once and thought "oh, that's interesting" but that was the extent of my exposure - or interest - in the book. I never actively defended him - or wanted to - as it wasn't something I knew a thing about. I was a bit troubled that it seemed that it wasn't enough to destroy the guy's career - probably deserved - but that his detractors were intent on destroying the man. I was a bit turned off by the continuing spectacle, which I mostly saw through blogs, and I probably agree with the sentiments expressed by Sullywatch in comments:
-
We forget now how much there was an all-out effort (kind of like a certain recent special prosecution) to throw anything they could find at Bellsiles until it stuck, and finally one thing relatively marginal to the whole thesis of the book did. There were death threats, evil hatemails and goonish thugs attending his lectures. It was all about making sure that no one would dare ask certain questions ever again than it was about maintaining academic integrity.
And then there was the sound of a million backs slapping themselves afterwards, from Knoxville to Evanston, loudly and repeatedly.
And they expect us to just forget we ever witnessed this spectacle?
Though I never really followed the issue closely, I did note one thing - that Bellesiles' detractors were invariably big fans of John Lott's book. Now, I'd never read the book. I had read enough criticisms of it to know it was a piece of a propaganda with some really shoddy and sometimes clearly dishonest work. But, it wasn't something I ever focused on enough to have anything to say about it. Besides, I didn't want to have the Mary Roshes scurrying over to bug me. Still, I was always a bit amused that the sanctimonious Bellesiles bashers were simultaneously propping up the dishonest Lott.
The real reason I care about John Lott is that the man testified to congress about the patterns of disenfranchisement in Florida during the 2000 election. The work was so hideously obviously deliberately dishonest, as Dr. Lichtman easily demonstrates, that the man obviously has no ethics. In fact, his willingness to present disinformation to cover up the disenfranchisement of voters makes him anti-democratic and anti-American as far as I'm concerned, and his willingness to try and cover up the disenfranchisement of black voters makes him a bigot.
I thought he was working for the Russians
Poor Snitchens. Nutty and desperate for attention:
-
When our friend Christopher Hitchens was a card-carrying (or at least Scotch-hoisting) member of the left. But the British-born polemicist has apparently come a very long way since he stopped writing for the Nation magazine last year.
In the new issue of Doublethink, a Washington-based right-wing quarterly, Hitchens reveals that he plans to support President Bush's reelection campaign -- never mind his recent Vanity Fair puff piece about Democratic hopeful John Edwards. "I don't believe in [Edwards]," Hitchens tells Doublethink interviewer Tom Ivancie. "I mean, I told him I wouldn't vote for him. . . . Because I'd vote for Bush. The important thing is this: Is a candidate completely serious about prosecuting the war on theocratic terrorism to the fullest extent? Only Bush is." Hitchens also scoffs at the Everyman pitch of the millionaire trial lawyer turned North Carolina senator: "Oh, that's all [bleep]. . . . Spare us the false populism."
Meanwhile, Hitchens suggests that old nemesis Bill Clinton was a CIA plant at Oxford, where both were students in the late 1960s. "I think he was a double," Hitchens says. "Somebody was giving information to [the CIA] about the anti-war draft resisters, and I think it was probably him. We had a girlfriend in common -- I didn't know then -- who's since become a very famous radical lesbian."
But that's another story.
Monday, February 03, 2003
Tim Noah on Lott
I just gave it a quick skim, but Tim Noah seems to have a pretty good rundown on the Lott affair.
O'Reilly Post-Game
Symbolman did really well until blowhard derailed him about NPR. The thing about NPR is, to the extent that it's liberal it isn't spewing RNC talking points all day. And, in addition, it provides a 24/7 platform for the various subsidized pundits from all of your favorite right wing groups. "Liberal" in the NPR context means having some people who are vaguely sympathetic to moderate democrats, who are always 'balanced' by Moonies from Heritage and the like. There is no NPR Limbaugh, or NPR O'Reilly. NPR doesn't have regular voices from labor, doesn't have a regular voice from the minority community (except Tavis Smiley whose show doesn't have a decent timeslot in most markets). It's "liberalism" is at its most extreme "E.J. Dionne" liberalism, which is drowned out by the regular stream of AEI, Heritage, Weekly Standard, etc... representatives. Also, O'Reilly lied about the number of stations NPR has - they claim 620, he said 800.
Buy Eric's Book
My copy hasn't yet arrived, but judging from the introduction available at the website, it looks pretty promising.
Actually, I don't even care if you read it. But, it's important to demonstrate that there's a market for this kind of stuff.
Click the cover to buy:
(insert obligatory Bruce Springsteen joke here)
Oh, and that other media book of his is pretty good too. Lots of good dirt on that pompous twit Will.
Speaking of Will, that reminds me of the humorous passage in David Brock's book when he discusses how early in his career he was trying to dress up as a Pundit Action Figure by emulating William F. Buckley. Obviously Tucker Carlson is doing the same - but who the hell would want to emulate George Will? I mean, Buckley at least had a bit of idiosyncratic style...
Actually, I don't even care if you read it. But, it's important to demonstrate that there's a market for this kind of stuff.
Click the cover to buy:
(insert obligatory Bruce Springsteen joke here)
Oh, and that other media book of his is pretty good too. Lots of good dirt on that pompous twit Will.
Speaking of Will, that reminds me of the humorous passage in David Brock's book when he discusses how early in his career he was trying to dress up as a Pundit Action Figure by emulating William F. Buckley. Obviously Tucker Carlson is doing the same - but who the hell would want to emulate George Will? I mean, Buckley at least had a bit of idiosyncratic style...
Those wacky Republicans...
What will they think of next?
(This was on their website, but is no longer)
(This was on their website, but is no longer)
-
In an effort to educate UCLA students on the hypocrisy of affirmative action, an issue currently on the Supreme Court docket with the Michigan case, the UCLA Bruin Republicans will be holding an Affirmative Action Bake Sale at the bottom of Bruin Walk, Monday, February 3, 2003 from 9 am to 3 pm.
The Bruin Republicans will be selling cookies from Diddy Riese, a Westwood favorite, under the following price structure: Black, Hispanic and American Indian Females: 25 cents Black, Hispanic and American Indian Males: 50 cents White Females: $1.00 White Males and All Asian-Americans: $2.00
Staffing the Bruin Republicans' table on Bruin Walk will be members playing the following roles: "The Man," "The White Oppressor," "The Self-Hating Hispanic Race Traitor," "Uncle Tom," and a special "Admissions Officer" who will be in charge of determining each customer's race, gender, and general level of oppression.
The Bruin Republicans anticipate a strong campus reaction, with possible protests from the African Student Union and MEChA. If campus opposition does not destroy the message of the event, we hope to show students the inherent hypocrisy of assigning exclusive meaning and value based purely on skin color or perceived ethnicity.
Ah, theocracy.
For a man associated with the Unification church and their desire to install a worldwide theocracy, this takes some balls. From CNN Saturday on January 18:
It's pretty clear he told the reporter/producer beforehand that he thought anti-war protesters were committing treason and he wimped out on camera.
Now, if Dr. Gardiner is no longer a Unificationist, or never was, then he should correct both me and the Moonies on this point.
-
IN: Well, yes, it is a free country, but some think these protesters are traitors. Niles Gardiner has a suggestion about what should happen to these demonstrators. He is a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation. He joins us right now.
Niles, good to see you.
NILES GARDINER, HERITAGE FOUNDATION: Thank you very much.
LIN: Now, you say, you have told us, that you think these people are traitors and they should be treated as such, why?
GARDINER: Well, I think that the leaders of today's demonstrations of the United States have very close links with a number of extreme left-wing organizations. They are effectively acting as mouthpieces for the Iraqi propaganda machine. And I believe that these
demonstrators should be viewed as such.
LIN: I mean, you actually think they should go on trial for their actions?
GARDINER: Well, I think if any of the anti-war demonstrators are foolish enough to go out to Baghdad and Iraq to act as human shields in the event of war, I believe that if they survive the Allied onslaught, that they should be put on trial if they return back to the United
States.
LIN: But how is it that they're being a mouthpiece for the Iraqi government? I mean, this is a free society and what essentially they are trying to say is that the Bush administration has yet to present evidence that the Iraqis have weapons of mass destruction, therefore
they're questioning any military action that should occur?
GARDINER: Well, I think that the Bush administration has made a tremendous case for military action against Iraq. The regime in Baghdad has simply not cooperated fully with the United Nations weapons inspectors. The Iraqi regime has not intention of disarming.
And I believe that the anti-war movement here has not voiced any concern whatsoever about the plight of the Iraqi people who are living under a brutal totalitarian dictatorship.
LIN: Well, what evidence is there? What evidence do you have that the Iraqis are in violation?
GARDINER: I think that there's plenty of evidence. Of course, the latest find of chemical warheads, by the inspectors. We do have a tremendous amount of intelligence information gathered by the U.S. and British intelligence agencies, which no doubt will be released in the
weeks ahead.
Let's not forget that the Iraqis are trying, everyday, to shoot down British and American war planes, flying over the no-fly zones. Again, in clear violation of Resolution 1441.
LIN: All right, well, military action certainly place in the northern and southern no-fly zones. We are going to be following the story, obviously, very closely, both sides, for you on the protest.
Thank you very much, Niles Gardiner, from the Heritage Foundation.
It's pretty clear he told the reporter/producer beforehand that he thought anti-war protesters were committing treason and he wimped out on camera.
Now, if Dr. Gardiner is no longer a Unificationist, or never was, then he should correct both me and the Moonies on this point.
Moonie Monday
Joe Conason mentions hearing from a Dr. Nile Gardiner today on NPR. Gardiner is a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation.
According to the Moonies, he's also (or at least was) a "Unificationist."
(thanks MW)
According to the Moonies, he's also (or at least was) a "Unificationist."
-
In November 1993, Kwon Jin Nim gave his first public speech here and laid the foundation for True Mother to come in March 1994. This is the only university to have experienced substantial Mother-Son cooperation in proclaiming "True Parents and the Completed Testament Age." The Yale Daily News gave Kwon Jin Nim a photo and a fairly objective article, and with total unity with church members, over 500 guests were invited for Mother's speech in Levinson Auditorium at Yale Law School-the alma mater of three of the last five presidents (Ford, Bush and Clinton) and the current First Lady. It was filled with guests and students.
At the same time as Mother's speech, a spiritual battle was being waged on campus with one of our graduate students at the forefront. The Gay and Lesbian agenda has been pushed to the maximum here at Yale. Prof. John Boswell, who helped establish a Gay Studies Program here, died of AIDS recently. As a self-proclaimed Gay historian at Yale, known for his book Same Sex Unions in Pre-Modern Europe, he left a pernicious legacy here.
You can imagine how many of those ministers are turning in their graves. For the past few years, there has been a week of homosexual programs and propaganda called BGLAD Week organized on campus. In 1994, it fell right at the time of True Mother's speech. This included pornographic chalk drawings on the sidewalks to "heighten awareness." One of the Unificationist graduate students in history at Yale, Nile Gardiner, and a Christian friend, took mops and buckets and proceeded to clean it all off. This of course started allegations concerning free speech, and many articles in the Yale newspapers covered this. They became quiet famous in the Yale conservative circles as "The Moppers." Literally cleaning up Yale!
(thanks MW)
Trueblackman
Forget to mention this yesteday after posting the article about the AARLC. The organization's spokesman, Kevin Martin, posts at Free Republic as Trueblackman.
TBTM vs. O'Reilly
Symbolman from Take Back the Media is going to do battle with the the big blowhard tonight on the factor.
Mary Rosh Keeps on Giving
Tim Lambert provides an example of some highly unethical behavior by Ms. Rosh.
I never participated in the Usenet discussions with Ms. Rosh, but I'm starting to wonder why no one figured this one out before...
But, man, this argument with her is just like every argument I've ever had with internet dittoheads...The full exchange is unbelievable.
I never participated in the Usenet discussions with Ms. Rosh, but I'm starting to wonder why no one figured this one out before...
But, man, this argument with her is just like every argument I've ever had with internet dittoheads...The full exchange is unbelievable.
The Myths We Believe
CalPundit says:
Yes.
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Blogging has a number of virtues, but confessing "immediately and openly to mistakes" sure doesn't seem to be one of them. On the contrary, with the exception of fairly mundane factual errors ("Megan McArdle reminds me that Keynes died in 1946, not 1945....") I'd venture to say that bloggers are about as likely to admit error as a 6-beer drunk in a barroom argument.
Yes.
Amazing Spin
At some point in his life Bill Frist dumped his girlfriend of 10 years 2 days before the elaborately planned wedding.
David Brooks makes that out to be a good thing
Now, there are plenty of worse things one can do and it has little nor nothing to do with whether we should think the kitty Doctor is a good senator...but, spinning it into a GOOD thing?
What a bobo.
Somerby also points out the disparate treatment of the Challenger astronauts versus the 4 men killed in a downed helicopter in Afghanistan:
I think it's difficult and not particularly productive to compare the two disasters in a meaningful way. In fact, I think there's a stronger point to be made - it isn't that the shuttle disaster knocked our dead soldiers out of the news cycle, it's that the dead soldiers wouldn't have been a major news story even in the absence of the shuttle disaster. The media isn't telling us much about the dead in Afghanistan - theirs or ours. While it's likely difficult to cover up military deaths, it isn't too hard to cover up the deaths of the rent-a-soldiers we have over there and the deaths of the special ops of the intelligence agencies. And, even when we do hear about it we don't HEAR ABOUT IT which means it may as well have never happened.
David Brooks makes that out to be a good thing
Now, there are plenty of worse things one can do and it has little nor nothing to do with whether we should think the kitty Doctor is a good senator...but, spinning it into a GOOD thing?
What a bobo.
Somerby also points out the disparate treatment of the Challenger astronauts versus the 4 men killed in a downed helicopter in Afghanistan:
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Those others “we will never hear about” include the coming dead in Iraq. It has been remarkable to compare the mourning for the Columbia seven to the all-encompassing lack of interest in the deaths which will soon occur in Iraq. Is war on Iraq a good idea? On that, we don’t express a view. But it has become rather clear that these upcoming deaths play no role in our current calculus. In the press, we have seen almost no attempt to estimate or discuss the impending loss of life. Recent reports about “Shock and Awe” or possible use of American nukes have produced almost no discussion. Do Americans care about Iraqi deaths? There is almost no sign that we do.
...
The human mind is deeply tribal; the human mind is wired to care about those perceived to be “one’s own.” Over the weekend, that tribalism was put on display. As a people, we can’t even seem to give a fig about the safety of our own soldiers; meanwhile, we wipe out debate about impending war to mourn seven high-profile accident victims. Such utter lack or moral seriousness may not hurt us this time around. In the long run, almost surely, it will. Tomorrow: Does Saddam Hussein really have nukes, and other lightly-limned Iraq questions
I think it's difficult and not particularly productive to compare the two disasters in a meaningful way. In fact, I think there's a stronger point to be made - it isn't that the shuttle disaster knocked our dead soldiers out of the news cycle, it's that the dead soldiers wouldn't have been a major news story even in the absence of the shuttle disaster. The media isn't telling us much about the dead in Afghanistan - theirs or ours. While it's likely difficult to cover up military deaths, it isn't too hard to cover up the deaths of the rent-a-soldiers we have over there and the deaths of the special ops of the intelligence agencies. And, even when we do hear about it we don't HEAR ABOUT IT which means it may as well have never happened.
Friedman
There are stupider columnists than Thomas Friedman, but none who get quite so much respect. Charles Dodgson gives us the short version of his latest here:
A commenter in Brad DeLong's website says, response to Friedman's statement that "It's not that there are no serious arguments to be made against war in Iraq. There are plenty. It's just that so much of what one hears coming from German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and French President Jacques Chirac are not serious arguments. "
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Some Europeans object to genetically modified food. Other Europeans smoke. Therefore, Europe as a whole has an inconsistent position on matters of personal health. And since this inconsistent position which the whole of Europe has adopted, all at once, is self-contradictory, it must not be based on a rational assessment of things; they're just trying to be something the Americans are not.
A commenter in Brad DeLong's website says, response to Friedman's statement that "It's not that there are no serious arguments to be made against war in Iraq. There are plenty. It's just that so much of what one hears coming from German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and French President Jacques Chirac are not serious arguments. "
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More broadly, I think that this is probably the worst Tom Friedman piece I have ever seen. Friedman, after all, supports (in the end) this war for completely different reasons than the Bush Administration offers for fighting it.
Or, to put it another way, he could just as easily today have written "It's not that there aren't serious arguments to be made against the war. It's just that those aren't the arguments being made by George Bush."
Sunday, February 02, 2003
Filibuster Estrada
There are a lot of reasons to not support the Estrada nomination, but frankly there is a simple one which should be enough - his complete failure to be forthcoming about any controversial issue during his confirmation hearing.
Take action. Contact your Senator. Stiffen their spines.
Take action. Contact your Senator. Stiffen their spines.
Dwight Meredith suggests a letter of recommendation for the biology professor at Texas Tech who has refused to write them for students who profess to not believe in evolution.
I think Dwight gets the point exactly right. By simply refusing to write such a recommendation letter based on a standard which some might consider to be discriminatory he opens himself up to that line of criticism - and legal recourse. I tend to side with those who think it is his right to do this, though I'll admit it does have one foot in the gray area. However, what is definitely his right is to say what he thinks in a recommendation letter. While tradition generally dictates that professors write "good" letters if they write anything at all, there's nothing requiring that. A professor isn't obligated to inform a student of his/her intent to write a nasty letter, though it would be unethical to write a dishonest nasty letter. However, writing a perfectly honest one, as Dwight suggests, would seem to shut the door on any criticisms. Or lawsuits.
I think Dwight gets the point exactly right. By simply refusing to write such a recommendation letter based on a standard which some might consider to be discriminatory he opens himself up to that line of criticism - and legal recourse. I tend to side with those who think it is his right to do this, though I'll admit it does have one foot in the gray area. However, what is definitely his right is to say what he thinks in a recommendation letter. While tradition generally dictates that professors write "good" letters if they write anything at all, there's nothing requiring that. A professor isn't obligated to inform a student of his/her intent to write a nasty letter, though it would be unethical to write a dishonest nasty letter. However, writing a perfectly honest one, as Dwight suggests, would seem to shut the door on any criticisms. Or lawsuits.
Mobile Eschaton
Reader P.J. has set up a website with a stripped down version of the blog handy for your cell phones or other mobile devices. I've posted the link up and to the right, and he also has feeds for Cursor and The Horse here.
The Geek Lobby
Jeff Hauser discusses libertarians and their desire to use the coercive power of the state to take your hard earned money to satisfy their geeky fantasies.
For the record, I actually like the government supporting those geeky fantasies, but I'd also like the government to support a few more easily justified noble endeavours as well.
For the record, I actually like the government supporting those geeky fantasies, but I'd also like the government to support a few more easily justified noble endeavours as well.
Well, apparently a lot of you went to check out the great clothes at Persephone and even put in a bunch of orders! Always nice to see businesses run by good liberals being supported.
Maybe I should start charging for that advertising thing...
Maybe I should start charging for that advertising thing...
UggaBugga Ugh
Quiddity Quack diagrams the Project for the New American Century.
ugh.
(ugh directed at PNAC, not QQ)
ugh.
(ugh directed at PNAC, not QQ)
Eric Alterman's book comes out Tuesday. You can buy it here.
You can read the first chapter at the website.
You can read the first chapter at the website.
The Very Stylish Mary Rosh
Ms. Rosh makes the Style section. I thought the article bent over backwards to be fair to Lott.
And, Julian Sanchez tells us that US News will have another article soon.
Tom Spencer, Kieran Healy, Tim Lambert, and Mark Kleiman all have comments.
For those who think this is all about one survey, or an amusing tale of cross-dressing virtual onanism, now would be a good time to go read Tim Lambert's Lotts of Errors.
And, Julian Sanchez tells us that US News will have another article soon.
Tom Spencer, Kieran Healy, Tim Lambert, and Mark Kleiman all have comments.
For those who think this is all about one survey, or an amusing tale of cross-dressing virtual onanism, now would be a good time to go read Tim Lambert's Lotts of Errors.
Stupid Intelligence
It isn't just the fact that they're lying, it's also that they're shifting resources to try and prove that the square peg really does go into the round hole instead of actually trying to track down real terrorists. Incompetent dangerous bastards.
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At the Federal Bureau of Investigation, some investigators said they were baffled by the Bush administration's insistence on a solid link between Iraq and Osama bin Laden's network. "We've been looking at this hard for more than a year and you know what, we just don't think it's there," a government official said.
Three Jewish Guys go to Iowa
It's shaping up to be an almost all Jewish democratic primary! (well, sort of).
Kerry:
For years, US Senator John Forbes Kerry had sought to know the true story of his immigrant grandfather, Frederick A. Kerry, the patriarch who established the family in Boston and then mysteriously took his own life.
The senator searched phone books and the Internet and quizzed his cousins, but he was only able to learn fragments of family history.
The story, it turns out, began in a small town in the Czech Republic that once was part of the Austrian empire. Birth records there show that Frederick A. Kerry was born as Fritz Kohn to Jewish parents, according to a genealogy specialist hired by the Globe. Kohn changed his name to Kerry around 1902 and emigrated to the United States in 1905, eventually moving to Boston.
Clark:
Raised a Southern Baptist by his mother in Little Rock — his father died when he was 4, and his mother remarried — Clark is the grandson of a Jew, Jacob Nemerovsky, who escaped from the pogroms of Czarist Russia in about 1894-95. He remembers his father, Benjamin Kanne, a lawyer who served in Chicago's Corporation Counsel, as "a happy man who loved life." Still, it wasn't until he was in his 20s that Clark learned that he descends from "generations of rabbis" from Minsk, as he told the Forward in a telephone interview. "We did a genealogy," he said. He keeps in touch with a large Jewish family dispersed from Georgia to California.
And, of course, Lieberman.
Don't forget Mrs. Howard Dean!
Kerry:
For years, US Senator John Forbes Kerry had sought to know the true story of his immigrant grandfather, Frederick A. Kerry, the patriarch who established the family in Boston and then mysteriously took his own life.
The senator searched phone books and the Internet and quizzed his cousins, but he was only able to learn fragments of family history.
The story, it turns out, began in a small town in the Czech Republic that once was part of the Austrian empire. Birth records there show that Frederick A. Kerry was born as Fritz Kohn to Jewish parents, according to a genealogy specialist hired by the Globe. Kohn changed his name to Kerry around 1902 and emigrated to the United States in 1905, eventually moving to Boston.
Clark:
Raised a Southern Baptist by his mother in Little Rock — his father died when he was 4, and his mother remarried — Clark is the grandson of a Jew, Jacob Nemerovsky, who escaped from the pogroms of Czarist Russia in about 1894-95. He remembers his father, Benjamin Kanne, a lawyer who served in Chicago's Corporation Counsel, as "a happy man who loved life." Still, it wasn't until he was in his 20s that Clark learned that he descends from "generations of rabbis" from Minsk, as he told the Forward in a telephone interview. "We did a genealogy," he said. He keeps in touch with a large Jewish family dispersed from Georgia to California.
And, of course, Lieberman.
Don't forget Mrs. Howard Dean!
Saturday, February 01, 2003
Avedon Carol tells us about the problems with voting machines.
This is a big one folks. I don't care which party could be doing this - electronic voting makes it easy to commit massive electoral fraud with no oversight. Creepy.
This is a big one folks. I don't care which party could be doing this - electronic voting makes it easy to commit massive electoral fraud with no oversight. Creepy.
Persephone
Let me recommend my good friend Ooba's Gothic Romantic clothing business. Gets the Atrios Seal of Approval.
....there's also some very nice and affordable jewelery. Valentine's day is coming up!
....there's also some very nice and affordable jewelery. Valentine's day is coming up!
Can it for a day
What he said - and its more general implication.
You know - seven people died today. It's tragic. It's upset me - I've made that clear. But, I've also lived abroad when other countries have experienced their own tragedies. The US news coverage of them was frequently nonexistent. This sort of comment isn't simply inappropriate, it also demonstrates profound ignorance.
Tim Dunlop has related comments.
You know - seven people died today. It's tragic. It's upset me - I've made that clear. But, I've also lived abroad when other countries have experienced their own tragedies. The US news coverage of them was frequently nonexistent. This sort of comment isn't simply inappropriate, it also demonstrates profound ignorance.
Tim Dunlop has related comments.
I was gone for the day due to circumstances mostly beyond my control. Aside from the initial forgetting my keys part, anyway. But, probably the best. Wasn't much in the mood to be shuttle disaster central, nor was I much in the mood to go back to our regularly scheduled programming.
To those who think it's inappropriate to mourn some lives more than others - well, it's the only way we can mourn at all.
UPDATE: The Goblin Queen does a pretty good job of expressing why these few might get our attention. I started to write something along those lines, but didn't do very well so I gave up.
To those who think it's inappropriate to mourn some lives more than others - well, it's the only way we can mourn at all.
UPDATE: The Goblin Queen does a pretty good job of expressing why these few might get our attention. I started to write something along those lines, but didn't do very well so I gave up.
Damn
NASA has lost contact with the Shuttle.
CNN showing footage of re-entry which doesn't look good.
Appears to have broken up on re-entry. Unconfirmed reports of loud crash in Texas.
CBS has reported that in one of the last communications the crew radioed that they were getting insane tire pressure readings on the landing gear.
CNN showing footage of re-entry which doesn't look good.
Appears to have broken up on re-entry. Unconfirmed reports of loud crash in Texas.
CBS has reported that in one of the last communications the crew radioed that they were getting insane tire pressure readings on the landing gear.
Who puts the AA in AARLC?
Gene Weingarten tries to discover the truth about the African-American republican Leadership Council. This is an hilarious column.
Our media should be ashamed of themselves for providing a platform to organizations like this. In the endless pursuit of 'balance' they regularly pit, say, a spokeswoman from NOW, an organization with thousands of members and against a spokeswoman from Concerned Women for America, and organization with few actual members but big donors. Just say no to Republican front groups! Particularly ones as bigoted as the CWFA. They're hideous.
You can go and check out the hilarious AARLC website here. Don't miss the advisory panel.
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Still, it left me with a question. So I phoned the man identified as the group's political spokesman, Kevin L. Martin. Kevin had been quoted in the media a great deal in December, offering the opinion that Lott was railroaded and should be forgiven.
I told him that I enjoyed the site, but found myself puzzled by only one thing.
"What's that?" he asked.
"The African American Republican Leadership Council," I said, "does not appear to feature African Americans."
Our media should be ashamed of themselves for providing a platform to organizations like this. In the endless pursuit of 'balance' they regularly pit, say, a spokeswoman from NOW, an organization with thousands of members and against a spokeswoman from Concerned Women for America, and organization with few actual members but big donors. Just say no to Republican front groups! Particularly ones as bigoted as the CWFA. They're hideous.
You can go and check out the hilarious AARLC website here. Don't miss the advisory panel.
Punctured Bowel? Only a Flesh Wound
Roger Ailes gives us more about the doctor who was used as Bush's prop to push malpractice reform, which we first saw here.
But, leaving aside bashing Dr. Baker, this does raise the following question - how screwed up must the malpractice insurance market be if one state is offering it for $8,000 and another for $200,000?
There is likely an obvious answer which no one seems to be talking about. In fact, there was enough not talking about it that I hadn't even realized it until a few days ago - the insurance industry is exempt from federal anti-trust regulation.
Repeal that exemption. Or, simply cap the rates. Problem solved.
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Dr. Denise Baker of Bradenton sat behind first lady Laura Bush Tuesday night as President Bush asked Congress to limit medical malpractice awards in "frivolous lawsuits."
Baker said lawsuits against her were partially to blame for higher insurance rates that forced her to quit delivering babies. She has settled four malpractice claims since 1998, totaling more than $600,000.
Bradenton resident Bill Bartram and his wife, Phyllis, filed one of those lawsuits.
"Frivolous? (My wife) almost died," said Bartram, 61. He and his 55-year-old wife settled their suit in December 2000.
"My wife has a scar on her stomach as big as a fist," after an operation in 1998 in which her bowel was punctured, Bartram said. Bartram said he saw Baker's picture in the paper Wednesday and was outraged.
"I'm a Democrat, but I think the Republicans are putting politics in their medicine without checking out their doctors," he said.
In an interview with The Associated Press Wednesday, Baker referred to none of her patients by name, but she described a case in which she slightly punctured a woman's bowel during laparoscopic surgery.
Mainly because of those claims, Baker's annual insurance premiums rose from $58,000 to $200,000 last year, she said.
Instead of moving to another state, where she could get coverage for about $8,000 a year, Baker kept her gynecology practice in Bradenton.
But, leaving aside bashing Dr. Baker, this does raise the following question - how screwed up must the malpractice insurance market be if one state is offering it for $8,000 and another for $200,000?
There is likely an obvious answer which no one seems to be talking about. In fact, there was enough not talking about it that I hadn't even realized it until a few days ago - the insurance industry is exempt from federal anti-trust regulation.
Repeal that exemption. Or, simply cap the rates. Problem solved.
Defining racism down to the basement...
Apparently, expressing objections to interracial marriage is simply expressing a 'controversial opinion.'
You know, I love the power of the Middle 'C' and all, but there's something really wrong when this site is the #7 when you search google for "Emmett Till."
OOPS: Update - A reader notes the incoming search page had me at 117, not 7. That makes a lot more sense.
OOPS: Update - A reader notes the incoming search page had me at 117, not 7. That makes a lot more sense.
Eschaton Flashback
Someone in my comments recently jokingly used the term 'Saddamite.' I doubt I coined the term, but I believe I did once find the best use for it - when referring to Fred Phelps' trips to Iraq.
Here's Fred's love letter to Saddam:
We understand that Iraq is the only Muslim state that allows the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to be freely and openly preached on the streets without fear of arrest and prosecution. Alas, the United States no longer allows the Gospel to be freely and openly preached on the streets, because militant sodomites now control our government, and they violently object to the Bible message...The same majoritarian sodomite tyranny that now guides the Clinton administration's repressive policies toward Gospel preaching on America's streets, is apparently responsible -- at least in part -- for the merciless slaughter by starvation of 400 innocent Iraqi babies each day in your country. If our government and laws will allow it, and at the invitation of your government, we would like to send a delegation from Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, to preach the Gospel on the streets of Baghdad for one week in the near future."
-- Fred Phelps, in a letter to Saddam Hussein,
November 30, 1997
to which I responded: Does this mean that Fred Phelps is a Saddamite?
Well, I thought it was funny...
Here's a picture of Fred 's gang doing the Lord's work in Baghdad.
Here's Fred's love letter to Saddam:
We understand that Iraq is the only Muslim state that allows the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to be freely and openly preached on the streets without fear of arrest and prosecution. Alas, the United States no longer allows the Gospel to be freely and openly preached on the streets, because militant sodomites now control our government, and they violently object to the Bible message...The same majoritarian sodomite tyranny that now guides the Clinton administration's repressive policies toward Gospel preaching on America's streets, is apparently responsible -- at least in part -- for the merciless slaughter by starvation of 400 innocent Iraqi babies each day in your country. If our government and laws will allow it, and at the invitation of your government, we would like to send a delegation from Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, to preach the Gospel on the streets of Baghdad for one week in the near future."
-- Fred Phelps, in a letter to Saddam Hussein,
November 30, 1997
to which I responded: Does this mean that Fred Phelps is a Saddamite?
Well, I thought it was funny...
Here's a picture of Fred 's gang doing the Lord's work in Baghdad.
Navel Gazing
Hey, 300,000 sitemeter determined 'unique visits' for January.
But, as long as Andrew Sullivan gets more visits than me the terrorists are winning!
But, as long as Andrew Sullivan gets more visits than me the terrorists are winning!
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