It never ceases to amaze me how the same people who are concerned with China's record of animal rights abuse can ignore its record of human rights abuse.
[Link]
Where are our priorities?
[Link]
Where are our priorities?
Bush Meets with President of Kazakhstan
The pair reportedly discussed the war on terror and the stabilisation of Afghanistan.
[Link]
No word on whether Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev will see the new Borat movie.
[Link]
No word on whether Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev will see the new Borat movie.
Big Win for Bush on Military Tribunals
Despite the tough talk during this election season, President Bush picked up a major win from the Senate yesterday as Senators passed his version of the military trials bill 65-34.
[Link]
The ink isn't even dry on the bill and the critics are already howling in full force trying to blunt the political win. MSNBC quotes Georgetown Law Prof. Neal Katyal who claims that the bill create two systems of justice- military commissions for foreign nationals and regular criminal trials for U.S. citizens.
He reportedly questions the bill's constitutionality under the 14th amendment which allows for equal protection under the law. Katyal said:
If you're an American citizen, you get the Cadillac system of justice. If you're a foreigner or a green-card holder, you get this beat-up-Chevy version.
[Link]
Katyal's analysis of the measure, clouded by his political bias, overlooks juridical, historical precedent during and immediately following WWII. He also neglects to mention that the bill applies to non-citizens and the snarky point of order that the Constitution protects only the rights of Americans. A better analogy would be that Americans get a Cadillac system of justice, while foreigners get a beat-up-Mitsubishi version. C'mon Katyal. Get it right!
Difference or no, any US military commission trial offered to an enemy combatant is far more magnanimous than anything our enemies would offer us. By carping on this bill, the left proves once again that it would rather defend the rights of Al-Qaeda terrorists than bring the people who would do us harm to justice.
Why We Need to Stay the Course in Iraq
The media will spin the story below, out of Iraq to make the case for cut and run. But it's really the epitome of why we need to finish the job.
[Link]
"I saw my mother on the street. I picked up her brains with my own hands and wrapped it," Osama said, repeating the words, "picked up her brains."
Too many good people in the Nation of Iraq are dying at the hands of terrorists. This isn't about civil war. This battle is about rouge extremists willfully terrorizing and the question of America's will to liberate them from the factions.
[Link]
"I saw my mother on the street. I picked up her brains with my own hands and wrapped it," Osama said, repeating the words, "picked up her brains."
Too many good people in the Nation of Iraq are dying at the hands of terrorists. This isn't about civil war. This battle is about rouge extremists willfully terrorizing and the question of America's will to liberate them from the factions.
High School Football Team Sucks, Coach Cancels Season
Most of the time, athletics is viewed as part of a greater life lesson on commitment, endurance and perseverance. Good lessons notwithstanding, imagine a team so bad the coach decides to cancel the rest of the season. This is what happened in Oscoda, MI where head coach Kyle Tobin cancelled his team's season because they sucked.[Link]
Nice job coach. You know, more people need to learn that it's okay to quit when life gets tough!
Kyle Tobin. A True Mentor of Kids.
Birds Take on CA Town
I'm posting on this story mainly because it reminds me of my own battles with pigeons on Boston Commons.[Link]
A town in SoCal has a problem with Herons disturbing the operation of their businesses. The birds have been known to deposit dead animal parts along the sidewalks after a meal, and several citizens have been the victim of bird-dropping mayhem. The town wants the birds out and I don't blame them.
Everyday I sit and enjoy my lunch on the commons near a water fountain. Unlike pigeons in most city parks who shy away from people, Boston has what I will call kamikaze pigeons that swoop down upon unsuspecting passersby. Sometimes they 'bomb' people (which is always hilarious if it's not you) and other times they run their suicidal course into the hair of little old ladies.
I'd like to take this opportunity to issue a fatwa against pigeons: Pigeons are evil. We must destroy these infidel birds.
Maybe herons too.
Awkward Date at the White House
The New York Times ran a priceless headline describing yesterday's dinner with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Afghan President Hamid Karzai. The headline read: Bush Plays Chaperon for Awkward Encounter.
[Link]
It was indeed that. Peter Brookes of the Heritage Foundation said:
They're looking for marriage counseling and maybe President Bush will provide some of that.
It's a fine description but I'm not sure that it was marriage counseling. Maybe an awkward date?
By all accounts the pair hemmed and hawed, made small talk, came to no concrete agreements on anything and failed to plan for a second meeting.
Sounds a lot like a bad first date to me...
TO: Suicide Attempt or Allergic Reaction?
The news reports out of Dallas are a bit fuzzy. This morning, ESPN reported that Dallas Cowboy's star receiver, TO was taken to a local hospital having suffered an allergic reaction to pain killers.
His publicist said the issue was "not serious."
[Link]
Now, a news station out of Dallas which obtained a copy of the police report claims that TO was actually taken to the hospital after having attempted suicide from an overdose on pain pills. Vomiting was reportedly induced to rid his stomach of the overdose not because of allergies.
[Link]
Update: No clear word on all of this yet. But The Smoking Gun has a copy of the police report. Looks like a suicide attempt...
More news will be out in the coming hours. For now it appears that the initial reaction from TO's camp was a bit of damage control and that there is more to the story than initially meets the eye.
Update 2: The Dallas Cowboys are set to hold a press conference in about fifteen minutes on the TO matter. Friends of the all-star receiver say he flatly denies that the overdose was a suicide attempt.
The story is that TO was incoherent due to the allergic reaction as a result he took too many of the pain killers and gave obscured answers to the Dallas police on the scene. The Dallas PD are substantiating this version of the story and insist that the incident was being treated as a medical emergency and not a crime. The police are also refusing to corroborate the police report linked to above.
[Link]
His publicist said the issue was "not serious."
[Link]
Now, a news station out of Dallas which obtained a copy of the police report claims that TO was actually taken to the hospital after having attempted suicide from an overdose on pain pills. Vomiting was reportedly induced to rid his stomach of the overdose not because of allergies.
[Link]
Update: No clear word on all of this yet. But The Smoking Gun has a copy of the police report. Looks like a suicide attempt...
More news will be out in the coming hours. For now it appears that the initial reaction from TO's camp was a bit of damage control and that there is more to the story than initially meets the eye.
Update 2: The Dallas Cowboys are set to hold a press conference in about fifteen minutes on the TO matter. Friends of the all-star receiver say he flatly denies that the overdose was a suicide attempt.
The story is that TO was incoherent due to the allergic reaction as a result he took too many of the pain killers and gave obscured answers to the Dallas police on the scene. The Dallas PD are substantiating this version of the story and insist that the incident was being treated as a medical emergency and not a crime. The police are also refusing to corroborate the police report linked to above.
[Link]
Hillary Stands By Her Man...Again
The scene was a familiar one yesterday with Hill defending Bill.
Fortunately, this time around no interns were involved.
[Link]
You are by now well aware of President Clinton's diatribe with Fox News reporter Chris Wallace. The word purple rage comes to mind. Needless to say, Hill's message yesterday was by contrast a bit off. Far from defending her husband's record, the best she could do was say that Democrats would not take 'these attacks.' Is asking a question is considered an attack?
For Hillary, the vast right-wing conspiracy is at it again.
But the penetrating question remains- how long until Hillary gets tired of standing by her man?
W.F. Buckley Argues, Coat and Tie for Undergrads
The National Review ran a piece on its online site from the January 17, 1959 issue. In it, William F. Buckley makes the case that college undergrads should be forced to wear a coat and tie as a "minimal standard of dress" out of decency of "respect for the opinions of mankind."
Buckley writes:
The economic argument, implausible though it increasingly becomes, is still widely used. It holds that coats and ties are expensive, that therefore the uniform requirement that they be worn daily, and hence worn out prematurely, is a form of regressive taxation. The argument is unrealistic because in point of fact ties do not cost very much, and coats made out of a tough material will outlive even a pauper's inclination to wear them .
My how times have changed. Has he seen how much blazers and sport coats cost these days?
[Link]
How about ties?
[Link]
These days, coats and ties are now completely removed from the undergraduate consciousness. Students dine in anything from sweatshirts and jeans to pajamas and workout clothes (I should like to have enjoyed Buckley's comments on baggy clothes during the early 90s!). But at the time Buckley wrote the article, the 'threat' to propriety came from a beat generation inspired by Jack Kerouac and Hunter Thompson then later from the hippies. Somethings never change- hippies are still a nuisance for example.
I'm not really going anywhere with this post except to state the obvious- that the world is very different now than in 1959 when Buckley wrote the piece. More interesting is the question why is this the case. I would proffer that the Information Age we have entered did much to facilitate this trend. With the failure of companies to provide job security to workers, people now place a premium on personal comfort and satisfaction. Mean while, employers have become more flexible and permissive because it becomes increasingly easy for workers to change jobs.
Another point is that the Information Age ushered in an entirely new wave of companies which severely downgraded the utility of business professional attire in the work place. Led by recent grads from technical and engineering universities, the attitude of these companies was one of a hip new era which was reflected in their dress. To say the least, it contrasted greatly with the button down look of Wall St. The casual dress of these dot coms trumped the staid dress of business professional in the eyes of young workers and all too easily transferred to students who are loathe of formality anyway.
Nevertheless, how Buckley wishes we could return to the good old days! Back when the pressing problems of our age were those unruly undergrads from Yale who refused to wear a tie to dinner. Of course, at my alma mater ties have always been an issue of least of concerns. Dartmouth men much preferred warmth during the New Hampshire winter over fashion. Then again Dartmouth has always been far more practical, in every respect, over Princeton and Yale.
Mike Huckabee Attends Voter Values Summit
Perhaps its obvious but Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee continues to make significant in roads with Christian Conservative voters. He is consistently positioning himself as the candidate to beat for their base of support in the 2008 GOP Presidential nomination.
Most recently, Huckabee appeared at the Voter Values Summit in Washington, DC.
[Link]
I'll be writing a much longer piece on the Arkansas Governor in the coming days but I wanted to all your attention to this hilarious quote from the event. After summarizing his views of marriage, Huckabee concluded:
Dear friends, until Moses comes down with two stone tablets from Brokeback Mountain saying we've changed the rules, let's keep it like it is.
Bloggers Net White House Invite
The White House invited a group of bloggers to join President Bush at a bill signing later this afternoon which came to fruition largely through their efforts. The legislation creates a database of all federal contracts and is designed to increase transparency in their allotment. The problem came when senators in both parties put "secret holds" on the measure obstructing its passage. The bloggers launched a drive to find the hold-out senators forcing them to give earlier this month.
[Link]
Like most good legislation coming out of the Senate in recent months, the bill was co-sponsored by Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn.
Lesson for Dartmouth: Character Counts
The Daily D reports today that Class of 1984 valedictorian Gary Bremer was sentenced to two years in prison for possession of child pornography.
[Link]
Maybe it's the season but the story brings to mind Noah Riner's controversial convocation address delivered nearly a year ago. It isn't a particularly insightful reminder but it is an important one for students attending the college at present.
Character still matters.
I heard it said once that attending Dartmouth and its sister institutions was the modern equivalent of going to finishing school- a place where the brightest and best are refined for a world of professional and social success. I don't believe this. In fact, the entire notion strikes me as silly. Any success or failure in life, demonstrated by alums from Jeffrey Immelt to Gary Bremer, depends entirely upon the will of a raw product delivered from the mountains of NH. We are not refined by our time in Hanover. Those quaint notions are best saved for the Harvards and Princetons of our Nation. Far from refining, our time in Hanover simply brings to the surface a coarse product we never realized was there. We are refined and defined by what we do when we leave.
The lesson of Gary Bremer is that life offers stark choice. We may take a stand for what is right or we may choose not to do so. The choice is neither easy nor obvious. To this, Bremer said, "I knew I was bending the law but I didn't realize I was breaking it."
This matters little. As Professor H.H. Horne wrote in his classic essay The Dartmouth Man, "Life is action, not thought."
[Link]
Falwell Gets It Right
For once, Moral Majority founder Jerry Falwell gets it. In off the cuff remarks at his "Value Voter Summit", Falwell said:
I certainly hope that Hillary is the candidate...Because nothing will energize my (constituency) like Hillary Clinton. If Lucifer ran, he wouldn't.
[Link]
It's not an elegant way of putting it, but he's right and the left knows it.
This leaves, however, one terribly pressing question. Given Hugo Chavez's comments last week and Falwell's remarks yesterday, who is the real Devil? President Bush or Senator Clinton?
Iran Six Months Away from Nuclear Plant
Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency announced that the Tehran regime intends to complete its nuclear facilities in Bushehr within six months time putting Iran well along the path to nuclear power- the reputed cause of their nuclear enrichment activities.
[Link]
The interesting bit of information in the press release is that the project's contractor is the Russian government.
Flying? Liquids Now Okay
Well, they're sort of okay.
The TSA announced that it's "War on Liquids" has reached an amicable conclusion. Apparently, the sinister intentions of shampoo and hair gel no longer pose the threat to National Security they once did.
[Link]
Clinton Meltdown
Bucking conventional trends, I will not add to Bill Clinton's eruption on Fox News Sunday.
[Link]
The video speaks for itself.
[Link]
The video speaks for itself.
New Internet?
We outsource computer repairs to India and textile manufacturing to Malaysia. Apparently we've now outsourced the Internet to China...
[Link]
Update: Election 06
I have not had too much to say about the midterm elections in recent months. Mainly because it didn't look very promising for our team on the right. Even now, some seven weeks out from the midterm elections, all signs indicate that it will still be a rather difficult November contest. But for Republicans the winds of favor are finally beginning to blow our way.
[Link]
The LA Times (certainly no rampart of conservative propaganda) ran a lengthy article today detailing recent poll numbers which point to significant GOP gains among voters. The President's job approval rating is at its highest levels in the past year. Americans trust the GOP more than the Dems with the Nation's security and even in handling the war in Iraq. Regarding the war on terror, the GOP trailed the Dems by 9% back in June. That Democrat lead has been completely erased. Voters now prefer Republicans by 17%.
Given this momentum, the most damning fact against the Democrats is that they are strapped for cash. The GOP will command five times the financial resources of the DNC entering the final weeks of the campaign season.
[Link]
This, however, comes as no surprise. We discussed back in August that there were sharp fractures within the Democrat Party over campaign fundraising and spending. In the end, DNC Chairman Howard Dean held true to his word- investing most of the National Party organization's resources in State Party operations. This effort has left the DNC with only $12 million dollars to spread across 40 competitive House races over the next seven weeks. The RNC by contrast will shell out some $60 million for TV ads and get out the vote efforts in the three days leading up to the election.
Even the Democrats are starting to look glum. Steve Rosenthal, a Democratic strategist said:
Republicans have unlimited resources...[the GOP will] bloody the waters enough with negative ads and come in below that with a campaign that is mailings, phone calls, personal contact with voters they know they need to get out to win .
While I wouldn't break out the champagne just yet, the GOP tenor is certainly more upbeat than it was a few months ago. But only time will tell. The challenge for the GOP will be to unite behind a message which inspires voters to get out and vote.
Of course, having five times the financial wherewithal of your opponent doesn't hurt either.
Israel: Iran is Our Biggest Threat
Israel declared a few minutes ago that Iran is the greatest threat to its values.
[Link]
They're right.
[Link]
They're right.
Kerry Has Faith!
I'm not really one to question a person's belief or absence of belief in God. That's between the individual and God and in the end God will be the arbiter not me. But I must 'confess', this article on John Kerry from the Washington Post did make me pause.
Apparently, Sen. John F. Kerry has suddenly concluded that it is important to share his religious beliefs with the general public. At an event in Malibu, CA, Kerry shared his story of faith with a group of supporters talking with passion about his wandering years before coming back to the Catholic Church.
[Link]
The optimist in me wants to say, "that's great. It's great he's finally reached the point where he can share his beliefs!" But the skeptic in me says, "Gee, I wonder if the nearing 08 election had anything to do with this?" Both are probably true. One just has more truth to it than the other.
At any rate, Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council had the best summary of the matter:
The pickle that some of these liberal policymakers find themselves in is, they know that faith is important to people, but when they get pinned down on their policy positions that are inconsistent with the tenets of their faith, they start hedging and talking about other factors in their decision .
In the end, talk is cheap. Values voters care about actions and positions taken on issues. It's one thing to talk about going astray and coming back to the Catholic Church. It's another to support killing little babies- an act which the church finds morally reprehensible. Voters always see through political expediency.
Chavez Demonizes Bush
Quite literally.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez delivered remarks to the United Nations today calling President Bush the devil and bemoaning American pillaging of the world.
[Link]
In the more interesting portion of his remarks, Chavez declared that the UN should move to Venezuela. Conservatives across America stood in applause.
As if his comments weren't enough to call his ability to reason into question, Chavez appeared before the world body brandishing a copy of Noam Chomsky's Hegemony or Survival.
There's nothing quite like an armchair intellectual. You too can be as smart as Hugo Chavez for only fifteen bucks at Amazon.com. Just be sure to elevate the discourse by calling your opponent Satan (the Great Satan if you're from Iran) and suggest all the kids come play at your house instead
Rachel Ray Show Tanks
I was sorely disappointed to see that the Food Network's Rachel Ray received stinging reviews for her new talk show "The Rachel Ray Show."[ Link]
The critics said:
She doesn't talk to us so much as screams and she might want to consider taking a more leisurely approach.
Wicked critics- suggesting she try Xanex! They obviously don't understand her.
Easy Flying With Xanax
The NYT had an amusing article about the growing anti-anxiety drug market. Apparently, its largest growth has been among business travelers post-9/11.
Link
While I am no fan of flying, I am not convinced Xanax is the way to go. There were, however, plenty of justifications for its use. The most hilarious of which appears below:
Some fliers said they preferred a drug like Xanax to alcohol because its effects are typically mild. It does not make them spacey or fuzzy-headed, they said. They do not stumble off a plane as if their legs are filled with putty, making it appealing to business travelers who must attend meetings after landing .
Link
While I am no fan of flying, I am not convinced Xanax is the way to go. There were, however, plenty of justifications for its use. The most hilarious of which appears below:
Some fliers said they preferred a drug like Xanax to alcohol because its effects are typically mild. It does not make them spacey or fuzzy-headed, they said. They do not stumble off a plane as if their legs are filled with putty, making it appealing to business travelers who must attend meetings after landing .
No wonder people like this stuff. It's alcohol minus the smell and side-effects.
Bush Poll Numbers on the Rise
You probably won't see this get a whole lot of press, but Gallup is reporting that President Bush's poll numbers have reached their highest levels in a year. 44% of Americans now approve of the job the President is doing.
The bump couldn't come at a better time with the midterm elections only 7 weeks away.
[Link]
Reuters attributes the bounce largely to Republicans coming to Jesus as it were. 86% of all Republicans now say they support the President compared to 70% who backed him in may. The article also mentions a renewed campaign to boost support for the Iraq war which undoubtedly helped.
But I think the bounce is largely attributable to falling gas prices. It seems like a natural correlation. As prices fall, people are less apt to blame the powers that be for their pocketbook pinch. As the public becomes mollified, the political pressure on leadership is lessened. Of course, I have no polling capacity or hard data to support the claim. If anyone can verify my thought or destroy it, please send a link.
France Shuns West, Backs Iran
French President Jaques Chirac demonstrated once again why the trans-atlantic alliance is in shambles. Despite calls for unity from everyone from Germany to the US, France opted to buck the world pressure and support Iran in its nuclear ambitions.
In stating his opposition to Iranian sanctions, Chirac remarked:
[Link]
In stating his opposition to Iranian sanctions, Chirac remarked:
I am always and have always been favorable to a negotiated solution. I believe that dialogue still is open ... there is a lot more potential to dialogue and I would like us to go the end of that particular road before we decide to go any further in any other direction. I very much hope that dialogue will get us out of this crisis and I believe it will .
Chirac is correct in that dialogue is still open. Sanctions can be averted when Iran accepts the package of incentives offered by the West. However, Chirac is naive at best, foolish at worst, to think that a resolution to the crisis can come with out them. Up to this point, Iran has indicated only that it intends to defy the world in its pursuit of nuclear weapons while fomenting tension throughout the region.
Chirac is correct in that dialogue is still open. Sanctions can be averted when Iran accepts the package of incentives offered by the West. However, Chirac is naive at best, foolish at worst, to think that a resolution to the crisis can come with out them. Up to this point, Iran has indicated only that it intends to defy the world in its pursuit of nuclear weapons while fomenting tension throughout the region.
Should Iran accomplish its mission with the support of France, the only consolation the West will have is that Paris is closer to Tehran than Washington and London.
As a complete aside, I love how the Iranian News service lifted whole portions for their press release from CNN. Brilliant.
Loss of Sleep Leads to Gain of Weight
So said MSNBC's Madelyn Fernstrom, Ph.D. of the University of Pittsburgh.
[Link]
Fernstorm makes the case that chronic sleep loss (regularly sleeping less than six hours per night) is a major sabotage to body weight. Apparently, sleeping less than six hours per night results in the body being off its regular pattern for hormone regulation meaning that the feeling of when we are full and hungry gets out of balance. The result is a desire for more food and a higher level of body fat.
It's an interesting read but I'm not sure I buy it. I get by on 4-5 hrs per night and do just fine. But then again, I'm not actively trying to lose weight. Maybe I'll hit the sack earlier after all.
Muslims: Pope Must Die
The fury surrounding the Pope's remarks continues to build. This afternoon a protest group in London led by extremist Anjem Choudary declared, "The Pope must die."
[Link]
Most Britons and an overwhelming number of Americans, however, believe that the Pope has no reason to apologize.
[Link]
And they are right. The actions of these Islamists have more than made the point of the Byzantine Emperor Pope Benedict quoted. Mean while, outrageous accusations continue to swirl. The leader of Iranian Muslims supreme leader Ali Khamenei offered a conspiracy theory saying that the Pope's comments are part of a US-Israeli collusion to stir up religious conflict.
He said:
The issue of insulting cartoons and remarks of some politicians about Islam are different links in the conspiracy of the crusaders and the pope's remarks are the latest links in this.
[Link]
Jennifer Roback in the National Review offered a razor of truth to the madness:
The Islamist-generated controversy obscures the facts that the pope was condemning religious violence and calling for a deeper understanding of the role of reason. I, for one, hope the Holy Father doesn't back down .
[Link]
Roback gets it right. Her nickname for the Pope (B16) is priceless. And she's dead on that this controversy is a complete non sequitur, spurred on by a perpetually disgruntled sect of Islamists whose sensibilities are offended far more than their good sense is utilized.
Unfortunately, the western press did nothing to help matters and in fact it actually helped to inflame tensions with headlines like these.
[Link]
Iran Ready to Share Technology
The Iranian press announced today that its President Ahmadinejad was ready to share Iranian technological insight with developing Nations across the world.
[Link]
Ahmadinejad is in Cuba for the Non-Aligned Movement's 14th Summit. NAM is a mix of Nations who are not formally aligned with any world power block- in other words, it had far more relevance during the Cold War. NAM is led by a rather motley cadre of individuals. Leaders from Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, Pakistan, Sudan and Somalia make up the group's core. Their agenda for this summit is basically aimed at Bush-hating and U.S. bashing which has occurred robustly the past few days.
[Link]
Given their context, the remarks offer a reminder. The threat of Iranian nuclear development is not restricted to Iran. It extends to any of the other Nations within the movement who are ready to capitalize on Iran's generosity.
[Link]
Ahmadinejad is in Cuba for the Non-Aligned Movement's 14th Summit. NAM is a mix of Nations who are not formally aligned with any world power block- in other words, it had far more relevance during the Cold War. NAM is led by a rather motley cadre of individuals. Leaders from Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, Pakistan, Sudan and Somalia make up the group's core. Their agenda for this summit is basically aimed at Bush-hating and U.S. bashing which has occurred robustly the past few days.
[Link]
Given their context, the remarks offer a reminder. The threat of Iranian nuclear development is not restricted to Iran. It extends to any of the other Nations within the movement who are ready to capitalize on Iran's generosity.
Thoughts on Pope Benedict's Speech on Islam
There's been a lot of press and outrage this week over a speech made by Pope Benedict on Islam. In a rather innocuous address made at the University of Regensburg (on the topic of violence and faith, ironically), the Pope quoted the 14th century Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus who said:
Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.
[Link]
Having made the citation above, the Pope then went on to make the case that violence was "incompatible with the nature of God." Lifted from its academic context, these remarks created chaos in Islamic nations where Islamists have since burned the Pope in effigy and reacted with tremendous bursts of violence. It is rumored that the Pope's planned trip to Turkey is now in jeopardy as well.
[Link]
Muslim leaders have since made numerous accusations against the Pope claiming he implied that Muslims were the creators of terrorism. They are also quick to note that it was the world's "Christian" nations who attacked the Islamic world first (viz., Afghanistan and Iraq).
[Link]
In my view, the remarks themselves are completely benign. They appear near the beginning of the Pope's speech and serve as a primer for remarks to follow which aim at discussing religion's intersection with violence. The ultimate point of the speech is that regardless of faith, violence is incompatible with God's nature- a fairly typical statement for most people of conviction. When read carefully, there should be no cause for anyone, Muslim or other, to take offense. The Pope also made it very clear that the text was a quotation and not his personal view.
But let us assume for a moment that the Pope's point was not to use the remarks by way of introduction. Let us assume that he was in fact stating his perspective and that it is the Pope's very firm belief that Mohammed's new contribution to religiosity was a faith which converts people by the tip of the spear.
If this were the case, I would still be hard pressed to see that the Pope said anything for which Muslims should be offended. Mohammed did introduce the world to Jihad. His basic approach to conversion is the convert-or-die method [Link]. And Islamic law clearly says that apostates can receive the death penalty. In all, this is not exactly a positive contribution for a religion which purports to be a religion of peace.
To paraphrase an author I read of late, it is entirely true that not all Muslims are terrorists. But it is equally true that most terrorists are Muslims. It is not hyperbole to say that the correlation between acts of violence and Islam is a direct one. It is reality that most violence in the Middle East is the result of fundamentalist beliefs in Islam. The suicide bombers are not Catholic bishops. They are not Protestant ministers. They are not Jewish Rabbis. They are Islamists who would rather fight the "Great Satan" than help the poor. They are Islamists who care more about blowing up infidels than building an infrastructure for their Nation.
The Pope did not lie. He said nothing for which he should be sorry. And fortunately the only regret expressed by this Pope up to the present is regret that his comments were ill received- not regret over what was said. The bottom line of this matter is that if the Islamic world has taken offense to the Pope's remarks, then the offense lies within itself for having permitted factions and extremes to define their religious identity. The task remains for them to seek its redefinition.
Update: A link to the text of the Pope's speech is below.
[Link]
Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.
[Link]
Having made the citation above, the Pope then went on to make the case that violence was "incompatible with the nature of God." Lifted from its academic context, these remarks created chaos in Islamic nations where Islamists have since burned the Pope in effigy and reacted with tremendous bursts of violence. It is rumored that the Pope's planned trip to Turkey is now in jeopardy as well.
[Link]
Muslim leaders have since made numerous accusations against the Pope claiming he implied that Muslims were the creators of terrorism. They are also quick to note that it was the world's "Christian" nations who attacked the Islamic world first (viz., Afghanistan and Iraq).
[Link]
In my view, the remarks themselves are completely benign. They appear near the beginning of the Pope's speech and serve as a primer for remarks to follow which aim at discussing religion's intersection with violence. The ultimate point of the speech is that regardless of faith, violence is incompatible with God's nature- a fairly typical statement for most people of conviction. When read carefully, there should be no cause for anyone, Muslim or other, to take offense. The Pope also made it very clear that the text was a quotation and not his personal view.
But let us assume for a moment that the Pope's point was not to use the remarks by way of introduction. Let us assume that he was in fact stating his perspective and that it is the Pope's very firm belief that Mohammed's new contribution to religiosity was a faith which converts people by the tip of the spear.
If this were the case, I would still be hard pressed to see that the Pope said anything for which Muslims should be offended. Mohammed did introduce the world to Jihad. His basic approach to conversion is the convert-or-die method [Link]. And Islamic law clearly says that apostates can receive the death penalty. In all, this is not exactly a positive contribution for a religion which purports to be a religion of peace.
To paraphrase an author I read of late, it is entirely true that not all Muslims are terrorists. But it is equally true that most terrorists are Muslims. It is not hyperbole to say that the correlation between acts of violence and Islam is a direct one. It is reality that most violence in the Middle East is the result of fundamentalist beliefs in Islam. The suicide bombers are not Catholic bishops. They are not Protestant ministers. They are not Jewish Rabbis. They are Islamists who would rather fight the "Great Satan" than help the poor. They are Islamists who care more about blowing up infidels than building an infrastructure for their Nation.
The Pope did not lie. He said nothing for which he should be sorry. And fortunately the only regret expressed by this Pope up to the present is regret that his comments were ill received- not regret over what was said. The bottom line of this matter is that if the Islamic world has taken offense to the Pope's remarks, then the offense lies within itself for having permitted factions and extremes to define their religious identity. The task remains for them to seek its redefinition.
Update: A link to the text of the Pope's speech is below.
[Link]
Is Condoleezza Rice Off the Dating Market?
Perhaps it's the case that I've been living under a rock- otherwise known as studying for the LSAT. But the New York Times ran an interesting bit of gossip which completely escaped my watchful eye. The social columns are all abuzz today with news that US Secretary of State Condi Rice and her Canadian counter-part Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay maybe, sort of, might have a "thing" going on. The word 'thing' here sophistiactedly defined as the start of an awkward, not quite dating but definitely more than friends phase in their relationship.
[Link]
Fueled by blogs more than anything else (yours truly is glad to make a contribution), the rumor mills began spinning after Secretary Rice's trip to thank the Canadians for offering stranded Americans assistance during 9/11.
On the trip, Rice took a day excursion to tour Halifax, Nova Scotia, with Foreign Minister MacKay, which was followed by a road trip to the Foreign Minister's home district over an hour and a half away. The photos show the two out for a brisk walk along the shore replete with smiles and coffee.
[Link]
Perhaps, most curious, was their public remarks on the trip which have only increased speculation on their "thing" rather than quelling it.
Foreign Minister MacKay said of the Secretary:
Something else I've learned about Secretary Rice is she loves the cool Atlantic breezes here in Nova Scotia, and she left the window open last night.
A bit eye raising, no? Minister of Foreign Affairs seems to have a duplicitous meaning in this case.
As if that weren't enough, Secretary Rice added that MacKay had introduced her to his family which she later went on to describe in only veiled terms:
They remind you of the things you did when you were 5 years old.
I dunno. Sounds like an embarrassing, meet the family story to me.
It could also be that the speculation is driven by the fact that they are both single, successful and well into their mid-lives. Rice is 51. MacKay is 40. But hey, everyone likes a love story.
In either case, I'll be rooting for them. Go "Pondi" !
Remembering Ann Richards
I seldom have nice things to say about my opponents on the left. Blogging, like most things partisan, tends toward the extremes and many of my positions come across much more forcefully on here than I would ever make them in polite conversations with my liberal friends- of whom there are many.So, tonight I wanted to take the opportunity to add a rare bit of balance to my unapologetically conservative blog and recognize an extraordinary individual who was remarkably wrong but remarkable nonetheless.
News reached me this evening that former Texas Governor Ann Richards passed away after a tough battle with cancer. She was surrounded by her family and friends and will be laid to rest as a distinguished public servant for the State of Texas. Richards was 73.
[Link]
In many ways, Ann Richards was the epitome of the very best of the Democratic Party. Unlike many liberals, she never wavered in her opinions and always stated them with a great deal of wit and typical West Texas humor (unlike say, John Kerry who has neither convictions nor a sense of humor). Born in small-town, Lakeview, TX some 90 miles from Amarillo, Richards worked her way up the Texas political ranks at a time when women were hard pressed to find good jobs- much less win elected office.
According to CNN, Richards was the champion of "New Texas" or a Texas not dominated by white, male cowboys. In turn, she made more minority political appointments than any previous Governor and worked tirelessly to promote under-represented Hispanics and Blacks in the workplace.
Her legacy despite the fact she served only one term as Governor is that of a popular, much beloved public figure who never backed down from her convictions- even though they cost her re-election. Richards lost to President Bush in large part due to her support for restrictions on gun laws and her staunch defense of the Edwards Aquifer- a major water source for the San Antonio area.
Although she was dead wrong on the Texas Lottery, site-based Education reform, abortion, gay marriage and border control- despite her misguided views- she was a remarkable woman. One who was well-intentioned and had a deep love for her home state.
This is a lot more than can be said for many politicians in either party.
*Photo courtesy of Sen. Byron Dorgan,(D-ND).
Ivory Coast: Iran a Model Nation
Reading the headlines out of the Iranian State News Agency (IRNA) has become a guilty pleasure for me. They constantly provide a good laugh which brightens my day.
Maybe I should get out more.
Today, the IRNA lauded the praised heaped upon Iran by the mighty Ivory Coast.
The IRNA wrote:
Ivory Coast's Ambassador to Tehran Tat Rokdasmpson in a meeting with Kerman province governor-general, Abdol-Majid Raoufinejad, on Tuesday said that his country considers Iran as a model state.
[Link]
Apparently, Ambassador Rokdasmpson has not traveled very widely.
A Frenchman Who Doesn't Hate America?
Apparently, it is possible. The NYT had a delightful story about the right-leaning, Presidential candidate in the up-coming French Elections.
[Link]
Presidential hopeful Nicolas Sarkozy is pulling out all the stops- making the round after round with foreign leaders in his bid to become the President of France. His tour of the US has found a surprisingly warm reception for a Frenchmen. From NY to Washington, Sarkozy has been accorded unprecedented honor by business and statesmen alike. His reception list has include NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Sen. John McCain, Sen. Barack Obama and even President Bush.
As pleasant as he may be, however, one has to question the wisdom of a French Presidential candidate courting favor from Washington. If Bush's kiss with Lieberman was the kiss of death, for Sarkozy a chat with the President is analogous to a haircut by the guillotine.
Chafee Survives RI GOP Primary
Had to make a quick comment on this one before bed. The news out of the "Little Rhody" is that Republican incumbent Senator, Lincoln Chafee, managed to best conservative Steve Laffey in the RI GOP primary today.[Link]
With most of the precincts reporting, Chafee was the clear winner capturing 53% of the vote to Laffey's 46%.
I'm sure this will go through the spin mill tomorrow but for now it looks like a clear sign of Republicans closing ranks before the midterms. Chafee's Senate seat was considered crucial for any Republican hopes of maintaining a majority in the US Senate. In truth, Chafee has been nothing but a thorn in the side of the Bush Administration earning him both the scorn of the party and a tough primary challenge from his conservative opponent. But the fact that Republicans in RI have closed ranks behind him with control of the Senate hanging in the balance is a good sign that Republicans across the Nation will follow suit least the Democrats take power in November.
Forbes Magazine alluded to the same point earlier today in their article titled "The November Surprise."
[Link]
The bottom line is that all races tighten and that the prospects for Republicans are just as good if not better than they are for Democrats.
Contrary to media reports, it's not all gloom and doom for Republicans.
Going to Jail? It's Probably Karl Rove's Fault
It's conventional wisdom among Democrats that anything which goes wrong can in one way or another be traced back to Karl Rove. Call it the Karl Rove Six Degrees of Separation theory. But a Florida man may have just taken the theory to its limit.
[Link]
Robert McAllister is being charged in federal court for conspiracy to commit wire fraud while serving as CEO of an events promo company called Millennium National Events Inc.
The guy's attorney's are accusing Karl Rove of urging the government to investigate McAllister after the CEO sent a flurry of spam messages to Karl Rove's in-box. The attorney's have not yet explained how spamming Karl Rove is connected to their client's wire fraud but they assure the public that it is Karl Rove's fault.
Prediction: when the Democrats lose this November their allegations against Rove will be just as ludicrous.
Iraqi Blogger Reacts to Bush's Speech
24 Steps to Liberty has developed quite the following now although he came on the scene relatively late in blogging on the Iraq war a little over a year ago. But I tune in often as his perspective is highly valued for its frank assessment of conditions "on the ground" in Baghdad though he has since come to the US. I rarely find myself in agreement with his typically bleak forecast, but I usually find his perspectives insightful. Today, however, his comments on the President's speech proved to be far more reactionary and emotional than logical and well articulated.
[Link]
Here are a few examples.
24 Steps to Liberty writes:
Why does Bush keep calling for democracy in the Middle East when it is clear that the western type of it is not working in our countries? Our people have had enough of decades of dictatorships, during which no one turned to them and helped [a good example for that is the Shiite uprising in Iraq in 1991.] they've had enough that when they finally realized, they turned to the superpower of "God." That happens when there is no trust in our human ability, we just turn to the unseen mysterious power of the unknown, which is in the Muslim dictionary means "God." And that's why the Iraqis turned to religious parties to vote for in the elections and the Palestinians turned to HAMAS .
It is fine for 24 Steps to Liberty to make the argument that a western style democracy will not work in the Middle East. Yet, in his analysis, he not only condemns democracy, but also dictatorship, theocratic rule and communism by default. Effectively, he has eliminated every form of government which has ever been exercised over man. Perhaps his preferred method of governance is anarchy -maybe he's a budding Libertarian- yet he also argues against that too.
24 Steps to Liberty writes:
The world is more safe now that Saddam Hussein is not in power, Bush said in his speech. And that made me laugh loud in my cubic room in this beautiful American city of the west. I really liked how he looked into the camera and said it softly and without any trouble! When Saddam was in power, the Americans could easily go to Iraq and tour the whole country walking alone, late in the night. Nothing would happen to them. NOW THEY CANNOT .
A fair point. But it fails to consider the repercussions of an Iraqi dictatorship motivated toward obtaining nuclear weapons. How safe would the world be had Saddam had acquired them? I will grant the point that the threat was not imminent. The President conceded as much in his remarks last night. Nevertheless, intervening to prevent a madman from obtaining destructive capabilities is far safer than leaving him be. It's fine to snicker, but the joke comes after Saddam has been placed behind bars. I find it hard to believe that he would make the case that Iraq was better off with Saddam in power. An insurgency is one problem. The systematic execution of thousands in the course of Saddam's rule is another beast. Apparently, 24 Steps to Liberty prefers the latter.
Finally, 24 Steps to Liberty writes:
Bush said that the Iraqis are happy now with their freedom!!! What the heck! Wake up man. You missed the whole show. Go read one news story from the Washington Post or New Times or Los Angeles Times or just listen to BBC. And by the way, turn FOX news down so you could hear the real stuff from other sources .
I had my own cubical laugh. Of course, 24 Steps to Liberty! We all know that the WaPo, NYT, LAT and BBC are the true, unbiased objectors.
Location Linked to Life Expectancy
A team of researchers here in the People's Republic of Cambridge have unveiled a new correlation between how long people live and their geographic location within the US.
[Link]
The correlation left room for the consideration of other factors such as race and income, but as the study relates to geography, the team found that people can expect to live longest in rural areas of the Northern Plains.
Ironically, this area is also home to the people who can expect to have the shortest life span- Native Americans on poverty stricken reservations in South Dakota particularly in Washabaugh County where the average life expectancy is 66 years.
9/11 Five Years Later
On this fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks against our Nation, the headlines and talking heads are ubiquitously far more interested in politics than remembrance. For many, Ground Zero has become just another tourist stop in NYC and despite CNN's footage of the tragedy, many have lost sight of an enemy which would seek to do injury to America again.
[ Link]
Sadly, it is unsurprising that so many Americans would become jaded to the call of our generation. Stopping the spread of Islamic fundamentalism was never embarked upon with the notion that it would be an easy task. The costs in human life are and have been tremendous. But never in recent history have the stakes been so high. Unfortunately, it is exactly the stakes which have become the point of debate. Editorials like today's Boston Globe op-ed by Jim Carroll, declare the mission impossible. With titles like Carroll's "The End of Civilization," it is little wonder that Americans hold pessimistic attitudes toward the challenge set before us.
Even as Carroll mourns the reality of Americans confronting their own mortality in 9/11- a perfectly reasonable analysis in light of the anniversary- the tenor of his article is to call to mind not only the end of civilization but also the end of the world. Carroll's editorial invokes images of Armageddon with his implicit point being that the struggle against Islamofascism can not be won. He writes:
But I believe now that the immediate trauma Americans experienced that first morning was still more primitive than that. Beyond politics, beyond nationality even, what humans saw in that flash was a glimpse of nothing less than the end of the world. Here is the final meaning of the name ``World Trade Center" -- what happened that day was a world-event, almost certainly the first fully realized one in history .
[Link]
If the damage to American morale were restricted to op-ed writers in major newspapers, then the pessimistic reaction of the public would be far more muted than it has been recorded in recent weeks. But not only must Americans deal with the biases of op-ed writers, they must also face a barrage of headlines all of which tell them that the war can not be won.
One AP headline commemorated today's anniversary with the stark message that the world is angry with the United States.
[Link]
Another article features an interview with DNC Chairman Howard Dean who dismisses any gains made in security and intelligence as hyperbole while bemoaning a lack of funding for Democrat pet projects.
[Link]
But in the end, the greatest tragedy of 9/11 is not the obvious loss of life which occurred five years ago. It is the self-loathing 9/11 created among the American people. Meghan Gurdon at the National Review had the best summary of today's anniversary. She writes:
When I hear people phoning C-SPAN to explain that 9/11 was an "inside job" by the Bush administration, or that the United States is to blame for "stirring up a hornet's nest," when the swarm was already upon us, it seems to me that national unity is impossible. Of all September 11th's grim legacies, this seems to me the saddest .
[Link]
At a time when we are hard pressed on every side, when the specter or terrorism remains our deadly enemy hidden in the shadows, it seems that the best America can do is a talking point by Howard Dean blasting the Bush Administration and an op-ed by Jim Carroll declaring the end of the world. If this were the case, then America would have just cause for pessimism indeed.
Fortunately, this is not the case. 9/11 has helped to seed a deep rift, but our hope and source of optimism as a Nation remains embedded in the values wrought at our founding as it has for 230 years. Brave American soldiers in distant lands and the fallen heroes of 9/11 remind us that bravery means starring danger in the face with unflinching determination and a commitment to duty.
And if America needs more incentive still to unite, we have the grainy display of an Al Qaeda video to keep us vigilant.
[Link]
Fall, Change, and the Lightness of Being
It's fall here in Boston. The weather was a balmy 57 degrees today with tomorrow's high barely cracking the 60s. As I stored my air conditioner this afternoon, I couldn't help but reflect on the Summer that has passed, my recent trip to Oklahoma and the ever present concept of change. Here are a few of the random thoughts I had:
The fall season is foremost about change and new beginnings. I wrote last year that it marks a rite of passage but now I understand that it happens thus for a number of reasons and not just in point of fact.
Fall primarily marks a period of death. Soon, the leaves will begin to die leaving vibrant colors of red, orange and yellow to mourn their passing- for the old always passes away. In my latest reading project, the author describes existence in a similar vein as a juxtaposition of light and darkness.
Kundera writes in The Unbearable Lightness of Being :
That darkness was pure, perfect, thoughtless, visionless; that darkness was without end, without borders; that darkness was the infinite we each carry within us (Yes, if you're looking for infinity, just close your eyes) , (p.95).
His point's relation to fall is that darkness, similar to death in the autumn season, is actually the beginning of new light. The darkness we carry is the infinite within each of us. For Kundera it is this darkness which enables us to embrace the unbearable lightness of being and the painful reality of our existence. Change the constant becomes change the requisite. In turn, only through leaving a part of ourselves to die can we touch the infinite and transcend our own temporal state of being. The point is similarly made in the message of the Gospel, whereby the sinless Christ was killed to save mankind from sin. Like the leaves of fall, the old yields to the new. The old man dies. The new one lives eternal.
When we discuss the process of fall we are apt to overlook the point that it lasts a lifetime and not a season only. The fields of my beloved homestate must be tilled seasonally, turning over the old to make way for a new crop. But change the requisite is manifested as change the constant. The old constantly yields to the new and becomes its own constant in due course.
This act, which seems at times subversive, takes many forms. Kundera's book, which I read in Oklahoma, is primarily about relationships and how choices made within our relational spehere can utterly alter the course of our lives. For the novel, the primary agent in this action is of course loneliness as Kundera's characters spend their lives searching for another life which complements their own.
Having been single a couple of months now, the sensation of loneliness is very real to me. Several times, I have had the feeling of being lost in a crowd. The impression is tremendous. Each day in cities and towns across the Nation, thousands upon thousands of people go about their daily routine. Many will never speak a word to another person before reaching their office. They will feel utterly alone and yet be swarmed on all sides by people. The only way they will break their cycle is to initiate change.
And so this change is true of life also. In life, we are constantly challenged to learn. To grow. To figure it all out. The feeling of being lost in a crowd is overwhelming, so we adapt. We wait for our choices to alter our lives for the better. We press forward in hopes of the ephemeral someday- a time in the distant future when all will make sense; when our choices are validated; when doubt and regret flee our minds.
Fall, however, reminds us that this day will never come. Instead it offers us a lesson: Change the constant is actually change the process. The two become one.
Group Reignites Mascot Protest in OK
A Native American group from Tulsa, OK has increased local tensions back home, leading a protest of the Seminole High School mascot the chieftain.
[Link]
The Oklahoma Indian Alliance, an organization of about 100 members, protested the football game being played between the Seminole Chieftains and the Tecumseh Savages. One can only imagine how upset they were.
As a Native American, I have always found these sorts of protests to be more than a bit deficient in logic and abounding in hypersensitivity. First of all, no team selects a mascot in order to demean it. To demean the mascot is to demean the team. Mascots are selected because they infuse school pride and because they are a symbol of strength. This is also the reason no respectable team is called the "Butterflies," or the "Ladybugs."
Unfortunately, many colleges, my alma mater included, have opted to scrap their Native American mascots for the more politically correct alternative (in Dartmouth's case a random color. Go Big Green!?!). Ultimately, this hurts the very tribes these fringe groups seek to protect. By decreasing the visibility of Native American symbols from the athletic fields, the result is to decrease the visibility of Native Americans from the public consciousness. It becomes much easier to forget that Native Americans were once a mighty people when the highly visible symbols of strength and power are removed from major college athletics.
In short, our proud history of perseverance against overwhelming odds deserves to be recognized in the athletic achievements of America's universities.
Besides most Native Americans support indigenous mascots. And after all, no one complains about the "Fighting Irish."
[Link]
The Oklahoma Indian Alliance, an organization of about 100 members, protested the football game being played between the Seminole Chieftains and the Tecumseh Savages. One can only imagine how upset they were.
As a Native American, I have always found these sorts of protests to be more than a bit deficient in logic and abounding in hypersensitivity. First of all, no team selects a mascot in order to demean it. To demean the mascot is to demean the team. Mascots are selected because they infuse school pride and because they are a symbol of strength. This is also the reason no respectable team is called the "Butterflies," or the "Ladybugs."
Unfortunately, many colleges, my alma mater included, have opted to scrap their Native American mascots for the more politically correct alternative (in Dartmouth's case a random color. Go Big Green!?!). Ultimately, this hurts the very tribes these fringe groups seek to protect. By decreasing the visibility of Native American symbols from the athletic fields, the result is to decrease the visibility of Native Americans from the public consciousness. It becomes much easier to forget that Native Americans were once a mighty people when the highly visible symbols of strength and power are removed from major college athletics.
In short, our proud history of perseverance against overwhelming odds deserves to be recognized in the athletic achievements of America's universities.
Besides most Native Americans support indigenous mascots. And after all, no one complains about the "Fighting Irish."
Seeking Office with Style
The Boston Globe took politics to a new low yesterday. In its fashion section (no, I am not a regular reader), the Globe ran a lengthy article devoted to the fashion sense of Massachusetts' Gubernatorial candidates.
The article went into the nitty gritty. It lauded some candidates for ironing their own shirts (gasp), critiqued another for using a rotation of suits, and debated the ultimate of fashion policy- to roll up the shirt sleeves or not.
In a twist of irony, the headline of the article was titled, What they wear says a lot about the gubernatorial candidates. No explanation was given for what the attire of a candidate actually said.
Most likely it would say something to the affect of "vote for me."
Hot Blooded Women
So said California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia. The "Governator" made headlines today when portions of a private, recorded conversation made their way into the Los Angeles Times.
[Link]
On the six minute tape, Governor Schwarzenegger said:
I mean Cuban, Puerto Rican, they are all very hot. They have the, you know, part of the black blood in them and part of the Latino blood in them that together makes it.
For the record, Assemblywoman Garcia is not inclined to disagree. Garcia who is of Puerto Rican ethnicity said:
I love the governor because he is a straight talker just like I am. Very often I tell him, 'Look, I am a hot-blooded Latina.' I label myself a hot-blooded Latina that is very passionate about the issues, and this is kind of an inside joke that I have with the governor .
I'm not convinced that Schwarzenegger meant the same thing as Assemblywoman Garcia- then again I haven't listened to the entire conversation. But in either case, after a trip to her campaign website I agree.
[Link]
[Link]
On the six minute tape, Governor Schwarzenegger said:
I mean Cuban, Puerto Rican, they are all very hot. They have the, you know, part of the black blood in them and part of the Latino blood in them that together makes it.
For the record, Assemblywoman Garcia is not inclined to disagree. Garcia who is of Puerto Rican ethnicity said:
I love the governor because he is a straight talker just like I am. Very often I tell him, 'Look, I am a hot-blooded Latina.' I label myself a hot-blooded Latina that is very passionate about the issues, and this is kind of an inside joke that I have with the governor .
I'm not convinced that Schwarzenegger meant the same thing as Assemblywoman Garcia- then again I haven't listened to the entire conversation. But in either case, after a trip to her campaign website I agree.
[Link]
Senators Place Their Bets on Texas-Ohio State Football Game
The College Football universe will be focused on Austin, TX this weekend as the Ohio State Buckeyes travel to the Lone Star State to take on the UT Longhorns. True to form, everyone associated with the two teams is gearing up for what promises to be a colossal match. Even members of the United States Senate.[Link]
US Senators Mike DeWine (R-OH) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) have sweetened (sorry had to say it) the pot by placing homemade goodies from their respective states on the line.
Should Ohio State win, Sen. Hutchison will present Sen. DeWine with a gallon of Texas' Blue Bell homemade ice cream. If by some miracle UT wins, then Sen. DeWine will deliver his wife's homemade chocolate-covered peanut butter Buckeye candies to Sen. Hutchison.
My money of course is on Sen. DeWine getting to enjoy some Blue Bell homemade ice cream. The implications of the game aside, he really has the biggest incentive to win as anyone from the southwest/south can attest.
But don't listen to me. My horns are always upside down.
Iran Criticizes UK's Record on Women's Rights
Iran's Islamic Republic New Agency ran a press release bemoaning the gender employment gap for Muslim women in the UK.
[Link]
The article declares that Muslim women face discrimination in seeking employment despite having increased education levels and having "higher aspiration than their white contemporaries." No explanation was offered for how one quantifies individual aspirations but the IRNA offers its assurance that this is so.
In all, it's good to see Iran taking a strong stand on behalf of women's rights. Maybe they will keep the rights of women in mind before they execute another sixteen year-old girl for "crimes against chastity."
[Link]
The Rise of Islamofascism
Suzanne Fields of the Washington Times had an interesting article today connecting the dots between Secretary Rumsfeld's comparison of Islamofascism with Nazism.
[Link]
The take home point of her essay is that just as intellectuals and liberals were blinded to the threat from Hitler, intellectuals and liberals are also blinded to the threat posed by Iran's theocratic government. The warning is simple yet stark: America was caught sleeping once. We should not places ourselves in a similar situation.
Fields makes an interesting point. The big parallel between WWII and the War on Terror is the reluctance of liberals to believe that fascists will do exactly as they say. The Holocaust came as no surprise to those who had taken Hitler seriously all along. He wrote of his intent in Mein Kampf back in 1925. We have every reason to believe that Iran's Islamist President will act on his express policy in the destruction of Israel.
History's lesson is clear: take tyrants seriously.
Harvard Stands Firm In Support of Iran
Proving once again the intellect has no direct correlation with wisdom, Harvard University opted to stand firm in its support of former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami.
[Link]
Khatami was invited to deliver a September 11th Eve address to the Kennedy School of Government amid much protest from the residents of Boston and local from Jewish organizations.
Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney vigorously protested the decision by refusing to provide state protection to the former Head of State on his travels within the Commonwealth.
[Link]
Kennedy School Dean David Ellwood defended his decision saying:
Do we listen to those that we disagree with, and vigorously challenge them, or do we close our ears completely?
Ellwood makes a fair point. There is certainly a place for dialogue. But the Iranian paradox is that it allows no room for true dialogue to take place. Khatami can add nothing new to the discourse when the stated policy of his Nation's government is nothing short of the complete world unity under Islamic law.
[Link]
More to the point, however, is that the community's criticism of Harvard is well justified (my biases as a Dartmouth man removed for the time being). Harvard's attempt at fostering dialogue while intellectually interesting, is highly irresponsible given the current international tension with Iran over its nuclear weapons program.
In turn, the Iranians are presently seeking legitimation from any stage and speaking venue they can find- including the UN. Harvard in its infinite wisdom obliged by providing them one from the most prestigious university in the Land.
[Link]
Khatami was invited to deliver a September 11th Eve address to the Kennedy School of Government amid much protest from the residents of Boston and local from Jewish organizations.
Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney vigorously protested the decision by refusing to provide state protection to the former Head of State on his travels within the Commonwealth.
[Link]
Kennedy School Dean David Ellwood defended his decision saying:
Do we listen to those that we disagree with, and vigorously challenge them, or do we close our ears completely?
Ellwood makes a fair point. There is certainly a place for dialogue. But the Iranian paradox is that it allows no room for true dialogue to take place. Khatami can add nothing new to the discourse when the stated policy of his Nation's government is nothing short of the complete world unity under Islamic law.
[Link]
More to the point, however, is that the community's criticism of Harvard is well justified (my biases as a Dartmouth man removed for the time being). Harvard's attempt at fostering dialogue while intellectually interesting, is highly irresponsible given the current international tension with Iran over its nuclear weapons program.
In turn, the Iranians are presently seeking legitimation from any stage and speaking venue they can find- including the UN. Harvard in its infinite wisdom obliged by providing them one from the most prestigious university in the Land.
Facebook Backlash
To some of my readers outside the 18-25 range, Facebook is simply a high school yearbook with faded photos of classmates.
But for most of the younger Pax Plena faithful, Facebook is an online networking site which allows people to connect with friends from high schools and colleges across the country. Normally, the site makes news for its novel use of technology but today the news in Time Magazine, while similar, was not nearly so laudable.
[Link]
Networking mega-site Facebook was caught in a flurry of controversy as thousands of its denizens protested a new feature added to the site to increase the ease with which friends could monitor one another.
The new feature allows users of the site to observe the most recent actions taken by an individual- meaning that everything from adding new friends to including a new TV show in a profile can now be more readily seen among a list of actions taken by other users networked to the individual.
Many of the student users are now protesting the change which does not have a function to disable the new feature.
As one who uses Facebook frequently, I have no strong feelings one way or the other. The common sense approach to me is to consider a Facebook profile public property with the understanding that anything posted will ultimately be accorded to the user (not unlike my approach in maintaining Pax Plena). While privacy would be nice on Facebook, the very concept of a networking site belies the notion.
But for most of the younger Pax Plena faithful, Facebook is an online networking site which allows people to connect with friends from high schools and colleges across the country. Normally, the site makes news for its novel use of technology but today the news in Time Magazine, while similar, was not nearly so laudable.
[Link]
Networking mega-site Facebook was caught in a flurry of controversy as thousands of its denizens protested a new feature added to the site to increase the ease with which friends could monitor one another.
The new feature allows users of the site to observe the most recent actions taken by an individual- meaning that everything from adding new friends to including a new TV show in a profile can now be more readily seen among a list of actions taken by other users networked to the individual.
Many of the student users are now protesting the change which does not have a function to disable the new feature.
As one who uses Facebook frequently, I have no strong feelings one way or the other. The common sense approach to me is to consider a Facebook profile public property with the understanding that anything posted will ultimately be accorded to the user (not unlike my approach in maintaining Pax Plena). While privacy would be nice on Facebook, the very concept of a networking site belies the notion.
Drudge: Ahmadinejad Hopes to Debate Bush at UN
The Drudge Report headlines a story out of the Islamic Republic News Agency claiming that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will fly to the UN Headquarters in New York City in hopes of debating President Bush.
[Link]
I could not find the direct quotation in question but one press release from today mentions exactly what Ahmadinejad hopes to debate.
According to the release, Ahmadinejad said:
The Islamic Republic of Iran has clearly declared its opposition against the approaches, norms, and viewpoints of certain Western powers, particularly those adopted by the United States and Britain...It is possible to prove in a debate which of the two political systems is a better choice for the world nations: the one that is established based on the norms of liberalism and has caused so much dilemmas and plight for the mankind, or the one that is established based on monotheism and justice?
[Link]
As if the point needed reiteration, this once again demonstrates exactly why it is impossible to reason with the Iranian government. Their objective is not to peaceably find electricity sources but to destroy a civilization to which they are opposed on a fundamental level. Our system and its liberal values stand in firm opposition to their execution of Islamic law and forced conversion. Iran does not seek World compromise but World submission.
[Link]
I could not find the direct quotation in question but one press release from today mentions exactly what Ahmadinejad hopes to debate.
According to the release, Ahmadinejad said:
The Islamic Republic of Iran has clearly declared its opposition against the approaches, norms, and viewpoints of certain Western powers, particularly those adopted by the United States and Britain...It is possible to prove in a debate which of the two political systems is a better choice for the world nations: the one that is established based on the norms of liberalism and has caused so much dilemmas and plight for the mankind, or the one that is established based on monotheism and justice?
[Link]
As if the point needed reiteration, this once again demonstrates exactly why it is impossible to reason with the Iranian government. Their objective is not to peaceably find electricity sources but to destroy a civilization to which they are opposed on a fundamental level. Our system and its liberal values stand in firm opposition to their execution of Islamic law and forced conversion. Iran does not seek World compromise but World submission.
Church Rolls Out On-Line Confession
Craig Groeschel pastor of Life Church in Edmond, OK (whose church was featured in the Church Report's top ten most influential churches) unveiled a novel approach to an ancient Christian rite: on-line confession.
[Link]
Groeschel's church uses the Internet to connect its main campus in Edmond with several sites around the Southwest part of the Nation. In turn, Groeschel's church utilizes a first of its kind approach which enables people to interact with the church through web-based sermons and to confess their sins on-line.
Groeschel explained the site saying:
I can't tell you how many hundreds of times people have told me that 'I'm going to tell you something, Pastor, I've never told anyone before. I realized that people are carrying around dark secrets, and the Web site is giving them a first place for confession .
Check out the site, or make a confession here.
Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, Dead
News reached me here in OK that a renowned, international conservationist passed away this evening.[Link]
Steve Irwin, better known as the Crocodile Hunter died today after being speared by stingray barb in his chest. Irwin was reportedly filming a documentary off the coast of Queensland, Australia.
Irwin’s popular Animal Planet show was made famous by his enthusiasm for nature and his commitment to protecting delicate ecosystems. He was also famed for handling wild animals with tremendous skill and without fear.
Irwin was 44 years-old.
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