Boston Military Family Weighs in on Kerry Remarks

When I posted on Democrat, Senator John Kerry's remarks earlier today, I had no idea that it would be part of a tremendous outrage against the far-left Democrat Party, generating tons of traffic on the web and prompting action by key Republican leaders including the President.  As one media outlet described, the news spread like wildfire across the Internet.  Indeed, it did.  

While both sides have debated Sen. Kerry's insult, the most important say in this discussion, is best left to the families of America's armed forces- those who have lost loved ones in the distant lands of Iraq and those who have brave, intelligent patriots stationed there at present (the Massachusetts Senator's dissent on this point notwithstanding).

A Boston family, from John Kerry's hometown, weighs-in:

"I am very disturbed. I am very insulted and very sad that he doesn't understand how highly educated and well trained our military men and women are," said Debra Booth, whose son was killed in Iraq.

[Link]

Well and succinctly put.

Key Democrat Bashes Military

Here's what the Democrats really think of people who serve in the armed forces:



There you have it. Democrat conventional thinking is that only the uneducated are willing to serve in the U.S. Military. Kerry's words are an affront to every American who has ever donned a uniform and served in the armed forces.

Major Evangelical Groups Publish Voter Scorecard

If you buy into news reports, Evangelical Christians are abandoning the GOP in droves and George W. Bush is already a lame-duck "Pastor-in-chief."

 

[Link]

 

While it is true that some conservatives remain disgruntled, such as perennial GOP vixen Peggy Noonan [ Link], other signs indicate that the Evangelical base of the party is beginning to circle the wagons.  Yet, the biggest indicator of this shift garnered very little press last week.  

 

According to the Church Report, James Dobson's Focus on the Family and Tony Perkins' Family Research Council issued a joint voter scoredcard denoting which candidates were friendly toward family values and faith.  For those interested, you can find the actual score card in pdf format here [ Link] but the numbers amount to high percentages for an overwhelming majority of Republican incumbents and a tacit endorsement of the GOP. 

 

What makes the omission newsworthy is that Focus on the Family has tremendous influence among Evangelical audiences throughout the Nation and had up to this point remained silent on the 2006 midterm elections.  With its daily radio program and publication arm, the scorecard offers a firm reminder to Evangelical voters of exactly which party is most friendly toward traditional values on seven key votes. 

 

Although it will remain unspoken among elected and party officials, ultimately, the GOP response for Evangelicals should be the same response to conservatives of the disaffected, Peggy Noonan variety:  if you think Republicans are bad, wait until we have Speaker Pelosi.

NYT Sounds Alarm on Iran

The New York Times Magazine ran a surprising article yesterday detailing the ramifications of an Iranian nuclear weapon.  The magazine lucidly outlines the biggest reason for fighting the war on terror: 
 

What makes suicide bombing especially relevant to the nuclear question is that, by design, it unsettles the theory of deterrence. When the suicide bomber dies in an attack, he means to send the message "You cannot stop me, because I am already willing to die." To make the challenge to deterrence even more stark, a suicide bomber who blows up a market or a funeral gathering in Iraq or Afghanistan is willing to kill innocent bystanders, including fellow Muslims. According to the prevailing ideology of suicide bombing, these victims are subjected to an involuntary martyrdom that is no less glorious for being unintentional. 
  
[Link]

The above is an especially troubling notion when one considers the destructive power of a nuclear weapon and the willingness of such martyrs to carry out an attack due to an eschatological theology.  Put differently, Cold War notions of deterrence offer no protection when the aim of a martyr is to bring about an attack which will trigger the end of the world.  
 

Big Time Debut for Cowboys QB

Finally, a good sports weekend for yours truly. Before I forget, however, I should offer a hearty congrats to the Cards on their World Series win. Matty Fred and the Show Me State faithful, are no doubt ecstatic. The news on the night however, is that Cowboys Quarterback Tony Romo just came off a major win tonight against the Carolina Panthers!

[Link]

ABC News was the first network with a report on the game- suffice it to say that Romo's reviews on the night are glowing. The Cowboys spotted the Panthers an early 14-0 lead and trailed at half-time 14-10. The 2nd half, however, was all Cowboys. Led by Romo's quick release and spot on accuracy, the Cowboys amassed 25 points in the 4th quarter to win the game 35-14.

[Link]

While it's a bit early to reignite the Super Bowl talk, there were grins all around the Dallas clubhouse. Not a bad debut for the underrated kid out of Eastern Illinois.

Reflections on Taos

I glanced out my window earlier just in time to see the gale strength winds blowing leaves and umbrellas alike down my tree-lined street. Most rainy Saturdays give one time for pause and reflection but on this Saturday in particular my thoughts are removed to a much drier, sunnier clime with wide-open spaces. Yesterday's travel memoir of D.H. Lawrence's stay in Taos, NM certainly prompts such reactions.

The essay is titled D.H. Lawrence’s New Mexico: The Ghosts That Grip the Soul of Bohemian Taos. It is a surprise on many levels both for its descriptive narrative and for its intimate look at the rural New Mexico village of my mother's youth.

The essay was also compelling for its very close relation to my own thoughts on this day. The author writes:

What was I doing here in dismal, rainy England, perennially late with my essays? There were other places, with mountains stretching their backs under a cloudless sky, and coyotes and pines and eagles no doubt, and moonshine to be drunk. One day, I told myself.

[Link]

While I do not reside in dismal, rainy England, if the New England iteration can be said to be both dismal and rainy, then perhaps I am living in the author's complement in time. These similar feelings, however, hint at Lawrence’s perpetual state of malcontent. What would inevitably make Taos unique to Lawrence was that he felt most contented here despite the fact that he lived only 11 months total in New Mexico. On a greater level, Lawrence’s restlessness would give way to an entire generation of American authors who longed to break the confines of their routine and pursue adventure. It is this modern notion of choice which would most embed itself on the plain of American literature.

What would ultimately make Taos unique in this emergent style was its role as a destination of international intrigue with the American west. Taos, NM is about as cowboy and as exotic by Western standards as one can safely get from the streets of foggy London or the subways of New York. What it lacks in the exotic, Taos more than compensates for in its charm. The town's accessibility, history and romance have all made Taos a beacon for tourism since its settlement by the Pueblo Indians in the year 900. The essay's description of Taos as "Bohemian" was especially apt though a bit curious given that the residents of Taos Pueblo have lived in such fashion for thousands of years. A quick glance at the definition of the word Bohemian, however, as used by the ultra-chic writers of the NYT reads any person who lives an unconventional artistic life, where self-expression is the highest value — that art (acting, poetry, writing, singing, dancing, painting etc) is a serious and main focus of their life.

The real point of Taos is that it allows people a chance to escape and to express. It is as much a state of mind as it is an actual location. But the beauty of the place is that it affords the extra busy with an opportunity to reflect and be creative without any obligations or worries. For people interested in such a life, even as D.H. Lawrence was inspired by its slinking coyotes and moonlit mesa's on a crisp night, there is no finer place in which to live than Taos, NM.

Living now in Boston what I find most promising about Taos conceptually is its construct of time. Time in Taos runs by a different metric. Rarely is there any rush and with each passing hour the very notion of clock and schedule slowly recedes into the dense New Mexico underbrush, tucked away into a mysterious corner at the base of the Rockies. In turn, Taos becomes a notion of promise. Like the author, one day I too will find my own Taos.

One day the restlessness will cease.

Paint Me a Birmingham

He was sitting’ there, his brush in hand
Painting’ waves as they danced, upon the sand
With every stroke, he brought to life
The deep blue of the ocean, against the morning’ sky I asked him if he only painted ocean scenes
He said for twenty dollars, I’ll paint you anything

Could you Paint Me A Birmingham
Make it look just the way I planned
A little house on the edge of town
Porch going’ all the way around
Put her there in the front yard swing
Cotton dress make it, early spring
For a while she’ll be, mine again
If you can Paint Me A Birmingham

He looked at me, with knowing eyes
Then took a canvas from a bag there by his side
Picked up a brush, and said to me
Son just where in this picture would you like to be
And I said if there’s any way you can
Could you paint me back into her arms again?

Could you Paint Me A Birmingham
Make it look just the way I planned
A little house on the edge of town
Porch going’ all the way around
Put her there in the front yard swing
Cotton dress make it, early spring
For a while she’ll be, mine again
If you can Paint Me A Birmingham

Paint Me A Birmingham
Make it look just the way I planned
A little house on the edge of town
Porch going’ all the way around
Put her there in the front yard swing
Cotton dress make it, early spring
For a while she’ll be, mine again
If you can Paint Me A Birmingham

Oh paint me a Birmingham...

*Photo courtesy of disordered.org

Football Updates

Geoffrey Norman from the National Review (arguably the Washington Redskins' most disaffected fan) takes his team to task over their 2-5 record.

While I would recommend that Norman keep his day job and leave sports writing to better talent, he does get in a zinger of a line towards the middle:

They've got a fight song, though. "Hail to the Redskins." There is something wrong when people in any world capital — especially one in a nominal democracy — start using the word "hail" in any context. Unless, that is, you are talking about trying to find a taxi, which, in Washington, is always a neat trick, and when you do find one, you will be confronted with a fare scheme that is almost as Byzantine as the latest addition to the IRS code.

[Link]

Hail Redskins? Ohh, snap!

Sorry, the "Ohh snap!" reference also seemed apt. Elsewhere, the Cowboy Nation is gearing up for a wide divergence of opinions on the Cowboy's new QB Tony Romo. Jerry Jones and Co. aren't pleased with the switch though flamboyant wide receiver T.O. is definitely feeling the connection (i.e...Romo will probably send more passes his way). Will Parcells stick with his new QB? Will Romo even last the season in big D? How long till T.O. starts to complain? Compelling questions all but only time will tell...

[Link]

The Essence of Blogging...

As captured by Dilbert.  Hilarious.

 

[Link]

Hillary Clinton: Gay Marriage Position Evolving

Gay City News out of NYC is announcing that Hillary Clinton's position against Gay marriage is evolving.

[Link]

In other words, she's running for President in 2008 and wants votes from gays.

If she gets the nomination, expect this position to be promptly forgotten as she suddenly develops a respect for the institution of traditional marriage just like she did in her 2000 Senate race.

Yet another reason not to vote Democrat on November 7th- their values shift with the political expediency of the situation.

American Trends in Education and Wealth

I ran across some interesting numbers on higher education trends while perusing Fox News earlier today and it reminded me of a Time Magazine article analyzing income distribution from late last week. Lest I should offend my conservative readership, let me say from the outset that I am about as pro-free market as they come. But the implications of the numbers are enough to give anyone pause.

Let's begin with the numbers from Fox News. In their article, titled College Degree Worth Extra $23,000 a Year, the reporter rifles through data from the US Census Bureau's 2005 Current Population Survey all to conclude that a college degree will earn Americans an average of 23K a year more than those without. In all, I think this is a fairly typical, reasonable assessment- one with which most people are inclined to agree. But what surprised me were the inverse proportions of people who had actually followed through in obtaining a college degree.

According to Fox News:

Connecticut was the state with the highest proportion of adults with at least a bachelor's degree, nearly 37 percent. It was followed closely by Massachusetts, Maryland and New Jersey.

Nearly 47 percent of adults in Washington, D.C., had at least a bachelor's degree.

West Virginia had the lowest proportion of college graduates, at 15 percent. It was followed at the bottom by Arkansas, Kentucky and Louisiana.

[Link]

Given this, even in the state with the highest proportion of adults attending college, some 60% of its residents do not obtain a college degree. In the state with the lowest proportion of adults attending college, 85% of its residents do not have a college degree. By any measure, these numbers are staggering. Back in my home state, for example, Oklahoma fell somewhere in the bottom quarter of all states with only 22% of its residents over 25 years old having obtained a college degree [Link].

The education numbers vis-à-vis income distribution offer an interesting glance at the plight of the American lower and middle classes. Time reports that some 50% of all Americans earn less than $30,000 a year. By contrast, only 10% of Americans make $100,000 a year or more. So, for the bulk of Americans the income distribution settles somewhere in the middle. If one considers that a college degree is worth about $23,000, then going and finishing up college is the silver bullet for the 50% of Americans presently earning 30K a year or less [Link].

The natural question these numbers prod is, why don't more people go to college? One answer is that they simply choose not to go. Americans are free to choose what they would make of this life and sometimes that includes a college degree and other times it does not. But the more compelling question is what percentage of those people who do not attend college, do not attend because they are unable to do so? How accessible is the American dream for today's generation? And to what extent are we making the opportunities of our great and blessed land available to all Americans who would seek them? Finally, what role, if any, should government play in mitigating the gap between earnings and education- or put differently, to what extent should government provide aid to those who should like to attend college but can not?

Like any important question, there are no easy answers. But insofar as it is useful to consider a few solutions rather than raise questions only, here are some thoughts:

First, more work needs to be done in order to determine why the majority of Americans do not attend college. If the problem is systemic (which I believe is the case based on interactions and relationships from friends back home who have opted out of college due to costs), then there are policy alternatives which can be considered to address the issue. If the problem is one of social constraint or lack of interest, then more normative solutions must be employed in order to convince people of the merits a college degree brings.

Second, as jobs increasingly become more technical requiring higher skill levels, our society will continue to be obligated to provide easier access to higher education for all Americans. There are many sound justifications and moral arguments for this point but the most profitable one of these is that our economy directly benefits when we have more highly skilled workers. Current levels of college attendance are unacceptable for sustaining the technical dominance of the American economy. Given that our population is the fastest growing in the developed world, America has much to gain from maintaining such a workforce.

If ours is to be the economy of the future, then society must presently invest in the educational development of its citizens. While the responsibility for this investment ultimately rests with the American tax payer, it is up to the states to implement such programs ( i.e...spend the money) wisely. The federal education policy commended in No Child Left Behind holds states accountable for teacher performance and this makes sense because states benefit from increased numbers of college graduates. But federal education policy is insufficient to addressing the needs of each particular state. In turn, states should create their own set of incentives both for more kids from their state to go to college and also for them to stick around once they finish up. The example from the Oklahoma case study may provide a good model for states with similar attendance levels to evaluate [Link].

Finally, this may sound odd coming from an unabashed partisan like me, but the problem of education policy is that it is far too often viewed through the narrow lens of ideology. Contrary to liberal belief not all solutions to this issue will be met in sinking millions of dollars into a government program which has no metric for progress. And contrary to conservative sensibilities, privatizing education will not allow the least fortunate among us, in some of America's most rural states, the same opportunities available to kids in wealthy suburbs. The answer will be somewhere in the middle where obstacle and opportunity meet. Since our founding, America has been a Nation of compromise. The direction of Her future in addressing the issue of education may well depend upon our ability resurrect the same spirit of cooperation which has produced our finest moments.

Bush Signs Border Security Measure

Fortunately for you, dear reader, I have opted to avoid the cliche good fences make good neighbors as the title of this post, though once again the timing for such an atrocious title is apt (it's good but still not as good as yesterday's  Putin on the Ritz).

 

President Bush signed into law earlier today a bill authorizing 700 miles of fencing to be added along the US-Mexico border.  Mexican President Vicente Fox has described the fence as a modern Berlin wall, pledging to challenge its construction in today's proceedings at the UN- a move supported by some 27 Latin American countries.

 

[Link]

 

The most glaring problem with the measure is that it enables a fence to be constructed but does little to address the man power necessary in securing the border.  The fence will ultimately be worthless without law enforcement to stand guard.  It is true, however, that the US has not maintained any form of border security for several decades.  All that separates the US from Mexico in some areas is a barb wire fence which even draws the smirk of wandering cattle.  While the fence may not be the solution by itself, it does seem to be a reasonable start. 

 

Is This Ad Racist?

By now you have all heard about the ad run by the RNC against Tennessee, Democrat Senate Candidate Harold Ford. Everyone from the DNC to the NAACP has called the ad racist saying it plays to racial fears of interracial dating between white women and black men. The Guardian quoted Hilary Shelton of the NAACP:

Hilary Shelton, director of Washington bureau of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said the ad plays off fears some people still have about interracial couples.

"In a Southern state like Tennessee, some stereotypes still exist,'' he said. ``There's very clearly some racial subtext in an ad like that.''

[Link]

I will certainly grant that the ad is tacky as GOP candidate Bob Corker himself pointed out. The spot is salacious and it is suggestive.

But I wouldn't call it racist.

The ad simply addresses Ford's values in attending parties sponsored by the porn industry- values which don't square with most Tennesseans. The only racial factor of the ad is the one read into it by people who themselves harbor racial stereotypes- Hilary Shelton chief among them.

For example, when she says, In a Southern state like Tennessee, some stereotypes still exist, Shelton provides us a complete non sequitur. Some stereotypes exist everywhere. What makes TN so special? The irony of her remarks is that while they were intended to rally people behind Ford, they actually do much harm to Ford's chances because she effectively calls the entire state of TN a bunch of racist rednecks. Not the best way to capture the hearts and minds of voters.

I really don't mean to belittle the problems of racial tension in the South. Experience bears out the point that there are some in TN who have problems with interracial relationships. But this is just as true for Boston as it is for Memphis or Nashville. For people with such views, there is sadly no way to counter their ignorance except through time. This ad is a far cry from anything remotely similar.

Just to be fair, the ad is below for your personal viewing and judgment. You decide. Is this ad racist?

Putin on the Ritz

In point of confession, I have secretly been saving the above title for an appropriate occasion the past few weeks.  Today's news that Russian President Vladamir Putin intends to wield influence over the Russian political system even after his term ends seemed more than apt for its unveiling. 

[Link]
 

EuroNews reports that the Russian President will not actually 'tweak' the constitution so he can stay on as President, but Putin will seek to preserve Russian faith in the government by influencing the political process ( i.e...fixed elections). 

 

In other words, elections will proceed as he'd rather not have the West altogether crying foul, but Putin will still pull the levers of power as to sustain trust (viz., fear) in the government. 
 

Putin on the Ritz, indeed.

 

Update:  Apparently, someone beat me to the title.  Rats.

National Review on Midterm Media Bias

The National Review finally chimed in on the media bias I've been complaining about the past few weeks.  Their article is a nice, readable summary of the various articles, interviews and non-coverage the press has deployed in its effort to help America's political left. 

 

[Link]

Chavez's UN Speech Backfires

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez 's fiery speech to the UN last month seems to have backfired in its effort to curry favor for the open seat on the Security Council.  Chávez called US President George W. Bush Satan among other pleasantries.
 

The New York Times reports:
 

As the General Assembly resumes voting on Wednesday on who should occupy the seat being vacated by Argentina, Venezuela's candidacy is already considered finished. In 35 rounds over three days last week, the ambassadors kept Venezuela's competitor, Guatemala, far in front, though not in ready reach of the two-thirds majority needed to win the seat.

[Link]

Chávez had to have seen this coming, but I guess the Devil made him do it.

Russia's Putin Weighs in on North Korea

According to the BBC, Russian President President Vladimir Putin has a basic message for UN negotiators- Do not box North Korea into a corner during negotiations.

 

[Link]

 

Of course not, Vladimir.  Appeasement has worked so well...

TN Senate Candidate Attends Playboy Party

Things were going so well for Tennessee Senate candidate Harold Ford, Jr.

That is until word was leaked in this Bible belt state (home of the Southern Baptist Convention no less) that the Democrat Senate candidate had partied it up with Hugh Hefner and a gaggle of playboy bunnies.

[Link]

Given the news, mudslinging in the race has reached a fever pitch. Team Ford is left to switch the subject while the Volunteer State GOP smells blood in the water among the Tennessee's evangelical base.

Time will tell if there is a fallout, but keep in mind that Corker already had a lead coming into this week's media cycle. To say the least, today's allegations are certainly no aid to Ford.

Below is the YouTube video:

Did Bush Renege on Iraq?

The big buzz from yesterday's White House press gaggle was that President Bush would no longer use the phrase "stay the course" when discussing America's policy in Iraq.  The Administration's justification of the change was simply that it left the wrong impression which it did.

 

[Link]

 

Tactically, this is a positive development for America's long-term interest in the region.  Given today's announcement that American Generals expect Iraq to take over its own security within 12-18 months, it is important for the Administration to capitalize on the moment and look toward the future of Iraq and its role in the Middle East- something the phrase 'stay the course' didn't accomplish even though it was correct in syntax. 

 

[Link]

 

This is not to say that the mission has changed.  If anything, far from the Democrats cut-and-run proposition, the goal in Iraq has only become more pronounced.  National Review columnist Mario Loyola's piece today offers a stark reminder of the stakes in this battle and why this mission, in particular, is so important.  The bottom line remains that Democrats only want an exit strategy, while the President and most Americans want to win.  

 

[Link]

New Polls Indicate GOP to Hold Senate

In the ever spiraling chaos that is the mid-term elections, there are fresh signs of life for the GOP.  Just when every pundit and news outlet has all but called the game for Democrats, new polls released by MSNBC/McClatchy show Republicans maintaining leads in TN and VA- the two states which will decide control of the Senate.  The numbers also found Republicans within striking distance in NJ, RI, MN and MO where GOP candidates trail within 5 percentage points. 

 

Of the nine competitive Senate races, McClatchy's analysis read:

Even if Democrats take all seven of those, they still need to win either Tennessee or Virginia to take control of the Senate. Democrats must gain six seats overall to take a majority.

``Control of the Senate is going to come down to Tennessee and Virginia,'' said Brad Coker, the pollster for Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc. who conducted the surveys for McClatchy-MSNBC in eight states, as well as one in Virginia for several major newspapers there.

[Link]

As noted, the polls were conducted in each state by MSNBC/McClatchy. While McClatchy chose to emphasize the close polling for the GOP, MSNBC did its best to bury the figures by emphasizing Democrat gains.  An excerpt from their article follows:

Two weeks out from the midterm elections, a second round of MSNBC/McClatchy polls, conducted by Mason-Dixon in eight states, show Democrats are slightly closer to taking control of the Senate than they were last month. The Democrats are ahead or within striking distance in all these states but there is no evidence of a national Democratic "tidal wave."

[Link]

You can make sense of the numbers for yourself but the disparate interpretations- one saying the GOP is holding firm and the other saying the Democrats are close- is sufficient to substantiate the subversive media bias which has been an X-factor for the left this entire election cycle. 

Fortunately, Democrat operatives are far more honest about the situation than their cronies in media.  CNN quoted a Senior Democrat aide who remarked of the midterm elections:

"Don't underestimate our ability to blow it," he said.

[Link]

Don't worry.  We will not.

AP Calls Candidate a Craggy-Face

Associated Press reporter Marc Humbert's bias in the NY Senate election has already been called out [Link]. 

 

Today his professional ethic sunk to a new low. 

 

In the last paragraph of the story, Humbert writes:

 

Polls have shown Clinton, 58, far ahead of the craggy-faced, 59-year- old Spencer in the Senate race.

 

Apparently, it doesn't take much to be an AP reporter these days- certainly none of that troublesome objectivity or even better than sophomoric writing as Humbert's written product can attest.  The remaining question in this case is who bears more of the blame- Humbert or his editors.

 

The Obama Fad

Every major news service blazoned the headline: Obama Considers Run in 2008.

 

[ Link]

 

The fact certainly is newsworthy but it does conjure up a few questions:

 

Is this the epitome of hubris or the mark of a man hoping to do good? 

 

While I will not answer the question expressly, it is worth considering that Obama has no executive experience on the state or national level, and that he hasn't even served two years in the United States Senate. 

 

Second, what does this say for the state of the Democrat party when their potential front-runner is a former state representative who is better known for his book tour than any legislative accomplishment? 

 

This one I will answer.  The Dems are desperate to find the Anyone-but-Hillary-Alternative.  And they should be.  You will recall that the initial dream candidate was Mark Warner of VA.  His untimely exit, however, left the Dems reeling for someone- anyone- to fill his 'centrist' void. 

 

The real indictment in this matter falls upon Hillary Clinton.  If Clinton were a strong candidate, then Obama would be little more than a passing fad with a cool book in the minds of most Democrats- not a serious Presidential contender.  How it all plays out, time will tell.

The Unintended Effect of Democrat Optimism

ScrappleFace has another hilarious faux article on the unforeseen consequences of resurgent Democrat optimism.

[Link]

Be sure to watch for the zinger at the end.

New Firefox Due Tomorrow

Only a few of you will appreciate the notice, but Mozilla is set to release its new version of Firefox sometime tomorrow.

Firefox is a web-browser designed to rival MS Internet Explorer.  According to the Seattle Post Intelligencer the new version:
 

Incorporates anti-phishing technology to prevent the deceptive disclosure of personal information. It restores windows, tabs, in-progress downloads and text typed into online forms if any of those are interrupted by a system crash. And it corrects the spelling of words entered on Web pages.

Version 2.0 also improves on the tabbed-windows interface that Mozilla innovated and that Microsoft introduced for the first time last week with IE7, its biggest upgrade since 2001.

[ Link]

As an ardent Firefox fan (say that fast three times), I'll try to have a review of Firefox 2.0 posted sometime soon.

Fall in Boston

This weekend I took some time from studying to traipse about the City of Boston and enjoy a true New England fall.

My weekend was an eventful one, replete with the Life is Good Pumpkin Festival in which Bostonians tried to break the world record for most pumpkins lit [Link] and the Head of the Charles Regatta- an annual crew race featuring teams from across the globe[Link].

Fortunately for both events, the weather couldn't have been better. Each afternoon featured a brilliant sky and 50-60 degree temperatures.

Here are a some photos I took from the weekend (click picture for full-size image):

This was the start of my day. Boston's T as seen from the Longfellow Bridge.

Here is a shot of the pumpkin festival on Boston Commons. The kid in the center took a dive into the orange pumpkin mess you see behind him soon after this photo was taken. His mother's reaction was priceless.

Above is the tower of pumpkins. Rumor has it there were some 30,000 lit pumpkins last night.

Here is the tower of pumpkins lit.

In the center, is the best pumpkin on display. Children cried upon seeing this fine specimen. It was great.

Finally, some shots from the Head of the Charles Regatta. A rowdy crowd awaits the rowers passage beneath the bridge.

Rowers came from all over the world. This bunch appears to be from Brown.

Above is the women's crew team from Dartmouth.

How better to cap off the perfect Cambridge, fall day than a stroll near the Kennedy School of Government?

London Muslims Mark Qods Day

Our friends over at the Islamic Republic News Agency reported on the annual Qods Day rally held in London over Lebanese rights.

The title of their headline read:

London's annual Qods Day rally marching to US embassy

[Link]

I'm all for marching and flag waving and rallying and protesting. Hey, the freedom to do so in London is far greater than that afford to Muslims in most of their home nations. So, it's not a bad idea in all but it does prompt a couple of interesting questions.

Doesn't marching to the US embassy year after year after year get old?

Moreover, isn't the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results?

Hmm...

They Made Samuel Beckett Proud

On most days, the writing at the Washington Post is about as interesting as curling up with a copy of the Federal Tax Code- its bias notwithstanding.

Some days, however, our staid and joyless writers manage to dig deep within themselves and craft a funny line that gives people a good laugh and a flash of wit. This one comes at toward the end of an article on this history of the "October Surprise" and features my favorite play.

In some years the October surprise, like the Great Pumpkin or Godot, is much anticipated but never appears. But in recent years it's become so predictable, so commonplace, it should be called the October Same-Old Same-Old.

[Link]

Not bad. Not bad at all. Sam Beckett would be proud.

[Link]

Scare Tactics or Reality?

The WaPo derisively announced that the GOP intends to "Scare up Big Voter Turn Out" by running ads reminding Americans of the dire consequences of a potential Democrat Congress.

 

With top Republican strategists now privately predicting substantial House losses, President Bush and top GOP officials plan to spend the final days of the 2006 campaign attempting to rally partisans and limit conservative defections with dire warnings about the consequences of a Democratic Congress.

 

[Link]

 

While this may seem cliche, the reminder is far from hyperbole.  Two words make the case:  Speaker Pelosi. 

 

God bless America.

 

 

E-mail Flap Haunts Princeton President

It seems that embarrassing E-mails are quickly becoming the modus operandi for shaming a disgraceful public official.  In this case, Princeton University President Shirley Tilghman is the latest victim. 

 

Fortunately, her flap isn't so as salacious as to involve an under-age page, but it does involve an under-grad and a sever case of ego inflation.  My Dartmouth education notwithstanding, Shirley Tilghman represents everything I loathe about the Ivy League.

 

Here is the E-mail exchange in its entirety:

 

From: "Shirley M. Tilghman" <smt@Princeton.EDU>
Date: October 16, 2006 5:12:04 PM EDT
To: [redacted]@Princeton.EDU
Subject: RE: Special Favor

Dear [redacted],

I am afraid that this is way BELOW my pay scale.  This is NOT something
the president should be weighing in on.

Good luck!

SMT

-----Original Message-----
From: [redacted]@princeton.edu
Sent: Monday, October 16, 2006 5:09 PM
To: Shirley M Tilghman (smt@Princeton.EDU )
Subject: Special Favor

President Tilghman,

On Mondays and Tuesdays I work for Public Safety's Shuttle and Lockout
services.  I live in Little and after work I swim in Dillon before going
to dinner.  Earlier today I asked the parking office if they could give
me a permit to park in the Little/Edwards parking lot for one hour twice
a week, and they said you were the person to talk to.  Will you help me
out?  All I need is 530-630pm on Mondays and 830-930pm on Tuesdays.

I look forward to hearing from you,
thanks,
[redacted] '07

 

 

(Via Ivy Gate Blog)

Istanbul Anyone?

I've been reading a wonderful book by Elizabeth Kostova titled The Historian. It's actually a rather long mystery/adventure novel about Vampires but don't let the subject matter fool you. Kostova's writing is among the best of America's new authors. She provides amazing descriptions and the story's smart, easy read will almost certainly be made into a movie. Consider it highly recommended.

Portions of the book take place in Istanbul, Turkey- the nexus of Western and Eastern civilization. Her descriptions of the city are amazing. You can almost feel yourself standing beneath the towering dome of the Hagia Sophia and sipping strong Turkish coffee at a nearby cafe.

Interestingly, Istanbul has the unique distinction of being the only city in the world which has served as the capital of three empires (Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman). Anyway, the book itself has sparked a renewed interest in foreign travel which had pretty much abated since my last excursion to London in the Spring of 2004.

Since they say a photo is worth a thousand words, here is a link to some fantastic pictures.

[Link]

I'm thinking Istanbul, spring ' 07. Anyone up for a trip?

Beginning of the End of America

True to objective form, MSNBC ran a column by ultra-liberal talking head Keith Olbermann titled "Beginning of the end of America." Surprisingly, the article is not about what happens if the Dems take control of Congress...

[Link]

Op-ed: Stand up and Fight

The Washington Times Op-ed page ran a lucid editorial by Gary Andres extolling Conservatives to stand up and fight in this election.  It may fall on deaf ears but conservatives have much more to fear from Nancy Pelosi than a GOP controlled Congress. 

[Link]

 

Media Silence on Top Democrat's Racist Comments

Back in August when Sen. George Allen called his opposition's campaign worker a disparaging name, I was quick to call a spade a spade and denounce his comments.  The media circus which followed, however, surprised even me.  Every major news outlet from the WaPo to Fox News condemned Allen's remarks.  It was a regular media heyday condemning racism and calling for George Allen's head.  Rightly so, perhaps.  

 

[Link] 

 

However, when Democrat Minority Whip Steny Hoyer said said yesterday that Senate Candidate Michael Steele slavishly supported the GOP, the story could have been met with louder cricket chirps.  CNN which gave the story a brief mention on its election blog (the story was mentioned nowhere on its main page), even refused to print the full remarks made by Hoyer to a reportedly all-black audience. 

 

[Link]

 

The offense of the comments are self explanatory.  It is never acceptable to call any black candidate a slave.  But the thing about Hoyer is that his comments are not found in isolation.  Back in 2002, when Mr. Steele first ran for Lt. Governor of MD Hoyer called him a token black candidate.  Considering the Allen and Hoyer spectacles above, it seems much more racially egregious for a politician to call a black candidate token and slavish than it does for a politician to call a campaign worker a dumb name no one understands.  Mysteriously, however, when a brouhaha is scandalous toward Democrats (particularly Democrat House leaders) the media is silent. 

 

[Link]

 

More importantly, what do Democrat House Leaders have against black candidates?

Hugo's Not Gonna Like This...

Brace yourself for Hurricane Hugo Chavez's pending vitriol.  The Spanish government today announced its intent to renege on a planned sale of Spanish fighter jets to Venezuela.  The deal, agreed upon last December was thwarted by the US which vetoed the use of American parts in the plane. 

 

[Link]

 

The decision is reportedly a major set back for the Venezuelan government whose air force roughly consists primarily of crop dusters and hot air balloons. 

Iran Ranks 19th in Power Generation

Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency is reporting that Iran ranks number nineteen in the world and number one in the Middle East for power generation capacity.

 

[Link]

 

Tremendous accolades both.  But riddle me this- if Iran has has such astute power generating capabilities, then why does it need to pursue nuclear power? 

 

Gee, I wonder...

 

 

Does Gov. Romney Doubt Kerry Healey?

The answer is yes if you believe the Boston Globe.

[Link]

In an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, MA Governor Mitt Romney barely mentioned blue states with retiring GOP Governors in his opening remarks when Blitzer interjected MA as a similar state.

Romeny agreed while concluding his remarks:

And Massachusetts- With governors not running for reelection, and so the math would say that's going to be pretty hard for us to hold on to all those states.

It seems fairly benign when you read it, but the media here in Boston put its spin on the remarks to mean that Romney doubts his Lt. Governor's chances to win in November.

If you actually read the transcript, I don't think there is any clear indication that Romney believes Healey will lose. It seems much more of an admission that it will be tough for Republicans to hold on to blue state Governorships this year. Healey's race is no exception. It's a hard fought election and a tough race. Romney's remarks reflect the national political climate of this election cycle and the reality that it could be close in many states. Even Karl Rove, the left's appointed Prince of Darkness, is willing to admit the difficulty facing the GOP, while still forecasting victory [ Link].

Looks like the Globe got a little overeager on this one.

Stock Market Soars

You won't find this story on most national media outlets.  CNN, for example, barely gave it a by-line on its website earlier this morning. 

 

However, all signs indicate that the economy is strong and growing.  The Dow Jones Industrial soared to over 12,000 for the first time in history during the first hour of trading. 

 

[Link]

Dems Flip on Immigration

Immigration has been a dicey issue for the Democrats this year with most Americans favoring tough legislation aimed at stemming the tide of illegals coming into the US and most Dems favoring broad legalization.  

 

A few Dems, however, have broken ranks offering up tough talk on immigration.  Coincidentally enough, the new tone comes from some of the most competitive House and Senate races in the country. 

 

[Link]

 

Yet more proof that Democrats will say anything to get elected. 

Thoughts on Marriage and More Couples Living Together

The story has long passed, but I wanted to offer a few remarks on the NYT article regarding recent marriage trends.  I think it offers an interesting commentary of many people in my generation.

 

[Link]
 

In short, the article highlights data from a newly released survey of American communities conducted by the United State Census Bureau.  Most of the data is fairly staid and typical so far as population growth and income distribution go, but what raised eyebrows was the tremendous increase in the number of straight couples which have opted to live together instead of getting married. 

 

A link to the raw data can be accessed here [ Link]. 

 

The numbers as broken down by the NYT report that there are roughly 5.2 million straight couples who live together consisting of some 5% of all households in the U.S.  While this number is not substantial in itself, the 14% increase of such couples from 2000 is.  For the first time, un-married couples are now a majority given that only 49.7 percent of the nation's 111.1 million couples are married.  

 

Consistent with most revealing surveys, there are a variety of interpretations for the numbers.  Academics such as Pam Smock from U Michigan argue that the trends tell us that they (couples) are doing so because it would be unwise to marry without first living together in a society marked by high levels of divorce.  

 

Surprisingly, Steve Watters from James Dobson's Focus on the Family tended to agree with Smock's characterization saying It does show that a lot of people are experimenting with alternatives before they get there .  Yet the concern of his organization is that those who still aspire to marriage are going to find fewer models. They're also finding they've gotten so good at being single it's hard to be at one with another person .

 

Some of the couples interviewed describe living together as a "test drive" for marriage- citing a lack of affordable housing, and convenience as key reasons for their decision to live together.  Living here in Boston, I find these responses to be fairly common among those living together in my age demographic so the characterization of the rationale is apt, in my opinion.   

 

My own thought on the matter is that the trend simply reflects this generation's view of marriage as an institution- specifically, that younger people are more cynical toward marriage than ever before.  It was, after all, the baby boom generation which all but decimated marriage as an institution.  With free love in the 1960s/70s, soaring divorce rates in the 80s/90s, and 9/11 just after the turn of the century, 20-somethings are primarily left with models of marriage which are either dysfunctional, unhappy or non-existent.  An age of terrorism only reinforces life's fragility and the inherent lack of permanency life brings.  Today's young couples have become reluctant to commit to a job for more than a year, much less a relationship that lasts for a lifetime.  Living together for many younger couples enables them to explore a relationship's long-term viability without the trappings of a wedding and extended commitment.  It is essentially a distinction between saying, "I do" forever and "I will" for now.

 

Here is one glaring problem with this line of thought.  There comes a point in every relationship when the romance fades, the sun stops smiling, and the skies are no longer blue (the flowers and cards stop coming soon thereafter in case you are wondering).  At this point, love primarily becomes a commitment- not just a fleeting emotion.  This is not to say that love is bereft of emotion.  It is to say that love becomes a will to choose- a will to choose another.  This type of love is essential for a relationship to last the long haul and is only maximized in its essence through the institution of marriage.  It is one thing to "test out" forever, but what higher commitment can a person make than to give their life for another person?  Living together keeps the options open and offers an easy out when the romance and attraction fade.  Marriage by contrast offers no easy answers at all, but provides the assurance of commitment for both life and its waning twilight.

Pressing Questions Await UN Leader

Following last week's election of Ban Ki-moon as UN Secretary General, more foreign policy scholars are beginning to dub the UN as an arcane institution. Ban Ki-moon has primarily drawn the ire of critics who call him more of an appeaser and less than a leader- particularly toward North Korea and China.

Of Ban Ki-moon's appeasement tendencies, the National Review writes:

This gives a sense of the direction that Bank Ki-moon is likely to take the United Nations next, and it may quickly make Washington nostalgic for the days of Kofi Annan. Whatever Annan's faults, vagueness is not one of them, and he has not shied away from pointedly criticizing almost everybody at one time or another. Ban Ki-moon, on the other hand, is far more likely to sweeten every crisis with statements designed so delicately to avoid offending anybody that they may prove most effective as a cure for insomnia .

[Link]

Far more problematic than electing an impotent leader may be the UN's own track record for failure. NoKo sanctions notwithstanding, most recently the Minority Rights Group released a study citing numerous missed opportunities for the UN to intervene in the Darfur crisis- an issue which has obtained considerable traction in the US, since actions there were declared genocide nearly a year ago.

[Link]

I won't go as far as the NR and will reserve judgment of Ban Ki-moon for now. He has much to prove and enters a volatile atmosphere in international politics. Besides there's no need to fire the guy before he has even begun. His situation is unenviable to say the least.

Midterms 2006: Zeal Takes on Efficiency

The NY Times breaks down the 2006 midterm elections along surprisingly traditional lines- voter enthusiasm for the election versus the efficiency of party machines in getting out the vote (GOTV).

[ Link]

The article concludes that while enthusiasm may be high among liberals, Republicans can counter their intensity with good-old, GOP efficiency in getting out the vote. The NY Times took an excerpt from my Congressman, Oklahoma's 4th District Representative Tom Cole (R-OK), who explained:

I do think our base is coming together and will be coming together later, but four weeks is an eternity in this business...this is a race where professionalism has to make up for enthusiasm .

It's not rocket science. For the GOP to win, it needs to milk every single vote in each key district. This strategy is the same one which brought victory in a close 2004 race and in the 2002 midterms. If our operation brings its A-game, most of the party leaders are optimistic of the GOP's chances for retaining control of Congress. Inexplicably optimistic, if you believe the WaPo.

[Link ]

Put differently, efficiency always beats enthusiasm.

NY Post on McCain v. Hillary

The New York Post had a nice summary of a potential McCain v. Hillary match up for President in 2008. The claim to fame section is telling. McCain was a POW in NAM. Hillary stood by her man.


Image courtesy of the New York Post.

Don't Vote!

Grandma's gonna be upset when she learns what the AARP's new message is to seniors.

The American Association of Retired Persons decided to launch a new website aimed at educating its members in advance of the November midterm elections. Unfortunately, someone in their marketing department is soon to be fired because the name of the voter ed website is called www.dontvote.com .

[Link]

Going out on a limb here but perhaps that's not the best way to encourage civic participation. Let's hope America's seniors are sprightly enough to reject the senile advice of their much beloved organization.

Cowboys T.O. Lashes Back at Coach

Haven't commented on football much lately. Mainly because all of my teams have been in the dumps this past week- to say nothing of my fantasy football league which is getting down right ugly.

Most of us have probably seen this coming for a while. The marriage between the Dallas Cowboys and the league's most volatile wide receiver was bound to have had its limits. Today T.O. lashed out at his position and the wedding seems to be on the rocks.

[Link]

On his weekly talk show, T.O. said:

There will be no more friendly nothing because I don't trust anybody like that. I will go out and practice hard. I will respect him as a coach, and he should respect me as a player. Anything outside of that I am not going to be able to deal with. Right now, we are merely co-workers, and that's it.

His remarks don't surprise me. What surprises me is that the relationship wasn't as he described already. Coaching isn't about making friends. The relationship between coaches and players should only be professional and one of mutual respect. The 'friendly nothing' T.O. mentions goes without saying.

What T.O. needs to do is grow up, start catching a few passes, and quit belly-aching over ever little thing that doesn't go his way.

Politics, Religion and the 2006 Midterms

MSNBC ran an exclusive online book review this morning of former Bush Administration official David Kuo's new tome blasting the administration's Office of Faith-Based Initiatives. 

In the new book due for release Monday, Kuo argues that Bush is simply using religious conservatives to accomplish political ends.  
 

[Link]

 

Here are a few thoughts:

 

The FBCI did not exist before President Bush created it early in his Administration.  No President has been more committed to providing faith organizations the tools necessary for their efforts in addressing some of the most pressing social problems of our day.  The rationale is that faith communities know the needs of those around them best and that they can most directly address these issues.  Regardless of whether the office scores political points or not, it serves an important function which the article fails to mention.  
 
The thrust behind the book is that the office did not get the funding it needs to serve its function.  This could be true, but consider the source.  When then FBCI head Jim Towey met with members of the Dartmouth College Republicans in 2004, his response to the same question was that the issue is one of realistic "budget constraints."  There simply is not enough money in Washington to go toward funding every charitable organization which seeks funding.  Kuo may have a point that it could have been better funded but what bureaucrat (career or appointed) would argue otherwise?  The nature of government is that it always has an appetite for more funding.  In this case, Kuo's status as an "insider" is actually a liability because of course a bureaucrat would clamor for more money.  It's what they all do.

 

Finally, is there any coincidence that this story is being run some four weeks before the election?  This completely smacks of election year politics.  Kuo first came out as an FBCI critic in 2005.  While the book is new, the argument is not [ Link]. 

 

Moreover, MSNBC actually began running stories against the Christian right way back in May when it declared that religious conservatives were fleeing the party [Link ].  In late August [Link], MSNBC claimed that the Christian Coalition was all but ready to implode in wake of the 2006 midterms spelling doom for Republicans.  This story was followed up by a September piece promoting the efforts of liberal evangelicals to get out the vote for Democrats [ Link].  Only two days later, MSNBC pronounced the Christian right politically 'jaded' by the Bush Administration [Link ].  Naturally, when the Foley scandal broke earlier this month, MSNBC once again trumpeted the alarm saying that the issue tipped the balance for disaffected religious conservatives adding that only "an act of God" would reverse GOP fortunes [ Link].   

 

Completely lost in this discussion, however, was any mention of the firm support declared by the Southern Baptist Convention for President Bush [ Link] and a meeting held yesterday at the White House between the President and SBC President Frank Page [Link].  It may seem like a picky point but the SBC makes up the vast majority of self-identified evangelicals and is by far the largest protestant organization in the US.  Political translation:  lots of votes.  

 

Could religious conservatives be disaffected?  Sure.  But as a media entity, MSNBC's place is not to launch thinly veiled attempts in influencing their vote.

Democrat Drops Out Before Race Begins

Sorry.  I couldn't resist the title.  I'm making reference, of course, to former VA Governor Mark Warner who opted to drop out of the 2008 Presidential race without ever having officially declared he was running. 

 

[Link]

 

Does this give new meaning to the term Defeatocrat?  It should.  But Slate gives Warner a generous break musing why anyone would seek election at all.  Makes perfect sense.  Let's hope more Democrats take Slate's message to heart.

 

[Link]

 

I'm skeptical.  If the Democrats strategy for victory is to dig up the dirt on Republican candidates [ Link], then perhaps the GOP should follow suit and find out why Warner really quit?  Then again, Republicans don't need to dig up dirt because we actually have ideas.

Dems Send Mixed Message on Foreign Policy

Human Events picked up on the Democrats' mixed message on foreign policy today.  Their article titled Democrats Jettison 'Multilateral' Process, Blast Bush Over North Korea is a pithy commentary on the inconsistency.
 

[Link]

The article quotes Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell:

 

The president's political opponents attack him for a 'unilateral' approach to Iraq. Now they attack him over a multilateral approach to North Korea. Listening to some Democrats, you'd think the enemy was George Bush, not Kim Jong Il .
 

Too true.

The Biology of Relationships

In most respects, the urban jungle in which I find myself could not be more different than the windy plains I call home.  Its faults notwithstanding, Boston has has taught me a great deal about people, relationships, and some common ground both places share.  What triggered my thoughts on this topic was the article below from today's New York Times.

 

[Link ]

 

The author, Dan Goleman, writes of a friend who is terminally ill with cancer and discusses the science behind the sage wisdom that people with relationships are happier and healthier than those without. 

 

Goleman writes:

 

The research on the link between relationships and physical health has established that people with rich personal networks — who are married, have close family and friends, are active in social and religious groups — recover more quickly from disease and live longer .

 

His biggest point is actually a contrapositive to his previous assertion-  that people without relationships suffer a double blow "the pain of rejection" from people who do not care and "the deprivation of the benefits of loving contact."

 

Goleman admits the science of his argument is still evolving but I think there are many compelling life examples which people share across place and time which would substantiate his point. 

 

As I consider my own life, nearly all of the best memories I have involve spending time with others.  I think readily about a Spring break trip to Wales, shaking the President's hand in Portsmouth, NH, fishing at the pond and playing dirt clod war with my sister (a very technical game which involves standing in a fresh plowed field and chucking dirt clods at your opponent).  Every one of these memories involves time spent with others.  No matter how strong my introverted side becomes at times, I am happiest when I am with and around others.  The best times I have had are never spent in isolation.  A related thought to follow Goleman's contrapositive observation is that some of my saddest memories are of being completely alone.  My Grandmother's death, getting stung by a wasp in my tree house, working on papers late at night and more recently feeling alone in the city all of these memories were lived in isolation. 

 

A blog I found recently, seems to indicate the same thing.  I haven't really followed the story all that well, though I do tune in from time to time.  The author writes about her recent divorce and basically about feeling lonely given that her spouse obviously didn't love her back.  In the post I've linked to below, she discovers with wonderment that her dating pool includes a classic social inept who is reading a comic book while mumbling to himself. 

 

[Link]

 

She writes:

 

Look. I'm not going to make fun of this guy. Could he have been slow? Sure. Not a big deal. But then I started thinking...'Ok...it's safe to assume that this guy isn't getting any dates, right? And I'm not getting any dates. So by default, we are in the same boat. He's my dating pool.'

For her, the observation was as much lament as it was comedy.  The sad point was that she lacked relationships, which led her to conclude that actually she was no better off than her comic book friend.  This thought process, in turn, opens an entirely different realm of self-worth issues and feelings of belonging.  The root of the problem, however, is an absence of relationship.  It could be that the solution for her is to supplement her life with different types of relationships.  Maybe it's not.  Perhaps she needs to start dating again.  Time will tell. 

 

What I think these two writings indicate, from very different perspectives, is that the biology of relationships has a direct correlation with our sense of happiness and positive self-perception.  For Goleman's friend, relationships broadly defined meant a happier end to his life.  In fact, they meant a longer life when he should long ago have passed away.  For the girl in the blog, a lack of relationship indicates sadness and bemusement that she is socially on par with a comic book reader who mumbles to himself.

 

In the end, it isn't really rocket science but these ideas are as much truth as our daily existence.  The biology of relationships is that relationships are inherently biological for each of us.

Democrat Leader, Harry Reid's Ethics Scandal

Harry Reid's Las Vegas land grab hasn't made much head way in the mainstream media. No surprise there. After all, he did make a cool million dollars off the thing and this point alone would clash greatly when the Democrats claim to represent the 'little guy' as the Senator has oft said.

Lucky for you, however, Drudge linked to the video which I will repost below. Always talking straight here at Pax Plena.

Funny how Democrat scandals get buried and Republican missteps make headlines- but decide for yourself.

Update: You Tube acquiesced to the Dems and took down the video.

Hipsters Run Iranian Press Shop

Think I'm lying? 

 

Check out today's headline from the Iranian, state-run news agency:

 

Sweet achievements gained in aerospace industry

 

[Link]

 

Sweet.  Totally sweet, dude.

VT Set to Elect First Socialist Senator

CNN had an amusing story on the VT Senate race we've mentioned here a couple of times. 

 

[Link]

 

Thanks in part to a woeful campaign by GOP challenger Rich Tarrant, Congressman Bernie Sanders maintains a sizable lead in the polls.  Should the numbers hold, VT will be well on track to electing the first socialist to the Senate in U.S. History.

 

Given that this is the state which produced both Howard Dean and civil unions is there any surprise?

 

 

 

Tennessee Senate Race Heats Up

A few weeks ago, I never would have dreamed that the Tennessee race for US Senate would be competitive.  My sparse interactions with the state have demonstrated repeatedly to me that it is by all accounts a very conservative state. 

 

Then along came Mark Foley. 

 

Now, liberal Congressman Harold Ford and former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker are running neck and neck in a race which could tip the balance of the Senate this November. 

 

[Link]

 

Apparently, Ford has not shied away from his liberal reputation.  According to reports, he is adamantly anti-war and pro-raising taxes- two issues which should never attract conservative voters in a state like this.  In a recent debate on these issues, it was Corker who underscored the differences between Republicans and Democrats best. 

 

It's actually a great reminder for all ambivalent Republicans in the electorate.  Corker said:

 

I've lived a Tennessee life, my opponent has lived a Washington life.  Our world views couldn't be any more different.

 

This is the key difference of the entire election.  Democrats talk a great deal about the problems facing America right now but they offer no solutions; and the solutions they will offer, should they win, could not be any more different than the values of Main Street America.  The warning is simple- if you think things are bad now, just wait and see how bad they can get when you vote Democrat. 

 

[Link]

Death of Longhand? Does it Matter?

On a day in which: NoKo threatened war against the United States [Link], South Korea prepared for atomic warfare [ Link], Japan imposed tough economic sanctions in response [Link], and in which President Bush called an emergency news conference to address the crisis [ Link], what did the Washington Post make time to discuss? 

 

The death of cursive hand writing. 

 

[Link]

 

Incredible.  If the world goes to nuclear war over NoKo, does the death of longhand really matter?  The Washington Post could not be more out of touch with what really matters.

Boston Globe Defends Healey In Governor's Race

I'll lead off today's round-up with some surprising news out of good old Boston.  Some of you may know that we have a slightly competitive governor's race here in the Bay State and, of course, like any election, this brings out the excoriation of the GOP and all its candidates.  

 

This weekend Senator Ted Kennedy, in between sips of scotch, denounced Republican candidate Kerry Healey calling her everything from "low" to (gasp) "Karl Rove."  Coming from Kennedy this is typical.  What was surprising was who came to her defense.  It was not MA Governor Mitt Romney or any other GOP official.  This too would be expected.  Healey's defender was the Boston Globe. 

 

Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby wrote:

 

It doesn't take a cynic or a Republican to behold such a snarl of self-contradictions and wonder whether Patrick has a problem with the truth. Or to wonder if he always sympathizes more readily with criminals than with their victims. These are just the kinds of issues political campaigns are supposed to air. A candidate who raises them about her opponent isn't ``taking the low road." Whether Kennedy likes it or not, she's doing her job.

 

[Link]

 

I am typically, rightfully hard on the Globe for their unabashed liberal views.  But in all fairness I should give credit where credit is due: the Globe published a piece which set the record straight for the first time in this election.  Well done.

GOP Bloggers Straw Poll

The folks over at GOP Bloggers are conducting the October edition of their 2008 Primary Straw Poll.

Feel free to cast your vote below!

You know you blog too much when...

You are fifth in the world on a google search for the phrase "my life is really lame" which is how someone stumbled upon the site this evening.

[Link]

Want to know the sad part? It's not that my life is really lame but that your humble blogger was only fifth on the google list. We ranked behind two myspace accounts, another blog and a generic group of yahoo answers. I mean, if we're going to be lame we at least want to be #1!

Here is the link to the post which has drawn such attention. I must concur with google. It actually is quite lame (Edit: not my life; just the post).

[Link]

New Study on Sleep and Health

Oops! Apparently, sleep is an important thing...

[Link]

Who knew?

Top Democrat?

Admittedly, this is sort of a picky point but I found it highly amusing. 

 

MSNBC, always quick to pick up the Democrat talking points ran an AP story headlined: 

 

Top Democrat calls for talks with North Korea

 

[Link]

 

Who was the top Democrat?  Nancy Pelosi?  Harry Reid?  Bill Clinton?  Bill Clinton's wife? 

 

Nope.  Bill Richardson. 

 

Now, I understand that he served under Clinton.  I understand that he's the Governor of New Mexico.  But would we really call him a 'top' Democrat given that his political influence doesn't really extend outside the Land of Enchantment?'

 

Moreover, is a guy who smears spit on people's glasses really a top anything?  Good times.  Good times.

 

[Link]

Hypoallergenic Cat Hits Market

I had heard for a while that hypoallergenic cats were due out soon. I had also hoped accordingly that it was the work of urban myth and that such pets would not actually be produced within my United States. Cat lovers after all are a unique brood of people, but hypoallergenic cat lovers are a different people entirely. Martians perhaps.

Today, much to my surprise, I was mistaken once more.

[Link]

Turns out, the cats are set for release around January 1 and are being marketed as "lifestyle pets." Interestingly, the wait list for these creatures is two years long. Not bad for a cat that will sell for $4,000 a piece.

By definition, I automatically dislike anyone who would purchase a 'lifestyle pet.'

This is why Western Civilization will soon crumble.

Columbia Prof. Wins Nobel Economics Prize

Columbia University Prof. Edmund s. Phelps won the Nobel Prize in Economics today for his work on inflationary trade-off theory in workers wages.

His theory suggested that while higher prices led for workers to push for higher wages, the very threat of higher prices prompted companies expectations to include considering wage increases until eventually the two level off in the "equilibrium unemployment rate."

[Link]

Rare is the day when anything good comes out of Columbia so kudos to the School on the Hudson!

Unfortunately for Phelps, his only competition was a duo out of Houston, TX whose fine work on asset liquidation proved un-compelling to the Royal Swedish Academy.

Democrats Attack Bush on North Korea

Today was going to be my hiatus from blogging.  But having watched the evening news and read up on the North Korean nuclear test I feel obliged to offer a quick observation.  

As noted last week, the election year stench is rife in Washington.  While, today's test by the North Koreans (is it politically correct to call them NoKos?) was soundly condemned around the world, Democrats took the opportunity to buck solidarity and blast the Bush Administration on its handling of the NoKo crisis.  

But first, here is a roundup of today's left-wing foolishness:

Sen. Russ Feingold: [The NoKo test] shows the weakness of the Six Party approach as well as the danger of this Administration's hands-off approach to North Korea .

DNC Chairman Howard Dean:  Bush aided and abetted the outsourcing of American jobs, and now he's outsourced our diplomacy as well .

Minority Leader, Sen. Harry Reid:  The Bush administration has for several years been in a state of denial about the growing challenge of North Korea, and has too often tried to downplay the issue or change the subject .

Sen. John Kerry:  Weapons of mass destruction pointed at our allies and strategic partners represents a shocking failure of President Bush's security policy, and a threat to the interests of peace and stability in the world.

[Link], [Link]

Every Democrat on record has complained that six-party diplomacy will not work and that the US should hold direct, unilateral discussions with NoKo.  The rub is that this comes from the same gaggle of Democrats who complained bitterly that the Bush Administration failed to seek a diplomatic solution to the Iraq war in 2003.  Isn't it a little convenient that the Dems are complaining at all about the Administration's approach to NoKo given that a diplomatic solution is exactly what they have wanted since the invasion of Iraq?

Here are a few pressing questions for the Democrats to answer: 

Are they pro-diplomacy or pro-unilateral intervention?

Who is the real enemy?  North Korea or President Bush?

How long till they blame Karl Rove?

Happy Columbus Day!

On this Columbus Day, with no work today and coffee in abundance, I'm taking a break from blogging- though there is much to discuss with the alleged collapse of the GOP over the weekend and the N. Korean missile test.

For today, I'm craving the seashores of Old Mexico.

I hate Texas.

Red River Shootout Today!

After one year of long wait, it is finally here!

Nancy Pelosi in Translation

The Democrat vultures are already circling on Capitol Hill waiting to pick the flesh of any and all ailing Republicans who will most surely be killed off on November 7th.  This is so much the case that the AP has begun running stories about the eminent danger that is a Democrat Congress and a possible Speaker Nancy Pelosi.  

 

Drudge responded by running the headline: MAYBE IT WILL TAKE A WOMAN TO CLEAN UP THE HOUSE.  Election season is definitely upon us.

[ Link]

As you can see from the story, Pelosi has already listed her priorities should the Dems win.  I thought it would be fun to do a side by side translation of what she said in the article v. what she really means:

 

What Pelosi Said:  Put new rules in place to "break the link between lobbyists and legislation."

What Pelosi Means:  We're going after the Republicans- every last God-fearing, war mongering one of 'em because Democrats are anything but soft on security! 

 

What Pelosi Said:  Enact all the recommendations made by the commission that investigated the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
What Pelosi Means:  We're going to impeach Bush.  Then we're giving up this whole War on Terror hullabaloo.

 

What Pelosi Said:  Raise the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour, maybe in one step. Cut the interest rate on student loans in half. Allow the government to negotiate directly with the pharmaceutical companies for lower drug prices for Medicare patients.
What Pelosi Means:  We're not interested in business growth.  I think America has enough businesses.  Besides, our unions need more press coverage and entrepreneurship is sooo over-rated.  We're going back to the basics-  big government solutions.  Look what it's done for Venezuela!

What Pelosi Said:  Broaden the types of stem cell research allowed with federal funds — "I hope with a veto-proof majority!"
What Pelosi Means :  Right to life people need to get over it.  Sometimes you have to take a life to preserve another life.  We can't halt the guarantees of science for ethical quibbles- unless you're talking about Mark Foley then ethics matter (our own sex scandals notwithstanding).

What Pelosi Said:  "Pay as you go," meaning no increasing the deficit, whether the issue is middle class tax relief, health care or some other priority.  To do that, she said, Bush-era tax cuts would have to be rolled back for those above "a certain level."

What Pelosi Means:  We're gonna raise taxes!

What Pelosi Said: "We believe in the marketplace," Pelosi said of Democrats, then drew a contrast with Republicans. "They have only rewarded wealth, not work.  We must share the benefits of our wealth" beyond the privileged few, she added.
What Pelosi Means:  We're gonna raise taxes!  We don't really believe in the market.  Are you kidding me?  It's all about the power of government to spend the people's money.  C'mon.  And you thought the Republicans increased spending...