I suppose the mainstream media's coverage of Iraq is finally getting to me, because that is how I initially read the headline, Cheney Visits Iraq; Attacks Kill 19.
Not sure if I misread this one, though. (Via Dave Barry's Blog)
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Color-Impoverished Phosphorus (And Other Weapons Of Mass Distraction)
Scott Burgess did a fine job of exposing last month's lies about white phosphorus (further details here and here); however, the Dec 1, 2005 comment by Rabbitvoz on Burgess' follow-up provides a clue about why the myth-making began:
I am cringing in terror from some of the most disadvantaged people on Earth,
Are we talking about truly disadvantaged people, like those being slaughtered in Sudan, or the 'poor' killers who are as likely to be well-off (Osama bin Laden was disadvantaged?) and well-educated as they are the alternative? Because the reaction to the first seems to trend toward shameful indifference, and the reaction to the second involves no cringing 'round these parts (heck, most complaints seem to argue the exact opposite--that there are too many people like Amir Taheri who lack humility in response to terrorists.)
while I unleash gargantuan forces of destruction,
It takes a fascinating mind to cringe toward terror, and to do so with superior firepower.
poisonous Depleted Uranium
Michael McNeil wrote a must-read essay on depleted uranium a couple of years ago: "Depleted uranium has two possible modes of instigating biological damage--ionizing radiation due to the fact that it's a radioactive metal, and biological toxicity due to the fact that it's a 'heavy' metal. Regarding the first of these, radioactively 'depleted uranium' is basically as little radioactive as it's possible to be and still be radioactive and not inert. This may sound like a quibble, but the half-life of uranium-238, the major radioactive component of depleted uranium (since it's been 'depleted' of other uranium isotopes) is 4.5 x 109 (i.e., billion) years (not '109' years as news pieces have erroneously reported). In other words, over the entire 4.6 billion year age of the Earth, the quantity of uranium-238 on this planet has decreased by only half. That is barely detectably radioactive at all, on the human timescale. Even when it does decay, virtually all (> 99.99%) of uranium-238 follows the mode of alpha decay (emission of a Helium-4 nucleus), which cannot penetrate beyond a couple of inches in air and is stopped cold by sheet of paper. Contrast with gamma rays (high energy electromagnetic radiation emitted by some radioactive decayers) which can penetrate through feet or meters of lead and are highly destructive to biological tissue. The possibility of heavy-metal toxicity by uranium is potentially of greater scientific import. That, though, is fundamentally no different than toxicity due to say lead, which has traditionally been used (without environmentalists' extraordinary complaints) as bullets on battlefields for centuries."
Or are we really writing about Depleted Uranium?
and Torture, Murder and Rape against their citizens.
Rabbitvoz should be more like the United States. Murder, rape, and torture are illegal, and those who are caught are punished (not always as they probably should be, but then justice is not always linear). Correcting problems like torture among military ranks is difficult and others are quick to see malice where there are mistakes, but necessary reform is always possible.
Ia sit at home and watch it all on Television
Careful. Press coverage can be misleading.
and pontificate about the righteous nature of the great crusade for Freedom,
"What would you do, if you were asked to give up your dreams for freedom?
What would you do, if asked to make the ultimate sacrifice?
Would ya think about all them people who gave up everything they had?
Would ya think about all them war vets, and would ya start to feel bad?
Freedom isn't free. It costs folks like you and me,
and if we don't all chip in we'll never pay that bet.
Freedom isn't free. No, there's a hefty fuckin' fee,
and if you don't throw in your buck o'five, who will?
Oooo, buck o'five. Freedom costs a buck o'five."
which for me means the Patriot Act.
Do I detect a hint of sarcasm? In the words of Eugene Volokh: "Remember, 'Patriot Act,' like 'fascism' and 'unconstitutional,' is not Latin for 'government action I don't like.'"
I am America
Did anyone not see that coming?
I am a complete nimcompoop, a hubristic arrogant, ninny
That comes through in the writing. No need to spell it out.
and such a trigger happy prick that I kill my Allies like its duck hunting season everytime any of them are stupid enough to get mixed up in the wars I make.
Some folks need to be more straightforward with arguments like this. For example, an American opponent of the Iraq intervention could find all the British or Australian armed servicemen he can, and then personally inform the soldiers of their stupidity one-on-one rather than boasting of superiority from behind a screen-name or protest sign.
I would rather bomb TV stations and shoot Journalists in the back than allow news of my atrocities to reach the world.
Intimidation of the press-at-large requires that they uniformly recognize that they are targets, but accidents are so frequent in combat zones that illegitimate kills on the battlefield are rarely convincing as deliberate acts. One can get around that challenge by shooting journalists in the public square rather than in the back, but that creates another set of problems in that murders are bad for public relations. Saddam Hussein's old method of bribing with access and information appears shrewder, and when that does not work, killing journalists' obscure friends and family does. That is the proven way to directly corrupt or threaten journalists, have them believe the threats, but not create any serious repercussions for the dictator and his stooges. Or one could try being good, support press freedoms, and also push his own stories, while the likes of Joe Katzman, Michael Yon, and StrategyPage share the lesser-known side of his atrocities.
I am just deluded enough to think this will stop the truth getting out, and also believe if my eyes are shut it is dark for everyone.
Oh, go boil your head.
I am America
Not the one I know.
My point in citing Rabbitvoz's comment is not to be snarky (that is a bonus), but to point to its needless hysteria. Intelligent criticism, not fashionable cynicism, is essential. Let's not confuse the two.
I am cringing in terror from some of the most disadvantaged people on Earth,
Are we talking about truly disadvantaged people, like those being slaughtered in Sudan, or the 'poor' killers who are as likely to be well-off (Osama bin Laden was disadvantaged?) and well-educated as they are the alternative? Because the reaction to the first seems to trend toward shameful indifference, and the reaction to the second involves no cringing 'round these parts (heck, most complaints seem to argue the exact opposite--that there are too many people like Amir Taheri who lack humility in response to terrorists.)
while I unleash gargantuan forces of destruction,
It takes a fascinating mind to cringe toward terror, and to do so with superior firepower.
poisonous Depleted Uranium
Michael McNeil wrote a must-read essay on depleted uranium a couple of years ago: "Depleted uranium has two possible modes of instigating biological damage--ionizing radiation due to the fact that it's a radioactive metal, and biological toxicity due to the fact that it's a 'heavy' metal. Regarding the first of these, radioactively 'depleted uranium' is basically as little radioactive as it's possible to be and still be radioactive and not inert. This may sound like a quibble, but the half-life of uranium-238, the major radioactive component of depleted uranium (since it's been 'depleted' of other uranium isotopes) is 4.5 x 109 (i.e., billion) years (not '109' years as news pieces have erroneously reported). In other words, over the entire 4.6 billion year age of the Earth, the quantity of uranium-238 on this planet has decreased by only half. That is barely detectably radioactive at all, on the human timescale. Even when it does decay, virtually all (> 99.99%) of uranium-238 follows the mode of alpha decay (emission of a Helium-4 nucleus), which cannot penetrate beyond a couple of inches in air and is stopped cold by sheet of paper. Contrast with gamma rays (high energy electromagnetic radiation emitted by some radioactive decayers) which can penetrate through feet or meters of lead and are highly destructive to biological tissue. The possibility of heavy-metal toxicity by uranium is potentially of greater scientific import. That, though, is fundamentally no different than toxicity due to say lead, which has traditionally been used (without environmentalists' extraordinary complaints) as bullets on battlefields for centuries."
Or are we really writing about Depleted Uranium?
and Torture, Murder and Rape against their citizens.
Rabbitvoz should be more like the United States. Murder, rape, and torture are illegal, and those who are caught are punished (not always as they probably should be, but then justice is not always linear). Correcting problems like torture among military ranks is difficult and others are quick to see malice where there are mistakes, but necessary reform is always possible.
Ia sit at home and watch it all on Television
Careful. Press coverage can be misleading.
and pontificate about the righteous nature of the great crusade for Freedom,
"What would you do, if you were asked to give up your dreams for freedom?
What would you do, if asked to make the ultimate sacrifice?
Would ya think about all them people who gave up everything they had?
Would ya think about all them war vets, and would ya start to feel bad?
Freedom isn't free. It costs folks like you and me,
and if we don't all chip in we'll never pay that bet.
Freedom isn't free. No, there's a hefty fuckin' fee,
and if you don't throw in your buck o'five, who will?
Oooo, buck o'five. Freedom costs a buck o'five."
which for me means the Patriot Act.
Do I detect a hint of sarcasm? In the words of Eugene Volokh: "Remember, 'Patriot Act,' like 'fascism' and 'unconstitutional,' is not Latin for 'government action I don't like.'"
I am America
Did anyone not see that coming?
I am a complete nimcompoop, a hubristic arrogant, ninny
That comes through in the writing. No need to spell it out.
and such a trigger happy prick that I kill my Allies like its duck hunting season everytime any of them are stupid enough to get mixed up in the wars I make.
Some folks need to be more straightforward with arguments like this. For example, an American opponent of the Iraq intervention could find all the British or Australian armed servicemen he can, and then personally inform the soldiers of their stupidity one-on-one rather than boasting of superiority from behind a screen-name or protest sign.
I would rather bomb TV stations and shoot Journalists in the back than allow news of my atrocities to reach the world.
Intimidation of the press-at-large requires that they uniformly recognize that they are targets, but accidents are so frequent in combat zones that illegitimate kills on the battlefield are rarely convincing as deliberate acts. One can get around that challenge by shooting journalists in the public square rather than in the back, but that creates another set of problems in that murders are bad for public relations. Saddam Hussein's old method of bribing with access and information appears shrewder, and when that does not work, killing journalists' obscure friends and family does. That is the proven way to directly corrupt or threaten journalists, have them believe the threats, but not create any serious repercussions for the dictator and his stooges. Or one could try being good, support press freedoms, and also push his own stories, while the likes of Joe Katzman, Michael Yon, and StrategyPage share the lesser-known side of his atrocities.
I am just deluded enough to think this will stop the truth getting out, and also believe if my eyes are shut it is dark for everyone.
Oh, go boil your head.
I am America
Not the one I know.
My point in citing Rabbitvoz's comment is not to be snarky (that is a bonus), but to point to its needless hysteria. Intelligent criticism, not fashionable cynicism, is essential. Let's not confuse the two.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Cake & Ice Cream For C.S. Lewis
C.S. Lewis' birthday is today (or was today, by the time most of you read this).
Being a Lewis aficionado, I decided my own birthday plans should have a theme this year: Have lunch with family & friends at an Irish pub, since Lewis was born in Belfast, and then see The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe on a 65-feet-high, 98-feet-wide screen.
At least the beer would make Prof. Lewis proud!
Being a Lewis aficionado, I decided my own birthday plans should have a theme this year: Have lunch with family & friends at an Irish pub, since Lewis was born in Belfast, and then see The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe on a 65-feet-high, 98-feet-wide screen.
At least the beer would make Prof. Lewis proud!
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Yes, I Can ACT
Given the circumstances, my exam turned out nicely. I needed a 21, and...
I scored a 25!
So no need for despair.
I scored a 25!
So no need for despair.
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Those Musicians Are Up To Something
Late composer George Antheil is at the heart of one of the most unusual tales of celebrity service:
At a dinner party given by Janet Gaynor, George Antheil met Hedy Lamarr. Shortly after this meeting, Lamarr and Antheil invented and patented a secret communications system, U.S. Patent 2,292,387. The patent was applied for June 10, 1941, and received August 11th, 1942. The purpose of the system was to provide reliable and jam proof control of long range torpedoes. The system involved the use of the frequency hopping principles of Spread Spectrum radio. However it was 20 years before it was put to effective use by the United States Navy in torpedo guidance systems, and 40 years before it was permitted by the FCC to be used in commercial radios. Among other things, Spread Spectrum forms the basic principle that allows the use of simultaneous multi-channel operation used in modern digital cellular telephone systems. Spread spectrum is the basis for the communications security of the strategic $25 billion MILSAT Defense communications system.
Now, rock guitarist "Skunk" Baxter serves as an adviser for the U.S. Department of Defense:
As a member of the Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan, and as a session guitarist for Carly Simon, Bryan Adams, Ringo Starr and many others, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter has been a clandestine rock and roll hero since the '70s. Now, as a specialist in terrorism, missile defense and chemical and biological warfare, he's also a covert hero for the U.S. military.
He's currently working for the Department of Defense as an adviser to the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization and has also served as a top military adviser for numerous congressmen and senators.
And country singer Clint Black talks about rocket science:
"Did you know my guitar is like a rocket?" he asks.
Show-business exaggeration? No. It's scientific fact. Black's guitar is like a rocket.
"They both resonate," explains aerospace engineer Rodney Rocha of NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston.
"When you pick up an acoustic guitar," Black demonstrates, "one of the first things you'll notice is the body is basically an air chamber. The shape of the chamber is designed to be 'in tune' with the sound from the strings." He plucks the E string and the body of the guitar vibrates, producing "sympathetic" E-frequencies of its own.
What are the odds on Britney Spears having a missile silo under her swimming pool?
At a dinner party given by Janet Gaynor, George Antheil met Hedy Lamarr. Shortly after this meeting, Lamarr and Antheil invented and patented a secret communications system, U.S. Patent 2,292,387. The patent was applied for June 10, 1941, and received August 11th, 1942. The purpose of the system was to provide reliable and jam proof control of long range torpedoes. The system involved the use of the frequency hopping principles of Spread Spectrum radio. However it was 20 years before it was put to effective use by the United States Navy in torpedo guidance systems, and 40 years before it was permitted by the FCC to be used in commercial radios. Among other things, Spread Spectrum forms the basic principle that allows the use of simultaneous multi-channel operation used in modern digital cellular telephone systems. Spread spectrum is the basis for the communications security of the strategic $25 billion MILSAT Defense communications system.
Now, rock guitarist "Skunk" Baxter serves as an adviser for the U.S. Department of Defense:
As a member of the Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan, and as a session guitarist for Carly Simon, Bryan Adams, Ringo Starr and many others, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter has been a clandestine rock and roll hero since the '70s. Now, as a specialist in terrorism, missile defense and chemical and biological warfare, he's also a covert hero for the U.S. military.
He's currently working for the Department of Defense as an adviser to the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization and has also served as a top military adviser for numerous congressmen and senators.
And country singer Clint Black talks about rocket science:
"Did you know my guitar is like a rocket?" he asks.
Show-business exaggeration? No. It's scientific fact. Black's guitar is like a rocket.
"They both resonate," explains aerospace engineer Rodney Rocha of NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston.
"When you pick up an acoustic guitar," Black demonstrates, "one of the first things you'll notice is the body is basically an air chamber. The shape of the chamber is designed to be 'in tune' with the sound from the strings." He plucks the E string and the body of the guitar vibrates, producing "sympathetic" E-frequencies of its own.
What are the odds on Britney Spears having a missile silo under her swimming pool?
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Going All The Galloway
On October 25th, the U.S. Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations released their report (PDF file) on George Galloway's testimony before them. Two days later, the United Nations' Independent Inquiry Committee into the United Nations Oil-for-Food Programme added relevant findings of their own (PDF). Among the shared accusations are that Galloway's wife received more than $120,000, and that Galloway received several million barrels of oil, with several million more allocated in his name. Blogger George at Seixon claims to have further evidence of his own, centering on Galloway's failure to register Fawaz Zureikat's donations for the Mariam Appeal and how his claim that the organization "publicly brandished [Zureikat's sponsorship] on all of our literature, along with the other donors to the campaign" appears demonstrably false.
These are not the only charges against international actors, but Galloway may be the most recognizable. He is almost certainly the loudest, apparently having become a minister of Parliament through browbeating rather than by legislative accomplishment. An English friend of mine suggests that by pursuing the MP, the U.N. and, particularly, the U.S. are playing with fire. I doubt it. For one thing, Galloway does not appear interested in becoming an American politician, and a teaching post at Berkeley seems more logical. Secondly, Galloway's Sir Oswald Mosley shtick plays well with the chattering class, but provides Lord Haw Haw-flavored entertainment for everyone else, such as this goofy attack on President Bush over Hurricane Katrina (the fisking of which I cheerfully purloin from Tim Blair)...
His is the America of Halliburton,
Curses to Bush for having a Vice President with ties to one of the world's most qualified businesses--one that has consistently served the U.S. government since World War II. We deserve less.
the M-16 rifle,
Made in Canada... (Bush is outsourcing the American War Machine!)
the cluster bomb,
Invented by Germany... And Great Britain still uses them, too.
the gated communities of the rich and of the billionaires he grew up with in Texas.
The gated communities of the rich and the billionaires Galloway knows in Syria are far more stylish.
There is another America.
I think I know this one: South America?
It is the land of the poor of Louisiana,
Oh. But as P.J. O'Rourke once noted, "Political scientist Robert Rector has worked up figures showing that when the official U.S. measure of poverty was developed in 1963, a poor American family had an income twenty-nine times greater than the average per capita income in the rest of the world. An individual American could make more money than 93 percent of the other people on the planet and still be considered poor." The poor of Louisiana are a lot richer than, say, the poor in African or Middle Eastern kleptocracies. I wonder why Galloway expresses more interest in discussing the poor of the U.S. than he did in freeing the needier people of, say, Saddam-era Iraq?
it is the land of the young men and women economically conscripted into the military.
Sure, the U.S. military is volunteer-only, but when made to choose between working at a grocery store, busing tables, or getting shot at, obviously people will rush to join the armed forces. The most damning evidence: The government offers additional financing and education to citizens in return for military service, and we even have career soldiers who "love" fighting for their country! Is any more proof of wickedness necessary?
It is the land of the glorious multiethnic mix that was New Orleans...
Complete with corruption and a murder rate nearly eight times the national average. Also, the hardest-hit section of the city, St. Bernard Parish, was 95% Caucasian. So not such a glorious multiethnic mix, really.
The oil-for-food charges are merely indicative of a more troubling problem: Galloway is a load of bull. Like too many of the "anti-war" crowd, he is not against a war on fascists; he is cheering for the other side. (Compare his appreciation for dictators to Condoleezza Rice, who literally tagged the president of Kazakhstan, brought him to a podium, and put in the position of answering questions from the press.) Galloway allegedly bruised the Senate in May; if so, it was because they failed to hold him to any rules of order: he freely dodged questions, interrupted senators, and gave a very clever performance of some very bizarre statements. (Comment at The Big Pharaoh: "US Senators are notorious gasbags who love to hear themselves talk. Apparently Galloway didn't realize that when a US Senator shuts up, he's giving you an opportunity to incriminate yourself.") It would be much more interesting to see whether Galloway could get away with his diversions in a hearing before a grand jury. Would a member of a foreign government stonewalling an American investigation, insulting American officials, demonstrating profound ignorance of American systems, and attempting to single-handedly boss the United States around impress many American citizens?
That brings us to the latest left-wing conspiracy, which is that Galloway and Bush are working together:
Where did this guy come from? Who invited him here? The answer: US Senate REPUBLICANS. As Cindy Sheehan was gathering public sympathy as the Gold Star mom against the killing in Iraq, the Republican party decided to import an easier target to pummel. So they brought over the "I-salute-your-courage, Saddam" religious fundamentalist crack-pot who can't tell us where the money went.
Maybe there is some truth to this paranoia. At the moment, few in the U.S. know or care about Galloway, but it might not be so smooth when the face of the anti-intervention movement becomes that of a man who engaged in duplicitous accounting; called the collapse of the Soviet Union "the biggest catastrophe" of his life; told Saddam Hussein, "Sir, I salute your courage, strength, and indefatigability;" cited Fidel Castro as his political hero; and in September of this year, in New York City, publicly suggested that America deserved the September 11, 2001 attacks.
These are not the only charges against international actors, but Galloway may be the most recognizable. He is almost certainly the loudest, apparently having become a minister of Parliament through browbeating rather than by legislative accomplishment. An English friend of mine suggests that by pursuing the MP, the U.N. and, particularly, the U.S. are playing with fire. I doubt it. For one thing, Galloway does not appear interested in becoming an American politician, and a teaching post at Berkeley seems more logical. Secondly, Galloway's Sir Oswald Mosley shtick plays well with the chattering class, but provides Lord Haw Haw-flavored entertainment for everyone else, such as this goofy attack on President Bush over Hurricane Katrina (the fisking of which I cheerfully purloin from Tim Blair)...
His is the America of Halliburton,
Curses to Bush for having a Vice President with ties to one of the world's most qualified businesses--one that has consistently served the U.S. government since World War II. We deserve less.
the M-16 rifle,
Made in Canada... (Bush is outsourcing the American War Machine!)
the cluster bomb,
Invented by Germany... And Great Britain still uses them, too.
the gated communities of the rich and of the billionaires he grew up with in Texas.
The gated communities of the rich and the billionaires Galloway knows in Syria are far more stylish.
There is another America.
I think I know this one: South America?
It is the land of the poor of Louisiana,
Oh. But as P.J. O'Rourke once noted, "Political scientist Robert Rector has worked up figures showing that when the official U.S. measure of poverty was developed in 1963, a poor American family had an income twenty-nine times greater than the average per capita income in the rest of the world. An individual American could make more money than 93 percent of the other people on the planet and still be considered poor." The poor of Louisiana are a lot richer than, say, the poor in African or Middle Eastern kleptocracies. I wonder why Galloway expresses more interest in discussing the poor of the U.S. than he did in freeing the needier people of, say, Saddam-era Iraq?
it is the land of the young men and women economically conscripted into the military.
Sure, the U.S. military is volunteer-only, but when made to choose between working at a grocery store, busing tables, or getting shot at, obviously people will rush to join the armed forces. The most damning evidence: The government offers additional financing and education to citizens in return for military service, and we even have career soldiers who "love" fighting for their country! Is any more proof of wickedness necessary?
It is the land of the glorious multiethnic mix that was New Orleans...
Complete with corruption and a murder rate nearly eight times the national average. Also, the hardest-hit section of the city, St. Bernard Parish, was 95% Caucasian. So not such a glorious multiethnic mix, really.
The oil-for-food charges are merely indicative of a more troubling problem: Galloway is a load of bull. Like too many of the "anti-war" crowd, he is not against a war on fascists; he is cheering for the other side. (Compare his appreciation for dictators to Condoleezza Rice, who literally tagged the president of Kazakhstan, brought him to a podium, and put in the position of answering questions from the press.) Galloway allegedly bruised the Senate in May; if so, it was because they failed to hold him to any rules of order: he freely dodged questions, interrupted senators, and gave a very clever performance of some very bizarre statements. (Comment at The Big Pharaoh: "US Senators are notorious gasbags who love to hear themselves talk. Apparently Galloway didn't realize that when a US Senator shuts up, he's giving you an opportunity to incriminate yourself.") It would be much more interesting to see whether Galloway could get away with his diversions in a hearing before a grand jury. Would a member of a foreign government stonewalling an American investigation, insulting American officials, demonstrating profound ignorance of American systems, and attempting to single-handedly boss the United States around impress many American citizens?
That brings us to the latest left-wing conspiracy, which is that Galloway and Bush are working together:
Where did this guy come from? Who invited him here? The answer: US Senate REPUBLICANS. As Cindy Sheehan was gathering public sympathy as the Gold Star mom against the killing in Iraq, the Republican party decided to import an easier target to pummel. So they brought over the "I-salute-your-courage, Saddam" religious fundamentalist crack-pot who can't tell us where the money went.
Maybe there is some truth to this paranoia. At the moment, few in the U.S. know or care about Galloway, but it might not be so smooth when the face of the anti-intervention movement becomes that of a man who engaged in duplicitous accounting; called the collapse of the Soviet Union "the biggest catastrophe" of his life; told Saddam Hussein, "Sir, I salute your courage, strength, and indefatigability;" cited Fidel Castro as his political hero; and in September of this year, in New York City, publicly suggested that America deserved the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
A Man Of Few Words
For the time being, anyway. Apologies for not being my usual loquacious self. My only excuse is that my mind is elsewhere... and, alas, not the sort of "elsewhere" wandering minds prefer!
So, how about a link to jumping cats?
Update: Might as well offer a potpourri while I am here...
Just what the world needed: A beer advertisement that cleverly (ab)uses Carl Orff's Chiquita Banana, Carmen Miranda, whatever.
Soldiers in Iraq are using advanced technology to save lives.
Barbeque is indeed pulled pork smothered in red sauce, but as a native Memphian I must add that the sauce should be sweet rather than sour, the meat should have some gristle, and the environment is absolutely vital: It is not real barbeque unless it is homemade or comes from some hole-the-wall restaurant. High dining barbeque is a myth.
California is preparing for a real-life remake of The Birds.
Senator John Kerry is trying desperately to be taken seriously, and failing comically.
Would this discovery qualify as good sex, or bad sex?
One of the title characters in "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" is rather wooden. Guess which one.
South London is dreaming of a politically correct Christmas. Not to be outdone, Brussels is dreaming of a politically correct Christ. (The Grinch could not be reached for comment.)
German authorities are not all smiles and sunshine: Some of Germany's taxes recently went toward the creation of Jew-hating agitprop.
Slither looks like another movie I can miss. The trailer brings back too many memories of cleaning aquariums.
Speaking of creepy things (hello, Mr. Carter), check out the National UFO Reporting Center.
And speaking of spacey things (hello, Mr. Luthor), it looks like Pluto has new-found companionship.
Film Music on the Web has my Cinderella Man and Jericho/The Ghostbreaker reviews.
For more aural goodness, try the archived shows at Mercury Theatre on the Air.
So, how about a link to jumping cats?
Update: Might as well offer a potpourri while I am here...
Just what the world needed: A beer advertisement that cleverly (ab)uses Carl Orff's Chiquita Banana, Carmen Miranda, whatever.
Soldiers in Iraq are using advanced technology to save lives.
Barbeque is indeed pulled pork smothered in red sauce, but as a native Memphian I must add that the sauce should be sweet rather than sour, the meat should have some gristle, and the environment is absolutely vital: It is not real barbeque unless it is homemade or comes from some hole-the-wall restaurant. High dining barbeque is a myth.
California is preparing for a real-life remake of The Birds.
Senator John Kerry is trying desperately to be taken seriously, and failing comically.
Would this discovery qualify as good sex, or bad sex?
One of the title characters in "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" is rather wooden. Guess which one.
South London is dreaming of a politically correct Christmas. Not to be outdone, Brussels is dreaming of a politically correct Christ. (The Grinch could not be reached for comment.)
German authorities are not all smiles and sunshine: Some of Germany's taxes recently went toward the creation of Jew-hating agitprop.
Slither looks like another movie I can miss. The trailer brings back too many memories of cleaning aquariums.
Speaking of creepy things (hello, Mr. Carter), check out the National UFO Reporting Center.
And speaking of spacey things (hello, Mr. Luthor), it looks like Pluto has new-found companionship.
Film Music on the Web has my Cinderella Man and Jericho/The Ghostbreaker reviews.
For more aural goodness, try the archived shows at Mercury Theatre on the Air.
So, A Frog Goes Into A Bank...
A frog goes into a bank and approaches the teller. He can see from her nameplate that her name is Patricia Whack.
"Miss Whack, I'd like to get a $30,000 loan to take a holiday."
Patty looks at the frog in disbelief and asks his name. The frog says his name is Kermit Jagger, his dad is Mick Jagger, and that it's okay, he knows the bank manager.
Patty explains that he will need to secure the loan with some collateral.
The frog says, "Sure. I have this," and produces a tiny porcelain elephant, about an inch tall, bright pink and perfectly formed.
Very confused, Patty explains that she'll have to consult with the bank manager and disappears into a back office.
She finds the manager and says, "There's a frog called Kermit Jagger out there who claims to know you and wants to borrow $30,000, and he wants to use this as collateral."
She holds up the tiny pink elephant. "I mean, what in the world is this?"
The bank manager looks back at her and says...
"It's a knickknack, Patty Whack. Give the frog a loan. His old man's a Rolling Stone."
(via Ron Burbella)
"Miss Whack, I'd like to get a $30,000 loan to take a holiday."
Patty looks at the frog in disbelief and asks his name. The frog says his name is Kermit Jagger, his dad is Mick Jagger, and that it's okay, he knows the bank manager.
Patty explains that he will need to secure the loan with some collateral.
The frog says, "Sure. I have this," and produces a tiny porcelain elephant, about an inch tall, bright pink and perfectly formed.
Very confused, Patty explains that she'll have to consult with the bank manager and disappears into a back office.
She finds the manager and says, "There's a frog called Kermit Jagger out there who claims to know you and wants to borrow $30,000, and he wants to use this as collateral."
She holds up the tiny pink elephant. "I mean, what in the world is this?"
The bank manager looks back at her and says...
"It's a knickknack, Patty Whack. Give the frog a loan. His old man's a Rolling Stone."
(via Ron Burbella)
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Magic Surrealism
"We will remain here until Bush disappears from the planet or leaves Brazil, whichever comes first," said one demonstrator, Rosa Marques, a history student at the University of Brasilia.
My bet is that he will leave Brazil first. Still, I wonder... If President Bush remained in Brazil but made himself invisible (American stealth technology, of course), would they leave? What if Brazil disappeared from the planet, taking Bush with it? Sounds too David Copperfield.
Wasn't McDonald's the favorite of that other President?
My bet is that he will leave Brazil first. Still, I wonder... If President Bush remained in Brazil but made himself invisible (American stealth technology, of course), would they leave? What if Brazil disappeared from the planet, taking Bush with it? Sounds too David Copperfield.
Wasn't McDonald's the favorite of that other President?
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Hands Off, Jedi! He's Mine!
Revenge of the Sith is out on DVD today, which means I have an excuse to post this still from a deleted scene...
The movie has steamy romance, and deep affection...
It is worth owning.
The movie has steamy romance, and deep affection...
It is worth owning.
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Something Fishy In Italy
Goldfish bowls, widely regarded in the U.S. as sanctuaries for goldfish opposed to consumption by predators, are now illegal in Rome.
In Turin, failing to walk your dog three times daily is punishable by a 500 euro fine.
More expensive aquariums do tend to show more commitment toward proper animal care; but, as someone who tends to just let the dog run in the backyard, I hereby endorse James Lileks' suggestion:
The fine for not walking your dog, incidentally, is almost $600. If you were charged with such a thing, I recommend feeding high-denomination Euro notes to your dog, waiting 24 hours, then and leaving the money in a bag on the boulevard outside the city hall.
Trick and treat.
In Turin, failing to walk your dog three times daily is punishable by a 500 euro fine.
More expensive aquariums do tend to show more commitment toward proper animal care; but, as someone who tends to just let the dog run in the backyard, I hereby endorse James Lileks' suggestion:
The fine for not walking your dog, incidentally, is almost $600. If you were charged with such a thing, I recommend feeding high-denomination Euro notes to your dog, waiting 24 hours, then and leaving the money in a bag on the boulevard outside the city hall.
Trick and treat.
Does That 'I'...
In I. Lewis Libby's name stand for 'innocent' or 'incarcerated'?
A few observations, though...
1) In April 1999, CIA officer Valerie Wilson publicly listed (pdf file) her $1,000 contribution to Al Gore's presidential campaign under her married name, but listed herself as an employee of "Brewster-Jennings & Assoc.", where she was in fact employed covertly as "Valerie Plame", her not-so-covert maiden name.
2) As noted in this amici curiae brief (pdf), "Plame was not given 'deep cover' required of a covert agent" and a Washington Times report pointed to Plame's cover having been compromised at least twice previously. Also, MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell and former New York Times correspondent Clifford D. May suggested that Plame's status with the CIA was well-known in D.C. political circles.
3) Joe Wilson publicly identified himself as a CIA employee investigating weapons of mass destruction, his wife's area of expertise, further drawing attention to what former CIA official Fred Rustmann said was an already unraveling cover as a result of his marriage. Wilson claimed that she "was not a clandestine officer the day that Bob Novak blew her identity," but that phrasing is subject to interpretation. The Washington Times did report that she hadn't been a covert agent since 1997.
Perhaps Libby's alleged cover-up is graver than the alleged original crime.
Update: President Clinton's former counsel more-or-less tells everyone to grow up.
Update II: Heh:
This leaves two possibilities. One is that the mission was intended to result in the New York Times oped all along, meaning that the CIA didn't care much about Plame's status, and was trying to meddle in domestic politics. This reflects very badly on the CIA.
The other possibility is that they're so clueless that they did this without any nefarious plan, because they're so inept, and so prone to cronyism and nepotism, that this is just business as usual. If so, the popular theory that the CIA couldn't find its own weenie with both hands and a flashlight would appear to have found some pretty strong support.
A few observations, though...
1) In April 1999, CIA officer Valerie Wilson publicly listed (pdf file) her $1,000 contribution to Al Gore's presidential campaign under her married name, but listed herself as an employee of "Brewster-Jennings & Assoc.", where she was in fact employed covertly as "Valerie Plame", her not-so-covert maiden name.
2) As noted in this amici curiae brief (pdf), "Plame was not given 'deep cover' required of a covert agent" and a Washington Times report pointed to Plame's cover having been compromised at least twice previously. Also, MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell and former New York Times correspondent Clifford D. May suggested that Plame's status with the CIA was well-known in D.C. political circles.
3) Joe Wilson publicly identified himself as a CIA employee investigating weapons of mass destruction, his wife's area of expertise, further drawing attention to what former CIA official Fred Rustmann said was an already unraveling cover as a result of his marriage. Wilson claimed that she "was not a clandestine officer the day that Bob Novak blew her identity," but that phrasing is subject to interpretation. The Washington Times did report that she hadn't been a covert agent since 1997.
Perhaps Libby's alleged cover-up is graver than the alleged original crime.
Update: President Clinton's former counsel more-or-less tells everyone to grow up.
Update II: Heh:
This leaves two possibilities. One is that the mission was intended to result in the New York Times oped all along, meaning that the CIA didn't care much about Plame's status, and was trying to meddle in domestic politics. This reflects very badly on the CIA.
The other possibility is that they're so clueless that they did this without any nefarious plan, because they're so inept, and so prone to cronyism and nepotism, that this is just business as usual. If so, the popular theory that the CIA couldn't find its own weenie with both hands and a flashlight would appear to have found some pretty strong support.
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Can I ACT?
I took the ACT this morning. It was tougher than my last academic exam: more questions, greater complexity, and less time to respond. I found myself rushing, or trying to rush, through nearly every question. My English and reading scores are probably going to be acceptable, but I fell dangerously behind on science (usually my strongest subject), and I fear a grading massacre in mathematics (always my weakest subject).
The most uncomfortable desk in student history became my workspace for a few hours. The torture device was a construction of metal bars and hideously-colored plastic, shaped into a seat that digs into the backside and a desktop barely wide enough to hold an open Reader's Digest. Two examinees forgot to turn off their cell phones, with one in a deep slumber while his phone sounded (and sounded, and sounded). There is the possibility that I am simply making excuses here, but is it too much to ask that conditions for a standardized test be, well, standard? I was already having trouble concentrating; my glasses broke and I had to buy a fresh pair yesterday night, so my eyes are still adjusting to the new lenses. Adding numb buttocks to my testing plan is not appreciated.
My scores should arrive next month. If I receive a composite score of 21 or higher out of a possible 36, then I am all set for college; if I do not pass, I've already reserved a seat for another exam in December. So the bright side is that I am still here to screw up another day!
The most uncomfortable desk in student history became my workspace for a few hours. The torture device was a construction of metal bars and hideously-colored plastic, shaped into a seat that digs into the backside and a desktop barely wide enough to hold an open Reader's Digest. Two examinees forgot to turn off their cell phones, with one in a deep slumber while his phone sounded (and sounded, and sounded). There is the possibility that I am simply making excuses here, but is it too much to ask that conditions for a standardized test be, well, standard? I was already having trouble concentrating; my glasses broke and I had to buy a fresh pair yesterday night, so my eyes are still adjusting to the new lenses. Adding numb buttocks to my testing plan is not appreciated.
My scores should arrive next month. If I receive a composite score of 21 or higher out of a possible 36, then I am all set for college; if I do not pass, I've already reserved a seat for another exam in December. So the bright side is that I am still here to screw up another day!
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Temporary Outages And Outrages
I have an exam coming up, so blogging will be light, possibly nonexistent, till next week. Must git my self en edukayshun!
Meanwhile, a few questions to ponder...
Illustrating the right to be offended is one thing, but is making f-wad Neo-Nazis look better behaved a good way to fight the hate?
Government knows best?
Was President Bush's Iraq conference less staged than Wrestlemania?
Did you know that terrorists hate their bosses, too?
Donated toward Pakistan earthquake relief yet?
Meanwhile, a few questions to ponder...
Illustrating the right to be offended is one thing, but is making f-wad Neo-Nazis look better behaved a good way to fight the hate?
Government knows best?
Was President Bush's Iraq conference less staged than Wrestlemania?
Did you know that terrorists hate their bosses, too?
Donated toward Pakistan earthquake relief yet?
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
What Would Aslan Do?
Frank Cerabino bashes part of an effort to get children to read because the classic literature in question has Christian parallels, and one of the movie makers donated to the Republican party:
When you can combine the forces of Disney, the McDonald's Happy Meal and Gov. Jeb Bush in one tidy package — all of them working together to cram thinly veiled Christian theology down the gullets of Florida's schoolchildren — you've got yourself a hell of a plan.
Please. Prof. Lewis, author of the The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, would be most displeased...
"Some people seem to think that I began by asking myself how I could say something about Christianity to children; then fixed on the fairy tale as an instrument; then collected information about child-psychology and decided what age group I'd write for; then drew up a list of basic Christian truths and hammered out 'allegories' to embody them. This is all pure moonshine. I couldn't write in that way at all. Everything began with images; a faun carrying an umbrella, a queen on a sledge, a magnificent lion. At first there wasn't even anything Christian about them; that element pushed itself in of its own accord."
J.R.R. Tolkien wrote his famed books much the same way. I suppose they ought to be banned as well, since Tolkien stated, "The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Christian work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously so in the revision."
From a letter Lewis wrote in 1951:
"I am glad you all liked The Lion. A number of mothers, and still more, schoolmistresses, have decided that it is likely to frighten children, so it is not selling very well. But the real children like it, and I am astonished how some very young ones seem to understand it. I think it frightens some adults, but v. few children."
It still frightens some adults.
When you can combine the forces of Disney, the McDonald's Happy Meal and Gov. Jeb Bush in one tidy package — all of them working together to cram thinly veiled Christian theology down the gullets of Florida's schoolchildren — you've got yourself a hell of a plan.
Please. Prof. Lewis, author of the The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, would be most displeased...
"Some people seem to think that I began by asking myself how I could say something about Christianity to children; then fixed on the fairy tale as an instrument; then collected information about child-psychology and decided what age group I'd write for; then drew up a list of basic Christian truths and hammered out 'allegories' to embody them. This is all pure moonshine. I couldn't write in that way at all. Everything began with images; a faun carrying an umbrella, a queen on a sledge, a magnificent lion. At first there wasn't even anything Christian about them; that element pushed itself in of its own accord."
J.R.R. Tolkien wrote his famed books much the same way. I suppose they ought to be banned as well, since Tolkien stated, "The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Christian work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously so in the revision."
From a letter Lewis wrote in 1951:
"I am glad you all liked The Lion. A number of mothers, and still more, schoolmistresses, have decided that it is likely to frighten children, so it is not selling very well. But the real children like it, and I am astonished how some very young ones seem to understand it. I think it frightens some adults, but v. few children."
It still frightens some adults.
Auf Wiedersehen
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, that country's most responsible and skillful leader since a certain Austrian held that job over six decades ago, concedes that he is a loser, but not without taking the opportunity to be a sore one...
"I do not want to name any catastrophes where you can see what happens if organised state action is absent. I could name countries, but the position I still hold forbids it, but everyone knows I mean America," he said to loud applause.
When did Louisiana become just 'America'? Good thing he made an effort at clarification, though, or I would have thought he was referring to Germany's large-scale unemployment, regressive socialist policies, and worse-than-Katrina disaster death toll.
I liked him better when he played piano.
"I do not want to name any catastrophes where you can see what happens if organised state action is absent. I could name countries, but the position I still hold forbids it, but everyone knows I mean America," he said to loud applause.
When did Louisiana become just 'America'? Good thing he made an effort at clarification, though, or I would have thought he was referring to Germany's large-scale unemployment, regressive socialist policies, and worse-than-Katrina disaster death toll.
I liked him better when he played piano.
Monday, October 10, 2005
If You Don't Want To Stereotype, Type With One Hand
Live Science reports on a National Institute of Aging study showing that stereotypes are incorrect. The study found, for example, that Germans are not more efficient (as German elections occasionally remind us), and that Czechs are actually caring people (see the Czech Republic's involvement in Iraq as evidence, such as this good news). Americans and Canadians scored almost identically on aggression in the study, which no doubt comes as a surprise to an almost identical number of both Americans and Canadians.
Stereotyping is a dangerous act of laziness. Lumping people together cuts down on thinking on a case-by-case basis. Fortunately, stereotypes are prime targets: Monty Python, South Park, Blazing Saddles, etc., would be rather unfunny without them.
And now for something completely different...
Stereotyping is a dangerous act of laziness. Lumping people together cuts down on thinking on a case-by-case basis. Fortunately, stereotypes are prime targets: Monty Python, South Park, Blazing Saddles, etc., would be rather unfunny without them.
And now for something completely different...
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Alas, Poor Piglet
I wonder if my review of the Piglet's Big Movie soundtrack makes me a target for Muslim extremists? I ask, because there appears to be a load of Pooh in the U.K. concerning make-believe pigs. (via Instapundit)
Update: First, I read about Piglet's forced exile. Later, I see Thomas the Tank Engine in depictions of the London bombings. Now, the United Nations Children's Fraud is massacring Smurfs.
Is the international community trying to destroy my childhood?!
This sounds like a job for robots in disguise, heroes in a half-shell, or, more likely, well-armed, anti-fascist Americans.
Update: First, I read about Piglet's forced exile. Later, I see Thomas the Tank Engine in depictions of the London bombings. Now, the United Nations Children's Fraud is massacring Smurfs.
Is the international community trying to destroy my childhood?!
This sounds like a job for robots in disguise, heroes in a half-shell, or, more likely, well-armed, anti-fascist Americans.
Sunday, October 02, 2005
After Katrina, Rita
Continued from an earlier post.
Please note that most of the charities on Instapundit's list of Katrina relief programs now include Rita relief.
As usual, the media's self-satisfied posturing [edit: link corrected] outpaced the media's actual position. From coaching commentators to "get angry", to failing to fact-check, to calling for a socialist revolution, the press did a good job of misinforming the public (with the aid of certain personalities) and putting lives at greater risk. British Prime Minister Tony Blair allegedly noticed this spreading in the U.K. Among the exceptions, Nicholas Lemann wrote a must-read reflection on the good and the bad of New Orleans, Paul Recer challenged the environmentalist takeover of Hurricane Katrina, and Rondi Adamson dared to debunk critics in one fell swoop.
This post from August 31 is a reminder that undue finger-pointing over the Katrina response began almost immediately. I suggest that blaming the Democrats who slammed disaster preparedness is equally undue. Individuals themselves, not some political entity, are most responsible for their lives. Why not simply blame the hurricane that was outside human control (unless we are writing about the Japanese mafia), as well as specific failures of humans--including, but not limited to, government officials--to react accordingly (unless, "It's called a disaster because it overwhelms our ability to respond"). We can debate what qualifies as a specific failure (I think of this, this, this, this, and this) and where accountability lies for that error, but it is rare for any one person, party, community, or institution to have a monopoly on mistakes. The persistent squabbling seems increasingly out of touch with reality, especially after revelations that the federal response was atypically swift (and superior to, say, another's grasp of how to cope with a heat wave), the smoother response to Hurricane Rita, and the president further establishing himself as wanting to help the poverty-stricken.
Jeff Goldstein wrote, "I just want SOMEBODY to point out FEMA’s actual failures instead of using a disputed resume blemishes and a lot of showy handwringing to suggest Brown’s failures," in response to an "understanding" of FEMA's role. My own understanding centers the reasoning behind federalism. A case can be made for centralized government. After all, it is theoretically easier to repair when in error because it is only one bureaucracy, the federal government has more resources to deal with large-scale events, and opportunism by local authorities would be a thing of the past. On the other hand, having such a bureaucracy may very well make matters worse, because centralization too often does nothing more than exacerbate confusions and divisions by attempting to force them together (think: Soviet Union), and a case can be made for having other sovereign institutions when a government falters. It also requires removing many of the checks-and-balances that are in place to keep government honest, such as the Posse Comitatus Act and our having, in Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu's words, "a democracy and a citizenship that has elected mayors, county commissioners and governors..." (My suggestion is that the U.S. should create an emergency & peacekeeping organization specifically for circumstance in America and abroad where military-style precision is required, but an actual military is not.) Another asset is that people have more of their own funds to donate to worthy charities: Americans delivered, and showed their strength. So is the problem "small government" federalism? I am unconvinced.
Update: He did not have to give, but he did anyway:
The anonymous donor turned up at a U.S. diplomatic office and presented an envelope with 1,000 euros (about $1,245) for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
It was a way of repaying a debt to the United States for being liberated by American soldiers from a concentration camp and treated more than 60 years ago, Sean McCormack, the State Department spokesman, said Wednesday in relating the incident.
Update II: Animal rescues.
Please note that most of the charities on Instapundit's list of Katrina relief programs now include Rita relief.
As usual, the media's self-satisfied posturing [edit: link corrected] outpaced the media's actual position. From coaching commentators to "get angry", to failing to fact-check, to calling for a socialist revolution, the press did a good job of misinforming the public (with the aid of certain personalities) and putting lives at greater risk. British Prime Minister Tony Blair allegedly noticed this spreading in the U.K. Among the exceptions, Nicholas Lemann wrote a must-read reflection on the good and the bad of New Orleans, Paul Recer challenged the environmentalist takeover of Hurricane Katrina, and Rondi Adamson dared to debunk critics in one fell swoop.
This post from August 31 is a reminder that undue finger-pointing over the Katrina response began almost immediately. I suggest that blaming the Democrats who slammed disaster preparedness is equally undue. Individuals themselves, not some political entity, are most responsible for their lives. Why not simply blame the hurricane that was outside human control (unless we are writing about the Japanese mafia), as well as specific failures of humans--including, but not limited to, government officials--to react accordingly (unless, "It's called a disaster because it overwhelms our ability to respond"). We can debate what qualifies as a specific failure (I think of this, this, this, this, and this) and where accountability lies for that error, but it is rare for any one person, party, community, or institution to have a monopoly on mistakes. The persistent squabbling seems increasingly out of touch with reality, especially after revelations that the federal response was atypically swift (and superior to, say, another's grasp of how to cope with a heat wave), the smoother response to Hurricane Rita, and the president further establishing himself as wanting to help the poverty-stricken.
Jeff Goldstein wrote, "I just want SOMEBODY to point out FEMA’s actual failures instead of using a disputed resume blemishes and a lot of showy handwringing to suggest Brown’s failures," in response to an "understanding" of FEMA's role. My own understanding centers the reasoning behind federalism. A case can be made for centralized government. After all, it is theoretically easier to repair when in error because it is only one bureaucracy, the federal government has more resources to deal with large-scale events, and opportunism by local authorities would be a thing of the past. On the other hand, having such a bureaucracy may very well make matters worse, because centralization too often does nothing more than exacerbate confusions and divisions by attempting to force them together (think: Soviet Union), and a case can be made for having other sovereign institutions when a government falters. It also requires removing many of the checks-and-balances that are in place to keep government honest, such as the Posse Comitatus Act and our having, in Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu's words, "a democracy and a citizenship that has elected mayors, county commissioners and governors..." (My suggestion is that the U.S. should create an emergency & peacekeeping organization specifically for circumstance in America and abroad where military-style precision is required, but an actual military is not.) Another asset is that people have more of their own funds to donate to worthy charities: Americans delivered, and showed their strength. So is the problem "small government" federalism? I am unconvinced.
Update: He did not have to give, but he did anyway:
The anonymous donor turned up at a U.S. diplomatic office and presented an envelope with 1,000 euros (about $1,245) for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
It was a way of repaying a debt to the United States for being liberated by American soldiers from a concentration camp and treated more than 60 years ago, Sean McCormack, the State Department spokesman, said Wednesday in relating the incident.
Update II: Animal rescues.
Saturday, October 01, 2005
Not-So-Weekly Roundup
How could anti-U.S. sentiment be on the rise in China after the United States has done so much to help the country (sometimes unwittingly)? A clue: "An American college student in Beijing recently read a Chinese textbook stating that Martin Luther King Jr. never had the sympathy or help of white Americans, and that blacks in the south are hated by whites. 'It wasn't even entirely true in the 1950s civil rights movement period,' commented the student, who hails from Atlanta, Ga." The piece goes on to observe some liberalization of views (specifically the change from an outright damning perception of the Iraq intervention to a damning-with-faint-praise view), but China's rise in global power may have an accompanying rise in anti-American paranoia.
Airbus is bringing death-defying adventure back to transcontinental voyages!
Do you have low self-esteem? Maybe you're not so bad.
March of the Penguins has backing from the Religious Right. I wonder, do they know about penguin same-sex marriages in Bremen, or the divorced couple in New York City?
BBC states the obvious: People are booming in Gaza.
Dean's World states the obvious: "For a country that's on the verge of collapse, we seem to be doing pretty well."
Some folks think we would do better if we repealed the Seventeenth Amendment.
A comet started the Chicago Fire? That is unlikely.
On another spacey note, the 10th planet has a celestial companion.
Color perception.
Animal lovers should note that National Geographic is engaging in warthog profiteering.
Airbus is bringing death-defying adventure back to transcontinental voyages!
Do you have low self-esteem? Maybe you're not so bad.
March of the Penguins has backing from the Religious Right. I wonder, do they know about penguin same-sex marriages in Bremen, or the divorced couple in New York City?
BBC states the obvious: People are booming in Gaza.
Dean's World states the obvious: "For a country that's on the verge of collapse, we seem to be doing pretty well."
Some folks think we would do better if we repealed the Seventeenth Amendment.
A comet started the Chicago Fire? That is unlikely.
On another spacey note, the 10th planet has a celestial companion.
Color perception.
Animal lovers should note that National Geographic is engaging in warthog profiteering.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Home Done
Baseball is looking sluggish:
An average of 2.06 homers per game were hit through Sunday, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, down 8 1/2 percent from last season's final average of 2.25. The figure hasn't been so low since it dipped to 2.05 in 1997.
How long till they find a way to blame Bush?
An average of 2.06 homers per game were hit through Sunday, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, down 8 1/2 percent from last season's final average of 2.25. The figure hasn't been so low since it dipped to 2.05 in 1997.
How long till they find a way to blame Bush?
Friday, September 16, 2005
Crescent Of Disgrace
Why did so few notice earlier that the Crescent of Embrace is an ill-considered plan--from its 'crescent' symbolism that seems to sympathize with those who murdered Americans, to its vague 'embrace' of the dead? Was the committee truly so insensitive to the situation on September 11, 2001, and so indifferent to the heroes of Flight 93 who sacrificed their lives so America would not suffer more death and destruction that day? (Via Roger L. Simon)
Presidential Potty Break
President Bush has bodily functions? Am I the only one who finds this reassuring?
At least it wasn't a photo of him in the restroom.
By the way, put "failure" in the Google searchbox and click "I feel lucky". Now that is mean.
At least it wasn't a photo of him in the restroom.
By the way, put "failure" in the Google searchbox and click "I feel lucky". Now that is mean.
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Remembrances
Watching this flash film again, my initial reaction was jaded. The memories and emotions flooded back as the movie progressed, but that moment of distance troubles me.
Distance from a historical event is not an evil. It allows more resources and more historical context. We can look back as through a rearview mirror and see the scope of the event, with a readier eye for where we are headed. The years since September 11, 2001 remind us of how united Americans can be as a civilized society, and how splintered we can be across ideological lines.
But rolling ahead with the metaphor: Objects in mirror are closer than they appear. Our perception of distance can lead us to dismiss much of what we understood at the time as archaic, regardless of whether it is as true (or truer) today as it was then. It is easy to become desensitized to ideas as well as images. It is not enough to be bystanders, or actors for some half-forgotten cause. We ought to remember.
Distance from a historical event is not an evil. It allows more resources and more historical context. We can look back as through a rearview mirror and see the scope of the event, with a readier eye for where we are headed. The years since September 11, 2001 remind us of how united Americans can be as a civilized society, and how splintered we can be across ideological lines.
But rolling ahead with the metaphor: Objects in mirror are closer than they appear. Our perception of distance can lead us to dismiss much of what we understood at the time as archaic, regardless of whether it is as true (or truer) today as it was then. It is easy to become desensitized to ideas as well as images. It is not enough to be bystanders, or actors for some half-forgotten cause. We ought to remember.
Leftovers
What happens when a guy procrastinates? He misses things. This time the guy is me. A story catches my eye, I put it aside to cover later, but it sits. So here are the pieces I let slide...
Cathy Seipp wrote an article on Hollywood politics several months after Sept. 11, 2001. Now it serves as a reminder that Hollywood has somehow managed to become more hypocritical, and as documentation of lines like "I think George Bush is a lesbian! A lesbian in a dress! And high heels!"
"When I signed on to the Hundred Years' War, I thought it would be over in 120, 140 tops. Nobody told me we'd be committing for more than two centuries. So I understand the media's impatience. But you know, what looks bad on Day Four doesn't seem such a big deal when you're in Year 137. If I have a criticism, I'd say the media were over-invested in the decapitation approach. For months they pounded the leadership with state-of-the-art precision-guided surgical strikes--Bush is a moron, Rumsfeld's a madman, Blair's a poodle--assuming that, if you remove the nerve centre, the regime will be unable to function. Ha! If there's one thing we French have come to learn, it's that George W. Bush is perfectly capable of functioning without a brain," said Philip VI of France (according to Mark Steyn).
In April, the Family Research Council declared that women are better sick/cancerous than promiscuous.
SpaceShipOne's designer cheered 'small government' initiatives in 1986: "I want to thank Ronald Reagan for providing and maintaining this environment that was devoid of government regulations that would've made this thing impossible in any other country that I can think of. I only filled out two pieces of paper for the U.S. government. I'm serious. We have an application for air-worthiness and an application for the tail number on the airplane."
From July 5th's New York Times: "The spectacle we have made of confirmation hearings reinforces the public notion that the justices exist to decide cases the way political movements want them to. Liberals think the right started it, and conservatives think the left started it, but the important question is not who started it but who is going to stop it."
Do you believe in ghosts?
Do you believe in idiotarians?
An Instapundit reader tackled the notion that Democratic-leaning states subsidize Republican-leaning states: "Since Social Security is the highest federal expenditure, and Medicare is the third largest, it only makes sense that the feds spend more where there are more retirees. Can the red states help it if the Americans who have enjoyed our country the longest choose to retire in Florida, Arizona, and other red states?"
Another Instapundit reader asks, "If we must have [mandatory sensitivity re-education] for racially/ethnically motivated stupidity, why not mandatory patriotism re-education for anti-American or anti-military stupidity?" (Glenn Reynolds' response: "I'm against both, but the door has certainly been opened. And those who are creeped out more by one or the other might ask themselves why.")
Has anyone heard much from John Bolton at the United Nations? The press gave me the impression that he was going to bulldoze the place by now.
The American Center For Voting Rights issued a report stating that during the 2004 elections, "paid Democrat operatives were far more involved in voter intimidation and suppression efforts than their Republican counterparts."
This is like something out of a bad novel.
So is this. What if grasshoppers are only the beginning?
"Prosecuting victimless crimes is a colossal waste of time." Well, duh.
I used to demand boycotts of sweatshop-manufactured goods, until this commentary got me thinking.
John Roberts is likable.
Cindy Sheehan is not. More here, there, this way, that way, and the other way.
America already has Chester Cheetah, but some scientists want us to have real speedy cats on the loose.
Israelis have been giving Jews a tough time.
James Lileks revisited Silent Running.
And since we live in a cynical age, I better close on an ironic note.
Cathy Seipp wrote an article on Hollywood politics several months after Sept. 11, 2001. Now it serves as a reminder that Hollywood has somehow managed to become more hypocritical, and as documentation of lines like "I think George Bush is a lesbian! A lesbian in a dress! And high heels!"
"When I signed on to the Hundred Years' War, I thought it would be over in 120, 140 tops. Nobody told me we'd be committing for more than two centuries. So I understand the media's impatience. But you know, what looks bad on Day Four doesn't seem such a big deal when you're in Year 137. If I have a criticism, I'd say the media were over-invested in the decapitation approach. For months they pounded the leadership with state-of-the-art precision-guided surgical strikes--Bush is a moron, Rumsfeld's a madman, Blair's a poodle--assuming that, if you remove the nerve centre, the regime will be unable to function. Ha! If there's one thing we French have come to learn, it's that George W. Bush is perfectly capable of functioning without a brain," said Philip VI of France (according to Mark Steyn).
In April, the Family Research Council declared that women are better sick/cancerous than promiscuous.
SpaceShipOne's designer cheered 'small government' initiatives in 1986: "I want to thank Ronald Reagan for providing and maintaining this environment that was devoid of government regulations that would've made this thing impossible in any other country that I can think of. I only filled out two pieces of paper for the U.S. government. I'm serious. We have an application for air-worthiness and an application for the tail number on the airplane."
From July 5th's New York Times: "The spectacle we have made of confirmation hearings reinforces the public notion that the justices exist to decide cases the way political movements want them to. Liberals think the right started it, and conservatives think the left started it, but the important question is not who started it but who is going to stop it."
Do you believe in ghosts?
Do you believe in idiotarians?
An Instapundit reader tackled the notion that Democratic-leaning states subsidize Republican-leaning states: "Since Social Security is the highest federal expenditure, and Medicare is the third largest, it only makes sense that the feds spend more where there are more retirees. Can the red states help it if the Americans who have enjoyed our country the longest choose to retire in Florida, Arizona, and other red states?"
Another Instapundit reader asks, "If we must have [mandatory sensitivity re-education] for racially/ethnically motivated stupidity, why not mandatory patriotism re-education for anti-American or anti-military stupidity?" (Glenn Reynolds' response: "I'm against both, but the door has certainly been opened. And those who are creeped out more by one or the other might ask themselves why.")
Has anyone heard much from John Bolton at the United Nations? The press gave me the impression that he was going to bulldoze the place by now.
The American Center For Voting Rights issued a report stating that during the 2004 elections, "paid Democrat operatives were far more involved in voter intimidation and suppression efforts than their Republican counterparts."
This is like something out of a bad novel.
So is this. What if grasshoppers are only the beginning?
"Prosecuting victimless crimes is a colossal waste of time." Well, duh.
I used to demand boycotts of sweatshop-manufactured goods, until this commentary got me thinking.
John Roberts is likable.
Cindy Sheehan is not. More here, there, this way, that way, and the other way.
America already has Chester Cheetah, but some scientists want us to have real speedy cats on the loose.
Israelis have been giving Jews a tough time.
James Lileks revisited Silent Running.
And since we live in a cynical age, I better close on an ironic note.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
At Least I Don't Live In Monroe, LA*
Forbes has a list of the safest and least safe places in the United States.
For me, the results are not reassuring.
* No offense to the people of Monroe, LA. You would dislike me as a neighbor, anyway. I hear you have lots of big bugs**, and big bugs loose in the home make me scream like a girl***.
** No offense to big bugs.
*** No offense to girls.
For me, the results are not reassuring.
* No offense to the people of Monroe, LA. You would dislike me as a neighbor, anyway. I hear you have lots of big bugs**, and big bugs loose in the home make me scream like a girl***.
** No offense to big bugs.
*** No offense to girls.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
The Penn Is Mightier Than The Ford
The great American actor/activist Sean Penn (in white flak jacket) and his noble photographer set out to rescue the people of New Orleans...
But something appears to be wrong. Their mighty rescue vessel is taking on water, and the engine won't start! They must paddle back to safety...
Our hero, wielding his legendary Red Cup of Pollution, keeps the team afloat...
Whew!!!
Update: For your consideration.
Update II: From Day by Day:
But something appears to be wrong. Their mighty rescue vessel is taking on water, and the engine won't start! They must paddle back to safety...
Our hero, wielding his legendary Red Cup of Pollution, keeps the team afloat...
Whew!!!
Update: For your consideration.
Update II: From Day by Day:
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Katrina
The situation looks increasingly grim. For those of you here or abroad who would like to donate or volunteer, I suggest the following...
Mercy Corps
Episcopal Relief and Development
For those that like to play blame games while corpses are warm, allow me to suggest you focus your energy where needed most: assisting survivors so that they do not become new fatalities. Exploitation is obviously bad (if not outright bizarre; we might as well go all the way and blame Ronald Reagan for Katrina: his decomposition is releasing greenhouse gases). But prudence is not unwarranted when complaints are valid, either. More probably could have done to impress upon the poor and the illiterate to leave during the evacuation, more people could have offered rides out, the evacuation order could have come sooner, etc., but there will be plenty of time to ready the crosses and nails later. Right now people need help, not recriminations.
Update: James Lileks: "FEMA’s list of charities is here. Note anything about what sort of organizations are doing the hard work? I keep looking for the Objectivist Mutual Aid Society, but it never pops up."
Update II: Don't forget all the little animals: The American Veterinary Medical Foundation. [Edit: Good only for American and Canadian donations. Everyone may donate to the Humane Society of America.]
Update III: By the way, at least a hint of moral support for the U.S. from certain parties might do some good.
Update IV: More on exploitation. (Via Instapundit, who also has a massive roundup of charities)
Update V: The rebuilding of New Orleans is already underway, with the Army Corps of Engineers planning reconstruction from Memphis (scroll down). See a report on Memphis-area relief efforts here.
Update VI: Our troop deployments leave many barracks at home largely empty, so here is a question for those with suitable experience: Why not use U.S. barracks to temporarily house evacuees?
Update VII: Mark Steyn talks to Hugh Hewitt, and nearly blames everybody... namely local, state, and federal governments.
Update VIII: Look, folks, there is more than enough blame to go around. The mandatory evacuation order could have been given two days sooner. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin could have tried to push buses into service from the very beginning to save lives, and U.S. President George W. Bush could have ordered the armed forces (there are plenty in the U.S. to do the job, they just haven't been called) to be ready to go just as quickly. New Orleans' and Louisiana's governments have known for 40 years that they needed a better levee system, and it is their responsibility (which is probably why Bush is the eighth president to gut federal upgrade funding), while the Army Corp of Engineers is partly responsible for the system that made the flooding so likely in the first place. Congress' spending spree, like the recent $250+ billion highway & transit bill, is taking money away from war and disaster preparation & relief funding we need. And as much as blowhards love to make this a race issue, it is a resource issue--so many people did not leave because they were so poor they did not television or radios to know what was going on, or were illiterate, or simply did not have the ability to flee, and the situation is so bad that even Canada refused to send in a search and rescue team at one point. The list goes on. If you insist on placing blame from the comfort of your air-conditioned home, at least admit that we are looking at bi-partisan and non-partisan stupidity, note that there will plenty of time later to call for heads to roll, and do more to help those in need. Alternatively, consider that everyone in charge is human and is overwhelmingly doing his/her best to set things right, and then do the best you can.
Former President Bill Clinton: Because when you say that they should have done this, that or the other thing first, you can look at that problem in isolation, and you can say that. But look at all the other things they had to deal with. I'm telling you, nobody thought this was going to happen like this. But what happened here is they escaped -- New Orleans escaped Katrina. But it brought all the water up the Mississippi River and all in the Pontchartrain, and then when it started running and that levee broke, they had problems they never could have foreseen. And so I just think that we need to recognize right now there's a confident effort under way. People are doing the best they can. And I just don't think it's the time to worry about that. We need to keep people alive and get them back to life -- normal life.
Update IX: "We pay taxes for this?!" is the latest complaint I overheard about government efforts. Let us take it as read that Americans are taxed less so that they have more freedom over exactly where their money goes and that the government offers special breaks for charitable individuals and businesses to encourage giving, because non-governmental donations, volunteer work, and trade are more efficient and help more causes than the halls of bureaucracy ever can or ever will. That is why America's federal aid can be comparatively low, but American private charity is unsurpassed. So I hate to say it, but in a sense the complaints are spot-on: Much of what we have seen so far illustrates P.J. O'Rourke's truism, "Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys." Except this time nobody is having fun in the backseat (nor the front, for that matter). [Edit: I suppose I am now griping rather than helping. Is it contagious?]
Update X: I am going to gripe. This looks bad, JunkYardBlog is on the attack, and The Irish Trojan's Blog blasts FEMA Director Mike Brown. We're gonna need more crosses and nails.
At least there is movement.
Update XI: Proof that nothing changed after Sept. 11?
Sen. Hillary Clinton must like the author's "Katrina Kommission" idea.
Update XII: River City Mud Company has an update on evacuee resources in Memphis, culminating in Theatre Memphis' offer of cheap "The King and I" tickets for storm victims...
Here is an entire blog dedicated to the Mid-South's Response to Katrina.
Free Will digs deeper into Louisiana's [non-]response (and, to a degree, defends FEMA's Michael Brown). So does a Chrenkoff reader.
Chrenkoff himself also offers more crazy quotes. Here are a couple of questions for Rev. Jesse Jackson and Kanye West: Do you honestly believe anyone heading rescue & relief efforts said, "Let's take our time. It's only blacks and deadbeats"? And if you do believe the leaders, inclusive of some of the highest-ranking blacks in American history, are criminally bigoted, why did you not do anything for those in need before the storm hit, and immediately after? You say there is "historical indifference" and that "George Bush doesn't care about black people", so you obviously suspected "poor people and black people" needed more help in advance. You have the connections and the money to do things, yet you concentrated your efforts toward press conferences and photo-ops. After the fact.
Also, Rev. Jackson, here is the definition of 'refugee':
One who flees in search of refuge, as in times of war, political oppression, or religious persecution.
'Refugee' sounds that much more appropriate with you adding political oppression on top of escaping a disaster area. Some could argue that your focus ought to be on showing a way up for all of those individuals with no ground to stand upon, or promoting actual tolerance and pluralism through this tragedy, but I understand why you would rather debate the meaning of a word. Apparently, calling class and ethnicity irrelevant to basic decency makes a person racist. Better for progressives to determine qualifications for providing aid on the basis of skin color, and to knock Lou Dobbs for noting that whites are not the only people in charge.
Update XIII: KatrinaHomes.org is helping those still looking for a shelter without "dome" or "center" in the address. For gay and lesbian (and presumably bisexual and transgender) evacuees, the folks at GayOrbit are discussing lodging. (Via GayPatriot)
A warm welcome and thank you to Tim Blair and readers. Hope you find this site better than dull.
Update XIV: You know those reports of rape and murder at the Superdome? Well, have you ever wondered about fact-checking by the mass media?
Update XV: FEMA's Michael Brown is almost certainly going down for his unmitigated cluelessness, especially after this report, though it should be said that the system itself seems to be the disaster's secondary catalyst (the hurricane of course being the primary catalyst, though you might never guess that by watching the stuffed clothes on CNN). Lots of people require a lesson in federalism.
What does it tell us when it was the most-upgraded levee that burst?
The mayor of New Orleans approves forced evacuations. Presumably, he now also approves the use of buses. A notable comment from this story:
"Bureaucracy has murdered people in the greater New Orleans area," [Jefferson Parish president Aaron Broussard] said on CBS' "Early Show." "Take whatever idiot they have at the top of whatever agency and give me a better idiot. Give me a caring idiot. Give me a sensitive idiot. Just don't give me the same idiot."
Because caring and sensitive idiots like teary-eyed Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco are doing such a brilliant job... Keep the 'caring'/'sensitive', but drop the 'idiot', and perhaps bureaucracy will stop being a murderer and revert to its status of robber & scoundrel.
Major relief organizations refuse clothing donations because of the resources necessary to sort and clean the garments, but if your priorities do not follow those of Teresa Heinz Kerry (after Hurricane Ivan) you can still donate to your local Salvation Army to support their efforts and ensure that a supply of clothes remains available for those in need following Katrina.
Update XVI: Christopher Hitchens offers a twofer on Iraq and Katrina.
Update XVII: Relief is available for people with disabilities. The site looks a bit dodgy--so be careful--but the links I tested were valid.
Mercy Corps
Episcopal Relief and Development
For those that like to play blame games while corpses are warm, allow me to suggest you focus your energy where needed most: assisting survivors so that they do not become new fatalities. Exploitation is obviously bad (if not outright bizarre; we might as well go all the way and blame Ronald Reagan for Katrina: his decomposition is releasing greenhouse gases). But prudence is not unwarranted when complaints are valid, either. More probably could have done to impress upon the poor and the illiterate to leave during the evacuation, more people could have offered rides out, the evacuation order could have come sooner, etc., but there will be plenty of time to ready the crosses and nails later. Right now people need help, not recriminations.
Update: James Lileks: "FEMA’s list of charities is here. Note anything about what sort of organizations are doing the hard work? I keep looking for the Objectivist Mutual Aid Society, but it never pops up."
Update II: Don't forget all the little animals: The American Veterinary Medical Foundation. [Edit: Good only for American and Canadian donations. Everyone may donate to the Humane Society of America.]
Update III: By the way, at least a hint of moral support for the U.S. from certain parties might do some good.
Update IV: More on exploitation. (Via Instapundit, who also has a massive roundup of charities)
Update V: The rebuilding of New Orleans is already underway, with the Army Corps of Engineers planning reconstruction from Memphis (scroll down). See a report on Memphis-area relief efforts here.
Update VI: Our troop deployments leave many barracks at home largely empty, so here is a question for those with suitable experience: Why not use U.S. barracks to temporarily house evacuees?
Update VII: Mark Steyn talks to Hugh Hewitt, and nearly blames everybody... namely local, state, and federal governments.
Update VIII: Look, folks, there is more than enough blame to go around. The mandatory evacuation order could have been given two days sooner. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin could have tried to push buses into service from the very beginning to save lives, and U.S. President George W. Bush could have ordered the armed forces (there are plenty in the U.S. to do the job, they just haven't been called) to be ready to go just as quickly. New Orleans' and Louisiana's governments have known for 40 years that they needed a better levee system, and it is their responsibility (which is probably why Bush is the eighth president to gut federal upgrade funding), while the Army Corp of Engineers is partly responsible for the system that made the flooding so likely in the first place. Congress' spending spree, like the recent $250+ billion highway & transit bill, is taking money away from war and disaster preparation & relief funding we need. And as much as blowhards love to make this a race issue, it is a resource issue--so many people did not leave because they were so poor they did not television or radios to know what was going on, or were illiterate, or simply did not have the ability to flee, and the situation is so bad that even Canada refused to send in a search and rescue team at one point. The list goes on. If you insist on placing blame from the comfort of your air-conditioned home, at least admit that we are looking at bi-partisan and non-partisan stupidity, note that there will plenty of time later to call for heads to roll, and do more to help those in need. Alternatively, consider that everyone in charge is human and is overwhelmingly doing his/her best to set things right, and then do the best you can.
Former President Bill Clinton: Because when you say that they should have done this, that or the other thing first, you can look at that problem in isolation, and you can say that. But look at all the other things they had to deal with. I'm telling you, nobody thought this was going to happen like this. But what happened here is they escaped -- New Orleans escaped Katrina. But it brought all the water up the Mississippi River and all in the Pontchartrain, and then when it started running and that levee broke, they had problems they never could have foreseen. And so I just think that we need to recognize right now there's a confident effort under way. People are doing the best they can. And I just don't think it's the time to worry about that. We need to keep people alive and get them back to life -- normal life.
Update IX: "We pay taxes for this?!" is the latest complaint I overheard about government efforts. Let us take it as read that Americans are taxed less so that they have more freedom over exactly where their money goes and that the government offers special breaks for charitable individuals and businesses to encourage giving, because non-governmental donations, volunteer work, and trade are more efficient and help more causes than the halls of bureaucracy ever can or ever will. That is why America's federal aid can be comparatively low, but American private charity is unsurpassed. So I hate to say it, but in a sense the complaints are spot-on: Much of what we have seen so far illustrates P.J. O'Rourke's truism, "Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys." Except this time nobody is having fun in the backseat (nor the front, for that matter). [Edit: I suppose I am now griping rather than helping. Is it contagious?]
Update X: I am going to gripe. This looks bad, JunkYardBlog is on the attack, and The Irish Trojan's Blog blasts FEMA Director Mike Brown. We're gonna need more crosses and nails.
At least there is movement.
Update XI: Proof that nothing changed after Sept. 11?
Sen. Hillary Clinton must like the author's "Katrina Kommission" idea.
Update XII: River City Mud Company has an update on evacuee resources in Memphis, culminating in Theatre Memphis' offer of cheap "The King and I" tickets for storm victims...
Here is an entire blog dedicated to the Mid-South's Response to Katrina.
Free Will digs deeper into Louisiana's [non-]response (and, to a degree, defends FEMA's Michael Brown). So does a Chrenkoff reader.
Chrenkoff himself also offers more crazy quotes. Here are a couple of questions for Rev. Jesse Jackson and Kanye West: Do you honestly believe anyone heading rescue & relief efforts said, "Let's take our time. It's only blacks and deadbeats"? And if you do believe the leaders, inclusive of some of the highest-ranking blacks in American history, are criminally bigoted, why did you not do anything for those in need before the storm hit, and immediately after? You say there is "historical indifference" and that "George Bush doesn't care about black people", so you obviously suspected "poor people and black people" needed more help in advance. You have the connections and the money to do things, yet you concentrated your efforts toward press conferences and photo-ops. After the fact.
Also, Rev. Jackson, here is the definition of 'refugee':
One who flees in search of refuge, as in times of war, political oppression, or religious persecution.
'Refugee' sounds that much more appropriate with you adding political oppression on top of escaping a disaster area. Some could argue that your focus ought to be on showing a way up for all of those individuals with no ground to stand upon, or promoting actual tolerance and pluralism through this tragedy, but I understand why you would rather debate the meaning of a word. Apparently, calling class and ethnicity irrelevant to basic decency makes a person racist. Better for progressives to determine qualifications for providing aid on the basis of skin color, and to knock Lou Dobbs for noting that whites are not the only people in charge.
Update XIII: KatrinaHomes.org is helping those still looking for a shelter without "dome" or "center" in the address. For gay and lesbian (and presumably bisexual and transgender) evacuees, the folks at GayOrbit are discussing lodging. (Via GayPatriot)
A warm welcome and thank you to Tim Blair and readers. Hope you find this site better than dull.
Update XIV: You know those reports of rape and murder at the Superdome? Well, have you ever wondered about fact-checking by the mass media?
Update XV: FEMA's Michael Brown is almost certainly going down for his unmitigated cluelessness, especially after this report, though it should be said that the system itself seems to be the disaster's secondary catalyst (the hurricane of course being the primary catalyst, though you might never guess that by watching the stuffed clothes on CNN). Lots of people require a lesson in federalism.
What does it tell us when it was the most-upgraded levee that burst?
The mayor of New Orleans approves forced evacuations. Presumably, he now also approves the use of buses. A notable comment from this story:
"Bureaucracy has murdered people in the greater New Orleans area," [Jefferson Parish president Aaron Broussard] said on CBS' "Early Show." "Take whatever idiot they have at the top of whatever agency and give me a better idiot. Give me a caring idiot. Give me a sensitive idiot. Just don't give me the same idiot."
Because caring and sensitive idiots like teary-eyed Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco are doing such a brilliant job... Keep the 'caring'/'sensitive', but drop the 'idiot', and perhaps bureaucracy will stop being a murderer and revert to its status of robber & scoundrel.
Major relief organizations refuse clothing donations because of the resources necessary to sort and clean the garments, but if your priorities do not follow those of Teresa Heinz Kerry (after Hurricane Ivan) you can still donate to your local Salvation Army to support their efforts and ensure that a supply of clothes remains available for those in need following Katrina.
Update XVI: Christopher Hitchens offers a twofer on Iraq and Katrina.
Update XVII: Relief is available for people with disabilities. The site looks a bit dodgy--so be careful--but the links I tested were valid.
Sunday, August 21, 2005
It Can Spread Faster Than Butter
Liberty. In response to my post on freedom for Belarus, I received an e-mail from the Students for Global Democracy organization. They offer to "give moral support to dissidents", so not much help in actually fighting tyrants, but it is a start. Check it out.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Terror In Egypt
Extremists targeted civilians in Egypt...
October 21, 1992 - Militants ambush tourist bus, killing a British woman and wounding two British men. The woman is the first foreigner to die in militant-related violence.
February 26, 1993 - Bomb in crowded coffee shop in central Cairo kills a Turk, a Swede and an Egyptian and wounds 20.
June 8, 1993 - Bomb explodes near tour bus on Pyramids Road in Cairo, killing two Egyptians and wounding 22 people, including five Britons.
March 4, 1994 - Gunmen fire at Nile cruiser in southern Egypt, wounding a German woman tourist, who died after being flown back to Germany.
August 26, 1994 - Gunmen kill Spanish boy in an attack on a tourist bus in southern Egypt.
September 27, 1994 - Gunmen shoot and kill one German tourist and wound another in a gun attack in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada. Two Egyptians also killed and another German man died of his wounds after returning to Germany.
October 23, 1994 - Suspected Muslim militants kill a British tourist and wound three in a minibus attack.
April 18, 1996 - Islamic militants shoot dead 18 Greek tourists they mistook for Israelis near the Pyramids.
September 18, 1997 - Gunmen kill nine German tourists and their Egyptian bus driver in a shooting and firebomb attack outside the Egyptian Museum in Cairo's Tahrir Square.
November 17, 1997 - Attackers kill 58 tourists and four Egyptians at an ancient temple near the southern tourist town of Luxor. Six gunmen and three police also die in the violence.
October 7, 2004 - A series of bombings at the Taba Hilton hotel on Egypt's border with Israel, and two beaches further south, kill 34 people.
April 7, 2005 - A probable suicide bomb attack in a bazaar in medieval Cairo kills an American man, a French man and woman and the suspected bomber.
April 30, 2005 - A suicide bomber wounds seven people including four foreigners - two Israelis, an Italian and a Swede - near the Egyptian museum.
July 23, 2005 - Car bombs rock Red Sea resorts of Sharm el-Sheikh and nearby Naama Bay, killing at least 49 and wounding more than 100.
"I didn't know Egypt had troops in Iraq. Otherwise, why would the terrorists target them?" remarked Instapundit reader Sean Fitzpatrick.
October 21, 1992 - Militants ambush tourist bus, killing a British woman and wounding two British men. The woman is the first foreigner to die in militant-related violence.
February 26, 1993 - Bomb in crowded coffee shop in central Cairo kills a Turk, a Swede and an Egyptian and wounds 20.
June 8, 1993 - Bomb explodes near tour bus on Pyramids Road in Cairo, killing two Egyptians and wounding 22 people, including five Britons.
March 4, 1994 - Gunmen fire at Nile cruiser in southern Egypt, wounding a German woman tourist, who died after being flown back to Germany.
August 26, 1994 - Gunmen kill Spanish boy in an attack on a tourist bus in southern Egypt.
September 27, 1994 - Gunmen shoot and kill one German tourist and wound another in a gun attack in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada. Two Egyptians also killed and another German man died of his wounds after returning to Germany.
October 23, 1994 - Suspected Muslim militants kill a British tourist and wound three in a minibus attack.
April 18, 1996 - Islamic militants shoot dead 18 Greek tourists they mistook for Israelis near the Pyramids.
September 18, 1997 - Gunmen kill nine German tourists and their Egyptian bus driver in a shooting and firebomb attack outside the Egyptian Museum in Cairo's Tahrir Square.
November 17, 1997 - Attackers kill 58 tourists and four Egyptians at an ancient temple near the southern tourist town of Luxor. Six gunmen and three police also die in the violence.
October 7, 2004 - A series of bombings at the Taba Hilton hotel on Egypt's border with Israel, and two beaches further south, kill 34 people.
April 7, 2005 - A probable suicide bomb attack in a bazaar in medieval Cairo kills an American man, a French man and woman and the suspected bomber.
April 30, 2005 - A suicide bomber wounds seven people including four foreigners - two Israelis, an Italian and a Swede - near the Egyptian museum.
July 23, 2005 - Car bombs rock Red Sea resorts of Sharm el-Sheikh and nearby Naama Bay, killing at least 49 and wounding more than 100.
"I didn't know Egypt had troops in Iraq. Otherwise, why would the terrorists target them?" remarked Instapundit reader Sean Fitzpatrick.
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Quote Of The Day
In a reply to Roger L. Simon's latest post on Iraq coverage:
Heroism itself has been deconstructed as a contemptible artifact having no place in a post-modern narrative of class struggle and victimology.
Heroism itself has been deconstructed as a contemptible artifact having no place in a post-modern narrative of class struggle and victimology.
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Another Reason To Love NASA
They work to feed people:
If Boss and Grunden are successful, their work could make a huge difference to humans living in marginal environments here on Earth. In many third-world countries, says Boss, "extending the crop a week or two when the drought comes could give you the final harvest you need to last through winter. If we could increase drought resistance, or cold tolerance, and extend the growing season, that could make a big difference in the lives of a lot of people."
In other news, "My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas" needs revising.
It's within reach.
If Boss and Grunden are successful, their work could make a huge difference to humans living in marginal environments here on Earth. In many third-world countries, says Boss, "extending the crop a week or two when the drought comes could give you the final harvest you need to last through winter. If we could increase drought resistance, or cold tolerance, and extend the growing season, that could make a big difference in the lives of a lot of people."
In other news, "My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas" needs revising.
It's within reach.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Terror Topics
Prof. Juan Cole says of the Bush administration: "...if they are fighting a war on terror, the enemy is four guys in a gymn in Leeds." Michael J. Totten offers a graphic response.
The enemy Cole dismisses so casually are getting around, but at least he admits the enemy is not us. I say we should send some Iraqi women after them. (Assuming the terrorists are human.)
The enemy Cole dismisses so casually are getting around, but at least he admits the enemy is not us. I say we should send some Iraqi women after them. (Assuming the terrorists are human.)
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
A Nice Pair Of Hooters
Update: In the interest of contributing more juvenilia, I hereby suggest that the target consumers for these boxers are optimistic men, novelty lovers, and Bill Clinton.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince
I finished this last night, after 11 hours (including meal and breaks).
For most of the book, the main plot is about searching for a plot: It is basically a murder mystery in reverse, leading up to the shocking, though not terribly surprising, death of a major character. "Half-Blood Prince" also ties up several loose ends from earlier volumes, "Chamber of Secrets" in particular, while providing heavy doses of exposition for the final tome. The rest of the book is the more familiar chronicling of life in the wizarding world, which from a logical standpoint is overshadowed by the growing forces of darkness, but from a dramatic standpoint is therefore no longer as fascinating.
J.K. Rowling's writing improved in some ways, being less gimmicky and continuing her pattern of treating the reader as wiser with each book. At the same time, her style is looser, less interested in providing a tight narrative. I love the book, but several chapters could have used a trim.
Apart from the brutal third act, the book is not as dark as "Order of the Phoenix". Although the deaths pile higher than ever before, there is, as one character opines, a bit more love in the world. And a bit more humor: There are dozens of throwaway gags, with more hits than misses, and the magnificently odd Luna Lovegood returns. Plus Harry does not SHOUT as much, having thankfully learned how to handle some of his angst; indeed, a scene where he calmly yet firmly expresses his loyalties stands out in my mind as one of the most genuinely mature passages in the series--Rowling apparently recognized this too, as she provides a reprise.
Now, how long till book seven?
Buy Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
For most of the book, the main plot is about searching for a plot: It is basically a murder mystery in reverse, leading up to the shocking, though not terribly surprising, death of a major character. "Half-Blood Prince" also ties up several loose ends from earlier volumes, "Chamber of Secrets" in particular, while providing heavy doses of exposition for the final tome. The rest of the book is the more familiar chronicling of life in the wizarding world, which from a logical standpoint is overshadowed by the growing forces of darkness, but from a dramatic standpoint is therefore no longer as fascinating.
J.K. Rowling's writing improved in some ways, being less gimmicky and continuing her pattern of treating the reader as wiser with each book. At the same time, her style is looser, less interested in providing a tight narrative. I love the book, but several chapters could have used a trim.
Apart from the brutal third act, the book is not as dark as "Order of the Phoenix". Although the deaths pile higher than ever before, there is, as one character opines, a bit more love in the world. And a bit more humor: There are dozens of throwaway gags, with more hits than misses, and the magnificently odd Luna Lovegood returns. Plus Harry does not SHOUT as much, having thankfully learned how to handle some of his angst; indeed, a scene where he calmly yet firmly expresses his loyalties stands out in my mind as one of the most genuinely mature passages in the series--Rowling apparently recognized this too, as she provides a reprise.
Now, how long till book seven?
Buy Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Young Belarus Rallies For Freedom
This sounds promising:
"I am 23 years old. I was 19 when I joined Zubr. I was still a student at the Belarusian literature faculty," said the strong-voiced blonde, sitting in a Minsk cafe.
Shortly after the founding in January 2001 of the Zubr group (named after the European bison found in Belarus' forests) "we carried out our first action -- carrying posters of the disappeared in public," she recalls.
The pictures included those of reporter Dmitry Zavadsky and politician Viktor Gonchar, both kidnapped and, according to the opposition, killed by the authorities.
Since then, Tustsik has participated in a series of "performances" intended to "stir up public opinion."
The group declares its aims as establishing democracy in Belarus.
They are aiming high. Now to keep it up.
"I am 23 years old. I was 19 when I joined Zubr. I was still a student at the Belarusian literature faculty," said the strong-voiced blonde, sitting in a Minsk cafe.
Shortly after the founding in January 2001 of the Zubr group (named after the European bison found in Belarus' forests) "we carried out our first action -- carrying posters of the disappeared in public," she recalls.
The pictures included those of reporter Dmitry Zavadsky and politician Viktor Gonchar, both kidnapped and, according to the opposition, killed by the authorities.
Since then, Tustsik has participated in a series of "performances" intended to "stir up public opinion."
The group declares its aims as establishing democracy in Belarus.
They are aiming high. Now to keep it up.
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Funding The London Olympic Games
As they should, the Games will go forward despite the terrorist attacks. But Johnathan Pearce at Samizdata made some observations about the power of the state prior to the bombing that are worth noting as Londoners press forward, if only to prevent being hit in the pocketbook on both defense and entertainment. This suggestion seems credible:
Asset-backed securities are an increasingly common source of funding in our capital markets. Even pop star David Bowie, demonstrating the sort of business savvy common in the pop world, has issued bonds using his record sales as collateral. Why not issue "Olympic Bonds" with 20 or 30-year maturities to pay for the Games?
And more good wishes from across the sea, Britain.
Asset-backed securities are an increasingly common source of funding in our capital markets. Even pop star David Bowie, demonstrating the sort of business savvy common in the pop world, has issued bonds using his record sales as collateral. Why not issue "Olympic Bonds" with 20 or 30-year maturities to pay for the Games?
And more good wishes from across the sea, Britain.
Confused?
There may be an explanation:
We appear to be witnessing a new experience of male insecurity and confusion. Half of all men in the research agreed that their role in society is unclear. This ranged from 36 percent of Indian men to a staggering 64 percent of French men."
Likewise, 50 percent of American men surveyed stated they were unsure of their place in society, the report stated.
Personally, I blame Barry Manilow.
We appear to be witnessing a new experience of male insecurity and confusion. Half of all men in the research agreed that their role in society is unclear. This ranged from 36 percent of Indian men to a staggering 64 percent of French men."
Likewise, 50 percent of American men surveyed stated they were unsure of their place in society, the report stated.
Personally, I blame Barry Manilow.
Saturday, July 09, 2005
Friday, July 08, 2005
Chicken Hawks Up
"'But if there are many of these ruffians,' said Merry, 'it will certainly mean fighting. You won't rescue Lotho, or the Shire, just by being shocked and sad, my dear Frodo.'" - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
As a pejorative referring to someone who supports a war but does not fight in it, might "chickenhawk" be perilously broad?
Because I am, as defined here, a chickenhawk myself, you may take the following cum grano salis, but I take it as something worth writing.
The armed forces are not for everyone, for reasons that may have nothing to do with cowardice or confidence in the fight. People have emotional limitations, or physical limitations, or obligations that, while no greater than their perceived duties as citizens, weigh too heavily on their wills. These people speak out precisely because they acknowledge that they are unable to be soldiers, or sailors, or airmen, or marines, but they do want to contribute. They spread the word, they arrange care packages, they secure the fort at home--all through the belief that this support is preferable to none. Those who put their lives on the line for what is right are the personification of nobility, and I cheer them and argue for them for doing what others, including me, can not or will not. But for what I do, I hope touches those men and women made of stronger stuff than me.
Update: Eve Garrard, writing at Normblog: For we can equally ask of those who were and remain against the war whether they were themselves, in their own or their children's persons, prepared to incur the consequences attendant on that war not having been waged.
As a pejorative referring to someone who supports a war but does not fight in it, might "chickenhawk" be perilously broad?
Because I am, as defined here, a chickenhawk myself, you may take the following cum grano salis, but I take it as something worth writing.
The armed forces are not for everyone, for reasons that may have nothing to do with cowardice or confidence in the fight. People have emotional limitations, or physical limitations, or obligations that, while no greater than their perceived duties as citizens, weigh too heavily on their wills. These people speak out precisely because they acknowledge that they are unable to be soldiers, or sailors, or airmen, or marines, but they do want to contribute. They spread the word, they arrange care packages, they secure the fort at home--all through the belief that this support is preferable to none. Those who put their lives on the line for what is right are the personification of nobility, and I cheer them and argue for them for doing what others, including me, can not or will not. But for what I do, I hope touches those men and women made of stronger stuff than me.
Update: Eve Garrard, writing at Normblog: For we can equally ask of those who were and remain against the war whether they were themselves, in their own or their children's persons, prepared to incur the consequences attendant on that war not having been waged.
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Words Fail: London
My prayers up front to the victims of the London attacks, my solidarity behind the survivors, and my contempt upon the perpetrators.
As for those already wondering whether Britain will fight or, like Madrid, fold: At this point, I don't give a damn. Many are certain to make a stand against this evil, in some way at some time, so let the bastards worry about what the United Kingdom is going to do next. The rest of us, Britons specifically and especially, have more urgent concerns.
Deepest condolences and love to you, People of Great Britain.
Update: It didn't take long for the "you have yourself to blame" crowd to spill their bile in England.
Update II: A heartfelt message to the Secret Organisation of al Qaeda in Europe: Screw yourselves.
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Zarqawi Not A Lefty
Foul-mouthed terrorist Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi has harsh words concerning right-wingers unhinged enough to try comparing members of the anti-war crowd to "freedom fighters" like himself.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Wanted: Judicial-Free Supreme Court Justice
There are limits to how broadly one can reasonably define conditions for a judicial appointment...
A Republican planning document provided to The Washington Post described the need to avoid disclosing the nominee's "personal political views or legal thinking on any issue."
Barring personal politics is appropriate, but taking the 'legal' out of the judiciary? Nope. Uh-uh. And Republicans are going to burn themselves if planning like this keeps up. The decline of the judicial branch is already under way, and a centrist or libertarian could help reverse the trend, but political tricks like the above will only increase the statist hegemony no matter how worthy the appointee. It should be about the law, period. A short-term "up-or-down vote" or condemnation of "judicial activism" or issue-based nomination means little if the process continues a long-term rot.
A Republican planning document provided to The Washington Post described the need to avoid disclosing the nominee's "personal political views or legal thinking on any issue."
Barring personal politics is appropriate, but taking the 'legal' out of the judiciary? Nope. Uh-uh. And Republicans are going to burn themselves if planning like this keeps up. The decline of the judicial branch is already under way, and a centrist or libertarian could help reverse the trend, but political tricks like the above will only increase the statist hegemony no matter how worthy the appointee. It should be about the law, period. A short-term "up-or-down vote" or condemnation of "judicial activism" or issue-based nomination means little if the process continues a long-term rot.
Monday, July 04, 2005
July 4, 2005
To celebrate Independence Day, how about a few words on the United States of America's national anthem? It is awkward to sing, its third stanza openly offends our British brethren, the religious fourth stanza openly offends our neighborhood atheists, and the entire thing uses the tune of an old song about beer and sex. As a national anthem, it is terrifically problematic. So here is a reassuring commentary from the late, great Isaac Asimov, reprinted in its entirety...
I have a weakness--I am crazy, absolutely nuts, about our national anthem.
The words are difficult and the tune is almost impossible, but frequently when I'm taking a shower I sing it with as much power and emotion as I can. It shakes me up every time.
I was once asked to speak at a luncheon. Taking my life in my hands, I announced I was going to sing our national anthem--all four stanzas.
This was greeted with loud groans. One man closed the door to the kitchen, where the noise of dishes and cutlery was loud and distracting. "Thanks, Herb," I said.
"That's all right," he said. "It was at the request of the kitchen staff."
I explained the background of the anthem and then sang all four stanzas.
Let me tell you, those people had never heard it before--or had never really listened. I got a standing ovation. But it was not me; it was the anthem.
More recently, while conducting a seminar, I told my students the story of the anthem and sang all four stanzas. Again there was a wild ovation and prolonged applause. And again, it was the anthem and not me.
So now let me tell you how it came to be written.
In 1812, the United States went to war with Great Britain, primarily over freedom of the seas. We were in the right. For two years, we held off the British, even though we were still a rather weak country. Great Britain was in a life and death struggle with Napoleon. In fact, just as the United States declared war, Napoleon marched off to invade Russia. If he won, as everyone expected, he would control Europe, and Great Britain would be isolated. It was no time for her to be involved in an American war.
At first, our seamen proved better than the British. After we won a battle on Lake Erie in 1813, the American commander, Oliver Hazard Perry, sent the message "We have met the enemy and they are ours." However, the weight of the British navy beat down our ships eventually. New England, hard-hit by a tightening blockade, threatened secession.
Meanwhile, Napoleon was beaten in Russia and in 1814 was forced to abdicate. Great Britain now turned its attention to the United States, launching a three-pronged attack. The northern prong was to come down Lake Champlain toward New York and seize parts of New England.
The southern prong was to go up the Mississippi, take New Orleans and paralyze the west. The central prong was to head for the mid-Atlantic states and then attack Baltimore, the greatest port south of New York. If Baltimore was taken, the nation, which still hugged the Atlantic coast, could be split in two. The fate of the United States, then, rested to a large extent on the success or failure of the central prong.
The British reached the American coast, and on August 24, 1814, took Washington, D. C. Then they moved up the Chesapeake Bay toward Baltimore. On September 12, they arrived and found 1000 men in Fort McHenry, whose guns controlled the harbor. If the British wished to take Baltimore, they would have to take the fort.
On one of the British ships was an aged physician, William Beanes, who had been arrested in Maryland and brought along as a prisoner. Francis Scott Key, a lawyer and friend of the physician, had come to the ship to negotiate his release. The British captain was willing, but the two Americans would have to wait. It was now the night of September 13, and the bombardment of Fort McHenry was about to start.
As twilight deepened, Key and Beanes saw the American flag flying over Fort McHenry. Through the night, they heard bombs bursting and saw the red glare of rockets. They knew the fort was resisting and the American flag was still flying. But toward morning the bombardment ceased, and a dread silence fell. Either Fort McHenry had surrendered and the British flag flew above it, or the bombardment had failed and the American flag still flew.
As dawn began to brighten the eastern sky, Key and Beanes stared out at the fort, tyring to see which flag flew over it. He and the physician must have asked each other over and over, "Can you see the flag?"
After it was all finished, Key wrote a four stanza poem telling the events of the night. Called "The Defence of Fort M'Henry," it was published in newspapers and swept the nation. Someone noted that the words fit an old English tune called "To Anacreon in Heaven" --a difficult melody with an uncomfortably large vocal range. For obvious reasons, Key's work became known as "The Star Spangled Banner," and in 1931 Congress declared it the official anthem of the United States.
Now that you know the story, here are the words. Presumably, the old doctor is speaking. This is what he asks Key
Oh! say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
Oh! say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
"Ramparts," in case you don't know, are the protective walls or other elevations that surround a fort. The first stanza asks a question. The second gives an answer
On the shore, dimly seen thro' the mist of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep.
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream
'Tis the star-spangled banner. Oh! long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
"The towering steep" is again, the ramparts. The bombardment has failed, and the British can do nothing more but sail away, their mission a failure.
In the third stanza, I feel Key allows himself to gloat over the American triumph. In the aftermath of the bombardment, Key probably was in no mood to act otherwise.
During World War II, when the British were our staunchest allies, this third stanza was not sung. However, I know it, so here it is
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footstep's pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
The fourth stanza, a pious hope for the future, should be sung more slowly than the other three and with even deeper feeling.
Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation,
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the Heav'n - rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, for our cause is just,
And this be our motto--"In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
I hope you will look at the national anthem with new eyes. Listen to it, the next time you have a chance, with new ears.
And don't let them ever take it away.
--Isaac Asimov, March 1991
Happy Fourth, America!
I have a weakness--I am crazy, absolutely nuts, about our national anthem.
The words are difficult and the tune is almost impossible, but frequently when I'm taking a shower I sing it with as much power and emotion as I can. It shakes me up every time.
I was once asked to speak at a luncheon. Taking my life in my hands, I announced I was going to sing our national anthem--all four stanzas.
This was greeted with loud groans. One man closed the door to the kitchen, where the noise of dishes and cutlery was loud and distracting. "Thanks, Herb," I said.
"That's all right," he said. "It was at the request of the kitchen staff."
I explained the background of the anthem and then sang all four stanzas.
Let me tell you, those people had never heard it before--or had never really listened. I got a standing ovation. But it was not me; it was the anthem.
More recently, while conducting a seminar, I told my students the story of the anthem and sang all four stanzas. Again there was a wild ovation and prolonged applause. And again, it was the anthem and not me.
So now let me tell you how it came to be written.
In 1812, the United States went to war with Great Britain, primarily over freedom of the seas. We were in the right. For two years, we held off the British, even though we were still a rather weak country. Great Britain was in a life and death struggle with Napoleon. In fact, just as the United States declared war, Napoleon marched off to invade Russia. If he won, as everyone expected, he would control Europe, and Great Britain would be isolated. It was no time for her to be involved in an American war.
At first, our seamen proved better than the British. After we won a battle on Lake Erie in 1813, the American commander, Oliver Hazard Perry, sent the message "We have met the enemy and they are ours." However, the weight of the British navy beat down our ships eventually. New England, hard-hit by a tightening blockade, threatened secession.
Meanwhile, Napoleon was beaten in Russia and in 1814 was forced to abdicate. Great Britain now turned its attention to the United States, launching a three-pronged attack. The northern prong was to come down Lake Champlain toward New York and seize parts of New England.
The southern prong was to go up the Mississippi, take New Orleans and paralyze the west. The central prong was to head for the mid-Atlantic states and then attack Baltimore, the greatest port south of New York. If Baltimore was taken, the nation, which still hugged the Atlantic coast, could be split in two. The fate of the United States, then, rested to a large extent on the success or failure of the central prong.
The British reached the American coast, and on August 24, 1814, took Washington, D. C. Then they moved up the Chesapeake Bay toward Baltimore. On September 12, they arrived and found 1000 men in Fort McHenry, whose guns controlled the harbor. If the British wished to take Baltimore, they would have to take the fort.
On one of the British ships was an aged physician, William Beanes, who had been arrested in Maryland and brought along as a prisoner. Francis Scott Key, a lawyer and friend of the physician, had come to the ship to negotiate his release. The British captain was willing, but the two Americans would have to wait. It was now the night of September 13, and the bombardment of Fort McHenry was about to start.
As twilight deepened, Key and Beanes saw the American flag flying over Fort McHenry. Through the night, they heard bombs bursting and saw the red glare of rockets. They knew the fort was resisting and the American flag was still flying. But toward morning the bombardment ceased, and a dread silence fell. Either Fort McHenry had surrendered and the British flag flew above it, or the bombardment had failed and the American flag still flew.
As dawn began to brighten the eastern sky, Key and Beanes stared out at the fort, tyring to see which flag flew over it. He and the physician must have asked each other over and over, "Can you see the flag?"
After it was all finished, Key wrote a four stanza poem telling the events of the night. Called "The Defence of Fort M'Henry," it was published in newspapers and swept the nation. Someone noted that the words fit an old English tune called "To Anacreon in Heaven" --a difficult melody with an uncomfortably large vocal range. For obvious reasons, Key's work became known as "The Star Spangled Banner," and in 1931 Congress declared it the official anthem of the United States.
Now that you know the story, here are the words. Presumably, the old doctor is speaking. This is what he asks Key
Oh! say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
Oh! say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
"Ramparts," in case you don't know, are the protective walls or other elevations that surround a fort. The first stanza asks a question. The second gives an answer
On the shore, dimly seen thro' the mist of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep.
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream
'Tis the star-spangled banner. Oh! long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
"The towering steep" is again, the ramparts. The bombardment has failed, and the British can do nothing more but sail away, their mission a failure.
In the third stanza, I feel Key allows himself to gloat over the American triumph. In the aftermath of the bombardment, Key probably was in no mood to act otherwise.
During World War II, when the British were our staunchest allies, this third stanza was not sung. However, I know it, so here it is
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footstep's pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
The fourth stanza, a pious hope for the future, should be sung more slowly than the other three and with even deeper feeling.
Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation,
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the Heav'n - rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, for our cause is just,
And this be our motto--"In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
I hope you will look at the national anthem with new eyes. Listen to it, the next time you have a chance, with new ears.
And don't let them ever take it away.
--Isaac Asimov, March 1991
Happy Fourth, America!
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