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.
Saturday, October 29, 2005
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
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