This is great. I never knew soccer could be so fun.
Friday, October 08, 2004
Very Poor Choice of Words
I am sick and tired of this sort of intolerance from the Democratic Party.
Sen. Vince Fumo issued an open apology yesterday to the gay community for his use of the word "faggot" in a name-calling tirade on the state Senate floor late Wednesday.
Fumo hurled the epithet several times at Senate President Pro Tempore Robert Jubelirer, R-Blair, and Majority Leader David "Chip" Brightbill, R-Lebanon, after the Senate Republicans moved to stifle debate on a number of Democratic amendments to their slots bill.
According to witnesses, Fumo stormed over to the GOP leaders during a break in proceedings and accused them of breaking a pledge that he and his colleagues would be permitted to present their amendments. Fumo used the term several times before the exchange ended. It was not captured on tape.
Later, the Philadelphia Democrat acknowledged to reporters that he had lost his temper and "made a mistake" in his choice of words.
Can't we all just get along?
Update: I just noticed that the Majority Leader's name is Chip. Hmmm, maybe Fumo was on to something. Hey, that reminds me of one of my favorite scenes from Back to School:
Jason Melon: "Dad, they have showers at the pool."
Thornton Melon: "Nah, I don't shower with other guys. First, you're showering with them. Then the next thing you know you're pinned to a sophomore named Chip."
I also discovered that Back to School was the first comedy to gross over $100 million. As Mel Allen would say, "How about that?"
Sen. Vince Fumo issued an open apology yesterday to the gay community for his use of the word "faggot" in a name-calling tirade on the state Senate floor late Wednesday.
Fumo hurled the epithet several times at Senate President Pro Tempore Robert Jubelirer, R-Blair, and Majority Leader David "Chip" Brightbill, R-Lebanon, after the Senate Republicans moved to stifle debate on a number of Democratic amendments to their slots bill.
According to witnesses, Fumo stormed over to the GOP leaders during a break in proceedings and accused them of breaking a pledge that he and his colleagues would be permitted to present their amendments. Fumo used the term several times before the exchange ended. It was not captured on tape.
Later, the Philadelphia Democrat acknowledged to reporters that he had lost his temper and "made a mistake" in his choice of words.
Can't we all just get along?
Update: I just noticed that the Majority Leader's name is Chip. Hmmm, maybe Fumo was on to something. Hey, that reminds me of one of my favorite scenes from Back to School:
Jason Melon: "Dad, they have showers at the pool."
Thornton Melon: "Nah, I don't shower with other guys. First, you're showering with them. Then the next thing you know you're pinned to a sophomore named Chip."
I also discovered that Back to School was the first comedy to gross over $100 million. As Mel Allen would say, "How about that?"
Must See TV
Boy, the suits at NBC had to stay up all night to think of this brilliant idea:
LINCOLN, Neb. - Multi-tattooed rocker Tommy Lee (news), a high school dropout, plunged into life as a University of Nebraska student Thursday — for reality TV.
Lee mingled with fellow Cornhuskers for an NBC show in which he'll take classes in chemistry, literature and the history of rock 'n' roll.
Flanked by production crews and cameras, Lee bought books and Nebraska apparel at the University Bookstore while a mass of onlookers strained for a glimpse. "It's like a big circus," student Paul Penke said.
On Monday, the Motley Crue drummer will even try out for the Nebraska marching band.
I've already gotten rid of the cable; the whole damn television is next.
LINCOLN, Neb. - Multi-tattooed rocker Tommy Lee (news), a high school dropout, plunged into life as a University of Nebraska student Thursday — for reality TV.
Lee mingled with fellow Cornhuskers for an NBC show in which he'll take classes in chemistry, literature and the history of rock 'n' roll.
Flanked by production crews and cameras, Lee bought books and Nebraska apparel at the University Bookstore while a mass of onlookers strained for a glimpse. "It's like a big circus," student Paul Penke said.
On Monday, the Motley Crue drummer will even try out for the Nebraska marching band.
I've already gotten rid of the cable; the whole damn television is next.
The Threat is Real
This year's election comes down to one issue for me: who's going to kill the most Arab Islamofascists. Why? Chew on this for a minute:
Federal law enforcement authorities notified school districts in six states last month that a computer disk found in Iraq contained photos, floor plans and other information about their schools, two U.S. officials said Thursday. . . . The districts mentioned are in Georgia, Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, Oregon and California. The officials said last month that FBI agents in charge of those areas alerted local education and law enforcement officials.
Federal law enforcement authorities notified school districts in six states last month that a computer disk found in Iraq contained photos, floor plans and other information about their schools, two U.S. officials said Thursday. . . . The districts mentioned are in Georgia, Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, Oregon and California. The officials said last month that FBI agents in charge of those areas alerted local education and law enforcement officials.
Quote of the Day
"Our products are all about lifestyle. They're not buying bourbon, they're buying lifestyle."
- Manager Jon Stiles commenting on the Party Source's first Sunday of liquor sales.
- Manager Jon Stiles commenting on the Party Source's first Sunday of liquor sales.
Islam means "Peace"
Egypt blocks Israeli medical teams from blast sites
TEL AVIV – Israel has appealed to its nationals to leave Egypt immediately and authorities increased the alert level in the Jewish state amid intelligence that strikes were being planned following the bombing of two vacation sites packed with Israelis.
Officials said the alert has been compounded by the refusal of Egyptian authorities to cooperate in the search and rescue effort in Taba.
Officials said that for nearly nine hours, Egyptian authorities prevented Israeli medical and rescue teams from crossing the border in Sinai, Middle East Newsline reported. They said that even after permission was granted by the regime of President Hosni Mubarak, Egyptian police continued to block the entry of Israeli heavy equipment and crews to search for those trapped in the rubble of the Taba hotel.
"There are efforts to evacuate the Israeli injured," Brig. Gen. Ruth Yaron, the Israeli military's spokeswoman, said on Friday. "We will need Egypt's permission for a helicopter to get a full picture of the situation. Unfortunately, the Egyptians haven't granted this permission. We are having difficulties in getting a range of approvals."
Update: I failed to mention that I spent a day at the Taba Hilton during my visit to Israel in the Summer of 1992. It was a very nice place.
TEL AVIV – Israel has appealed to its nationals to leave Egypt immediately and authorities increased the alert level in the Jewish state amid intelligence that strikes were being planned following the bombing of two vacation sites packed with Israelis.
Officials said the alert has been compounded by the refusal of Egyptian authorities to cooperate in the search and rescue effort in Taba.
Officials said that for nearly nine hours, Egyptian authorities prevented Israeli medical and rescue teams from crossing the border in Sinai, Middle East Newsline reported. They said that even after permission was granted by the regime of President Hosni Mubarak, Egyptian police continued to block the entry of Israeli heavy equipment and crews to search for those trapped in the rubble of the Taba hotel.
"There are efforts to evacuate the Israeli injured," Brig. Gen. Ruth Yaron, the Israeli military's spokeswoman, said on Friday. "We will need Egypt's permission for a helicopter to get a full picture of the situation. Unfortunately, the Egyptians haven't granted this permission. We are having difficulties in getting a range of approvals."
Update: I failed to mention that I spent a day at the Taba Hilton during my visit to Israel in the Summer of 1992. It was a very nice place.
Corrupting the Incorruptible
There's a theological schism within the catholic (small "c") church today. You see it in the denominational battles over homosexuality, abortion, etc. The battle is between the ecstatics (i.e., those who view Scripture in the light of culture, feeling, thought, etc.) and the orthodox (those who veiw culture, feeling, thought, etc. in the light of Scripture). The former views truth as relative to one's time and circumstances, the other views Truth as absolute and never changing.
Here is a comparison outlining the theological divisions between the two camps which, I think, illustrates how the ecstatic vision attempts to corrupt the incorruptible. Bottom line:
The ecstatic approach is ideal for denominational leaders seeking to maintain institutional harmony in the face of profound theological and moral divisions. It allows them to affirm a transcendent unity while affirming the contradictory beliefs and actions of their constituents. Such leaders may or may not have studied Schleiermacher, but their theology articulates the deepest values of our pluralistic culture—diversity, tolerance, and unity. Once these values assume theological expression and legitimacy, they function perfectly in the North American religious context.
But for the orthodox, it isn't feeling that brings life. It is a God who spoke his living words to them in Jesus Christ. "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." (Mt. 24:35)
Here is a comparison outlining the theological divisions between the two camps which, I think, illustrates how the ecstatic vision attempts to corrupt the incorruptible. Bottom line:
The ecstatic approach is ideal for denominational leaders seeking to maintain institutional harmony in the face of profound theological and moral divisions. It allows them to affirm a transcendent unity while affirming the contradictory beliefs and actions of their constituents. Such leaders may or may not have studied Schleiermacher, but their theology articulates the deepest values of our pluralistic culture—diversity, tolerance, and unity. Once these values assume theological expression and legitimacy, they function perfectly in the North American religious context.
But for the orthodox, it isn't feeling that brings life. It is a God who spoke his living words to them in Jesus Christ. "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." (Mt. 24:35)
Rocking the Vote
I've long held that celebrities have very little influence on the electorate, other than their ability to raise money and bring attention to a particular cause. This article supports my contention.
The problem with celebrities is that they confuse adoration for their WORK with adoration for THEMSELVES. In other words, Bruce Springsteen figures that if 20 million people buy his music, they must love HIM. While that may be the case for some lonely, middle-aged women, the majority of Springsteen fans like his MUSIC. That's an important distinction that people like Springsteen are unable to draw.
This kind of thinking on the part of artists leads to an inflated view of self, which in turn leads to pronouncements on any number of issues. Look, just because somebody likes Ashanti's music doesn't mean they're interested in her views on stem-cell research - or the presidential election.
The problem with celebrities is that they confuse adoration for their WORK with adoration for THEMSELVES. In other words, Bruce Springsteen figures that if 20 million people buy his music, they must love HIM. While that may be the case for some lonely, middle-aged women, the majority of Springsteen fans like his MUSIC. That's an important distinction that people like Springsteen are unable to draw.
This kind of thinking on the part of artists leads to an inflated view of self, which in turn leads to pronouncements on any number of issues. Look, just because somebody likes Ashanti's music doesn't mean they're interested in her views on stem-cell research - or the presidential election.
Peter Fields, Cub Scout
The boy had his second den meeting last night. The lesson focused on flags...in particular, the American flag.
I'm not terribly emotional, but to see those little guys in their uniforms, standing at attention, saluting as the flag was lowered - that was very cool. As I was watching, I couldn't help but think of the millions of little boys who had gone before them, and those who grew up to serve our country and the many who gave their lives.
After the flag lowering, they practiced folding the flag. It was interesting to see how vigilant they were not to let the flag touch the grown. They knew that was disrespectful, so they did everything in their power to keep it from happening. I must say, Peter was the best flag folder in the bunch. He said he learned to do it by watching the soldiers at President Reagan's funeral.
The P-Man is still committed to becoming a soldier when he grows up...even more so now that he's a Cub Scout. And as his father, I'm committed to encouraging him.
I'm not terribly emotional, but to see those little guys in their uniforms, standing at attention, saluting as the flag was lowered - that was very cool. As I was watching, I couldn't help but think of the millions of little boys who had gone before them, and those who grew up to serve our country and the many who gave their lives.
After the flag lowering, they practiced folding the flag. It was interesting to see how vigilant they were not to let the flag touch the grown. They knew that was disrespectful, so they did everything in their power to keep it from happening. I must say, Peter was the best flag folder in the bunch. He said he learned to do it by watching the soldiers at President Reagan's funeral.
The P-Man is still committed to becoming a soldier when he grows up...even more so now that he's a Cub Scout. And as his father, I'm committed to encouraging him.
Visit Detroit - Home of African Town
This is a great idea. Who needs George Wallace when you've got the Detroit City Council.
A majority of the Detroit City Council wants to implement an economic development plan it commissioned for $112,000 that preaches racial isolation and rails against immigration in its bid to gain economic success for poor blacks.
The crux of the plan is the creation of a business district -- dubbed African Town -- that would be funded in part with city money and made up of black-owned businesses catering to a black clientele.
The report also complains that immigrants from Mexico, Asia and the Middle East are stealing resources, jobs and other opportunities from blacks and calls on city leaders to stop the economic shift.
A majority of the Detroit City Council wants to implement an economic development plan it commissioned for $112,000 that preaches racial isolation and rails against immigration in its bid to gain economic success for poor blacks.
The crux of the plan is the creation of a business district -- dubbed African Town -- that would be funded in part with city money and made up of black-owned businesses catering to a black clientele.
The report also complains that immigrants from Mexico, Asia and the Middle East are stealing resources, jobs and other opportunities from blacks and calls on city leaders to stop the economic shift.
With Friends Like These, Who Need Enemies
In addition to finding no evidence of WMD stockpiles in Iraq, the Iraq Survey Group report also includes important information on the UN's Oil-for-Kickbacks program:
The top U.S. arms inspector has accused the former head of the $60 billion U.N. oil-for-food program of accepting bribes in the form of vouchers for Iraqi oil sales from Saddam Hussein's government.
The report by Charles Duelfer, head of the Iraq Survey Group, alleges the Iraqi government manipulated the U.N. program from 1996 to 2003 in order to acquire billions of dollars in illicit gains and to import illegal goods, including acquiring parts for missile systems.
The alleged schemes included an Iraqi system for allocating lucrative oil vouchers, which permitted recipients to purchase certain amounts of oil at a profit.
Benon Sevan, the former chief of the U.N. program, is among dozens of people who allegedly received the vouchers, according to the report, which said Saddam personally approved the list.
The secret voucher program was dominated by Russian, French and Chinese recipients, in that order, with Saddam spreading the wealth widely to prominent business men, politicians, foreign government ministries and political parties, the report said.
The report names former French Interior Minister Charles Pasqua, Indonesian president Megawati Sukarnoputri, and the Russian radical political figure Vladimir Zhirinovsky as voucher recipients, for example, and other foreign governments range from Yemen to Namibia.
The involvement of Sevan isn't a surprise. Check out this excerpt from a Jeffrey Goldberg article in The New Yorker, May 2002:
Last week, in New York, I met with Benon Sevan, the United Nations undersecretary-general who oversees the oil-for-food program. He quickly let me know that he was unmoved by the demands of the Kurds. "If they had a theme song, it would be 'Give me, Give Me, Give Me,' " Sevan said. "I'm getting fed up with their complaints. You can tell them that."
He said that under the oil-for-food program the "three northern governorates"-U.N. officials avoid the word "Kurdistan"-have been allocated billions of dollars in goods and services. "I don't know if they've ever had it so good," he said.
I mentioned the Kurds' complaint that they have been denied access to advanced medical equipment, and he said, "Nobody prevents them from asking. They should go ask the World Health Organization"-which reports to Sevan on matters related to Iraq. When I told Sevan that the Kurds have repeatedly asked the W.H.O., he said, "I'm not going to pass judgment on the W.H.O."
As the interview ended, I asked Sevan about the morality of allowing the Iraqi regime to control the flow of food and medicine into Kurdistan. "Nobody's innocent," he said. "Please don't talk about morals with me."
Obviously.
The top U.S. arms inspector has accused the former head of the $60 billion U.N. oil-for-food program of accepting bribes in the form of vouchers for Iraqi oil sales from Saddam Hussein's government.
The report by Charles Duelfer, head of the Iraq Survey Group, alleges the Iraqi government manipulated the U.N. program from 1996 to 2003 in order to acquire billions of dollars in illicit gains and to import illegal goods, including acquiring parts for missile systems.
The alleged schemes included an Iraqi system for allocating lucrative oil vouchers, which permitted recipients to purchase certain amounts of oil at a profit.
Benon Sevan, the former chief of the U.N. program, is among dozens of people who allegedly received the vouchers, according to the report, which said Saddam personally approved the list.
The secret voucher program was dominated by Russian, French and Chinese recipients, in that order, with Saddam spreading the wealth widely to prominent business men, politicians, foreign government ministries and political parties, the report said.
The report names former French Interior Minister Charles Pasqua, Indonesian president Megawati Sukarnoputri, and the Russian radical political figure Vladimir Zhirinovsky as voucher recipients, for example, and other foreign governments range from Yemen to Namibia.
The involvement of Sevan isn't a surprise. Check out this excerpt from a Jeffrey Goldberg article in The New Yorker, May 2002:
Last week, in New York, I met with Benon Sevan, the United Nations undersecretary-general who oversees the oil-for-food program. He quickly let me know that he was unmoved by the demands of the Kurds. "If they had a theme song, it would be 'Give me, Give Me, Give Me,' " Sevan said. "I'm getting fed up with their complaints. You can tell them that."
He said that under the oil-for-food program the "three northern governorates"-U.N. officials avoid the word "Kurdistan"-have been allocated billions of dollars in goods and services. "I don't know if they've ever had it so good," he said.
I mentioned the Kurds' complaint that they have been denied access to advanced medical equipment, and he said, "Nobody prevents them from asking. They should go ask the World Health Organization"-which reports to Sevan on matters related to Iraq. When I told Sevan that the Kurds have repeatedly asked the W.H.O., he said, "I'm not going to pass judgment on the W.H.O."
As the interview ended, I asked Sevan about the morality of allowing the Iraqi regime to control the flow of food and medicine into Kurdistan. "Nobody's innocent," he said. "Please don't talk about morals with me."
Obviously.
It's Go Time
Apparently, the Bush Administration has finally decided to hunt down and destroy the barbarians in Iraq - wherever they may be. It appears to have worked in Najaf and Samarra.
Here's hoping he pulls the trigger elsewhere.
Here's hoping he pulls the trigger elsewhere.
This Makes Me Yearn for the Days of Rigoberta Menchu
Elfriede Jelinek, an Austrian novelist, was recently awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.
In its citation, the 18-member Swedish Academy said Ms. Jelinek, 57, had been chosen "for her musical flow of voices and counter-voices in novels and plays that with extraordinary linguistic zeal reveal the absurdity of society's clichés and their subjugating power."
The "absurdity of society's cliches and their subjugating power"? I think I used that line in a humanities paper my freshman year of college.
Let's continue:
"The Piano Teacher," one of her darker novels, was turned into a French-language movie by the Austrian director Michael Haneke ("Funny Games"), with Isabelle Huppert in the role of Erika Kohut, a music teacher who seeks escape from her oppressive mother through sexual kinkiness. The movie, no less than the novel, shocked some people with its sexual violence.
Reviewing the novel in The New York Times in 1988, Michiko Kakutani wrote of Ms. Jelinek's "uncompromising vision," but noted: "Too often, however, her descriptions of Erika's violent fantasies seem willfully perverse — as though they'd been concocted for the sole purpose of shocking the reader — and her relentless focus on the dark underside of Viennese life can seem equally artificial and contrived. In the end, it makes for a novel that depresses rather than genuinely disturbs."
Sounds like a winner to me. And then, of course, this priceless nugget:
In 1974, she joined the Austrian Communist Party and remained a member until 1991.
1991? 1991? So it didn't dawn on Ms. Jelinek until 1991 that maybe, just maybe, this communism thing wasn't such a good idea. Amazing.
In its citation, the 18-member Swedish Academy said Ms. Jelinek, 57, had been chosen "for her musical flow of voices and counter-voices in novels and plays that with extraordinary linguistic zeal reveal the absurdity of society's clichés and their subjugating power."
The "absurdity of society's cliches and their subjugating power"? I think I used that line in a humanities paper my freshman year of college.
Let's continue:
"The Piano Teacher," one of her darker novels, was turned into a French-language movie by the Austrian director Michael Haneke ("Funny Games"), with Isabelle Huppert in the role of Erika Kohut, a music teacher who seeks escape from her oppressive mother through sexual kinkiness. The movie, no less than the novel, shocked some people with its sexual violence.
Reviewing the novel in The New York Times in 1988, Michiko Kakutani wrote of Ms. Jelinek's "uncompromising vision," but noted: "Too often, however, her descriptions of Erika's violent fantasies seem willfully perverse — as though they'd been concocted for the sole purpose of shocking the reader — and her relentless focus on the dark underside of Viennese life can seem equally artificial and contrived. In the end, it makes for a novel that depresses rather than genuinely disturbs."
Sounds like a winner to me. And then, of course, this priceless nugget:
In 1974, she joined the Austrian Communist Party and remained a member until 1991.
1991? 1991? So it didn't dawn on Ms. Jelinek until 1991 that maybe, just maybe, this communism thing wasn't such a good idea. Amazing.
Thursday, October 07, 2004
On Second Thought...
A prominent athiest recants. Although, to claim that there is "design" without a "designer" is foolish.
5 Years, $500 Million
That's a lot of jack for a radio DJ, but Sirius satellite radio thinks Howard Stern's worth it. So beginning in 2006, the man will pull down a cool $100 million a year.
But two things puzzle me about this deal:
1. Does Sirius really think that the slack-jawed yokels who listen to Stern will plop down $12.95 a month to listen to him? Sounds like a long shot to me.
2. Does Stern fully understand what this move will mean? Stern is clearly a talented guy, but he generates much of his popularity by "pushing the envelope" (for example, having naked women do all sorts of sordid acts on the air). Listeners (particularly young men) are "attracted" to this kind of radio because they're naughty, rebellious, and against societal limits (and, naturally, exciting). Does Stern lose this with his move to unregulated satellite radio where no such limits exist? It will be interesting to see what happens.
But two things puzzle me about this deal:
1. Does Sirius really think that the slack-jawed yokels who listen to Stern will plop down $12.95 a month to listen to him? Sounds like a long shot to me.
2. Does Stern fully understand what this move will mean? Stern is clearly a talented guy, but he generates much of his popularity by "pushing the envelope" (for example, having naked women do all sorts of sordid acts on the air). Listeners (particularly young men) are "attracted" to this kind of radio because they're naughty, rebellious, and against societal limits (and, naturally, exciting). Does Stern lose this with his move to unregulated satellite radio where no such limits exist? It will be interesting to see what happens.
More Cincinnati City Council Bafoonery
Tall Stacks owes the city $243,000 and has decided that they can't pay it. What's the city's response? Oh, that's ok.
So you can put on an event in the City of Cincinnati, run up a tab of several hundred thousand dollars, and then refuse to pay the bill? Sounds like a good deal to me. I thought this sort of thing only went on in Newport.
So you can put on an event in the City of Cincinnati, run up a tab of several hundred thousand dollars, and then refuse to pay the bill? Sounds like a good deal to me. I thought this sort of thing only went on in Newport.
Quote of the Day
South Park's Matt Stone, whose new movie "Team America" has gone straight to everyone's want-to-see list, has this to say of the limitations of his own film (and that of others):
"If anyone walks out of this movie, or a Michael Moore movie, thinking about voting a certain way, then they're [bleeping] stupid and shouldn't be voting," says Stone. "If this movie makes you think that much, then you're too weak-kneed to vote."
Sorry Matt, but there are a lot of - as you say - "[bleeping] stupid" people out there who think fat, unkempt filmmakers are political sages. And even worse, these people are voting.
"If anyone walks out of this movie, or a Michael Moore movie, thinking about voting a certain way, then they're [bleeping] stupid and shouldn't be voting," says Stone. "If this movie makes you think that much, then you're too weak-kneed to vote."
Sorry Matt, but there are a lot of - as you say - "[bleeping] stupid" people out there who think fat, unkempt filmmakers are political sages. And even worse, these people are voting.
Liberation Does Not Bestow Happiness...
I'm re-reading what I consider the finest book on race relations in this country: Shelby Steele's "A Dream Deferred: The Second Betrayal of Black Freedom in America". Steele's premise is that segregation was our first betrayal of black freedom, and that racial preferences is our second.
I just came across this paragraph from his book that is comparing the situation of Jews after their liberation from the Nazis and the situation of black Americans after their liberation from segregation. It's a powerful analogy, and one I think applies to those in Iraq climbing out from under the rules of Saddam.
In thinking about all this, I am reminded of a passage by the Italian writer and Holocaust survivor, the late Primo Levi, in which he describes what it was like to be liberated from the concentration camps. He makes the point that there was not much happiness in liberation, that "almost always it coincided with a phase of anguish." He says of those liberated, "Just as they were again becoming men, that is, responsible, the sorrows of men returned." For our purpose here, the important idea is not the reference to sorrow but the equation of humanity with the word "responsible." Liberation did not bestow happiness...it bestows agency.
Freedom is a very heavy burden that is difficult to bare. Ultimately, it can provide a framework in which to achieve happiness, but it by no means provides it of itself.
I just came across this paragraph from his book that is comparing the situation of Jews after their liberation from the Nazis and the situation of black Americans after their liberation from segregation. It's a powerful analogy, and one I think applies to those in Iraq climbing out from under the rules of Saddam.
In thinking about all this, I am reminded of a passage by the Italian writer and Holocaust survivor, the late Primo Levi, in which he describes what it was like to be liberated from the concentration camps. He makes the point that there was not much happiness in liberation, that "almost always it coincided with a phase of anguish." He says of those liberated, "Just as they were again becoming men, that is, responsible, the sorrows of men returned." For our purpose here, the important idea is not the reference to sorrow but the equation of humanity with the word "responsible." Liberation did not bestow happiness...it bestows agency.
Freedom is a very heavy burden that is difficult to bare. Ultimately, it can provide a framework in which to achieve happiness, but it by no means provides it of itself.
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
This is a fascinating tidbit from John Kerry's interview with Dr. Phil:
When one of his daughters asked him where babies come from, John Kerry drew her a diagram. "She got so terrified, she ran out in tears," he told Dr. Phil, in an interview that aired yesterday. Imagine if dad had drawn a diagram of partial-birth abortion, a procedure he would consistently refuse to vote to ban.
When one of his daughters asked him where babies come from, John Kerry drew her a diagram. "She got so terrified, she ran out in tears," he told Dr. Phil, in an interview that aired yesterday. Imagine if dad had drawn a diagram of partial-birth abortion, a procedure he would consistently refuse to vote to ban.
No Blood for Oil...or No Oil for Blood
Turns out France's opposition to the war in Iraq was all about O-I-L.
Pops Update #2
Well, Pops has been accepted into University Hospital's transplant program. With a whole bunch of prodding from Dr. Salenger (he just loves Pops and will do anything for him), they agreed to take him after initially saying "HELL NO!"
We took him over there last night so he can begin a series of tests to determine if he's in good shape for a transplant. If everything looks good, they'll place him on the transplant list. As I understand it, there's an A List and a B List. The A List is just how it sounds - these are the very best candidates waiting for a liver. The B List are the not-so-great candidates (older, less healthy, etc.). However, if everything goes well, I believe Pops will be placed at the top of the B List.
Then it's a matter of waiting for a perfect match. So even though you're not at the top of the list, you can still get a liver if those ahead of you don't match the available livers. I'm not totally clear on how it works, but Mickey Mantle got one in a relatively short period of time (and he was a lush), so we'll wait and see.
That's the good news. The bad news is that Pop's condition is deteriorating rapidly. In fact, the doctors only give him a month or so to live. About 3 months ago he had a year. Once they realized the stint (kind of like a tube) that was placed in his liver wasn't working, they reduced that to 3 or 4 months. The last time they drained his stomach of fluid, I think the tests showed that his liver was in worse shape than they thought...which means we're now at 1 month.
Everyone is in good spirits and doing well. We all know - as Pops always says - "to live is Christ and to die is gain." So whether he gets a new liver or dies, Pops wins. Continue to pray that Pops will finish this race strong.
We took him over there last night so he can begin a series of tests to determine if he's in good shape for a transplant. If everything looks good, they'll place him on the transplant list. As I understand it, there's an A List and a B List. The A List is just how it sounds - these are the very best candidates waiting for a liver. The B List are the not-so-great candidates (older, less healthy, etc.). However, if everything goes well, I believe Pops will be placed at the top of the B List.
Then it's a matter of waiting for a perfect match. So even though you're not at the top of the list, you can still get a liver if those ahead of you don't match the available livers. I'm not totally clear on how it works, but Mickey Mantle got one in a relatively short period of time (and he was a lush), so we'll wait and see.
That's the good news. The bad news is that Pop's condition is deteriorating rapidly. In fact, the doctors only give him a month or so to live. About 3 months ago he had a year. Once they realized the stint (kind of like a tube) that was placed in his liver wasn't working, they reduced that to 3 or 4 months. The last time they drained his stomach of fluid, I think the tests showed that his liver was in worse shape than they thought...which means we're now at 1 month.
Everyone is in good spirits and doing well. We all know - as Pops always says - "to live is Christ and to die is gain." So whether he gets a new liver or dies, Pops wins. Continue to pray that Pops will finish this race strong.
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
Some Things Never Change
I came across this excerpt from an essay by Arthur Koestler, best known as the author of Darkness at Noon. It appeared in the inaugural issue of Encounter in 1958:
Eternal Adolescents
The young radical intellectual of Bloomsbury, St. Germain de Pres, or Greenwich village is a relatively harmless type. Often his radicalism is derived from adolescent revolt against the parents or some other stereotyped conflict which makes him temporarily despair of the world. But some of the young radicals never grow up; they remain the eternal adolescents of the Left.
One variety of this type is frequently found both in the United States and in France, though rarely in England. Young X. stars as an enthusiastic Communist, is soon disillusioned, found a Trotskyite opposition group o ten people, discovers that six of the ten form a secret "opposition bloc" within the group, is disillusioned, founds a little "mag" with a hundred per cent true anti-capitalist, anti-Stalinist, anti-pacifist programme, goes bankrupt, starts a new little mag, and so on. All his struggles, polemics, victories, and defeats are storms in a tea cup, confined to the same small circle of radical intellectuals -- a kind of family which thrives on quarrels and mutual denunciations, and yet coheres by virtue of some unique dialectical glue. A classic example is the group of Marxist-Existentialists around Sartre's Les Temps Modernes, with their perennial quarrels and schisms. The sectarian may be said to suffer from the incestuous type of political libido.
A different type is Y., the busybody, whose name is on every "progressive" committee, whose voice is raised in protest against every injustice, who has embraced every good cause under the sun, and has never achieved anything on earth. Y. is the political equivalent of the nymphomaniac; he suffers from an excess of political libido. This kind of neurosis, too, flourishes chiefly in the climate of the Left, -- for, generally speaking the Left is politically over-sexed.
Finally, there is Z., the political masochist. With him, the parable of the mote and the beam has been reversed. The slightest injustice in his own country wrings from him cries of anguish and despair, but he finds excuses for the most heinous crimes committed in the opposite camp. When a coloured tennis player is refused a room in a London luxury hotel, Z. quivers with spontaneous indignation; when millions spit out their lungs in Soviet Arctic mines and lumber-camps, Z.'s sensitive conscience is silent. Z. is an inverted patriot, whose self-hatred and craving for self-punishment has turned into hatred for his country or social class and yearning for the whip that will scourge.
It's interesting to see how the Left's hatred of America - and freedom - manifested itself as communism in Koestler's day, and as Islamofacism/anti-Semitism in mine.
Eternal Adolescents
The young radical intellectual of Bloomsbury, St. Germain de Pres, or Greenwich village is a relatively harmless type. Often his radicalism is derived from adolescent revolt against the parents or some other stereotyped conflict which makes him temporarily despair of the world. But some of the young radicals never grow up; they remain the eternal adolescents of the Left.
One variety of this type is frequently found both in the United States and in France, though rarely in England. Young X. stars as an enthusiastic Communist, is soon disillusioned, found a Trotskyite opposition group o ten people, discovers that six of the ten form a secret "opposition bloc" within the group, is disillusioned, founds a little "mag" with a hundred per cent true anti-capitalist, anti-Stalinist, anti-pacifist programme, goes bankrupt, starts a new little mag, and so on. All his struggles, polemics, victories, and defeats are storms in a tea cup, confined to the same small circle of radical intellectuals -- a kind of family which thrives on quarrels and mutual denunciations, and yet coheres by virtue of some unique dialectical glue. A classic example is the group of Marxist-Existentialists around Sartre's Les Temps Modernes, with their perennial quarrels and schisms. The sectarian may be said to suffer from the incestuous type of political libido.
A different type is Y., the busybody, whose name is on every "progressive" committee, whose voice is raised in protest against every injustice, who has embraced every good cause under the sun, and has never achieved anything on earth. Y. is the political equivalent of the nymphomaniac; he suffers from an excess of political libido. This kind of neurosis, too, flourishes chiefly in the climate of the Left, -- for, generally speaking the Left is politically over-sexed.
Finally, there is Z., the political masochist. With him, the parable of the mote and the beam has been reversed. The slightest injustice in his own country wrings from him cries of anguish and despair, but he finds excuses for the most heinous crimes committed in the opposite camp. When a coloured tennis player is refused a room in a London luxury hotel, Z. quivers with spontaneous indignation; when millions spit out their lungs in Soviet Arctic mines and lumber-camps, Z.'s sensitive conscience is silent. Z. is an inverted patriot, whose self-hatred and craving for self-punishment has turned into hatred for his country or social class and yearning for the whip that will scourge.
It's interesting to see how the Left's hatred of America - and freedom - manifested itself as communism in Koestler's day, and as Islamofacism/anti-Semitism in mine.
Crushing of Dissent on Campus
You've gotta love open-minded, tolerant professors like this one.
This reminds me of one of my favorite poems by Phyllis McGinley, entitled "The Angry Man."
The other day I chanced to meet
An angry man upon the street —
A man of wrath, a man of war,
A man who truculently bore
Over his shoulder, like a lance,
A banner labeled “Tolerance.”
And when I asked him why he strode
Thus scowling down the human road,
Scowling, he answered, “I am he
Who champions total liberty —
Intolerance being, ma’am, a state
No tolerant man can tolerate.
“When I meet rogues,” he cried, “who choose
To cherish oppositional views,
Lady, like this, and in this manner,
I lay about me with my banner
Till they cry mercy, ma’am.” His blows
Rained proudly on prospective foes.
Fearful, I turned and left him there
Still muttering, as he thrashed the air,
“Let the Intolerant beware!”
This reminds me of one of my favorite poems by Phyllis McGinley, entitled "The Angry Man."
The other day I chanced to meet
An angry man upon the street —
A man of wrath, a man of war,
A man who truculently bore
Over his shoulder, like a lance,
A banner labeled “Tolerance.”
And when I asked him why he strode
Thus scowling down the human road,
Scowling, he answered, “I am he
Who champions total liberty —
Intolerance being, ma’am, a state
No tolerant man can tolerate.
“When I meet rogues,” he cried, “who choose
To cherish oppositional views,
Lady, like this, and in this manner,
I lay about me with my banner
Till they cry mercy, ma’am.” His blows
Rained proudly on prospective foes.
Fearful, I turned and left him there
Still muttering, as he thrashed the air,
“Let the Intolerant beware!”
More Jim Crow Nonsense
Not only are most affirmative-action programs - by definition - racist, but they never quite work the way they were intended.
FOR THE PAST four years, a city affirmative-action program designed to aid female and minority entrepreneurs has helped a firm called Philly-Wide Interiors win hundreds of thousand of dollars in public contracts.
Philly-Wide was certified by the Minority Business Enterprise Council as a woman-owned firm, enabling it to win the portion of city contracts set aside for women and minority-owned firms. But public records, including the company's state business registration, point to a politically connected white man as the actual force behind Philly-Wide.
In addition, a Chicago Tribune article found that "a significant factor” in the deaths at a recent fire there could be traced to bad decisions by firefighters, whose promotions “have been driven by raw patronage, ethnic politics, City Hall clout or affirmative action.” The Chicago commission makes a “provocative proposal” that top firefighter posts “be filled on the basis of testing and merit.” Testing and merit? Now there's an idea.
FOR THE PAST four years, a city affirmative-action program designed to aid female and minority entrepreneurs has helped a firm called Philly-Wide Interiors win hundreds of thousand of dollars in public contracts.
Philly-Wide was certified by the Minority Business Enterprise Council as a woman-owned firm, enabling it to win the portion of city contracts set aside for women and minority-owned firms. But public records, including the company's state business registration, point to a politically connected white man as the actual force behind Philly-Wide.
In addition, a Chicago Tribune article found that "a significant factor” in the deaths at a recent fire there could be traced to bad decisions by firefighters, whose promotions “have been driven by raw patronage, ethnic politics, City Hall clout or affirmative action.” The Chicago commission makes a “provocative proposal” that top firefighter posts “be filled on the basis of testing and merit.” Testing and merit? Now there's an idea.
Hey Mullahs...Duck!
If I were the mullahs in Iran, I would be very, very nervous.
In an interview in an Israeli newspaper this week, Giora Eiland, Israel's national security adviser, made a startling statement: November will be the "point of no return" for taking out the Iranian nuclear program.
"Point of no return" is a phrase with a history. In 1981, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin demanded to know when Saddam Hussein's nuclear plant at Osirak, Iraq, would reach it. Military intelligence then, as always, was muddy. Some of Begin's advisers counseled patience. Others warned that delay could be fatal. The most influential advocate of the go-for-it approach was Begin's minister of defense - Ariel Sharon.
...The Bush administration already has supplied the tool kit, including the F-16I, the first Israeli war plane capable of striking Iran without in-flight refueling. The U.S. also has supplied ordnance capable of piercing massive fortifications.
"It is rather significant that the United States is now selling Israel over $300 million worth of bunker-busting bombs. They don't need those for the Palestinians," Richard Holbrooke told Bill O'Reilly on Sept. 23.
In an interview in an Israeli newspaper this week, Giora Eiland, Israel's national security adviser, made a startling statement: November will be the "point of no return" for taking out the Iranian nuclear program.
"Point of no return" is a phrase with a history. In 1981, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin demanded to know when Saddam Hussein's nuclear plant at Osirak, Iraq, would reach it. Military intelligence then, as always, was muddy. Some of Begin's advisers counseled patience. Others warned that delay could be fatal. The most influential advocate of the go-for-it approach was Begin's minister of defense - Ariel Sharon.
...The Bush administration already has supplied the tool kit, including the F-16I, the first Israeli war plane capable of striking Iran without in-flight refueling. The U.S. also has supplied ordnance capable of piercing massive fortifications.
"It is rather significant that the United States is now selling Israel over $300 million worth of bunker-busting bombs. They don't need those for the Palestinians," Richard Holbrooke told Bill O'Reilly on Sept. 23.
Death of a Legend
As most of you know, my brother Greg wrote the original story for the movie "Back to School" (Dangerfield actually received a writing credit along with Greg, but the old man never wrote squat).
Anyway, it's one of the all-time classic comedies (granted, I'm a bit biased) and showcased Dangerfield's comedic genius. Well, after a long illness, the living legend is dead.
I think it's time we show him a little respect.
Anyway, it's one of the all-time classic comedies (granted, I'm a bit biased) and showcased Dangerfield's comedic genius. Well, after a long illness, the living legend is dead.
I think it's time we show him a little respect.
I Wonder What Marvin Thinks About This
First Hugs, now Justin Smith:
Smith, 25, was stopped because his truck was weaving. He told police he had five beers, the arrest report said, and he swayed while trying to walk during a field sobriety test. He had a blood alcohol level of 0.152, the report said, nearly double the state's legal limit.
Smith told authorities at the county jail that he was unemployed, Maj. Ed Copher said. Smith, who faces a maximum of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine for the misdemeanor, was released on bond.
Typically, first-time offenders are put on probation and ordered to attend an alcohol education course. He was scheduled for arraignment next Tuesday in Kettering Municipal Court.
According to the police report, the deputy who pulled over Smith said that he smelled alcohol and that Smith had bloodshot eyes and a flushed face. Smith missed when he tried to touch his nose with his index finger during the sobriety test, the report said.
Justin must have thought his nose was a quarterback.
Smith, 25, was stopped because his truck was weaving. He told police he had five beers, the arrest report said, and he swayed while trying to walk during a field sobriety test. He had a blood alcohol level of 0.152, the report said, nearly double the state's legal limit.
Smith told authorities at the county jail that he was unemployed, Maj. Ed Copher said. Smith, who faces a maximum of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine for the misdemeanor, was released on bond.
Typically, first-time offenders are put on probation and ordered to attend an alcohol education course. He was scheduled for arraignment next Tuesday in Kettering Municipal Court.
According to the police report, the deputy who pulled over Smith said that he smelled alcohol and that Smith had bloodshot eyes and a flushed face. Smith missed when he tried to touch his nose with his index finger during the sobriety test, the report said.
Justin must have thought his nose was a quarterback.
"The Jackass"
Reason #435 why I like Bush:
October 5, 2004 -- President Bush privately refers to French President Jacques Chirac, who bitterly opposed Bush's Iraq policy, as "The Jackass," according to a new book.
And Bush knows how little Chirac thinks of him because U.S. intelligence eavesdrops on phone calls by Chirac at the Elysée Palace in Paris, the book says, according to The Times of London.
October 5, 2004 -- President Bush privately refers to French President Jacques Chirac, who bitterly opposed Bush's Iraq policy, as "The Jackass," according to a new book.
And Bush knows how little Chirac thinks of him because U.S. intelligence eavesdrops on phone calls by Chirac at the Elysée Palace in Paris, the book says, according to The Times of London.
It's Only an Election People
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
How Should a Christian Vote?
If you're a Christian and plan on voting this November, this is a must read. Here's a tidbit:
Offering aid to the Christian who wants to vote conscientiously in the upcoming election, the editors chose six areas of “urgent concern”: religious freedom around the world, Middle East peace, expanding access to health care, fighting AIDS wisely, pro-life Supreme Court appointees, and defending marriage—in that order.
...But the Christian tradition, rooted in Holy Scripture, shows clearly that two of the six are in a class of their own: They are timeless and foundational matters. The others are not. The Christian must try to understand the others in the light of timeless and foundational principles, but the way he thinks these matters are best addressed in this world is a matter of prudence, on which Christians can disagree, and indeed disagree radically. But the sanctity of human life and the sanctity of marriage are primary and fundamental biblical “values.” Genesis teaches this and Christ confirms it.
Offering aid to the Christian who wants to vote conscientiously in the upcoming election, the editors chose six areas of “urgent concern”: religious freedom around the world, Middle East peace, expanding access to health care, fighting AIDS wisely, pro-life Supreme Court appointees, and defending marriage—in that order.
...But the Christian tradition, rooted in Holy Scripture, shows clearly that two of the six are in a class of their own: They are timeless and foundational matters. The others are not. The Christian must try to understand the others in the light of timeless and foundational principles, but the way he thinks these matters are best addressed in this world is a matter of prudence, on which Christians can disagree, and indeed disagree radically. But the sanctity of human life and the sanctity of marriage are primary and fundamental biblical “values.” Genesis teaches this and Christ confirms it.
More Wisdom from the Rocket Man
Is it just me, or is it time for this crotchety old queen to fade into the sunset.
LONDON, England (Reuters) -- British pop veteran Elton John took a foul-mouthed swipe at Madonna on Monday, saying she cheated her fans by miming on stage.
While collecting a song-writing award from Q music magazine in London, John suddenly launched into a tirade against Madonna when he discovered she had been nominated for Best Live Act.
"Anyone who lip-synchs in public on stage when you pay 75 pounds ($134) to see them should be shot," John said in reference to ticket prices for Madonna's Reinvention tour.
"Madonna, best f---ing live act? F--- off," said the singer renowned as much for his outrageous outbursts as he is for his outlandish outfits.
"Since when has lip-synching been live?" he asked.
He ended his outburst by saying: "That's me off her f---ing Christmas card list but do I give a toss? No."
LONDON, England (Reuters) -- British pop veteran Elton John took a foul-mouthed swipe at Madonna on Monday, saying she cheated her fans by miming on stage.
While collecting a song-writing award from Q music magazine in London, John suddenly launched into a tirade against Madonna when he discovered she had been nominated for Best Live Act.
"Anyone who lip-synchs in public on stage when you pay 75 pounds ($134) to see them should be shot," John said in reference to ticket prices for Madonna's Reinvention tour.
"Madonna, best f---ing live act? F--- off," said the singer renowned as much for his outrageous outbursts as he is for his outlandish outfits.
"Since when has lip-synching been live?" he asked.
He ended his outburst by saying: "That's me off her f---ing Christmas card list but do I give a toss? No."
Religion and Voting Trends
Here's an interesting article from George Barna examining voting trends among religious voters. His findings support the contention that the Republican party (at least on the national level) has become the home of the faithful, while the Democratic party (again, on the national level) has become the party of the secular.
Kerry Debate Bounce?
Kerry clearly won the first debate. Not on the merits, of course, but based on style and proving to the electorate that he's not the total boob Bush has made him out to be. Predictably, the media jumped on this story with both feet attempting to drag Kerry back into the race.
However, it appears the Kerry debate bounce may have already evaporated. Both ABC News and Pew have Bush with a 5 point lead, virtually unchanged from before the debate. I still believe that this election will come down to turn out. The idea that there are still a sizeable chunk of undecided voters out there is silly.
While Bush still has a slight lead in the polls, his electoral numbers are still strong. In fact, he's leading in the electoral count by a pretty large margin. These numbers fluctuate daily, but Bush has been hovering over the magic number of 270 for several weeks now.
However, it appears the Kerry debate bounce may have already evaporated. Both ABC News and Pew have Bush with a 5 point lead, virtually unchanged from before the debate. I still believe that this election will come down to turn out. The idea that there are still a sizeable chunk of undecided voters out there is silly.
While Bush still has a slight lead in the polls, his electoral numbers are still strong. In fact, he's leading in the electoral count by a pretty large margin. These numbers fluctuate daily, but Bush has been hovering over the magic number of 270 for several weeks now.
Oh Teresa!
I would never refuse to vote for a political candidate because of his or her spouse. That is, until now. She is entertaining, though.
Teresa Heinz Kerry blasted President Bush's conduct of the war on terror and touted her husband's plans for health care and education in a speech last night to Westmoreland County Democrats.
The war in Iraq has cost America the respect of her allies and the United States is losing the war in Afghanistan, Heinz Kerry said at a dinner at the Sheraton Four Points in Greensburg. "On 9/12 every single newspaper in the world said 'We are all Americans.' Today it is not the case," she said.
By sending American troops to Iraq instead of to Afghanistan, Bush permitted Osama bin Laden to escape, Heinz Kerry said.
"Osama bin Laden is Osama been lost," she said.
"The Taliban is back running Afghanistan," Heinz Kerry said.
Iraq under Saddam Hussein was not a hotbed on terrorism, but it is now, she said.
"No American boy or girl should lose their lives for oil," she said.
Americans need to think of security in broader terms than bombs and terror, Heinz Kerry said. "Seldom do we think of security in terms of one's job, one's health care benefits, education," she said.
"Every child in America will receive health care from day one if John is elected. Period," she said.
Teresa Heinz Kerry blasted President Bush's conduct of the war on terror and touted her husband's plans for health care and education in a speech last night to Westmoreland County Democrats.
The war in Iraq has cost America the respect of her allies and the United States is losing the war in Afghanistan, Heinz Kerry said at a dinner at the Sheraton Four Points in Greensburg. "On 9/12 every single newspaper in the world said 'We are all Americans.' Today it is not the case," she said.
By sending American troops to Iraq instead of to Afghanistan, Bush permitted Osama bin Laden to escape, Heinz Kerry said.
"Osama bin Laden is Osama been lost," she said.
"The Taliban is back running Afghanistan," Heinz Kerry said.
Iraq under Saddam Hussein was not a hotbed on terrorism, but it is now, she said.
"No American boy or girl should lose their lives for oil," she said.
Americans need to think of security in broader terms than bombs and terror, Heinz Kerry said. "Seldom do we think of security in terms of one's job, one's health care benefits, education," she said.
"Every child in America will receive health care from day one if John is elected. Period," she said.
How Israel Crushed the Intifada
One of the least reported stories of late is how Israel has - over the course of about 18 months - crushed the Intifada. Sharon's policies have focused on ruthlessly hunting down and killing terrorist leaders wherever they are, building the Great Wall of Israel to separate the terrorist breading grounds from Israel proper, and thumbing it's nose at anything the UN says.
The result:
"If we were to sum up where we have ended up after four years of the Intifada, [we would find that] there are three opinions: the first opinion is that after the killing of 1,000 Israelis in the Intifada, Israel would collapse, as would Sharon; the second opinion is that the armed Intifada would liberate the homeland; the third opinion is that the Intifada would bring the settlements to a halt. An examination [of the matter] shows that Sharon did not fall. On the contrary, he has become the most popular [leader] in the history of Israel, after having been subjected to condemnations in Israel. On the same note, all of the Palestinian lands are now occupied and vulnerable, and the settlements have nearly doubled. We damaged our relations with the Americans and with Israeli public opinion; the latest statement from the Quartet is an additional indication of what has become of us." - former Palestinian Authority prime minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen).
The Bush Administration could learn a great deal from Sharon's tactics.
The result:
"If we were to sum up where we have ended up after four years of the Intifada, [we would find that] there are three opinions: the first opinion is that after the killing of 1,000 Israelis in the Intifada, Israel would collapse, as would Sharon; the second opinion is that the armed Intifada would liberate the homeland; the third opinion is that the Intifada would bring the settlements to a halt. An examination [of the matter] shows that Sharon did not fall. On the contrary, he has become the most popular [leader] in the history of Israel, after having been subjected to condemnations in Israel. On the same note, all of the Palestinian lands are now occupied and vulnerable, and the settlements have nearly doubled. We damaged our relations with the Americans and with Israeli public opinion; the latest statement from the Quartet is an additional indication of what has become of us." - former Palestinian Authority prime minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen).
The Bush Administration could learn a great deal from Sharon's tactics.
Monday, October 04, 2004
Very Bad News for Taxpayers
The Fannie Mae scandal hasn't been getting much play outside of the financial papers, but it should because you and I will have to pay for it. This from the WSJ:
For years, mortgage giant Fannie Mae has produced smoothly growing earnings. And for years, observers have wondered how Fannie could manage its inherently risky portfolio without a whiff of volatility. Now, thanks to Fannie's regulator, we know the answer. The company was cooking the books. Big time.
We've looked closely at the 211-page report issued by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (Ofheo), and the details are more troubling than even the recent headlines. The magnitude of Fannie's machinations is stunning, and in two key areas in particular they deserve to be better understood. By improperly delaying the recognition of income, it created a cookie jar of reserves. And by improperly classifying certain derivatives, it was able to spread out losses over many years instead of recognizing them immediately. . . .
Fannie Mae isn't an ordinary company and this isn't a run-of-the-mill accounting scandal. The U.S. government had no financial stake in the failure of Enron or WorldCom. But because of Fannie's implicit subsidy from the federal government, taxpayers are on the hook if its capital cushion is insufficient to absorb big losses. Private profit, public risk.
Here's another cheery story...this one about United having to terminate their pension plan.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1004/p02s01-usec.html What's alarming is that this is going to happen to the other large airline carriers as well. And guess who will pay the bill?
Mr. Ash, like other aviation experts, believes that once United defaults other carriers like Delta and USAirways will also have to find a way to dramatically reduce their pension obligations.
USAirways, which already has defaulted on its pilots' pension plans during its first trip to bankruptcy court in 2002, has warned that it may default on others as well. Delta, which is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, may have no choice but to follow suit.
For the PBGC, which is already facing a long-term funding gap, that scenario could spell trouble. That's in part because as the number of companies switching from traditional pensions to 401(k) plans drops, so does the PBGC's premium income. Currently, the remaining companies pay the PBGC $19 per employee to insure their defined-benefit pension plans.
While the PBGC can charge more if a pension fund is underfunded, companies don't always pay up, as the Bethlehem Steel case illustrates. It didn't pay the increased costs even after it stopped paying into its plans. And the current premiums do not reflect the real costs of insuring the pensions. For example, over the years United has paid into the PBGC only $50 million dollars. If it defaults, it will saddle the government insurance agency with $6.4 billion dollars worth of claims.
For years, mortgage giant Fannie Mae has produced smoothly growing earnings. And for years, observers have wondered how Fannie could manage its inherently risky portfolio without a whiff of volatility. Now, thanks to Fannie's regulator, we know the answer. The company was cooking the books. Big time.
We've looked closely at the 211-page report issued by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (Ofheo), and the details are more troubling than even the recent headlines. The magnitude of Fannie's machinations is stunning, and in two key areas in particular they deserve to be better understood. By improperly delaying the recognition of income, it created a cookie jar of reserves. And by improperly classifying certain derivatives, it was able to spread out losses over many years instead of recognizing them immediately. . . .
Fannie Mae isn't an ordinary company and this isn't a run-of-the-mill accounting scandal. The U.S. government had no financial stake in the failure of Enron or WorldCom. But because of Fannie's implicit subsidy from the federal government, taxpayers are on the hook if its capital cushion is insufficient to absorb big losses. Private profit, public risk.
Here's another cheery story...this one about United having to terminate their pension plan.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1004/p02s01-usec.html What's alarming is that this is going to happen to the other large airline carriers as well. And guess who will pay the bill?
Mr. Ash, like other aviation experts, believes that once United defaults other carriers like Delta and USAirways will also have to find a way to dramatically reduce their pension obligations.
USAirways, which already has defaulted on its pilots' pension plans during its first trip to bankruptcy court in 2002, has warned that it may default on others as well. Delta, which is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, may have no choice but to follow suit.
For the PBGC, which is already facing a long-term funding gap, that scenario could spell trouble. That's in part because as the number of companies switching from traditional pensions to 401(k) plans drops, so does the PBGC's premium income. Currently, the remaining companies pay the PBGC $19 per employee to insure their defined-benefit pension plans.
While the PBGC can charge more if a pension fund is underfunded, companies don't always pay up, as the Bethlehem Steel case illustrates. It didn't pay the increased costs even after it stopped paying into its plans. And the current premiums do not reflect the real costs of insuring the pensions. For example, over the years United has paid into the PBGC only $50 million dollars. If it defaults, it will saddle the government insurance agency with $6.4 billion dollars worth of claims.
UK Football Fever....Catch It!
This is my first - and probably last - post concerning University of Kentucky football.
1. Rich Brooks should be fired.
2. Ron Hudson (offensive coordinator) should be fired.
3. Mike Archer (defensive coordinator) should be fired.
4. UK should move to Div. I-AA in football (along with Vanderbilt).
I never thought I would yearn for the days of Jerry Claiborne.
1. Rich Brooks should be fired.
2. Ron Hudson (offensive coordinator) should be fired.
3. Mike Archer (defensive coordinator) should be fired.
4. UK should move to Div. I-AA in football (along with Vanderbilt).
I never thought I would yearn for the days of Jerry Claiborne.
My Three Bad Bengal Predictions
Before the season, I made 3 predictions regarding the upcoming Bengal season...all 3 of which were wrong.
1. The Bengals defense will better than in 2003.
While the defensive backfield appears to be better, everything else is worse - much worse. This morning I heard a commentator say that the Bengals are on pace to give up over 3,000 yards rushing this year. Is that possible? Granted, injuries have been a problem, but that's the NFL.
2. Carson Palmer will be better than John Kitna.
I realize it's early in the season, but Palmer has been bad. He's shown glimpses of brilliance - and will be very good in the future - but he hasn't come out of the gate as quickly as I'd hoped.
3. The Bengals will go 8-8 (possibly 9-7).
I hate to say this, but we might be looking at 4-12 this year. The first half of the schedule is the easy part, and we're already sitting in the whole at 1-3. Last year, the Bengals turned it around after the bye week. Let's hope it happens again.
1. The Bengals defense will better than in 2003.
While the defensive backfield appears to be better, everything else is worse - much worse. This morning I heard a commentator say that the Bengals are on pace to give up over 3,000 yards rushing this year. Is that possible? Granted, injuries have been a problem, but that's the NFL.
2. Carson Palmer will be better than John Kitna.
I realize it's early in the season, but Palmer has been bad. He's shown glimpses of brilliance - and will be very good in the future - but he hasn't come out of the gate as quickly as I'd hoped.
3. The Bengals will go 8-8 (possibly 9-7).
I hate to say this, but we might be looking at 4-12 this year. The first half of the schedule is the easy part, and we're already sitting in the whole at 1-3. Last year, the Bengals turned it around after the bye week. Let's hope it happens again.
The Era of Small Government is Over
My support for Bush is largely based on the character of the man and less on his policies. While I'd give him a B+ on foreign policy (war in Iraq, destruction of Taliban, Libyan mea culpa, Syrian pullout from Lebanon, Israel/Palestinian conflict, etc.), I've found his domestic policies to be...well...awful. Here's another case in point:
Oct. 2 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. President George W. Bush said an election-year bill renewing $146 billion in tax cuts will benefit families and keep the economy on the path of recovery.
``Higher taxes are the wrong policy for this growing economy,'' the president said in his weekly radio address. ``Our families and our country are better off when government lets people keep more of what they earn.''
Now, I'm all for tax cuts. The government confiscates waaaay to much money, much more than it needs. However, to cut taxes without simultaneously cutting spending is immoral. Look, I realize the war on terror is expensive, but discretionary spending has increased some 30% to 40% under Bush. That's nuts. His new Medicare prescription drug benefit alone is going to end up costing us billions.
If you're going to cut taxes for everyone (which he should), then you've got to reduce spending (which he apparently won't). Shame on President Bush.
Oct. 2 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. President George W. Bush said an election-year bill renewing $146 billion in tax cuts will benefit families and keep the economy on the path of recovery.
``Higher taxes are the wrong policy for this growing economy,'' the president said in his weekly radio address. ``Our families and our country are better off when government lets people keep more of what they earn.''
Now, I'm all for tax cuts. The government confiscates waaaay to much money, much more than it needs. However, to cut taxes without simultaneously cutting spending is immoral. Look, I realize the war on terror is expensive, but discretionary spending has increased some 30% to 40% under Bush. That's nuts. His new Medicare prescription drug benefit alone is going to end up costing us billions.
If you're going to cut taxes for everyone (which he should), then you've got to reduce spending (which he apparently won't). Shame on President Bush.
Let the Felons Vote?
This from Coretta Scott King over the weekend:
The widow of Martin Luther King Jr. said the right to vote should be open to everyone in a democracy, including those who have been convicted of crimes.
Ending the disenfranchisement of convicted felons is part of the unfinished business of the civil rights movement, Coretta Scott King said at an NAACP event marking the 40th anniversary of the Portland chapter in Maine.
As much as I would like to keep felons from voting (let's face it, they're mostly black and assuredly Democratic), I think it's the right thing to do. If you've served your time, then you've served your time...period. I think voting is a right even felons are entitled to.
On the positive side, how many felons are really going to register and then show up at the polls. Not many.
The widow of Martin Luther King Jr. said the right to vote should be open to everyone in a democracy, including those who have been convicted of crimes.
Ending the disenfranchisement of convicted felons is part of the unfinished business of the civil rights movement, Coretta Scott King said at an NAACP event marking the 40th anniversary of the Portland chapter in Maine.
As much as I would like to keep felons from voting (let's face it, they're mostly black and assuredly Democratic), I think it's the right thing to do. If you've served your time, then you've served your time...period. I think voting is a right even felons are entitled to.
On the positive side, how many felons are really going to register and then show up at the polls. Not many.
More Good News from Afghanistan
Check out this article from the anti-American, anti-Bush, anti-Blair BBC: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/
While the author is clearly hoping for major unrest leading up to the elections, it appears that the people of Afghanistan may have finally rested control of their country from the Taliban. Much work needs to be done, but this is encouraging:
Under the Taliban, you used to be awakened just before dawn by the howling of wild dogs. Today it's the racket of bulldozers. Kabul is undergoing a building boom, and in a city mostly composed of single-storey, flat-roof buildings it really shows.
Three years after the Taliban were chased out, Kabul has returned to the real world. The streets are jammed with cars, the shops are full of goods. Last year Afghanistan's economy grew by 30 per cent. The weirdest thing about Kabul under the Taliban used to be its unnatural silence. Now it's as noisy as anywhere on earth.
We must continue to pray for these brave people and our soldiers who protect them.
While the author is clearly hoping for major unrest leading up to the elections, it appears that the people of Afghanistan may have finally rested control of their country from the Taliban. Much work needs to be done, but this is encouraging:
Under the Taliban, you used to be awakened just before dawn by the howling of wild dogs. Today it's the racket of bulldozers. Kabul is undergoing a building boom, and in a city mostly composed of single-storey, flat-roof buildings it really shows.
Three years after the Taliban were chased out, Kabul has returned to the real world. The streets are jammed with cars, the shops are full of goods. Last year Afghanistan's economy grew by 30 per cent. The weirdest thing about Kabul under the Taliban used to be its unnatural silence. Now it's as noisy as anywhere on earth.
We must continue to pray for these brave people and our soldiers who protect them.
Why are Teacher's Health Care Premiums Increasing?
Well, here's part of the problem...a problem that those dopes in the media have neglected to share with the public. Check out this tidbit from Fred Bassett, the Superintendent of the Beechwood Independent School District:
Teachers Pay Higher Rates to Support Retirees from Other Plans
I read with interest the article "Some Employees Immune to Health Care Spike" in the Sept. 19 issue of The Sunday Challenger.One very important fact that was not mentioned is that the employees at NKU and other state universities as well as the city employees in your story that have their own low cost health insurance plans are only insured by those plans while they are actively working. Once they retire, they are pushed out of those plans and into the state health insurance program that serves both active and retired teachers.
Thus while they are young, healthy, working, and cheap to insure, these university and city workers don't have to pay the high rates that teachers have to pay, but once they are older, more likely to be sick, retired, and expensive to insure, they are moved into the teachers' health insurance plan. That drives up the rates for all teachers, both working and retired. This is certainly not fair to the teachers that have to pay higher rates for their entire careers as well as during their retirements to support these retirees from other plans.
I know that the population group in the teacher's insurance plan has a very high claims experience (i.e., they use their health care benefits a whole lot which leads to high premium costs). I just assumed that this was due to poor health habits (this is Kentucky) and possibly a larger than normal retiree population. Little did I know that university and city workers were "dumped" into this plan at retirement.
With retiree health costs costs far outpacing active employee costs, these significant changes that Fletcher has proposed were inevitable. So who's bright idea was this? Patton? Jones? Wilkinson?
Teachers Pay Higher Rates to Support Retirees from Other Plans
I read with interest the article "Some Employees Immune to Health Care Spike" in the Sept. 19 issue of The Sunday Challenger.One very important fact that was not mentioned is that the employees at NKU and other state universities as well as the city employees in your story that have their own low cost health insurance plans are only insured by those plans while they are actively working. Once they retire, they are pushed out of those plans and into the state health insurance program that serves both active and retired teachers.
Thus while they are young, healthy, working, and cheap to insure, these university and city workers don't have to pay the high rates that teachers have to pay, but once they are older, more likely to be sick, retired, and expensive to insure, they are moved into the teachers' health insurance plan. That drives up the rates for all teachers, both working and retired. This is certainly not fair to the teachers that have to pay higher rates for their entire careers as well as during their retirements to support these retirees from other plans.
I know that the population group in the teacher's insurance plan has a very high claims experience (i.e., they use their health care benefits a whole lot which leads to high premium costs). I just assumed that this was due to poor health habits (this is Kentucky) and possibly a larger than normal retiree population. Little did I know that university and city workers were "dumped" into this plan at retirement.
With retiree health costs costs far outpacing active employee costs, these significant changes that Fletcher has proposed were inevitable. So who's bright idea was this? Patton? Jones? Wilkinson?
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