VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Pope John Paul II, in a gesture of friendship with the Orthodox Church, on Saturday handed over the bones of two early Christian saints that were brought to Rome from ancient Constantinople centuries ago.
The Vatican said the return of the saints' relics was part of the pope's efforts to promote Christian unity and dismissed any suggestion that John Paul was "asking pardon" for their removal by Crusaders from the seat of the Orthodox Church.
Saturday, November 27, 2004
Ukraine Update
The forces of freedom are still on the march:
Ukraine's parliament today passed a resolution calling for the annulment of the country's disputed elections and the dissolution of the country's Central Election Commission. The vote is nonbinding, but observers say it may usher in a new election. Spokesmen for the White House and State Department welcomed negotiations set up by both candidates to resolve the dispute.
Ukraine's parliament today passed a resolution calling for the annulment of the country's disputed elections and the dissolution of the country's Central Election Commission. The vote is nonbinding, but observers say it may usher in a new election. Spokesmen for the White House and State Department welcomed negotiations set up by both candidates to resolve the dispute.
UT 37, UK 31
Well, my boys put up a valiant fight. Clearly, the offense worked better WITHOUT Ron Hudson, so that's a plus. But the talent level is soooo bad.
But hey, there's always next year.
But hey, there's always next year.
Is the Chief on His Way Out?
WASHINGTON, Nov. 26 - Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, who missed the Supreme Court's November argument session while being treated for thyroid cancer, will be absent for the December session as well, the court announced on Friday.
I truly doubt Rehnquist will be back. He's old, tired, and - now - sick. Look for Bush to nominate Thomas to replace Rehnquist as Chief Justice. Then my money's on Ted Olsen to join the Court. The former Solicitor General is bright, articulate, familiar with those on Capital Hill, and has a rather limited paper trail (at least compared to most sitting judges).
I truly doubt Rehnquist will be back. He's old, tired, and - now - sick. Look for Bush to nominate Thomas to replace Rehnquist as Chief Justice. Then my money's on Ted Olsen to join the Court. The former Solicitor General is bright, articulate, familiar with those on Capital Hill, and has a rather limited paper trail (at least compared to most sitting judges).
Fools, Fools and More Fools
NEW YORK (AP) It's not my fault. I'm mentally ill. That's the argument a woman is using to sue American Express for two (M) million dollars after she ran up nearly one (M) million dollar in charges and couldn't pay the bill.
Prosecutors say the woman - 40-year-old Antoinette Millard - posed as a Saudi princess to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise. She is now suing America Express saying she was mentally incompetent when she opened her account and the company should have known it.
The woman is free on 100-thousand dollars bail and awaiting trial on attempted grand larceny charges. Besides the phony princess the woman is also accused of posing as a Victoria's Secret model, which she was not.
Millard's lawsuit says American Express gave her a prestigious Centurion ``Black'' card at a time when she was suffering from anorexia, depression, panic attacks, head tumors and by reason of such illnesses was mentally incompetent. The card is for people who charge more than 150-thousand dollars a year, and carries a 25-hundred dollar annual fee. Her lawsuit says American Express should have known that Millard was acting impulsively and irrationally at the time she accepted the card.
This is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, it reinforces what a litigious society we live in. Second, it reinforces how easily - and carelessly - credit companies hand out credit. I really don't feel sorry for creditors when they extend credit to fools and the fools don't pay. I guess those extending the credit are the real fools.
Prosecutors say the woman - 40-year-old Antoinette Millard - posed as a Saudi princess to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise. She is now suing America Express saying she was mentally incompetent when she opened her account and the company should have known it.
The woman is free on 100-thousand dollars bail and awaiting trial on attempted grand larceny charges. Besides the phony princess the woman is also accused of posing as a Victoria's Secret model, which she was not.
Millard's lawsuit says American Express gave her a prestigious Centurion ``Black'' card at a time when she was suffering from anorexia, depression, panic attacks, head tumors and by reason of such illnesses was mentally incompetent. The card is for people who charge more than 150-thousand dollars a year, and carries a 25-hundred dollar annual fee. Her lawsuit says American Express should have known that Millard was acting impulsively and irrationally at the time she accepted the card.
This is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, it reinforces what a litigious society we live in. Second, it reinforces how easily - and carelessly - credit companies hand out credit. I really don't feel sorry for creditors when they extend credit to fools and the fools don't pay. I guess those extending the credit are the real fools.
20/20
Did you see 20/20 last night? They focused the entire show on the Matthew Sheppard case (the gay man killed in Laramie, Wyoming several years back). At the time, it was a clear case of backward rednecks killing a gay guy just because he was gay. There were vigils, protests, remembrances, etc. The world would never be the same.
Problem is, the entire story looks to be a legend. The reason he was killed, the relationship between the killers and the victim, the backgrounds of all the parties involved, etc., were false. Even those involved with investigating the crime (and friends of both the victim and the killers) say the way the crime was portrayed was all wrong.
Why does this matter now? Anne Holthouse makes the case:
If a legend is used as leverage to change the law, we need to be willing to think about whether the legend is true, and if it is not, we need to be willing to rethink our analysis.
Remember Cindy Dixon? She was the mother of Russell Henderson, one of the two men convicted of murdering Matthew Shepard. Henderson, the L.A. Times article tells us, "was the driver that night. He never hit Shepard, but, on McKinney's order, he tied him to the fence."
"In January 1999, Henderson's mother, Cindy Dixon, was found dead. She had been raped and struck and left in the snow to die. No powerful advocates spoke for her. She was likely to come to a bad end, people said, what with the drinking and the men, and then her son….
"Nobody took the measure of hate. By the time the Dixon case was wrapped up, they weren't even talking murder. A man pleaded guilty to manslaughter, and the same judge who sent Dixon's son to prison forever sentenced her killer to four to nine years. He got out last year."
Justice demands that we think clearly about criminal responsibility and not let our minds be clouded by evocative stories that mesh with our assumptions about the world and our social policy aspirations. I believe the cause of gay rights is a very good one, and I also think that if the cause is good, truth should serve it. If you think your cause is so important that you must put it ahead of the truth, you are deeply confused.
Problem is, the entire story looks to be a legend. The reason he was killed, the relationship between the killers and the victim, the backgrounds of all the parties involved, etc., were false. Even those involved with investigating the crime (and friends of both the victim and the killers) say the way the crime was portrayed was all wrong.
Why does this matter now? Anne Holthouse makes the case:
If a legend is used as leverage to change the law, we need to be willing to think about whether the legend is true, and if it is not, we need to be willing to rethink our analysis.
Remember Cindy Dixon? She was the mother of Russell Henderson, one of the two men convicted of murdering Matthew Shepard. Henderson, the L.A. Times article tells us, "was the driver that night. He never hit Shepard, but, on McKinney's order, he tied him to the fence."
"In January 1999, Henderson's mother, Cindy Dixon, was found dead. She had been raped and struck and left in the snow to die. No powerful advocates spoke for her. She was likely to come to a bad end, people said, what with the drinking and the men, and then her son….
"Nobody took the measure of hate. By the time the Dixon case was wrapped up, they weren't even talking murder. A man pleaded guilty to manslaughter, and the same judge who sent Dixon's son to prison forever sentenced her killer to four to nine years. He got out last year."
Justice demands that we think clearly about criminal responsibility and not let our minds be clouded by evocative stories that mesh with our assumptions about the world and our social policy aspirations. I believe the cause of gay rights is a very good one, and I also think that if the cause is good, truth should serve it. If you think your cause is so important that you must put it ahead of the truth, you are deeply confused.
By the way, do you think Barbara Walters would have ever done this story? Don't think so. Stossel is clearly running the ship now.
How Corrupt is Corrupt
Pretty corrupt:
One of the next big chapters in the United Nations oil-for-food scandal will involve the family of the secretary-general, Kofi Annan, whose son turns out to have been receiving payments as recently as early this year from a key contractor in the oil-for-food program.
The secretary-general's son, Kojo Annan, was previously reported to have worked for a Swiss-based company called Cotecna Inspection Services SA, which from 1998-2003 held a lucrative contract with the U.N. to monitor goods arriving in Saddam Hussein's Iraq under the oil-for-food program. But investigators are now looking into new information suggesting that the younger Annan received far more money over a much longer period, even after his compensation from Cotecna had reportedly ended.
The importance of this story involves not only undisclosed conflicts of interest, but the question of the role of the secretary-general himself, at a time when talk is starting to be heard around the U.N. that it is time for him to resign, and the staff labor union is in open rebellion against "senior management."
One of the next big chapters in the United Nations oil-for-food scandal will involve the family of the secretary-general, Kofi Annan, whose son turns out to have been receiving payments as recently as early this year from a key contractor in the oil-for-food program.
The secretary-general's son, Kojo Annan, was previously reported to have worked for a Swiss-based company called Cotecna Inspection Services SA, which from 1998-2003 held a lucrative contract with the U.N. to monitor goods arriving in Saddam Hussein's Iraq under the oil-for-food program. But investigators are now looking into new information suggesting that the younger Annan received far more money over a much longer period, even after his compensation from Cotecna had reportedly ended.
The importance of this story involves not only undisclosed conflicts of interest, but the question of the role of the secretary-general himself, at a time when talk is starting to be heard around the U.N. that it is time for him to resign, and the staff labor union is in open rebellion against "senior management."
Grandmama Momma
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) - At 63, many of Judith Cates' peers are contemplating retiring to Florida. She's busy attending pizza parties with her 5-year-old twin daughters and picking up toys. Cates is one of a growing number of women over 40 to give birth.
A report released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the number of such women exceeded 100,000 for the first time in 2003. It also found there were 1,512 first-time mothers between the ages of 45 and 54 last year.
Cates gave birth when she was 57 - even older than a New York woman with newborn twins. A 59-year-old Georgia woman is pregnant with twins and due in December.
As medicine has advanced, so has the ability of older women to conceive.
I think this is, by and large, a bad phenomenon. While the medicine can re-engineer when we can have children, it can't re-engineer everything else (emotions, energy level, coping mechanisms, etc.). In other words, you can physically have a child at 50, but can you adequately parent that child? That's pretty much an afterthought, though. The point of having a child is not about the child, but about the wants and desires of the parent.
This is a perfect example of our worship of The Self. We choose not to have children when we can - and should - for our own selfish reasons. Whether we postpone child rearing to work or play or just because it's inconvenient at the time, we decide. Then later in life, after realizing that we screwed up and should have placed more value on things of value, we look to medicine and technology to save us...to turn back the clock and regain our missed opportunities.
Succumbing to the desires of The Self never leads to the satisfaction of The Self. It always leads to more wanting, and more wanting leads to more dependence on those technologies that change the natural order.
A report released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the number of such women exceeded 100,000 for the first time in 2003. It also found there were 1,512 first-time mothers between the ages of 45 and 54 last year.
Cates gave birth when she was 57 - even older than a New York woman with newborn twins. A 59-year-old Georgia woman is pregnant with twins and due in December.
As medicine has advanced, so has the ability of older women to conceive.
I think this is, by and large, a bad phenomenon. While the medicine can re-engineer when we can have children, it can't re-engineer everything else (emotions, energy level, coping mechanisms, etc.). In other words, you can physically have a child at 50, but can you adequately parent that child? That's pretty much an afterthought, though. The point of having a child is not about the child, but about the wants and desires of the parent.
This is a perfect example of our worship of The Self. We choose not to have children when we can - and should - for our own selfish reasons. Whether we postpone child rearing to work or play or just because it's inconvenient at the time, we decide. Then later in life, after realizing that we screwed up and should have placed more value on things of value, we look to medicine and technology to save us...to turn back the clock and regain our missed opportunities.
Succumbing to the desires of The Self never leads to the satisfaction of The Self. It always leads to more wanting, and more wanting leads to more dependence on those technologies that change the natural order.
Good News from the State Department
Nightmare at Foggy Bottom: Arabists panicked at prospect of Rice's appointments
Colin Powell has long operated on the principle, "Don't rock the boat." But Powell will soon be gone, to be replaced by National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, and Foggy Bottom is scared. Nowhere is the fear more palpable than in the department's Near East Bureau.
"Don't rock the boat"? Now there's leadership. It's time for State to be rocked, and that includes drumming out the Arabists (which is usually a code word for anti-Semite). You go girl!
Couple Condi's apparent boat rocking with Porter Goss over at the CIA, and we may actually see some real change in these outdated, bureaucratic, slothful agencies.
Colin Powell has long operated on the principle, "Don't rock the boat." But Powell will soon be gone, to be replaced by National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, and Foggy Bottom is scared. Nowhere is the fear more palpable than in the department's Near East Bureau.
"Don't rock the boat"? Now there's leadership. It's time for State to be rocked, and that includes drumming out the Arabists (which is usually a code word for anti-Semite). You go girl!
Couple Condi's apparent boat rocking with Porter Goss over at the CIA, and we may actually see some real change in these outdated, bureaucratic, slothful agencies.
Insurgents on the Run
It's hard to find good insurgents these days, especially when they're being killed:
BAGHDAD — Sunni insurgents backing Abu Mussib Al Zarqawi have expressed alarm at the prospect of a defeat by the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq.
An audio tape said to be from Al Zarqawi charged Muslim clerics with letting down the insurgency "because of your silence."
On Wednesday, Al Zarqawi, with a $25 million bounty on his head, was the target of a major manhunt in the Sunni Triangle, Middle East Newsline reported. Iraqi military sources said Al Zarqawi was said to have been seen in an area south of Fallujah.
Islamic sources said that for the first time in more than a year the Tawhid and Jihad group led by Al Zarqawi appears to have lost control over many of its insurgents in the Sunni Triangle.
The sources said Iraqi and U.S. assaults on major insurgency strongholds in such cities as
Baghdad, Fallujah, Mosul, Ramadi and Samara have resulted in heavy insurgency casualties and a break in the command and control structure.
BAGHDAD — Sunni insurgents backing Abu Mussib Al Zarqawi have expressed alarm at the prospect of a defeat by the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq.
An audio tape said to be from Al Zarqawi charged Muslim clerics with letting down the insurgency "because of your silence."
On Wednesday, Al Zarqawi, with a $25 million bounty on his head, was the target of a major manhunt in the Sunni Triangle, Middle East Newsline reported. Iraqi military sources said Al Zarqawi was said to have been seen in an area south of Fallujah.
Islamic sources said that for the first time in more than a year the Tawhid and Jihad group led by Al Zarqawi appears to have lost control over many of its insurgents in the Sunni Triangle.
The sources said Iraqi and U.S. assaults on major insurgency strongholds in such cities as
Baghdad, Fallujah, Mosul, Ramadi and Samara have resulted in heavy insurgency casualties and a break in the command and control structure.
Friday, November 26, 2004
It Must be Something in the Water
Add Colin Farrell to the pantheon of moronic entertainers. This should put him right up there with Babs, the Boss, and Tim Robbins.
Colin Farrell is challenging a group of Greek lawyers to sue him for portraying Alexander The Great as bisexual in new movie Alexander. A group of 25 Greek lawyers insist the legendary conqueror was heterosexual, and they're now considering suing film studio Warner Bros and director Oliver Stone for claiming the contrary.
The group has sent an extrajudicial note insisting that the studio include a reference in the credits saying the movie is fictional, reports Femalefirst.
But Farrell, who plays the historic figure in the movie, said: "Do I think Alexander was bisexual? Absolutely! Don't sue Oliver Stone... Sue me! And try and tell me there's something wrong with it. Try and tell me... how you're gonna prove physically this man wasn't.
"Get out of your bigoted frame of thinking and just see that it was a beautiful thing. If anything we have... de-evolved because of our ability to judge and our insistence on judging. Why is it even a big deal? Just go and see the movie."
Colin Farrell is challenging a group of Greek lawyers to sue him for portraying Alexander The Great as bisexual in new movie Alexander. A group of 25 Greek lawyers insist the legendary conqueror was heterosexual, and they're now considering suing film studio Warner Bros and director Oliver Stone for claiming the contrary.
The group has sent an extrajudicial note insisting that the studio include a reference in the credits saying the movie is fictional, reports Femalefirst.
But Farrell, who plays the historic figure in the movie, said: "Do I think Alexander was bisexual? Absolutely! Don't sue Oliver Stone... Sue me! And try and tell me there's something wrong with it. Try and tell me... how you're gonna prove physically this man wasn't.
"Get out of your bigoted frame of thinking and just see that it was a beautiful thing. If anything we have... de-evolved because of our ability to judge and our insistence on judging. Why is it even a big deal? Just go and see the movie."
Case Closed
If Gore Vidal likes it, it must be awful.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - While critics savaged Oliver Stone's long-waited epic "Alexander," novelist and social activist Gore Vidal rallied to the $160 million movie's defense saying it was "barrier-breaking" because of its frank depiction of bisexuality.
Stone's film opened on Wednesday to near universal pans from critics who called it everything from a "noble failure" to an "indifferent epic."
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - While critics savaged Oliver Stone's long-waited epic "Alexander," novelist and social activist Gore Vidal rallied to the $160 million movie's defense saying it was "barrier-breaking" because of its frank depiction of bisexuality.
Stone's film opened on Wednesday to near universal pans from critics who called it everything from a "noble failure" to an "indifferent epic."
R.I.P.
While we honor the sacrifice of our military forces (and rightly so), it's equally important that we remember our non-military patriots.
BAGHDAD, IRAQ - An American diplomat was killed Wednesday in an attack near the heavily fortified sector of central Baghdad known as the Green Zone, U.S. officials said.
Jim Mollen, 48, of Binghamton, N.Y., was the U.S. Embassy's senior consultant to the Iraqi ministers of education and higher education. He was shot while traveling in a car within a mile of the Green Zone, according to his mother, Anne Mollen.
In Washington, Secretary of State Colin Powell said in a statement he was "profoundly saddened" by Mollen's killing.
"Jim dedicated his life to a noble cause: improving the quality of education for thousands of Iraqis," Powell said.
...Mollen, the slain American diplomat, was working to rebuild Iraq's 20 major universities and 40 technical institutes, research centers and colleges.
The problem for the terrorists is that this will only strengthen our resolve to destroy them and continue helping the Iraqi people.
BAGHDAD, IRAQ - An American diplomat was killed Wednesday in an attack near the heavily fortified sector of central Baghdad known as the Green Zone, U.S. officials said.
Jim Mollen, 48, of Binghamton, N.Y., was the U.S. Embassy's senior consultant to the Iraqi ministers of education and higher education. He was shot while traveling in a car within a mile of the Green Zone, according to his mother, Anne Mollen.
In Washington, Secretary of State Colin Powell said in a statement he was "profoundly saddened" by Mollen's killing.
"Jim dedicated his life to a noble cause: improving the quality of education for thousands of Iraqis," Powell said.
...Mollen, the slain American diplomat, was working to rebuild Iraq's 20 major universities and 40 technical institutes, research centers and colleges.
The problem for the terrorists is that this will only strengthen our resolve to destroy them and continue helping the Iraqi people.
Ukraine Update
Significant news out of the Ukraine:
The Ukrainian Government’s control over nationwide television was broken today, a key factor in maintaining support for Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, when a station began covering opposition demonstrations that have gripped the capital.
The pro-government private channel 1+1 said in a statement yesterday that it decided to begin providing “objective information” after having halted news broadcasts since Monday when journalists refused to operate under censorship.
The first reports of the mass opposition rallies in the country were aired in the dawn hours of today.
The channel is controlled by the powerful head of the presidential administration, Viktor Medvedtchuk.
Television stations which broadcast nationwide have provided extensive positive coverage of Mr Yanukovich, the declared winner of the election, while giving scant and negative attention to opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko.
“We are aware of our responsibility for having until now broadcast biased information under pressure for different political forces,” 1+1 journalists said in a statement.
“Given the current opposition in society we are obliged to declare that … all information will now be complete and objective,” they said.
Is the game over? We'll see.
The Ukrainian Government’s control over nationwide television was broken today, a key factor in maintaining support for Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, when a station began covering opposition demonstrations that have gripped the capital.
The pro-government private channel 1+1 said in a statement yesterday that it decided to begin providing “objective information” after having halted news broadcasts since Monday when journalists refused to operate under censorship.
The first reports of the mass opposition rallies in the country were aired in the dawn hours of today.
The channel is controlled by the powerful head of the presidential administration, Viktor Medvedtchuk.
Television stations which broadcast nationwide have provided extensive positive coverage of Mr Yanukovich, the declared winner of the election, while giving scant and negative attention to opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko.
“We are aware of our responsibility for having until now broadcast biased information under pressure for different political forces,” 1+1 journalists said in a statement.
“Given the current opposition in society we are obliged to declare that … all information will now be complete and objective,” they said.
Is the game over? We'll see.
A Proclamation
I missed this yesterday.
Thanksgiving Day, 2004
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
All across America, we gather this week with the people we love to give thanks to God for the blessings in our lives. We are grateful for our freedom, grateful for our families and friends, and grateful for the many gifts of America. On Thanksgiving Day, we acknowledge that all of these things, and life itself, come from the Almighty God.
Almost four centuries ago, the Pilgrims celebrated a harvest feast to thank God after suffering through a brutal winter. President George Washington proclaimed the first National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789, and President Lincoln revived the tradition during the Civil War, asking Americans to give thanks with "one heart and one voice." Since then, in times of war and in times of peace, Americans have gathered with family and friends and given thanks to God for our blessings.
Thanksgiving is also a time to share our blessings with those who are less fortunate. Americans this week will gather food and clothing for neighbors in need. Many young people will give part of their holiday to volunteer at homeless shelters and food pantries. On Thanksgiving, we remember that the true strength of America lies in the hearts and souls of the American people. By seeking out those who are hurting and by lending a hand, Americans touch the lives of their fellow citizens and help make our Nation and the world a better place.
This Thanksgiving, we express our gratitude to our dedicated firefighters and police officers who help keep our homeland safe. We are grateful to the homeland security and intelligence personnel who spend long hours on faithful watch. And we give thanks for the Americans in our Armed Forces who are serving around the world to secure our country and advance the cause of freedom. These brave men and women make our entire Nation proud, and we thank them and their families for their sacrifice.
On this Thanksgiving Day, we thank God for His blessings and ask Him to continue to guide and watch over our Nation.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 25, 2004, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage all Americans to gather together in their homes and places of worship to reinforce the ties of family and community and to express gratitude for the many blessings we enjoy.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-third day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-ninth.
GEORGE W. BUSH
Thanksgiving Day, 2004
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
All across America, we gather this week with the people we love to give thanks to God for the blessings in our lives. We are grateful for our freedom, grateful for our families and friends, and grateful for the many gifts of America. On Thanksgiving Day, we acknowledge that all of these things, and life itself, come from the Almighty God.
Almost four centuries ago, the Pilgrims celebrated a harvest feast to thank God after suffering through a brutal winter. President George Washington proclaimed the first National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789, and President Lincoln revived the tradition during the Civil War, asking Americans to give thanks with "one heart and one voice." Since then, in times of war and in times of peace, Americans have gathered with family and friends and given thanks to God for our blessings.
Thanksgiving is also a time to share our blessings with those who are less fortunate. Americans this week will gather food and clothing for neighbors in need. Many young people will give part of their holiday to volunteer at homeless shelters and food pantries. On Thanksgiving, we remember that the true strength of America lies in the hearts and souls of the American people. By seeking out those who are hurting and by lending a hand, Americans touch the lives of their fellow citizens and help make our Nation and the world a better place.
This Thanksgiving, we express our gratitude to our dedicated firefighters and police officers who help keep our homeland safe. We are grateful to the homeland security and intelligence personnel who spend long hours on faithful watch. And we give thanks for the Americans in our Armed Forces who are serving around the world to secure our country and advance the cause of freedom. These brave men and women make our entire Nation proud, and we thank them and their families for their sacrifice.
On this Thanksgiving Day, we thank God for His blessings and ask Him to continue to guide and watch over our Nation.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 25, 2004, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage all Americans to gather together in their homes and places of worship to reinforce the ties of family and community and to express gratitude for the many blessings we enjoy.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-third day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-ninth.
GEORGE W. BUSH
Thursday, November 25, 2004
Idiot of the Day
ATLANTA (CNN) -- NBA player Michael Olowokandi was arrested early Thursday at an Indianapolis nightclub after a dispute with police, during which the Minnesota Timberwolves center was hit twice with an electronic stun gun, police said.
The bar's manager flagged down police officers when Olowokandi refused to leave after the establishment's 3 a.m. closing time, said Sgt. Steve Staletovich, an Indianapolis Police Department spokesman.
Staletovich said an officer used a Taser on Olowokandi when he tried to walk away from police. The first shot appeared to have no effect, but a second allowed police to subdue the player, he said.
Olowokandi, 29, was charged with disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing, both misdemeanors, and was released on his own recognizance Thursday afternoon, Staletovich said.
Note to Mike: Commissioner Stern is not exactly in a forgiving mood these days. Getting tasered outside of nightclubs is not going to sit well with the Commish.
The bar's manager flagged down police officers when Olowokandi refused to leave after the establishment's 3 a.m. closing time, said Sgt. Steve Staletovich, an Indianapolis Police Department spokesman.
Staletovich said an officer used a Taser on Olowokandi when he tried to walk away from police. The first shot appeared to have no effect, but a second allowed police to subdue the player, he said.
Olowokandi, 29, was charged with disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing, both misdemeanors, and was released on his own recognizance Thursday afternoon, Staletovich said.
Note to Mike: Commissioner Stern is not exactly in a forgiving mood these days. Getting tasered outside of nightclubs is not going to sit well with the Commish.
Rummy's Still My Man
From today's Washington Times:
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has entered the fray over the Defense Department's relationship with the Boy Scouts of America, endorsing in a letter to the House speaker continued support of Scout troops who meet on military bases.
At least three conservative Republican lawmakers have sent letters to Mr. Rumsfeld protesting a Bush administration partial legal settlement of a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union's Illinois chapter. The Justice Department, representing the Pentagon, agreed to warn military commanders not to officially sponsor Scout units.
The ACLU contends the government sponsorship violates religious freedoms since the Boy Scouts require members to pledge allegiance to God.
I got news for the ACLU: the military services have chaplains for crying out loud (and chapels). Do they know what chaplains do? These bigots need to be stopped.
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has entered the fray over the Defense Department's relationship with the Boy Scouts of America, endorsing in a letter to the House speaker continued support of Scout troops who meet on military bases.
At least three conservative Republican lawmakers have sent letters to Mr. Rumsfeld protesting a Bush administration partial legal settlement of a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union's Illinois chapter. The Justice Department, representing the Pentagon, agreed to warn military commanders not to officially sponsor Scout units.
The ACLU contends the government sponsorship violates religious freedoms since the Boy Scouts require members to pledge allegiance to God.
I got news for the ACLU: the military services have chaplains for crying out loud (and chapels). Do they know what chaplains do? These bigots need to be stopped.
Bringing Out The Big Guns
The Ukrainian opposition has Lech Walesa on its side:
Deputy economy minister Oleh Hayduk resigned in protest of the fraudulent vote count in the Ukrainian election, Ukrainian News reported.
“When the European Union doesn’t recognize the election results, what kind of European integration can we talk about?” Hayduk said Nov. 25 on the Channel 5 television station.
“That’s my position as a citizen. I wrote a declaration of my resignation yesterday, and now I’m confirming it,” he said.
Hayduk, 39, has been a deputy economy minister since April 21 of this year.
The news was read to the hundreds of thousands of protestors thronging Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) on this third full day of protests against Ukraine’s Nov. 21 run-off presidential vote, which has been widely condemned as fraudulent. Solidarity leader and the first post-communist Polish president Lech Walesa also addressed the crowd, which was in high spirits as it gathered under blue skies on this clear, windless day.
Much of central Kyiv is now a solid block of protestors, most bedecked in orange, the signature color of opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko. A carnival atmosphere predominates.
Estimates place the crowd at up to a million.
Add to Walesa the esteemed name of Vaclav Havel:
PRAGUE (Reuters) - Vaclav Havel, former Czech president and leader of the country's 1989 "Velvet Revolution" that overthrew Communist rule, has urged Ukrainians to keep up their protests against a disputed presidential election.
A third day of mass protests began on Wednesday demanding that Ukraine's opposition leader, Viktor Yushchenko, be installed as president after a weekend poll they said was fraudulent.
"All respected domestic and international organisations agree that your demands are justified. Therefore I wish you strength, endurance, courage and fortunate decisions," Havel said in a statement from Taipei where he was travelling.
Havel, a former anti-communist dissident and the first president after the 1989 fall of communism, told Ukrainians that long years or decades of their future were at stake.
Once he's done pumping up the troops, Vaclav needs to head to New York and take over for Kofi. Can you imagine the United Nations headed by Havel? That would be awesome.
Deputy economy minister Oleh Hayduk resigned in protest of the fraudulent vote count in the Ukrainian election, Ukrainian News reported.
“When the European Union doesn’t recognize the election results, what kind of European integration can we talk about?” Hayduk said Nov. 25 on the Channel 5 television station.
“That’s my position as a citizen. I wrote a declaration of my resignation yesterday, and now I’m confirming it,” he said.
Hayduk, 39, has been a deputy economy minister since April 21 of this year.
The news was read to the hundreds of thousands of protestors thronging Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) on this third full day of protests against Ukraine’s Nov. 21 run-off presidential vote, which has been widely condemned as fraudulent. Solidarity leader and the first post-communist Polish president Lech Walesa also addressed the crowd, which was in high spirits as it gathered under blue skies on this clear, windless day.
Much of central Kyiv is now a solid block of protestors, most bedecked in orange, the signature color of opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko. A carnival atmosphere predominates.
Estimates place the crowd at up to a million.
Add to Walesa the esteemed name of Vaclav Havel:
PRAGUE (Reuters) - Vaclav Havel, former Czech president and leader of the country's 1989 "Velvet Revolution" that overthrew Communist rule, has urged Ukrainians to keep up their protests against a disputed presidential election.
A third day of mass protests began on Wednesday demanding that Ukraine's opposition leader, Viktor Yushchenko, be installed as president after a weekend poll they said was fraudulent.
"All respected domestic and international organisations agree that your demands are justified. Therefore I wish you strength, endurance, courage and fortunate decisions," Havel said in a statement from Taipei where he was travelling.
Havel, a former anti-communist dissident and the first president after the 1989 fall of communism, told Ukrainians that long years or decades of their future were at stake.
Once he's done pumping up the troops, Vaclav needs to head to New York and take over for Kofi. Can you imagine the United Nations headed by Havel? That would be awesome.
You Better Hope So, Oliver
Stone seems to think that Europeans are naive nitwits. Well, he may be right, but we'll have to see.
STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Filmmaker Oliver Stone, whose "Alexander" got a lukewarm reception from critics in America, said Thursday he thought the three-hour epic would get a better welcome in Europe.
Stone visited the Stockholm International Film Festival to pick up a lifetime achievement award and promote "Alexander," which was having its European premiere in Stockholm.
"I think one of the reasons I am being honored here in Sweden is that (Europeans) tend to see me a little differently than they do in the U.S.," Stone told reporters.
He said the film "is not an easy movie, but then I've never made easy movies." His previous films include "JFK," "Born on the Fourth of July" and "Platoon."
STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Filmmaker Oliver Stone, whose "Alexander" got a lukewarm reception from critics in America, said Thursday he thought the three-hour epic would get a better welcome in Europe.
Stone visited the Stockholm International Film Festival to pick up a lifetime achievement award and promote "Alexander," which was having its European premiere in Stockholm.
"I think one of the reasons I am being honored here in Sweden is that (Europeans) tend to see me a little differently than they do in the U.S.," Stone told reporters.
He said the film "is not an easy movie, but then I've never made easy movies." His previous films include "JFK," "Born on the Fourth of July" and "Platoon."
The WaPo Gets It
From today's Washington Post editorial:
Some have described the crisis in Ukraine as a contest for influence between Russia and the West, with the West backing opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko in the same measure that Russian President Vladimir Putin has supported the official candidate. That is a gross distortion. For the Ukrainians who have spent four freezing nights in the streets of Kiev, the fight is not about geopolitical orientation -- most favor close relations with Moscow -- but about whether theirs will be a free country, with an independent press and courts and leaders who are chosen by genuine democratic vote. Mr. Putin, who has channeled hundreds of millions of dollars into the prime minister's campaign, is backing the imposition of an authoritarian system along the lines of the one he is creating in Russia -- with a propagandistic regime, controlled media, official persecution of dissent, business executives who take orders from the state, and elections that are neither free nor fair.
This is amazing for two reasons: First, the Post actually gets it right. Second, their editorial criticizes a regime in which "business executives take orders from the state." Let's hope they've finally seen the light.
P.S. I'm not holding my breath.
Some have described the crisis in Ukraine as a contest for influence between Russia and the West, with the West backing opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko in the same measure that Russian President Vladimir Putin has supported the official candidate. That is a gross distortion. For the Ukrainians who have spent four freezing nights in the streets of Kiev, the fight is not about geopolitical orientation -- most favor close relations with Moscow -- but about whether theirs will be a free country, with an independent press and courts and leaders who are chosen by genuine democratic vote. Mr. Putin, who has channeled hundreds of millions of dollars into the prime minister's campaign, is backing the imposition of an authoritarian system along the lines of the one he is creating in Russia -- with a propagandistic regime, controlled media, official persecution of dissent, business executives who take orders from the state, and elections that are neither free nor fair.
This is amazing for two reasons: First, the Post actually gets it right. Second, their editorial criticizes a regime in which "business executives take orders from the state." Let's hope they've finally seen the light.
P.S. I'm not holding my breath.
The Love of Money
This is depressing, especially in light of the words below from our Founding Father. Is it too much to ask that we suspend our constant hording and greed for one day, a single day that we set aside to give thanks to GOD for all that he's done for us...and for all that He is.
Well, I guess in a way we are. We are setting aside a day to honor our god...to worship at his altar...to sing praises to his name. That god is mammon. All hail king mammon.
Lord have mercy on us.
Well, I guess in a way we are. We are setting aside a day to honor our god...to worship at his altar...to sing praises to his name. That god is mammon. All hail king mammon.
Lord have mercy on us.
Happy Thanksgiving
General Thanksgiving
By the PRESIDENT of the United States Of America
A PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and
Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"
NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.
(signed) G. Washington
By the PRESIDENT of the United States Of America
A PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and
Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"
NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.
(signed) G. Washington
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Election Fever
Somebody in Iraq believes in democracy:
At least 122 political organizations have registered to run in Iraq's Jan. 30 elections, thrilling organizers but setting the stage for tough bargaining over the next eight days.
Many of the parties are expected to combine in loose coalitions as they seek to maximize their seats in a new national assembly. Such alliances must be declared to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) by the end of this month.
Even so, voters will face a bewildering array of choices. There are religious parties representing Shi'ite Muslim, Sunni Muslim and Christian voters; secular parties with religious affiliations or regional interests; parties organized around sheiks and clerics; and parties devoted simply to justice, democracy or equal rights.
"We have so many parties, so many people wanting to participate," said Farid Ayar, a spokesman for the IEC. "It is wonderful. I am happy."
At least 122 political organizations have registered to run in Iraq's Jan. 30 elections, thrilling organizers but setting the stage for tough bargaining over the next eight days.
Many of the parties are expected to combine in loose coalitions as they seek to maximize their seats in a new national assembly. Such alliances must be declared to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) by the end of this month.
Even so, voters will face a bewildering array of choices. There are religious parties representing Shi'ite Muslim, Sunni Muslim and Christian voters; secular parties with religious affiliations or regional interests; parties organized around sheiks and clerics; and parties devoted simply to justice, democracy or equal rights.
"We have so many parties, so many people wanting to participate," said Farid Ayar, a spokesman for the IEC. "It is wonderful. I am happy."
Just Back the Truck Up, Ukraine
WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State Colin Powell said Wednesday the United States cannot accept the results of elections in Ukraine, which the opposition says was marred by fraud.
Powell warned "there will be consequences" for the United States' relationship with Ukraine as a result of the developments in the former Soviet bloc nation.
Powell spoke shortly after election officials in Ukraine declared that Kremlin-backed Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych won the election over opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko. The announcement raised fears of violence in Kiev, where tens of thousands of demonstrators have been demanding that the results be overturned.
"We cannot accept this result as legitimate because it does not meet international standards" and allegations of fraud hadn't been investigated, Powell said at a news conference.
Powell warned "there will be consequences" for the United States' relationship with Ukraine as a result of the developments in the former Soviet bloc nation.
Powell spoke shortly after election officials in Ukraine declared that Kremlin-backed Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych won the election over opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko. The announcement raised fears of violence in Kiev, where tens of thousands of demonstrators have been demanding that the results be overturned.
"We cannot accept this result as legitimate because it does not meet international standards" and allegations of fraud hadn't been investigated, Powell said at a news conference.
Now That's Education
Oh, how proud parents must be to fork over thousands of dollars to send their child to Temple University for this:
PHILADELPHIA -- Marilyn Manson: shock rocker. Self-proclaimed "Antichrist Superstar." Philosophy professor?
With an MTV film crew in tow, Manson surprised students in a Temple University Art and Society class Monday with an hourlong guest lecture.
PHILADELPHIA -- Marilyn Manson: shock rocker. Self-proclaimed "Antichrist Superstar." Philosophy professor?
With an MTV film crew in tow, Manson surprised students in a Temple University Art and Society class Monday with an hourlong guest lecture.
Beware Those 12 Ounce Curls
Knowing Gino, alcohol just maybe, possibly, probably might have been involved.
CINCINNATI -- Cincinnati quarterback Gino Guidugli broke a bone in his throwing hand when he slipped outside his home and might miss Saturday's game at Louisville (No. 8 ESPN/USA Today, No. 7 AP).
Guidugli, who holds most of the school's passing records, broke a small bone on the top of his right hand Saturday night.
"I slipped on the top step, tried to brace my fall and hurt my hand," Guidugli said.
That reminds me of this classic Clinton story:
HOBE SOUND, Fla. (AllPolitics, March 14) -- For an avid golfer like President Bill Clinton, his weekend plans must have seemed the perfect retreat from the unpleasantries of Washington. He was to stay at golf champ Greg Norman's 80-acre oceanside compound and play in Norman's two-day golf tournament.
Following their gab-fest, which ended early Friday morning, the two men headed outside toward the Jupiter Island estate's cottage where Clinton planned to spend the night. But the president's idyll soon ended as he caught his heel on an "irregular-shaped" step, causing his right knee to "pop" and buckle under. Norman, too, got more than he bargained for as the Australian native, a.k.a. The Shark, found himself breaking Clinton's fall.
When paramedics rushed to the scene, Norman and a Secret Service agent were supporting Clinton's head. Paramedic Richard Wilde told The Associated Press, "If it wasn't for Greg Norman, he probably would have been hurt a lot more. Those were concrete steps."
Don't you hate it when "early Friday morning" those "irregularly-shaped" concrete steps jump up and trip you. Yeah, right.
CINCINNATI -- Cincinnati quarterback Gino Guidugli broke a bone in his throwing hand when he slipped outside his home and might miss Saturday's game at Louisville (No. 8 ESPN/USA Today, No. 7 AP).
Guidugli, who holds most of the school's passing records, broke a small bone on the top of his right hand Saturday night.
"I slipped on the top step, tried to brace my fall and hurt my hand," Guidugli said.
That reminds me of this classic Clinton story:
HOBE SOUND, Fla. (AllPolitics, March 14) -- For an avid golfer like President Bill Clinton, his weekend plans must have seemed the perfect retreat from the unpleasantries of Washington. He was to stay at golf champ Greg Norman's 80-acre oceanside compound and play in Norman's two-day golf tournament.
Following their gab-fest, which ended early Friday morning, the two men headed outside toward the Jupiter Island estate's cottage where Clinton planned to spend the night. But the president's idyll soon ended as he caught his heel on an "irregular-shaped" step, causing his right knee to "pop" and buckle under. Norman, too, got more than he bargained for as the Australian native, a.k.a. The Shark, found himself breaking Clinton's fall.
When paramedics rushed to the scene, Norman and a Secret Service agent were supporting Clinton's head. Paramedic Richard Wilde told The Associated Press, "If it wasn't for Greg Norman, he probably would have been hurt a lot more. Those were concrete steps."
Don't you hate it when "early Friday morning" those "irregularly-shaped" concrete steps jump up and trip you. Yeah, right.
The Wisdom of Seth
Seth Davis of Sports Illustrated is an idiot (and a Puke...I mean, Duke graduate), but he got this right:
The days of rotations that go nine or 10 deep are over, my friends. We used to hear coaches say of an opponent, "Their ninth guy could start for me." Not anymore, because these days that guy will transfer to a place he can start -- oftentimes in midseason -- rather than sit on the pine.
...and this...
This week's player who's better than you think: Kentucky guard Patrick Sparks. Everybody's all jacked up about Tubby Smith's Fab Four freshmen, but Sparks, a transfer from Western Kentucky, will have a bigger impact on the program this season. He runs the point with great poise and can really shoot it.
...but definitely not this...
It seems like people love to knock Florida guard Anthony "Peep" Roberson, but I'm not one of them. He's a great scorer, and from what I can tell, he also has very high character.
The days of rotations that go nine or 10 deep are over, my friends. We used to hear coaches say of an opponent, "Their ninth guy could start for me." Not anymore, because these days that guy will transfer to a place he can start -- oftentimes in midseason -- rather than sit on the pine.
...and this...
This week's player who's better than you think: Kentucky guard Patrick Sparks. Everybody's all jacked up about Tubby Smith's Fab Four freshmen, but Sparks, a transfer from Western Kentucky, will have a bigger impact on the program this season. He runs the point with great poise and can really shoot it.
...but definitely not this...
It seems like people love to knock Florida guard Anthony "Peep" Roberson, but I'm not one of them. He's a great scorer, and from what I can tell, he also has very high character.
Thank God Bush Won
Or President Kerry would be taking his marching orders from this cesspool of crime and corruption:
Staff representatives adopted a resolution yesterday criticising senior management after a string of clashes during the past year with their bosses at UN headquarters. The rebellion is an embarrassment for Mr Annan, and comes as he faces intense criticism for corruption in the UN’s “Oil-for-Food” programme in Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.
The UN chief suffered another blow yesterday when he was forced to admit that civilian and peacekeeping personnel on UN duty in Congo had committed acts of gross misconduct.
Officials plan to make public on Monday the lurid results of their investigation into UN officials having sex with under-age local girls.
Staff representatives adopted a resolution yesterday criticising senior management after a string of clashes during the past year with their bosses at UN headquarters. The rebellion is an embarrassment for Mr Annan, and comes as he faces intense criticism for corruption in the UN’s “Oil-for-Food” programme in Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.
The UN chief suffered another blow yesterday when he was forced to admit that civilian and peacekeeping personnel on UN duty in Congo had committed acts of gross misconduct.
Officials plan to make public on Monday the lurid results of their investigation into UN officials having sex with under-age local girls.
"Unbalanced Reporting"
This is hysterical:
According to Al Jazeera spokesman, Jihad Ballout, $30 million will be spent to launch a regional English-language satellite news channel in Kuala Lumpur by the end of 2005. The new channel will be named Al Jazeera International and its goal will be to counteract the "unbalanced reporting" of Western media networks. The BBC and CNN are mentioned.
"Unbalanced reporting" from the BBC and CNN? They're the best friends a terrorist could have. But Al Jazeera disagrees.
According to Al Jazeera spokesman, Jihad Ballout, $30 million will be spent to launch a regional English-language satellite news channel in Kuala Lumpur by the end of 2005. The new channel will be named Al Jazeera International and its goal will be to counteract the "unbalanced reporting" of Western media networks. The BBC and CNN are mentioned.
"Unbalanced reporting" from the BBC and CNN? They're the best friends a terrorist could have. But Al Jazeera disagrees.
Do As I Say, Not As I Do
Q. What do you call it when a Harvard student submits work that's not his own but claims
it is?
A. Plagiarism.
Q. What do you call it when a Harvard professor publishes a book that includes work that's not his own but claims it is?
A. A managed book.
Any questions?
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - When it comes to its students, Harvard University policy shows little tolerance for plagiarism.
Undergraduates found guilty of "misusing sources" will "likely" be required to withdraw from the college for at least two semesters. They will lose all coursework they have done that semester (unless it is virtually over), along with the money they have paid for it. They must also leave Cambridge.
With such a policy for students, what is Harvard to do when two of its most prominent law professors, Charles J. Ogletree Jr. and Laurence H. Tribe, publicly acknowledge that they have unintentionally misused sources, as happened this fall? Weighing in on the matter, Harvard's student newspaper, The Harvard Crimson, said the university appeared to have one set of rules for its famous professors, and another for its students. In an editorial about Professor Ogletree, The Crimson wrote in September that his transgression would likely have resulted in expulsion for a Harvard undergraduate.
..."This is what happens when you have managed books," Professor Gardner said.
Managed books, Professor Gardner said, are a recent phenomenon in which some academics rely on assistants to help them produce books, in some cases allowing the assistants to write first drafts.
it is?
A. Plagiarism.
Q. What do you call it when a Harvard professor publishes a book that includes work that's not his own but claims it is?
A. A managed book.
Any questions?
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - When it comes to its students, Harvard University policy shows little tolerance for plagiarism.
Undergraduates found guilty of "misusing sources" will "likely" be required to withdraw from the college for at least two semesters. They will lose all coursework they have done that semester (unless it is virtually over), along with the money they have paid for it. They must also leave Cambridge.
With such a policy for students, what is Harvard to do when two of its most prominent law professors, Charles J. Ogletree Jr. and Laurence H. Tribe, publicly acknowledge that they have unintentionally misused sources, as happened this fall? Weighing in on the matter, Harvard's student newspaper, The Harvard Crimson, said the university appeared to have one set of rules for its famous professors, and another for its students. In an editorial about Professor Ogletree, The Crimson wrote in September that his transgression would likely have resulted in expulsion for a Harvard undergraduate.
..."This is what happens when you have managed books," Professor Gardner said.
Managed books, Professor Gardner said, are a recent phenomenon in which some academics rely on assistants to help them produce books, in some cases allowing the assistants to write first drafts.
Oliver Who?
John Podhoretz's on Oliver Stone's new movie, "Alexander". Can anyone say "Ishtar"?
Oliver Stone's Alexander, which opens today, isn't just bad. It's Springtime for Hitler bad. I haven't guffawed this hard since I saw Airplane for the first time 24 years ago. This is one of the colossal catastrophes of all time. At a screening on Monday night, during the death scene of Alexander's lover Hephaiston, people were screaming with laughter as Alexander made a big speech while, behind him in soft focus, Hephaiston went into a conniption fit and croaked. Plus, Angelina Jolie plays Alexander's mother like she was Natasha from the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons. It's almost worth seeing, but don't, because if you're like me and want to see Oliver Stone utterly destroyed for his artistic and political crimes, you will make sure not to contribute to the box-office coffers of what is sure to go down in the annals of moviedom as Heaven's Gate with rampaging evil elephants (no, I'm not kidding).
Oliver Stone's Alexander, which opens today, isn't just bad. It's Springtime for Hitler bad. I haven't guffawed this hard since I saw Airplane for the first time 24 years ago. This is one of the colossal catastrophes of all time. At a screening on Monday night, during the death scene of Alexander's lover Hephaiston, people were screaming with laughter as Alexander made a big speech while, behind him in soft focus, Hephaiston went into a conniption fit and croaked. Plus, Angelina Jolie plays Alexander's mother like she was Natasha from the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons. It's almost worth seeing, but don't, because if you're like me and want to see Oliver Stone utterly destroyed for his artistic and political crimes, you will make sure not to contribute to the box-office coffers of what is sure to go down in the annals of moviedom as Heaven's Gate with rampaging evil elephants (no, I'm not kidding).
Big News Out of the Ukraine
A stolen election? You bet. What will the "democratic" European powers do? Nothing. Where is the American Left? Nowhere to be found. What will the U.S. government do? We'll see.
Thousands of opposition demonstrators braved freezing temperatures for a third straight day as tensions mounted in Ukraine's election crisis.
Officials are set to announce final results in the disputed presidential poll on Wednesday.
Ukraine's outgoing president offered to hold talks to end the crisis, but an ally of presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko said the only thing to discuss was a transfer of power to the opposition leader.
"We are ready to negotiate only about the peaceful handing over of power to Yushchenko," Mykola Tomenko said.
...Yushchenko, a pro-Western liberal, and Yanukovych, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, fought a bitterly contested runoff battle.
On Monday, the election commission said that with 99.38 percent of precincts counted, Yanukovych had 49.42 percent to Yushchenko's 46.70 percent.
However, an exit poll conducted under a Western-funded program gave Yushchenko 54 percent of the vote to Yanukovych's 43 percent. Another poll put Yushchenko ahead by 49.4 to 45.9 percent.
Western obersvers criticized the balloting, and on Wednesday European leaders stepped up pressure on Ukraine to review the results. (Full story)
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, normally a close ally of Putin, said the election showed what he called massive fraud, Reuters reported, while EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said Ukraine was at a crossroads and could turn violent.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso warned of "consequences" for the EU's political and trade relations with Ukraine if the government there does not allow a full review of the election results, AP reported.
NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer summoned the Ukraine ambassador Wednesday to express the alliance's disappointment, and Ukraine's ambassador to the European Union was called to appear before the European Parliament on Wednesday to defend the election, AP reported.
At the Vatican, Pope John Paul II told Ukrainian pilgrims he was praying for their country in a "special way."
And in Washington, the White House issued a statement saying the United States is "deeply disturbed by extensive and credible indications of fraud committed in the Ukrainian presidential election."
Thousands of opposition demonstrators braved freezing temperatures for a third straight day as tensions mounted in Ukraine's election crisis.
Officials are set to announce final results in the disputed presidential poll on Wednesday.
Ukraine's outgoing president offered to hold talks to end the crisis, but an ally of presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko said the only thing to discuss was a transfer of power to the opposition leader.
"We are ready to negotiate only about the peaceful handing over of power to Yushchenko," Mykola Tomenko said.
...Yushchenko, a pro-Western liberal, and Yanukovych, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, fought a bitterly contested runoff battle.
On Monday, the election commission said that with 99.38 percent of precincts counted, Yanukovych had 49.42 percent to Yushchenko's 46.70 percent.
However, an exit poll conducted under a Western-funded program gave Yushchenko 54 percent of the vote to Yanukovych's 43 percent. Another poll put Yushchenko ahead by 49.4 to 45.9 percent.
Western obersvers criticized the balloting, and on Wednesday European leaders stepped up pressure on Ukraine to review the results. (Full story)
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, normally a close ally of Putin, said the election showed what he called massive fraud, Reuters reported, while EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said Ukraine was at a crossroads and could turn violent.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso warned of "consequences" for the EU's political and trade relations with Ukraine if the government there does not allow a full review of the election results, AP reported.
NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer summoned the Ukraine ambassador Wednesday to express the alliance's disappointment, and Ukraine's ambassador to the European Union was called to appear before the European Parliament on Wednesday to defend the election, AP reported.
At the Vatican, Pope John Paul II told Ukrainian pilgrims he was praying for their country in a "special way."
And in Washington, the White House issued a statement saying the United States is "deeply disturbed by extensive and credible indications of fraud committed in the Ukrainian presidential election."
All The News That's Fit to Print
Wait, a NY Times writer that hates America. Come on. I don't believe it.
That's why even now -- after Howell Raines, after years of bile from Paul Krugman and Maureen Dowd, even after the attempt to turn an old missing-explosives story into an election-eve bombshell -- it was astounding to hear Chris Hedges of the New York Times go off Saturday morning at a forum held here as part of the annual conference of the Association of Opinion Page Editors.
Hedges was invited to talk about his book, War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning. Many editors on hand were probably aware of Hedges' notoriety for a commencement address he gave in May 2003 at a small Illinois college in which he was booed off the stage for criticizing the war on Iraq. But no one expected Hedges to offer up an indictment of American foreign policy as sweeping and angry as our strongest Arab critics or nastiest MIT linguistics professor.
"We're absolutely reviled around the world, as we should be," Hedges said. "Our only friends are war criminals" -- a reference, he explained, to Ariel Sharon and Vladimir Putin.
America's amoral, bloodthirsty ways and the hate they generate would be much plainer to the American people, Hedges said, if only so many journalists weren't "trapped" by the government's war clichés and oriented to a Washington-centric view of the world. This group, he said, included his bosses at the Times.
"There was absolutely no interest in my newspaper in presenting the views of the French" as the U.S. moved toward war in Iraq, Hedges said. Instead, there was lots of guffawing over anti-French jokes, which he termed "racist."
The good news is that at least some at the Times see the French for what they are.
That's why even now -- after Howell Raines, after years of bile from Paul Krugman and Maureen Dowd, even after the attempt to turn an old missing-explosives story into an election-eve bombshell -- it was astounding to hear Chris Hedges of the New York Times go off Saturday morning at a forum held here as part of the annual conference of the Association of Opinion Page Editors.
Hedges was invited to talk about his book, War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning. Many editors on hand were probably aware of Hedges' notoriety for a commencement address he gave in May 2003 at a small Illinois college in which he was booed off the stage for criticizing the war on Iraq. But no one expected Hedges to offer up an indictment of American foreign policy as sweeping and angry as our strongest Arab critics or nastiest MIT linguistics professor.
"We're absolutely reviled around the world, as we should be," Hedges said. "Our only friends are war criminals" -- a reference, he explained, to Ariel Sharon and Vladimir Putin.
America's amoral, bloodthirsty ways and the hate they generate would be much plainer to the American people, Hedges said, if only so many journalists weren't "trapped" by the government's war clichés and oriented to a Washington-centric view of the world. This group, he said, included his bosses at the Times.
"There was absolutely no interest in my newspaper in presenting the views of the French" as the U.S. moved toward war in Iraq, Hedges said. Instead, there was lots of guffawing over anti-French jokes, which he termed "racist."
The good news is that at least some at the Times see the French for what they are.
Don't Let The Door Hit You On The You Know What
I think the final word on Dan Rather - and RatherGate - was best summed up by Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) on Wolf Blitzer's CNN program:
"The media certainly is not in our hands any longer."
Indeed.
"The media certainly is not in our hands any longer."
Indeed.
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
The Stern Effect?
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. on Tuesday said it has passed the 800,000 subscriber mark and is on track to have 1 million subscribers by the end of the year.
Its shares rose 76 cents or 13 percent to a 33 month high of $6.74 in morning trading on Nasdaq. The stock has nearly doubled since the company on Oct. 6 said it would add controversial radio host Howard Stern to its service in 2006.
Its shares rose 76 cents or 13 percent to a 33 month high of $6.74 in morning trading on Nasdaq. The stock has nearly doubled since the company on Oct. 6 said it would add controversial radio host Howard Stern to its service in 2006.
Good News/Bad News
The good news is Dan Rather is stepping down as the anchor of the CBS Evening News. The bad news is that he's staying on as a correspondent with 60 Minutes.
I think Andrew Sullivan puts it best:
CBS' SPIN CONTROL: Why on earth is Rather staying on full-time at Sixty Minutes, the show whose reputation he besmirched by rashness and partisanship? Notice the ABC News story barely mentions the memo-gate fiasco. Rather's tenure as CBS anchor was bound to end some time soon. Big deal. A simple question: How can you rehire a man for Sixty Minutes when you haven't even published your own investigation into the journalistic meltdown that he presided over? Shouldn't you wait until you know what actually happened before you declare that someone will stay on full-time? And how long does such an investigation take, for Pete's sake? My bullshit detector just went through the roof on this one.
I think Andrew Sullivan puts it best:
CBS' SPIN CONTROL: Why on earth is Rather staying on full-time at Sixty Minutes, the show whose reputation he besmirched by rashness and partisanship? Notice the ABC News story barely mentions the memo-gate fiasco. Rather's tenure as CBS anchor was bound to end some time soon. Big deal. A simple question: How can you rehire a man for Sixty Minutes when you haven't even published your own investigation into the journalistic meltdown that he presided over? Shouldn't you wait until you know what actually happened before you declare that someone will stay on full-time? And how long does such an investigation take, for Pete's sake? My bullshit detector just went through the roof on this one.
It's Really Time for Kofi to Go
The United Nations is investigating about 150 allegations of sexual abuse by U.N. civilian staff and soldiers in the Congo, some of them recorded on videotape, a senior U.N. official said on Monday.
The accusations include pedophilia, rape and prostitution, said Jane Holl Lute, an assistant secretary-general in the peacekeeping department.
The accusations include pedophilia, rape and prostitution, said Jane Holl Lute, an assistant secretary-general in the peacekeeping department.
Educators? Of What?
Malcolm Muggeridge once said that the modern man has "educated himself into imbecility." I think these "educators" prove his point:
Maryland public school students are free to thank anyone they want while learning about the 17th century celebration of Thanksgiving - as long as it's not God.
And that is how it should be, administrators say.
Young students across the state read stories about the Pilgrims and Native Americans, simulate Mayflower voyages, hold mock feasts and learn about the famous meal that temporarily allied two very different groups.
But what teachers don't mention when they describe the feast is that the Pilgrims not only thanked the Native Americans for their peaceful three-day indulgence, but repeatedly thanked God.
...School administrators statewide agree, saying religion never coincides with how they teach Thanksgiving to students.
Maryland public school students are free to thank anyone they want while learning about the 17th century celebration of Thanksgiving - as long as it's not God.
And that is how it should be, administrators say.
Young students across the state read stories about the Pilgrims and Native Americans, simulate Mayflower voyages, hold mock feasts and learn about the famous meal that temporarily allied two very different groups.
But what teachers don't mention when they describe the feast is that the Pilgrims not only thanked the Native Americans for their peaceful three-day indulgence, but repeatedly thanked God.
...School administrators statewide agree, saying religion never coincides with how they teach Thanksgiving to students.
God Love the NY Times
Selena Roberts of the New York Times takes a look at the changing face of NASCAR:
A racial undertone has yet to develop into an unspoken tension between the stars of Nascar and their racing audience because many of the drivers and their fans share a conservative ideology, evangelical roots and white privilege.
Huh? Is this a sports article or a term paper from her Women's Studies class?
A racial undertone has yet to develop into an unspoken tension between the stars of Nascar and their racing audience because many of the drivers and their fans share a conservative ideology, evangelical roots and white privilege.
Huh? Is this a sports article or a term paper from her Women's Studies class?
Listen Up NBA Ballers
Great column from Jason Whitlock (who is black) in yesterday's Kansas City Star:
NBA commissioner David Stern sent a message to his players Sunday.
By issuing three of the harshest penalties in league history, Stern let his players know that the league will aggressively try to clean up its image problem.
Stern had no choice. TV ratings for the league have been steadily falling since Michael Jordan's heyday. By decimating the Pacers and publicly acknowledging that there has been a lowering of expectations in terms of player (and fan) behavior, Stern made it clear he's not in denial about the NBA's troubles.
But in this column, I am calling on my peers in the media to level with NBA players that may be in denial (and all professional athletes) and tell them what's really going on.
The people paying the bills don't like the product, don't like the attitude, don't like the showboating and don't like the flamboyance. The NBA, which relies heavily on African-American players, is at the forefront of fan backlash. Stern realizes this, and that's why, spurred on by the Detroit brawl, he is reacting decisively.
We're witnessing a clash of cultures. A predominately white fan base is rejecting a predominately black style of play and sportsmanship.
Who is on the right side of this argument? The group that is always right in a capitalistic society. The customer. A good businessman caters to his audience.
Stern's players must bow to the desires of their fan base.
We, black people, begged for integration. We demanded the right to play in the major leagues, the NBA, the NFL, the NHL. As long as the customer base is white, the standard for appropriate sportsmanship, style of play and appearance should be set by white people. This is fair, particularly when the athletes/employees earn millions of dollars and have the freedom to do whatever, and I mean whatever, they want when they're not playing or practicing.
If African-American players are unwilling to accept this reality, NBA owners will speed up the internationalization of their team's rosters. Many African-American players with NBA-quality skill will soon find themselves circling the country playing basketball with Hot Sauce and the And 1 Tour while Yao Nowitzki collects a $10 million NBA check.
The black players will have no one to blame but themselves.
NBA commissioner David Stern sent a message to his players Sunday.
By issuing three of the harshest penalties in league history, Stern let his players know that the league will aggressively try to clean up its image problem.
Stern had no choice. TV ratings for the league have been steadily falling since Michael Jordan's heyday. By decimating the Pacers and publicly acknowledging that there has been a lowering of expectations in terms of player (and fan) behavior, Stern made it clear he's not in denial about the NBA's troubles.
But in this column, I am calling on my peers in the media to level with NBA players that may be in denial (and all professional athletes) and tell them what's really going on.
The people paying the bills don't like the product, don't like the attitude, don't like the showboating and don't like the flamboyance. The NBA, which relies heavily on African-American players, is at the forefront of fan backlash. Stern realizes this, and that's why, spurred on by the Detroit brawl, he is reacting decisively.
We're witnessing a clash of cultures. A predominately white fan base is rejecting a predominately black style of play and sportsmanship.
Who is on the right side of this argument? The group that is always right in a capitalistic society. The customer. A good businessman caters to his audience.
Stern's players must bow to the desires of their fan base.
We, black people, begged for integration. We demanded the right to play in the major leagues, the NBA, the NFL, the NHL. As long as the customer base is white, the standard for appropriate sportsmanship, style of play and appearance should be set by white people. This is fair, particularly when the athletes/employees earn millions of dollars and have the freedom to do whatever, and I mean whatever, they want when they're not playing or practicing.
If African-American players are unwilling to accept this reality, NBA owners will speed up the internationalization of their team's rosters. Many African-American players with NBA-quality skill will soon find themselves circling the country playing basketball with Hot Sauce and the And 1 Tour while Yao Nowitzki collects a $10 million NBA check.
The black players will have no one to blame but themselves.
Monday, November 22, 2004
The Few, The Proud, The Marines
Here's an incredible first-hand account from the battle of Fallujah. Read the whole thing. Amazing. Simply amazing.
The Donald Has Lost His Touch
NEWARK, N.J. - Donald J. Trump's casino empire has filed for bankruptcy protection after months of negotiations with bondholders over restructuring a crushing debt.
Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts Inc. and numerous related operations filed for protection from its creditors under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code on Sunday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Camden, N.J. The Trump casino business consists mainly of three Atlantic City properties and a riverboat casino in Indiana and are only a small part of Trump's overall real estate empire.
..."I don't think it's a failure, it's a success," he said in the interview. "In this case, it was just something that worked better than other alternatives. It's really just a technical thing, but it came together."
Uh, yeah. I think The Donald has been reading to many Rick Pitino books. You know, success is a choice. Except in this instance, The Donald chose bankruptcy (which apparently to him is success).
Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts Inc. and numerous related operations filed for protection from its creditors under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code on Sunday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Camden, N.J. The Trump casino business consists mainly of three Atlantic City properties and a riverboat casino in Indiana and are only a small part of Trump's overall real estate empire.
..."I don't think it's a failure, it's a success," he said in the interview. "In this case, it was just something that worked better than other alternatives. It's really just a technical thing, but it came together."
Uh, yeah. I think The Donald has been reading to many Rick Pitino books. You know, success is a choice. Except in this instance, The Donald chose bankruptcy (which apparently to him is success).
Ethical Dilemma
From the NY Times:
Two marines were killed and four wounded in an ambush on Friday in which an insurgent deceived the Americans by waving a white flag, military officials said Saturday.
So the next time an insurgent approaches you waving a white flag, what do you do? I shoot him. War is hell...literally.
Two marines were killed and four wounded in an ambush on Friday in which an insurgent deceived the Americans by waving a white flag, military officials said Saturday.
So the next time an insurgent approaches you waving a white flag, what do you do? I shoot him. War is hell...literally.
C-A-T-S CATS! CATS! CATS!
BTW, the Cats throttled Coppin State on Saturday and will be up here in the 'Nati tomorrow night to throttle Ball State.
I don't want to make any predictions, but suffice it to say that I haven't been this excited about a Kentucky team since the 95'-'96 season. And we know what happened that year.
I don't want to make any predictions, but suffice it to say that I haven't been this excited about a Kentucky team since the 95'-'96 season. And we know what happened that year.
One of the Best Basketball Coaches in America?
Well, if you look at the numbers closely, you can make a pretty strong argument for John Chaney. This article makes the case. And I love this:
Last season, the Temple bus was about to leave for a game at Rutgers when he asked the team's academic coordinator how the week had gone. Not great, the coordinator said. Forward Michael Blackshear, the team's leading rebounder, had missed a class.
Chaney kicked Blackshear off the bus.
Temple went 3-3 without Blackshear -- losing at Rutgers, Arizona State and Miami by a combined 20 points. Were those three losses the difference in Temple's eventual 15-win NIT resume and an 18-win NCAA Tournament bid? Possibly.
"Some coaches say, 'I can't suspend my best player -- I won't get another one,'" Bradshaw says. "Coach has flied in the faced of the soft traditional way. Has he lost games because of it? Yes. Has he lost players because of it? Yes. Has he lost spots in the NCAA Tournament? Yes.
"But when you look at Coach Chaney, you take the whole coach there. He's had 21 straight winning years. He's got a method to what people might call madness."
Last season, the Temple bus was about to leave for a game at Rutgers when he asked the team's academic coordinator how the week had gone. Not great, the coordinator said. Forward Michael Blackshear, the team's leading rebounder, had missed a class.
Chaney kicked Blackshear off the bus.
Temple went 3-3 without Blackshear -- losing at Rutgers, Arizona State and Miami by a combined 20 points. Were those three losses the difference in Temple's eventual 15-win NIT resume and an 18-win NCAA Tournament bid? Possibly.
"Some coaches say, 'I can't suspend my best player -- I won't get another one,'" Bradshaw says. "Coach has flied in the faced of the soft traditional way. Has he lost games because of it? Yes. Has he lost players because of it? Yes. Has he lost spots in the NCAA Tournament? Yes.
"But when you look at Coach Chaney, you take the whole coach there. He's had 21 straight winning years. He's got a method to what people might call madness."
The Look of a Possible Republican Majority
From the LA Times:
WASHINGTON — The center of the Republican presidential coalition is moving toward the distant edges of suburbia.
In this month's election, President Bush carried 97 of the nation's 100 fastest-growing counties, most of them "exurban" communities that are rapidly transforming farmland into subdivisions and shopping malls on the periphery of major metropolitan areas.
Together, these fast-growing communities provided Bush a punishing 1.72 million vote advantage over Democrat John F. Kerry, according to a Times analysis of election results. That was almost half the president's total margin of victory.
"These exurban counties are the new Republican areas, and they will become increasingly important to Republican candidates," said Terry Nelson, the political director for Bush's reelection campaign. "This is where a lot of our vote is."
...The problem for Democrats is that in almost all metropolitan areas the distant Republican strongholds are growing much faster than either the cities or the inner suburbs.
Big Democratic-leaning suburbs like Oakland County in Michigan, Montgomery and Delaware counties in Pennsylvania and Fairfax in Virginia all grew by about 3% or less from 2000 through 2003, according to the Census Bureau. Big urban counties like Wayne (Detroit), Cuyahoga (Cleveland) and Philadelphia all lost population over that period.
But all of the 100 counties that the Census Bureau listed as fastest-growing increased their population by at least 12% during that same time. With each election, they are producing more votes to offset Democratic advantages in the cities and inner suburbs.
Bush's popularity in the high-growth counties propelled his victory in Florida, brought him close to winning in Minnesota and largely thwarted Kerry's hopes of competing in Colorado, North Carolina and Virginia, despite solid Democratic performances in more urban areas.
In Ohio, the two counties on the top 100 list — Warren, north of Cincinnati, and Delaware, north of Columbus — provided Bush a combined margin of nearly 67,000 votes, helping him overcome unprecedented Democratic turnout in Cleveland and the rest of Cuyahoga County.
WASHINGTON — The center of the Republican presidential coalition is moving toward the distant edges of suburbia.
In this month's election, President Bush carried 97 of the nation's 100 fastest-growing counties, most of them "exurban" communities that are rapidly transforming farmland into subdivisions and shopping malls on the periphery of major metropolitan areas.
Together, these fast-growing communities provided Bush a punishing 1.72 million vote advantage over Democrat John F. Kerry, according to a Times analysis of election results. That was almost half the president's total margin of victory.
"These exurban counties are the new Republican areas, and they will become increasingly important to Republican candidates," said Terry Nelson, the political director for Bush's reelection campaign. "This is where a lot of our vote is."
...The problem for Democrats is that in almost all metropolitan areas the distant Republican strongholds are growing much faster than either the cities or the inner suburbs.
Big Democratic-leaning suburbs like Oakland County in Michigan, Montgomery and Delaware counties in Pennsylvania and Fairfax in Virginia all grew by about 3% or less from 2000 through 2003, according to the Census Bureau. Big urban counties like Wayne (Detroit), Cuyahoga (Cleveland) and Philadelphia all lost population over that period.
But all of the 100 counties that the Census Bureau listed as fastest-growing increased their population by at least 12% during that same time. With each election, they are producing more votes to offset Democratic advantages in the cities and inner suburbs.
Bush's popularity in the high-growth counties propelled his victory in Florida, brought him close to winning in Minnesota and largely thwarted Kerry's hopes of competing in Colorado, North Carolina and Virginia, despite solid Democratic performances in more urban areas.
In Ohio, the two counties on the top 100 list — Warren, north of Cincinnati, and Delaware, north of Columbus — provided Bush a combined margin of nearly 67,000 votes, helping him overcome unprecedented Democratic turnout in Cleveland and the rest of Cuyahoga County.
The Wisdom of Red
Here's Red Auerbach on Adolph Rupp:
“Let me tell you something about Rupp. All I ever hear from people is that he was a racist. You know what? He did hate black guys — who couldn’t play! He also hated white guys who couldn’t play, blue guys who couldn’t play, and green guys who couldn’t play. He hated Jews who couldn’t play, Catholics who couldn’t play, and Muslims who couldn’t play. That was it. All these people who never met the guy said he was a racist. I knew the guy. I traveled with him. I spent time with him. I never saw any sign from him or heard anything from him that indicated to me that he was a racist or a bigot in any way.
“Now cheap, that was another story. He was the single cheapest person I’ve ever met in my life.”
...and on Traitor Rick Pitino:
“The guy can coach. I’ve watched him. He’s really good. He just fell into the same trap that so many guys fall into nowadays. He wanted everything. That might have worked forty or fifty years ago, but it can’t work today. You need guys you can turn to and really depend on to tell you the truth about everything — whether it’s good or bad. I don’t think Rick ever really trusted anyone but himself, which is really too bad.”
“Let me tell you something about Rupp. All I ever hear from people is that he was a racist. You know what? He did hate black guys — who couldn’t play! He also hated white guys who couldn’t play, blue guys who couldn’t play, and green guys who couldn’t play. He hated Jews who couldn’t play, Catholics who couldn’t play, and Muslims who couldn’t play. That was it. All these people who never met the guy said he was a racist. I knew the guy. I traveled with him. I spent time with him. I never saw any sign from him or heard anything from him that indicated to me that he was a racist or a bigot in any way.
“Now cheap, that was another story. He was the single cheapest person I’ve ever met in my life.”
...and on Traitor Rick Pitino:
“The guy can coach. I’ve watched him. He’s really good. He just fell into the same trap that so many guys fall into nowadays. He wanted everything. That might have worked forty or fifty years ago, but it can’t work today. You need guys you can turn to and really depend on to tell you the truth about everything — whether it’s good or bad. I don’t think Rick ever really trusted anyone but himself, which is really too bad.”
Why I Love Tay/Basketbrawl Update
I love Tayshaun Prince not only because he's a former Wildcat, but because he's smart too:
"Both benches emptied, which brings an automatic one-game suspension to those who left. Only Piston Tayshaun Prince remained on the bench." - Detroit News
"Both benches emptied, which brings an automatic one-game suspension to those who left. Only Piston Tayshaun Prince remained on the bench." - Detroit News
Who Dey?
Here's all you need to know:
Bengals second half production over last two games vs Washington and Pittsburgh:
Points: 0
1st downs: 5
Total yards: 132
Wow!
Bengals second half production over last two games vs Washington and Pittsburgh:
Points: 0
1st downs: 5
Total yards: 132
Wow!
Outrage!
I'm sure we'll soon here about this from Michael Moore:
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. - President Clinton's new $165 million library here was funded in part by gifts of $1 million or more each from the Saudi royal family and three Saudi businessmen.
The governments of Dubai, Kuwait, and Qatar and the deputy prime minister of Lebanon all also appear to have donated $1 million or more for the archive and museum that opened last week.
Yeah, right.
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. - President Clinton's new $165 million library here was funded in part by gifts of $1 million or more each from the Saudi royal family and three Saudi businessmen.
The governments of Dubai, Kuwait, and Qatar and the deputy prime minister of Lebanon all also appear to have donated $1 million or more for the archive and museum that opened last week.
Yeah, right.
Even More Good News on Iraq
PARIS (AP) - Major economic powers agreed on Sunday to write off billions of dollars of debt for Iraq in a deal that marked a significant step in U.S. efforts to help put the Iraqi economy back on its feet.
Under the agreement, the Paris Club of 19 creditor nations will write off 80 percent of the $42 billion that Iraq owes them, the group's chairman, Jean-Pierre Jouyet said.
The Paris Club includes, the United States, Japan, Russia and European nations. . . . The deal represented a considerable concession from France, just as French President Jacques Chirac's government is pushing to rebuild ties with Bush's administration that were damaged by disagreements over the U.S.-led Iraq war. France opposed the invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.
Under the agreement, the Paris Club of 19 creditor nations will write off 80 percent of the $42 billion that Iraq owes them, the group's chairman, Jean-Pierre Jouyet said.
The Paris Club includes, the United States, Japan, Russia and European nations. . . . The deal represented a considerable concession from France, just as French President Jacques Chirac's government is pushing to rebuild ties with Bush's administration that were damaged by disagreements over the U.S.-led Iraq war. France opposed the invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.
The Commish
If you were wondering who is the strongest commissioner in professional sports, wonder no more:
NEW YORK -- Ron Artest was suspended for the rest of the season Sunday, and two of his Indiana Pacers teammates must miss a total of 55 games for fighting with fans during a melee that broke out at the end of a game against the Detroit Pistons.
Overall, the NBA issued some of the harshest penalties in its history by banning nine players for more than 140 games. Artest's suspension is the strongest ever levied for a fight during a game.
"The line is drawn, and my guess is that won't happen again -- certainly not by anybody who wants to be associated with our league," commissioner David Stern said.
Ron Artest is nothing more than a high-paid street thug (and he's not alone in the NBA). Good for Commissioner Stern.
NEW YORK -- Ron Artest was suspended for the rest of the season Sunday, and two of his Indiana Pacers teammates must miss a total of 55 games for fighting with fans during a melee that broke out at the end of a game against the Detroit Pistons.
Overall, the NBA issued some of the harshest penalties in its history by banning nine players for more than 140 games. Artest's suspension is the strongest ever levied for a fight during a game.
"The line is drawn, and my guess is that won't happen again -- certainly not by anybody who wants to be associated with our league," commissioner David Stern said.
Ron Artest is nothing more than a high-paid street thug (and he's not alone in the NBA). Good for Commissioner Stern.
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