One of the most influential men in the world has died...someone most people have never heard of.
Kenneth Nathaniel Taylor, who founded Tyndale House Publishers after he had been unable to find a company willing to publish his Bible paraphrases, died at age 88 on Friday. Tyndale House is now a leading publisher of Christian books and resources. Taylor's biblical paraphrase, which became The Living Bible, sold more than 40 million copes in North America alone. In 1950, Taylor also founded the Christian Booksellers Association, a trade association of Christian stores, publishers, and other retail companies now known simply as CBA. He also created the missions organizations Evangelical Literature Overseas and Short Terms Abroad (which merged with Seattle-based Intercristo in 1976).
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Social Security CRISIS!!!
WASHINGTON, June 11 - Americans turning 65 this year can expect to live, on average, until they are 83, four and a half years longer than the typical 65-year-old could expect in 1940. And government actuaries predict that American life spans will just keep growing.
This demographic trend - by 2040, the average 65-year-old will live to about 85 - has major financial implications for Social Security and major political implications for the lawmakers now trying to overhaul the system.
So what's the response from the dolts in Washington: "What crisis?"
Here's the problem. The original Social Security program was designed 65 years ago in 1937. But it was fatally flawed because it did not adequately anticipate future rates of inflation or life expectancy. In 1937, CPI averaged 1.4% per year over the previous 25 years. Since then, it has averaged 4.0% per year. Life expectancy then was 60 years. Today it is 77. Any remedy to the present retirement system must comprehend and solve the unpleasant unpredictability of both these factors.
The Solution: Pay promised benefits to those 58 and older. Bump the retirement age for younger workers to 75 or 76 (and index based on life expectancy). Cut benefits for younger workers (pre-58). Allow younger workers to invest a small percentage in private accounts.
This demographic trend - by 2040, the average 65-year-old will live to about 85 - has major financial implications for Social Security and major political implications for the lawmakers now trying to overhaul the system.
So what's the response from the dolts in Washington: "What crisis?"
Here's the problem. The original Social Security program was designed 65 years ago in 1937. But it was fatally flawed because it did not adequately anticipate future rates of inflation or life expectancy. In 1937, CPI averaged 1.4% per year over the previous 25 years. Since then, it has averaged 4.0% per year. Life expectancy then was 60 years. Today it is 77. Any remedy to the present retirement system must comprehend and solve the unpleasant unpredictability of both these factors.
The Solution: Pay promised benefits to those 58 and older. Bump the retirement age for younger workers to 75 or 76 (and index based on life expectancy). Cut benefits for younger workers (pre-58). Allow younger workers to invest a small percentage in private accounts.
Now Why Don't I Take The Left Seriously...Oh Yeah
A group of naked cyclists took part in a bike ride to protest against oil dependency and to "celebrate the human body."
Crowds gathered as about 100 people set off from Hyde Park corner, London, in the World Naked Bike Ride past some of the capital's most famous landmarks.
Most of them stripped fully naked for the 10km (6.2 miles) cycle past Piccadilly Circus, Big Ben, Covent Garden, Oxford Street and the United States Embassy.
Some bikes were decked out with banners reading 'Oil is not a bare necessity but a crude obsession' and 'Support the trade justice movement'.
Others have slogans painted on their backs and some were on roller-skates.
Crowds gathered as about 100 people set off from Hyde Park corner, London, in the World Naked Bike Ride past some of the capital's most famous landmarks.
Most of them stripped fully naked for the 10km (6.2 miles) cycle past Piccadilly Circus, Big Ben, Covent Garden, Oxford Street and the United States Embassy.
Some bikes were decked out with banners reading 'Oil is not a bare necessity but a crude obsession' and 'Support the trade justice movement'.
Others have slogans painted on their backs and some were on roller-skates.
Friday, June 10, 2005
Indian Dominance of the Spelling Bee
One possible explanation:
But Nehru would have approved of spelling bees. Indian pedagogy relies heavily on rote memorization--the result of a fusion of Victorian teaching methods imposed by the British and ancient Hindu practice, in which the guru (or teacher) imparted his learning to pupils via an oral tradition. (The Victorians, for their part, regarded correct spelling almost as a moral virtue, and certainly as a caste "signifier," to use a clumsy anthropological term.)
So the act of sitting down for months with dictionary on lap, chanting aloud the spellings of abstruse words and then committing them to memory probably taps into an atavistic stream coursing through the veins of Indian bee-children. A friend tells the story of how, in his childhood, he'd had an Indian boy home for a sleep-over. He awoke in the middle of the night to find his guest poring over the host family's Random House dictionary. "I own an Oxford dictionary," the boy had said, by way of bizarre, nocturnal explanation. "This American dictionary is so different!
But Nehru would have approved of spelling bees. Indian pedagogy relies heavily on rote memorization--the result of a fusion of Victorian teaching methods imposed by the British and ancient Hindu practice, in which the guru (or teacher) imparted his learning to pupils via an oral tradition. (The Victorians, for their part, regarded correct spelling almost as a moral virtue, and certainly as a caste "signifier," to use a clumsy anthropological term.)
So the act of sitting down for months with dictionary on lap, chanting aloud the spellings of abstruse words and then committing them to memory probably taps into an atavistic stream coursing through the veins of Indian bee-children. A friend tells the story of how, in his childhood, he'd had an Indian boy home for a sleep-over. He awoke in the middle of the night to find his guest poring over the host family's Random House dictionary. "I own an Oxford dictionary," the boy had said, by way of bizarre, nocturnal explanation. "This American dictionary is so different!
Single Payor System Struck Down Up North
Canada's Supreme Court struck down a Quebec law outlawing private health insurance. Here's the money quote:
"In the case of certain surgical procedures, the delays that are the necessary result of waiting lists increase the patient's risk of mortality or the risk that his or her injuries will become irreparable," Justice Marie Deschamps wrote for the majority. "Many patients on non-urgent waiting lists are in pain and cannot fully enjoy any real quality of life. The right to life and to personal inviolability is therefore affected by the waiting times."
Amen, sister.
"In the case of certain surgical procedures, the delays that are the necessary result of waiting lists increase the patient's risk of mortality or the risk that his or her injuries will become irreparable," Justice Marie Deschamps wrote for the majority. "Many patients on non-urgent waiting lists are in pain and cannot fully enjoy any real quality of life. The right to life and to personal inviolability is therefore affected by the waiting times."
Amen, sister.
Not All Democrats Are Goose-Stepping Behind Dean
From the Don Imus show:
June 9, 2005
Imus: "On another note here, speaking of the Democratic Party, which you are a member of, how's Howard Dean working for you?"
Rep. Harold Ford Jr.: "(Laughing) I won't have him down so many times in Tennessee on the campaign trail with me. He has made some comments as of late that really speak to a lack of understanding I think, of the country, a lack of understanding of faith and values. I'm a Democrat and I'm a God fearing one. I grew up in church. Christianity is not reserved for white males. I think perhaps Governor Dean sometimes gets a little excited at the mouth, and says things that are simply not true. It may reach a point where if he can't find a way to kind of control some of his comments, and temper his comments, it may get to the point where the party may need to look elsewhere for leadership, because he does not speak for me, and I know he does not speak for a majority of Democrats and I dare say Republicans in my home state. I know that other, even Senator Biden and others, have made some stronger comments about him. I look forward to having a chance to sit with him here in the next day or so. I think he's going to be here in Capitol Hill a little later today to meet with us. I want to ask him directly. Can he contain himself in a lot of ways, and what is his thought process in a lot of these issues because it is not representative of where the party is."
June 9, 2005
Imus: "On another note here, speaking of the Democratic Party, which you are a member of, how's Howard Dean working for you?"
Rep. Harold Ford Jr.: "(Laughing) I won't have him down so many times in Tennessee on the campaign trail with me. He has made some comments as of late that really speak to a lack of understanding I think, of the country, a lack of understanding of faith and values. I'm a Democrat and I'm a God fearing one. I grew up in church. Christianity is not reserved for white males. I think perhaps Governor Dean sometimes gets a little excited at the mouth, and says things that are simply not true. It may reach a point where if he can't find a way to kind of control some of his comments, and temper his comments, it may get to the point where the party may need to look elsewhere for leadership, because he does not speak for me, and I know he does not speak for a majority of Democrats and I dare say Republicans in my home state. I know that other, even Senator Biden and others, have made some stronger comments about him. I look forward to having a chance to sit with him here in the next day or so. I think he's going to be here in Capitol Hill a little later today to meet with us. I want to ask him directly. Can he contain himself in a lot of ways, and what is his thought process in a lot of these issues because it is not representative of where the party is."
Encouraging News from Saudi Arabia
Conservative Islam is the foundation of Islamic radicalism, which is Islam carried to a murderous extreme. This movement is weakening in the place where it originated; Saudi Arabia. One of the most telling signs has been the decline and fall of the religious police. The Mutawwain -- national "religious police" – or "Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Suppression of Vice" has long been a force in Saudi Arabia, acting against any perceived "un-Islamic" behavior in an attempt to preserve religious purity (e.g., it's better that women should burn to death in a fire than that they appear without their veils). Over the past few years, however, the Mutawwain have come under increasing pressure. Long regarded not only as arbitrary, but also corrupt, the organization is under investigation by the official state prosecutor, and its budget and personnel have been cut repeatedly; from over 2000 officers just five years ago there are now apparently only some 700.
Shame on Bishop Foys
I take back all of my previous praise of the Bishop. It turns out the Diocese is only paying $40 million, with the remaining $80 million hinging on their successful lawsuit against their insurance carriers. Oh by the way, the Diocese is self-insured, which means they're essentially suing themselves.
BURLINGTON - Calling the $120 million Covington Diocese settlement "a sound bite," Senior Judge John Potter rejected it, saying both sets of lawyers were fooling victims of sexual abuse.
Potter, of Louisville, said that while the proposed settlement was a good first step, it could collapse and end up in a trial - because only $40 million is immediately available for the claims.
Potter didn't discount the chance that the remaining $80 million could be collected through litigation with insurers. "It may, in the future at some point, become a $120 million settlement."
The judge said he wanted to make sure that no victim of sexual abuse by a priest became dispirited about his comment, but that it was better the victims understand up front that there isn't yet $120 million to be doled out.
The diocese is suing its insurance carriers to force them to contribute $80 million to the victims of the nation's only class-action suit alleging sexual abuse by priests.
Church investments and diocesan real estate will cover the diocese's $40 million part of the settlement.
A Roman Catholic self-insurance program released a public statement while Potter conducted the hearing, saying the Covington Diocese never consulted with its agents about the proposed settlement, despite the fact that the insurance group had paid $1.6 million for lawyers to defend the diocese.
Catholic Mutual Group, whose chairman is the archbishop of Omaha, said it was "saddened that the diocese has chosen to sue the church's self-insurance fund without prior notification or consultation."
The diocese has participated in Catholic Mutual's self-insurance company since 1968.
The statement said the carrier has "scrupulously abided by its obligations" to the Covington Diocese and does not understand how the diocese could expect Catholic Mutual to fund a settlement in which it wasn't consulted and hadn't approved.
Regardless, the statement said, Catholic Mutual will work to help resolve the situation in a way that's fair to all involved.
BURLINGTON - Calling the $120 million Covington Diocese settlement "a sound bite," Senior Judge John Potter rejected it, saying both sets of lawyers were fooling victims of sexual abuse.
Potter, of Louisville, said that while the proposed settlement was a good first step, it could collapse and end up in a trial - because only $40 million is immediately available for the claims.
Potter didn't discount the chance that the remaining $80 million could be collected through litigation with insurers. "It may, in the future at some point, become a $120 million settlement."
The judge said he wanted to make sure that no victim of sexual abuse by a priest became dispirited about his comment, but that it was better the victims understand up front that there isn't yet $120 million to be doled out.
The diocese is suing its insurance carriers to force them to contribute $80 million to the victims of the nation's only class-action suit alleging sexual abuse by priests.
Church investments and diocesan real estate will cover the diocese's $40 million part of the settlement.
A Roman Catholic self-insurance program released a public statement while Potter conducted the hearing, saying the Covington Diocese never consulted with its agents about the proposed settlement, despite the fact that the insurance group had paid $1.6 million for lawyers to defend the diocese.
Catholic Mutual Group, whose chairman is the archbishop of Omaha, said it was "saddened that the diocese has chosen to sue the church's self-insurance fund without prior notification or consultation."
The diocese has participated in Catholic Mutual's self-insurance company since 1968.
The statement said the carrier has "scrupulously abided by its obligations" to the Covington Diocese and does not understand how the diocese could expect Catholic Mutual to fund a settlement in which it wasn't consulted and hadn't approved.
Regardless, the statement said, Catholic Mutual will work to help resolve the situation in a way that's fair to all involved.
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Schiavo Redux
This is probably the best commentary on the Terri Schiavo case that I've read. And amazingly, it's from the usually unstable Joan Didion.
Big Bro' Was Right
My brother Greg used to tell me that Hollywood was filled with nothing but shallow, insecure, self-centered, moronic fools. I never believed him. How could Rodney Dangerfield or Keenan Ivory-Wayansk, who Greg knew all too well, be jackasses? They were so funny.
Alas, he was right.
Legendary movie maker STEVEN SPIELBERG has hit out at Hollywood for not rallying round for Democrat JOHN KERRY's election campaign last year (NOV04).
The SCHINDLER'S LIST director supported Kerry in his unsuccessful battle for US Presidency against GEORGE W BUSH, but he was outraged that the influential film industry weren't more vociferous in their support of the Democrats in comparison to the backing they gave to charismatic former leader BILL CLINTON in the 1990s.
In an interview on Australian chat show ENOUGH ROPE, he fumed, "I was disappointed that Hollywood didn't do enough for John Kerry's campaign, compared to what Hollywood did for Bill Clinton's campaign.
"The democratic Hollywood base, power base and money base, really didn't come out this year, and I was surprised about that.
"It might have been that Hollywood is very interested in charisma and I do not think that Hollywood felt that John Kerry had the kind of charisma that Bill Clinton had and that they didn't come out in force.
"I thought John Kerry would have been a wonderful world leader and an American president."
Alas, he was right.
Legendary movie maker STEVEN SPIELBERG has hit out at Hollywood for not rallying round for Democrat JOHN KERRY's election campaign last year (NOV04).
The SCHINDLER'S LIST director supported Kerry in his unsuccessful battle for US Presidency against GEORGE W BUSH, but he was outraged that the influential film industry weren't more vociferous in their support of the Democrats in comparison to the backing they gave to charismatic former leader BILL CLINTON in the 1990s.
In an interview on Australian chat show ENOUGH ROPE, he fumed, "I was disappointed that Hollywood didn't do enough for John Kerry's campaign, compared to what Hollywood did for Bill Clinton's campaign.
"The democratic Hollywood base, power base and money base, really didn't come out this year, and I was surprised about that.
"It might have been that Hollywood is very interested in charisma and I do not think that Hollywood felt that John Kerry had the kind of charisma that Bill Clinton had and that they didn't come out in force.
"I thought John Kerry would have been a wonderful world leader and an American president."
We Need More Eloria Noyesi Moths
I can honestly say I thought of this years ago, but nobody would listen.
BOGOTA,Colombia - A group of Colombian scientists believe they've found a way to wipe out cocaine production: unleash an army of hungry moth caterpillars. But critics of the proposal say the chance for "ecological mischief" is high.
The plan envisions breeding thousands of beige-colored Eloria Noyesi moths in laboratories, packing them into boxes and releasing them into steamy coca-growing regions of Colombia, the world's main supplier of the drug. The moths, about twice the size of a fly, are native only to the Andean region of South America.
Colombian Environment Minister Sandra Suarez told The Associated Press that the government considers the proposal an "interesting alternative" to existing eradication methods.
Carlos Alberto Gomez, president of the privately funded National Network of Botanical Gardens, made the proposal last week. He said the moths would naturally make a beeline for the coca plants and lay their eggs on the leaves. About a week later, caterpillars would emerge and destroy the plants by devouring the leaves.
BOGOTA,Colombia - A group of Colombian scientists believe they've found a way to wipe out cocaine production: unleash an army of hungry moth caterpillars. But critics of the proposal say the chance for "ecological mischief" is high.
The plan envisions breeding thousands of beige-colored Eloria Noyesi moths in laboratories, packing them into boxes and releasing them into steamy coca-growing regions of Colombia, the world's main supplier of the drug. The moths, about twice the size of a fly, are native only to the Andean region of South America.
Colombian Environment Minister Sandra Suarez told The Associated Press that the government considers the proposal an "interesting alternative" to existing eradication methods.
Carlos Alberto Gomez, president of the privately funded National Network of Botanical Gardens, made the proposal last week. He said the moths would naturally make a beeline for the coca plants and lay their eggs on the leaves. About a week later, caterpillars would emerge and destroy the plants by devouring the leaves.
A Mixed Bag
StrategyPage has good Iraq news...and bad. First, the good:
More towns in Iraqi's "wild west" are being pacified. The usual drill is not another Fallujah, but a government official meeting with local tribal and religious leaders, where an offer is made. Iraqi and American troops are coming. Neighborhoods that support the government will see little or no fighting as a search is made for weapons, bombs and the like. Neighborhoods that wish to resist will be hit hard. By now, everyone knows how smart bombs work. Increasingly, Sunni Arab leaders are being told, by their followers, that all this violence is not worth it. After Saddam fell, Sunni Arabs continued to believe in fantasies. For the last two years, the collective delusion was that the Americans had no stomach for guerilla war, and the Kurds and Shia Arabs could never get a government together. Today, Sunni Arabs who can get away on a little vacation, go north to the Kurdish north, or south to Shia Basra. In both places you can sit in an outdoor cafe without fear of a suicide bomb going off down the street. The Kurds and Shia have more jobs, more reconstruction and less crime. The Sunni Arabs don't want to live in their own mess any more. They don't want to live in a combat zone, especially while the Kurds and Shia are not.
Now, the bad:
The biggest obstacle to economic revival is not terrorism, but corruption. For example, over a third of Iraq’s potential oil revenue is lost to corruption and theft. . . .
Iraq may be free of Saddam, but it is not yet free of the corrupt practices that allow someone like Saddam to take power, and keep it. While much is made of the terror Saddam used to keep Iraqis in line, we forget that he often used corruption, and the willingness of too many Iraqis to take the money and look the other way. The corruption has gotten so bad, especially the oil thefts, that the government is planning on firing several hundred thousand government workers. The money simply isn't there to pay them. The money, instead, is in the pockets of local criminals, or foreign bank accounts belonging to corrupt officials. Until Iraq can confront and conquer this enemy, they will not be able to enjoy the benefits of their oil wealth.
More towns in Iraqi's "wild west" are being pacified. The usual drill is not another Fallujah, but a government official meeting with local tribal and religious leaders, where an offer is made. Iraqi and American troops are coming. Neighborhoods that support the government will see little or no fighting as a search is made for weapons, bombs and the like. Neighborhoods that wish to resist will be hit hard. By now, everyone knows how smart bombs work. Increasingly, Sunni Arab leaders are being told, by their followers, that all this violence is not worth it. After Saddam fell, Sunni Arabs continued to believe in fantasies. For the last two years, the collective delusion was that the Americans had no stomach for guerilla war, and the Kurds and Shia Arabs could never get a government together. Today, Sunni Arabs who can get away on a little vacation, go north to the Kurdish north, or south to Shia Basra. In both places you can sit in an outdoor cafe without fear of a suicide bomb going off down the street. The Kurds and Shia have more jobs, more reconstruction and less crime. The Sunni Arabs don't want to live in their own mess any more. They don't want to live in a combat zone, especially while the Kurds and Shia are not.
Now, the bad:
The biggest obstacle to economic revival is not terrorism, but corruption. For example, over a third of Iraq’s potential oil revenue is lost to corruption and theft. . . .
Iraq may be free of Saddam, but it is not yet free of the corrupt practices that allow someone like Saddam to take power, and keep it. While much is made of the terror Saddam used to keep Iraqis in line, we forget that he often used corruption, and the willingness of too many Iraqis to take the money and look the other way. The corruption has gotten so bad, especially the oil thefts, that the government is planning on firing several hundred thousand government workers. The money simply isn't there to pay them. The money, instead, is in the pockets of local criminals, or foreign bank accounts belonging to corrupt officials. Until Iraq can confront and conquer this enemy, they will not be able to enjoy the benefits of their oil wealth.
Don't Say That Again
Funniest moment from Wily Mo's post-game comments after last night's Reds' game. I paraphrase:
Reporter: "How do you think your bobblehead looks?"
Wily Mo: "It makes me look like a fag."
Uh, I don't think Wily Mo's used to dealing with the activist groups down there in the Dominican.
Reporter: "How do you think your bobblehead looks?"
Wily Mo: "It makes me look like a fag."
Uh, I don't think Wily Mo's used to dealing with the activist groups down there in the Dominican.
The Gospel is Spreading...Even to Harvard and Yale
Fabulous article from the NY Times (yes, that NY Times) on Christians at Ivy League colleges. Will these universities once again become the bastions of Christian learning that they were created to be?
Is This Good, Bad, or Neither?
WASHINGTON -- Hispanics accounted for half the 2.9 million U.S. population growth from 2003 to 2004 and now constitute one-seventh of all people in the United States.
A Census Bureau report issued Thursday said that trend probably will continue because of immigration and a Hispanic birth rate outstripping non-Hispanic blacks and whites.
The agency estimated there are 41.3 million Hispanics in the U.S. The bureau does not ask about legal status so its numbers are intended to include everyone.
The population growth for Asians ran a close second. Increases in both groups are due largely to immigration, but also higher birth rates, said Lewis W. Goodman, an American University expert on U.S.-Latin American relations.
A Census Bureau report issued Thursday said that trend probably will continue because of immigration and a Hispanic birth rate outstripping non-Hispanic blacks and whites.
The agency estimated there are 41.3 million Hispanics in the U.S. The bureau does not ask about legal status so its numbers are intended to include everyone.
The population growth for Asians ran a close second. Increases in both groups are due largely to immigration, but also higher birth rates, said Lewis W. Goodman, an American University expert on U.S.-Latin American relations.
No Like Hillary
Interesting tidbit from Bob Novak:
At a dinner party in a private room of a Los Angeles restaurant attended by eight Democratic politicians, I was asked to assess the political scene. I concluded with a preview of the distant events of 2008. While there had not been so open a race for the Republican nomination since 1940, I said, Clinton was dominant for the Democrats. For someone who is neither an incumbent president nor vice president to have apparently locked the nomination so early is without precedent.
As I made this analysis, the liberal Democratic functionary across the table from me shook his head in disagreement. He left his seat between courses, and then returned with this announcement: ''There are eight Democrats in this room. I've taken a little poll, and none of them -- none -- are for Hillary for president. They think she is a loser.''
At a dinner party in a private room of a Los Angeles restaurant attended by eight Democratic politicians, I was asked to assess the political scene. I concluded with a preview of the distant events of 2008. While there had not been so open a race for the Republican nomination since 1940, I said, Clinton was dominant for the Democrats. For someone who is neither an incumbent president nor vice president to have apparently locked the nomination so early is without precedent.
As I made this analysis, the liberal Democratic functionary across the table from me shook his head in disagreement. He left his seat between courses, and then returned with this announcement: ''There are eight Democrats in this room. I've taken a little poll, and none of them -- none -- are for Hillary for president. They think she is a loser.''
This is Comforting
Up to a third of scientists have engaged in ethically questionable practices over the last three years, according to a survey published in today's issue of the British science journal Nature.
The surveyed behaviors range from extremely serious acts such as fraud and plagiarism -- which were committed by only a fraction of a percent to 1. 4 percent, respectively -- to acts that are ethically far more ambiguous, such as ignoring data that contradict one's theory.
The surveyed behaviors range from extremely serious acts such as fraud and plagiarism -- which were committed by only a fraction of a percent to 1. 4 percent, respectively -- to acts that are ethically far more ambiguous, such as ignoring data that contradict one's theory.
Dirt is Good
I've always thought that dirt is good and hyper-cleanliness bad. It just makes sense that your body strengthens it's immune system by being attacked - much like an athlete becomes more skilled by being challenged by better athletes. Well, there is a growing consensus in the medical community that asthma is caused by cleanliness.
There is growing evidence that asthma, like polio, is a disease of cleanliness. It is rare in farm children and seems to be related to a failure to expose very young children to dirt when their immune systems are sorting out friend from foe. Polio was the same and the epidemics first appeared in Sweden, in villages, where a combination of isolation and cleanliness isolated children from new pathogens. This was finally figured out in the 50s when Mexican children were tested, once the antibody test was available, and all the poor kids were found already immune even though none had paralysis. A similar mechanism is postulated for asthma although there is no proof yet. Epidemiology will probably prove it one day. In the meantime, asthma deaths are climbing steadily.
There is growing evidence that asthma, like polio, is a disease of cleanliness. It is rare in farm children and seems to be related to a failure to expose very young children to dirt when their immune systems are sorting out friend from foe. Polio was the same and the epidemics first appeared in Sweden, in villages, where a combination of isolation and cleanliness isolated children from new pathogens. This was finally figured out in the 50s when Mexican children were tested, once the antibody test was available, and all the poor kids were found already immune even though none had paralysis. A similar mechanism is postulated for asthma although there is no proof yet. Epidemiology will probably prove it one day. In the meantime, asthma deaths are climbing steadily.
Quote of the Day
From Andrew Sullivan:
"Does anyone in America doubt that Kerry has a higher IQ than Bush? I'm sure the candidates' SATs and college transcripts would put Kerry far ahead." - Howell Raines, former executive editor of the New York Times, last August.
That's classic.
"Does anyone in America doubt that Kerry has a higher IQ than Bush? I'm sure the candidates' SATs and college transcripts would put Kerry far ahead." - Howell Raines, former executive editor of the New York Times, last August.
That's classic.
The Hits Just Keep On Coming
University of Cincinnati basketball coach Bob Huggins said he first learned of the statutory rape charge against UC recruit Tyree Evans on Tuesday night after assistant athletic director Tom Hathaway was contacted by a newspaper reporter seeking a comment from a school official.
Evans, a 6-foot-3 guard from Richmond, Va., is one of five current or former members of the Winchendon (Mass.) School basketball team who are facing charges in connection with an alleged incident last fall at the prep school.
"We are shocked about it," Huggins said Wednesday from Chicago, where he and associate head coach Andy Kennedy were watching UC graduate Jason Maxiell compete in the NBA pre-draft camp.
"When we found out (Tuesday), we were dumbfounded. We started calling around trying to find out what's going on. If this happened, he'll never set foot on our campus."
Evans, a 6-foot-3 guard from Richmond, Va., is one of five current or former members of the Winchendon (Mass.) School basketball team who are facing charges in connection with an alleged incident last fall at the prep school.
"We are shocked about it," Huggins said Wednesday from Chicago, where he and associate head coach Andy Kennedy were watching UC graduate Jason Maxiell compete in the NBA pre-draft camp.
"When we found out (Tuesday), we were dumbfounded. We started calling around trying to find out what's going on. If this happened, he'll never set foot on our campus."
Why I Love Chad Johnson?
In response to a comment made by his agent in a recent online report, Chad Johnson stressed Wednesday that a holdout is not in his plans.
Agent Drew Rosenhaus represents the Bengals wide receiver, who is under contract through the 2009 season. An ESPN.com story about Rosenhaus included a comment from the agent that Johnson was "sorely underpaid."
"My agent doesn't run me. I run myself," Johnson said after Wednesday's workout. "He works for me. Therefore, if there were any holdout going on it would be going on right now with the rest of those that are holding out for more money right now.
"(Number) 85 ain't going nowhere."
Agent Drew Rosenhaus represents the Bengals wide receiver, who is under contract through the 2009 season. An ESPN.com story about Rosenhaus included a comment from the agent that Johnson was "sorely underpaid."
"My agent doesn't run me. I run myself," Johnson said after Wednesday's workout. "He works for me. Therefore, if there were any holdout going on it would be going on right now with the rest of those that are holding out for more money right now.
"(Number) 85 ain't going nowhere."
Wily Moooooo!!
Wily Mo saved the day last night with 2 home runs, including the game winner in the 9th. But Eric Milton was - yet again - awful.
Even with the win, do the Reds dare to keep running Milton out there every fifth day?
Milton had his sixth awful start in seven outings, and his ERA rose to 7.46. He is in the first year of a $25.5 million, three-year contract.
The Reds have better options. Luke Hudson joins the rotation today. Matt Belisle (2-5, 4.76 ERA) and Randy Keisler (2-0, 1.93) both have pitched considerably better than Milton.
Given his performance over his last seven starts - 1-5, 9.16 ERA, 54 hits and 11 home runs in 361/3 innings - there's little to suggest that Milton is on the brink of turning it around. Any chance the Reds will take him out of the rotation?
"I can't comment on that," Reds manager Dave Miley said.
Even with the win, do the Reds dare to keep running Milton out there every fifth day?
Milton had his sixth awful start in seven outings, and his ERA rose to 7.46. He is in the first year of a $25.5 million, three-year contract.
The Reds have better options. Luke Hudson joins the rotation today. Matt Belisle (2-5, 4.76 ERA) and Randy Keisler (2-0, 1.93) both have pitched considerably better than Milton.
Given his performance over his last seven starts - 1-5, 9.16 ERA, 54 hits and 11 home runs in 361/3 innings - there's little to suggest that Milton is on the brink of turning it around. Any chance the Reds will take him out of the rotation?
"I can't comment on that," Reds manager Dave Miley said.
Nobody Knows, The Trouble I've Seen
I think it's time for Larry to go preach to his fellow inmates in prison.
COVINGTON - The Rev. Larry Davis purchased a Porsche with some of the more than $700,000 he stole from the First Baptist Church of Cold Spring - sometimes brazenly withdrawing the money at horse racetrack ATMs, a federal prosecutor says.
"The thought of somebody in a leadership position misappropriating funds for personal use is very troubling," said U.S. Attorney Gregory Van Tatenhove.
"We, as a community, need to take a strong stand to hold those individuals accountable."
A seven-count federal indictment returned Wednesday says Davis submitted a false loan application to Fifth Third Bank, evaded federal income taxes for four years, and transferred stolen church money across state lines to buy the Porsche 911 and a minivan.
COVINGTON - The Rev. Larry Davis purchased a Porsche with some of the more than $700,000 he stole from the First Baptist Church of Cold Spring - sometimes brazenly withdrawing the money at horse racetrack ATMs, a federal prosecutor says.
"The thought of somebody in a leadership position misappropriating funds for personal use is very troubling," said U.S. Attorney Gregory Van Tatenhove.
"We, as a community, need to take a strong stand to hold those individuals accountable."
A seven-count federal indictment returned Wednesday says Davis submitted a false loan application to Fifth Third Bank, evaded federal income taxes for four years, and transferred stolen church money across state lines to buy the Porsche 911 and a minivan.
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
What a Bunch of Stiffs
What is the most underachieving professional sports franchise based on player salaries?
Without a doubt, the NY Knicks.
Without a doubt, the NY Knicks.
Ooooh! Ahhhhh!
SORRY, Richard Gere, but Owen Wilson (above) doesn't share your adoration of the Dalai Lama. Wilson tells Playboy that he went to hear the Tibetan spiritual leader speak at UCLA once to "impress a girl" and "the crowd made me want to throw up. At the end of his corny lecture, with a bunch of goofball utopian ideals, he opened it up to questions. Somebody asked, 'What's the answer to world hunger?' And his answer was like, 'Sharing!' And everyone oohed and aahed like he'd just solved the problem. Somebody else asked, 'What's the solution to racism?' And he came back with, 'We all have the same color of blood,' and everybody was swooning. I just couldn't believe what the big deal was."
Go, Deano, Go
When Howard Dean became Chair of the DNC, I suggested that this was Karl Rove's doing. I clearly had my tounge in my cheek at the time. After the past few weeks, I'm beginning to think the Rove angle may be true.
Many Republicans probably voted for George Bush dozens, if not hundreds, of times in 2004, according to Democrat party Chairman Howard Dean, "by taking advantage of the fact that Democrat poll workers have difficulty distinguishing individuals from among a crowd of white Christians."
"Thanks to their pale skin, round eyes and khaki trousers, Republicans just blend in," said Mr. Dean. "So they vote, get in the back of the line and vote again. And because they've never made an honest living in their lives, they could do that all day long."
Many Republicans probably voted for George Bush dozens, if not hundreds, of times in 2004, according to Democrat party Chairman Howard Dean, "by taking advantage of the fact that Democrat poll workers have difficulty distinguishing individuals from among a crowd of white Christians."
"Thanks to their pale skin, round eyes and khaki trousers, Republicans just blend in," said Mr. Dean. "So they vote, get in the back of the line and vote again. And because they've never made an honest living in their lives, they could do that all day long."
No, It's Really Not
Leahy said too many legislators saw the United Nations as an "easy place to beat up" but that the United States should not be acting unilaterally "simply because the United Nations happens to be here within the borders of the United States."
"It is hard to think of a world without the U.N.," he said.
"It is hard to think of a world without the U.N.," he said.
Come On In, Boys
In a way, this is very good news. All of the nutjobs across the Middle East are heading to Iraq and not Israel or the U.S. or France. Now it's a matter of staying the course and killing all of these bastards.
ALEPPO, Syria -- When the Americans led the invasion of Iraq, the men of Abu Ibrahim's family gathered in the courtyard of their shared home in the far north of Syria. Ten slips of paper were folded into a plastic bag, and they drew lots. The five who opened a paper marked with ink would go to Iraq and fight. The other five would stay behind. Abu Ibrahim drew a blank.
But remaining in Syria did not mean staying clear of the war. For more than two years, by his own detailed account, the slightly built, shabbily dressed 32-year-old father of four has worked diligently to shuttle other young Arab men into Iraq, stocking the insurgency that has killed hundreds of U.S. troops and thousands of Iraqis. The stream of fighters -- most of them Syrians, but lately many of them Saudis, favored for the cash they bring -- has sustained and replenished the hardest core of the Iraq insurgency, and supplied many of its suicide bombers. Drawn from a number of Arab countries and nurtured by a militant interpretation of Islam, they insist they are fighting for their vision of their faith. This may put them beyond the reach of political efforts to make Iraq's Sunni Arabs stakeholders in the country's nascent government....
ALEPPO, Syria -- When the Americans led the invasion of Iraq, the men of Abu Ibrahim's family gathered in the courtyard of their shared home in the far north of Syria. Ten slips of paper were folded into a plastic bag, and they drew lots. The five who opened a paper marked with ink would go to Iraq and fight. The other five would stay behind. Abu Ibrahim drew a blank.
But remaining in Syria did not mean staying clear of the war. For more than two years, by his own detailed account, the slightly built, shabbily dressed 32-year-old father of four has worked diligently to shuttle other young Arab men into Iraq, stocking the insurgency that has killed hundreds of U.S. troops and thousands of Iraqis. The stream of fighters -- most of them Syrians, but lately many of them Saudis, favored for the cash they bring -- has sustained and replenished the hardest core of the Iraq insurgency, and supplied many of its suicide bombers. Drawn from a number of Arab countries and nurtured by a militant interpretation of Islam, they insist they are fighting for their vision of their faith. This may put them beyond the reach of political efforts to make Iraq's Sunni Arabs stakeholders in the country's nascent government....
Keep Your Hands Off My KFC
Attacking an embassy or a consulate is one think, attacking the Colonel is quite another.
KARACHI, Pakistan, June 3 - Four times since Pakistan allied itself with the United States campaign against terrorism, a KFC outlet here has been attacked. Each time, the owner, Rafiq Rangoonwala, dutifully cleaned up and reopened for business. This time, with six of his employees dead, he's not so sure.
Last week, as evening prayers began at a Shiite mosque down the street, a suicide bomber believed to belong to a Sunni extremist group linked to Al Qaeda blew himself up inside the mosque compound, splattering his remains across the high courtyard wall. Minutes later, a mob, believed to be led by outraged Shiites, stormed Mr. Rangoonwala's KFC outlet, dousing its floors with gasoline, setting it ablaze and then blocking the entry of rescue workers.
Six hours later, the six bodies were hauled out. Four had been burned. Two had frozen to death in the walk-in freezer; their bodies were found only after a mobile phone belonging to one of the men rang. The dead had all worked at the KFC, and they were all local men in their mid-20's.
KARACHI, Pakistan, June 3 - Four times since Pakistan allied itself with the United States campaign against terrorism, a KFC outlet here has been attacked. Each time, the owner, Rafiq Rangoonwala, dutifully cleaned up and reopened for business. This time, with six of his employees dead, he's not so sure.
Last week, as evening prayers began at a Shiite mosque down the street, a suicide bomber believed to belong to a Sunni extremist group linked to Al Qaeda blew himself up inside the mosque compound, splattering his remains across the high courtyard wall. Minutes later, a mob, believed to be led by outraged Shiites, stormed Mr. Rangoonwala's KFC outlet, dousing its floors with gasoline, setting it ablaze and then blocking the entry of rescue workers.
Six hours later, the six bodies were hauled out. Four had been burned. Two had frozen to death in the walk-in freezer; their bodies were found only after a mobile phone belonging to one of the men rang. The dead had all worked at the KFC, and they were all local men in their mid-20's.
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Very Good Advice
Israel need not pay much attention to Europe, which is using its Middle East policy to separate itself from the US, has a tendency toward appeasement and is largely pro-Palestinian, former Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar told The Jerusalem Post Monday.
"Europe likes appeasement very much; this is one of the most important differences between us and the States," Aznar said in an interview on the Bar-Ilan University campus. "Europeans don't like any problems. They prefer appeasement."
"Europe likes appeasement very much; this is one of the most important differences between us and the States," Aznar said in an interview on the Bar-Ilan University campus. "Europeans don't like any problems. They prefer appeasement."
A Lot More of This is Coming Down the Pike
General Motors Corp. announced today it plans to cut 25,000 jobs in the United States over the next three years by closing various assembly and component plants, a move brought on by both a cooling of the American love affair with the mighty SUV and rapidly spiking health care costs.
Rick Wagoner, chairman and chief executive of GM, told an annual shareholder's meeting in Wilmington, Del., this morning that the undisclosed plant closings will save the world's largest automaker an estimated $2.5 billion a year once completed. He said the job losses were prompted by a "sudden downturn in performance" in the U.S. market.
Rick Wagoner, chairman and chief executive of GM, told an annual shareholder's meeting in Wilmington, Del., this morning that the undisclosed plant closings will save the world's largest automaker an estimated $2.5 billion a year once completed. He said the job losses were prompted by a "sudden downturn in performance" in the U.S. market.
I Have to Call B.S. on this One
A once-in-a-decade survey of the mental health of Americans has found that disabling mental illness is as common as such chronic diseases as heart disease and cancer -- but strikes people at a much younger age, with more lasting impact on their lives.
About half of Americans will develop a mental disorder at some time in their lives, the survey of nearly 10,000 U.S. adults found -- with half of those cases starting by age 14, and three-quarters by age 24.
About half of Americans will develop a mental disorder at some time in their lives, the survey of nearly 10,000 U.S. adults found -- with half of those cases starting by age 14, and three-quarters by age 24.
I've Heard of Blind Umpires...
...but not this.
Love of the game means many things to many people, but more to Max McLeary than just about anybody else. A man who clings to the lowest rung of pro baseball as an umpire for 35 years, logging six nights a week and 45,000 miles a year crisscrossing the Midwest to lay down the law, can't be doing it for the money -- $125 per game, plus expenses. It has to be the work.
But even that doesn't explain McLeary's devotion. Because for the last 25 of those years, he's been doing it with one eye.
Love of the game means many things to many people, but more to Max McLeary than just about anybody else. A man who clings to the lowest rung of pro baseball as an umpire for 35 years, logging six nights a week and 45,000 miles a year crisscrossing the Midwest to lay down the law, can't be doing it for the money -- $125 per game, plus expenses. It has to be the work.
But even that doesn't explain McLeary's devotion. Because for the last 25 of those years, he's been doing it with one eye.
John Kerry...Idiot?
Well, if Bush is an idiot (remember his lackluster performance at Yale), then JFK must be an idiot -1.
Yale grades portray Kerry as a lackluster student
His 4-year average on par with Bush's
By Michael Kranish, Globe Staff June 7, 2005
WASHINGTON -- During last year's presidential campaign, John F. Kerry was the candidate often portrayed as intellectual and complex, while George W. Bush was the populist who mangled his sentences.
But newly released records show that Bush and Kerry had a virtually identical grade average at Yale University four decades ago.
In 1999, The New Yorker published a transcript indicating that Bush had received a cumulative score of 77 for his first three years at Yale and a roughly similar average under a non-numerical rating system during his senior year.
Kerry, who graduated two years before Bush, got a cumulative 76 for his four years, according to a transcript that Kerry sent to the Navy when he was applying for officer training school. He received four D's in his freshman year out of 10 courses, but improved his average in later years.
The grade transcript, which Kerry has always declined to release, was included in his Navy record. During the campaign the Globe sought Kerry's naval records, but he refused to waive privacy restrictions for the full file. Late last month, Kerry gave the Navy permission to send the documents to the Globe.
Yale grades portray Kerry as a lackluster student
His 4-year average on par with Bush's
By Michael Kranish, Globe Staff June 7, 2005
WASHINGTON -- During last year's presidential campaign, John F. Kerry was the candidate often portrayed as intellectual and complex, while George W. Bush was the populist who mangled his sentences.
But newly released records show that Bush and Kerry had a virtually identical grade average at Yale University four decades ago.
In 1999, The New Yorker published a transcript indicating that Bush had received a cumulative score of 77 for his first three years at Yale and a roughly similar average under a non-numerical rating system during his senior year.
Kerry, who graduated two years before Bush, got a cumulative 76 for his four years, according to a transcript that Kerry sent to the Navy when he was applying for officer training school. He received four D's in his freshman year out of 10 courses, but improved his average in later years.
The grade transcript, which Kerry has always declined to release, was included in his Navy record. During the campaign the Globe sought Kerry's naval records, but he refused to waive privacy restrictions for the full file. Late last month, Kerry gave the Navy permission to send the documents to the Globe.
"Pol Pot Reborn"
Robert Mugabe continues his insane demolition of houses and businesses as he increasingly starts to look like Pol Pot reborn, seeking to depopulate the cites and drive the now homeless and unemployed population into the countryside to eke out an even more miserable living, thereby dispersing and isolating people from communities which might oppose his tyrannical rule.
And where are the marchers in the west? Where are the protesters calling for justice in Zimbabwe? Where is the outrage from those tireless tribunes of the Third World, the UN? Why can I not hear the snarls of fury from the alphabet soup of NGOs? What of the legions of Guardian readers finding out about all this? What are they going to call for? Amnesty International is getting a lot of (bad) publicity from having called Guantanamo Bay 'a gulag' whilst now admitting they do not actually know what is happening there, yet why are they not straining every fibre of their being in opposition to this African horror? There is tyranny aplenty to be opposed without having to invent any.
And where are the marchers in the west? Where are the protesters calling for justice in Zimbabwe? Where is the outrage from those tireless tribunes of the Third World, the UN? Why can I not hear the snarls of fury from the alphabet soup of NGOs? What of the legions of Guardian readers finding out about all this? What are they going to call for? Amnesty International is getting a lot of (bad) publicity from having called Guantanamo Bay 'a gulag' whilst now admitting they do not actually know what is happening there, yet why are they not straining every fibre of their being in opposition to this African horror? There is tyranny aplenty to be opposed without having to invent any.
Monday, June 06, 2005
Heathen America?
I'd say the 26% figure is probably more accurate.
How many Americans go to church regularly?
If you listen to the answers provided by major opinion research firms, the answer usually hovers around 40%. (National Opinion Research Center: 38%; Institute for Social Research’s World Values: 44%; Barna: 41%; National Election Studies: 40%; Gallup: 41%.)
But in recent years this consensus has been challenged. It seems that it’s more accurate to say that 40% of Americans claim to attend church regularly.
In 1998, sociologist Stanley Presser at the University of Michigan—whose “research focuses on questionnaire design and testing, the accuracy of survey responses, and ethical issues stemming from the use of human subjects”—co-authored a study entitled: “Data Collection Mode and Social Desirability Bias in Self-Reported Religious Attendance,” American Sociological Review, v. 63 (1998): 137-145 (with L. Stinson). Comparing diaries with actual attendance, they made the estimate that the actual percentage of Americans attending church from the mid-1960’s to the 90’s was about 26%.
How many Americans go to church regularly?
If you listen to the answers provided by major opinion research firms, the answer usually hovers around 40%. (National Opinion Research Center: 38%; Institute for Social Research’s World Values: 44%; Barna: 41%; National Election Studies: 40%; Gallup: 41%.)
But in recent years this consensus has been challenged. It seems that it’s more accurate to say that 40% of Americans claim to attend church regularly.
In 1998, sociologist Stanley Presser at the University of Michigan—whose “research focuses on questionnaire design and testing, the accuracy of survey responses, and ethical issues stemming from the use of human subjects”—co-authored a study entitled: “Data Collection Mode and Social Desirability Bias in Self-Reported Religious Attendance,” American Sociological Review, v. 63 (1998): 137-145 (with L. Stinson). Comparing diaries with actual attendance, they made the estimate that the actual percentage of Americans attending church from the mid-1960’s to the 90’s was about 26%.
Quote of the Day
"I hate him. He talks too much. He talks too much, he doesn't make sense, he's fat, he's sloppy, he acts like he's the best thing since sliced bread, he's ugly, he stinks, his mouth stinks, his breath stinks and basically his soul stinks too.'' -- Carolina defensive tackle Kris Jenkins on Oakland defensive tackle Warren Sapp
I agree.
I agree.
This Ain't Good
Cincinnati pitcher Eric Milton has allowed 63 homers in the 45 games he has pitched over the past two years.
Those Crazy Kids
The following clip is an excerpt of a report aired on Al-Arabiya showing children in Gaza playing “Jews and Arabs,“ a game in which the aim is to die as a martyr for Allah.
*Clip #700: The Death Games of Gaza Children
Reporter: Abd Al-Sattar's favorite game is "Jews and Arabs."
Boy: The Arabs are in the street. The Jews stand over there and we shoot at them, and throw rocks and grenades at them.
Reporter: To win the game, the player must die.
Boy: Burn the tank!
Boy: Martyrdom for the sake of Allah is our greatest desire. Oh God! Don't be afraid because fear hurts me. Don't be sad because sadness frightens me. Don't scream because screams kills me.
*Clip #700: The Death Games of Gaza Children
Reporter: Abd Al-Sattar's favorite game is "Jews and Arabs."
Boy: The Arabs are in the street. The Jews stand over there and we shoot at them, and throw rocks and grenades at them.
Reporter: To win the game, the player must die.
Boy: Burn the tank!
Boy: Martyrdom for the sake of Allah is our greatest desire. Oh God! Don't be afraid because fear hurts me. Don't be sad because sadness frightens me. Don't scream because screams kills me.
Hooray for Bishop Foys
Although I detest Stan Chesley (who filed the suit), I think Bishop Foys should be applauded. He's pretty much the first bishop in the country to take responsibility for what the Roman Catholic Church has been doing for the last 50 years. If only the Archdiocese of Cincinnati was as Christ-minded.
The Diocese of Covington has agreed to pay up to $120 million to those who were allegedly molested by priests and other church employees over the past half century, the largest payout yet from any diocese in America in the Roman Catholic Church's sexual abuse crisis.
The record-setting settlement, which eclipses those in abuse cases in much larger dioceses in Boston, Orange County, Calif., and elsewhere, comes in response to a lawsuit charging that church officials deliberately covered up the abuse for decades.
It also dwarfs the $3 million that Archdiocese of Cincinnati officials agreed to put into a victims' compensation fund to address sexual abuse allegations.
To help pay for nearly 50 years of abuse of children and teen-agers, the church will put the Catholic Center/Marydale property in escrow to help raise $40 million in cash for the settlement fund.
The remaining $80 million will come from insurance.
The settlement, announced Friday but subject to court approval, does not specify the number of victims or abusers.
But in a 2003 report, the diocese admitted that it had named 158 victims and that 30 of the diocese's 372 priests since 1950 had sexually abused at least one child.
The Diocese of Covington has agreed to pay up to $120 million to those who were allegedly molested by priests and other church employees over the past half century, the largest payout yet from any diocese in America in the Roman Catholic Church's sexual abuse crisis.
The record-setting settlement, which eclipses those in abuse cases in much larger dioceses in Boston, Orange County, Calif., and elsewhere, comes in response to a lawsuit charging that church officials deliberately covered up the abuse for decades.
It also dwarfs the $3 million that Archdiocese of Cincinnati officials agreed to put into a victims' compensation fund to address sexual abuse allegations.
To help pay for nearly 50 years of abuse of children and teen-agers, the church will put the Catholic Center/Marydale property in escrow to help raise $40 million in cash for the settlement fund.
The remaining $80 million will come from insurance.
The settlement, announced Friday but subject to court approval, does not specify the number of victims or abusers.
But in a 2003 report, the diocese admitted that it had named 158 victims and that 30 of the diocese's 372 priests since 1950 had sexually abused at least one child.
The Left Is Gonna Hate This Movie
From a recent review of Cinderella Man:
Cinderella Man is not really a movie about boxing, it's a movie about what it means to be a man. In the character of Jim Braddock, we can read what today's audiences are wistful for: a man who works hard to support his wife and kids, who teaches his kids to be honest, who communicates his delight in his wife with every glance. As Mae says to Jim in a late scene, "You're the Bulldog of Bergen, the Pride of New Jersey, you're everybody's hope, you're your kids' hero, and the champion of my heart." Do they make them like that any more?
Cinderella Man is not really a movie about boxing, it's a movie about what it means to be a man. In the character of Jim Braddock, we can read what today's audiences are wistful for: a man who works hard to support his wife and kids, who teaches his kids to be honest, who communicates his delight in his wife with every glance. As Mae says to Jim in a late scene, "You're the Bulldog of Bergen, the Pride of New Jersey, you're everybody's hope, you're your kids' hero, and the champion of my heart." Do they make them like that any more?
Somebody Stop It...And Stop It Now!
The red bandanna and the hunter's knife are back: Sylvester Stallone is set to reprise his role as Vietnam vet John Rambo, 17 years after his last outing.
Miramax/Dimension Films have sold Rambo IV's movie rights to a different production company, clearing the way for filming to start next January in Bulgaria, India and the US.
Stallone, now 58, will don combat trousers for a fourth time, this time to slug it out against American white supremacists bent on killing his wife and daughter. In the new film, the grunting killing machine has turned middle-class family man and has "assimilated into the tapestry of America," according Stallone, who is also the movie's scriptwriter. He promises a film in the vein of Straw Dogs and Deliverance.
Miramax/Dimension Films have sold Rambo IV's movie rights to a different production company, clearing the way for filming to start next January in Bulgaria, India and the US.
Stallone, now 58, will don combat trousers for a fourth time, this time to slug it out against American white supremacists bent on killing his wife and daughter. In the new film, the grunting killing machine has turned middle-class family man and has "assimilated into the tapestry of America," according Stallone, who is also the movie's scriptwriter. He promises a film in the vein of Straw Dogs and Deliverance.
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Axel F is Back
The next time you read about "sophisticated" Europeans and their "hayseed" cousins in the States, just remember this article.
The Crazy Frog ringtone has held on to the top position of the UK singles charts for a second week.
The new version of Axel F - the theme to the Beverly Hills Cop films - is the first mobile ringtone to make it into the charts.
Coldplay's Speed of Sound single dropped from second spot to seventh.
Akon's Lonely is at number two, followed by Gorillaz track Feel Good Inc. Oasis are number one in the album chart with Don't Believe The Truth.
Last week, Robert Swift, from Jamster, the company that markets the Crazy Frog single promised more ringtone tracks.
Mr Swift insisted: "We didn't come along and change the music industry. "It's been changing for a while and people have been in denial. And this is the sort of thing that highlights that."
The Crazy Frog ringtone has held on to the top position of the UK singles charts for a second week.
The new version of Axel F - the theme to the Beverly Hills Cop films - is the first mobile ringtone to make it into the charts.
Coldplay's Speed of Sound single dropped from second spot to seventh.
Akon's Lonely is at number two, followed by Gorillaz track Feel Good Inc. Oasis are number one in the album chart with Don't Believe The Truth.
Last week, Robert Swift, from Jamster, the company that markets the Crazy Frog single promised more ringtone tracks.
Mr Swift insisted: "We didn't come along and change the music industry. "It's been changing for a while and people have been in denial. And this is the sort of thing that highlights that."
The Wisdom of Bob
Anarchists from around the world are planning to cause chaos at next month's G8 summit in Gleneagles as a row broke out last night between Bob Geldof and DJ Andy Kershaw over the absence of black musicians at events staged to benefit Africans.
With police fears mounting over Geldof's call for one million people to protest at the summit, Kershaw last night condemned the almost exclusively white line-up for the pop concerts to coincide with the summit. "If we are going to change the West's perception of Africa, events like this are the perfect opportunity to do something for Africa's self-esteem," he said. "But the choice of artists for the Live8 concerts will simply reinforce the global perception of Africa's inferiority."
Africa's self-esteem? If Bob thinks having a couple of Africans on stage will help Africa's self-esteem, he's delusional.
With police fears mounting over Geldof's call for one million people to protest at the summit, Kershaw last night condemned the almost exclusively white line-up for the pop concerts to coincide with the summit. "If we are going to change the West's perception of Africa, events like this are the perfect opportunity to do something for Africa's self-esteem," he said. "But the choice of artists for the Live8 concerts will simply reinforce the global perception of Africa's inferiority."
Africa's self-esteem? If Bob thinks having a couple of Africans on stage will help Africa's self-esteem, he's delusional.
Newsflash
The people at the top of America's money pyramid have pulled far ahead of the rest of the population in recent years, an analysis of tax records and other data shows.
I'm no economist, but aren't the rich always getting richer, and the poor - well - always poor. I may be off base here, but it makes sense to me.
I'm no economist, but aren't the rich always getting richer, and the poor - well - always poor. I may be off base here, but it makes sense to me.
Great Weekend
We just returned from a great camping trip to Cumberland Falls. The highlights of the weekend were P-Man catching a snake (and a lizard), and my mate Peter Yates (an Aussie) dumping box after box of coal from the local river bed on our already roaring campfire. Priceless.
There was one lowlight. Saturday night a local radio station was playing hits from the 80s. As the master of useless knowledge, I rattled off artist after artist - no matter how obscure. Yet, late in the evening, I was doubted by all as to whether I knew who released this song:
If you leave, don't leave now
Please don't take my heart away
Promise me just one more night
Then we'll go our separate ways
We've always had time on our sides
Now it's fading fast
Every second every moment
We've got to--we've gotta make it last
I touch you once
I touch you twice
I won't let go at any price
I need you now like
I needed you then
You always said we'd still be friends someday
If you leave
I won't cry
I won't waste one single day
But if you leave
Don't look back
I'll be running the other way
Seven years went under the bridge
Like time standing still
Heaven knows what happens now
You've got to--you've gotta say you will
I touch you once
I touch you twice
I won't let go at any price
I need you now
Like I needed you then
You always said we'd meet again
My comrades insisted it was Simple Minds...but I knew better. They laughed at my answer (which it turns out was correct). Do you know the 80s group?
There was one lowlight. Saturday night a local radio station was playing hits from the 80s. As the master of useless knowledge, I rattled off artist after artist - no matter how obscure. Yet, late in the evening, I was doubted by all as to whether I knew who released this song:
If you leave, don't leave now
Please don't take my heart away
Promise me just one more night
Then we'll go our separate ways
We've always had time on our sides
Now it's fading fast
Every second every moment
We've got to--we've gotta make it last
I touch you once
I touch you twice
I won't let go at any price
I need you now like
I needed you then
You always said we'd still be friends someday
If you leave
I won't cry
I won't waste one single day
But if you leave
Don't look back
I'll be running the other way
Seven years went under the bridge
Like time standing still
Heaven knows what happens now
You've got to--you've gotta say you will
I touch you once
I touch you twice
I won't let go at any price
I need you now
Like I needed you then
You always said we'd meet again
My comrades insisted it was Simple Minds...but I knew better. They laughed at my answer (which it turns out was correct). Do you know the 80s group?
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