Saturday, April 08, 2006
Golf and Conservatism
Sports Illustrated: An SI poll found that almost 90 percent of Tour players saidinvading Iraq was a good idea, and zero had seen Brokeback Mountain.Is there something beyond socioeconomics going on? Something aboutgolf that suits a conservative temperament?
Jim Nantz (Masters broadcaster): I don't think golf gives you a political bent.
SI: Is it about control? Focus? Discipline?
JN: Golf is an individual sport. You have to be disciplined. Not thatI'm saying liberals are undisciplined. I'll give you my politicalleanings when I run for office in a couple of years. But do Isubstitute the word discipline for conservative? Maybe. Guys in golfaren't hanging out in bars late at night, by and large, or trying tofind the great nightclub at this week's Tour stop. If you do, youwon't succeed. So it's a regimented group. You need discipline to getto the Tour in the first place. You need discipline to hit balls, totrain. Nobody's going to cover for you out there -- it's just you.
Jim Nantz (Masters broadcaster): I don't think golf gives you a political bent.
SI: Is it about control? Focus? Discipline?
JN: Golf is an individual sport. You have to be disciplined. Not thatI'm saying liberals are undisciplined. I'll give you my politicalleanings when I run for office in a couple of years. But do Isubstitute the word discipline for conservative? Maybe. Guys in golfaren't hanging out in bars late at night, by and large, or trying tofind the great nightclub at this week's Tour stop. If you do, youwon't succeed. So it's a regimented group. You need discipline to getto the Tour in the first place. You need discipline to hit balls, totrain. Nobody's going to cover for you out there -- it's just you.
Friday, April 07, 2006
The Billy Graham Way
How is it that Billy Graham has steered clear of even the slightest taint of scandal over his long ministry life? The Modesto Manifesto:
Evangelist Billy Graham knew many leaders who succumbed to temptation on the preaching circuit. That's why in 1948, Graham met with his evangelistic team in Modesto, California, and discussed how to protect themselves against smearing the gospel of Christ. They brainstormed the particular temptations faced by traveling evangelists and identified wealth, prestige, slander, and sex...The so-called Modesto Manifesto protected the men against their ignoble impulses and helped rehabilitate the image of gospel preachers.
Among the points they agreed on was that the Graham team would avoid even any appearance of financial abuse, exercise extreme care to avoid even the appearance of any sexual impropriety, to cooperate with any local churches that were willing to participate in united evangelism effort, and to be honest and reliable in their publicity and reporting of results.
Here are the rules:
1. Never exaggerate attendance figures at their meetings.
2. Accept only fixed salaries from their organization, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, rather than a percentage of the offerings.
3. Agreed not to criticize fellow members of the clergy.
4. Never meet, travel, or eat alone with any woman but their wives.
It's worked pretty well.
Evangelist Billy Graham knew many leaders who succumbed to temptation on the preaching circuit. That's why in 1948, Graham met with his evangelistic team in Modesto, California, and discussed how to protect themselves against smearing the gospel of Christ. They brainstormed the particular temptations faced by traveling evangelists and identified wealth, prestige, slander, and sex...The so-called Modesto Manifesto protected the men against their ignoble impulses and helped rehabilitate the image of gospel preachers.
Among the points they agreed on was that the Graham team would avoid even any appearance of financial abuse, exercise extreme care to avoid even the appearance of any sexual impropriety, to cooperate with any local churches that were willing to participate in united evangelism effort, and to be honest and reliable in their publicity and reporting of results.
Here are the rules:
1. Never exaggerate attendance figures at their meetings.
2. Accept only fixed salaries from their organization, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, rather than a percentage of the offerings.
3. Agreed not to criticize fellow members of the clergy.
4. Never meet, travel, or eat alone with any woman but their wives.
It's worked pretty well.
Classic NY Times Correction
In February, the New York Times published an article stating that Hispanics were used as "cannon fodder" in the military. Here's a link to the article, and here's exact quote:
"Critics also say that Latinos often wind up as cannon fodder on the casualty-prone front lines. African-Americans saw the same thing happen during the 1970's and 1980's, an accusation that still reverberates. Hispanics make up only 4.7 percent of the military's officer corps."
In a correction today (2 months later than the original article, I might add), the Times said as follows:
"An article on Feb. 9 about the military's recruitment of Hispanics referred incompletely to the belief of some critics that Hispanics in the Iraq war and blacks in the Vietnam War accounted for a disproportionate number of casualties. Statistics do not support the belief. Hispanics, who are about 14 percent of the population, accounted for about 11 percent of the military deaths in Iraq through Dec. 3, 2005. About 12.5 percent of the military dead in Vietnam were African-Americans, who made up about 13. 5 percent of the general population during the war years. The error was pointed out in an e-mail in February; the correction was delayed for research after a lapse at The Times."
In other words, we're either stupid, politically deranged, or both. I vote both.
"Critics also say that Latinos often wind up as cannon fodder on the casualty-prone front lines. African-Americans saw the same thing happen during the 1970's and 1980's, an accusation that still reverberates. Hispanics make up only 4.7 percent of the military's officer corps."
In a correction today (2 months later than the original article, I might add), the Times said as follows:
"An article on Feb. 9 about the military's recruitment of Hispanics referred incompletely to the belief of some critics that Hispanics in the Iraq war and blacks in the Vietnam War accounted for a disproportionate number of casualties. Statistics do not support the belief. Hispanics, who are about 14 percent of the population, accounted for about 11 percent of the military deaths in Iraq through Dec. 3, 2005. About 12.5 percent of the military dead in Vietnam were African-Americans, who made up about 13. 5 percent of the general population during the war years. The error was pointed out in an e-mail in February; the correction was delayed for research after a lapse at The Times."
In other words, we're either stupid, politically deranged, or both. I vote both.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
I've Been Preaching This For Years
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (CNN) -- Little Madison Sukenik crawls around her Fort Lauderdale home, grabbing everything in sight, putting much of it in her mouth. A piece of French toast that has fallen on the floor, a ball that her dog, Nugget, just chewed on, a shoe -- all get chomped on.
So are her parents freaked out? Running for the antibacterial mouthwash?
No -- Michelle and Mark Sukenik are more than happy to let 14-month-old Madison crawl around the house, restaurants, even her doctor's office, and put her fingers and other objects into her mouth. In fact, Mark is a pediatric ear, nose and throat specialist and he says exposure to germs will build up her immunity.
Now some immunology experts are beginning to agree that germs that many parents bleach and disinfect out of existence might help children.
So are her parents freaked out? Running for the antibacterial mouthwash?
No -- Michelle and Mark Sukenik are more than happy to let 14-month-old Madison crawl around the house, restaurants, even her doctor's office, and put her fingers and other objects into her mouth. In fact, Mark is a pediatric ear, nose and throat specialist and he says exposure to germs will build up her immunity.
Now some immunology experts are beginning to agree that germs that many parents bleach and disinfect out of existence might help children.
Well, Duh!
Premature babies experience feelings of pain rather than simply displaying reflex reactions, a study says.
Experts have never been sure how a premature baby responds to pain, the Journal of Neuroscience reported.
But a team from University College London found that they do feel pain after analysing brain scans taken when blood samples were being drawn.
They hope the findings will lead to more formal plans for managing pain in premature babies.
So do you think it hurts a premature baby when a "doctor" sticks a tube through its skull and sucks its brains out? Probably.
Experts have never been sure how a premature baby responds to pain, the Journal of Neuroscience reported.
But a team from University College London found that they do feel pain after analysing brain scans taken when blood samples were being drawn.
They hope the findings will lead to more formal plans for managing pain in premature babies.
So do you think it hurts a premature baby when a "doctor" sticks a tube through its skull and sucks its brains out? Probably.
This Is Hazing?
Come on, get serious. I only wish the Dekes considered this hazing...my life would have been much easier.
BURLINGTON, Vt. --A University of Vermont fraternity has been suspended during an investigation of a party that may have included hazing and underage drinking, a top university administrator said.
Members of the Phi Delta Gamma chapter on campus will be permitted to live in their fraternity house, but no chapter activities can be held while the fraternity remains under the interim suspension, said Tom Gustafson, student and campus life vice president.
The investigation by university police has just begun but preliminary reports alleged that fraternity members required pledges to wear cowboy clothes in a theme inspired by the movie "Brokeback Mountain." Pledges then allegedly were taunted with homophobic comments.
"We just learned about it today, just barely started up the investigation this afternoon," Gustafson said Tuesday. The party may have been held a week to 10 days ago, he said.
"Any time there's even a hint of potential hazing, we want to be very assertive about following up," he said. "We're hoping to get to the bottom of it."
BURLINGTON, Vt. --A University of Vermont fraternity has been suspended during an investigation of a party that may have included hazing and underage drinking, a top university administrator said.
Members of the Phi Delta Gamma chapter on campus will be permitted to live in their fraternity house, but no chapter activities can be held while the fraternity remains under the interim suspension, said Tom Gustafson, student and campus life vice president.
The investigation by university police has just begun but preliminary reports alleged that fraternity members required pledges to wear cowboy clothes in a theme inspired by the movie "Brokeback Mountain." Pledges then allegedly were taunted with homophobic comments.
"We just learned about it today, just barely started up the investigation this afternoon," Gustafson said Tuesday. The party may have been held a week to 10 days ago, he said.
"Any time there's even a hint of potential hazing, we want to be very assertive about following up," he said. "We're hoping to get to the bottom of it."
I Love Educators
We need more teachers like this:
VENTURA, California (AP) -- A teacher who kept a 40 mm shell on his desk as a paperweight blew off part of his hand when he apparently used the object to try to squash a bug, authorities say.
The 5-inch-long shell exploded Monday while Robert Colla was teaching 20 to 25 students at an adult education class.
And this:
A charter school teacher in Albany is out of the classroom and in the courtroom.
Police say Mark Holley gave a 10-year-old New Covenant student a wedgie during a summer school program sometime between July and August 2005.
The 41-year-old is charged with endangering the welfare of a child.
VENTURA, California (AP) -- A teacher who kept a 40 mm shell on his desk as a paperweight blew off part of his hand when he apparently used the object to try to squash a bug, authorities say.
The 5-inch-long shell exploded Monday while Robert Colla was teaching 20 to 25 students at an adult education class.
And this:
A charter school teacher in Albany is out of the classroom and in the courtroom.
Police say Mark Holley gave a 10-year-old New Covenant student a wedgie during a summer school program sometime between July and August 2005.
The 41-year-old is charged with endangering the welfare of a child.
The Fear of Confrontation
Arnold Kling on the fear of confrontation.
A snippet: "Unfortunately, large segments of American society no longer have the ability to confront real evil. People lack the confidence and moral clarity to stand up to intimidation. . . . One can view Islamic militants as armed versions of unruly teenagers. We should not feel guilty toward them. We should demand reasonable and decent behavior from them, rather than excuse their tantrums or their crimes."
While I agree with Kling's assessment, I think it's more the "feminization of men" than the "fear of confrontation", although the two are very similar.
A snippet: "Unfortunately, large segments of American society no longer have the ability to confront real evil. People lack the confidence and moral clarity to stand up to intimidation. . . . One can view Islamic militants as armed versions of unruly teenagers. We should not feel guilty toward them. We should demand reasonable and decent behavior from them, rather than excuse their tantrums or their crimes."
While I agree with Kling's assessment, I think it's more the "feminization of men" than the "fear of confrontation", although the two are very similar.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Quote of the Day
"At the box office this weekend, Ice Age 2 clobbered Basic Instinct 2 hauling in $70 million dollars, compared with less than $3 million for the Sharon Stone movie. One film is about a prehistoric creature’s struggle to survive and find love, the other is the animated sequel to the movie Ice Age."
Plenty of Jobs in New Orleans
This might sound naive, but why aren't the impoverished and out-of-work citizens of New Orleans (you know, the ones we are constantly told have no job prospects and no hope) flocking back to fill these jobs.
NEW ORLEANS — As the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina receded in September, roads filled with residents leaving the city, their cars, SUVs and moving vans jammed with what they had salvaged of their lives.
But another mass movement was taking place on the other sides of the highways.Thousands of men from Mexico and Central America were driving into the city. Word had spread throughout the Latino immigrant diaspora in America that the city had plenty of work, construction wages had doubled to $16 an hour and no one was asking for papers.
"It was like a Gold Rush," said Oscar Calanche, a Guatemalan immigrant who lived in New Orleans before the storm and returned as soon as the waters receded. "In one car there'd be three up front and three or four in the back, with suitcases and tools on top. It looked like a river of people from our countries."
Latino workers have gutted, roofed and painted houses and hauled away garbage, debris and downed trees. Undocumented workers have installed trailers to house returning evacuees at New Orleans City Park, their pay coming from FEMA subcontractors.
"It's all illegals doing this work," said Rey Mendez, a FEMA trailer subcontractor from Honduras.
No one knows how many Latino immigrants are here, but John Logan, a Brown University demographer who has studied the city since Katrina, says "there must be 10,000 to 20,000 immigrant workers in the region by now, and the number is going to grow."
As the Senate debates new immigration laws and marchers demonstrate across the country, these immigrants offer another reminder of the country's reliance on undocumented labor from Latin America.
As New Orleans redefines itself after Katrina, the influx of large numbers of Latino immigrants is another jolt for a city that has historically thought of itself as black and white.
NEW ORLEANS — As the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina receded in September, roads filled with residents leaving the city, their cars, SUVs and moving vans jammed with what they had salvaged of their lives.
But another mass movement was taking place on the other sides of the highways.Thousands of men from Mexico and Central America were driving into the city. Word had spread throughout the Latino immigrant diaspora in America that the city had plenty of work, construction wages had doubled to $16 an hour and no one was asking for papers.
"It was like a Gold Rush," said Oscar Calanche, a Guatemalan immigrant who lived in New Orleans before the storm and returned as soon as the waters receded. "In one car there'd be three up front and three or four in the back, with suitcases and tools on top. It looked like a river of people from our countries."
Latino workers have gutted, roofed and painted houses and hauled away garbage, debris and downed trees. Undocumented workers have installed trailers to house returning evacuees at New Orleans City Park, their pay coming from FEMA subcontractors.
"It's all illegals doing this work," said Rey Mendez, a FEMA trailer subcontractor from Honduras.
No one knows how many Latino immigrants are here, but John Logan, a Brown University demographer who has studied the city since Katrina, says "there must be 10,000 to 20,000 immigrant workers in the region by now, and the number is going to grow."
As the Senate debates new immigration laws and marchers demonstrate across the country, these immigrants offer another reminder of the country's reliance on undocumented labor from Latin America.
As New Orleans redefines itself after Katrina, the influx of large numbers of Latino immigrants is another jolt for a city that has historically thought of itself as black and white.
I Guess Math Is Racist
In February, the Justice Department sent a letter to Virginia Beach, concluding that the Beach Police Department has 'engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination' against black and Hispanics applicants.
The only evidence cited were results of a math exam given to all police recruits. It showed a wide gap between the passing rates for white applicants and the passing rates for black and Hispanics.
About 85 percent of white applicants passed the math test from 2002 to mid-2005, compared with 59 percent of blacks and 66 percent of Hispanics.
The only evidence cited were results of a math exam given to all police recruits. It showed a wide gap between the passing rates for white applicants and the passing rates for black and Hispanics.
About 85 percent of white applicants passed the math test from 2002 to mid-2005, compared with 59 percent of blacks and 66 percent of Hispanics.
Deja Vu
April 6, 2004.....Opening Day
"I clunked it," Dunn said. "It's one of those things that shouldn't happen . . . and it's the worst feeling in sports." Alex Gonzalez's drive to left field popped out of Dunn's glove, and two bobbles later - one by Dunn, one by center fielder Ryan Freel - the ball was on the grass and the game had changed.
Dunn was looking right into the sun as the ball flew toward him.
"I'm not going to blame that," he said.
April 4, 2006....Opening Day
"I'm not going to blame the wind," he said. "I misplayed the fly balls. There's nothing I can do about it."
Dunn has never been confused with a Gold Glove outfielder. But he's never had a day like Monday.
In the first inning, a sinking line drive by Jacque Jones popped out of Dunn's glove. The error led to three unearned runs.
The other gaffes came after Dunn's homer tied the game at 5 after five innings
"I clunked it," Dunn said. "It's one of those things that shouldn't happen . . . and it's the worst feeling in sports." Alex Gonzalez's drive to left field popped out of Dunn's glove, and two bobbles later - one by Dunn, one by center fielder Ryan Freel - the ball was on the grass and the game had changed.
Dunn was looking right into the sun as the ball flew toward him.
"I'm not going to blame that," he said.
April 4, 2006....Opening Day
"I'm not going to blame the wind," he said. "I misplayed the fly balls. There's nothing I can do about it."
Dunn has never been confused with a Gold Glove outfielder. But he's never had a day like Monday.
In the first inning, a sinking line drive by Jacque Jones popped out of Dunn's glove. The error led to three unearned runs.
The other gaffes came after Dunn's homer tied the game at 5 after five innings
The Coz Is At It Again
Cosby, whose criticism of some aspects of modern African-American culture has stirred controversy in recent years, told a rally headed by black leaders that the city needed to look at the "wound" it had before Katrina struck.
"It's painful, but we can't cleanse ourselves unless we look at the wound," Cosby told the rally of about 2,000 people in front of the city's convention center.
"Ladies and gentlemen, you had the highest murder rate, unto each other. You were dealing drugs to each other. You were impregnating our 13-, 12-, 11-year-old children," he said."What kind of a village is that?"
Just another bigot. Doesn't he know that Bush was murdering people, that Bush was dealing drugs, that Bush was impregnating our little girls.
"It's painful, but we can't cleanse ourselves unless we look at the wound," Cosby told the rally of about 2,000 people in front of the city's convention center.
"Ladies and gentlemen, you had the highest murder rate, unto each other. You were dealing drugs to each other. You were impregnating our 13-, 12-, 11-year-old children," he said."What kind of a village is that?"
Just another bigot. Doesn't he know that Bush was murdering people, that Bush was dealing drugs, that Bush was impregnating our little girls.
Monday, April 03, 2006
The Worst Album of All Time
As judged by London's Independent:
TOP 10 WORST
Duran Duran
Thank You "DOWNRIGHT INSULTING"
Spice Girls
Any of their solo albums "WRETCHED"
Various Artists
Urban Renewal "WORSE THAN THE ORIGINAL"
Lou Reed
Metal Machine Music "TOSS"
Billy Idol
Cyberpunk "RISIBLE"
Naomi Campbell
Baby Woman "GOBSMACKING HUBRIS"
Kevin Rowland
My Beauty "HIDEOUSLY MAWKISH"
Mick Jagger
Primitive Cool "SOULLESS FUNK-ROCK"
Westlife
Allow Us to Be Frank "AN UNCALLED-FOR MAULING"
Tin Machine
Tin Machine II "A DISASTER"
TOP 10 WORST
Duran Duran
Thank You "DOWNRIGHT INSULTING"
Spice Girls
Any of their solo albums "WRETCHED"
Various Artists
Urban Renewal "WORSE THAN THE ORIGINAL"
Lou Reed
Metal Machine Music "TOSS"
Billy Idol
Cyberpunk "RISIBLE"
Naomi Campbell
Baby Woman "GOBSMACKING HUBRIS"
Kevin Rowland
My Beauty "HIDEOUSLY MAWKISH"
Mick Jagger
Primitive Cool "SOULLESS FUNK-ROCK"
Westlife
Allow Us to Be Frank "AN UNCALLED-FOR MAULING"
Tin Machine
Tin Machine II "A DISASTER"
This Is Pathetic
BUFFALO, N.Y. - Borders and Waldenbooks stores will not stock the April-May issue of Free Inquiry magazine because it contains cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that provoked deadly protests among Muslims in several countries.
This Punishment Doesn't Fit The Crime
ABC News suspended the executive producer of the weekend edition of "Good Morning America" yesterday over a pair of leaked e-mails in which he used inflammatory language to slam President Bush and Madeleine Albright.
John Green, whose unpaid suspension will last one month, apologized to the White House in a call to communications director Nicolle Wallace, while two ABC executives called the former secretary of state to apologize.
"No one is sorrier than John for the embarrassment that these albeit private e-mails caused to his colleagues and to the people who were the subjects of those comments," said ABC News spokesman Jeffrey Schneider. "John would be the first to say this has been a real lesson to him. John is abjectly sorry for all the comments that have come to light, and that's appropriate."
In one of the e-mails, written during the first presidential debate in 2004 and leaked to the Drudge Report, Green wrote to a colleague on his BlackBerry: "Are you watching this? Bush makes me sick. If he uses the 'mixed messages' line one more time, I'm going to puke."
Green, who was not made available for comment yesterday, wrote his colleagues after that leak to say "how much I regret the embarrassment that this story causes ABC. It was an inappropriate thing to say, and I'm deeply sorry."
Wallace said yesterday that she "appreciated the call and the apology."
The second leaked e-mail surfaced Thursday on the New York Post's gossipy Page Six. In that note, Green wrote that Albright should not be booked on the show because "Albright has Jew shame."
Albright, who was raised as a Roman Catholic, acknowledged her Jewish heritage in 1997 after it was discovered by Washington Post reporter Michael Dobbs in the course of researching a book.
Wow, an ABC producer dislikes Bush. Noooo, I don't believe it. Big deal. There are many others like him, and also others who probably feel that Albright has "jew shame". The guy shouldn't be punished, just exposed. Transparency...it's all about transparency.
John Green, whose unpaid suspension will last one month, apologized to the White House in a call to communications director Nicolle Wallace, while two ABC executives called the former secretary of state to apologize.
"No one is sorrier than John for the embarrassment that these albeit private e-mails caused to his colleagues and to the people who were the subjects of those comments," said ABC News spokesman Jeffrey Schneider. "John would be the first to say this has been a real lesson to him. John is abjectly sorry for all the comments that have come to light, and that's appropriate."
In one of the e-mails, written during the first presidential debate in 2004 and leaked to the Drudge Report, Green wrote to a colleague on his BlackBerry: "Are you watching this? Bush makes me sick. If he uses the 'mixed messages' line one more time, I'm going to puke."
Green, who was not made available for comment yesterday, wrote his colleagues after that leak to say "how much I regret the embarrassment that this story causes ABC. It was an inappropriate thing to say, and I'm deeply sorry."
Wallace said yesterday that she "appreciated the call and the apology."
The second leaked e-mail surfaced Thursday on the New York Post's gossipy Page Six. In that note, Green wrote that Albright should not be booked on the show because "Albright has Jew shame."
Albright, who was raised as a Roman Catholic, acknowledged her Jewish heritage in 1997 after it was discovered by Washington Post reporter Michael Dobbs in the course of researching a book.
Wow, an ABC producer dislikes Bush. Noooo, I don't believe it. Big deal. There are many others like him, and also others who probably feel that Albright has "jew shame". The guy shouldn't be punished, just exposed. Transparency...it's all about transparency.
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