April 7, five days after his team had lost to Illinois in its first Final Four appearance since 1986, University of Louisville men's basketball coach Rick Pitino said of the coming season: "We're still going to be good. We're still going to be Louisville, a top-20 basketball team. We will never slip from that again." This season they have.
The Cardinals are 13th in the 16-team Big East Conference with a 3-7 league record, and only the top 12 teams advance to the league tournament in Madison Square Garden. Their Ratings Percentage Index ranking is No. 64, meaning it would take a dramatic late-season run for them to secure an NCAA Tournament at-large berth.
Such a run is not out of the question, but even Pitino termed it "more possible than probable."
How did this happen? Most assumed that Pitino, in his fifth season and coming off a Final Four, had left the program's days of struggling far in the past. The Cards were ranked No. 7 in the preseason.
Instead, a combination of factors has put them in jeopardy of becoming the first Final Four team not to make the NCAA Tournament the next season since Marquette did it three years ago.
Pitino, who stressed the team's potential in early public appearances, began to sound notes of caution soon after practice began -- and kept it up after the team rose to No. 4 in the rankings against a weak early schedule.
"I've said from the first week we were undeserving of our rankings," he said. "But excuses are a sign of weakness. I wasn't giving excuses. I gave the state of the union of where we're at. There was no rhyme or reason for us to be ranked … and we shouldn't have been. We've done some good things -- beat Miami on the road, played tough at Villanova, played tough against Connecticut -- but by and large we were supposed to struggle this year."
You can't believe anything the man says. But I thought sucess was a choice, Rick.
Friday, February 10, 2006
Old Money Hoops Vs. New Money Hoops
From the Cincy Enquirer:
The second fascinating result from Wednesday was South Carolina completing a season sweep of Florida, in Gainesville.
“After a big win, we fall back a little,” Florida center Joakim Noah said.
The big win in question, of course, was Florida's defeat of Kentucky last Saturday on ESPN. During that game, Gators fans chanted "NIT" in the direction of the Wildcats. Editor's note: Kentucky is the winningest program in college basketball history. Florida, as Noah tells us, is a team that still falls back after a big win.
That's the difference between old money and new money, so to speak, in college hoops.
The second fascinating result from Wednesday was South Carolina completing a season sweep of Florida, in Gainesville.
“After a big win, we fall back a little,” Florida center Joakim Noah said.
The big win in question, of course, was Florida's defeat of Kentucky last Saturday on ESPN. During that game, Gators fans chanted "NIT" in the direction of the Wildcats. Editor's note: Kentucky is the winningest program in college basketball history. Florida, as Noah tells us, is a team that still falls back after a big win.
That's the difference between old money and new money, so to speak, in college hoops.
The American Media As Cowards
Charles Krauthammer puts it best:
"A true Muslim moderate is one who protests desecrations of all faiths. Those who don't are not moderates but hypocrites, opportunists and agents for the rioters, merely using different means to advance the same goal: to impose upon the West, with its traditions of freedom of speech, a set of taboos that is exclusive to the Islamic faith. These are not defenders of religion but Muslim supremacists trying to force their dictates upon the liberal West.
And these "moderates" are aided and abetted by Western "moderates" who publish pictures of the Virgin Mary covered with elephant dung and celebrate the "Piss Christ" (a crucifix sitting in a jar of urine) as art deserving public subsidy, but who are seized with a sudden religious sensitivity when the subject is Muhammad."
"A true Muslim moderate is one who protests desecrations of all faiths. Those who don't are not moderates but hypocrites, opportunists and agents for the rioters, merely using different means to advance the same goal: to impose upon the West, with its traditions of freedom of speech, a set of taboos that is exclusive to the Islamic faith. These are not defenders of religion but Muslim supremacists trying to force their dictates upon the liberal West.
And these "moderates" are aided and abetted by Western "moderates" who publish pictures of the Virgin Mary covered with elephant dung and celebrate the "Piss Christ" (a crucifix sitting in a jar of urine) as art deserving public subsidy, but who are seized with a sudden religious sensitivity when the subject is Muhammad."
(CBS) President George H.W. Bush expressed dismay and anger at attacks on his son, President Bush, at the funeral for Coretta Scott King.
"In terms of the political shots at the president who was sitting there with his wife, I didn't like it and I thought it was kind of ugly frankly," the former president said in an exclusive radio interview with CBS News White House correspondent Peter Maer.
"Anybody that shoots at the president of the United States at a funeral, I just didn't appreciate that," Mr. Bush added.
Well, I'm sure the former President didn't appreciate the words of fools like Carter. You see, he's got class, dignity and honor...something painfully lacking at the King funeral.
"In terms of the political shots at the president who was sitting there with his wife, I didn't like it and I thought it was kind of ugly frankly," the former president said in an exclusive radio interview with CBS News White House correspondent Peter Maer.
"Anybody that shoots at the president of the United States at a funeral, I just didn't appreciate that," Mr. Bush added.
Well, I'm sure the former President didn't appreciate the words of fools like Carter. You see, he's got class, dignity and honor...something painfully lacking at the King funeral.
Turn On The Tap
I've been anti-bottled water since its inception. I particularly can't stand the women who walk, and walk slowly, carrying their bottle of water as if there's even a remote possibility that they'll become dehydrated as they move at their turtle-ian pace.
Bottled water consumption, which has more than doubled globally in the last six years, is a natural resource that is heavily taxing the world's ecosystem, according to a new US study.
"Even in areas where tap water is safe to drink, demand for bottled water is increasing, producing unnecessary garbage and consuming vast quantities of energy," according to Emily Arnold, author of the study published by the Earth Policy Institute, a Washington-based environmental group.
Arnold said although in the industrial world bottled water is often no healthier than tap water, it can end up costing 10,000 times more.
Bottled water consumption, which has more than doubled globally in the last six years, is a natural resource that is heavily taxing the world's ecosystem, according to a new US study.
"Even in areas where tap water is safe to drink, demand for bottled water is increasing, producing unnecessary garbage and consuming vast quantities of energy," according to Emily Arnold, author of the study published by the Earth Policy Institute, a Washington-based environmental group.
Arnold said although in the industrial world bottled water is often no healthier than tap water, it can end up costing 10,000 times more.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
NHL Gambling Probe
I'm not that interested in this story, but this struck me:
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wayne Gretzky knew about a betting ring at the center of an unfolding National Hockey League scandal, the New Jersey Star Ledger reported on Thursday, citing law enforcement sources.
Gretzky, whose wife, actress Janet Jones, has been implicated as a heavy bettor with the ring, has denied any involvement with the gambling operation.
The newspaper said secretly recorded phone calls revealed that Gretzky, a hockey hall of famer, knew about the ring. It said investigators were looking into whether he placed any wagers through Jones, who is believed to have bet $500,000 on games during the six-week state probe dubbed "Operation Slap Shot."
So Gretzky's wife bet $500,000 over a 6-week period and he knew about it. I know the dude's got money, but that's a bit excessive.
And don't you love the choice of "Operation Slap Shot". Paul Newman must be proud.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wayne Gretzky knew about a betting ring at the center of an unfolding National Hockey League scandal, the New Jersey Star Ledger reported on Thursday, citing law enforcement sources.
Gretzky, whose wife, actress Janet Jones, has been implicated as a heavy bettor with the ring, has denied any involvement with the gambling operation.
The newspaper said secretly recorded phone calls revealed that Gretzky, a hockey hall of famer, knew about the ring. It said investigators were looking into whether he placed any wagers through Jones, who is believed to have bet $500,000 on games during the six-week state probe dubbed "Operation Slap Shot."
So Gretzky's wife bet $500,000 over a 6-week period and he knew about it. I know the dude's got money, but that's a bit excessive.
And don't you love the choice of "Operation Slap Shot". Paul Newman must be proud.
Is Climate Change Upon Us?
It appears so from this article in Newsweek:
There are ominous signs that the Earth’s weather patterns have begun to change dramatically and that these changes may portend a drastic decline in food production– with serious political implications for just about every nation on Earth….
The evidence in support of these predictions has now begun to accumulate so massively that meteorologists are hard-pressed to keep up with it. In England, farmers have seen their growing season decline by about two weeks since 1950, with a resultant overall loss in grain production estimated at up to 100,000 tons annually. During the same time, the average temperature around the equator has risen by a fraction of a degree – a fraction that in some areas can mean drought and desolation. Last April, in the most devastating outbreak of tornadoes ever recorded, 148 twisters killed more than 300 people and caused half a billion dollars' worth of damage in 13 U.S. states.
To scientists, these seemingly disparate incidents represent the advance signs of fundamental changes in the world's weather. Meteorologists disagree about the cause and extent of the trend, as well as over its specific impact on local weather conditions. But they are almost unanimous in the view that the trend will reduce agricultural productivity for the rest of the century. If the climatic change is as profound as some of the pessimists fear, the resulting famines could be catastrophic. “A major climatic change would force economic and social adjustments on a worldwide scale,” warns a recent report by the National Academy of Sciences, “because the global patterns of food production and population that have evolved are implicitly dependent on the climate of the present century.”
This appears to settle the case, except that the article is titled “The Cooling World” and is dated April 28, 1975 during a time when the scientific consensus held that climate change, known back then as global cooling, was leading to a new Ice Age.
There are ominous signs that the Earth’s weather patterns have begun to change dramatically and that these changes may portend a drastic decline in food production– with serious political implications for just about every nation on Earth….
The evidence in support of these predictions has now begun to accumulate so massively that meteorologists are hard-pressed to keep up with it. In England, farmers have seen their growing season decline by about two weeks since 1950, with a resultant overall loss in grain production estimated at up to 100,000 tons annually. During the same time, the average temperature around the equator has risen by a fraction of a degree – a fraction that in some areas can mean drought and desolation. Last April, in the most devastating outbreak of tornadoes ever recorded, 148 twisters killed more than 300 people and caused half a billion dollars' worth of damage in 13 U.S. states.
To scientists, these seemingly disparate incidents represent the advance signs of fundamental changes in the world's weather. Meteorologists disagree about the cause and extent of the trend, as well as over its specific impact on local weather conditions. But they are almost unanimous in the view that the trend will reduce agricultural productivity for the rest of the century. If the climatic change is as profound as some of the pessimists fear, the resulting famines could be catastrophic. “A major climatic change would force economic and social adjustments on a worldwide scale,” warns a recent report by the National Academy of Sciences, “because the global patterns of food production and population that have evolved are implicitly dependent on the climate of the present century.”
This appears to settle the case, except that the article is titled “The Cooling World” and is dated April 28, 1975 during a time when the scientific consensus held that climate change, known back then as global cooling, was leading to a new Ice Age.
I'm Calling BS on this One
A man apparently hanged himself in an airplane lavatory during a flight that was diverted to Denver after his body was discovered, police said.
Denver medical examiner's spokeswoman Michelle Weiss-Samaras said an autopsy was planned for the body of Gerald Georgettis, 56, of Miami, which was found Wednesday on a United Airlines flight from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles.
"Right now, everything leads us to believe the male involved did commit suicide," police Detective Virginia Lopez said. No other passengers were ever in danger, she added.
Have you ever been in an airplane lavatory? Unless this guy is only 3'2", I'd say foul play is involved.
Denver medical examiner's spokeswoman Michelle Weiss-Samaras said an autopsy was planned for the body of Gerald Georgettis, 56, of Miami, which was found Wednesday on a United Airlines flight from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles.
"Right now, everything leads us to believe the male involved did commit suicide," police Detective Virginia Lopez said. No other passengers were ever in danger, she added.
Have you ever been in an airplane lavatory? Unless this guy is only 3'2", I'd say foul play is involved.
They Didn't Miss the Boat, They Ignored the Boat
At least someone at the WaPo tells it like it is. From Howard Kurtz today:
"Much of the MSM missed the boat. Too many wrote predictable leads about the Coretta Scott King funeral, all but ignoring, or at least burying, the Bush-bashing that was going on."
"Much of the MSM missed the boat. Too many wrote predictable leads about the Coretta Scott King funeral, all but ignoring, or at least burying, the Bush-bashing that was going on."
This Greenwald Dude Must Be Head of the Confederacy of Dunces
Robert Greenwald, the filmmaker who attacked Fox News in "Outfoxed," is now worried about right-wing bias at CNN. On his website, Greenwald passes along a statement from MoveOn.org's media activist unit, which apparently sent out an e-mail to members protesting an edition of the CNN media program "Reliable Sources" last weekend:
This Sunday, CNN engaged in one of the most troubling trends in political dialogue today -- pitting a right-wing advocate against a journalist who is paid to be neutral and calling it a "balanced" discussion of political issues.
Discussing the president's State of the Union address on CNN's "Reliable Sources" were Washington Post reporter Dana Milbank and Byron York, which CNN described as "of National Review."
What CNN did not say is that the National Review is a right-wing movement magazine and that York is author of the book Vast Left Wing Conspiracy. As could be expected, no progressive perspective was offered on President Bush's biggest speech of the year....
Why would CNN do something so obviously unfair and unbalanced? Either they didn't think about it, which is a huge problem, or this is just the latest example of a news outlet caving to the right-wing's false charge of "liberal bias" in the media -- presuming that any real journalist must inherently be liberal.
MoveOn then went to the transcript of "Reliable Sources" to find an example of right-wing bias:
KURTZ: Excuse me, but what about the substance? I mean, whether it's a well-delivered speech and whether the people are sitting on their hands, this is a time when the president, you know, puts forth his agenda for the next year.
MILBANK: People are, you know, crunching through the substance. We get the text of it just beforehand. People are looking through that. But again, a lot of this is logistics. Certainly in the newspaper business. The speech is done at 10:00. Thirty minutes later you've got to have a complete story in the paper that says everything about the speech.
YORK: Well, look, there was substance in the speech. The part about alternative energy was interesting because it came from President Bush, who in the past, when he talked about oil, had been talking about how to get more oil, how to refine more oil. There wasn't, I think, enough attention to that.
And there you have it. "Can you contact CNN today?" MoveOn concludes. "Let them know it is wrong for 'Reliable Sources' to have a right-wing writer like Byron York debating a neutral journalist like Dana Milbank and calling that 'balanced.'"
"Neutral journalist like Dana Milbank"? Just let that sink in for a minute.
This Sunday, CNN engaged in one of the most troubling trends in political dialogue today -- pitting a right-wing advocate against a journalist who is paid to be neutral and calling it a "balanced" discussion of political issues.
Discussing the president's State of the Union address on CNN's "Reliable Sources" were Washington Post reporter Dana Milbank and Byron York, which CNN described as "of National Review."
What CNN did not say is that the National Review is a right-wing movement magazine and that York is author of the book Vast Left Wing Conspiracy. As could be expected, no progressive perspective was offered on President Bush's biggest speech of the year....
Why would CNN do something so obviously unfair and unbalanced? Either they didn't think about it, which is a huge problem, or this is just the latest example of a news outlet caving to the right-wing's false charge of "liberal bias" in the media -- presuming that any real journalist must inherently be liberal.
MoveOn then went to the transcript of "Reliable Sources" to find an example of right-wing bias:
KURTZ: Excuse me, but what about the substance? I mean, whether it's a well-delivered speech and whether the people are sitting on their hands, this is a time when the president, you know, puts forth his agenda for the next year.
MILBANK: People are, you know, crunching through the substance. We get the text of it just beforehand. People are looking through that. But again, a lot of this is logistics. Certainly in the newspaper business. The speech is done at 10:00. Thirty minutes later you've got to have a complete story in the paper that says everything about the speech.
YORK: Well, look, there was substance in the speech. The part about alternative energy was interesting because it came from President Bush, who in the past, when he talked about oil, had been talking about how to get more oil, how to refine more oil. There wasn't, I think, enough attention to that.
And there you have it. "Can you contact CNN today?" MoveOn concludes. "Let them know it is wrong for 'Reliable Sources' to have a right-wing writer like Byron York debating a neutral journalist like Dana Milbank and calling that 'balanced.'"
"Neutral journalist like Dana Milbank"? Just let that sink in for a minute.
Torino, Torino
"RIVAL networks are laughing at NBC for its decision to refer to Turin, Italy, where it is broadcasting the Winter Olympics, as "Torino." "NBC apparently thinks using the Italian version of the city's name is sexier and will somehow boost TV ratings of its Olympics coverage," said radio producer Tom Somach. But yesterday, broadcasting from Milan, the "Today" show didn't call the city Milano. "They also made mentions of Rome and Venice," Somach noted. "Shouldn't they be Roma and Venezia? And if they really want to be consistent, no more Italy. It's Italia." NBC Olympics honcho explained, "I was just swept away with how that sounded, 'Torino.' It just rolls off your mouth . . . It has a romanticism to it. And I just thought that that was a wonderful way to name these Games."
The New Your Press
So the editorial staff of The New York Press walked out because the paper refused to print cartoons that the paper deemed too insensitive to Islam. Hmmm, that's interesting. Perhaps the paper has a blanket policy against printing things that might be considered religiously offensive, like “The 52 Funniest Things About the Upcoming Death of the Pope.”
Perhaps not.
Perhaps not.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
A Defense of Calvinism
I thought this was a pretty good explanation of total depravity and limited atonement:
Though being born again and exercising faith may be instantaneous in terms of our awareness in time, logically, one thing has to come before the other. It is a logical rather than a temporal distinction. When someone is dead, resurrection needs to take place before a person can even think about moving a muscle, or walking in a certain direction. It is not the walking that takes place before the resurrection. No, it is the other way around. Dead people don't walk, living people do. In the same way, spiritually speaking, regeneration (being made alive, or born again) must precede faith. A person needs to be raised from the dead before they can take any steps towards Him.
Though being born again and exercising faith may be instantaneous in terms of our awareness in time, logically, one thing has to come before the other. It is a logical rather than a temporal distinction. When someone is dead, resurrection needs to take place before a person can even think about moving a muscle, or walking in a certain direction. It is not the walking that takes place before the resurrection. No, it is the other way around. Dead people don't walk, living people do. In the same way, spiritually speaking, regeneration (being made alive, or born again) must precede faith. A person needs to be raised from the dead before they can take any steps towards Him.
This Is Great
Bush pulls an end around. A snippet:
Last year, even though Bush talked endlessly about the supposed joys of private accounts, he never proposed a specific plan to Congress and never put privatization costs in the budget. But this year, with no fanfare whatsoever, Bush stuck a big Social Security privatization plan in the federal budget proposal, which he sent to Congress on Monday.
Last year, even though Bush talked endlessly about the supposed joys of private accounts, he never proposed a specific plan to Congress and never put privatization costs in the budget. But this year, with no fanfare whatsoever, Bush stuck a big Social Security privatization plan in the federal budget proposal, which he sent to Congress on Monday.
Momma Bear Should Have Thrown the Red Challenge Flag
RENO, Nevada (AP) -- She spelled it right. The judge said it was wrong. And she's not getting a second chance.
Reno, Nevada, eighth-grader Sara Beckman spelled "discernible" correctly during a spelling bee Tuesday at the University of Nevada, Reno. But the judge rang the bell anyway.
Her parents are furious, but organizers say they had to protest the call immediately. They say they waited until the bee was over to avoid interrupting.
A school spokesman likens it to a referee's call in an NFL game. The protest has to come before the next play starts.
Sara says she'd just like another chance, since it's her last spelling bee.
Her mother, Cindy, calls herself a "momma bear with her bear claws out" and is ready to go to court.
The school spokesman says he hopes everybody can sit down together and work something out. He says defending a lawsuit over a spelling bee isn't a good way to spend school district money.
Reno, Nevada, eighth-grader Sara Beckman spelled "discernible" correctly during a spelling bee Tuesday at the University of Nevada, Reno. But the judge rang the bell anyway.
Her parents are furious, but organizers say they had to protest the call immediately. They say they waited until the bee was over to avoid interrupting.
A school spokesman likens it to a referee's call in an NFL game. The protest has to come before the next play starts.
Sara says she'd just like another chance, since it's her last spelling bee.
Her mother, Cindy, calls herself a "momma bear with her bear claws out" and is ready to go to court.
The school spokesman says he hopes everybody can sit down together and work something out. He says defending a lawsuit over a spelling bee isn't a good way to spend school district money.
The End of the Real Estate Agent?
A decade ago, Richard Barton launched Expedia.com and helped transform the travel industry by handing consumers the same tools to book reservations that travel agents had long controlled.Now, Barton is applying the same approach to real estate — and is banking on equally dramatic results.
Today, he will unveil a beta-test version of Zillow.com, the latest website to offer property information that has until recently been beyond the reach of the average buyer or seller who didn't engage a real estate agent.
As Barton sees it, Zillow can be the real estate equivalent of the auto world's Kelley Blue Book. By typing in an address, the user gets an instant valuation of one home or all homes on a street or neighborhood.
To get that information, Zillow would pore over county records and other government data on 60 million homes nationwide. It then would use proprietary computer analysis to determine current values, which the company calls "zestimates."
The Seattle-based company's objective is to create as complete a record as possible on individual properties. Providing a home's history, including all past sales transactions, tax assessments and other details, should help put buyers and sellers on better footing during a real estate transaction, Barton says.
This could do to real estate agents what Expedia and other travel sites have done to travel agents.
Today, he will unveil a beta-test version of Zillow.com, the latest website to offer property information that has until recently been beyond the reach of the average buyer or seller who didn't engage a real estate agent.
As Barton sees it, Zillow can be the real estate equivalent of the auto world's Kelley Blue Book. By typing in an address, the user gets an instant valuation of one home or all homes on a street or neighborhood.
To get that information, Zillow would pore over county records and other government data on 60 million homes nationwide. It then would use proprietary computer analysis to determine current values, which the company calls "zestimates."
The Seattle-based company's objective is to create as complete a record as possible on individual properties. Providing a home's history, including all past sales transactions, tax assessments and other details, should help put buyers and sellers on better footing during a real estate transaction, Barton says.
This could do to real estate agents what Expedia and other travel sites have done to travel agents.
I Second This Nomination
John Bolton, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, is one of two Americans who have been nominated for the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize.
Last year, Democrats and a few Republicans refused to confirm Bolton to the U.N. post, forcing President Bush to resort to a recess appointment.
Bolton and Kenneth R. Timmerman were formally nominated by Sweden's former deputy prime minister Per Ahlmark, for playing a major role in exposing Iran's secret plans to develop nuclear weapons.
They documented Iran's secret nuclear buildup and revealed Iran's "repeated lying" and false reports to the International Atomic Energy Agency, a press release said.
Last year, Democrats and a few Republicans refused to confirm Bolton to the U.N. post, forcing President Bush to resort to a recess appointment.
Bolton and Kenneth R. Timmerman were formally nominated by Sweden's former deputy prime minister Per Ahlmark, for playing a major role in exposing Iran's secret plans to develop nuclear weapons.
They documented Iran's secret nuclear buildup and revealed Iran's "repeated lying" and false reports to the International Atomic Energy Agency, a press release said.
CNN Says "No Go" On Cartoons
CNN has decided not to show the Mohammed cartoons that have been printed in several European and American newspapers "because the network believes its role is to cover the events surrounding the publication of the cartoons while not unnecessarily adding fuel to the controversy itself." So that explains why CNN didn't show the Abu Ghraib photos. Oh wait, they did.
Quote of the Day
"None can love freedom heartily but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license." -- John Milton
Headline of the Day
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
This Would Explain A Lot
I would bet you dollars to donuts that this is probably true:
Who knows whether Cardinal Edward Egan is sleeping soundly these days. But as head of the New York archdiocese—as the top Roman Catholic prelate in the state—he'd have every reason to be restless after the recent advent of a little-noticed lawsuit.
The suit, now pending in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, was filed on December 13 by Bob Hoatson—a 53-year-old New Jersey priest considered a stalwart ally among survivors of sexual abuse by clergy. Hoatson, the now-suspended chaplain for Catholic Charities in Newark, is suing Egan and nine other Catholic officials and institutions, claiming a pattern of "retaliation and harassment" that began after Hoatson alleged a cover-up of clergy abuse in New York and started helping victims.
But that's not all his lawsuit claims. Halfway through the 44-page complaint, the priest-turned-advocate drops a bomb on the cardinal: He alleges that Egan is "actively homosexual," and that he has "personal knowledge of this." His suit names two other top Catholic clerics in the region as actively gay—Albany bishop Howard Hubbard and Newark archbishop John Myers.
It's not that Hoatson has a problem with, as the suit puts it, "consensual, adult private sexual behavior by these defendants."
No, what Hoatson claims is that, as leaders of a church requiring celibacy and condemning homosexuality, actively gay bishops are too afraid of being exposed themselves to turn in pedophile priests. The bishops' closeted homosexuality, as the lawsuit states, "has compromised defendants' ability to supervise and control predators, and has served as a reason for the retaliation."
Who knows whether Cardinal Edward Egan is sleeping soundly these days. But as head of the New York archdiocese—as the top Roman Catholic prelate in the state—he'd have every reason to be restless after the recent advent of a little-noticed lawsuit.
The suit, now pending in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, was filed on December 13 by Bob Hoatson—a 53-year-old New Jersey priest considered a stalwart ally among survivors of sexual abuse by clergy. Hoatson, the now-suspended chaplain for Catholic Charities in Newark, is suing Egan and nine other Catholic officials and institutions, claiming a pattern of "retaliation and harassment" that began after Hoatson alleged a cover-up of clergy abuse in New York and started helping victims.
But that's not all his lawsuit claims. Halfway through the 44-page complaint, the priest-turned-advocate drops a bomb on the cardinal: He alleges that Egan is "actively homosexual," and that he has "personal knowledge of this." His suit names two other top Catholic clerics in the region as actively gay—Albany bishop Howard Hubbard and Newark archbishop John Myers.
It's not that Hoatson has a problem with, as the suit puts it, "consensual, adult private sexual behavior by these defendants."
No, what Hoatson claims is that, as leaders of a church requiring celibacy and condemning homosexuality, actively gay bishops are too afraid of being exposed themselves to turn in pedophile priests. The bishops' closeted homosexuality, as the lawsuit states, "has compromised defendants' ability to supervise and control predators, and has served as a reason for the retaliation."
Princessy?
TORINO, Italy (AP) -- Johnny Weir brought his candor -- and his particular need for creature comforts -- to the Winter Olympics.
"I am very princessy as far as travel is concerned and having a nice room and things like that. Sorry to say 'princessy,''' he added, laughing, "but that's what we do."
Known for his outspoken manner, the three-time U.S. men's champion isn't afraid to declare that the Olympic Village "is not very comfortable.''
A male figure skater using the term "princessy"? Shocking.
"I am very princessy as far as travel is concerned and having a nice room and things like that. Sorry to say 'princessy,''' he added, laughing, "but that's what we do."
Known for his outspoken manner, the three-time U.S. men's champion isn't afraid to declare that the Olympic Village "is not very comfortable.''
A male figure skater using the term "princessy"? Shocking.
On the Ground in Pittsburgh
A first-hand account:
Lynn Swann was just speaking at the Steelers victory celebration in Pittsburgh (Gov. Ed Rendell is in attendance). He was interrupted by the crowd chanting GOVERNOR, GOVERNOR, GOVERNOR! He actually had to stop the crowd and remind them that today is just about the glorious Steeler Super bowl victory !
It is a GREAT day in the 'burgh!
Lynn Swann was just speaking at the Steelers victory celebration in Pittsburgh (Gov. Ed Rendell is in attendance). He was interrupted by the crowd chanting GOVERNOR, GOVERNOR, GOVERNOR! He actually had to stop the crowd and remind them that today is just about the glorious Steeler Super bowl victory !
It is a GREAT day in the 'burgh!
Never Buy Esquire
I picked up the latest issue of Esquire as I rode the exercise bike last night. What a rag? It's 200 pages, 150 which are ads. The other 50 pages are filled with mind-numbing articles on self-righteous actors and irrelevant fashion designers (although there was a piece on Coach K...also known as The Rat). I didn't catch the price on the cover, but I'd bet it's at leats $5 or $6.
You Gotta Love the CIA
Feb. 7, 2006 — The director of the CIA has launched a major internal probe into media leaks about covert operations. In an agencywide e-mail, Porter Goss blamed "a very small number of people" for leaks about secret CIA operations that, in his words, "do damage to the credibility of the agency."
According to people familiar with the Goss e-mail, sent in late January and classified secret, the CIA director warned that any CIA officer deemed suspect by the agency's Office of Security and its Counter Intelligence Center (which handles internal affairs) could be subjected to an unscheduled lie detector test.
So this article is about the CIA investigating a leak of classified information, and said article is based on a leaked email classified secret. Priceless.
According to people familiar with the Goss e-mail, sent in late January and classified secret, the CIA director warned that any CIA officer deemed suspect by the agency's Office of Security and its Counter Intelligence Center (which handles internal affairs) could be subjected to an unscheduled lie detector test.
So this article is about the CIA investigating a leak of classified information, and said article is based on a leaked email classified secret. Priceless.
From the Obvious Files
A new soda promising to sexually arouse the person drinking it will soon be available in stores nationwide, according to a Local 6 News report.
The drink, called Turn On, is made with guarana, ginseng and caffeine.
The soda was banned in France and Denmark, but makers insist it is safe and works as an aphrodisiac.
People who have tested the soda said it tastes like cherry soda.
"We watched a film and then afterwards I felt like my senses were more like turned on, like I could feel more, I felt more on my skin," a tester said.
Doctors have already warned that the drink is not for everyone. Children, pregnant women and people with high blood pressure and diabetes should avoid the drink, according to the report.
The drink, called Turn On, is made with guarana, ginseng and caffeine.
The soda was banned in France and Denmark, but makers insist it is safe and works as an aphrodisiac.
People who have tested the soda said it tastes like cherry soda.
"We watched a film and then afterwards I felt like my senses were more like turned on, like I could feel more, I felt more on my skin," a tester said.
Doctors have already warned that the drink is not for everyone. Children, pregnant women and people with high blood pressure and diabetes should avoid the drink, according to the report.
This Is Odd
“NBC Nightly News” anchor Brian Williams told The Hill that he wrote Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D-Tenn.) letters of apology last week after he confused the two men at the State of the Union address.
During NBC’s broadcast, Williams noticed Obama on the House floor and identified him to the viewing audience. Unfortunately, it was actually Ford.
“I made a silly and honest mistake, and knowing both men I knew instantly what I had done,” a contrite and gracious Williams said in a phone call. “I obviously should have corrected it, but the proper time never arose.”
Williams isn’t alone. Rewind to last’s year’s State of the Union. Another reporter asked Obama’s office why he hugged the president. Again, it was Ford.
People mix them up plenty, even though the Capitol Rotunda separates the two men on most workdays. And “they don’t look that much alike,” one Senate staffer said. That they get confused at all is “pretty amazing,” one House aide lamented.
Neither Ford nor Obama’s offices would comment.
The two lawmakers are good friends, and Ford even campaigned for Obama in 2004.
If Ford is successful in getting himself elected to the Senate this fall, the mix-ups may deepen.
Now say Williams confused Robery Byrd with John Warner, or Jeff Sessions with Mark Pryor, would anyone care? Would anyone receive a written apology? But why in this case? Is it because there black and reinforces the racist line that "they all look alike"? I think the answer is yes.
During NBC’s broadcast, Williams noticed Obama on the House floor and identified him to the viewing audience. Unfortunately, it was actually Ford.
“I made a silly and honest mistake, and knowing both men I knew instantly what I had done,” a contrite and gracious Williams said in a phone call. “I obviously should have corrected it, but the proper time never arose.”
Williams isn’t alone. Rewind to last’s year’s State of the Union. Another reporter asked Obama’s office why he hugged the president. Again, it was Ford.
People mix them up plenty, even though the Capitol Rotunda separates the two men on most workdays. And “they don’t look that much alike,” one Senate staffer said. That they get confused at all is “pretty amazing,” one House aide lamented.
Neither Ford nor Obama’s offices would comment.
The two lawmakers are good friends, and Ford even campaigned for Obama in 2004.
If Ford is successful in getting himself elected to the Senate this fall, the mix-ups may deepen.
Now say Williams confused Robery Byrd with John Warner, or Jeff Sessions with Mark Pryor, would anyone care? Would anyone receive a written apology? But why in this case? Is it because there black and reinforces the racist line that "they all look alike"? I think the answer is yes.
Yasser Would Be Proud
GAZA CITY -- At least $700 million in funds from the Palestinian Authority's coffers have been squandered or stolen by officials over the past few years, an internal investigation revealed yesterday.
Palestinian Attorney General Ahmed al-Moghani cited 50 cases of ''financial and administrative corruption" and said 25 officials had been arrested so far.
He said 10 officials had fled abroad but that the Palestinian Authority was seeking their extradition.
Palestinian Attorney General Ahmed al-Moghani cited 50 cases of ''financial and administrative corruption" and said 25 officials had been arrested so far.
He said 10 officials had fled abroad but that the Palestinian Authority was seeking their extradition.
Librarians Tend to be Fools
I've never encountered a librarian who wasn't odd and somewhat out of touch.
NEWTON, which this year was named as the country's safest town, can now add a second designation to its Chamber of Commerce brochures: It can boast of being a town that is not only safe for its residents but which also protects the privacy rights of would-be terrorists who wish to use its library. After a credible terror threat to Brandeis University was traced to a public computer at the Newton Free Library on Jan. 18, the FBI and local police rushed to secure the computer, with the possibility of identifying the nature of the threat and the person behind it.
What law enforcement had not anticipated, however, was that their pressing search would be abruptly sidetracked when Kathy Glick-Weil, the library's director, informed them that no one was searching anything without a warrant.
Glick-Weil, like many of her counterparts who are members of the American Library Association (ALA), was well-prepared to stymie the investigative efforts of government officials. In fact, since the passing of the Patriot Act and its Section 215, which governs searching in libraries and bookstores, librarians have been apoplectic at the notion that government officials, in their view, now have authority to kick through library doors and randomly monitor the reading and Internet surfing habits of their patrons.
The ALA's sentiments, and Glick-Weil's decision to become a ''human shield" for 10 precious hours while the FBI waited to secure a warrant and seize the computer, would be very noble -- save for one important point: They are based on a misunderstanding of both Section 215 of the Patriot Act as well as the protections provided in the Constitution's Fourth Amendment....
NEWTON, which this year was named as the country's safest town, can now add a second designation to its Chamber of Commerce brochures: It can boast of being a town that is not only safe for its residents but which also protects the privacy rights of would-be terrorists who wish to use its library. After a credible terror threat to Brandeis University was traced to a public computer at the Newton Free Library on Jan. 18, the FBI and local police rushed to secure the computer, with the possibility of identifying the nature of the threat and the person behind it.
What law enforcement had not anticipated, however, was that their pressing search would be abruptly sidetracked when Kathy Glick-Weil, the library's director, informed them that no one was searching anything without a warrant.
Glick-Weil, like many of her counterparts who are members of the American Library Association (ALA), was well-prepared to stymie the investigative efforts of government officials. In fact, since the passing of the Patriot Act and its Section 215, which governs searching in libraries and bookstores, librarians have been apoplectic at the notion that government officials, in their view, now have authority to kick through library doors and randomly monitor the reading and Internet surfing habits of their patrons.
The ALA's sentiments, and Glick-Weil's decision to become a ''human shield" for 10 precious hours while the FBI waited to secure a warrant and seize the computer, would be very noble -- save for one important point: They are based on a misunderstanding of both Section 215 of the Patriot Act as well as the protections provided in the Constitution's Fourth Amendment....
Monday, February 06, 2006
Hot Off the Wire
Agreement reached between NCAA and Duke University
Greensboro, (NC) Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford announced today that a foul is tentatively scheduled to be called against Duke sometime in the first half of their game with UNC in Chapel Hill, next Tuesday, February 7th.
In a joint press conference with Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, and ACC Director of Officials John Clougherty, Swofford said an agreement had been reached for a touch foul to be whistled on as-yet-to-be-determined Blue Devil player around the 7:00 minute mark during the first half of the game at the Smith Center.
"We are very excited to arrange something that hasn't been seen in our conference since 1998," said Swofford. "I want to personally commend Mike (Krzyzewski) for agreeing to this unconventional deal. We all know how reluctant he has been to allow any calls to go against his team."
Krzyzewski insisted that this move was purely a gesture of generosity aimed at rehabilitating his public image in light of recent lip-synching fiascos during several nationally televised games.
"The camera did not catch me really uttering the BS-word during my argument with the official the other night. Those really were my lips moving but I wasn't really yelling the word. I'm sure our fans will understand."
"Mike is being a really good sport about this," noted UNC coach Roy Williams. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to play them with a foul being called against their squad, and to have it happen here in front of the home crowd will be especially enjoyable for our fans."
Greensboro, (NC) Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford announced today that a foul is tentatively scheduled to be called against Duke sometime in the first half of their game with UNC in Chapel Hill, next Tuesday, February 7th.
In a joint press conference with Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, and ACC Director of Officials John Clougherty, Swofford said an agreement had been reached for a touch foul to be whistled on as-yet-to-be-determined Blue Devil player around the 7:00 minute mark during the first half of the game at the Smith Center.
"We are very excited to arrange something that hasn't been seen in our conference since 1998," said Swofford. "I want to personally commend Mike (Krzyzewski) for agreeing to this unconventional deal. We all know how reluctant he has been to allow any calls to go against his team."
Krzyzewski insisted that this move was purely a gesture of generosity aimed at rehabilitating his public image in light of recent lip-synching fiascos during several nationally televised games.
"The camera did not catch me really uttering the BS-word during my argument with the official the other night. Those really were my lips moving but I wasn't really yelling the word. I'm sure our fans will understand."
"Mike is being a really good sport about this," noted UNC coach Roy Williams. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to play them with a foul being called against their squad, and to have it happen here in front of the home crowd will be especially enjoyable for our fans."
Very Interesting
Word is the Bobcats are already looking at Kentucky's Tubby Smith to be Bickerstaff's successor. Smith has been up for other NBA jobs, including the Sixers' about 10 years ago. If Smith joined the Bobcats, Bickerstaff would stay on in his current GM role. -- New York Daily News
Never Forget
From Bill Simmon's running diary of the Super Bowl:
6:40 -- Back from break after a Steelers three-and-out, Al Michaels says, "John, only 108 balls were used tonight." That was fun. Meanwhile, with Seattle's offense looking frisky again, Pittsburgh thinks about resorting to Plan B: Kimo von Oelhoffen taking out Hasselbeck's knees. Don't think America forgot that play, Steelers fans. That was your version of the Tuck Rule. Deny it all you want.
6:40 -- Back from break after a Steelers three-and-out, Al Michaels says, "John, only 108 balls were used tonight." That was fun. Meanwhile, with Seattle's offense looking frisky again, Pittsburgh thinks about resorting to Plan B: Kimo von Oelhoffen taking out Hasselbeck's knees. Don't think America forgot that play, Steelers fans. That was your version of the Tuck Rule. Deny it all you want.
Say It Ain't So, Joe
From the SF Chronicle:
The former Super Bowl MVPs were guaranteed $1,000 for incidental expenses while in Detroit. The NFL also provided each former Super Bowl MVP with two first-class airplane tickets, a hotel room, a Cadillac for the weekend, two tickets to the game, two tickets to the Friday night commissioner's party, two tickets to a Saturday night party and two tickets to a Sunday tailgate party.
...Sources close to the league said three-time Super Bowl MVP Joe Montana refused to attend pregame ceremonies for Super Bowl XL over money. One of the sources said Montana asked for a guarantee of at least $100,000 for appearances if he came here, and the league said it would not make that guarantee.
The former Super Bowl MVPs were guaranteed $1,000 for incidental expenses while in Detroit. The NFL also provided each former Super Bowl MVP with two first-class airplane tickets, a hotel room, a Cadillac for the weekend, two tickets to the game, two tickets to the Friday night commissioner's party, two tickets to a Saturday night party and two tickets to a Sunday tailgate party.
...Sources close to the league said three-time Super Bowl MVP Joe Montana refused to attend pregame ceremonies for Super Bowl XL over money. One of the sources said Montana asked for a guarantee of at least $100,000 for appearances if he came here, and the league said it would not make that guarantee.
Now Why Would We Wiretap this Guys Calls to/from Afghanistan? Oh, Right!
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia (CNN) -- Proclaiming "I am al Qaeda," Zacarias Moussaoui was removed -- twice -- from a federal courtroom as jury selection began Monday at a trial to determine whether he should be executed for terror conspiracy.
Is that like the "I am Tiger Woods" commercials?
Is that like the "I am Tiger Woods" commercials?
Headline of the Day
From today's Courier Journal:
Humana fourth-quarter earnings up 34 percent; stock falls
Humana fourth-quarter earnings up 34 percent; stock falls
Will It Never End?
NURSES want patients who are intent on harming themselves to be provided with clean blades so that they can cut themselves more safely.
They say people determined to harm themselves should be helped to minimise the risk of infection from dirty blades, in the same way as drug addicts are issued with clean needles.
This could include giving the “self-harm” patients sterile blades and clean packets of bandages or ensuring that they keep their own blades clean. Nurses would also give patients advice about which parts of the body it is safer to cut.
The proposal for “safe” self-harm — which is to be debated at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Congress in April — is likely to provoke controversy.
They say people determined to harm themselves should be helped to minimise the risk of infection from dirty blades, in the same way as drug addicts are issued with clean needles.
This could include giving the “self-harm” patients sterile blades and clean packets of bandages or ensuring that they keep their own blades clean. Nurses would also give patients advice about which parts of the body it is safer to cut.
The proposal for “safe” self-harm — which is to be debated at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Congress in April — is likely to provoke controversy.
The Myopic Self-Centeredness of Filmmakers
What also struck me about the Hollywood Reporter article was the myopic self-centeredness of the filmmakers cited, their inability to look outside their tiny enclave of culture elitism.
The Crash co-writer says, "People want films that have something to say; they're tired of fluff."
Crash director Paul Haggis: "It's great for the films and great for the nation. It says people are embracing these issues, that they don't want to go to the theater to forget. They want to be involved, to participate."
Which "people" are they referring to? Who are "they"? Certainly not the American public.
Look at these box office figures. The average box office for the Best Picture nominees this year is less than $38 million. The highest-grossing nominee was Crash, with $53 million. It was the 48th highest-grossing movie of 2005.
Think about that. The highest-grossing Best Picture nominee earned less than 47 other movies released last year.
If Crash wins, it would be the lowest-grossing Best Picture since 1987. (In non-adjusted dollars: If you adjust for inflation, I suspect it would be the lowest-grossing Best Picture of all time.) And Crash is, thus far, the most successful of the nominated movies. (Granted, Brokeback is still in the theatres and is likely soon to surpass Crash, but not by enough to affect my underlying point.)
Then there's Spielberg, who says: "Some of it is due to our own insecurity about the voices representing us in government right now."
Uh, Steven, who do you think more accurately represents the American public -- you in your Malibu bunker, or politicians who've won actual elections?
So when Haggis, Spielberg, et al. say "people," they really mean "our kind" of people. Just look at the movies they make these days. They are increasingly turning the cameras on each other, on themselves, on issues that matter only to the Hollywood elite. And the more they do this, the fewer Americans will turn out to see their stuff.
The Crash co-writer says, "People want films that have something to say; they're tired of fluff."
Crash director Paul Haggis: "It's great for the films and great for the nation. It says people are embracing these issues, that they don't want to go to the theater to forget. They want to be involved, to participate."
Which "people" are they referring to? Who are "they"? Certainly not the American public.
Look at these box office figures. The average box office for the Best Picture nominees this year is less than $38 million. The highest-grossing nominee was Crash, with $53 million. It was the 48th highest-grossing movie of 2005.
Think about that. The highest-grossing Best Picture nominee earned less than 47 other movies released last year.
If Crash wins, it would be the lowest-grossing Best Picture since 1987. (In non-adjusted dollars: If you adjust for inflation, I suspect it would be the lowest-grossing Best Picture of all time.) And Crash is, thus far, the most successful of the nominated movies. (Granted, Brokeback is still in the theatres and is likely soon to surpass Crash, but not by enough to affect my underlying point.)
Then there's Spielberg, who says: "Some of it is due to our own insecurity about the voices representing us in government right now."
Uh, Steven, who do you think more accurately represents the American public -- you in your Malibu bunker, or politicians who've won actual elections?
So when Haggis, Spielberg, et al. say "people," they really mean "our kind" of people. Just look at the movies they make these days. They are increasingly turning the cameras on each other, on themselves, on issues that matter only to the Hollywood elite. And the more they do this, the fewer Americans will turn out to see their stuff.
An Amazing, and Sad, Statistic
Today, one in five black men in New York City between 40 and 49 has H.I.V. or AIDS.
That's a lot.
That's a lot.
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