Fascinating Post story today on the juicy new book by Britain's former US ambassador that's currently all the rage across the pond. On a less busy day I might explore Christopher Meyer's claims that Tony Blair, "seduced" by American power, squandered the leverage he had to delay the Iraq war until more was known about Saddam's WMD and until postwar plans were clearer. Instead, I'd like to flag this passage, about the day in 2001 when Bush and Blair first met:
That night, the Blairs watched the film "Meet the Parents" with the Bushes. Meyer wrote that Bush "split his sides" laughing when he heard that the character played by actor Ben Stiller was named "Gay Focker."
Sometimes you have to wonder if Will Ferrell's version of George Bush is much, much closer to reality than we realize.
--Michael Crowley
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
How To Have Fun With Your Mates Down Under
A MAN who allegedly decapitated a 17-year-old boy with a tomahawk in a suburban back yard later was said to have played with the teenager's head, rolling it in a paddock as if it were a bowling ball.
A chilling videotape showing police interviewing one of two men charged with the murder of transient teen Morgan Jay Shepherd was played in Brisbane Magistrates Court yesterday.
Christopher Clark Jones, 22, told detectives in the interview recorded in April that his co-accused, James Patrick Roughan, 25, stomped on Shepherd's head several times before stabbing him with a kitchen knife, then decapitating him. Mr Jones and Mr Roughan are facing a committal hearing on charges they murdered Shepherd and interfered with his corpse.
Mr Jones, who repeatedly broke down and cried during the interview, told detectives the three were "mates" and were drinking at a table in the back yard of Mr Roughan's home in the Brisbane bayside suburb of Sandgate at dusk on March 29.
"We'd all had quite a bit to drink," he said.
An argument erupted between Mr Roughan and Shepherd and both fell to the ground. Mr Roughan then stood and stomped heavily on the teenager's head, Mr Jones said. Shepherd was bleeding profusely and was making a "choking" sound.
Mr Jones said Mr Roughan then ran to the house, returned with a kitchen knife and stabbed Shepherd several times in the back. After severing the teenager's head with a tomahawk, Mr Roughan wrapped the torso in a carpet, dragged it under the house and stabbed it repeatedly with the knife.
"The c...'s psycho," Mr Jones told the two detectives. "He was just so calm about it. It was nothin' to him."
Mr Jones said that next morning, Mr Roughan hugged him, saying, "us Celts should stick together", a reference to their Celtic ancestry. Later that day, with the aid of two other men, Shepherd's body was bundled into the boot of a car and driven to a property at Dayboro, north of Brisbane.
Mr Roughan sat in the back of the car with Shepherd's head in a plastic bag on his lap, Mr Jones said. A shallow grave was dug on the property and the torso buried.
Mr Jones said Mr Roughan laughed as he "bowled the head up the hill, like it was a bowling ball". The hearing was told there were more than 100 knife wounds on Shepherd's body when it was found. Detective Sergeant Craig Williams said most of the wounds were believed to have been inflicted after death.
A chilling videotape showing police interviewing one of two men charged with the murder of transient teen Morgan Jay Shepherd was played in Brisbane Magistrates Court yesterday.
Christopher Clark Jones, 22, told detectives in the interview recorded in April that his co-accused, James Patrick Roughan, 25, stomped on Shepherd's head several times before stabbing him with a kitchen knife, then decapitating him. Mr Jones and Mr Roughan are facing a committal hearing on charges they murdered Shepherd and interfered with his corpse.
Mr Jones, who repeatedly broke down and cried during the interview, told detectives the three were "mates" and were drinking at a table in the back yard of Mr Roughan's home in the Brisbane bayside suburb of Sandgate at dusk on March 29.
"We'd all had quite a bit to drink," he said.
An argument erupted between Mr Roughan and Shepherd and both fell to the ground. Mr Roughan then stood and stomped heavily on the teenager's head, Mr Jones said. Shepherd was bleeding profusely and was making a "choking" sound.
Mr Jones said Mr Roughan then ran to the house, returned with a kitchen knife and stabbed Shepherd several times in the back. After severing the teenager's head with a tomahawk, Mr Roughan wrapped the torso in a carpet, dragged it under the house and stabbed it repeatedly with the knife.
"The c...'s psycho," Mr Jones told the two detectives. "He was just so calm about it. It was nothin' to him."
Mr Jones said that next morning, Mr Roughan hugged him, saying, "us Celts should stick together", a reference to their Celtic ancestry. Later that day, with the aid of two other men, Shepherd's body was bundled into the boot of a car and driven to a property at Dayboro, north of Brisbane.
Mr Roughan sat in the back of the car with Shepherd's head in a plastic bag on his lap, Mr Jones said. A shallow grave was dug on the property and the torso buried.
Mr Jones said Mr Roughan laughed as he "bowled the head up the hill, like it was a bowling ball". The hearing was told there were more than 100 knife wounds on Shepherd's body when it was found. Detective Sergeant Craig Williams said most of the wounds were believed to have been inflicted after death.
Former Athletes, Politics and Conservatism
Why are almost all of these guys (except for Bradley) Republicans? Why are almost all conservative Republicans?
I also just read where former Tennessee and NFL QB Health Shuler is running as a (very) conservative Democrat for a Congressional seat in Western North Carolina. Lynn Swann may be running for governor of Pennsylvania as a Republican. My man Richie Farmer is a Republican office holder in Kentucky of all places.
What's up? Is there something conservative (or conservative leaning) about successful athletes? Does the discipline necessary to achieve - and maintain - athletic greatness translate into a political philosophy?
I also just read where former Tennessee and NFL QB Health Shuler is running as a (very) conservative Democrat for a Congressional seat in Western North Carolina. Lynn Swann may be running for governor of Pennsylvania as a Republican. My man Richie Farmer is a Republican office holder in Kentucky of all places.
What's up? Is there something conservative (or conservative leaning) about successful athletes? Does the discipline necessary to achieve - and maintain - athletic greatness translate into a political philosophy?
Nooooooooooooooooooo!!!!
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- Kentucky football coach Rich Brooks will be back next season to lead the Wildcats' struggling program, the school's athletics director said Tuesday.
Athletics director Mitch Barnhart said he made the announcement because he was tired of watching players agonize over whether everything they did could cost Brooks his job.
Athletics director Mitch Barnhart said he made the announcement because he was tired of watching players agonize over whether everything they did could cost Brooks his job.
Ugueth Should Hang Out With Donald Little
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ugueth Urbina was arrested on a charge of attempted murder, police said on Tuesday.
Last month, Urbina and a group of men allegedly wielded machetes at several employees at his family's ranch, and poured gasoline on them in an attempt to set them on fire. Five workers were injured, and one of them suffered burns on the back and right arm, police said.
Last month, Urbina and a group of men allegedly wielded machetes at several employees at his family's ranch, and poured gasoline on them in an attempt to set them on fire. Five workers were injured, and one of them suffered burns on the back and right arm, police said.
Monday, November 07, 2005
That's A Leader
60 Minutes is bad, but it occasionally stumbles onto incredible stories - and people.
A central figure last night was a guy named Lieutenant Colonol Geoffrey Slack. At one point, he and his men found a suspicious object on the road. He goes to give it a close look himself:
LOGAN: (Voiceover) The can turns out to be a bomb powerful enough to kill anyone within 50 yards. How do you know it's not going to explode when you walk up to it like that?
Lt. Col. SLACK: You're not going to put this on--on TV because my wife will have a heart attack.
LOGAN: I'm going to put it on.
Lt. Col. SLACK: It's either I do it or they do it [his men].
There was also this exchange:
LOGAN: Why does it take three battalions, two Iraqi battalions and an American battalion, and all that firepower to secure that stretch of road?
Lt. Col. SLACK: Because you're dealing with--you're trying to find an enemy who looks exactly like the people you don't want to kill.
A central figure last night was a guy named Lieutenant Colonol Geoffrey Slack. At one point, he and his men found a suspicious object on the road. He goes to give it a close look himself:
LOGAN: (Voiceover) The can turns out to be a bomb powerful enough to kill anyone within 50 yards. How do you know it's not going to explode when you walk up to it like that?
Lt. Col. SLACK: You're not going to put this on--on TV because my wife will have a heart attack.
LOGAN: I'm going to put it on.
Lt. Col. SLACK: It's either I do it or they do it [his men].
There was also this exchange:
LOGAN: Why does it take three battalions, two Iraqi battalions and an American battalion, and all that firepower to secure that stretch of road?
Lt. Col. SLACK: Because you're dealing with--you're trying to find an enemy who looks exactly like the people you don't want to kill.
You Don't Say?
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Men and women agree that cars play an important role in dating, but they don't always agree on what should happen once things get rolling.
Eighty-nine percent of males and 95 percent of females said they were extremely or somewhat likely to notice their date's car, according to a survey conducted by Ford Motor Co. The survey was conducted as part of a program, including "speed dating" events in various cities, to promote the company's new Fusion sedan. The survey polled 400 single men and women.
Eighty-nine percent of males and 95 percent of females said they were extremely or somewhat likely to notice their date's car, according to a survey conducted by Ford Motor Co. The survey was conducted as part of a program, including "speed dating" events in various cities, to promote the company's new Fusion sedan. The survey polled 400 single men and women.
Saturday, November 05, 2005
Amen, Brother!
Dear Sirs:
David Stern is quite possibly the best friend black, American-born professional athletes have ever had in the commissioner's seat of a pro sports league.Quit fighting David Stern. Quit complaining about the dress code. Work in partnership with Stern while he's around running the league.
Because you're young, because many of you didn't place a high priority on education, because you were handed lots of money at a young age and because most of your agents don't waste time explaining things to you they don't think you can comprehend, you have trouble grasping the big picture.
The owners and the commissioner have decided one of the main things standing in the way of growth is the negative, thug image NBA players have here at home and abroad. Now, if you like, you can blame the "racist" American media for this negative image. Besides being a copout, it won't change the negative image.
Too many young, black professional athletes have too closely aligned themselves with the hip-hop culture, which in reality is nothing more than prison culture. Shut up! You know it's the truth. Gun-toting, drug-dealing, full-body-tattooed, gang-repping rappers have overrun hip-hop music and hip-hop culture and have poisoned just about the whole scene.
It's comical to listen to you all call Stern's dress code racist when black-owned nightclubs have been enforcing similar dress codes (and using metal detectors) for years just to keep the hip-hop thugs out.The NBA wants this element/image out of its arenas for the same reason black nightclub owners want it out. It's bad for business. I'm not knocking everybody in the joint. But I can't find fault with the NBA for wanting to rid itself of prison culture. You guys should be asking yourself why you're embracing prison culture. You want to be 50 Cent?
I guarantee you that if you keep fighting Stern, the main person looking out for your best interests, the NBA will eventually quicken its importation of overseas players and you'll all get your chance to rap. Without your cooperation, the NBA will go the same road major-league baseball has taken.
Stern wants you to come to work dressed like a professional. He wants that image, and he wants you to come to work with a professional mindset. He's not asking a lot. He's asking you to protect the financial interest of the game you made great. If you won't do it, he'll be justified in finding players that will.
Jason Whitlcok, KC Star
David Stern is quite possibly the best friend black, American-born professional athletes have ever had in the commissioner's seat of a pro sports league.Quit fighting David Stern. Quit complaining about the dress code. Work in partnership with Stern while he's around running the league.
Because you're young, because many of you didn't place a high priority on education, because you were handed lots of money at a young age and because most of your agents don't waste time explaining things to you they don't think you can comprehend, you have trouble grasping the big picture.
The owners and the commissioner have decided one of the main things standing in the way of growth is the negative, thug image NBA players have here at home and abroad. Now, if you like, you can blame the "racist" American media for this negative image. Besides being a copout, it won't change the negative image.
Too many young, black professional athletes have too closely aligned themselves with the hip-hop culture, which in reality is nothing more than prison culture. Shut up! You know it's the truth. Gun-toting, drug-dealing, full-body-tattooed, gang-repping rappers have overrun hip-hop music and hip-hop culture and have poisoned just about the whole scene.
It's comical to listen to you all call Stern's dress code racist when black-owned nightclubs have been enforcing similar dress codes (and using metal detectors) for years just to keep the hip-hop thugs out.The NBA wants this element/image out of its arenas for the same reason black nightclub owners want it out. It's bad for business. I'm not knocking everybody in the joint. But I can't find fault with the NBA for wanting to rid itself of prison culture. You guys should be asking yourself why you're embracing prison culture. You want to be 50 Cent?
I guarantee you that if you keep fighting Stern, the main person looking out for your best interests, the NBA will eventually quicken its importation of overseas players and you'll all get your chance to rap. Without your cooperation, the NBA will go the same road major-league baseball has taken.
Stern wants you to come to work dressed like a professional. He wants that image, and he wants you to come to work with a professional mindset. He's not asking a lot. He's asking you to protect the financial interest of the game you made great. If you won't do it, he'll be justified in finding players that will.
Jason Whitlcok, KC Star
Friday, November 04, 2005
You Can't Take The Newport Out Of Newport On The Levee
From its scenic location to its popular entertainment offerings, Newport on the Levee has become the apple of every riverfront developer's eye. But in recent days, the Levee has attracted the attention of some less reputable folks, intent on walking off with a little bite of the big apple of local development, one logo'd chunk at a time.
Like at most malls and entertainment venues, signage and inexpensive furnishings are frequently reported stolen from Newport on the Levee. But over a recent two-day stretch, a couple of more expensive items disappeared.
The question is, why?
Why, for instance, would anybody risk felony theft charges to steal a big blue, $350 "Newport on the Levee" rug, which, it would seem, might look a lot out of place anywhere except ... Newport on the Levee.
Like at most malls and entertainment venues, signage and inexpensive furnishings are frequently reported stolen from Newport on the Levee. But over a recent two-day stretch, a couple of more expensive items disappeared.
The question is, why?
Why, for instance, would anybody risk felony theft charges to steal a big blue, $350 "Newport on the Levee" rug, which, it would seem, might look a lot out of place anywhere except ... Newport on the Levee.
The Old Peanut Farmer Is Finally Making Some Sense
Former President Jimmy Carter yesterday condemned all abortions and chastised his party for its intolerance of candidates and nominees who oppose abortion.
"I never have felt that any abortion should be committed -- I think each abortion is the result of a series of errors," he told reporters over breakfast at the Ritz-CarltonHotel, while across town Senate Democrats deliberated whether to filibuster the nomination of Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr. because he may share President Bush and Mr. Carter's abhorrence of abortion.
"These things impact other issues on which [Mr. Bush] and I basically agree," the Georgia Democrat said. "I've never been convinced, if you let me inject my Christianity into it, that Jesus Christ would approve abortion."
Mr. Carter said his party's congressional leadership only hurts Democrats by making a rigid pro-abortion rights stand the criterion for assessing judicial nominees.
"I have always thought it was not in the mainstream of the American public to be extremely liberal on many issues," Mr. Carter said. "I think our party's leaders -- some of them -- are overemphasizing the abortion issue."
While Mr. Carter has previously expressed ambivalence about abortion, his statements yesterday were "astonishing," said Robert Knight, director of the Culture and Family Institute at Concerned Women for America.
"He has long professed to be an evangelical Christian and yet he had embraced virtually all the liberal political agenda," said Mr. Knight. "Maybe with Jimmy Carter saying things he never uttered before, more liberals will rethink their worship of abortion as the high holy sacrament of liberalism."
Running for president in 1976 -- just three years after the Supreme Court's landmark Roe v. Wade decision -- Mr. Carter took a moderate stance.
"I think abortion is wrong and that the government ought never do anything to encourage abortion," he said during that campaign. "But I do not favor a constitutional amendment which would prohibit all abortions, nor one that would give states [a] local option to ban abortions."
In Washington to promote his latest book, "Our Enduring Values," Mr. Carter acknowledged he made mistakes in office.
"I can't deny I'm a better ex-president than I was a president," said Mr. Carter, who in recent years has traveled the globe with his wife Rosalyn, "trying to help hold 61 elections" in developing countries.
He has been outspoken in condemning Mr. Bush's policy toward Iraq. "I think all Christians -- and certainly all Baptists -- are different," Mr. Carter said yesterday. "I have a commitment to worship the Prince of Peace, not the Prince of Preemptive War."
But he praised Mr. Bush's policy toward war-torn Sudan, and declared that the best treatment he has received since leaving the Oval Office was from the first President Bush, and the second-best treatment he got was during the Reagan administration, especially from Secretary of State George P. Shultz. The worst treatment he's received, the former president said, was from President Clinton.
Mr. Carter said his party lost the 2004 presidential elections and lost House and Senate seats because Democratic leaders failed "to demonstrate a compatibility with the deeply religious people in this country. I think that absence hurt a lot."
Democrats must "let the deeply religious people and the moderates on social issues like abortion feel that the Democratic party cares about them and understands them," he said, adding that many Democrats, like him, "have some concern about, say, late-term abortions, where you kill a baby as it's emerging from its mother's womb."
"I never have felt that any abortion should be committed -- I think each abortion is the result of a series of errors," he told reporters over breakfast at the Ritz-CarltonHotel, while across town Senate Democrats deliberated whether to filibuster the nomination of Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr. because he may share President Bush and Mr. Carter's abhorrence of abortion.
"These things impact other issues on which [Mr. Bush] and I basically agree," the Georgia Democrat said. "I've never been convinced, if you let me inject my Christianity into it, that Jesus Christ would approve abortion."
Mr. Carter said his party's congressional leadership only hurts Democrats by making a rigid pro-abortion rights stand the criterion for assessing judicial nominees.
"I have always thought it was not in the mainstream of the American public to be extremely liberal on many issues," Mr. Carter said. "I think our party's leaders -- some of them -- are overemphasizing the abortion issue."
While Mr. Carter has previously expressed ambivalence about abortion, his statements yesterday were "astonishing," said Robert Knight, director of the Culture and Family Institute at Concerned Women for America.
"He has long professed to be an evangelical Christian and yet he had embraced virtually all the liberal political agenda," said Mr. Knight. "Maybe with Jimmy Carter saying things he never uttered before, more liberals will rethink their worship of abortion as the high holy sacrament of liberalism."
Running for president in 1976 -- just three years after the Supreme Court's landmark Roe v. Wade decision -- Mr. Carter took a moderate stance.
"I think abortion is wrong and that the government ought never do anything to encourage abortion," he said during that campaign. "But I do not favor a constitutional amendment which would prohibit all abortions, nor one that would give states [a] local option to ban abortions."
In Washington to promote his latest book, "Our Enduring Values," Mr. Carter acknowledged he made mistakes in office.
"I can't deny I'm a better ex-president than I was a president," said Mr. Carter, who in recent years has traveled the globe with his wife Rosalyn, "trying to help hold 61 elections" in developing countries.
He has been outspoken in condemning Mr. Bush's policy toward Iraq. "I think all Christians -- and certainly all Baptists -- are different," Mr. Carter said yesterday. "I have a commitment to worship the Prince of Peace, not the Prince of Preemptive War."
But he praised Mr. Bush's policy toward war-torn Sudan, and declared that the best treatment he has received since leaving the Oval Office was from the first President Bush, and the second-best treatment he got was during the Reagan administration, especially from Secretary of State George P. Shultz. The worst treatment he's received, the former president said, was from President Clinton.
Mr. Carter said his party lost the 2004 presidential elections and lost House and Senate seats because Democratic leaders failed "to demonstrate a compatibility with the deeply religious people in this country. I think that absence hurt a lot."
Democrats must "let the deeply religious people and the moderates on social issues like abortion feel that the Democratic party cares about them and understands them," he said, adding that many Democrats, like him, "have some concern about, say, late-term abortions, where you kill a baby as it's emerging from its mother's womb."
How Times Have Changed
From the NY Sun:
Back in the 1990s, the French sneered at America for the Los Angeles riots. As the Chicago Sun-Times reported in 1992: "the consensus of French pundits is that something on the scale of the Los Angeles riots could not happen here, mainly because France is a more humane, less racist place with a much stronger commitment to social welfare programs." President Mitterrand, the Washington Post reported in 1992, blamed the riots on the "conservative society" that Presidents Reagan and Bush had created and said France is different because it "is the country where the level of social protection is the highest in the world."
How the times have changed. Muslims in Paris's suburbs are out shooting at police and firefighters, burning cars and buildings, and throwing rocks at commuter trains. Even children are out on the streets - it was reported that a 10-year-old was arrested. The trigger for the riots was the electrocution of two teenagers last Thursday, which the rioters say came following a police chase, a charge the police deny. But even if the charge by the rioters is true, that the police are culpable in the deaths of the two youths, the fact that such an incident would spark a riot is a sign of something deeper at work - no doubt France's failure to integrate its immigrant Muslim community.
It turns out that France's Muslim community lives in areas rampant with crime, poverty, and unemployment, much the fault of France's prized welfare system.
Back in the 1990s, the French sneered at America for the Los Angeles riots. As the Chicago Sun-Times reported in 1992: "the consensus of French pundits is that something on the scale of the Los Angeles riots could not happen here, mainly because France is a more humane, less racist place with a much stronger commitment to social welfare programs." President Mitterrand, the Washington Post reported in 1992, blamed the riots on the "conservative society" that Presidents Reagan and Bush had created and said France is different because it "is the country where the level of social protection is the highest in the world."
How the times have changed. Muslims in Paris's suburbs are out shooting at police and firefighters, burning cars and buildings, and throwing rocks at commuter trains. Even children are out on the streets - it was reported that a 10-year-old was arrested. The trigger for the riots was the electrocution of two teenagers last Thursday, which the rioters say came following a police chase, a charge the police deny. But even if the charge by the rioters is true, that the police are culpable in the deaths of the two youths, the fact that such an incident would spark a riot is a sign of something deeper at work - no doubt France's failure to integrate its immigrant Muslim community.
It turns out that France's Muslim community lives in areas rampant with crime, poverty, and unemployment, much the fault of France's prized welfare system.
Will The Fools Go After JoPa
A week after Air Force football coach Fisher DeBerry was publicly reprimanded for insensitive comments about black athletes, Joe Paterno did not shy away from the topic of race during Tuesday's Big Ten coaches teleconference.
At one point, the topic of the teleconference turned to the increased scoring in the Big Ten this season. After first mentioning that improved indoor practice facilities have helped the conference recruit kids from warm-weather climates, Paterno offered a supplemental explanation.
"You have to be careful the way you say things sometimes," the Penn State coach said. "Poor [Air Force coach] Fisher DeBerry got in trouble, but the black athlete has made a big difference. They have changed the whole tempo of the game. Black athletes have just done a great job as athletes and as people in turning the game around."
Last week, after a 48-10 less to TCU, DeBerry noted that TCU "had a lot more Afro-American players than we did and they ran a lot faster than we did.
"Afro-American kids can run very well. That doesn't mean that Caucasian kids and other descents can't run, but it's very obvious to me that they run extremely well."
DeBerry was reprimanded by Air Force's superintendent, and issued a public apology for his remarks.
At one point, the topic of the teleconference turned to the increased scoring in the Big Ten this season. After first mentioning that improved indoor practice facilities have helped the conference recruit kids from warm-weather climates, Paterno offered a supplemental explanation.
"You have to be careful the way you say things sometimes," the Penn State coach said. "Poor [Air Force coach] Fisher DeBerry got in trouble, but the black athlete has made a big difference. They have changed the whole tempo of the game. Black athletes have just done a great job as athletes and as people in turning the game around."
Last week, after a 48-10 less to TCU, DeBerry noted that TCU "had a lot more Afro-American players than we did and they ran a lot faster than we did.
"Afro-American kids can run very well. That doesn't mean that Caucasian kids and other descents can't run, but it's very obvious to me that they run extremely well."
DeBerry was reprimanded by Air Force's superintendent, and issued a public apology for his remarks.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
This Is Alarming
The following table showing the Office of Management and Budget's estimates for the coming decade of US defense expenditure as a percentage of GNP shows America is preparing to spend proportionately less for military activity than at any time in the recent past.
Decade Percent of GNP
1960s 10.7
1970s 5.9
1980s 5.8
1990s 4.1
2000-2009 (projected) 3.4
Decade Percent of GNP
1960s 10.7
1970s 5.9
1980s 5.8
1990s 4.1
2000-2009 (projected) 3.4
You Will Reap What You Sow
AULNAY-SOUS-BOIS, France Nov 3, 2005 — Rampaging youths shot at police and firefighters Thursday after burning car dealerships and public buses and hurling rocks at commuter trains, as eight days of riots over poor conditions in Paris-area housing projects spread to 20 towns.
Youths ignored an appeal for calm from President Jacques Chirac, whose government worked feverishly to fend off a political crisis amid criticism that it has ignored problems in neighborhoods heavily populated by first- and second-generation North African and Muslim immigrants.
And I thought Parisians were peace-loving, can't we all just get along types.
Youths ignored an appeal for calm from President Jacques Chirac, whose government worked feverishly to fend off a political crisis amid criticism that it has ignored problems in neighborhoods heavily populated by first- and second-generation North African and Muslim immigrants.
And I thought Parisians were peace-loving, can't we all just get along types.
Quote of the Day III
"There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons within the next five years. And that may happen sooner if he can obtain access to enriched uranium from foreign sources -- something that is not that difficult in the current world. We also should remember we have always underestimated the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction." -- Democratic Senator Jay Rockefeller
Quote of the Day II
If stealing and destroying secret documents, stuffing them into your pants and then lying about it isn't a crime worthy of jail time, why is having a different recollection of events than Tim Russert? -- Investor's Business Daily
Quote of the Day
"Republicans in just 10 years have developed the arrogance it took the Democrats 30 years to develop." -- Former Republican Congressman J.C. Watts
Friday, October 28, 2005
Congrats! We Set A Record
Nearly 1.5 million babies, a record, were born to unmarried women in the United States last year, the government reported Friday. And it isn't just teenagers any more.
"People have the impression that teens and unmarried mothers are synonymous," said Stephanie Ventura of the National Center for Health Statistics.
But last year teens accounted for just 24 percent of unwed births, down from 50 percent in 1970, she commented.
The increases in unmarried births have been among women in their 20s, she said, particularly those 25 to 29.
"People have the impression that teens and unmarried mothers are synonymous," said Stephanie Ventura of the National Center for Health Statistics.
But last year teens accounted for just 24 percent of unwed births, down from 50 percent in 1970, she commented.
The increases in unmarried births have been among women in their 20s, she said, particularly those 25 to 29.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Pat Forde Is A Fraud
Here's Pat on Air Force football coach Fisher DeBerry's recent "racial" remarks:
Then, after losing to TCU Saturday to drop to 3-5, DeBerry explained that the Horned Frogs' defensive success is attributable to the fact that it starts 11 African-Americans.
"… Afro-American kids can run very, very well," DeBerry said. "That doesn't mean that Caucasian kids and other descents can't run, but it's very obvious to me they run extremely well."
Again, not ideal timing. On Monday, the academy welcomed a new superintendent, Lt. Gen. John Regni, who pledged a zero-tolerance policy toward discrimination. On Tuesday, DeBerry piped up about TCU's African-American players, stopping just short of saying, "We need us some more of those black fellers."
I'm not saying that Fisher DeBerry discriminates. I went to high school on the base of the Air Force Academy, and I graduated a few years ahead of Fisher's son, Joe (who was a fine baseball player). I don't know anyone in my hometown of Colorado Springs, Colo., who doesn't think highly of DeBerry.
So it's not like DeBerry was inventing something here -- or even saying something many coaches don't talk about in private. But given the decades of wrongly stereotyping black athletes as physically superior and mentally inferior -- run fast, think slow -- the coach was walking into a minefield. He was creeping toward Jimmy "The Greek" territory -- and every coach knows that you don't go there. Certainly not without great care.
I'm all for a more open dialog about race in America, and especially in sports. But sweeping generalizations about fast black players are going to get a coach in trouble.
So Pat is "all for more open dialog about race in America"? Well, doesn't more open dialog include a discussion about physical differences between the races that we all know (from 2 year olds to 90 year olds) exist. Apparently not.
Then, after losing to TCU Saturday to drop to 3-5, DeBerry explained that the Horned Frogs' defensive success is attributable to the fact that it starts 11 African-Americans.
"… Afro-American kids can run very, very well," DeBerry said. "That doesn't mean that Caucasian kids and other descents can't run, but it's very obvious to me they run extremely well."
Again, not ideal timing. On Monday, the academy welcomed a new superintendent, Lt. Gen. John Regni, who pledged a zero-tolerance policy toward discrimination. On Tuesday, DeBerry piped up about TCU's African-American players, stopping just short of saying, "We need us some more of those black fellers."
I'm not saying that Fisher DeBerry discriminates. I went to high school on the base of the Air Force Academy, and I graduated a few years ahead of Fisher's son, Joe (who was a fine baseball player). I don't know anyone in my hometown of Colorado Springs, Colo., who doesn't think highly of DeBerry.
So it's not like DeBerry was inventing something here -- or even saying something many coaches don't talk about in private. But given the decades of wrongly stereotyping black athletes as physically superior and mentally inferior -- run fast, think slow -- the coach was walking into a minefield. He was creeping toward Jimmy "The Greek" territory -- and every coach knows that you don't go there. Certainly not without great care.
I'm all for a more open dialog about race in America, and especially in sports. But sweeping generalizations about fast black players are going to get a coach in trouble.
So Pat is "all for more open dialog about race in America"? Well, doesn't more open dialog include a discussion about physical differences between the races that we all know (from 2 year olds to 90 year olds) exist. Apparently not.
Don't Get Stuck On Stupid
Joe Morgan on the state of blacks in major league baseball:
"There's a perception among African-American kids that they're not welcome here, that baseball is not for inner-city kids," Morgan said. "It's not true, and I hate that the perception is out there."
With all due respect to one of my favorite baseball players, this is stupid. Find me one inner-city kid that doesn't play baseball because he feels like he's not welcome? Where is he? He's not out there. Black, inner-city kids don't play baseball for two reasons: (1) Most don't have fathers (60% to 70%) and baseball is a game of fathers and sons; and (2) Baseball achievement is predicated less on pure athletic ability than basketball and baseball. It's that simple.
"There's a perception among African-American kids that they're not welcome here, that baseball is not for inner-city kids," Morgan said. "It's not true, and I hate that the perception is out there."
With all due respect to one of my favorite baseball players, this is stupid. Find me one inner-city kid that doesn't play baseball because he feels like he's not welcome? Where is he? He's not out there. Black, inner-city kids don't play baseball for two reasons: (1) Most don't have fathers (60% to 70%) and baseball is a game of fathers and sons; and (2) Baseball achievement is predicated less on pure athletic ability than basketball and baseball. It's that simple.
Roy Oswalt Should Have Played Football At Miami
WEIR, MISS. - For all the stories they like to tell about their homegrown baseball hero, the local favorite actually involves a high school football game.
It was the fourth quarter against neighboring Ethel, a team that had a bit of a chip on its shoulder and some players who had run off at the mouth during the week. With the Weir Lions already holding a big lead and the outcome no longer in doubt, head coach Joe Lynn Gant sent a dive play into the huddle to run out the clock.
As was their occasional wont, wide receiver Roy Oswalt and quarterback Glenn Beard had another idea. So Oswalt ran a deep route, Beard heaved a long pass, and Oswalt gathered it in behind the defense, then sprinted toward the end zone. That is, until he got to the 15-yard line.
"Roy stops running, turns around, tucks the ball under this arm and jogs backward, firing off with his fingers and thumbs like a pair of six-shooters all the way into the end zone," Gant said, shaking his head.
"The sky was filled with penalty flags," remembered Beard, cackling. "It was like it was raining yellow."
It was the fourth quarter against neighboring Ethel, a team that had a bit of a chip on its shoulder and some players who had run off at the mouth during the week. With the Weir Lions already holding a big lead and the outcome no longer in doubt, head coach Joe Lynn Gant sent a dive play into the huddle to run out the clock.
As was their occasional wont, wide receiver Roy Oswalt and quarterback Glenn Beard had another idea. So Oswalt ran a deep route, Beard heaved a long pass, and Oswalt gathered it in behind the defense, then sprinted toward the end zone. That is, until he got to the 15-yard line.
"Roy stops running, turns around, tucks the ball under this arm and jogs backward, firing off with his fingers and thumbs like a pair of six-shooters all the way into the end zone," Gant said, shaking his head.
"The sky was filled with penalty flags," remembered Beard, cackling. "It was like it was raining yellow."
Stating the Obvious, Part II
Calling life in the closet "miserable," three-time Olympic gold medalist and reigning WNBA MVP Sheryl Swoopes announced she is gay in an exclusive interview in the current issue of ESPN The Magazine.
Gay WNBA players? I don't believe it.
Gay WNBA players? I don't believe it.
Stating the Obvious, Part I
Where would DeBerry get a crazy idea like this:
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) -- The Air Force Academy is looking into comments made by longtime football coach Fisher DeBerry, who said black athletes "run very, very well" and that the program lacks minority athletes.
The 67-year-old DeBerry, in his 22nd year at Air Force, first mentioned the academy's lack of minority players compared to other schools on Monday.
"We were looking at things, like you don't see many minority athletes in our program," DeBerry was quoted as saying in The Gazette of Colorado Springs.
DeBerry elaborated on his comments during his weekly luncheon Tuesday.
"It just seems to be that way, that Afro-American kids can run very, very well. That doesn't mean that Caucasian kids and other descents can't run, but it's very obvious to me they run extremely well," DeBerry said in remarks broadcast Tuesday night by Denver television station KWGN.
Academy officials released a statement Tuesday, saying they were aware of the remarks.
"We cannot comment further until we have a chance to review all the reports, the coach's actual statements and to speak with the coach personally," academy spokesman Lt. Col Laurent Fox said.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) -- The Air Force Academy is looking into comments made by longtime football coach Fisher DeBerry, who said black athletes "run very, very well" and that the program lacks minority athletes.
The 67-year-old DeBerry, in his 22nd year at Air Force, first mentioned the academy's lack of minority players compared to other schools on Monday.
"We were looking at things, like you don't see many minority athletes in our program," DeBerry was quoted as saying in The Gazette of Colorado Springs.
DeBerry elaborated on his comments during his weekly luncheon Tuesday.
"It just seems to be that way, that Afro-American kids can run very, very well. That doesn't mean that Caucasian kids and other descents can't run, but it's very obvious to me they run extremely well," DeBerry said in remarks broadcast Tuesday night by Denver television station KWGN.
Academy officials released a statement Tuesday, saying they were aware of the remarks.
"We cannot comment further until we have a chance to review all the reports, the coach's actual statements and to speak with the coach personally," academy spokesman Lt. Col Laurent Fox said.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Tookie Must Die
This story reminds me of the sheriff/hangman in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly who ended the recitation of the defendants misdeeds with: "May God have mercy on your soul. Proceed."
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A judge signed a death warrant Monday for Stanley "Tookie" Williams, a co-founder of the notorious Crips gang who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his children's books.
Williams is scheduled to die December 13 at San Quentin prison. The judge rejected requests by his attorneys to delay the execution until December 22 to give them more time to seek clemency from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The December 13 date means attorneys have only until November 8 to submit a clemency request. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to consider Williams' case earlier this month.
"This case has taken over 24 years to get to this point," Superior Court Judge William R. Pounders said. "That is a long delay in itself, and I would hate to add to that delay."
Williams, 51, and a high school friend started the Crips street gang in Los Angeles in 1971.
Williams was sentenced to death in 1981 for fatally shooting Albert Owens, a convenience store worker, in 1979. He also was convicted of killing two motel owners and their daughter during a robbery that same year.
Williams maintains he is innocent, and supporters cite his renunciation of his past and his efforts to curtail gang violence, including a series of children's books he co-wrote in prison.
Supporters have nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize and the Nobel in literature, and a cable TV movie of his life last year starred Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx.
Dozens of death penalty opponents demonstrated outside the courtroom. Among them was actor Mike Farrell, who said the proceedings failed to consider "his value, his change, his transformation."
Lora Owens, Albert Owens' stepmother, said Williams does not deserve clemency.
"I didn't convict the man and I didn't put a death sentence on him, but I want justice for Albert to be done," she said in a recent telephone interview.
"I will not let it go."
But hey, if an actor says he should be spared, then he should be spared.
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A judge signed a death warrant Monday for Stanley "Tookie" Williams, a co-founder of the notorious Crips gang who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his children's books.
Williams is scheduled to die December 13 at San Quentin prison. The judge rejected requests by his attorneys to delay the execution until December 22 to give them more time to seek clemency from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The December 13 date means attorneys have only until November 8 to submit a clemency request. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to consider Williams' case earlier this month.
"This case has taken over 24 years to get to this point," Superior Court Judge William R. Pounders said. "That is a long delay in itself, and I would hate to add to that delay."
Williams, 51, and a high school friend started the Crips street gang in Los Angeles in 1971.
Williams was sentenced to death in 1981 for fatally shooting Albert Owens, a convenience store worker, in 1979. He also was convicted of killing two motel owners and their daughter during a robbery that same year.
Williams maintains he is innocent, and supporters cite his renunciation of his past and his efforts to curtail gang violence, including a series of children's books he co-wrote in prison.
Supporters have nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize and the Nobel in literature, and a cable TV movie of his life last year starred Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx.
Dozens of death penalty opponents demonstrated outside the courtroom. Among them was actor Mike Farrell, who said the proceedings failed to consider "his value, his change, his transformation."
Lora Owens, Albert Owens' stepmother, said Williams does not deserve clemency.
"I didn't convict the man and I didn't put a death sentence on him, but I want justice for Albert to be done," she said in a recent telephone interview.
"I will not let it go."
But hey, if an actor says he should be spared, then he should be spared.
Quote of the Day
"I got shot three times and my album comes out November 22." -- hip-hop artist Cameron "Cam'ron" Giles, in the Washington Post today.
Monday, October 24, 2005
That's One Wild Night Out
I don't believe this guy would spend $241,000 at a strip club. He looks perfectly sane.
Sunday, October 23, 2005
This Is Amazing
Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa said Saturday his mission to foster dialogue and ease sectarian tension in Iraq had won crucial backing from the top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.After speaking with the revered senior Shiite cleric in this holy city south of Baghdad, Mussa said: "I obtained the blessing and support of Ayatollah Sistani, which made me glad."It was an unprecedented meeting between an Arab League chief and the top Shiite religious figure in Iraq, and came three days after former dictator Saddam Hussein went on trial for crimes against humanity.
...Arab League chief Amr Moussa called for a new Iraq as he addressed the Kurdish parliament during a landmark visit aimed at drumming up support for a national reconciliation conference."I hope Iraq will change, that we will see another Iraq where Iraqis from all walks of life live together in peace and love," he told MPs on Sunday at parliament, who greeted his speech with applause and a standing ovation.The head of the 22-member Arab League arrived on Saturday to meet regional president Masud Barzani in a highly symbolic visit that marked Arab League recognition of the Kurdish autonomous region.
This is the Arab League we're talking about? Saddam's old buddies? Even they're jumping on the democracy bandwagon.
...Arab League chief Amr Moussa called for a new Iraq as he addressed the Kurdish parliament during a landmark visit aimed at drumming up support for a national reconciliation conference."I hope Iraq will change, that we will see another Iraq where Iraqis from all walks of life live together in peace and love," he told MPs on Sunday at parliament, who greeted his speech with applause and a standing ovation.The head of the 22-member Arab League arrived on Saturday to meet regional president Masud Barzani in a highly symbolic visit that marked Arab League recognition of the Kurdish autonomous region.
This is the Arab League we're talking about? Saddam's old buddies? Even they're jumping on the democracy bandwagon.
She Was Blind, But Now She Sees
MSNBC on Anne Rice:
They've been worried about her. After 25 novels in 25 years, Rice, 64, hasn't published a book since 2003's "Blood Chronicle," the tenth volume of her best-selling vampire series. They may have heard she came close to death last year, when she had surgery for an intestinal blockage, and also back in 1998, when she went into a sudden diabetic coma; that same year she returned to the Roman Catholic Church, which she'd left at 18. They surely knew that Stan Rice, her husband of 41 years, died of a brain tumor in 2002. And though she'd moved out of their longtime home in New Orleans more than a year before Hurricane Katrina, she still has property there—and the deep emotional connection that led her to make the city the setting for such novels as "Interview With the Vampire." What's up with her? "For the last six months," she says, "people have been sending e-mails saying, 'What are you doing next?' And I've told them, 'You may not want what I'm doing next'." We'll know soon. In two weeks, Anne Rice, the chronicler of vampires, witches and—under the pseudonym A. N. Roquelaure—of soft-core S&M encounters, will publish "Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt," a novel about the 7-year-old Jesus, narrated by Christ himself. "I promised," she says, "that from now on I would write only for the Lord." It's the most startling public turnaround since Bob Dylan's "Slow Train Coming" announced that he'd been born again.
They've been worried about her. After 25 novels in 25 years, Rice, 64, hasn't published a book since 2003's "Blood Chronicle," the tenth volume of her best-selling vampire series. They may have heard she came close to death last year, when she had surgery for an intestinal blockage, and also back in 1998, when she went into a sudden diabetic coma; that same year she returned to the Roman Catholic Church, which she'd left at 18. They surely knew that Stan Rice, her husband of 41 years, died of a brain tumor in 2002. And though she'd moved out of their longtime home in New Orleans more than a year before Hurricane Katrina, she still has property there—and the deep emotional connection that led her to make the city the setting for such novels as "Interview With the Vampire." What's up with her? "For the last six months," she says, "people have been sending e-mails saying, 'What are you doing next?' And I've told them, 'You may not want what I'm doing next'." We'll know soon. In two weeks, Anne Rice, the chronicler of vampires, witches and—under the pseudonym A. N. Roquelaure—of soft-core S&M encounters, will publish "Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt," a novel about the 7-year-old Jesus, narrated by Christ himself. "I promised," she says, "that from now on I would write only for the Lord." It's the most startling public turnaround since Bob Dylan's "Slow Train Coming" announced that he'd been born again.
Friday, October 21, 2005
Proposal 20
From today's KY Post:
A proposal approved Thursday by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association delegate assembly to set up private playoff systems for public and private high schools still has a long way to go to become reality.
And that's good, say local opponents of the measure, who deride it as a misguided attempt to foster parity that will actually diminish the appeal of high school sports.
Now that's an unbiased way to kick off a news story. But then, since when has the KY Post been unbiased.
A proposal approved Thursday by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association delegate assembly to set up private playoff systems for public and private high schools still has a long way to go to become reality.
And that's good, say local opponents of the measure, who deride it as a misguided attempt to foster parity that will actually diminish the appeal of high school sports.
Now that's an unbiased way to kick off a news story. But then, since when has the KY Post been unbiased.
This Is Good News
Turnout among registered voters reached 88 percent in Salahuddin Province, the birthplace of the deposed Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, and 58 percent in Nineveh, a Sunni-majority province that has been torn by violence, according to statistics released by the Independent Election Commission of Iraq. Turnout in the January elections was about 29 and 17 percent in Salahuddin and Nineveh, respectively.
The turnout in Salahuddin Province for the constitutional referendum was the second-highest in the country, trailing only Kurdish-dominated Erbil.
In Anbar Province, the other big Sunni region, the turnout for the referendum reached 30 percent on Saturday, according to Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, a spokesman for the American military here. If that estimate proves to be true, it would represent a 15-fold increase over the January parliamentary elections, when only about 2 percent of registered voters cast ballots.
So what the The Today Show lead with this morning...yep, crazy mom throws kids into San Francisco Bay. And oh, by the way, it's our (society's) fault - at least according to the SF District Attorney.
The turnout in Salahuddin Province for the constitutional referendum was the second-highest in the country, trailing only Kurdish-dominated Erbil.
In Anbar Province, the other big Sunni region, the turnout for the referendum reached 30 percent on Saturday, according to Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, a spokesman for the American military here. If that estimate proves to be true, it would represent a 15-fold increase over the January parliamentary elections, when only about 2 percent of registered voters cast ballots.
So what the The Today Show lead with this morning...yep, crazy mom throws kids into San Francisco Bay. And oh, by the way, it's our (society's) fault - at least according to the SF District Attorney.
This Is The Thread I'm Hanging On To
I can’t believe everybody is missing the real story here. Bush doesn’t want Harriett Miers on the Supreme Court – he wants McConnell or Luttig. But he knew that, after Roberts, he couldn’t just send up another white guy, especially for O’Connor’s seat. So he sends up an obviously unqualified woman, knowing that she’ll generate intense opposition from both sides. And here’s where the subtlety kicks in – because her lack of qualifications are so apparent, he knows that the attack against her will be something like, “This is THE SUPREME COURT we’re talking about!!! Quality is what matters! Look at Roberts, he could recite from memory every constitutional case since Marbury v. Madison, and has probably written law review articles about the friggin’ THIRD amendment. How can we settle for anyone less?” So after Miers is forced to withdraw or voted down, Bush comes back with McConnell or Luttig, and says, “OK, you convinced me. I tried the quota thing, but you said it was too important. So I’ve decided just to go with the most qualified person out there.” And for good measure, he might throw in something like, “I’d like to thank my good buddies Chuck Schumer and Pat Leahy for pointing out my error. I couldn’t have done it without you fellas."
Geez, the man is brilliant.
Geez, the man is brilliant.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Lovely
It was interesting to read the words of Jim England, the Chief Crown Prosecutor for West Mercia, last week as he defended his decision not to prosecute two doctors over the late abortion of a foetus with a bilateral cleft lip and palate. Mr England said, in response to my complaint about the abortion, that he was satisfied the two doctors who authorised the termination of the 28-week-old foetus in Herefordshire in 2001 had acted "in good faith".
Where Are The Listeners?
From an article on D.C.'s radio market:
Air America, the liberal talk network carried on WWRC-AM (1260), went from bad to nonexistent. After WWRC recorded a mere fraction of a rating point in the spring with syndicated shows from the likes of lefty talkers Al Franken, Janeane Garofalo and Stephanie Miller, Arbitron couldn't detect a measurable listenership for the station this time around.
Air America, the liberal talk network carried on WWRC-AM (1260), went from bad to nonexistent. After WWRC recorded a mere fraction of a rating point in the spring with syndicated shows from the likes of lefty talkers Al Franken, Janeane Garofalo and Stephanie Miller, Arbitron couldn't detect a measurable listenership for the station this time around.
A Tribute to the Basketball Jesus
OKLAHOMA CITY -- A man got a prison term longer than prosecutors and defense attorneys had agreed to because of Larry Bird.
The lawyers reached a plea agreement Tuesday for a 30-year term for a man accused of shooting with an intent to kill and robbery. But Eric James Torpy wanted his prison term to match Bird's jersey number 33.
"He said if he was going to go down, he was going to go down in Larry Bird's jersey," Oklahoma County District Judge Ray Elliott said Wednesday. "We accommodated his request and he was just as happy as he could be.
"I've never seen anything like this in 26 years in the courthouse. But, I know the DA is happy about it."
BTW...Have you ever known anyone who went by three names (i.e., Eric James Torpy) that didn't end up in prison?
The lawyers reached a plea agreement Tuesday for a 30-year term for a man accused of shooting with an intent to kill and robbery. But Eric James Torpy wanted his prison term to match Bird's jersey number 33.
"He said if he was going to go down, he was going to go down in Larry Bird's jersey," Oklahoma County District Judge Ray Elliott said Wednesday. "We accommodated his request and he was just as happy as he could be.
"I've never seen anything like this in 26 years in the courthouse. But, I know the DA is happy about it."
BTW...Have you ever known anyone who went by three names (i.e., Eric James Torpy) that didn't end up in prison?
Harriet the Fool?
This is great:
The top two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday complained about the written responses they received from Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers this week, and warned her to expect tough questions from Republicans and Democrats alike when her confirmation hearing begins Nov. 7.
Barely concealing their irritation during a 35-minute news conference at the Capitol, Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and ranking Democrat Patrick J. Leahy (Vt.) called the lobbying on Miers's behalf "chaotic," and said the answers she provided Monday to a lengthy questionnaire were inadequate. "The comments I have heard range from incomplete to insulting," Leahy said.
...Meanwhile, several constitutional law scholars said they were surprised and puzzled by Miers's response to the committee's request for information on cases she has handled dealing with constitutional issues. In describing one matter on the Dallas City Council, Miers referred to "the proportional representation requirement of the Equal Protection Clause" as it relates to the Voting Rights Act.
"There is no proportional representation requirement in the Equal Protection Clause," said Cass R. Sunstein, a constitutional law professor at the University of Chicago. He and several other scholars said it appeared that Miers was confusing proportional representation -- which typically deals with ethnic groups having members on elected bodies -- with the one-man, one-vote Supreme Court ruling that requires, for example, legislative districts to have equal populations.
The top two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday complained about the written responses they received from Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers this week, and warned her to expect tough questions from Republicans and Democrats alike when her confirmation hearing begins Nov. 7.
Barely concealing their irritation during a 35-minute news conference at the Capitol, Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and ranking Democrat Patrick J. Leahy (Vt.) called the lobbying on Miers's behalf "chaotic," and said the answers she provided Monday to a lengthy questionnaire were inadequate. "The comments I have heard range from incomplete to insulting," Leahy said.
...Meanwhile, several constitutional law scholars said they were surprised and puzzled by Miers's response to the committee's request for information on cases she has handled dealing with constitutional issues. In describing one matter on the Dallas City Council, Miers referred to "the proportional representation requirement of the Equal Protection Clause" as it relates to the Voting Rights Act.
"There is no proportional representation requirement in the Equal Protection Clause," said Cass R. Sunstein, a constitutional law professor at the University of Chicago. He and several other scholars said it appeared that Miers was confusing proportional representation -- which typically deals with ethnic groups having members on elected bodies -- with the one-man, one-vote Supreme Court ruling that requires, for example, legislative districts to have equal populations.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Stop That Staple
Now I'm no doctor, but stapling your stomach can't be good for you. Granted, there are probably some short-term gains. But I'll bet the long-term damage is significant.
CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- Obesity surgery, which is fast becoming a popular way to battle the nation's weight crisis, may be a lot riskier than most patients realize.
New research found a higher-than-expected risk of death in the year after surgery, even among young patients.
"It's a reality check for those patients who are considering these operations," said University of Washington surgeon Dr. David Flum, lead author of a Medicare study that analyzed the risks.
CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- Obesity surgery, which is fast becoming a popular way to battle the nation's weight crisis, may be a lot riskier than most patients realize.
New research found a higher-than-expected risk of death in the year after surgery, even among young patients.
"It's a reality check for those patients who are considering these operations," said University of Washington surgeon Dr. David Flum, lead author of a Medicare study that analyzed the risks.
Here We Go
INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana Pacers guard Stephen Jackson, contending that a league ban on chains worn over clothing is "a racist statement" from the league, wore every long, diamond-studded chain in his collection Tuesday night as a protest.
Jackson voiced no opposition to the bulk of the "business casual" demands in the NBA's new dress code, but he described the jewelry ban as "attacking young black males."
Yeah, that NBA hates young, black males. They would never pay millions to one of those.
Jackson voiced no opposition to the bulk of the "business casual" demands in the NBA's new dress code, but he described the jewelry ban as "attacking young black males."
Yeah, that NBA hates young, black males. They would never pay millions to one of those.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Quote of the Day
"I don't see it happening unless every NBA player is given a stipend to buy clothes." -- Marcus Camby (who will make $7.15 million this season) on the NBA invoking a new dress code
He Agrees With Me
From Michael Rubin in the WSJ:
Iraqis now see the fruit of foreign investment. A year ago in Baghdad, Iraqis drank water and soft drinks imported from neighboring countries. Now they drink water bottled in plants scattered across Iraq. When I visited a Baghdad computer shop last spring, my hosts handed me a can of Pepsi. An Arabic banner across the can announced, ‘The only soft drink manufactured in Iraq.’ In August, a Coca-Cola executive in Istanbul told me their Baghdad operation is not far behind. Turkish investors in partnership with local Iraqis have built modern hotels in Basra.
Cameras and reporters do not lie, but they do not always give a full perspective. Political brinkmanship devoid of context breeds panic. Beheadings and blood sell copy, but do not accurately reflect Iraq. Political milestones give a glimpse of the often-unreported determination that Iraqis and longtime visitors see daily. Bombings and body bags are tragic. But they do not reflect failure. Rather, they represent the sacrifice that both Iraqis and Americans have made for security and democracy. The referendum, refugee return, real estate and investment show much more accurately -- and objectively -- Iraq's slow but steady progress.
Iraqis now see the fruit of foreign investment. A year ago in Baghdad, Iraqis drank water and soft drinks imported from neighboring countries. Now they drink water bottled in plants scattered across Iraq. When I visited a Baghdad computer shop last spring, my hosts handed me a can of Pepsi. An Arabic banner across the can announced, ‘The only soft drink manufactured in Iraq.’ In August, a Coca-Cola executive in Istanbul told me their Baghdad operation is not far behind. Turkish investors in partnership with local Iraqis have built modern hotels in Basra.
Cameras and reporters do not lie, but they do not always give a full perspective. Political brinkmanship devoid of context breeds panic. Beheadings and blood sell copy, but do not accurately reflect Iraq. Political milestones give a glimpse of the often-unreported determination that Iraqis and longtime visitors see daily. Bombings and body bags are tragic. But they do not reflect failure. Rather, they represent the sacrifice that both Iraqis and Americans have made for security and democracy. The referendum, refugee return, real estate and investment show much more accurately -- and objectively -- Iraq's slow but steady progress.
She Needs To Bone Up On This A Little More?
Schumer added that he was unable to squeeze much information from Miers, who is the White House counsel, about her legal views. Schumer said that he was particularly "surprised" that she declined to discuss a ruling in 1923 that helped to establish the concept of personal privacy, the legal foundation for abortion rights. "I didn't learn answers to so many important questions," said Schumer, who described Miers as much less informative than Chief Justice John Roberts was during similar meetings after Roberts' nomination to the high court in July. "On many, she wouldn't give answers, and on many others, she deferred, saying, 'I need to sort of bone up on this a little more.' "
The Un-Real Media
One of my biggest complaints about media (TV, radio, cinema, etc.) is that it's "un-real." Even true stories are "un-real" because they lack the background information to truly understand the story. They're just isolated images on a screen or words out of a box.
Hear's an example of the "un-realness" of media and what it reports:
WASHINGTON – After a 20th century that was perhaps mankind's most violent, all indicators point to a 21st century that will be as bad or worse. Civil wars and new ideological conflicts will multiply. The effectiveness of international forces for peace will wane. And the security of mankind will be the victim caught in the middle. Right?
Wrong, says a report based on a three-year study by a group of international researchers. Contrary to widespread public perception, they find that the world is witnessing fewer wars - and those wars that do occur are killing fewer people.
The study, released Monday at the UN, also concludes that global conflict-prevention and postconflict peacebuilding efforts are becoming more numerous and more effective.
How could this possibly be? It can be because the images we see day after day lack context.
Hear's an example of the "un-realness" of media and what it reports:
WASHINGTON – After a 20th century that was perhaps mankind's most violent, all indicators point to a 21st century that will be as bad or worse. Civil wars and new ideological conflicts will multiply. The effectiveness of international forces for peace will wane. And the security of mankind will be the victim caught in the middle. Right?
Wrong, says a report based on a three-year study by a group of international researchers. Contrary to widespread public perception, they find that the world is witnessing fewer wars - and those wars that do occur are killing fewer people.
The study, released Monday at the UN, also concludes that global conflict-prevention and postconflict peacebuilding efforts are becoming more numerous and more effective.
How could this possibly be? It can be because the images we see day after day lack context.
Monday, October 17, 2005
Now That Was A Stupid Thing To Do
To shed light on how the virus evolved, the United States Department of Health and Human Services published the full genome of the 1918 influenza virus on the Internet in the GenBank database.
This is extremely foolish. The genome is essentially the design of a weapon of mass destruction. No responsible scientist would advocate publishing precise designs for an atomic bomb, and in two ways revealing the sequence for the flu virus is even more dangerous.
This is extremely foolish. The genome is essentially the design of a weapon of mass destruction. No responsible scientist would advocate publishing precise designs for an atomic bomb, and in two ways revealing the sequence for the flu virus is even more dangerous.
Breaking News
Did you hear Notre Dame fans had their hearts ripped out, thrown to the ground, and stomped on by Matt Lienert and USC? Beautiful.
This Scares Me
Madonna speaks and I agree. Either the Material Girl has come to her senses, or I'm nuts. Don't answer that.
The former Material Girl now believes "the beast is the modern world that we live in!"
"The material world. The physical world. The world of illusion, that we think is real. We live for it, we're enslaved by it. And it will ultimately be our undoing," Madonna explains in her new documentary film, I'M GOING TO TELL YOU A SECRET.
In the movie, which will premiere at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York City on Tuesday, Madonna warns how people "are going to go to hell, if they don't turn from their wicked behavior."
The singer, who is also promoting the upcoming release of her new music CD, declares: "Most priests are gay."
"I refer to an entity called 'The Beast'. I feel I am describing the world that we live in right now. To me 'The Beast' is the modern world that we live in."
The former Material Girl now believes "the beast is the modern world that we live in!"
"The material world. The physical world. The world of illusion, that we think is real. We live for it, we're enslaved by it. And it will ultimately be our undoing," Madonna explains in her new documentary film, I'M GOING TO TELL YOU A SECRET.
In the movie, which will premiere at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York City on Tuesday, Madonna warns how people "are going to go to hell, if they don't turn from their wicked behavior."
The singer, who is also promoting the upcoming release of her new music CD, declares: "Most priests are gay."
"I refer to an entity called 'The Beast'. I feel I am describing the world that we live in right now. To me 'The Beast' is the modern world that we live in."
Reason #1,278 to Hate Soccer
It's the feminization of sport.
LONDON (Reuters) - If you don't understand soccer's offside rule, don't ask a man -- find a woman.
Women are top of the table when it comes to knowledge about the beautiful game, relegating their menfolk to second spot, according to a survey released on Wednesday.
Research found that 59 percent of women could correctly identify the offside law -- one of the game's hardest to comprehend -- as opposed to just 55 percent of men.
Also 65 percent of women correctly used the title assistant referee, while 40 percent of men wrongly referred to the official as a "linesman".
LONDON (Reuters) - If you don't understand soccer's offside rule, don't ask a man -- find a woman.
Women are top of the table when it comes to knowledge about the beautiful game, relegating their menfolk to second spot, according to a survey released on Wednesday.
Research found that 59 percent of women could correctly identify the offside law -- one of the game's hardest to comprehend -- as opposed to just 55 percent of men.
Also 65 percent of women correctly used the title assistant referee, while 40 percent of men wrongly referred to the official as a "linesman".
Another Failed Rescue Attempt
Once again, Teddy was unable to pool someone from the water.
HYANNIS, Mass. -- U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy attempted to rescue six men who had become trapped by high tide on a jetty off Hyannisport on Sunday.
The Massachusetts Democrat eventually left the rescue to Hyannis firefighters, The Cape Cod Times reported Monday.
Kennedy was walking his two dogs on the shore at 11:15 a.m. when he spotted the men cut off from shore by the rising waters. They had been fishing on a jetty that begins at the tip of the Kennedy compound.
Tides had risen over the patchy rocks, which made it difficult to walk back to shore.
Kennedy and a friend tried to rescue the men using a 13-foot boat but rough waters forced them back.
A crew from the Hyannis Fire Department picked them up. The men, in their 20s, were not identified. They were brought to Cape Cod Hospital with mild hypothermia.
At least this time he didn't ignore them and go home for drinks.
HYANNIS, Mass. -- U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy attempted to rescue six men who had become trapped by high tide on a jetty off Hyannisport on Sunday.
The Massachusetts Democrat eventually left the rescue to Hyannis firefighters, The Cape Cod Times reported Monday.
Kennedy was walking his two dogs on the shore at 11:15 a.m. when he spotted the men cut off from shore by the rising waters. They had been fishing on a jetty that begins at the tip of the Kennedy compound.
Tides had risen over the patchy rocks, which made it difficult to walk back to shore.
Kennedy and a friend tried to rescue the men using a 13-foot boat but rough waters forced them back.
A crew from the Hyannis Fire Department picked them up. The men, in their 20s, were not identified. They were brought to Cape Cod Hospital with mild hypothermia.
At least this time he didn't ignore them and go home for drinks.
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Pilarczyk's Shame
I've thought for a long time that Cincinnati Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk should be in jail. I still do.
Quote of the Day
"These so-called movement conservatives don't have much of a following, the ones that I'm aware of. And you just marvel, these are the senators, some of them who voted to confirm the general counsel of the ACLU to the Supreme Court, and she was voted in almost unanimously. And you say, 'now they’re going to turn against a Christian who is a conservative picked by a conservative President and they’re going to vote against her for confirmation?' Not on your sweet life, if they want to stay in office." - Pat Robertson, on the 700 Club.
With all due respect as a fellow Christian, Pat Robertson is a dumbass. Being a Christian is not the sole prerequisite for higher office. Hell, Jimmy Carter is as Christian as it gets, and he's a bafoon and was a disaster as President. A Supreme Court justice, especially one that needs to drive the direction of the Court, needs strong character and judgement, as well as great intellect, Constitutional knowledge and charm. Harriet, as far as I can tell, exhibits very little of the latter.
Harriet was an awful, awful, awful choice. Bush lied, and my Supreme Court hopes died.
With all due respect as a fellow Christian, Pat Robertson is a dumbass. Being a Christian is not the sole prerequisite for higher office. Hell, Jimmy Carter is as Christian as it gets, and he's a bafoon and was a disaster as President. A Supreme Court justice, especially one that needs to drive the direction of the Court, needs strong character and judgement, as well as great intellect, Constitutional knowledge and charm. Harriet, as far as I can tell, exhibits very little of the latter.
Harriet was an awful, awful, awful choice. Bush lied, and my Supreme Court hopes died.
My Kind of Rock Star
Rock singer Liam Gallagher of Oasis didn't like Coldplay's Chris Martin throwing in anti-war statements at a cancer benefit: He told The Sun: "Chris Martin shouldn't be using this cause to bang on about his own views on the war. If him and his gawky bird [that would be Gwyneth Paltrow] want to go banging on about the war they can do it at their own gigs...These gigs are about kids who have got cancer, they've got to fight a war every day of their lives. That's what we're all here doing this for."
This Is A Great Idea
Andrei Kirilenko intends to be remembered as one of the greats in history - and not necessarily just as a basketball player.
"Man in Iron Mask. Jason. Mike Myers. And now me," Kirilenko joked, ticking off some famous mask-wearers of cinema history. "You remember guys in masks."
He's going to have to make this month a memorable one, though, because Kirilenko doesn't intend to wear the clear-plastic guard over his face for long. After another week or two - perhaps three or four preseason games, he figures - the Russian forward will decide his broken nose, suffered at the European Championships last month, will be healed.
...Kirilenko said he had considered painting the clear mask, molded from his face, to look like a superhero, though he is worried about cutting down his peripheral vision. And he is mulling various hairstyles that work with the strap that goes over the top of his head, he said.
"Man in Iron Mask. Jason. Mike Myers. And now me," Kirilenko joked, ticking off some famous mask-wearers of cinema history. "You remember guys in masks."
He's going to have to make this month a memorable one, though, because Kirilenko doesn't intend to wear the clear-plastic guard over his face for long. After another week or two - perhaps three or four preseason games, he figures - the Russian forward will decide his broken nose, suffered at the European Championships last month, will be healed.
...Kirilenko said he had considered painting the clear mask, molded from his face, to look like a superhero, though he is worried about cutting down his peripheral vision. And he is mulling various hairstyles that work with the strap that goes over the top of his head, he said.
Would You Expect Anything Else
A bus being driven by a pro-wrestler at a celebrity fundraising event preview in New Smyrna Beach flipped Monday, injuring a pro wrestler and an Orlando newspaper reporter, according to a Local 6 News report.
The Volusia County Sheriff's annual fundraiser event includes celebrity bus racing around the track at the New Smyrna Beach Speedway.
During a practice race Monday, wrestler Hacksaw Jim Duggan flipped his bus with a newspaper reporter onboard.
"It just flipped over," Duggan said. "They said stay up high and keep it down. I stayed up high and was keeping it down and once it started to go, it does not respond like anything I've ever driven before."
Duggan was treated for minor cuts and is expected to be OK. The newspaper reporter, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was treated for minor scrapes.
"This is a race, no matter what and anything can happen," Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson said. "You don't want anyone getting hurt and you want to put on a good show. No one was hurt, scratched up a little bit."
The annual charity fundraising event begins at the New Smyrna Beach Speedway Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
The Volusia County Sheriff's annual fundraiser event includes celebrity bus racing around the track at the New Smyrna Beach Speedway.
During a practice race Monday, wrestler Hacksaw Jim Duggan flipped his bus with a newspaper reporter onboard.
"It just flipped over," Duggan said. "They said stay up high and keep it down. I stayed up high and was keeping it down and once it started to go, it does not respond like anything I've ever driven before."
Duggan was treated for minor cuts and is expected to be OK. The newspaper reporter, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was treated for minor scrapes.
"This is a race, no matter what and anything can happen," Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson said. "You don't want anyone getting hurt and you want to put on a good show. No one was hurt, scratched up a little bit."
The annual charity fundraising event begins at the New Smyrna Beach Speedway Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
So True
"The real reason her nomination sticks in the craw is the brass-and-leather whiff of the Praetorian Guard house. The ancient Praetorian Guard was an elite military unit that guarded Rome's emperors and sometimes murdered them. The modern Praetorian Guard is the penumbra of family and cronies that, under the American imperial Presidency, is accorded unseemly attention and respect. Some Presidents look to it for actual officeholders. Bill Clinton put his wife in charge of health-care policy. John Kennedy put his brother in charge of the Justice Department. Mr. Bush seems to find the Praetorian Guard especially seductive. There were the Texas League Texans he sent to FEMA — Joe Allbaugh, Michael Brown. There was the way his running mate emerged from a search committee headed by — Dick Cheney. Look no further! Harriet Miers emerged in the same way, helping to vet judicial nominees. At least she tapped John Roberts before herself; gentlemen first. This is an elitism far more restrictive than anything Ms. Miers' critics are charged with. Beltway/Ivy League elitism embraces anyone who works in the federal government, or who graduated from one of seven old colleges. The President's elitism embraces anyone who works down the hall." - Richard Brookhiser
Bush's BIG Government "Conservatism"
Nick Gillespie lays out the basics of big government conservatism, by highlighting percentage increases in discretionary domestic spending in the first five years of two-term presidents:
LBJ: 25.2%
- Nixon: -16.5%
- Reagan: 11.9%
- Clinton: -8.2%
- Bush: 35.2%
I almost yearn for the days of Willie and Newt.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
More Shame
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 11 - The confidential personnel files of 126 clergymen in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles accused of sexual misconduct with children provide a numbing chronicle of 75 years of the church's shame, revealing case after case in which the church was warned of abuse but failed to protect its parishioners.
In some cases, Cardinal Roger M. Mahony and his predecessors quietly shuffled the priests off to counseling and then to new assignments. In others, parents were offered counseling for their children and were urged to remain silent.
Throughout the files, cases of child molesting or rape are dealt with by indirection or euphemism, with references to questions of "moral fitness" or accusations of "boundary violations." For years, anonymous complaints of abuse were ignored and priests were given the benefit of every doubt.
The personnel files - some of which date from the 1930's - were produced as part of settlement talks with lawyers for 560 accusers in a civil suit here. The church provided them to The New York Times in advance of their public release in the next few days. The archdiocese is releasing them in part to make good on a promise to parishioners to come clean about the church's actions in the scandal, church officials said. It also hopes that the release will spur settlement talks, which appear to have stalled in recent months.
Raymond P. Boucher, the lead lawyer for those suing the church, said the versions of the files released by the church were cleansed of much of the damaging details of the accusations and the church's response. Their release was chiefly a public relations move by the church as both sides prepared for the first cases to go to trial, Mr. Boucher said.
"Unfortunately, these files do not contain the full story of the participation by the church in the manipulation and movement of these priests," he said. "The full files would show how deep and pervasive this problem was and how much the church put its own interests ahead of those of the children and others who were molested by the priests. That is a broader and deeper story."
...Perhaps the most egregious case here concerns the Rev. Michael Baker, who voluntarily revealed in 1986 to then-Archbishop Mahony a sexual relationship with two young boys from 1978 to 1985. Archbishop Mahony did not report the abuse to the police, but rather sent Father Baker for counseling and prohibited him from having any close contact with minors, the documents show. But he was soon assigned to parishes where he found it easy to prey on young boys again. After several more unsuccessful efforts at therapy, Father Baker was finally removed from the priesthood in 2000, but only after it was learned that he had molested as many as 10 victims over the previous 20 years.
In some cases, Cardinal Roger M. Mahony and his predecessors quietly shuffled the priests off to counseling and then to new assignments. In others, parents were offered counseling for their children and were urged to remain silent.
Throughout the files, cases of child molesting or rape are dealt with by indirection or euphemism, with references to questions of "moral fitness" or accusations of "boundary violations." For years, anonymous complaints of abuse were ignored and priests were given the benefit of every doubt.
The personnel files - some of which date from the 1930's - were produced as part of settlement talks with lawyers for 560 accusers in a civil suit here. The church provided them to The New York Times in advance of their public release in the next few days. The archdiocese is releasing them in part to make good on a promise to parishioners to come clean about the church's actions in the scandal, church officials said. It also hopes that the release will spur settlement talks, which appear to have stalled in recent months.
Raymond P. Boucher, the lead lawyer for those suing the church, said the versions of the files released by the church were cleansed of much of the damaging details of the accusations and the church's response. Their release was chiefly a public relations move by the church as both sides prepared for the first cases to go to trial, Mr. Boucher said.
"Unfortunately, these files do not contain the full story of the participation by the church in the manipulation and movement of these priests," he said. "The full files would show how deep and pervasive this problem was and how much the church put its own interests ahead of those of the children and others who were molested by the priests. That is a broader and deeper story."
...Perhaps the most egregious case here concerns the Rev. Michael Baker, who voluntarily revealed in 1986 to then-Archbishop Mahony a sexual relationship with two young boys from 1978 to 1985. Archbishop Mahony did not report the abuse to the police, but rather sent Father Baker for counseling and prohibited him from having any close contact with minors, the documents show. But he was soon assigned to parishes where he found it easy to prey on young boys again. After several more unsuccessful efforts at therapy, Father Baker was finally removed from the priesthood in 2000, but only after it was learned that he had molested as many as 10 victims over the previous 20 years.
Banging The Drum
My article on the Purdue/Iowa game is in the paper today. But they left out the best section:
The Program
You can tell a lot about a school by its program. The Purdue program was a bit light on All-Americans and bowl victories, but heavy on academics. For example, Purdue has produced 19 current or former NASA astronauts. 19! That’s more than the number of indictments brought against Ohio State football players this year. Oh wait, no it’s not.
And Purdue is about more than just astronauts. There are the great athletes, leaders of Fortune 500 companies, generals, inventors and statesman. But one person on the list stood out above all others...Ted Allen. Who’s Ted Allen? None other than the food and wine connoisseur on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. The university must be so proud.
The boy’s take: “Isn’t Neal Armstrong that astronaut guy?”
The Program
You can tell a lot about a school by its program. The Purdue program was a bit light on All-Americans and bowl victories, but heavy on academics. For example, Purdue has produced 19 current or former NASA astronauts. 19! That’s more than the number of indictments brought against Ohio State football players this year. Oh wait, no it’s not.
And Purdue is about more than just astronauts. There are the great athletes, leaders of Fortune 500 companies, generals, inventors and statesman. But one person on the list stood out above all others...Ted Allen. Who’s Ted Allen? None other than the food and wine connoisseur on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. The university must be so proud.
The boy’s take: “Isn’t Neal Armstrong that astronaut guy?”
Tressel-Ball On The Hotseat
COLUMBUS - His team still smarting from its second loss, Ohio State coach Jim Tressel went on the defensive Tuesday - defending his offense, his play-calling, his personnel and his own abilities.
The Buckeyes, who host No. 16 Michigan State Saturday, were limited to 230 yards and one touchdown in a 17-10 loss at Penn State last Saturday night.
Since then, Ohio State fans have savaged Tressel and what they call his conservative offensive attack.
"Oh, you hear plenty," Tressel said. "Whoever invented the Internet ... my poor 'deleted items' box is in big trouble. ... The guy cleaning the locker room wasn't too nice to me on Sunday."
The criticism comes two weeks after an impressive 31-6 beating of Iowa when the Buckeyes appeared to be peaking.
"I learned a long time ago - I've been around football longer than some of you have been alive - and there's two things that you don't listen to: flattery, which can't help you, and abuse, which can't hurt you. You have to look at the facts," Tressel said.
In the latest NCAA stats for 117 Division I-A teams, OSU ranks 40th in rushing, 91st in passing, 72nd in total offense and 68th in scoring. In the Big Ten, the 15th-ranked Buckeyes (3-2, 1-1) are first in total defense and last in total offense.
Uh, Jim, those facts aren't very helpful.
The Buckeyes, who host No. 16 Michigan State Saturday, were limited to 230 yards and one touchdown in a 17-10 loss at Penn State last Saturday night.
Since then, Ohio State fans have savaged Tressel and what they call his conservative offensive attack.
"Oh, you hear plenty," Tressel said. "Whoever invented the Internet ... my poor 'deleted items' box is in big trouble. ... The guy cleaning the locker room wasn't too nice to me on Sunday."
The criticism comes two weeks after an impressive 31-6 beating of Iowa when the Buckeyes appeared to be peaking.
"I learned a long time ago - I've been around football longer than some of you have been alive - and there's two things that you don't listen to: flattery, which can't help you, and abuse, which can't hurt you. You have to look at the facts," Tressel said.
In the latest NCAA stats for 117 Division I-A teams, OSU ranks 40th in rushing, 91st in passing, 72nd in total offense and 68th in scoring. In the Big Ten, the 15th-ranked Buckeyes (3-2, 1-1) are first in total defense and last in total offense.
Uh, Jim, those facts aren't very helpful.
The Confederacy of Dunces Reaches NJ
I love it when the parents of sensitive little teenagers get their feelings hurt. They can listen to 50 Cent and watch Pulp Fiction, but not a pre-game prayer. That's offensive. My God, grow up.
EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J. -- A veteran central New Jersey high school football coach has resigned after being told by school officials he could no longer lead his team in pregame prayer.
East Brunswick coach Marcus Borden was told last Friday by Schools Superintendent Jo Ann Magistro that some parents had complained about prayers Borden initiated at pregame meals and before the games.
After being told he would have to stop leading or taking part in the prayers, Borden stepped down from his position, just hours before his team's 21-0 loss to Sayreville that evening.
"I'm very disappointed," Borden said in an interview with News 12 New Jersey Tuesday. "Do I feel we were violating someone's rights? I don't think so."
But East Brunswick school officials think differently. According to school officials, the prayers violated the separation between church and state in public schools.
A spokeswoman for the district, Trish LaDuca, said students have the right to pray on school property during school events, but the prayer must be initiated by the students; otherwise it violates the law.
"A representative of the school district cannot constitutionally initiate prayer, encourage it or lead it," LaDuca told the Home News Tribune of East Brunswick. "Representatives of the school cannot participate in the student-initiated prayer."
During the television interview, aired Tuesday, Borden said what he was doing was not uncommon, and coaches across the state lead similar prayers as part of sporting events.
"I'm not out preaching, I'm not a preacher," said Borden, who has led the football program for 23 years. He has a 116-100-1 career record, and his team won the Central Jersey Group IV championship in 2004.
He is the founder of the Snapple Bowl, a charity all-star football game that has raised more than $150,000 for physically and mentally impaired children.
His resignation has divided the school community, with many students and parents supporting the coach.
On Saturday, a group of more than 50 members of the football team and some of their parents traveled to Borden's home and asked the coach to return.
Nancy Halupka, president of the school's football booster club, said she sympathizes with Borden and said the prayer tradition started long before he arrived at the school.
But school officials, who emphasized that they did not force Borden to resign, said some students felt uncomfortable with the prayer and their concerns should be treated with respect.
Magistro, the district's superintendent, said Borden's resignation won't become official until the school board meets on Oct. 20. She said the former coach can rescind his resignation at any time before the meeting, something Borden said was not likely.
"I believe that I made the right decision," said Borden, a Catholic. "I believe I made a decision based on principle. I believe that's who I am."
Borden could not immediately be reached for comment by The Associated Press Tuesday evening. There is no telephone listing in his name.
EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J. -- A veteran central New Jersey high school football coach has resigned after being told by school officials he could no longer lead his team in pregame prayer.
East Brunswick coach Marcus Borden was told last Friday by Schools Superintendent Jo Ann Magistro that some parents had complained about prayers Borden initiated at pregame meals and before the games.
After being told he would have to stop leading or taking part in the prayers, Borden stepped down from his position, just hours before his team's 21-0 loss to Sayreville that evening.
"I'm very disappointed," Borden said in an interview with News 12 New Jersey Tuesday. "Do I feel we were violating someone's rights? I don't think so."
But East Brunswick school officials think differently. According to school officials, the prayers violated the separation between church and state in public schools.
A spokeswoman for the district, Trish LaDuca, said students have the right to pray on school property during school events, but the prayer must be initiated by the students; otherwise it violates the law.
"A representative of the school district cannot constitutionally initiate prayer, encourage it or lead it," LaDuca told the Home News Tribune of East Brunswick. "Representatives of the school cannot participate in the student-initiated prayer."
During the television interview, aired Tuesday, Borden said what he was doing was not uncommon, and coaches across the state lead similar prayers as part of sporting events.
"I'm not out preaching, I'm not a preacher," said Borden, who has led the football program for 23 years. He has a 116-100-1 career record, and his team won the Central Jersey Group IV championship in 2004.
He is the founder of the Snapple Bowl, a charity all-star football game that has raised more than $150,000 for physically and mentally impaired children.
His resignation has divided the school community, with many students and parents supporting the coach.
On Saturday, a group of more than 50 members of the football team and some of their parents traveled to Borden's home and asked the coach to return.
Nancy Halupka, president of the school's football booster club, said she sympathizes with Borden and said the prayer tradition started long before he arrived at the school.
But school officials, who emphasized that they did not force Borden to resign, said some students felt uncomfortable with the prayer and their concerns should be treated with respect.
Magistro, the district's superintendent, said Borden's resignation won't become official until the school board meets on Oct. 20. She said the former coach can rescind his resignation at any time before the meeting, something Borden said was not likely.
"I believe that I made the right decision," said Borden, a Catholic. "I believe I made a decision based on principle. I believe that's who I am."
Borden could not immediately be reached for comment by The Associated Press Tuesday evening. There is no telephone listing in his name.
More DDT, Please
Consider the case of dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane, on which the Bush administration is marginally better than the European Union.
DDT, to give that chemical its more familiar name, works miracles against diseases that are spread by insects. During the Second World War, vast quantities of the stuff were dusted over troops and concentration-camp survivors to kill the body lice that spread typhus. Later, DDT was used widely in Latin America to beat back dengue and yellow fever. But the chemical's noblest calling is to combat malarial mosquitoes. In the early 20th century, Dunklin County, Missouri, had a higher rate of malarial mortality than Freetown, Sierra Leone. Between 1947 and 1949, DDT was sprayed on the internal walls of nearly 5 million American houses, and at the end of that process malaria had ceased to pose a significant threat in the United States.
DDT also helped to eliminate malaria in Europe and parts of Asia, and in 1970 the National Academy of Sciences estimated that the chemical had prevented 500 million deaths. And yet, despite that astounding number, DDT has all but disappeared from the malaria arsenal.
DDT, to give that chemical its more familiar name, works miracles against diseases that are spread by insects. During the Second World War, vast quantities of the stuff were dusted over troops and concentration-camp survivors to kill the body lice that spread typhus. Later, DDT was used widely in Latin America to beat back dengue and yellow fever. But the chemical's noblest calling is to combat malarial mosquitoes. In the early 20th century, Dunklin County, Missouri, had a higher rate of malarial mortality than Freetown, Sierra Leone. Between 1947 and 1949, DDT was sprayed on the internal walls of nearly 5 million American houses, and at the end of that process malaria had ceased to pose a significant threat in the United States.
DDT also helped to eliminate malaria in Europe and parts of Asia, and in 1970 the National Academy of Sciences estimated that the chemical had prevented 500 million deaths. And yet, despite that astounding number, DDT has all but disappeared from the malaria arsenal.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
More Bono News
Just read where Bono is not fundraising for Santorum, which seemed very unplausible to me at the time. Rockers don't campaign for Republicans...unless their Ted Nugent or Joey Ramone.
The Last Flying Monkey Is Dead
Sig Frohlich, who has died aged 97, was a bit-part actor for much of his long career in Hollywood, playing messengers, waiters, callboys, clerks and soldiers, rarely earning even a flicker of recognition from viewers over 50 years.
But he achieved some lasting celebrity as one of the winged monkeys in The Wizard of Oz (1939). This was despite the fact that he was completely disguised in a monkey costume and uttered no words on screen.
But he achieved some lasting celebrity as one of the winged monkeys in The Wizard of Oz (1939). This was despite the fact that he was completely disguised in a monkey costume and uttered no words on screen.
Yikes!
This is becoming all too common:
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Delphi Corp.'s chief executive said a collapse of the auto supplier, which has filed for bankruptcy protection, would damage most of the world's automakers, and that the company can save its pension plan for U.S. hourly workers only if unions agree to work for a third of their old pay and benefits, according to two separate news reports published Tuesday.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Delphi Corp.'s chief executive said a collapse of the auto supplier, which has filed for bankruptcy protection, would damage most of the world's automakers, and that the company can save its pension plan for U.S. hourly workers only if unions agree to work for a third of their old pay and benefits, according to two separate news reports published Tuesday.
Louis Freeh Comes Out Swinging
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former FBI Director Louis Freeh on Sunday accused former President Bill Clinton of ditching the investigation into the 1996 bombing of a U.S. barracks in Saudi Arabia to pursue better relations with Iran.
In an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes," Freeh said Clinton failed to seek Saudi cooperation with the investigation into the Khobar Towers attack, which killed 19 U.S. airmen. He said Clinton instead pressed then-Crown Prince Abdullah, now king, for a donation to his presidential library -- a charge the former president's spokesman and a former adviser told CBS was false.
"I was very disappointed that the political leadership in the United States would tell the families of these 19 heroes that we were going to leave no stone unturned and find the people who killed them, to give that order to the director -- because that's the order that I got -- and then do nothing to assist and facilitate that investigation, and, in fact, to undermine it," Freeh said.
In an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes," Freeh said Clinton failed to seek Saudi cooperation with the investigation into the Khobar Towers attack, which killed 19 U.S. airmen. He said Clinton instead pressed then-Crown Prince Abdullah, now king, for a donation to his presidential library -- a charge the former president's spokesman and a former adviser told CBS was false.
"I was very disappointed that the political leadership in the United States would tell the families of these 19 heroes that we were going to leave no stone unturned and find the people who killed them, to give that order to the director -- because that's the order that I got -- and then do nothing to assist and facilitate that investigation, and, in fact, to undermine it," Freeh said.
This Is Surprising
Bono, U2 in Fund-Raiser for Senator Rick Santorum
On Sunday, October 16, a truly unique political event will take place.
Teaming up with the legendary rock group U2 for a one-night only appearance will be Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Penn.).
The thousand-dollar-a-seat concert has been put together by Sean and Ana Wolfington and will take place at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia in support of Santorum’s re-election, reports NewsMax's James Hirsen.
U2 front man Bono is no stranger to Washington, D.C. He has come often to the nation’s capital to network with politicians on behalf of his many causes.
Santorum met Bono earlier this year, having been introduced by John Kasich, the former Congressman from Ohio and host of Fox News Channel’s "Heartland.”
So what does the Irish rocker have in common with the conservative senator?
As in the case of Santorum, Bono’s religious convictions inform his activities.
The U2 leader shared some of his faith perspectives with the author of the book "Bono in Conversation.” He said, "It’s a mind-blowing concept that the God who created the universe might be looking for company, a real relationship with people.”
Santorum told "Christianity Today” that "faith is a source of morality; it’s a source of virtue; it’s a source of reason. It’s a tremendous influence on my worldview.”
Two very different men from two very different professions whom folks may not suspect would hold common beliefs.
Organizer of the event, Sean Wolfington, sees these two as fitting together quite well.
Wolfington puts it this way: "It's truly appropriate for U2, a band with a purpose, to be involved in a fund-raiser with Senator Rick Santorum, a politician with a purpose. Both men are passionate about what they believe and their faith is very important to them.”
On Sunday, October 16, a truly unique political event will take place.
Teaming up with the legendary rock group U2 for a one-night only appearance will be Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Penn.).
The thousand-dollar-a-seat concert has been put together by Sean and Ana Wolfington and will take place at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia in support of Santorum’s re-election, reports NewsMax's James Hirsen.
U2 front man Bono is no stranger to Washington, D.C. He has come often to the nation’s capital to network with politicians on behalf of his many causes.
Santorum met Bono earlier this year, having been introduced by John Kasich, the former Congressman from Ohio and host of Fox News Channel’s "Heartland.”
So what does the Irish rocker have in common with the conservative senator?
As in the case of Santorum, Bono’s religious convictions inform his activities.
The U2 leader shared some of his faith perspectives with the author of the book "Bono in Conversation.” He said, "It’s a mind-blowing concept that the God who created the universe might be looking for company, a real relationship with people.”
Santorum told "Christianity Today” that "faith is a source of morality; it’s a source of virtue; it’s a source of reason. It’s a tremendous influence on my worldview.”
Two very different men from two very different professions whom folks may not suspect would hold common beliefs.
Organizer of the event, Sean Wolfington, sees these two as fitting together quite well.
Wolfington puts it this way: "It's truly appropriate for U2, a band with a purpose, to be involved in a fund-raiser with Senator Rick Santorum, a politician with a purpose. Both men are passionate about what they believe and their faith is very important to them.”
Friday, October 07, 2005
What?
The National Football League has sacked Al Pacino.
The NFL, citing its anti-gambling policy, demanded that networks not show ads during its TV games for Pacino's upcoming film Two for the Money, which focuses on the sports betting industry.
The decision, made last month, irked executives at Universal Studios, which is distributing the film and had planned a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign during the NFL season.
“We felt that the ad constituted affiliating with or endorsing gambling,” says NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy. “And our policy dates back to the 1960s. It prohibits any kind of ads concerning gambling.”
The NFL doesn't endorse gambling. Is this guy serious?
The NFL, citing its anti-gambling policy, demanded that networks not show ads during its TV games for Pacino's upcoming film Two for the Money, which focuses on the sports betting industry.
The decision, made last month, irked executives at Universal Studios, which is distributing the film and had planned a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign during the NFL season.
“We felt that the ad constituted affiliating with or endorsing gambling,” says NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy. “And our policy dates back to the 1960s. It prohibits any kind of ads concerning gambling.”
The NFL doesn't endorse gambling. Is this guy serious?
What About Michael Moore? Or George Clooney?
Al Qaeda has put job advertisements on the Internet asking for supporters to help put together its Web statements and video montages, an Arabic newspaper reported.
The London-based Asharq al-Awsat said on its Web site this week that al Qaeda had "vacant positions" for video production and editing statements, footage and international media coverage about militants in Iraq, the Palestinian territories, Chechnya and other conflict zones where militants are active.
The paper said the Global Islamic Media Front, an al Qaeda-linked Web-based organisation, would "follow up with members interested in joining and contact them via email".
The paper did not say how applicants should contact the Global Islamic Media Front.
The London-based Asharq al-Awsat said on its Web site this week that al Qaeda had "vacant positions" for video production and editing statements, footage and international media coverage about militants in Iraq, the Palestinian territories, Chechnya and other conflict zones where militants are active.
The paper said the Global Islamic Media Front, an al Qaeda-linked Web-based organisation, would "follow up with members interested in joining and contact them via email".
The paper did not say how applicants should contact the Global Islamic Media Front.
$350 Billion Is A Lot Of Money
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate voted Friday to give President Bush $50 billion more for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and U.S. military efforts against terrorism, money that would push total spending for the operations beyond $350 billion.
But if you put it in context, this strikes me as very reasonable. We've essentially fought two ground wars, we are "occupying" two countries, we are continuing to fight a war on terror - and all over the course of more than 3 years now. That $350 billion sounds like money well spent.
But if you put it in context, this strikes me as very reasonable. We've essentially fought two ground wars, we are "occupying" two countries, we are continuing to fight a war on terror - and all over the course of more than 3 years now. That $350 billion sounds like money well spent.
Bengals Fans Need To Shut Up
If I see another fat, drunk, dirty Bengal fan complaining about the possibility of pat-downs at Paul Brown Stadium, I'm going to puke.
Ask Oklahoma fans how they'd feel about it?
There are some interesting video updates on the possible suicide bomber from the local Oklahoma press (all courtesy of News 9 in Oklahoma City).
A first report states that Joel Hinrichs may have tried to enter the football stadium from two different gates. He reportedly had a ticket to the game. The most concrete piece of information in the report comes from a student who says that a security guard working gate security told him that a young man with a backpack had tried to enter the stadium. When the guard tried to search the backpack, he says that the man wearing the backpack sprinted away. This is not a usual occurrence at Oklahoma University football games; the clear implication is that it may have been Hinrichs who sprinted off.
A second report explains that Norman police have confirmed that Hinrichs attempted to buy ammonium nitrate a few days before blowing himself up. An off-duty police officer was in the Ellison Feed and Seed store at the time that Hinrichs was there. Both the store owner and officer became suspicious because Hinrichs was unable to answer basic questions about how much ammonium nitrate he wanted and why he needed it. The officer then followed Hinrichs to where he was parked, got his tag number, re-entered the store and contacted the Norman police department with the tag number.
A third report provides a brief look at how Hinrichs was transformed from a National Merit Scholar to a "suicide bomber" (if that is indeed what he was). The report states that, just prior to his death, Hinrichs had spent much of his time at the Norman mosque that Zacarias Moussaoui attended. The report states that the bomb that killed Hinrichs contained TATP. The report also states that in the search of Hinrichs's house and car, agents found an airline ticket to Algeria which was "linked" to Hinrichs's Pakistani roommate. The reporter didn't specify whether this was a one-way ticket, but did say that this discovery raises the question of whether others beside Hinrichs were involved.
I have a favorite quote from the local reports. An Oklahoma University student, explaining why he thought there was more to Hinrichs's death than the OU administration would admit, said, "You don't just blow yourself up next to 85,000 people for no reason."
Ask Oklahoma fans how they'd feel about it?
There are some interesting video updates on the possible suicide bomber from the local Oklahoma press (all courtesy of News 9 in Oklahoma City).
A first report states that Joel Hinrichs may have tried to enter the football stadium from two different gates. He reportedly had a ticket to the game. The most concrete piece of information in the report comes from a student who says that a security guard working gate security told him that a young man with a backpack had tried to enter the stadium. When the guard tried to search the backpack, he says that the man wearing the backpack sprinted away. This is not a usual occurrence at Oklahoma University football games; the clear implication is that it may have been Hinrichs who sprinted off.
A second report explains that Norman police have confirmed that Hinrichs attempted to buy ammonium nitrate a few days before blowing himself up. An off-duty police officer was in the Ellison Feed and Seed store at the time that Hinrichs was there. Both the store owner and officer became suspicious because Hinrichs was unable to answer basic questions about how much ammonium nitrate he wanted and why he needed it. The officer then followed Hinrichs to where he was parked, got his tag number, re-entered the store and contacted the Norman police department with the tag number.
A third report provides a brief look at how Hinrichs was transformed from a National Merit Scholar to a "suicide bomber" (if that is indeed what he was). The report states that, just prior to his death, Hinrichs had spent much of his time at the Norman mosque that Zacarias Moussaoui attended. The report states that the bomb that killed Hinrichs contained TATP. The report also states that in the search of Hinrichs's house and car, agents found an airline ticket to Algeria which was "linked" to Hinrichs's Pakistani roommate. The reporter didn't specify whether this was a one-way ticket, but did say that this discovery raises the question of whether others beside Hinrichs were involved.
I have a favorite quote from the local reports. An Oklahoma University student, explaining why he thought there was more to Hinrichs's death than the OU administration would admit, said, "You don't just blow yourself up next to 85,000 people for no reason."
Now That Arafat Is Dead, Is This The Best We Can Do
The U.N. nuclear watchdog and its head, Mohamed ElBaradei, have won the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to limit the spread of atomic weapons. The Norwegian Nobel Committee picked the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and ElBaradei, an Egyptian, from a record field of 199 candidates. It praised ElBaradei as an "unafraid advocate" of measures to strengthen non-proliferation efforts. The prize will be split equally between the agency and ElBaradei.
This Is A Shock
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Southern Mississippi scoring leader Rashaad Carruth has left the basketball team because of personal reasons.
"I am going to concentrate on getting my degree from Southern Miss while I take care of some personal matters," Carruth said Thursday in a statement issued by the school. "(Coach Larry Eustachy) has been like a second father to me, and I am grateful for all he has done and continues to do for me."
Carruth, a guard, averaged 13.4 points last season.
Pretty tough to follow in the footsteps of Steve Fields, the finest guard ever to put on the Golden Eagle uniform.
"I am going to concentrate on getting my degree from Southern Miss while I take care of some personal matters," Carruth said Thursday in a statement issued by the school. "(Coach Larry Eustachy) has been like a second father to me, and I am grateful for all he has done and continues to do for me."
Carruth, a guard, averaged 13.4 points last season.
Pretty tough to follow in the footsteps of Steve Fields, the finest guard ever to put on the Golden Eagle uniform.
Quote of the Day
Howard Dean on Hardball:
"Well, certainly the president can claim executive privilege. But in the this case, I think with a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court, you can't play, you know, Hide the Salami, or whatever it's called."
Huh?
"Well, certainly the president can claim executive privilege. But in the this case, I think with a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court, you can't play, you know, Hide the Salami, or whatever it's called."
Huh?
The Failure of Gay Activists
Iran executes gays and Hamas will outlaw it in the new Palestinian state. Where are the gay rights activists? AWOL.
When it comes to the oppression of gays and lesbians in Muslim countries, gay activism hasn't died; it never really existed. Gay activists have used two types of excuses to justify their failure to aggressively mobilize for the rights of gay Muslims--moral and strategic. The moral argument is that Americans are in no position to criticize Iranians on human rights--that it would be wrong to campaign too loudly against Iranian abuses when the United States has so many problems of its own. Then, there are two strategic rationales: that it is better to work behind the scenes to bring about change in Iran; and that gay rights groups should conserve their resources for domestic battles.
The strategic rationales are not especially compelling, but it is the moral argument that is particularly troubling, because it suggests that some gay and lesbian leaders feel more allegiance to the relativism of the contemporary left than they do to the universality of their own cause. Activists are more than willing to condemn the homophobic leaders of the Christian right for campaigning against gay marriage; but they are weary of condemning Islamist regimes that execute citizens for being gay. Something has gone terribly awry.
When it comes to the oppression of gays and lesbians in Muslim countries, gay activism hasn't died; it never really existed. Gay activists have used two types of excuses to justify their failure to aggressively mobilize for the rights of gay Muslims--moral and strategic. The moral argument is that Americans are in no position to criticize Iranians on human rights--that it would be wrong to campaign too loudly against Iranian abuses when the United States has so many problems of its own. Then, there are two strategic rationales: that it is better to work behind the scenes to bring about change in Iran; and that gay rights groups should conserve their resources for domestic battles.
The strategic rationales are not especially compelling, but it is the moral argument that is particularly troubling, because it suggests that some gay and lesbian leaders feel more allegiance to the relativism of the contemporary left than they do to the universality of their own cause. Activists are more than willing to condemn the homophobic leaders of the Christian right for campaigning against gay marriage; but they are weary of condemning Islamist regimes that execute citizens for being gay. Something has gone terribly awry.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Sad, But Not Surprising
Rev. Larry Davis, pastor of First Baptist Church of Cold Spring, Ky., pleaded guilty this morning to charges that he lied on a loan application and evaded paying his taxes.
Davis appeared before U.S. District Court Judge David Bunning in Covington and pleaded guilty to two counts of a seven-count indictment.
Davis' sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 17. He faces between 24 and 30 months in prison with no chance of parole. He remains on bond.
Davis appeared before U.S. District Court Judge David Bunning in Covington and pleaded guilty to two counts of a seven-count indictment.
Davis' sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 17. He faces between 24 and 30 months in prison with no chance of parole. He remains on bond.
This Is Encouraging
BAGHDAD -- Recent polling shows widespread support for a new Iraqi constitution to be voted on Oct. 15, even in strongholds of Sunni Arab groups that are fighting to derail the charter.
Mehdi Hafedh, director of the Iraqi Center for Development and International Dialogue, said his latest survey showed that Iraqis are exhausted by the continuing violence and that most are hoping the new constitution will be a first step toward the restoration of order.
Mehdi Hafedh, director of the Iraqi Center for Development and International Dialogue, said his latest survey showed that Iraqis are exhausted by the continuing violence and that most are hoping the new constitution will be a first step toward the restoration of order.
Good News for America
The McCain amendment barring cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of military detainees by any American personnel anywhere in the world passed last night 90-9 in the Senate.
Here's what McCain had to say:
Mr. President, war is an awful business. I know that. I don’t think I’m naïve about how severe are the wages of war, and how terrible are the things that must be done to wage it successfully. It is a grim, dark business, and no matter how noble the cause for which it is fought, no matter how valiant the service, many veterans spend much of their subsequent lives trying to forget not only what was done to them and their comrades, but some of what had to be done by their hand to prevail.
I don’t mourn the loss of any terrorist’s life nor do I care if in the course of serving their ignoble cause they suffer great harm. They have pledged their lives to the intentional destruction of innocent lives, and they have earned their terrible punishment in this life and the next.
What I do regret, what I do mourn, and what I do care very much about is what we lose, what we -- the American serviceman and woman and the great nation they defend at the risk of their lives – what we lose when by official policy or by official negligence – we allow, confuse or encourage our soldiers to forget that best sense of ourselves, our greatest strength – that we are different and better than our enemies; that we fight for an idea – not a tribe, not a land, not a king, not a twisted interpretation of an ancient religion – but for an idea that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights.
I have been asked before where did the brave men I was privileged to serve with in Vietnam draw the strength to resist to the best of their ability the cruelties inflicted on them by our enemies. Well, we drew strength from our faith in each other, from our faith in God, and from our faith in our country. Our enemies didn’t adhere to the Geneva Convention. Many of my comrades were subjected to very cruel, very inhumane and degrading treatment, a few of them even unto death. But everyone of us knew, every single one of us knew and took great strength from the belief that we were different from our enemies, that we were better than them, that we, if the roles were reversed, would not disgrace ourselves by committing or countenancing such mistreatment of them. That faith was indispensable not only to our survival, but to our attempts to return home with honor. Many of the men I served with would have preferred death to such dishonor.
The enemies we fight today hold such liberal notions in contempt, as they hold the international conventions that enshrine them such as the Geneva Conventions and the treaty on torture in contempt. I know that. But we’re better than them, and we are the stronger for our faith. And we will prevail. I submit to my colleagues that it is indispensable to our success in this war that our servicemen and women know that in the discharge of their dangerous responsibilities to their country they are never expected to forget that they are Americans, the valiant defenders of a sacred idea of how nations should govern their own affairs and their relations with others – even our enemies.
Those who return to us and those who give their lives for us are entitled to that honor. And those of us who have given them this onerous duty are obliged by our history, and by the sacrifices – the many terrible sacrifices -- that have been made in our defense – we are obliged to make clear to them that they need not risk their or their country’s honor to prevail; that they are always, always – through the violence, chaos and heartache of war, through deprivation and cruelty and loss – they are always, always Americans, and different, better, and stronger than those who would destroy us.
God bless them as he has blessed us with their service.
Here's what McCain had to say:
Mr. President, war is an awful business. I know that. I don’t think I’m naïve about how severe are the wages of war, and how terrible are the things that must be done to wage it successfully. It is a grim, dark business, and no matter how noble the cause for which it is fought, no matter how valiant the service, many veterans spend much of their subsequent lives trying to forget not only what was done to them and their comrades, but some of what had to be done by their hand to prevail.
I don’t mourn the loss of any terrorist’s life nor do I care if in the course of serving their ignoble cause they suffer great harm. They have pledged their lives to the intentional destruction of innocent lives, and they have earned their terrible punishment in this life and the next.
What I do regret, what I do mourn, and what I do care very much about is what we lose, what we -- the American serviceman and woman and the great nation they defend at the risk of their lives – what we lose when by official policy or by official negligence – we allow, confuse or encourage our soldiers to forget that best sense of ourselves, our greatest strength – that we are different and better than our enemies; that we fight for an idea – not a tribe, not a land, not a king, not a twisted interpretation of an ancient religion – but for an idea that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights.
I have been asked before where did the brave men I was privileged to serve with in Vietnam draw the strength to resist to the best of their ability the cruelties inflicted on them by our enemies. Well, we drew strength from our faith in each other, from our faith in God, and from our faith in our country. Our enemies didn’t adhere to the Geneva Convention. Many of my comrades were subjected to very cruel, very inhumane and degrading treatment, a few of them even unto death. But everyone of us knew, every single one of us knew and took great strength from the belief that we were different from our enemies, that we were better than them, that we, if the roles were reversed, would not disgrace ourselves by committing or countenancing such mistreatment of them. That faith was indispensable not only to our survival, but to our attempts to return home with honor. Many of the men I served with would have preferred death to such dishonor.
The enemies we fight today hold such liberal notions in contempt, as they hold the international conventions that enshrine them such as the Geneva Conventions and the treaty on torture in contempt. I know that. But we’re better than them, and we are the stronger for our faith. And we will prevail. I submit to my colleagues that it is indispensable to our success in this war that our servicemen and women know that in the discharge of their dangerous responsibilities to their country they are never expected to forget that they are Americans, the valiant defenders of a sacred idea of how nations should govern their own affairs and their relations with others – even our enemies.
Those who return to us and those who give their lives for us are entitled to that honor. And those of us who have given them this onerous duty are obliged by our history, and by the sacrifices – the many terrible sacrifices -- that have been made in our defense – we are obliged to make clear to them that they need not risk their or their country’s honor to prevail; that they are always, always – through the violence, chaos and heartache of war, through deprivation and cruelty and loss – they are always, always Americans, and different, better, and stronger than those who would destroy us.
God bless them as he has blessed us with their service.
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
What Would Dean Hammond Think Of This
Dude, you just didn't pass out on campus. You passed out in the college president's office.
A University of Buffalo student is likely enduring razzing after campus police said he was found passed out in the president's office over the weekend.
Officials at the campus told The Buffalo News that a student headed home after a night of drinking got into the president's suite early Saturday morning after the overnight cleaning crew left the door ajar.
Campus police say the cleaner returned a few minutes and found the student lying in the office's reception area.
Police say the student probably got off a bus at a nearby stop and was looking for a place to sleep it off when he found the office open door.
The student was taken to a Buffalo hospital for evaluation.
A University of Buffalo student is likely enduring razzing after campus police said he was found passed out in the president's office over the weekend.
Officials at the campus told The Buffalo News that a student headed home after a night of drinking got into the president's suite early Saturday morning after the overnight cleaning crew left the door ajar.
Campus police say the cleaner returned a few minutes and found the student lying in the office's reception area.
Police say the student probably got off a bus at a nearby stop and was looking for a place to sleep it off when he found the office open door.
The student was taken to a Buffalo hospital for evaluation.
Joke of the Day
Kate: "Dad, do you know why hurricanes are named after girls?"
Dad: "No, why?"
Kate: "Have you ever heard of a himmicane?"
Dad: "No, why?"
Kate: "Have you ever heard of a himmicane?"
Thanks News Media
From the WaPo:
Five weeks after Hurricane Katrina laid waste to New Orleans, some local, state and federal officials have come to believe that exaggerations of mayhem by officials and rumors repeated uncritically in the news media helped slow the response to the disaster and tarnish the image of many of its victims.
Do you think so?
Five weeks after Hurricane Katrina laid waste to New Orleans, some local, state and federal officials have come to believe that exaggerations of mayhem by officials and rumors repeated uncritically in the news media helped slow the response to the disaster and tarnish the image of many of its victims.
Do you think so?
I Think Mitt May Have The Answer
BOSTON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, mulling a White House bid in 2008, on Thursday stood by his comments in favor of wiretapping mosques after religious leaders stepped up demands for him to take them back.
Civil rights groups and Muslim leaders have blasted the Republican governor since he raised the prospect on Sept. 14 of putting some Muslim students and their teachers under surveillance.
On Thursday, Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders delivered a petition to his office signed by 75 people from a dozen religious groups urging him to reconsider his views.
Romney refused, telling Reuters in an interview that attacks by Islamic terrorists in London and the United States justify stronger scrutiny by U.S. authorities on activity at mosques in America.
Civil rights groups and Muslim leaders have blasted the Republican governor since he raised the prospect on Sept. 14 of putting some Muslim students and their teachers under surveillance.
On Thursday, Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders delivered a petition to his office signed by 75 people from a dozen religious groups urging him to reconsider his views.
Romney refused, telling Reuters in an interview that attacks by Islamic terrorists in London and the United States justify stronger scrutiny by U.S. authorities on activity at mosques in America.
And Now, the Rest of the Story
Details are still emerging on the story of the suicide bombing Saturday night just 100 yards from 84,000 football fans attending the OU-Kansas game. Authorities are still just calling it a simple suicide, but the information coming out seems to paint a much more sinister picture.
1. The FBI and Joint Terrorism Task Force are the lead agencies on the case.
2. The bomber had inquired about buying "a significant amount of ammonium nitrate, the primary ingredient used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing".
3. He apparently attended the same mosque as Zacarias Moussaoui.
4. His roomates had islamic fundamentalist beliefs.
5. Investigators found a huge cache of weapons in his apartment. (enough that police were overheard saying it would take 24 hours to remove all of it).
6. He was "bright and lonely"... just the kind of kid terrorists like to recruit.
1. The FBI and Joint Terrorism Task Force are the lead agencies on the case.
2. The bomber had inquired about buying "a significant amount of ammonium nitrate, the primary ingredient used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing".
3. He apparently attended the same mosque as Zacarias Moussaoui.
4. His roomates had islamic fundamentalist beliefs.
5. Investigators found a huge cache of weapons in his apartment. (enough that police were overheard saying it would take 24 hours to remove all of it).
6. He was "bright and lonely"... just the kind of kid terrorists like to recruit.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Nuts!
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Nicolas Cage, who was once set to star in Tim Burton's doomed Superman project, hasn't let go of the Man of Steel.
The Oscar winner and his wife Alice Kim Cage became the proud new parents of Kal-el Coppola Cage on Monday morning (Oct. 3). For those scratching their heads about the latest weird celebrity baby name, Kal-el is Superman's original Kryptonian name before he was adopted by lowly Earthlings and renamed Clark Kent.
The Oscar winner and his wife Alice Kim Cage became the proud new parents of Kal-el Coppola Cage on Monday morning (Oct. 3). For those scratching their heads about the latest weird celebrity baby name, Kal-el is Superman's original Kryptonian name before he was adopted by lowly Earthlings and renamed Clark Kent.
Quote of the Day
"It's not as bad as Caligula putting his horse in the Senate." - Richard Brookhiser, National Review, on Bush's appointment of Harriet Miers.
Monday, October 03, 2005
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
