Zee Links and Minifeatures: October 2006 Archives

Carnival of The Capitalists Recommended: PaceSetter Mortgage Blog on the issues with "pre-approval." Ladies and gentlemen, I never trust pre-approvals unless I did them, and they are limited even so.



Carnival of Personal Finance



RINO Sightings Recommended: legal redux (the New Jersey Supreme court's recent decision on same sex marriage)

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Jane Novak, whose work I admire, has a categorical roundup of the sins of the Saleh regime in Global Politician. Check her out on a daily basis over at Armies of Liberation.



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Modern Humans, Neanderthals May Have Interbred, Fossils point to a melding, not replacement, of species



As anyone who's ever been terrorized by the jocks at school could have told them. Seriously, though, it's a fascinating article on what may have happened to our closest genetic relative. Although come to think of it, if our ancestors interbred with them, that would make us the same species by definition, correct?



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A man who may be one of the moderate moslems we need: A radical idea: How Muslims can be European, too. But I stress may. By his actions we should judge him. He may be the Islamic equivalent of a Menshevik.



This appears to be his web page http://www.tariqramadan.com/welcome.php3



his Wikipedia entry



Daniel Pipes had something to say a while ago.



We need to seek evidence on all sides of any question. Given the weight of what I found when I ran him through a search engine, I'd say his works perhaps incline one way (albeit with significant troubling exceptions), his associations another. However, let me ask this: suppose Dr. Martin Luther King had not reached out to defuse the more radically violent of his peers in the Black Civil Rights movement? Now consider that Dr. King did do so, and therefore his associations showed the type of person that Mr. Ramadan is being condemned for by various agencies today. I'm not ready to make a judgment, myself.



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Riehl World View has video of John Kerry's latest character revealing moment.



And here I didn't think anything John Kerry could say would bring my opinion of him any lower. I was wrong, as that digging noise you hear coming from his direction is proof that bottom is not low enough for him.



Maybe the Democrats will pull it off. Maybe they won't. We'll find out November 7th, which is the only poll that matters.



But I can tell you that in at least a couple of races, the thing that has pushed me into the Republican column (at least so far) was information contained in Democratic attack literature ("X voted against bills that would make medicine more affordable!" but those bills were attempts to repeal the laws of economics. Sounds good if you don't think, but if you do, it's a recipe for disaster. My thought in response was, "You say that like it's a bad thing!" and decided to vote for the Repugnantcan over the Dumbocrat.)

Border Patrol Agents sentenced to Prison: For Doing their Job



If this is the way we're going to approach it, why do we have Border Patrol Agents? Why have law enforcement at all? Violating the "civil rights" of someone who has just wounded a law enforcement officer? Get real!

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Iran Doubles Nuke Enrichment Capacity



They already have more than enough enrichment for energy needs (despite what the article says). Why a second set if they're not looking to build a bomb?



Israel isn't fooling itself: Olmert Compares Iran With Nazi Germany. Why are we?



Personally, I don't want to be recycling all the old tasteless jokes about the Holocaust. They're only funny to nine year olds.

Israel's concerns have heightened since the election of Iran's hard-line president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who frequently calls for the destruction of Israel and has questioned whether the Nazi genocide of 6 million Jews took place.

and

"It is the first time that a leader of a very big and important nation openly and publicly declares that an aim of his nation is to wipe off the map," Olmert said. "And this nation continues to be a legitimate member of the United Nations and leaders of many of the countries in the world receive the leader. They hardly do anything."

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Gateway Pundit with some historical context for the election.

Home Prices Plunge by Most in 35 Years

The Commerce Department reported that the median price for a new home sold in September was $217,100, a drop of 9.7 percent from September 2005.

Keep in mind that we don't have a unified national market - we have an amalgamation of local markets. This is nonetheless not a good sign. Locally, the price of what actually sells is down almost 20% from peak, depending upon the ZIP code.



Don't look to the Fed to bail the housing market out, either: No Tricks, No Treats in New Fed Message



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An End to some folks denial: Bush Signs U.S.-Mexico Border Fence Bill



I didn't think the President wanted to sign it, either. Nonetheless, it was not an issue on which he was prepared to buck the emerging consensus, especially as it has become plain that the longer things go, the more hardline the eventual resolution is going to be. The prospect of a pocket veto would not have mollified anyone - it would just have ticked off both sides, and if there is one thing our current President Bush has established is a solid part of his character, it is the fact that he doesn't duck making a decision.



Of course, the Mexican government isn't happy:

Mexican officials have criticized the fence. Outgoing Mexican President Vicente Fox, who has spent much of his six years in office lobbying for a new guest worker program and a chance at citizenship for the millions of Mexicans working illegally in the U.S., calls the fence "shameful" and compares it to the Berlin Wall.

For the historically challenged, the Berlin Wall was intended to keep East Germans in. This is a measure to keep those without permission to be here out. The Mexican government would have been overthrown sometime along about World War II if not for remittances from family members on the north side of the border.



Now it happens, I don't think the fence, by itself, will be a real solution to the problem. The only measure that will work is harsh employer sanctions and aggressive enforcement. But a fence to physically keep out those who shouldn't be here is a necessary part of a larger solution. Run "anchor baby" through a search engine or two if you want to know why.



Nor do I think we should pay any attention to the Mexican government's desires, at least with regards to how we handle our border. If you want a real eye opener, check out what Mexico teaches its school children about the United States, especially the southwestern portion. If the Mexican government wants to close down the border from their side, that's fine by me. No more turistas spending yankee greenbacks helping to keep the Mexican outhouse government afloat. If they want there to be no border, they can apply for statehood. I'd urge my Congresscritters to vote "yes" if they did.



(Just so there is no misunderstanding, the Mexican people are every bit as hardworking and deserving as any other nationality, more so than many, and I'll willingly stand at the border and greet those arriving here legally with a handshake and "Welcome to America! How can we help you get started?" But their government is a century old fetid outhouse of decay, corruption and incompetence, and anything that increases the prospect of it expanding it's mordida influence north of the border is worth getting violent about.)



Scrappleface understands what is really going on.



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In the "helping the truth catch up with lies" department: Gilchrist: Don't fall for media's spin about the Minutemen



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China takes heat after tragic flight of Tibetan teenager



Admittedly, no passport. Still:

About half the group was captured by Chinese police. The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced the death of a second victim, a 23-year-old male, days later in a hospital, stating he died from "oxygen shortage." China's official news agency, Xinhua, reported on Oct. 12 that Chinese police opened fire in self-defense after the Tibetans attacked them.



Human rights groups say the Tibetans were unarmed, and that the male victim died from gunshot wounds.

You want human rights violations at the border? Those are human rights violations: shooting your own citizens from ambush for the horrible crime of wanting to leave, even though those on the other side are willing to receive them.



They've got this one on film: Exclusive footage of Chinese soldiers shooting at Tibetan pilgrims Please, watch it before some politically correct numbskill censors it.



While I'm at it: Begging for justice in China's capital

Last year, the number of mass protests rose to more than 87,000, up from 10,000 in 1994. Party leaders recently agreed to reform the system after a surge in unrest linked to land grabs and other abuses, according to the official Xinhua news agency.



However, researchers say that far from quelling tensions, new restrictions on petitioner gatherings may actually be radicalizing complainants. In squatter camps in Beijing, rural petitioners are finding common cause with each other, stirring a nascent protest movement.

The Chinese government can't win and they can't break even, but they're not going to quit the game.



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Fascinating: Amazon River Flowed Backwards in Ancient Times



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Victor Davis Hanson reviews Robert Spencer's "The Truth About Mohammed"



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Captain's Quarters on the Michael J Fox campaign ad.

Carnival of Investing



Carnival of the Capitalists



Carnival of Personal Finance

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Some welcome news here: Radical Islam finds US 'sterile ground'



On the other hand: Egyptians who enslaved girl, 10, get U.S. prison



Only three years for two years enslavement?



via Tinkerty-Tonk, Two faces of Arab intellectuals



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While I was finding a good permalink to another article, I noticed this one: A century on, Brazil still claims flight's first.



What it doesn't say is that there were people trying to steal the Wright Brothers ideas and inventions, and so, of necessity due to the murky nature of intenational intellectual property at that time, they became very secretive for several years after the initial flight. Once their claim was settled, they made a tour of europe, astounding audiences with their control of the airplane. Flying figure 8s may not seem like a big deal today, but back then, the Wrights were the only ones who could do it. Where before, europe, led by those self-proclaimed arbiters the French, had disparaged the Wright brothers claim. But when the Wright brothers showed their stuff (about 1908) those doubters who had carped the loudest conceded the truth of the Wright Brother's claims.



By the way, the Wright brothers' initial flight was witnessed by six other people uninvolved with their project. Santos-Dumont, while a pioneer in his own right, was not first. There are legitimate limits as to what the Wright Brothers accomplished. They were only the first controlled self-powered heavier than air craft, but seeing as that's the generally accepted definition of airplane, they get the name recognition. Gliders were decades ahead of the Wright brothers, the Montgolfier brothers balloons, over a century. But those were all hobbyist curiosities, something for dilettantes to fawn over. The Wright Brothers built upon all of the work that came before them, and improved it enough to make something useful out of it that revolutionized flight, and made flight useful.



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I don't often agree with Bill Bennett, but he gets it right here: Bennett: Most around world still believe in America



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Old jokes come to life: Man accused of having relations with dog. He will never be known as Mike the barman, or Mike the dock builder.



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Diebold Source Code Leaked Again. Or maybe not. Buried 12 paragraphs down:

Diebold said the source code was for BallotStation 4.3.15C, which is no longer being used in the U.S., and for GEMS 1.18.19, which is being used in a "limited number of jurisdictions."

So the correct headline, as far as I can tell, would be "Former Diebold source code leaked again"



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My Hero: Fighting spirit saves pensioner from attack



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Disturbing if true: The Kennedy KGB letter Updated with info about the NIE leak



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Q and O has a nice article in which both he and Justice Scalia examine why the judiciary needs to be both independent and limited, and the less limited they are, the less independent they should be.



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Sounding Taps (via Mudville)



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Thank you to the nice lady who asked me a question I could use for a last minute article for tomorrow. I had a family emergency and didn't have anything until she asked her question.

The stuff they're doing with CGI these days: Ford says he's fit to play Indiana Jones

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Iranian leader threatens Israel's allies

Ahmadinejad called the U.N. Security Council and all its decisions "illegitimate" and said the world body was being used as a tool of Iran's enemies - the United States and Britain.

and

Ahmadinejad, speaking to a crowd of hundreds of thousands in Tehran, threatened any country that supports Israel, and said the U.S. and its allies had "imposed a group of terrorists" on the region by their support of the Jewish state.



"It is in your own interest to distance yourself from these criminals... This is an ultimatum. Don't complain tomorrow," he cautioned. "Nations will take revenge."

Is there anyone reading this who doesn't think Iran's leaders would unleash a nuclear apocalypse if it could?



But he goes on:

"The time is over for such logic. Under such circumstances, the Security Council is illegitimate and its decisions are illegitimate," Ahmadinejad said, drawing chants of "Death to America" from the crowd.

Nuke watch: The game's getting tougher



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Cue "Twilight Zone" music: Why is the White House so Eerily Confident about the Coming Elections?



Read the comments, also. But maybe you'd better wear a helmet so your head doesn't explode.



And she actually gives one of the two reasons why the White House is not worried:

Karl Rove recently told the Washington Times, "For most Americans, particularly the marginal voters who are going to determine the outcome of the election, it started a couple of weeks ago... Between now and the election we will spend $100 million in target House and Senate races in the next 21 days". That is $30 million a week in 15 or 16 key races. Knowing this group, the answers must lie in a clever blitzkrieg combo of all of the above.

In short, the Democrats are basically broke, while the Republicans are sitting on a huge pile of cash. People remember what you told them last, and it doesn't matter where you are in the polls now. What matters is how many votes you get on election day. Does the marathoner who's ahead with two miles to go get the gold medal, or does the one who actually crosses the finish line first? There's only one poll that really matters, and it take place November 7th.



Number two: Bush isn't running again. Ever. Even if the Republicans lose as badly as the most partisan Democrats are hoping, he will still be President. Furthermore, as I've said before, if the Democrats win, I'm confident they'll sink themselves responding to the need to govern. The Democrats aren't going to have the votes for a successful impeachment. Worst possible case: Bush gets a Democratic Congress to deal with his last two years. If they're obstructionist enough, Newt Gingrich could give you chapter and verse of what's likely to happen. Remember Newt? He hasn't been Speaker for quite a while now. Tip O'Neil and Tom Foley could fill in the little details. Yeah, it would make the President's job a little harder - and would likely set the stage for a return of the Republicans in 2008. Big time. The Democrats last sensor contact with reality was 1996, and it's only the fact that they have nothing to do with governing has kept them competitive nationally. I'd love to see the Democrats develop more contacts with reality - it would give us all a realistic alternative to the Republicans, because as bad as the Republicans are, let the Democrats get in charge of the economy and the war, and their policies will wreck both. Which will be the reason the Republicans would be back in 2008.



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Michelle Malkin on how outraged the Democrats are that the Republican chair of the House Intelligence Committee suspended the access to classified material of a Democratic committee aid accused of leaking classified information.

Carnival of the Capitalists



By the way, I've got RINO Sightings next Monday. Both sidebars have my email address, or you can submit via Blog Carnival.

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Clark Kent, call your office: Rare Meteorite Found in Kansas Field



Not just Clark Kent, but Sue Storm too: Scientists create cloak of invisibility



If a Russian offers you Vodka, be careful: Russia probes reports Spanish king shot drunk bear

A Russian region has ordered an inquiry into a report that hunt organizers, keen to make the King of Spain's chances of killing a bear easier, provided a tame one drunk on vodka, a regional spokesman said Thursday.

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How certain are taxes? Virtual economies attract real-world tax attention



While we're at it, Reuters opens virtual news bureau in Second Life



Next thing you know, they'll have murders, rapes, muggings, etcetera. I thought the point of playing was to get away from reality?



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Iran warns against U.N. nuke sanctions

But he warned that "in the case that a new resolution is passed by the Security Council, we will not be in the current point to resume possible talks."



"Resorting to arm-twisting through the Security Council would be considered a security threat to Iran and will change (Iran's) behavior," he said in an interview with the semi-

In other words, once the Security Council has actually done something, they won't talk while they continue building the nukes they are not going to stop building anyway.



Of course, the odds of the Security Council approving more than mild slap on the wrist sanctions is small. Tiny. Microscopic.



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looks like the Democrats in Florida have turned 180 degrees since 2000. Either that or they're just actually and blatantly trying to do what they accuse Republicans of: Steal an election by keeping voters in the dark. Fla. official appeals Foley sign ruling



Foley resigned his seat and the race, but too late for the ballot to be changed. I would like to know exactly how it is a disservice to voters to inform them that a vote for Foley will be counted for his replacement?



The infamous "butterfly ballot", it is to be noted, was an inadvertent creation of a Democratic Registrar of Voters. This is intentionally depriving the voters of information at the polls as to who they are actually voting for.



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Ed Koch at Real Clear Politics: "It makes no sense to retreat"



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When they start to develop a tolerance of being made fun of, I think Kazakhstan is definitely on the road to a democratic society: Grumpy Kazakhs invite Borat to "his" land, at last



I haven't seen any of Borat's routines. But if Kazakhstan wasn't advancing rapidly, it probably wouldn't be funny.



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Where's the week go?



One anecdote from today's casting about: Two doors down from one property I looked at, a sign on the fence of another house for sale, "Smile, you're on Candid Camera! Property guarded by use of Armed Force!" Well, I believe in the second amendment also, but when you're trying to sell your house, this is hopelessly inappropriate. If I had been intending to look at it, I would have driven right past. In this market, there is no client other than institutional investors I that I might take to see that property - and these people are not the buyers you would prefer. I thought, "What kind of bozo agent would not have that sign down?" The Answer?

RINO Sightings Recommended: Politburo Diktat



Carnival of Real Estate



Carnival of Personal Finance

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Missouri Court Strikes down Voter ID act

The new law would have required voters to show a photo identification card issued by Missouri or the federal government before they could cast a ballot. Voters lacking the ID would be allowed to cast a provisional ballot this fall, but after that, only the elderly, disabled and those with religious objections could vote without one, and only by provisional ballot.

But you still need an ID to buy beer. I think this is just a little more important than that. If cost were the issue, how about donating the money for the lawyers to a fund to help people obtain ID? But cost is not the issue. Padding the voter rolls is the issue. Stealing legitimate votes is the issue. Running dishonest elections is the issue. A healthy democracy requires exactly one vote per voter. If I can pretend to be someone else (I could, at the polls), if people can register in multiple locations (as they can), if people can register and stay registered without being cross correlated to make certain they're voting in only one place (they can), if people who should not be permitted to vote can cast valid ballots (they can), then we have a problem.



Lest anyone be unsure, this is not a grandfather law out of the worst days of civil rights abuses. It has nothing in common with those laws, from intent to exceptions.



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Gateway Pundit reports on Iran's real ruler packing an AK-47 to a speech.



Pajamas Media of the fate of an Iranian dissenter, a Grand Ayatollah no less, for the terrible crime of supporting more separation of church and state.



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Captain's Quarters and New Yokr Daily News on Hillary's campaign:

Privately, Hillary's camp was not overly upset by the McCain swipe because it suspected he was doing the bidding of the White House and that he ended up, as one adviser put it, "looking similar to the way he did on those captive tapes from Hanoi, where he recited the names of his crew mates."

You could tell by the way he was dragged into the room in a cage and recited it all at gunpoint.



What? You didn't see the cage or the gun?



McCain's Response?

"I never expected the Clintons or their allies to know much about Vietnam. But [it] is disappointing to see one of her spokespeople purposefully lie about John's war record and time in a Hanoi prison camp. There was no such tape recording; though he did once give up the starting lineup of the Green Bay Packers while under extreme duress. Senator Clinton's spokesperson does a disservice to all who were there and served so bravely and honorably."

Game. Set. Match.



At last report, John McCain has escaped the perfidious prison of White House expectations and desires no less than several dozen times, Hillary. Could it be that he actually believes what he said (that North Korea getting nukes is traceable directly to her husband's do-nothing gladhanding for appearances' sake)? Could it be that there are some actual facts indicating that to be the largest part of the explanation?

Kerry says he deserves 2nd chance in '08. He talks of John McCain, who has never achieved the nomination, and Ronald Reagan, who lost the nomination to Gerald Ford in '76 but won when he was nominated. It's been a long time since either party has nominated a formerly unsuccessful nominee: Richard Nixon in 1968 was the last time. The wisdom - that a person's flaws as a candidate have attained too much exposure for them to win, is especially applicable to John Kerry, who has too many flaws to enumerate here, starting with his military disservice and going forward from there. There are Democrats I would vote for over certain Republican nominees, but John Kerry isn't one of them.



The Democratic contenders in 2004 and since have all raced each other to the left, leaving themselves unelectable. John Kerry has a particularly bad record as voting for whatever he thinks will advance the cause of John Kerry for President. Joe Lieberman, as left wing as he is, I might vote for because he's proved to me that he is willing to take heat for his speeches, votes and decisions when he feels it is in the best interest of the country. I utterly detest Hillary Clinton, but she might possibly be able to win my vote if the Republicans nominate a sufficiently right wing nutjob. John Kerry needs to be flushed once and for all.

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Study: Parents low ball college costs

A lot of American parents seem to think they don't have to worry about saving for their children's college educations because the kids will get through on scholarships and grants.

My eldest is six years old and in first grade. I've been putting $2000 a year in a 529 for her since I had a social for her. She won the scholarship award in Kindergarten, which changes nothing. By the time you could possibly know if your child has what it takes to get a full ride or something close to it, it will be too late to save if the answer is no, which it will be in the vast majority of cases. College is more time critical than anything else. If you don't have the money to retire, you can usually put off retirement. If your child doesn't have the money for college when it's time, they're probably not going at all. If you have a child, open a 529 today. The things that set it apart are the ability to recover the money, and the ability change your mind and apply the money to a younger sibling. My $2000 per year won't buy her a full ride at Harvard, but it will mean she has the ability to get through a state school without mortgaging her future, even if she gets not one dollar of grant money. The younger daughter? She's got three years of $2000 contributions also, and she just turned two last month. Get off the dime and do it today. You might be surprised what a difference $50 per month started early can make.



Oh, and you can use any state's program, no matter what state you live in or plan to go to college in. I'm not going to recommend one to anyone, but I will say that I'm not impressed by California's. My girls money is in another plan.



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Armies of Liberation notes in the first link and later a second that the Post Election Yemeni Regime Targets Opposition



The only thing the world hates more than a sore loser is a sore winner.



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Iraq the Model on the Lancet study regarding Iraqi deaths.



Dean's World agrees.



In the same category, this looks like it's probably political: Coroner says U.S. forces unlawfully killed British TV journalist in Iraq



Let's see, two british medical journals publish easily debunked "studies" of deaths in Iraq, vastly inflating the casualty count. Then another british physician, a coroner who just happens to be assigned to the case, finds a killing "unlawful". I didn't realize british coroners were attorneys, prosecutors, or judges.



Perhaps the administration knew it for a frame job:

ITN cameraman Daniel Demoustier, the sole survivor of the incident, told the inquest that ITN's pair of four-wheel drive vehicles were overtaken by a truck carrying Iraqi forces and that gunfire erupted.

and

Demoustier said after the ruling that the inquest had not made clear whether the bullet that killed Lloyd was fired by a U.S. tank or helicopter. He said the forces in a tank would have been able to see that they were firing at a civilian vehicle, but a helicopter would not.

and

The court watched a video Tuesday, filmed by a U.S. serviceman attached to one of the tanks accused of firing at the reporters' cars. The tape opens with images of Lloyd's vehicle and the Iraqi truck burning amid gunfire. The tanks drive to the cars and inspect them. A minivan - possibly the ambulance - appears and more shots are fired.



At the end of the tape, a U.S. soldier shouts, "It's some media personnel! That's media down there!"

and

U.S. authorities didn't allow servicemen to testify at the inquest. Several submitted statements that the coroner ruled inadmissible.

And why were they ruled inadmissible? The story doesn't say. Is it possible that this coroner pretending they are a judge didn't say? Is it possible the motives were less than pure?

Lloyd's widow, Lynn, in a statement read by her lawyer, said U.S. forces "allowed their soldiers to behave like trigger-happy cowboys in an area in which there were civilians traveling."



She called the killing a war crime - "a despicable, deliberate, vengeful act."

I've never seen the elephant, as it was called in a former day. At my age and in my condition, it would be really bad news for the US if I ever do. But from all the military history I've read, some of the few things about combat I'm pretty certain about is that it's fast, it's confusing, it's stressful, there is often no time to make certain that you're only shooting the right people (you're dead if you do, something that no country can ask of its defenders) and sometimes the wrong people get shot. There's a classic aphorism that there is no such thing as friendly fire, and yet so-called "friendly fire" has always accounted for a large proportion of combat deaths. There were Iraqi soldiers in the area, as the article makes clear, and this was during the initial invasion when the US was fighting the Iraqis. Remember that part?



Anytime you are in or around combat forces, especially voluntarily like this reporter was, absent some glaring display of malice the most a reasonable person should conclude is that it was a tragic accident. Examine the incident in light of the rules of engagement, and if they were violated, by all means court-martial those responsible. But this is part and parcel of the way it is in combat. If the rules of engagement were followed, it is nothing more than a tragic accident, nothing actionable.



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Belmont Club on the New York Times getting even more two faced and partisan.



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Armies of Liberation has some pretty convincing evidence the Yemeni election was crooked: when the numbers of votes exceed registered voters, that's kind of a giveaway.



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Gates of Vienna notes some politically selective censorship by the Department of the Interior. Right of center: blocked. Left of center: not blocked.



In the same category: Professor to defy request and contact Minutemen

A San Diego State professor has been using his university computer's electronic mail account to organize rallies against illegal immigration and correspond with the controversial Minutemen.



The professor, Stuart Hurlbert, said yesterday that he doesn't plan to stop - despite an official university request to cease and desist.

and

He said the SDSU administration never stopped his colleagues from soliciting him via university e-mail for any number of nonwork-related causes, including the Gay Pride Festival and Girl Scout cookies.



"It's routine (to use e-mail); that's what makes this whole thing so silly," said Hurlbert, 67, who maintains a campus office and has e-mail privileges. He is working on a book about the Salton Sea.

and

Bonnie Zimmerman, associate vice president for faculty affairs, says the university's demand has nothing to do with Hurlbert's politics. State policy forbids use of public resources for nonwork-related activities, whether they're political or not, she said.

So they're going to stop the professors from using e-mail to organize communist rallies? La Raza pro-immigration rallies? Democratic voter drives? Somehow I doubt it. SDSU professors routinely do all of the above. This is partisan.



At least the ACLU is actually willing to do the right thing and defend him this time!



While we're on the subject, it looks like they want to criminalize scientific disputation: Global warming: the chilling effect on free speech (HT Samizdata)



Opinion Journal is worth reading on the subject.



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Air America Radio files for Chapter 11



I guess the Boys and Girls Club that "loaned" them the money is S.O.L.



Has nothing to do with the Democratic Party, or directly with other leftist organizations. But what a metaphor for the government subsidy way of life. As if we needed any further reminders, what with all the democratic and economic successes of communism.



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A sign Hollywood may be ready to make peace with Christians - or at least with Christians' money: Hollywood takes a leap into faith. Christians are at least a very large minority of the population. Hollywood wants their money. Hollywood starts making films in accordance with their values. Guess what? Those non-christians who aren't too far gone in despite for Christians might go see them, also. My wife and I are considering going to "One Night With The King", logistical considerations permitting. Failing that, we might buy it on DVD when it comes out.



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Certainly a more worthy winner than last year: Bangladesh banker wins Nobel Peace Prize



This is the guy who pioneered micro-credit - which, by enabling poor people to borrow small amounts of money to start a business with, has done more to fight poverty in one of the poorest nations on earth than all the aid and all the subsidies and all the do-gooders of the world combined. I respect those people who have devoted themselves to the cause of aid. But this guy has shamed them all as to results, and his idea has expanded to many other countries.



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South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon named next UN Secretary General



Think he might be motivated to do something about Kim Jong Il?



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Willisms with yet another worthwhile post on why social security needs reform. An internal return of anywhere less than about 3% is less than break even in real terms, in case you didn't know.



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Don Surber has the scoop on why the Reid land deal was really dirty: he worked and used his influence to have it rezoned.



Captain's Quarters has much, much more.



Looking more and more like "A Culture of Corruption" to me.



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Riehl World View on the largest group of victims of child abuse in the world.



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UPDATE: FYI, in the last twenty-four hours, I have received roughly 1000 "returned undeliverable" emails to this domain's email. I don't know if it was just a random spam spoof in an attempt to circumvent spam filters, or if it was the result of a "joe job". I tend to believe the former because this site just isn't that important as to warrant specific targeting, but I don't have the technical expertise to be certain. So if anyone got blitzed, I'm sorry, but it was not of my doing. I also apologize if anyone got deleted by accident.

Top Qaeda leader urges fighters to hit White House

A man believed to be a top al Qaeda militant who escaped from a U.S. jail near Kabul was shown in a new videotape broadcast on Tuesday exhorting followers in Afghanistan to fight on until they attack the White House.



"Allah will not be pleased until we reach the rooftop of the White House," Abu Yahya al-Libi was shown telling fighters in the tape aired by the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya television.

There is a war on. We don't try those who are merely enemy soldiers, as they have done nothing morally wrong. But neither can we afford to let them go, as this escapee illustrates.





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Shortest easiest manhunt in the history of the world: Putin vows to hunt down Russian reporter's killers



All he has to do is look in a mirror.



I don't think he actually pulled the trigger. But given his governing tendencies, I'll bet money he was responsible, in at least the "Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest" sense.



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Q and O covers admirably the history of what happened with North Korea and nuclear weapons.



Drudge (among many others, but this got sent to me first) notes a video that Republican strategists are refusing to use, thus differentiating themselves from Democrats. It's over the top. It's not fair or balanced, and it distorts things way beyond shape (although there is a lot of truth to the basic story). You should not use it for information. But it is funny!



What a coup! Captain's Quarters has a guest post from Senator John McCain and the Straight Talk Express on the issue of nuclear Korea.



Captain's Quarters himself has more of the real story, which is more than damaging enough to the Dems.



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The Ultimate Smackdown of multiculturalism from the Financial Times, with spin the take the edge off.

Prof Putnam said: "What we shouldn't do is to say that they [immigrants] should be more like us. We should construct a new us."

A new us that includes elements from them. I've got no problems with Islamics celebrating Ramadan or Mexicans celebrating the 16th of September. An American of Scottish, Nigerian, or Vietnamese extraction is an American, whether or not they toss the caber, wear tribal costume, or eat that disgusting fish sauce. Someone who wants to see Mexico retake the southwest or Islam conquer the United States is not.



If regarding ourselves as somehow different from our neighbors unwinds the fabric of society, perhaps we should stop accentuating those trivial differences that don't matter, and start focusing on what should be the big similarities?



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Captain's Quarters has the story on Harry Reid's corruption.

Carnival of the Capitalists Recommended: Spooky Action (moving decision making from the Reptilian hind brain to your logical thought processes)



Carnival of Real Estate

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North Korea Faces Global Condemnation After It Announces It Set Off Atomic Blast Underground



I said a week ago that Kim Jong Il was singing "I'm so Ronery" again. It appears that he got what he wanted.



Then there's this AP story: Bush says N. Korea nuclear test a threat, in which the President talks about what a theat, and how he will deal with it. Meanwhile, John Kerry continues to highlight what a hack he is:

Kerry also used the occasion to criticize Bush. "Weapons of mass destruction pointed at our allies and strategic partners represents a shocking failure of President Bush's security policy, and a threat to the interests of peace and stability in the world.

Except that it was Bill Clinton's accommodationist deal in 1995 that enabled North Korea to acquire nuclear weapons - much like a similar deal today would allow Iran more room to acquire them, and our current president, to his credit, is doing his best within the range of options available to him to prevent.



And it looks like Harry Reid is right behind John Kerry in the left's drive to the edge of the cliff.



To paraphrase Don Surber, let's blame the guy holding the bag now after Clinton let Kim Jong Il get nukes. Does this mean that if Hillary wins in 2008, her policy will have failed on day 1 of her term, January 20th, 2009? Of course they'll spin it differently then.



Tigerhawk has more, both historical to North Korea getting nukes, and of current relevance to keeping them out of the hands of Iran to whatever degree may be possible.



Carol Platt Liebau directed me to this well considered TCS article on what is done after the fact to handle the nuclear North Korea, years after someone gave it all the leeway necessary to build nukes.



Texas Rainmaker has a photo he thinks will come back to haunt someone.



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Eidelblog with yet another reason that, as disgusted as I am with Republicans, I'm not going to vote Democratic any time soon. I can name a dozen ways I really dislike the Republican machine, none of which is nearly so important as the ways the Democrats are promising to mishandle the country. Foreign Policy. Economics. Regulation. Every time I consider what "Speaker Pelosi" would mean to the really important issues, or "Majority Leader Reid", I want to run screaming for the exits.



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The burnout may be abating. I've got an article on Why Do Lenders Sell Mortgages set to go for tomorrow. Nonetheless, things still aren't altogether better, and I don't know if I'm going to return to the "four major articles per week every week" pace that I kept up for the previous ten months. It's not lack of material. It's lack of self-motivation and spare time.

RINO Sightings

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Waah, waah, waah! Foley says he was abused by a clergyman



The appropriate thing to do is tell someone about it and get help, not turn around and victimize others. How long was this sicko a congress critter? How many others got abused because he didn't come forward? How many did the priest who abused him later abuse? I've got sympathy for him as far as being molested, but it gets him zero as far as excusing his behavior since.



He was representing himself as a responsible citizen in order to run for Congress, was he not? So as far as I'm concerned, if he actually broke the law, they can lock him up and throw away the key. That's what would happen to ordinary citizens, and he procured himself a place that needs to be held to a higher standard.



On the other hand, this is not worth any electoral significance, and it is a sign of shame to those on the left that they need to resort to this. One Congress critter is a pervert, and so they want us to turn out his party? If that were the case, both Donkeys and Elephants would both be immediately banned from politics nationally. There is no evidence that the Republican leadership knew about the truly sick Instant Messages (which may have been a prank, according to Drudge), as opposed to the far weaker emails they acknowledged right away. Furthermore, most of those in the Democratic Party making the attacks on Hastert and other Republicans are actually on record as defending a far worse pervert in their own ranks a few years back (one who committed statutory rape, as a matter of fact, as opposed to merely, at worst, sending perverted Instant Messages). The Republican response should be lauded by comparison, if anything.



I'm not linking any of the excrement flying back and forth between the sides simply because that would imply that I consider it worth reading. It's all worthless nonsense - Foley isn't currently charged with anything, and there is no evidence available currently that he ever acted on any of his perverted urges with anyone beneath the age of consent. The worst charges I can see being made are soliciting a minor and sexual harassment, and he's already out of congress and out of the election.



If you like the Democratic party platform better than the Republican, by all means vote Democratic. But don't do it because of this nonsense.



I sincerely hope this is the last time I'll feel compelled to write anything on this subject, which doesn't rise to the level of excrement. At most it's a very loud but not particularly noxious gaseous emission. Stop chasing your partisan tails up your rear entrance, and start looking out for the best interests of the country. My respect for various news sources and commentators is inversely proportional to the amount of time and effort they spend on the resignation of one sick pervert from Congress.



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German doughnut shops deserted! Police hunt breast enlargement cheats

Bild published a five-column picture of Tanja's naked breasts. "It's probably the most unusual wanted poster police ever had," the newspaper wrote.

Police work: It's a tough job but someone's got to do it.



The internet being what it is, I'm sure someone will have 'film at 11' (not me, though!)



I wonder if Tanja got into any automobile accidents?



(and yes, I admire most police quite a bit, but sometimes a snark is too good to resist)



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That time of year again: Ig Nobels honors odd scientific research



I just think that researchers who don't take themselves too seriously are worth paying attention to.

The IgNoble website http://www.improbable.com/





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Consensus on Iran Unlikely

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana told security experts in Paris that "the door to negotiations is and will be always open."

I know it's a legend, but maybe someone should send the naked Emperor Nero a fiddle.



Iran tells West not to miss chance to solve atomic row



It's not exactly what you might think, though:

"Fortunately, some European countries want talks and we hope they appreciate this opportunity given to them by the Iranian nation to change their behaviour of the past 27 years.



"I hope that they appreciate this opportunity, but there are some powers that we are not optimistic that they will return to the right path — those powers that have created bloodshed in Iraq and Palestine and other parts of the world."

Gee, I wonder who he means? And how generous of him to talk to the west.

The president also said Iran would resist pressure to halt its atomic work.

Well, duh! I suspect they may already have enough in the way of enrichment (via using fuel grade production to boost their weapons grade production) to have at least one nuclear weapon, with more on the way. The window to prevent the crazy mullahs from getting (more) nuclear weapons is closing, and it looks like nobody is willing to step up to the line to stop it, or even allow it to be stopped - yet another tragedy of the commons.



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Straw veil call sparks Muslim fury



What he said?

Straw, leader of the House of Commons and the former foreign secretary, said he was concerned that "wearing the full veil was bound to make better, positive relations between the two communities more difficult."



Asked on Friday if he would like veils to be discarded altogether, Straw said: "Yes. It needs to be made clear I am not talking about being prescriptive but with all the caveats, yes, I would rather."

So these people are getting outraged by someone who notices that they hold themselves separate from the main community? Next they will be outraged over someone noticing that they eat, drink and breathe. If someone notices that they excrete, instant fatwa!



Victor Davis Hanson notices the double standard at work.



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Black Holes Power the Brightest Cosmic Objects, Study Confirms



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Willisms on some of the many reasons I don't think Bob Woodward is completely truthful.



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Tigerhawk has an example of left-wing censorship, afraid to let someone speak.



Captain's Quarters has more on the same issue.



When I was very young, it was the right wing who were in favor of shutting down their opponents ability to speak. That mantle has now largely passed to the left. Actually, it's been there for quite a while.



To all censors and would be censors everywhere, I must once again ask: If you believe your point of view is correct, why are you so insecure in it that you refuse to allow those who believe otherwise to speak? To argue their point of view in public discourse? We're not talking about military secrets here, we're talking about a public policy debate, and you are attempting to win by forced forfeit, much the same as thugs and dictators throughout history. Is there any reason whatsoever that I should not hold you in contempt?



If you cannot test your ideas in debate with your opponent, your ideas are automatically suspect.



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Publius Pundit talks of something important: Russia is up to its old tricks in Georgia.



Captain's Quarters has more.



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Good to know I'm not the only one who hasn't lost a sense of perspective, as Politechnical shows.



I read what passes for the thought process of these people every day. As bad as the Republicans are, the thought of their opposition taking control of the country should immediately cause any rational American to "vote early and often," as I believe the Democratic catch-phrase goes (else why would they object to paring off those not allowed to vote?) - but for Republicans. As bad as they are, I'm not going with the old "Cthulhu for President - When you're tired of voting for the lesser of two evils!" idea.



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While we're talking about things that are important, go take a look at The Agitator's Cory Maye page. That this man is even charged with a crime, much less was was under a death sentence.



This truly is a case of "That could have been me." Under the same circumstances, I would have likely done the same thing Cory Maye did. He has done nothing to be ashamed of, let alone charged for.



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Something else more important than congressional sex that never was: Eteraz: Stand Against Women Stoned to Death You Apathetic Monsters.



I did it. You can too.



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Coyote Blog on the similarities between creationists and conspiracy fetishists.

So here is this week's message for the Left: Economics is a science. Willful ignorance or emotional rejection of the well-known precepts of this science is at least as bad as a fundamentalist Christian's willful ignorance of evolution science (for which the Left so often criticizes their opposition). In fact, economic ignorance is much worse, since most people can come to perfectly valid conclusions about most public policy issues with a flawed knowledge of the origin of the species but no one can with a flawed understanding of economics.



Postscript: In fact, the more I think about it, the more economics and evolution are very similar. Both are sciences that are trying to describe the operation of very complex, bottom-up, self-organizing systems. And, in both cases, there exist many people who refuse to believe such complex and beautiful systems can really operate without top-down control.

Go Read the whole thing.



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Unarmed, facing an armed threat to all, no shelter, no chance to get away, a hero emerges: Shoot Me First. This particular hero was a thirteen year old girl.



More on heroes and heroism here from someone who gets it: At the Mall



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Instapundit on part of the reason why more troops would be a bad idea for Iraq.

No politics, just my heart goes out to these people: Milk man kills girls at Pa. Amish school.

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neo-neocon sums up my thoughts on Bob Woodward and State of Denial.



Wizbang on asking for Rumsfeld's resignation.



Q and O has more on the press reporting headlines which are not borne out by the story within them. For some reason I can't comprehend but couldn't possibly be Democratic bias, all of these headlines seem to be unfavorable to Republicans.



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Iraq the Model reports on the results of a poll in Iraq.



Only 97 reasons?



Something is rotten in the state of Iran, and the Iranians know it, even if it hasn't been reported in the west. Confederate Yankee has details.



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Michelle Malkin has it right on the Foley mess, which I'm trying to gove no more importance than it is due, which isn't much. Nail him to the wall if he did anything illegal, which it appears he did. But as compared to anything else making the rounds, it just is not important.



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Stuff nobody can make up because it's too weird: Forget airbags, silicone breasts will do. Sorry about the Yahoo link.

"The two cars were crumpled past recognition in the crash but the woman's silicone breasts acted as airbags and saved her life," Standart wrote, citing eyewitness reports.



But survival as well as beauty comes at a price as the woman burst her silicon implants in the crash.

If my wife ever wants them, I'm still going to try to talk her out of it. Our vehicles all have airbags.



No, I don't know any prominent politicians or news commentators. Why do you ask?



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Kim Jong-Il sings "I'm so Ronery" yet again. North Korea says it will stage nuke test



(No, I do not recommend "Team America", but having gotten through it I'll get what mileage I can out of it.)



Maybe we ought to just give Japan enough old nukes to plaster North Korea. Missiles also. South Korea can have an identical set also if they ask nicely.



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It took a comedy to revive Gandhi's ideals in India



I could suggest any number of Americans who could benefit from such treatment. Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Jackson, Lincoln, and in the twentieth century, Theodore Roosevelt and a largely forgotten man named George Catlett Marshall.



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Just because we've got first amendment rights doesn't mean we can't be sued for libel: Courts are asked to crack down on bloggers, websites. And that's the way it should be. You should be able to write the truth - especially if you can prove it - but don't make up stuff as some of these examples did.



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Food may be like a drug for some, study shows



This explains a lot.



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Q and O has another reason why, as disgusted as I am with the Elephants, I won't be voting Donkey any time soon.



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Victor Davis Hanson in NRO on turning our backs upon the Enlightenment.



On the same topic, if you are not sickened by the indoctrination put on by public employees in this Michelle Malkin article, something is wrong. It happens I don't agree with most of the sentiments, but even if I agreed with them, indoctrinating children that young is not what the public school system is paid to do. Matter of fact, they are theoretically paid not to indoctrinate. If I lived in Los Angeles, I'd be phoning my school board member right now.

Carnival of Personal Finance Recommended: Aridni (some stuff more important than money)



Carnival of Real Estate



Carnival of the Capitalists Recommended: Econbrowser (debunking another oil conspiracy myth), San Diego Home Blog (doing business with Redfin. Makes me glad I don't list many)

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The Age of Miracles is not yet past: Digger's Realm notes that the Senate has finally passed an immigration enforcement bill. I can do without the party loyalty stuff in the post, but it's good news!



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Watched Gettysburg again over Friday and Saturday nights after the girls went to bed. It's one of those movies that inspires you by showing you people at their best when things are at their worst. The fate of the war would have been far different without General Buford (whose dismounted defense in depth was the reason the Union kept the high ground), or Colenel Chamberlain's Charge, and thousands of ordinary people who became extraordinary, who stepped up to the line and put their lives on the line doing what was necessary when the task was put in front of them.



The film focuses far more upon the Confederate commanders than the Union commanders, showing them as men with misunderstandings, most spectacularly General Lee, who ordered Pickett's Charge, the mistake he could not make and still win the war, no matter how brilliant he was.



The real fate of the war was decided at Vicksburg that same day, when its surrender split the south in two. Both Union and Confederacy paid much too much attention to the war in the east, and not nearly enough to the war in what was then the west. But the men at Gettysburg were no less for that.