Month: November 2005

Because I spent most of yesterday shopping, I missed two events which occurred in my state: Bush’s speech in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, and Rick Santorum’s simultaneous criticism of Bush in Philadelphia. Remarkably, the Inquirer’s report on latter was headlined “Santorum: White House stumbling in war of words — It could do a better job of making…

Roger L. Simon reports that Moustapha Akkad — along with his daughter Rima (a friend of Andrew Breitbart) were both murdered by the bombings in Amman, Jordan. (Via Glenn Reynolds.) As I’ve said before, Akkad’s “Lion of the Desert” is an old favorite. I have it on DVD, and I’ll watch it again in Akkad’s…

Much as I hate spammers, and a lot of what passes for human thought, I don’t want the UN to “help.” Others do, however. There are also legitimate concerns about the use of the Internet to incite terrorism or help terrorists, disseminate pornography, facilitate illegal activities or glorify Nazism and other hateful ideologies. So said…

I’m starting to get tired of blog comment and trackback spam. Really tired. Nothing seems to work, and even MT Blacklist, while making spam somewhat easier to delete, only provides an illusory feeling of a solution, because it only adds old spam to a master list, whereas new spam “sites” are cranked out ad infinitum.…

I never know what to say on Veteran’s Day, because it happens on the same day every year, and I’m not terribly good at writing things that aren’t spontaneous. But that doesn’t change the fact that today is an important day to remember all U.S. veterans — whether deceased or living. Regarding the living, there…

I’m sorry, but I just don’t think I’d pay $23.8 million for this: But that’s exactly what a New York art dealer paid: NEW YORK (AFP) – A large-scale metal sculpture by American artist David Smith has become the most expensive work of contemporary art ever sold at auction, fetching 23.8 million dollars at Sotheby’s…

Unless something is very wrong with my counter, I don’t think I get as many visitors as Matt Drudge, so I think it might be time to visit the Wizard and ask some basic questions. What’s Drudge have that I haven’t got? For one thing, he has a flashing police light! Like this: Whenever he…

In what’s described as “huge news” (from a study in Ireland), I see that early prenatal testing for Downs Syndrome has been developed, allowing pregnant women to detect this genetic horror in the first trimester: WASHINGTON – A first-trimester screening test can reliably identify fetuses likely to be born with Down syndrome, providing expectant women…

In what appears to be a bad sign for Republicans, Rick Santorum seems to be avoiding President Bush: When President Bush touches down in Wilkes-Barre to talk about the war on terrorism Friday, the Senate’s No. 3 Republican – the vulnerable Rick Santorum – will be 116 miles away in Philadelphia addressing the American Legion.…

On Fox News, I just heard about three simultaneously-timed huge hotel bombings in Amman, Jordan (Holiday Inn, Days Inn, and the Hyatt….) At least 57 were killed and 115 injured. All the hallmarks of Zarqawi (and Al Qaida). UPDATE: I was wrong about the Holiday Inn; it was the Radisson. Full story at the Washington…

In local Philadelphia news, a man charged with attempted murder of a total stranger is on record as demanding an “Islamic nation”: Kelly is charged with three counts each of attempted murder and aggravated assault for the July 15, 2004, attack outside the District Attorney’s Office on Arch Street in Center City. Owens, of the…

“A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity.” — Sigmund Freud, “General Introduction to Psychoanalysis”. Via Les Jones, I see that San Francisco voters have passed Proposition H (the handgun ban). I guess the fact that 42% of San Franciscans voted against it ought to renew my faith somewhat, but…

Just when I was complaining about having to shut up, I discovered that another perfectly good and affectionate word — “codger” — is now offensive: …now “codger” is forbidden, as an “offensive term referring to a senior citizen.” Codger! “Offensive.” No word strikes more fear into the heart of modern journalists. “Offensive” could mean meetings…

That’s what I keep telling myself, and in many ways I’m sick and tired of this feeling that I can’t write posts about anything anymore. Too much self censorship is getting in my way. There’s a lot of stuff I want to write about and can’t. Some of it is personal to me, but it…

“We hate France and France hates us” is the Guardian’s headline, and I’m sure it’s true. One young rioter, um, explains: “We hate France and France hates us,” he spat, refusing to give even his first name. “I don’t know what I am. Here’s not home; my gran’s in Algeria. But in any case France…

Hearing Alan Sears promote his anti-ACLU book (The Aclu Vs. America: Exposing the Agenda to Redefine Moral Values) on the radio (see my previous posts, and Sears’ previous book) I was reminded once again that there remains a major stumbling block over the definition of a simple word — morality. That’s because regardless of what…

“Read this book,” said Justin. “No, I won’t!” said I. But in the spirit of scientific inquiry, I will review it. After all, I have a long history of reviewing movies I haven’t seen; why not review a book I haven’t read? Anything related to science fiction would seem to deserve a scientifically fictional review.…

Here’s Thomas Schelling, “Nobel” Economist and game theoretician, displaying a sample of his wares: “If I go downstairs to investigate a noise at night, with a gun in my hand, and find myself face to face with a burglar who has a gun in his hand, there is a danger of an outcome that neither…

I’m not much of a bicycle fan, probably because the issue has been so politicized by groups like Critical Mass — a group I’ve repeatedly criticized in the past because I consider it mostly composed of anti-gasoline, anti-car “moonbats.” But nearly everyone is talking about “hybrids” these days (“nearly everyone” certainly includes Glenn Reynolds —…

In a story that wants to be an editorial, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Ken Dilanian weighs in on what’s behind the riots in France: Looking as wary as U.S. soldiers in the streets of Iraq’s Sunni Triangle, the armor-clad police pointed shields and rubber-projectile cannons at groups of mostly black and Arab residents, who gazed back…