« July 2007 | Main | September 2007 »
August 29, 2007
Iraq, the big picture and how the MSM has betrayed the public
It has been said "bloggers don't originate news" and for, the most part, that is a correct assessment, even as those who peddle the line try to use it as an disparagement or dismissal.
However, the strength and value of the new media is no better illustrated then in this magnificent roundup and analysis of the negligence of the Mainstream Media and their responsiblities. It is an extensive, taught review, with links to original sources, that clearly and definitively shows how ill-served the American public has been by a Mainstream Media whose motivations run from incompetence and disinterest to outright anti-Americanism.
Bravo, Karl. Bravo!
Posted by Darleen at 08:32 PM | Comments (2)
August 28, 2007
Christians and Jews are 'pigs and monkeys'
... but if an artist draws Mohammed, expect one's charge d'affaires to be summoned for a dressing down of what is expected behavior towards moslems, regardless of any silly thing like "freedom of the press."
Posted by Darleen at 06:58 AM | Comments (0)
August 25, 2007
The Dems version of 'staying the course'
Posted by Darleen at 11:55 PM | Comments (34)
August 23, 2007
Illegal doodling
I was a prodigious margin doodler in school. Designs, flowers, trees, animals ... anything and everything that caught my fancy would end up filling up the empty spaces along the edges of pages, across bookcovers and on the front of notebooks. In fifth grade I became enamored of saber-toothed tigers after a field trip to the La Brea Tar Pits and they soon dominated my drawings -- snarling, stalking, leaping upon the backs of horses, tearing into the bellies of screaming mammoths ...
If I were a child today, I wonder if such obviously violent doodles would have gotten me suspended.
Chandler school officials have suspended a 13-year-old boy for sketching a picture that resembled a gun, saying it posed a threat to classmates. ...Terry Locke should be fired ... actually he needs to be studied since I cannot figure out how he walks and talks without a single brain cell in his head."I just can't believe that there wasn't another way to resolve this," said Paula Mosteller, the boy's mother. "He's so upset. The school made him feel like he committed a crime. They are doing more damage than good."
The Mostellers said the drawing did not show blood, bullets, injuries, or target any human. They said it was just a drawing that resembled a gun.
But Payne Junior High administrators thought the sketch was enough of a threat and gave the boy a five-day suspension, later reduced to three days.
Chandler district spokesman Terry Locke said the sketch was "absolutely considered a threat," and threatening words or pictures are punishable.
Here is yet another example of pernicious school administrators who replace judgment with a nonsensical policy of "zero tolerance" items.
Vouchers, please.
Posted by Darleen at 12:30 PM | Comments (5)
August 22, 2007
The [il]Liberal Elite's burden
WASHINGTON (AP) - Liberals read more books than conservatives. The head of the book publishing industry's trade group says she knows why—and there's little flattering about conservative readers in her explanation.Awwww. Can you feel the love? Can you feel the respect from the former congresscritter and failed Presidential candidate towards at least half the US population? Though let's not let facts stand in the way of a good sneer. As Michelle Malkin points out"The Karl Roves of the world have built a generation that just wants a couple slogans: 'No, don't raise my taxes, no new taxes,'" Pat Schroeder, president of the American Association of Publishers, said in a recent interview. "It's pretty hard to write a book saying, 'No new taxes, no new taxes, no new taxes' on every page."
Schroeder, who as a Colorado Democrat was once one of Congress' most liberal House members, was responding to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll that found people who consider themselves liberals are more prodigious book readers than conservatives.
She said liberals tend to be policy wonks who "can't say anything in less than paragraphs. We really want the whole picture, want to peel the onion."
However, one point I think getting overlooked is Schroeder's blatant unprofessionalism in donning her AAP CEO's robe then declaring herself as part of the Superior Onion Peelers Clan.The Bible and religious works were read by two-thirds in the survey, more than all other categories. Popular fiction, histories, biographies and mysteries were all cited by about half, while one in five read romance novels. Every other genre — including politics, poetry and classical literature — were named by fewer than five percent of readers.So while Schroeder uses the poll to extol liberal readers as learned “policy wonks,” political books are a blip on the screen.Can’t wait for her reaction to the fact that the Bible and religious works were the most widely read books among those polled.
Not good form. But it does speak to her general character and why her 1987 run was such a dismal failure. Condescension is hard to mask, even when she wants to tack authoritarian with the best of motives.
Time for AAP's Board of Directors to call her in and edit her position.
Posted by Darleen at 12:51 PM | Comments (1)
August 21, 2007
Apologies [and some questions]
My valiant, six-year-old laptop is having issues (I'm currently posting from my local library) ... thus I haven't been on the 'net for almost a week. It did give me a chance to do some serious gardening, take in a movie (if you haven't seen Ratatouille yet, get hopping to the theatre before it bows out. Made even more special with a preceeding Pixar short, Lifted), read, and generally ignore the outter world for a bit.
But, hey, I really can't stay away TOO long. I know I need to purchase a new 'puter but I'll struggle along with this one until I can decide just what to buy. And I am sorry if I haven't gotten back to you all who have emailed me ... I'm currently slogging through the inbox.
Of amusing note is the near hysteria from those who are politically invested in American Defeat in Iraq(tm) as Democrats and others are begrudingly admitting that the surge and General Petraeus are succeeding. I'm wondering when "Nothing happened in Vietnam when we betrayed left" Kerry will make any comments ...
And speaking of intercine skirmishes in the Democrat camp, there's the little nastiness of Michelle Obama's "if you can't run your own house you can't run the White House"* ... a not too subtle swipe at Hillary (and Rudy) ... two of the freshman Senator's top competition. This thread at DementedUnderground is educational on how vigorously they deny it is an attack and have turned around the mere quoting of Ms. Obama into a Rightwinger Conspiracy.
However, the larger question is -- is a problematic personal life a reliable predictor of how a person will/can conduct a professional life?
Short answer? No.
A bit longer ... sometimes within context, how a person handles the personal challenges will give evidence to that person's character, but as personal and professional "lives" move in realms that may not overlap much, the specific incidences in the personal cannot predict specific incidences in the professional. One can be a fine surgeon and a lousy parent. One can be an exemplary teacher and an amoral spouse.
Does Billy Jeff's zipper problem reflect on Hillary? No. She is not reponsible for his behavior. She is responsible for her own reaction to it.
And it hasn't reflected well on her character that she didn't divorce him.
Posted by Darleen at 12:40 PM | Comments (0)
August 07, 2007
Remember ...
Jury convicted the perp today.
25 years to life exposure.
Posted by Darleen at 09:27 PM | Comments (5)
California establishes a state religion
The Church of Anthropomorphicgenic* Global Warming
"Global Warming is a choice"
No wonder former Jesuit monk Jerry Brown is so adament on suing the property rights out from under CA citizens. He's not only converted, but made himself the Inquisitor General of the Church of AGW.
feh.
*(per Josh, the correct word to describe Global Warming due to human activity rather than GW with human characteristics)
Technorati: California, Global Warming
Posted by Darleen at 06:48 AM | Comments (6)
August 03, 2007
Oh, they do love them some military troops
don't those Koskiddies? Just don't ever question their patriotism, even if they misrepresent Army regulations.
(h/t Jeff Goldstein)
Technorati: Iraq, Yearly Kos, Daily Kos. US Military
Posted by Darleen at 12:43 PM | Comments (8)
August 02, 2007
Tidbits
The second season of Design Star is now underway on HGTV.
I enjoyed last season and this one is off to a roaring start ... though, I don't think I would have tossed Lisa off first.
I read the last Harry Potter book on Monday. I enjoyed it and thought the ending was nicely done.
Kids have been visiting this month ... #4 daughter down from Frisco before she starts her 3rd year at SFSU and stepson who will be entering 7th grade in Sept. Stir in frequent dropins from the other daughters and the twins, starting kindergarten this year, and the house, usually quiet with just hubby and me, has been happily noisy.
Where the heck has this year gone?
Posted by Darleen at 09:31 PM | Comments (0)