Poor weather can, on occasion, make for fine photography. Today's specimen is a picture from yesterday evening, approaching one bay where bass are often found in years other than this one. It was a brief window between rain showers and fog was settling down over the forest and the lake. When that happens, all sounds become muted, as if cotton candy had been stuffed into your … [Read more...] about Ghosts On The Water
I’ve got nothing to add about Sarah Palin
But I'll recommend one thing - before digging in to the avalanche of commentary, read all of Palin's own explanation of why she's stepping down. Cross-posted at Conventional Folly … [Read more...] about I’ve got nothing to add about Sarah Palin
Gays In The Military, Part Two
(Part one is here.) Michael Goldfarb has an interesting suggestion: Why not allow gay servicemembers to serve openly in roles that wouldn't threaten unit cohesion? After all, women are allowed to serve in some roles but not in others. Why not extend that logic to gays and lesbians? Michael writes:It's madness for the service to discharge gay translators and the like. But … [Read more...] about Gays In The Military, Part Two
And Now A “Classic Song” As America Starts Another Year
So yesterday was America's birthday -- and what better way to celebrate it by showing you two versions of that classic American song...Cuban Pete? Jim Carrey popularized it with new generations in the 1994 movie "The Mask." But first, here's the originator of the song -- Desi Arnaz doing the song his way in the 1950s -- in the number Jim Carrey emulated: Five years later, on … [Read more...] about And Now A “Classic Song” As America Starts Another Year
Lots Of Double Standards
Courtesy of The Weekly Standard: The MSM has one standard for covering captured American journalists and another for captured American soliders. The New York Times has one standard for covering the current president's town-hall meetings and another standard for his predecessor's "town hall" meetings. But what you really wanted to know is that Gwyneth Paltrow has one … [Read more...] about Lots Of Double Standards
‘When Michael Jackson Visited Mainland China’: CS News, People’s Republic of China
A montage of Chinese newspaper front pages on June 27, the day after Michael Jackson's death. As has already been well-established, huge portions of the world are in mourning over the death of Michael Jackson. This news item from the state-controlled SC News, a Web site of the Chung Shan Daily News Newspaper Group, recounts Michael Jackson's first and only visit to Mainland … [Read more...] about ‘When Michael Jackson Visited Mainland China’: CS News, People’s Republic of China
UPDATE: Politico Posts Palin’s Unusual July Fourth Facebook Message
In my "Gail Collins Interprets Palin’s Resignation Speech," we discussed how "disjointed and garbled" Palin's prepared text remarks are, and, referring to her resignation speech, how incoherent even her prepared remarks are. Well, Politico.com has just published the text of a message Palin posted on Facebook just a few hours ago that is just as incoherent. According … [Read more...] about UPDATE: Politico Posts Palin’s Unusual July Fourth Facebook Message
A Little Disney Celebrations
With thanks to Stitchkingdom.com here are some fireworks from WDW last night. Like em or not, Disney sure can put on an amazing show. … [Read more...] about A Little Disney Celebrations
Happy Birthday To Me (Oh Yes, And To the USA Too!)
Born on the Fourth of July: … [Read more...] about Happy Birthday To Me (Oh Yes, And To the USA Too!)
The U.S. Media’s Moral Relativity on Torture
I'm beyond expecting any kind of self-awareness from major news organizations like the New York Times, but that does not mean I cannot still marvel that reporters can write, and newpaper editors can publish, descriptions like this, in an article about confessions obtained by the Iranian government in connection with the recent post-election street demonstrations (emphasis is … [Read more...] about The U.S. Media’s Moral Relativity on Torture
Gail Collins Interprets Palin’s Resignation Speech
There have been hundreds, probably thousands, of instant analyses---including some great psychoanalyses---of Sarah Palin's Independence-Day-Weekend Drama. As I don't understand half the time what Palin is talking about (I know, it's my fault), I won't even attempt to analyze her introductory remarks of : "Hi Alaska, I appreciate speaking directly TO you, the people I … [Read more...] about Gail Collins Interprets Palin’s Resignation Speech
The Sarah Show, Now in its Final Season
Yes, you knew it was inevitable. Even though I'm on vacation, I had to be tempted out of hiding after Governor Palin's bombshell announcement. With that in mind, I will direct your attention to my column this weekend at Pajamas Media. The actual title is, "Sarah Palin Commits Political Suicide," but I really preferred, "So Long and Thanks for all the Fisheries." … [Read more...] about The Sarah Show, Now in its Final Season
Rockets’ Red Glare: And The Flag Was Still There Edition
The flag was still there. And so are we Americans in the United States. We are a radical, radical people. It's no wonder the world often says, Oh, Ach, Ay! Those Americans. We were not founded on fluffy words, but on blood-drenched ones. Dont forget: We are still here, not by luck, but by hard-won "luck" in a mysterious land that often has wide margins for error, a … [Read more...] about Rockets’ Red Glare: And The Flag Was Still There Edition
There’s No Such Thing As Bad Publicity
I think Sarah Palin quit her job as governor because she knew this would happen. Keep in mind that she made her announcement on a Friday, mid-afternoon, at the start of a holiday weekend. There is no such thing as the news dump in PalinWorld. … [Read more...] about There’s No Such Thing As Bad Publicity
America The Beautiful
The Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen Colonies In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776 The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal … [Read more...] about America The Beautiful
Palin Resignation: Another Shoe To Drop?
Conservative talker Mark Levin was breaking the news yesterday about Sarah Palin's resignation as Governor of Alaska to his listeners, many of whom would likely be among her staunchest fans. He talked about the slew of failed ethics violations charges brought against her by opponents in Alaska and said she was under constant fire because the liberal media and the Democrats … [Read more...] about Palin Resignation: Another Shoe To Drop?
July Fourth Food Angst
Another July 4th has dawned. Always a tough day for me. In public schools from the age of 6-17, in PS 177, Boody Jr. High and Lafayette High School, all in Brooklyn, New York, the same lunch was served every thursday. Franks, mashed potatoes, and sitting in a dollop of these potatoes, a pool of brown gravy smothered in sauerkraut. It has left its mark. Each July 4th … [Read more...] about July Fourth Food Angst
How To Save The Newspaper
Leaders in the news field joined Aspen Institute president Walter Isaacson for his "the Future of Journalism" panel at the Institute's Ideas Festival in Colorado last week. Politico's report on it is headlined, Save journalism? Beats us, panel says: As is usually the case with such discussions, the group didn’t break any serious ground in determining how to save a troubled … [Read more...] about How To Save The Newspaper
Sarah Palin: The Political Lesson Learned
This, I'm sad to say, is absolutely right: The lesson that the ruthless corners of the political world will take from the rise, fall, and departure of Sarah Palin that if you attack a politician's children nastily enough and relentlessly enough, you can get anybody to quit. A hideous, but logical, outcome. My chron post about her resignation is here. Cross-posted from … [Read more...] about Sarah Palin: The Political Lesson Learned
The Regular Folk Need Not Apply
Mark Steyn has an interesting take on Sarah Palin's resignation as Alaska's governor. His last two paragraphs has some very good points: Most of those who sneer at Sarah Palin have no desire to live her life. But why not try to - what's the word? - "empathize"? If you like Wasilla and hunting and snowmachining and moose stew and politics, is the last worth giving up … [Read more...] about The Regular Folk Need Not Apply