That MoDo Mojo: All Contempt, All The Time

Let's face it, I have a hard time letting a Maureen Dowd column pass by unremarked on, so I'm just gonna make it official and announce a regular feature called That MoDo Mojo. In this installment, our intrepid heroine has bravely stood up against those religious types again, in a rambling screed on Catholicism and the Da Vinci Code.

The substance of the column - hah, hah - is unimportant; what I want to point out this time is Dowd's utter contempt for Christianity. Here's a passage just reeking with disdain:

The novelist [Dan Brown] is not the first one to conjure romantic sparks between the woman usually painted as what one writer calls "the Jessica Rabbit of the Gospels" and the eligible young Jewish carpenter and part-time miracle worker.

For years, female historians and novelists have been making the case that Mr. Brown makes, that Mary Magdalene was framed and defamed, that the men who run Christianity obliterated her role as an influential apostle and reduced her to a metaphor for sexual guilt.

The church refuses to allow women to be ordained as priests because there were no female apostles. So if Mary Magdalene was a madonna rather than a whore, the church loses its fig leaf of justification for male domination and exclusion.

Is it possible to be more flippant? "The Jessica Rabbit of the Gospels"? "The eligible young Jewish carpenter and part-time miracle worker"? "The men who run Christianity..."? Infuriating...and Blue Staters wonder why they can't relate to the Heartland (i.e., Jesusland, in their contemptous phrase). Regardless of one's religion (or lack thereof), Jesus is universally acknowledged as an actual historical figure; He is not a fairy tale. One can debate His divinity, of course, but to treat Him like a cartoon, as Dowd does here...would the New York Times allow such cavalier treatment of the Prophet Muhammad?

Between now and 2008, I want two things (well, two things relevant here, at least); to see this blog get five figures of unique visitors a day (if you're gonna dream, dream big), and to see Maureen Dowd lose her prime slot at the New York Times. As much as we conservatives like to take shots at the Times, it is an institution, with many talented and dedicated professionals whose goal is to put out the world's best newspaper. With a mission like that, there is simply no place for the talentless Dowd. That's very valuable space she's taking up twice a week; the Times and its readers deserve a better return on their money.

Another Scorcher

Wow...#1 seed Illinois knocked off #3 seed Arizona by a single point in overtime, and they've earned the second spot of the Final Four...it's the only time in tournament history that two regional finals on the same day have gone into overtime...here's hoping tomorrow's games match the intensity of today's...

Miscellanea - Moving Day Edition

Two friends of this blog have recently made moves, and I've updated them on the blogroll. So, if you're looking for Carpe Bonum or Mover Mike (and shouldn't you be?), look for the updated links on the right...

You're supposed to see a little animated ballot box next to my blog name now, as part of my ongoing efforts to incorporate 'bleeding edge' technology at this blog...let me know if it ain't there...

Here's a great new site (hat tip to Vodkapundit) that is devoted to translating and posting stories about the U.S. in the foreign press...VERY interesting stuff...

I spent some time this afternoon trying to compile Iraqi casualty trends in a followup to this post, but it was unclear at times whether my source was listing the same group of casualties more than once, so instead, I refer you to this page. My conclusion: yes, it appears it's been a bad few months for Iraqi civilian casualties, and we have a lot of work to do, but I still think a couple of things would be helpful to establish the correct context: one, how many of these casualties were caused by the insurgents (it makes a difference to me), and two, how many people were being killed by the tyrant Saddam per week?...

Another bomb in Beirut injures three - the reaction from Charles at Little Green Footballs? "Probably that mainstream political party Hizballah, doing some pre-election canvasing." Ouch!...

Okay, back to basketball for me..two games, two overtimes - I love it, baby!...

The First Ticket is Punched...

...and it's #4 seed Louisville heading to the Final Four in St. Louis, after defeating West Virginia in overtime, 93-85. Congrats to Rick Pitino and his club. Fantastic game, and a great effort from West Virginia...

Today's Must-Read: Revolution Is In The Air

It may be the case, twenty years from now, that 2005 will join 1989 and 1968 as one of those pivotal moments in history when the call of freedom proves too strong to ignore. In addition to the remarkable events in the Middle East, there has been a lot of activity in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Erick Erickson at Confessions of a Political Junkie has the scoop on the latest activity in Kyrgyzstan, where a pro-American group has installed an interim government after popular protests led to the collapse of the old regime.

Erickson's piece is a good reminder of, one, how irresistable a force freedom is in the long term, and, two, how fragile a thing it can be in the near term. These are exciting times, but few of these wonderful recent gains have been consolidated yet. It's becoming increasingly difficult to deny, though, that President Bush's rhetoric and actions are having a large, mostly beneficial effect on world events.

Breaking News...

...with no editorial comment: the (apparently) last legal appeal has been exhausted for the parents of Terry Schiavo...okay, one editorial comment: regardless of where you stand (and if you read this blog regularly, you know I haven't really expressed an opinion one way or another), it wouldn't hurt to send a prayer and good thoughts to everyone involved, in what has to be an excruciating period...

Cry Me a River...

From today's New York Times...

Professor [Ward] Churchill's lawyer, David Lane, said he believed that the inquiry [into Churchill's alleged academic misconduct] was "blatantly unfair" because the professor was given no opportunity to present a defense, and that the decision to continue the inquiry was driven by politics.

"If they had bothered to call Ward Churchill, they would have investigated his response, found the allegations to be baseless, and there would have been no further action taken," Mr. Lane said.

No word yet from any of the 'little Eichmanns' that perished on September 11th as to whether they were given the opportunity to present a defense to Churchill's politically motivated slander...

The Elite Eight is Complete

Last night's winners: #1 Seed North Carolina, #5 seed Michigan State (who knocked off Duke here in Austin), #2 seed Kentucky, and #6 seed Wisconsin...by Sunday evening, we'll have our Final Four for 2005....

Miscellanea: A Salute to the Physicists Edition

I've been linking lately to Lubos Motl, without even realizing who he is; oh, I knew he was an Assistant Professor at Harvard, but I didn't realize until today his great accomplishments. All I can say is: wow!...I wish I had studied more in college and spent less time at the bar, but it's spilt milk, now...

Another brilliant physicist this blog has introduced me to is Jacques Distler, a fellow Austinite and Professor of Physics at the University of Texas. Jacques has done some really interesting things with Movable Type, translations, and equations, and his web page has a remarkable remembrance of the Holocaust by his late father. Never forget...

Noam Chomsky is a very skilled practitioner of the big lie, and Daniel Drezner has caught him redhanded. I'm caught between laughter and anger...

From the Daily Kos, we learn that Howard Dean and Harry Reid are coming to get us:

The doctor from the Green Mountains of Vermont and the lawyer from the Nevada desert are forming an alliance which will bring the Democratic Party to the majority.

Oooohhh, I'm shaking....

Now, this really is scary, and that's no joke...if you've ever read 'The Hot Zone', by Richard Preston, then you know the Marburg virus is about as ugly as a disease can be...let's hope this outbreak burns out quickly and is contained...

Change is Inevitable...

Trying out a new font (do you like it better? worse? indifferent?) and a new poll...as I mentioned previously, I am saving the results of the Democratic candidate poll and will run it again periodically; as 2008 gets nearer, I'll put up some cumulative numbers...

I'm going to play with other template features some over the next few days, in an attempt to jazz things up a little...someday, I'll probably make the Movable Type / Wordpress plunge, but in the words of Aragorn, today is not that day...

Oil-For-Food Update: Kofi Met With Son's Employers, Mismanaged Program

I'm saving a full-blown update until after the report is released next week, but today the Wall Street Journal (subscribers only, so we'll have to make do with this link) leaked some very damning details from the Volcker investigation. Kofi Annan met with Cotecna, the oil-for-food contractor that paid his son Kojo over $300,000 (a sum that was deceitfully disguised), four times. This would be quite unusual for a man in Kofi's position. After all, the program was headed by Benon Sevan (who has, in fact, been implicated in corruption), not Annan.

The report will also state that Annan mismanaged the program and could have put a stop to the abuses, according to the Journal's report. Watch the reaction of the Kofi defenders carefully - it will go something like this:

"Yes, mistakes were made, but there is no proof that Kofi Annan himself was corrupt."

Don't fall for it. No one I know of ever accused Annan himself of corruption. Our case all along has been built on the premise that the program itself was a hotbed of corruption and mismanagement, not Annan personally. However, his meetings with Cotecna are potentially explosive . If not a sign of corruption, this revelation is surely a sign of poor judgment. I'll be waiting to see the full report quite anxiously...

The Reach of Karl Rove Knows No Limit

The Instapundit has posted today on interesting developments in Turkey, with the clear implication that something is in the works regarding the Incirlik airbase. Why do we need Turkey, when we've got Lebanon?

From the Yemen Observer:

According to high-level Lebanese intelligence sources�Christian and Muslim�former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was reportedly assassinated in a sophisticated explosion-by-wire bombing authorized by the Bush administration and Ariel Sharon's Likud government in Israel.

...A number of intelligence sources have reported that assassinations of foreign leaders like Hariri and Hobeika are ultimately authorized by two key White House officials, Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove and Deputy National Security Adviser Elliot Abrams. In addition, Abrams is the key liaison between the White House and Sharon's office for such covert operations, including political assassinations. "Abrams is the guy they [the Israelis] go to for a wink and a nod for such ops," reported one key source.

You see? It all becomes clear now. Mindboggling, the diabolical machinations of those Bushies...

UPDATE 1:15 pm central: The Yemen Observer article was just a reprint of this Online Journal article by raving lunatic Wayne Madsen; Publius Pundit was on this one two weeks ago...but how could I have missed such monumental news? And why was Publius Pundit so quick to notice? When's the last time you saw Publius Pundit and Wayne Madsen in the same room together? Or either of the two and Karl Rove?...The conspiracy deepens...

Quick Shots: Brilliant! Edition

Like Funny To Stupid...this is an absolute gem...

For your Friday enjoyment, a little redneck haiku...

Congrats to Rusty Shackleford at the 20th most influential conservative blog (I didn't make the list, but I suspect I would come in at a still respectable 3,987th place)...

Having Learned Nothing, I Wade Back In...

My initial insticts to stay out of the Terry Schiavo affair were sound; unfortunately, I'm not smart enough to keep my mouth shut completely. One quick point: Schiavo supporters of the 'right-to-life' persuasion are often criticized for being pro-death penalty. Let's drop that argument, please...it's insulting to compare this poor woman, or an unborn child, or any person who is hospitalized with this sort of problem, with a cold-blooded murderer.

Yes, I know the argument can be made that we have executed innocent people, that juries can make mistakes, that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God - if you want to make those arguments, it's a free country. My point is this: it's not a contradiction to protect the life of innocents (not in a naive, 'never done wrong' sense - though that is the case with unborns, but innocent in the sense of needlessly dying for no good reason) and support the execution of the the worst offenders to a civilized society. My death penalty stance mirrors Hillary's newfound abortion mantra: it should be safe (for those who didn't commit the crime - i.e., every effort should be made, through DNA evidence, aggressive defense counsel, etc., to ensure the condemned is truly guilty), legal, and rare.

Today's Must Read: Why Hillary Will Win Edition

For a good example of why I think Hillary Clinton is the Democrat candidate most likely to get the nomination, see this article in the Boston Globe on how she is wooing away big-time Kerry supporters (already). I don't think Hillary can win the general election, but it would be a huge mistake to underestimate her. Enjoy your Friday...

Halfway to the Elite Eight...

...and the first four survivors are: #1 seed Illinois, #7 seed West Virginia, #4 seed Louisville, and #3 seed Arizona (who knocked the last remaining Big 12 team, Oklahoma State, out of the tournament). For the remainder of the tourney, I root for Duke. The Blue Devils play tomorrow night here in Austin at a sold out Frank Erwin Center. See, I'm already over that...devestating.....loss.......damn. Okay, not yet, but soon...

The Bitter Taste of Defeat

Well, my dream is over...but it was a great run. The outcome wasn't really decided until the last couple of minutes, but my Red Raiders, alas, came up a bit shy. The final: West Virginia 65, Texas Tech 60.

I'm crushed, of course, but that's the beauty of the tournament...one and done, and we're done. Good season, though...congrats to the Red Raiders on their Sweet Sixteen, and congrats to West Virginia on their victory. Damn...oh, well, I love the tourney, and I'll be there until the end...

I May Have a Heart Attack...

At the half: #6 Texas Tech 32, #7 West Virginia 32...

Dare I Dream?...

#1 seed Washington from the Albuquerque region has just lost to #4 seed Louisville...in the event Tech beats West Virginia (and I'm not saying they will), that means we could, in a long shot, make the Final Four without going through the #1, #2, or #3 seeds...it's a dream, I know...half an hour till tip-off!...

Miscellanea - Humor in All Things Edition

The Therapist is a great, undersung (not for long, though, I predict) satirist, and this one is priceless (warning: not for the humor-impaired)...

The Ward Churchill decision: we choose not to decide (never do today what you can put off until tomorrow)...

Glenn Reynolds posts again at his home away from home: the topic? Small government conservatives and libertarians are growing increasingly uneasy with the direction of things...

George Soros: do as I say, not as I do...

The great Ruffini on Rudy G. and Albany: don't do it, it's a trap!...

Yet another Weeklyl Jackass candidate from my great state of Texas...[sigh]...

And one more time: Go Red Raiders!...

In Lebanon, The Death Throes of Syrian Domination

Like a cornered animal thrashing indiscriminately about, the pro-Syrian forces in Lebanon are growing increasingly desperate. They must not prevail.

From Lebanon's Daily Star:

Leading opposition MP Walid Jumblatt said the security services were guilty of organizing a "theater of blood" and reiterated his demand that the top security chiefs resign.

Opposition member Simon Karam added: "The Lebanese-Syrian security network is targeting Christian regions in order to provoke Islamic-Christian tension, which will not happen."

French President Jacques Chirac, one of Syria's most vocal international critics, said he was "beside himself with anger" at the bombing.

Chirac said: "I hope that those who are banking on stirring strife in Lebanon and are trying to show that anarchy and bombings would return to Lebanon without Syrian intervention, I hope those who are playing this trivial game can be swiftly exposed and brought to justice."

It's imperative that the 'Arab Spring' retain its momentum, and it's abundantly clear that the current Syrian leadership is an obstacle that must be overcome, by any means necessary.

Today's Must Read: Great Minds Think Alike...And Mediocre Ones, As Well

We have deacon at Power Line to thank for this wonderfully appropriate post on MoDo and Juan Cole racing for the bottom. Seems I'm not the only one amazed at how quickly the 'theocracy' slander has surfaced re: Terry Schiavo. Enjoy your Thursday...

The Moment of Truth

It's put up or shut up time for my Texas Tech Red Raiders tonight, as they face West Virginia at 8:40 p.m. central for a trip to the Elite Eight. Tech is solid defensively, and they do a great job at running the motion offense, but they're weak on the inside, and the further they get, the more of a problem that will be. Can we make it one more round? It's possible, but I'm not prepared to go further than that...so I'll just say, Go Red Raiders! Beat those Mountaineers!...

And Rich Makes Two...

Unless someone can show me a picture of the two of them in the same room, I'm convinced that Maureen Dowd and Frank Rich are one and the same...either that, or the New York Times is such an echo chamber that all its columnists move in lock-step. Hot on the heels of MoDo's 'theocracy' column, we have Frank Rich's column on 'the God racket'. Religion horrifies the Radical Left (and don't let their six figure salaries and $100 haircuts fool you - Dowd and Rich are charter members), and if nothing else, the Schiavo controversy has thrown a spotlight on their unwillingness to speak of religious issues using anything but the most extreme rhetoric. 'The God racket', 'theocracy'...is this what political dialogue in this country has descended to? Wouldn't it be refreshing if the Times employed columnists who actually cared about, let's say, making a coherent argument? You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one...

MoDo Strikes Again

Holy cow, Maureen Dowd is one helluva thinker, isn't she? In her latest trainwreck of a column, MoDo displays all that famous brainpower in proposing the following equation:

Concern about Terry Schiavo = Theocracy

Bet you missed that subtlety, eh? Good thing we have Maureen around. Frankly, the whole spectacle has become a little unsettling...but no less unsettling is the Left's reflexive reaction: oh, it's just those red-state hick Jesus lovers again! One has to wonder at some point: does Maureen Dowd know what a theocracy (or fascism, or...fill in the blank...) really means? A President (or a political party) that isn't shy about talking and acting on faith is not equivalent to the establishment of a state religion or the imposition of religious law from above. Broad generalizations of this sort are a sure sign of someone who's in over her head...Maureen, if you're gonna get in the deep end of the pool, be sure to wear your floaties! Pathetic...

Miscellanea: Mystery Pollster to the Rescue Edition

The Mystery Pollster, as you might guess, knows quite a bit about polling. He's got all the information you'll ever need on that ABC News Terry Schiavo poll. His conclusion? Well, go read it yourself, lazy! (hat tip to RealClearPolitics)...

The Hobbesian Conservative links to this piece in New Scientist. Very entertaining and informative...

At Right Question, our friend Clint bemoans the 'fact' that not only can we not debate reasonably, we can't even decide what a fact is any more (of course, I'm not even willing to concede his basic premise...I refuse to be hemmed in by someone else's conception of 'reality')...

ABC continues to feel the heat over their own little document fiasco...

The whole brouhaha over the FEC and its rumoured 'blogosphere' restrictions has entered a new phase: a draft document has been produced. It seems to pretty clearly exempt blogs published at home without compensation, but gets a little murky beyond that. At this point, we can be thankful there are so many bloggers who are lawyers, as well, as the Democracy Project reminds us. Here's what blogging law professor Eugene Volokh thinks about it; Pejmanesque is starting to get a tad concerned, while Kevin at Wizbang is somewhat relieved...

Weekly Jackass Number Sixteen: Tom Cruise

A disclaimer right up front: I think Tom Cruise is a pretty good actor. I'm also insanely jealous of his looks and fortune. That's not the subject of this post. I'm looking very forward to seeing War of the Worlds. In fact, I'm being a wee bit sneaky in this week's edition...but we'll get to that. End disclaimer.

I graduated from Texas Tech but started my college career at the University of Texas at Austin, my current hometown. I lived on campus; we'd walk to "The Drag" to go buy our CDs and get our textbooks. Every day I would pass by the Church of Scientology, taking up the second floor of a retail building, and most days there would be some poor fool trying to get me to take a free 'personality test'. I was smart enough not to go for it, but here's what would have happened if I had done so.

As I took my free 'audit' on a cheesy modified lie detector, I would be told that I was full of 'engrams' that were causing me much stress, and that I needed to be 'cleared'. Here's what I wouldn't be told: every step of the process of being cleared is increasingly more expensive, and there's a lot of steps. Eventually, after shelling out tens of thousands of dollars, I would learn, among other things, that I'm composed of spirits called 'thetans' that were banished 75 billion years ago by a guy named Xenu (I'd find this out during my coursework to become an Operating Thetan III). If this is your first exposure to Scientology, you may think I'm joking. I'm not.

I'm not going to go into detail debunking Scientology; there are many great resources where you can find out about its phony baloney, like here, here, and here. It's also not my style to slam other people's religions; after all, an atheist will find a virgin birth and resurrection quite hard to swallow, as well. Scientology is not a religion, though; it is a mind-control cult dedicated to ripping off its adherents, and to do so, it must try to intimidate those who would spill its secrets (obviously, though, the Internet has made that battle moot).

Scientology does this intimidation through the promiscuous use of lawsuits and 'dead agenting' operations aiming to ruin the reputation and financial solvency of its critics. It also prevents people with genuine mental health problems from getting medical treatment, and has been implicated in multiple deaths as a result. It exploits this nation's income tax code by treating what is a blatantly obvious rip-off scheme as a religion. And it coddles celebrities.

Yep, ol' L. Ron knew a little about the PR business, so he put up a nice fancy place where celebrities can go and wash away their engrams in luxury. Cruise is the most vocal and recognized celebrity Scientologist today, and it is for this, not for his politics, nor his personal life, his acting, or any other reason, that he is this week's honoree. Wake up, Tom...you're contributing to a giant scam, and the little guys that can't afford it are getting hurt. Read the literature, Tom, and 'clear' your mind - ol' Mr. Hubbard has planted an engram the size of an elephant in your brain...

UPDATE 06/12/05 9:11 p.m. central: Subsequent behavior by Cruise has only reinforced the selection of Mr. Cruise: his flacking of Scientology on the set of War of the Worlds, his criticism of psychiatry (a favorite whipping boy of Scientologists), and his bizarre antics with Katie Holmes show a man out of control, and seriously deluded...and of course, now he's got Katie embracing Scientology; that's not surprising, either, for a Scientologist has to surround himself with other fools that embrace the 'faith'...

UPDATE 06/17/05 6:37 a.m. central: Now that he's brainwashed her, Cruise has proposed to Katie Holmes atop the Eiffel Tower...

ABC Comes Under Fire

I haven't blogged much on Terry Schiavo; God knows there isn't a shortage of opinion out there on this one. I find it interesting, though, that ABC has so blantantly taken sides on the issue. In recent days, the network has put out a clearly 'cooked' poll, Peter Jennings has openly sneared at Schiavo supporters on the air, and much has been written about a supposed 'talking points memo' (no, not Josh 'Hack' Marshall's site) that may be a big fraud. What liberal media, right, Alterman?...

Peace Is At Hand!

At their two-day summit meeting in Algiers, Arab leaders agreed to consider the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at an end, provided:

• Israel withdraws from all 'occupied' territories;
• an independent Palestinian state is created (their borders, of course); and
• the Palestinians are granted the right of return.
  

In other news, cats have agreed to live peacefully with dogs provided the latter (a) begin using litterboxes, (b) spend most of the day obsessively giving themselves tonguebaths, and (c) start ignoring the humans they're so friendly with...

Quick Shots: Wolfowitz Is In Edition

European leaders won't oppose Wolfowitz's nomination...the story here....

Jacob Weisberg at Slate is writing Social Security reform's obituary...does the phrase 'pyrrhic victory' mean anything to congressional Democrats?...

More talk on Cheney '08 here and here...

Today's Must-Read: Rosett on Kofi

The wonderful Claudia Rosett takes on Kofi's newest reform plans, and reaches some conclusions I can agree with. Read it all, it's excellent...

Miscellanea - A Voice For Cheney Edition

Punditish makes the case for Cheney '08, asking is he really unelectable? I love the guy, I say yes...he loves the guy, but says no...now who says we don't celebrate diversity of opionion around here?...

A lot of activity today around Google News: a news source that gets the nod when other worthy candidates don't celebrates white supremacy...get the scoop here...and Rusty Shackleford has more...

One of the more insulting aspects of Oil-For-Food is that the UN is paying the corrupt program head's attorney fees out of money made managing the corrupt program...or to put a finer line on it, money made while screwing the Iraqi people. Captain Ed has the details...

Also on the Oil-For-Food beat, Kojo Annan, whom we've met before, has been holding out on us (raise your hand if you're surprised)...

Libertarian Socialist? Is that like a flying pig? Holy cow, no wonder he doesn't make any sense (hat tip to Instapundit)...

I was going to post something on the French and their latest concession to reality, but Betsy Newmark has it covered...

It's becoming more apparent by the day that Howard Dean is a disastrous choice for heading the DNC. Until the Democratic party gets a handle on the progressive infestation, they'll see naught but losses on the national level...

The Costs of War

Jacques Distler, who runs a very high-quality science blog, has responded to my Juan Cole post with a link to a site that has some statistics on Iraq War casualties, with the comment that, though he hasn't run the numbers, the trend line looks to be pretty bad. I think we can all agree that no deaths are to be taken lightly, and any look at the numbers has to acknowledge the horrible nature of war. What stands out to me, though, is that the number of U.S. casualties has been decreasing steadily since the elections at the end of January.

Now, I'm not such a U.S. chauvinist that I think that's the whole picture. I realize our coalition partners and, most especially, the Iraqi police and civilian populations, are taking casualties. In the case of the Iraqis, some of these attacks have been monstrously high in fatalities, indeed (and I confess that I have yet to run the numbers, either). However, it's worth noting that the deaths would have stopped long ago if the insurgents would quit attacking.

Clearly, the imperialist adventure excuse has long since passed its expiration date, and I don't think anyone still believes the insurgents are local 'minutemen' fighting against oppression. The only conceivable reason for terrorists to continue to kill such high numbers of people is fear - fear of what a thriving Iraqi democracy will do to the sources of their funding and protection. This isn't just a hardcore Bush supporter talking here (although I am); the entire world is abuzz with talk of an 'Arab Spring', and the NY Times reports today on growing signs that ordinary Iraqis are losing their fear of the insurgents and striking back.

We all owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to each person, Iraqi, American, Australian, British, or otherwise, who has died in this horrible war. We can only hope and pray the insurgents will either be killed, surrender, or lay down their arms so that no more of them have to die needlessly. I realize that Mr. Distler and I are on opposite sides of the political fence, and I doubt he will support many of my conclusions, but I thank him for the link and the dialogue. What would be most interesting (perhaps some day soon if time permits) would be to try to split out the fatalities by 'cause' - i.e., how many killed by coalition troops vs. how many killed by the insurgents. It's a nasty business, war - I wish we weren't in this one, but I think the benefits to our security and the prospects of peace in the region will make the costs worthwhile, though I have no doubt many wives and mothers of deceased servicemen will have a hard time ever seeing it that way.

Hitchens Takes On Wolfowitz, Slams Dowd in the Bargain

When the great Christopher Hitchens weighs in a subject, it's always worth the time to read, but when he takes a shot at Maureen Dowd's annoying 'Wolfie' habbit (calling her a savant! aaahhh, sweet justice!), you have the makings of a classic. Hitchens says Wolfowitz is a softie, too bleeding heart even for his tastes, reputation notwithstanding, and ends in the inemitable Hitch style:

...with the Wolfowitz and even the John Bolton nomination to the United Nations, the Bush administration retains its capacity to startle, mainly because it has redefined the lazy term "conservative" to mean someone who is impatient with the status quo.

Today's Must Read: Can Cheney Make a Run?

Tod Lindberg in the Washington Times floats the possibility of a Cheney 2008 bid orchestrated by George Bush as a grand sendoff for Cheney's loyalty and service. Lindberg argues that nominating Cheney would be the next logical step in Bush's assertive steps to further his agenda past his two terms. He also dismisses Cheney's repeated assurances he's not interested.

I'm not convinced. Everything Lindberg says about Cheney can surely be said about Condi, who has the added benefits of being younger, healthier, and more popular (indeed, she borders on being a superstar these days). And what about Bush's habit of calling Condi 44? A joke, sure, but it must come from somewhere. This smells suspiciously like one of those trial balloons political operatives throw out to see how an idea will fly - and to paraphrase Keith Moon, this one will fly like a lead zeppelin.

Hat tip to JP at Americans For Freedom...

Congrats to the Lady Raiders

The Texas Tech women's basketball team has advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for an astonishing eleventh straight time...way to go, baby! We're two for two...enjoy your Tuesday...

Wolfowitz Confirmation Likely; Europeans Adopt 'Passive Aggression' Strategy

Stung by the furor over the nomination of Paul Wolfowitz to head the world bank, European titans France and Germany have adopted a new strategy of just agreeing with whatever the U.S. says, in the hopes of limiting the recent successes of President George W. Bush.

Reached at his second home in Camden, New Jersey, French President Jacques Chirac had this to say:

"We considered all the classic tactics: avoidance, codependency, 'tough love'...in the end, passive aggression seemed the natural choice. After all, most things we support tend to come a cropper."

No word yet on whether the Daily Kos will follow suit...

Now For Something Completely Different

I mentioned earlier that bebere is asking for your poetry thoughts; here's a favorite of mine, though it's probably too pedestrian a choice for the real connoisseurs. The poet is Emily Dickinson:

A CHARM invests a face

Imperfectly beheld,�

The lady dare not lift her veil

For fear it be dispelled.

But peers beyond her mesh,

And wishes, and denies,�

Lest interview annul a want

That image satisfies.

I find this short composition quite evocative; I was turned on to the many possible ambiguities by Roger Shattuck's fine survey, Forbidden Knowledge. Is it the lady's face that is imperfectly beheld because she is hiding behind the veil, or is the veil obsuring her vision of another? The entire meaning of the poem changes, depending on the interpretation (go ahead, try it both ways and see what I mean). Most critics say it's the lady's own face that is imperfectly beheld, and interpret the poem as a statement on the fragility of beauty, or the veil as a religious symbol that protects the artist's ability to weave magic, provided the spell is not broken, or...but then, isn't it the reader's interpretation that really matters? Then there's the multiple meanings of charm; is the charm a spell, an amulet, or just that certain je ne sais quoi...?

The beauty of this poem is contained in the first and penultimate lines...both 'A charm invests a face' and 'Lest interview annul a want' are quite unusual; indeed, one has to wonder if those exact phrases ever existed before uttered (or penned) by Dickinson. Regardless of the 'correct' interpretation, I find it a lovely expression of unfulfilled desire and longing, a charmingly discreet denial that's quite out of place in our celebrity culture. 'Lest interview annul a want that image satisfies'...that's quite breathtaking, really...

Miscellanea: Spring is Here Edition

I'm not a fan of the heat...if you've lived in Austin, or been here in the summer, you'll know why (all my northern readers are warming up on the world's smallest violins at the moment). Still, spring is upon us, and speaking of northern readers, our good friend bebere wants to hear about your favorite poem (April is National Poetry Month)...

The best title for a blog entry about Lawrence Summers? How about "Elmer Fudd Goes To Cambridge"?...

I've posted quite a bit on my euphoria over the Texas Tech men and their Sweet Sixteen appearance...tonight, the Lady Raiders try to join them (go Red Raiders!)...

JustOneMinute posts on a blogging tactic I've yet to employ (but never say never!)...just make stuff up!; oh, and I'll take your bet, and I say Maureen Dowd....

That widely quote ABC News poll on Terry Schiavo? Let's just say it pays to read the fine print...

More on the Schiavo controversy from our old friend Carpe Bonum...

The Jawa Report has an excellent post up; funny how these weapons-related stories keep popping up - why, it's almost as if Saddam...naaaahhhh, Bush Lied, People Died, and Social Security is in Great Shape, right, Josh?...

Juan Cole's Fuzzy Math

While browsing through Juan Cole's Iraq Death Count - er, Informed Comment, that is - I came across this example of fuzzy math at its best.

Juan takes the death count of an unusually large day (30) and says that's 11,000 deaths if you extrapolate it out (i.e.,30 x 365 = 10,950). Why stop there, Juan? Loss of nerve?

I figure if you take the car bombing Cole was referring to, and you make a morbid guess that the 30 casualties probably died within a space of one minute from the explosion, you will discover that nearly 16,000,000 Iraqi deaths may be expected in a year (30 x 60 x 24 x 365 = 15,768,000). That's about a World War I per year...hmm, might be time to cut our losses here...nice work, Professor!...

UPDATE 7:17 pm central: Don't take my word for it...this fellow Austinite, a physicist, is a Juan Cole fan, and he thinks the reasoning is suspect, as well, suggesting at least a five-day moving average (though I suspect the more important statistical measure in Iraq at the moment would be a trend line)...

Rudy Update: Governor a Possibility, Has Eye on the Big Prize

From the NY Post (hat tip: PoliPundit) comes a very intriguing article about Rudy G. It appears he's getting together with his advisors, if the Post's source is correct, to decide:

1. if he can win the Republican nomination in 2008 (the source says the big prize is what he is after); and
2. if not, whether to go for Governor of NY in 2006.
   

To be continued...

Somebody Help Me, Please!

I'm caught between two different people, both playing their radios without headphones, both playing music I can't stand, and this is starting to be a daily routine. I propose a new piece of emergency federal legislation...
The Coffey Emergency Productivity Act of 2005
(1) NO listening to the radio at work unless everyone in the immediate vicinity is on board.
(2) All nonproductive workers will be sealed off in soundproof rooms to chat on the phone at their heart's content.
(3) Under no circumstances, EVER, will two people in the same room be allowed to play different non-headphone music at the same time.

WHEW! I feel better now (I'm actually sitting here with earplugs in - earplugs, mind you, not headphones!).

While I gather what remains of my sanity, here's a little lighthearted midday reading for you. We should all wake up every morning and thank our lucky stars the MSM is here to look out for us...

Today's Must Read: The EU and Collectivism

Yesterday, I wrote about the false hope provided by multilateral international institutions; today, in the Wall Street Journal, former Delaware governor Pete Du Pont takes the point further, with specifics of the EU's love affair with collectivism (and a comparison with blue state America). Highly recommended....

Kofi's Got a Purse For Sale

In an attempt to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, Kofi Annan has revealed his recommended United Nations reforms. I've blogged before on why a Security Council expansion would be a disaster in waiting; however, even the worst-laid plans of mice and men can sometimes have a silver lining (I'm expecting a visit any minute from the Metaphor Police). Replacing the Human Rights Commission with a smaller Human Rights Council that would have to win 2/3 of the General Assembly's support is a small step in the right direction (guess what two countries, under this system, would never have a snowball's chance in Hell of being on the commission, and win a shiny 'attaboy').

The problem, of course, is that this is like polishing a...well, you know what I'm talking about. The problem isn't that the UN has major structural flaws (it does); it's the premise itself that has become outmoded. World government and multilateralism are fool's dreams; just immerse yourself in the arcana of European Union squabbling if you want to laugh yourself silly. In the free market society that I so fervently support, as Adam Smith and Ayn Rand reminded us, we celebrate the virtue of selfishness and the invisible hand, yet out of this seeming greediness, the best outcome for all is reached (ideally, yes, but politics is about ideals).

There is no reason to suppose the same isn't true for nations. What at first glance might seem a recipe for lawlessness (hey, I can do what's best for me? Then I want nuclear weapons...) would result in a saner world (oh, if I rattle my nuclear sabre, then my nation becomes a pariah). I have chosen a bad example, you might say, with your mind firmly on North Korea; but is Kim Jong-Il pursuing his country's best interests? The answer is abundantly clear that he is not. Aha, but then, don't we need a UN to deal with irrational leaders like this?

That answer is plain as well; has the United Nations kept North Korea from becoming a nuclear power? Will it stop Iran? Could it have ever liberated Iraq? The question is not whether irrational people and irrational national policy exist; they do and it does, and it will forever be so. The real question is why anyone supposes an organization composed of dozens of nations, united by little, respected by few, and proven impotent time and again in times of great crisis, is the solution to this vexing problem.

I don't have the answer; neither does George W. Bush; and Kofi Annan surely doesn't. How to deal rationally with the irrational is, perhaps, the pressing issue of our age. I can say without hesitation, however, that the policies of George W. Bush have made this nation safer than a thousand UN resolutions ever have. If the UN wants to continue, let it do so without us...but then, without us, it would surely fail...well, so be it. That's the price of being rational; some dreams have to die...

Miscellanea: The Other Fidel Castro Edition

Michelle Malkin links to a sort of greatest hits of Hugo Chavez, including this gem: "I am the second Fidel Castro of Latin America"...

When you hear the Senate Democrats blowing smoke about approving more Bush nominees than the historical norm, don't believe them; DalyThoughts has the stats to prove otherwise (hat tip to The Bernoulli Effect)...

On the subject of Dems and judicial nominees, this article is pretty devestating (and well worth the read) (hat tip to RealClearPolitics)...

Talk about devestating - the Therapist strikes again...

Publius Pundit has the latest Lebanon wrapup; perhaps (I hope) my fears of the end of the 'Arab Spring' are premature (tip of the ol' hat to the Instapundit)...

How about that Howard Dean? The intellectual titan who thinks Job is in the New Testament is calling the Republicans 'brain dead' (wow, what an incredibly unfortunate choice of words at this moment)...

Alan Dershowitz weighs in on the Summers affair. Dershowitz is, at times, remarkably insightful, and at others, incredibly obtuse, but this is one of his more lucid statements...

Like crack to bloggers is Oliver Willis; well, he's good for something else, I guess...

Candidate Profile Fourteen: Rudy Giuliani

Rudy Giuliani, like George W. Bush, is a person shaped by destiny. I believe there is a reason, if not for all things, then for most of them, and there was a reason Bush and Rudy were in power on that awful September day. Outside of a nuclear attack or some other massive WMD outbreak, it's hard to imagine anything worse that could happen to a mayor's beloved city. Rudy G. was up to the task, winning the praise of even longtime political foes. It would behoove his rivals to take his potential 2008 candidacy quite seriously.

Rudolph William Louis Giuliani III - official bio from his days as NYC mayor

Good unofficial Rudy 2008 blog

Resume - long history with the Justice Department, eventually rising to the rank of Associate Attorney General; 107th mayor of New York City; chairman and CEO of Giuliani Partners; Knight of the British Empire; Time Magazine's 2001 Person of the Year

We'll start out with the cons, since they're well known and widely remarked upon:

• Rudy is pro-choice, not a plus during the primaries, to say the least;
• he's been very vocal in his support of gay rights, to the point of being an advocate of civil unions, not a popular stance with the religious right (just ask the current President), though he stops short of endorsing gay marriage;
• some have said his candidacy was harmed by the Bernard Kerik affair; and
  
• he was involved in a messy divorce that was partially responsible for his leaving the 2000 Senate race.

The pros are more intangible, but they are considerable. Giuliani will no doubt receive a lot of help from his ties to the financial community, New York heavy hitters, and Republican donors who recall his substantial contributions to George W. Bush's 2004 campaign, including a very effective convention speech. He will also have the support of many who, like myself, view September 11, 2001, as the prism through which modern foreign policy must be viewed.

Ultimately, the success of Giuliani's bid will hinge on three factors:

1. Most obviously, can his candidacy survive the primaries, given his moderation on social issues?
2. Will there be a weariness with 'the War on Terror' by the time 2008 rolls around?
3. If Hillary runs, as expected, is 'former NYC mayor' a good answer to 'Senator from NY', or will the voters prefer a southern touch?
   

For the moment, Giuliani is one of the favorites. Rudy better watch out, though...Condi or one of the southern governors may race ahead quickly, particularly if the negatives start to stick.

CURRENT ODDS: 10-1

UPDATE 07/24/2005 10:56 p.m.:

CURRENT ODDS: 7-1: see here...

The Greatest Sporting Event of the Year

Nothing, but nothing, beats the NCAA tournament...63 games, all played at the height of intensity, and this year's is a scorcher...in the latest huge upset, #10 seed NC State has defeated #2 seed UConn 65-62...my bracket is UGLY, but I don't care, the action has been wonderful...

Today's Must Read: Sidneyfest

I came across Lubos Motl's blog when he emailed me about his coverage of l'affaire Summers; his site is primarily about physics, though, and fascinating stuff it is. I recommend this post as an example of what Harvard does right; it's remarkable how many truly eminent physicists were present (and he's got the photos, to boot!). I don't pretend to be any more than a rank amateur, but I have mentioned my love of science and mathematics before, and his site is one of the best in this area I have come across. Lots of great stuff, so check it out...

A Quick Note on the Poll

I'm going to keep the Democratic nominee up for about a week, then rotate it with something else (most likely the Republican nominee), and then other 'just-for-fun' stuff, as well. I'll keep track of the nominee results, though, and re-run them from time to time, all the way (God willing) to '08. Because, you see, that's the kind of thoughtful guy I am...

The Fourth Sign of the Apocalypse: I Praise Maureen Dowd!

I often suggest you check out Maureen Dowd's column for the sheer entertainment value of its incredibly lame writing, cheap political shots at 'Wolfie', 'W', and 'Rummy', and overall mindboggling ineptness. As one of the nation's top three hundred thousand opinion shapers, though, my credibility requires me to give praise when praise is due, and today's column is remarkable for two reasons.

One, she manages to stay completely away from the Bush administration, and improves vastly as a result. On the rare occasions that Dowd's column is not devoted to slamming conservatives, she become much more readable, and occasionally even meanders near the area of 'having a point'. The second amazing thing is that she has the nerve to admit that maybe Lawrence Summers wasn't totally off the mark, in response to this study. One suspects she doesn't mean it, but still...

Most likely, this rare moment of warmth and good cheer is another side effect of my continued elation at reaching the Sweet Sixteen and being spared of facing Wake Forest. Now might be a good time to ask me for any big favors you've been storing up...