HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Blaming Bush

Read Abe Greenwald's column, Obama’s Year of Living Blamelessly, in which he predicts that "Obama will find that he’s gone to the Blame Bush well one too many times."

X(ray) Marks The Spot

It was announced today that Amsterdam's airport will start using full body scans to thwart future plane-bombers. But won't terrorists simply avoid using this airport and go through one with less stringent mesaures? Also, why would any passengers protest the "lack of privacy" resulting from these scans? If it comes to choosing between a body scan and a body bag, the choice is obvious.

Grand Rounds

Visit Grand Rounds: Vol.6, No.14, stat! It's hosted by Dr. Ottematic, and it's the last one of 2009.

Terrorism Denial

I wanted to kick in the television when Alan Colmes defended the "rights" of the isolated extremist Abdulmutallab to a civilian trial. Jennifer Rubin at Contentions describes the terrorist denial that never ends:

"When the Obama administration flacks tell us this was only an 'attempt' or that it was 'foiled,' they should tell that to the passengers on that flight and to their loved ones. The Obama team is now seemingly in the business of defining terrorism downward. We are supposed to celebrate and think that the 'system worked' because 300 poor souls were traumatized rather than incinerated on Christmas Day."

and

"The desire to not believe there are jihadist fanatics determined to kill us — organized in multiple international venues, not amenable to reason or persuasion, and only stoppable if captured or killed — is so intense that it still ensnares elite sophisticates and those who are charged with keeping us safe."

Around The JBlogosphere

Take a tour of the jblogosphere with your guide, Soccer Dad!

Cash for Clunkers

I get so angry when I read about irresponsible parasites like these!

"A mother and father with an incredible 14 kids who prove Britain's benefits system has gone bonkers, showering them with a whopping tax-free £36,847 (US$58,815) a year in handouts. Pregnant Dawn and Sean Cain's huge family, aged 21 years to 19 months, have just enjoyed a very merry Christmas, with every mouthful of their turkey dinner, and every present stuffed under their tree, paid for by taxpayers. He and wife Dawn admit their New Year's resolution is never to find work, because no job they'd get in Britain's recession-hit economy will come close to paying the same."

Why should taxpayers support such leeches?

Tweeting About Iran

Here's a great tweet about the latest demonstrations in Iran:

"A revolution is happening in Iran and only the blogs are covering it. If only someone in Iran had slept with Tiger. #frontpagenews"

Isn't that the truth!

The Year's Worst Reporting

Make sure you read the Media Research Center's Best Notable Quotables of 2009, the 22nd annual awards for the year's worst reporting. Categories include The Coronation of the Messiah Award for Fawning Inaugural Coverage; The Obamagasm Award for Seeing Coolness In Everything Obama Does; The Barbra Streisand Political IQ Award for Celebrity Vapidity; and the Damn Those Conservatives Award.

Beijing Bailout

The clever people at The People's Cube have created a parody that cuts a bit too close to the truth for my liking: "China Says U.S. Too Big To Fail, Offers Obama Bailout."

Year in Review

Here's Dave Barry's annual year in review. Meanwhile, 80-year old gossip columnist Liz Smith is referring to 2009 as the Year of the Bimbo.

Watcher's Council Winners

Visit Soccer Dad and check out the latest Watcher's Council winners.

It's Terrorism, Stupid!

These aren't "incidents" or "man-caused disasters". These are acts of terrorism, pure and simple. That wretched Janet Napolitano should resign.

Shoebomber II

Congratulations to the heroes on Delta Flight 253, who thwarted a terrorist bombing. And shame on our politically correct media which, as with the Fort Hood terrorist, has resisted calling this a terrorist attack.

Jimmy Carter Loves Jews!

I don't believe him, and I don't trust him.

Just Say No to Obamacare

I agree wholeheartedly with this reaction to Obamacare.

"...this American knows there is absolutely nothing in the Constitution that allows the federal government to force me to purchase something I don’t want, need or agree with. Call me uncompassionate, but as a matter of principle, I refuse to pay for some-else’s abortion, botox treatment or transgender surgery. And I refuse to let the government impose an unconstitutional mandate on me..... I’m tired of being patronized by moral hucksters who pander to the lowest among us as they use my money to buy votes from deadbeats. I’m tired of being lied to. I’m tired of having my voice ignored. I’m tired of having my money used to support causes with which I disagree. I’ve had enough. This is my line in the sand. I vow I will not allow one cent of my hard earned money to be used to further this socialist redistribution scheme. I refuse to participate. I will not be forced to pay for anything to do with this fraudulent bill. And I refuse to pay any fines that might be imposed. And taking a cue from the Democrats, I officially declare this debate over."

Jolly Old Saint Nick

From Metafilter, here's a lovely story about Luxemberg residents' gratitude to the Americans -- and to the Saint Nicholas -- who helped them during WW2.

Oil's Well in Israel!

Yid With Lid has some very good news from Israel.

HAPPY HOCHMAS!

Today consists of Chinese food and remembering my grandfather Louis Hoch, born on December 25, 1900.

Vote for Most Ridiculous Lawsuit of 2009!

Cast your vote for the Most Ridiculous Lawsuit of 2009! I voted for the case of the Holocaust denier who sued the Auschwitz survivor, but that's only in third place so far.

Travesty of the Day (Besides the Obamacare Vote)

I heard on ESPN Radio this morning that dog-killer Michael Vick -- MICHAEL VICK! -- has won the Ed Block Courage Award:

"The Ed Block Courage Award recipient symbolizes professionalism, great strength and dedication. He is also a community role model. With this honor, he enters into an association which contrasts his fierce profession by becoming a major component of the Courage House National Support Network for Kids. He becomes an Ambassador of Courage for victims of abuse, violence and neglect."

Excuse me, but didn't Michael Vick create victims of abuse, violence, and neglect??
Make sure you read this Phil Sheridan column, in which he contrasts Michael Vick with other winners of this award. He writes,

"It is the players who vote, and the Eagles players selected Michael Vick.
Not Jeremiah Trotter, who came out of retirement, accepted whatever role the coaches gave him and worked his way back into the starting lineup.
Not Todd Herremans, who has played remarkably at both guard and left tackle after being forced to use a little cart under his left leg after knee surgery in September.
Not Brian Westbrook, who had surgeries on his knee and ankle in the off-season and is trying to return after two concussions in one month.
Not Antonio Dixon, a long-shot undrafted free agent defensive lineman who was homeless as a child.
No. The Eagles chose to recognize Vick for 'what he's been through,' as head coach Andy Reid put it."

**Sigh**

No More Jefferson Smiths

I saw "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" on TV for the umpteenth time, and in this article Michael Goodwin mourns the lack of such decent men.

"The health-care debacle alone would make a classic Capra morality tale. The naked vote-buying that enabled Reid to get 60 was the very sort of insider corruption the three-time Oscar-winner despised. His reel heroes, including Jimmy Stewart, Jean Arthur, Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck, would be denouncing the bill as crooked and stacked against honest, ordinary Americans."

The Nightmare That is Obamacare

At American Thinker, Wendi Lynn G. explains "why the 'angry mob' is angry":

"We're justly and increasingly angry because our reps not only refuse to hear us, but they also chastise us for wanting to be heard. How else would they expect us to react when we feel so helpless and hopeless? No matter what we want, say, or do, our government is going to force us to eat a meal we never ordered. In addition, we keep saying, 'no, we don't want this', but they keep putting affirmations in our mouths and proceeding with their radical agenda anyway. We are not enjoying the governmental rape of our country. We said 'no,' and 'no" means 'no' in every language. Why doesn't this matter? Every poll reflects the president's rapidly declining approval rating -- for good reason. And still, Robert Gibbs flippantly dismisses it. How are 'we the people' supposed to feel? Certainly we do not feel happy, or even just mildly upset, about being disregarded. Far-left ideologues who supposedly espouse 'compassionate' causes have no compassion for how we feel, nor do they have a clue that we are an angry mob of their own creation."

Francine Prose + Anne Frank

I'm reading "Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife" by Francine Prose, and I came across this beautiful section of writing on pages 68-69. She is describing the arrest of the residents of the hidden annex, and how close the world came to never seeing the diary at all. It had been kept in a briefcase...

"But now the briefcase was being put to a different use. Silberbauer dumped out the papers, along with some notebooks, and handed the satchel to his colleagues to stuff with jewels and cash.
The details of the briefcase could have come from one of those fairy tales that counsel reflection, patience, morality -- lest one wind up like the thoughtless, greedy man or woman (usually the wife) who mistakes the rhinestones for diamonds or cooks the magic fish for dinner. Eventually, Silberbauer realized he'd filled the briefcase with pasteboard and scattered rubies across the attic floor.
But how could he have imagined that what he had discarded --loose sheets of paper, exercise books -- was not only a work of literary genius, not only a fortune in disguise, not only a record of the times in which he and its author lived, but a piece of evidence that would lead to the exposure of his role in the Nazis' war against the Jews, even as so many like him slipped back into their old lives and kept up their furniture payments?
There was no way he could have known what the briefcase contained. How could anyone have suspected that a masterpiece existed between the checked cloth covers of a young girl's diary?"

Grand Rounds

The doctor will see you now! Grand Rounds 6.13 - Coming Together is up at Teen Health 411.

If The Mainstream Media Covered Christ's Birth...

Here's how the mainstream media would have covered the birth of Christ. (click the image to enlarge it)

Banished Words

Lake Superior State University offers its annual list of banished words, which includes the annoying "green", "carbon footprint", and "staycation". (Via Interesting Pile)

Whitehouse and the White House

Instapundit reports that the aptly named Senator Whitehouse feels that "foes of health care bill are birthers, right-wing militias, aryan groups" . If I remember correctly, we are also "domestic terrorists" and supporters of slavery. Have I left anything out?

"Yule" Love This Joke!

I'm suffering from PTSD -- Post-Traumatic Shovelling Disorder -- and needed a good laugh, and here it is.

Haveil Havalim Time

Per nice, warm Jack, it's time for Haveil Havalim #248 — Welcome to Tevet at Frume Sarah's World.

What Has HE Written Lately?

Here's a rebuttal at Contentions to Garrison Keillor's objections to Christmas songs written by Jewish composers.

An Undiplomatic "Diplomat"

Nice! Yet another comparison to the Holocaust.

"A diplomat has sparked outrage by comparing the climate-change deal reached in Copenhagen to the Holocaust."

These idiots make me sick.

Creature Teacher

THIS is a teacher? She gives teachers a bad name.

"A Northwest Career and Technical Academy teacher is accused of denying the Holocaust happened and telling students that the Nazis lacked the technology to kill so many Jews, one senior said. Jewish students said the teacher's comments have circulated widely and have created a poisonous atmosphere at the public school, which has led other students to make anti-Semitic jokes and threats against them."

After losing her job, she should be made to watch the "Why We Fight" episode of "Band of Brothers"; or the great documentary "The World at War"; or "George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey" in which he filmed the concentration camps.

Obama at War

I loved the comments regarding this Associated Press propaganda story on Obama, "the wartime President".

Watcher's Council Winners

A list of the latest Watcher's Council winners can be found at Soccer Dad.

Antarctic Endeavor

Here are some wonderful photos showing renovations to Capt. Robert F. Scott's Antarctic hut. As he famously wrote in his diary before the end came,

"Had we lived, I should have had a tale to tell of hardihood, endurance and courage...which would have stirred the hearts of every Englishman."

It's a Wonder

The Telegraph is spotlighting the 20 wonders of the world. First up are the Pyramids of Egypt, always a source of fascination for me.

The Santa Clause

It's the time of the year for the Christmas cookie transfat liability and indemnification agreement . No office should be without it!

Krazy for Klezmer

I came across this great klezmer music at Metafilter. The tune "Sammy's Freilach" is particularly happy-sounding.

Give Me a Sign

Soccer Dad has some entertaining signs you don't see every day -- thank goodness! My favorite is the "Teach our children..." sign, which reminded me of the famous sign above.

"D" for Disaster, "F" for Failure

Give Obama a grade at this poll at The Anchoress. I gave him a "D or lower" only because there was no option for "F".

Grand Rounds

A "Charlotte's Web" - themed Grand Rounds is up at Florence dot com.

JBlogospherically Speaking

Take a visit around the JBlogosphere with Soccer Dad.

Democrats in a Nutshell

Charles Hurt sums up the Democratic party:

"They no longer care what they promised voters. They don't care what the public wants. And they don't care about what is right. All they care about is a victory so that they can claim to have accomplished something."

Watcher's Council Winners

Here are this week's Watcher's Council winners, courtesy of Soccer Dad.

Three Times the Power!

Read this story about triplets who have joined the IDF.

The Scars of Evil

Here's an article about a man who avoided doctors for 65 years. If you know about "Dr." Mengele, you will soon learn the reason why.

Haveil Havalim Time

Haveil Havaliim #247 - Chanukah 2009/5770 Edition is now available for your Sunday reading pleasure at The Israel Situation.

Also, Jack is looking for hosts for Haveil Havalim in 2010. If you're interested, e-mail him at talktojacknow@sbcglobal.net

Just a Lot of Hot Air

I like the cartoonist Gary Varvel. Take a look at this cartoon and this one.

Republicans and Obamacare

Here's a good article on what the Republicans should be doing to fight against the health care obscenity. This is a great opportunity for them to differentiate themselves from the Democrats, but unfortunately, they lack spine and have been almost invisible.

"If they don’t starting acting forcefully quickly and immediately, not only will they allow the country’s future to be unalterably damaged, they will be hastening the end to their own careers in the elections coming down the road faster than they can imagine."

Conservative Blog Awards

For some good reading, or to discover some new blogs, check out The 8th Annual Right Wing News Conservative Blog Awards.

HAPPY HANUKAH!

The Forward has a good article on Hanukah songs (not including that of Senator Hatch!)

"Whether approached with exuberance or with languor, with innocence or with knowingness, the music of Hanukkah not only lifted the spirits, but also promoted a tangible sense of connectedness with the past through print, sound and stage. Surely that’s something to sing about."

Watcher's Council Entries

The latest Watcher's Council submissions are up at Soccer Dad.

Incredible Internet

This is really amazing, but then again, it can be a bit overwhelming, especially to those of us who remember life before the Internet.
Created by Online Education

Happy Hanukah From Orrin Hatch!

So who knew? Senator Hatch has written a Hanukah song, which you can listen to here. It definitely beats "The Dreidle Song".

Grand Rounds

Grand Rounds 6.11 - the Broadway edition is available without an appointment at nuts for healthcare.

Rabbis in Montana

I liked this article titled "Yes, Miky, There Are Rabbis in Montana", especially Miky, the police dog trained to understand only Hebrew commands!

The Minority Rules

Explain to me how the petty, politically correct complaints of one person (or one family) always seem to succeed in bringing everyone else to their knees: "Principal Forced To Take Down Christmas Tree For One Family." Just how was he "forced"? Where was his spine and common sense?

It's the Pollster's Fault!

Here's one thing Obama can't blame Bush for!

"President Obama's job approval rating has fallen to 47 percent in the latest Gallup poll, the lowest ever recorded for any president at this point in his term. Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford and even Richard Nixon all had higher approval ratings 10-and-a-half months into their presidencies. Obama's immediate predecessor, President George W. Bush, had an approval rating of 86 percent, or 39 points higher than Obama at this stage."

Horrible Harry Reid

I heard about this on the car radio after work and nearly had an accident: "Reid ties GOP health care opposition to slavery supporters."

Soccer Dad Stuff

Soccer Dad's entry came in third in the latest list of Watcher's Council winners. Also, he links to this amazing story called "The man who smuggled himself into Auschwitz".

DECEMBER 7, 1941

68 Years ago today. Thank goodness there was no such thing as political correctness back then!

Haveil Havalim Time!

Soccer Dad has a nice roundup of Jewish blogging, which includes Me-Ander's Haveil Havalim - The Balagan.

Poliitically Correct Terrorism

There must be some sort of competition between the U.K. and the U.S. to see which country kowtows the most to terrorists:

"MINISTERS have been BANNED from using words like Islamist and fundamentalist - in case they offend Muslims. An eight-page Whitehall guide lists words they should not use when talking about terrorism in public and gives politically correct alternatives."

Well, obviously these politicians have forgotten what happened in London on July 7, 2005.

Today's Rally Against the 9/11 Terror Trial

Unfortunately, this important story seems to have been overshadowed at the New York Post by news of a suicide attempt by Billy Joel's daughter, and by the Tiger Woods scandal.

In Case You've Forgotten...

This video is a must-see.

School Songs

(from Lucianne.com)

Stars and Stripes and Idiots

I read about this outrage at Nealz Nuze. What would it hurt to let this patriotic war vet keep his flag? The man is 90 years old, for Pete's sake! How politically correct and petty can you get! He at least shows more respect than they do, and they should be ashamed.

It's Bush's Fault -- Part 298

More Bush-bashing from Obama. Will it ever end? I doubt it! This is from Jennifer Rubin at Contentions.

"It has become a nervous tic with Obama. Something is wrong, people are upset — blame Bush! Obama is going to need to rely on conservative support to prosecute the war since his own crowd certainly won’t be cheerleading for him. So it would have been politically smart and classy to have credited Bush with the surge or with leaving him the assessment for the Afghanistan war, which he relied on in the spring (the one his team previously denied receiving). But that’s not this president’s style. For reasons that aren’t quite clear — either personal peevishness or political expediency — even in a wartime speech in which bipartisanship would have been essential, he felt compelled to get in his digs. If President Obama seems smaller than candidate Obama it’s because he allows pettiness to get the best of him. He should give it up. He’s now president after all."

The Anti-Israel Union

Here is another good analysis by Soccer Dad -- along with one of his trademark clever titles!

A Hair-Raising Story

I was amazed at this story about free $300 haircuts for the unemployed. Even most working people don't get $300 haircuts. Did anyone ever hear of Wal-Mart or Great Clips? This reminded me of the free Viagra for the unemployed -- it's completely unnecessary.

Argus Hamilton Quips

Click here for Argus Hamilton's latest take on the news.

"Joe Biden flashed a big smile in pictures with the couple who crashed Tuesday's state banquet as part of their audition for a reality show. Joe was glad to pose with them. If he can help get them cast in that reality show, he gets credit for creating his first two jobs".

Random Thoughts from Thomas Sowell

Dr. Sowell has more random thoughts, including this one:

"In response to news of President Obama receiving the Nobel Prize for peace, an e-mail from a reader recalled a black classmate’s comments upon graduating from high school many years ago. When asked to list the advantages and disadvantages of being black, the black student facetiously listed as an advantage 'being praised for infinitesimal accomplishments.'"

What Obama Meant

Here's what Obama REALLY said in his speech last night in front of what Chris Matthews called "the enemy camp".

Grand Rounds

Grand Rounds is up at Healthcare Technology News, and it's a "special post-Thanksgiving edition serving up Seinfeld as the lighter fare after the big holiday meal."

Support Our Troops!

And speaking of heroes, there is something extremely wrong in this country when our troops are treated like criminals while people worry about the "rights" of terrorists!

Good Riddance!

This is the hero of the day:

"Seattle police officer Benjamin L. Kelly is being hailed as a hero for his actions early Tuesday morning, in which he single-handedly shot and killed Maurice Clemmons, the man wanted in Sunday's killings of four Pierce County officers."

The Times, They Are A-Changin!

This post by Soccer Dad looks like another Watcher's Council winner to me!

On Stigma

Instapundit quotes Mickey Kaus on the stigma of food stamps:

"But a stigma placed on cash-like welfare (which food stamps are) remains a positive sign of a healthy work ethic. If you came across two societies--Society A, in which food stamps were stigmatized, with families reluctant to go on the dole even if they were eligible, and Society B, in which they weren't, you would want to bet on (and live in) Society A. It's one thing to relax the stigma on welfare in times of epic economic decline. It's another if the stigma doesn't return with the possibility of employment."

I agree. Making entitlement programs too accessible also makes them too attractive. Many years ago, it was known as "the dole", and it was considered shameful if you didn't do everything you could to avoid it.

U.K. P.C.

Barking Moonbat has the latest politically correct idiocy from England. So now, you can't call terrorists "terrorists", and you can't call teenaged criminals "youths". Well, I call political correctness "stupid"!

Watcher's Council Winners

Check out Soccer Dad for the latest list of Watcher's Council winners. (His own post tied for third place -- good job!)

Haveil Havalim Time

Congratulations to first time host Torat Yisrael for compiling a nice Haveil Havalim #245.

Rally Against the NYC Terrorist Trial

I hope this rally will be heavily attended ... and extensively coverage by the media. (The former is more of a reality than the latter.)

"SATURDAY DECEMBER 5 RALLY
IN FOLEY SQUARE:
STOP THE TERROR TRIAL IN NYC!

NEW YORKERS TO ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER:
“WE WILL FIGHT YOU ALL THE WAY!”

What: December 5th rally protesting the NYC based trial of 9/11 conspirators
Where: FOLEY SQUARE, MANHATTAN
When: Saturday, December 5th, 2009 ­ 12:00 noon
Who:

The 9/11 Never Forget Coalition, a diverse group of 9/11 victims, family members, first responders, active and reserve members of the military, veterans, and concerned Americans, is holding December 5th rally protesting the plan to bring the 9/11 terrorist conspirators to trial in New York City.

The Coalition formed to fight the decision of President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder to try the 9/11 co-conspirators in New York City’s federal court, effectively giving war criminals the same rights as American citizens while endangering the safety of all New Yorkers."

And please sign the petition, here.

On The Wrong Track

The Times Online describes the murder of at least 25 people on a Russian train as the result of a "terrorist attack" , in quotation marks, as if it really wasn't one. For many Americans, the Fort Hood massacre was also a "terrorist attack".

Blogs Lucianne Loves

The people at Lucianne.com have started another website. It's called BlogsLucianneLoves.com, and it's "the place to find some of the best news blogs on the web." Check it out!

Just Two More Things...

Atlas Shrugs discusses the disgraceful,outrageous defense that the 9/11 terrorists will use. Can we please make sure we get the best prosecutors to make sure nobody falls for this garbage? They are evil murderers, not mental "victims"!

And Powerline has a good article about the nightmare of Obamacare:

"I don't believe that Democrats in Congress actually disagree with the majority of voters who expect a government takeover of medicine to result in worse health care at a higher cost. Rather, the Democrats believe that degraded health care is an acceptable price to pay for what they are really after--government domination over the life of every citizen. Whether the American people understand how profound is the Democrats' assault on their liberties, and will be willing to do what it takes to throw the greedy rascals out of power, remains to be seen."

Unfortunately, most voters are morons who keep voting the same politicians into office over and over again. But why should the rest of us have to suffer?

Greed of the Day

Maybe she'll get a free hospital stay and free diapers next.

Cutting Into the Taxpayers

Here's a perfect image via Atlas Shrugs.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

We're eating Thanksgiving buffet in style today at Biltmore's Deerpark restaurant. Michelle Malkin lists the turkeys of 2009. And Dennis Prager explains why Thanksgiving is good for the Jews.

Who's Your Daddy?

From Betsy's Page, a poor fellow learns the identity of his father.

"Wack Friday"

Here's an appropriate new name for the shopping insanity more commonly known as Black Friday.

"As much as I would love to spend my day off jockeying for a parking space in a crowded lot, I'm going to skip all the Black Friday festivities -- the fistfights, the screaming babies, the screaming adults, catching swine flu, the fender benders, the crowded food courts, the long lines at the wrapping desk and the cash register. One woman told me she does it so she's sure the stores won't run out of the gifts she 'needs' to get."

Jews of Yemen

Soccer Dad links to an article about the Jews of Yemen.

Annoying Phrases

Today I came across this amusing column about annoying sayings:

"There is a class of utterances that, when encountered, produces irritation, distress and, in some cases, the desire to kill. You hear or read one of these and your heart sinks. Everyone will have his or her (non)favorites. Mine is a three-word announcement on the TV screen, 'To Be Continued,' which says, 'I know that you have become invested in this story and are eager to find out how it ends, but you’re going to have to wait for a few days or a week or a month or forever.'"

Shalit Shame

I definitely agree with Soccer Dad. Murderous terrorists don't usually change their stripes, and to expect the release of such animals in exchange for Gilad Shalit is an outrage. If the Palestinians truly want peace, they should release him outright, without any conditions.

Grand Rounds

My pulse is racing, because Grand Rounds: Volume 6, Number 9 is up at How to Cope With Pain.

Belated Haveil Havalim Time

Whoops! Somehow I forgot to blog about Haveil Havalim #243, at Ima on (and off) the Bima, but Soccer Dad has reminded me in his post about Jewish blogging.

Haveil Havalim Time

Haveil Havalim #244 – No Protektzia Necessary is up at A Mother in Israel.

November 22

The Dallas Morning News has an article about ordinary events that occurred on November 22, 1963.

Watcher's Council Winners

Soccer Dad reveals the Watcher's Council winners for this week.

The Cost of Terrorism

Right Wing News reports on the staggering costs of the trial of the 9/11 terrorists in New York. Read it and weep.

Republicans With Spine!

Maybe the Republicans are getting some spine after all. First, as you can see in this video clip my uncle sent me, Senator Lindsey Graham makes mincemeat out of Eric Holder, who can't even answer the questions. In another instance, Congressman Kevin Brady from Texas didn't accept tax-cheat Geithner's blame-Bush excuses:

"In a fiery exchange at Thursday's Joint Economic Committee hearing with ranking Republican Kevin Brady (Texas), who suggested that Geithner had 'failed' and should reconsider his job, the Treasury secretary asserted that he and his team had made great strides bringing the economy back from 'the brink.' Sensing the exchange was about to grow more pointed, Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) informed Brady his time had expired. But Geithner still returned fire, blaming 'almost a decade of public neglect,' and the economic harm that it wrought on the country, on the Bush administration. Replied Brady, 'Tell all of that to the millions of Americans who no longer have jobs because of your decisions.'"

The Golfing Obama

This spoof is perfect! Tiger Woods is the golfing Obama -- the media won't criticize him or show him in a bad light if they can help it.

The Anchoress on Obama

The Anchoress has written another great post, which includes this description of our President:

"So, persuaded by the positivism of the press, Americans voted for a charismatic fellow whose college transcripts, friendships and background -and seemingly all of his instincts- were cloaked in a secrecy untroubling to incurious media; a guy who promised 'the most transparent government ever,' and sensible government economic policies. The guy who, since becoming president, has revealed himself to be -not the open, bi-partisan, coalition-building, transparent tower of transcendent brilliance the American people thought they were getting- but a flip-flopping, thin-skinned, secretive, teleprompter-dependent, far-left radical spend-a-holic who talks incessantly and does not listen, who can’t tell us where the money has gone; a guy who says pretty much anything that comes into his head, whether it is true or not, and figures that’s the new history; a 'uniter' who has locked the opposition party out of every policy debate (there actually is no debate, anymore) and has weakend our influence abroad (by becoming 'the worst sort of ally') and our security at home, has disrespected, snubbed or betrayed every one of our allies, cozied up to tyrants and done little in a bare year besides bankrupting the country, dissing his predecessor at every opportunity, making us wonder what sort of government he is fomenting, and whether he is in fact, actively working to tear the country apart.
In less than a year, the media’s choice for President, the guy they carried on their shoulders into the White House along with his 'most glamorous, most brilliant, most stylish First Lady, ever' has a surprising number of people missing George W. Bush. Obama even has some conservatives, myself among them, missing Bill and Hillary Clinton."

Argus Hamilton Quips

In his take on the news items of the day, Argus Hamilton writes:

"Al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Alwaki told a Yemen newspaper that he exchanged e-mails with Fort Hood assassin Major Nidal Hasan. The FBI intercepted the e-mails and said some of what Hasan wrote was benign and the rest was protected by the First Amendment. As long as killing Americans is part of your religious belief, we must be tolerant of it."

Watcher's Council

Soccer Dad presents this week's Watcher's Council submissions.

A Better Word of the Year!

Merriam-Webster's word of the year is much better than that of Oxford!

Welcome to New York!

This is the perfect greeting for the September 11 terrorists -- no mincing words or politically correct language here!

Lincoln Letter

Here's a great example of Abraham Lincoln memorabilia.

Word of the Year

THIS is the word of the year? "Worst word of the year" is more like it!

"Birds are singing, the sun is shining and I am joyful first thing in the morning without caffeine. Why you ask? Because it is Word of the Year time (or WOTY as we refer to it around the office). Every year the New Oxford American Dictionary prepares for the holidays by making its biggest announcement of the year. This announcement is usually applauded by some and derided by others and the ongoing conversation it sparks is always a lot of fun, so I encourage you to let us know what you think in the comments.
Without further ado, the 2009 Word of the Year is: unfriend.
unfriend – verb – To remove someone as a ‘friend’ on a social networking site such as Facebook.
As in, 'I decided to unfriend my roommate on Facebook after we had a fight.'"

The Bow

I laughed when I saw this photo at Lucianne.com today.

Dial 'M' for Massacre

When, if ever, will cold-blooded, methodical terrorism like this convince people that Islam is not the "religion of peace"?

Grand Rounds

Time to take your medicine! Grand Rounds Vol. 6 No. 8 is now available at Colorado Health Insurance Insider.

Trial and Error

The New York Post has a good editorial about the obscenity of trying the 9/11 terrorists in that city:

"It makes no more sense to try those responsible in a civilian court than it would have been to hold a trial for the Japanese who bombed Pearl Harbor.
On a purely self-interested note, New Yorkers must be wondering whether it makes sense for their city -- still a high-priority terrorist target -- to have another bull's-eye painted on its buildings.
Of course it doesn't.
But bringing the world's most notorious terrorists to New York for criminal trials will do just that.
Alas, that's the reality of it."

Argus Hamilton Quips

It's time for more of Argus Hamilton's take on the news, which includes this item:

"NBC announced Wednesday that five of its prime-time programs are featuring green, pro-environmental messages in their scripts. It's obvious that NBC's parent company GE is trying to get stimulus money for the windmills they manufacture. If Jay Leno has to tell jokes only Al Gore would laugh at, don't blame the ratings on him."

Liberal Lexicon

I like American Thinker's The AT Readers' Complete Lexicon of Political Speech. I had no doubt that #11 would be there!

For The Birds

Cindy Adams discusses turkeys -- the human kind!

Crime Victim of the Day

I heard about this on ESPN radio this morning. I realize people are huge college football fans, but isn't this overdoing it just a bit? The victim of an armed robbery by Tennessee football players said,

" 'I think they should still be able to play football, regardless,' he said. 'Tennessee is my place. It's my football team.'
'Even after they put a gun in your face, you say let them play football?' 6 News asked.
'Yeah, it's Tennessee. That's the way it is sometimes,' Zickefoose said."

Holiday Mail for Heroes!

This is a nice way to support our troops.

A "Mistake"?

This ultra-liberal letter to the letter made me see red. It's about that poor victim, the DC sniper. The writer says,

"Any life cut short is 'a waste'
.... John Allen Muhammad's attorney even said, 'The state of Virginia will execute a severely mentally ill man.' Now he's gone. It breaks my heart and kills the hope that people can change, that mistakes can be corrected, and that life has the possibility of rebirth."

Since when is deliberately shooting & killing people at random considered a "mistake"?

Meshuggeneh!

Here's yet another column, this time by Suzanne Fields, about the baffling approval by Jews for Obama. Her title says it all -- "Deaf Ears, Dumb Voters": "Many Israelis are puzzled by how American Jews give the president a passing grade on the kishke test..."

"Medicalizing Mass Murder"

Read Dr.Charles Krauthammer's diagnosis:

"Medicalizing mass murder not only exonerates. It turns the murderer into a victim, indeed a sympathetic one. After all, secondary PTSD, for those who believe in it (you won't find it in DSM-IV-TR, psychiatry's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual), is known as 'compassion fatigue.' The poor man -- pushed over the edge by an excess of sensitivity. Have we totally lost our moral bearings? Nidal Hasan (allegedly) cold-bloodedly killed 13 innocent people. In such cases, political correctness is not just an abomination. It's a danger, clear and present."

And speaking of mass murder, isn't it obscene that Khalid Sheik Mohammed and his fellow terrorists will go on trial in New York? The thought of it makes me ill.

Jeans and Prejeans

A very enjoyable post from Soccer Dad on the deplorable Levi Johnston. With our luck, they will team him up with the equally scandalous Carrie Prejean for their very own reality TV show!

Grand Rounds

Grand Rounds Vol.6, No.7 is available at crzegrl, flight nurse. This blog contains the reflections of a Flight Nurse, Paramedic, Skydiver, and Army Reserve Commander -- I'm impressed!

Well!

Soccer Dad points out similarities between Obama and Jack Benny. (Those of us who understand the reference liked Jack Benny a whole lot better than Obama!)

Jews in the News

Here are two firsts: Read about the first Israeli to fight for a world boxing title; and the first black female rabbi!

Excuses for Murder

Instapundit links to this excellent Dorothy Rabinowitz column; and Dennis Prager has a good column over at Jewish World Review, both in regards to political correctness in the coverage of the Fort Hood terrorist. It's just incomprehensible to me. Any night now, I expect Hasan's lawyer to give the usual sob story to a sympathetic Larry King.

Veterans Day

Take a look at this display of photos showing how Veterans Day was commemorated around the world.

The Oys of Yiddish

Metafilter reports on this interesting survey:

"The Survey of American Jewish Language and Identity reports on the results of an online survey of 25,179 American Jews and 4,874 American Gentiles. Non-Jews say 'klutz' but not 'schmutz.' The more Orthodox you are, the more likely you are to say "Good Shabbos" instead of "Shabbat Shalom." And so much more you'll plotz."

The Meaning of Armistice Day

This article and this one discuss the importance of Armistice Day/Veterans Day, created to commemorate the end of World War I at 11 am on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, November 11, 1918.

Random Thoughts by Thomas Sowell

Thomas Sowell has some random thoughts, including this one:

"An e-mail from a reader says that liberals like to take the moral high ground, even though their own moral relativism means that there is no moral high ground."

When Political Correctness Kills

What does it say about our country when hurt feelings are more important than people's lives?

Haveil Havalim Time

Jack himself is the host of Haveil Havalim #242 - Taking Responsibility edition, at Random Thoughts - Do They Have Meaning?

Kristallnacht: November 9, 1938

Yad Vashem has an exhibition to mark the 71st anniversary of Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass.

More Health Care Lowlights

Doug Ross @ Journal sums up the health care bill in 90 seconds. Let's hope against hope that the Senate won't pass this monstrosity.

"Jihadi Denial Syndrome"

As usual, Melanie Phillips nails it: "One really has to wonder, looking at this reaction to the fanatic psychiatrist whom the US authorities employed to counsel their soldiers, just who really needs the clinical treatment here."

Fall of Berlin Wall, 11-9-89

From 1961 to 1989, the Berlin Wall dominated Germany. Deutsche Welle has a good section on the 20th anniversary of its fall. The British Daily Mail shows some before-and-after photos. The fall of the Berlin Wall and the beginning of the end of Communism are things I never expected to see in my lifetime. I had a penpal in East Germany at that time, and I remember how odd it felt to finally start writing simply "Germany" rather than "East Germany" on the envelope.

Rep. Ryan on Obamacare

A great argument by Rep. Paul Ryan, who I really like.

Need We Say More?

The UK Telegraph reports:

"Fort Hood shooting: Texas army killer linked to September 11 terrorists... Hasan, the sole suspect in the massacre of 13 fellow US soldiers in Texas, attended the controversial Dar al-Hijrah mosque in Great Falls, Virginia, in 2001 at the same time as two of the September 11 terrorists, The Sunday Telegraph has learnt."

"The Standard Playbook"

Wizbang perfectly puts into words what I and many others have been thinking, not only since last week, but for many years:

"...[I]t's time to trot out the standard playbook for Muslim leaders to distract Americans from yet another Muslim-perpetrated atrocity. (The order of these is somewhat fluid, to avoid appearing too obviously stock).
First up, condemn the atrocity in no uncertain terms. It was terrible, a tragedy, just awful, and our devout prayers go to Allah for the victims of this awful incident.
It's important to de-emphasize the details as much as possible. Words such as 'tragedy' and 'incident' work to disguise the sheer evil of the actions.
Next, start distancing Islam from the crime. Say that such things are abhorrent to 'true' Muslims, that no 'real' Muslim would ever do any such thing, and they find them as appalling and saddening (NOT enraging) as everyone else. If done right, the impression that is conveyed is that they are even more upset over it than everyone -- but they're too modest to say so clearly.
Then start rationalizing the deed itself. This must be done with a fine touch -- talk about how sick the individual must be to have done it, and talk about what sorts of things might have triggered the psychosis. Be careful, though; it's a fine line to tiptoe, between 'what this guy did was justified' and 'we need to know what caused it, so we might prevent it from happening again.'
This is when you go into the Crazed Muslim Of The Week's line of excuses for why he did what he did and talk about how he was a bit off kilter, but there is some substance to his ravings. Muslims ARE being persecuted and oppressed around the world, and while it's terrible that such a tragic thing happened, perhaps some good can come of it if some attention is shone on these abuses of the adherents of the Religion Of Peace...
Then there's the final step. This one is the one that takes the biggest stones. (Which is entirely appropriate for a religion whose most sacred object is a big rock in the middle of the desert.) You have to pre-emptively claim victim status for yourselves.
Talk about how concerned you are that there will be a backlash against ordinary, peaceful Muslims around the nation. Oh, most Americans are fine, upstanding, decent folk who understand fully that this awful, awful tragedy in no way reflects on Islam (never mind what the nutcase was saying about his motives before, during, and after), but there are some who will wrongly blame Islam for it -- and lash out at the poor, innocent, peaceful Muslims.
One minor problem with that: there's never been a real backlash against Muslims in America.
When Muslims acting in the name of Allah tried to blow up the World Trade Center, there was no massive backlash.
When a Muslim acting in the name of Allah shot up the El Al ticket counter at LAX, there was no massive backlash.
When two Muslims acting in the name of Allah went on a sniping spree in and around DC, there was no massive backlash.
When a Muslim acting in the name of Allah drove his SUV through the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill, there was no massive backlash.
When a Muslim acting in the name of Allah ran down people all over San Francisco, there was no massive backlash.
When a Muslim acting in the name of Allah shot up the Seattle Jewish Federation, there was no massive backlash.
When a Muslim acting in the name of Allah shot seven people atop the Empire State Building, there was no massive backlash.
When a Muslim acting in the name of Allah shot up a movie theatre in Baltimore, there was no massive backlash.
When a Muslim acting in the name of Allah shot up a van filled with Orthodox Jews, there was no massive backlash.
When a Muslim acting in the name of Allah killed five people in a mall in Salt Lake City, there was no massive backlash.
And when Muslims acting in the name of Allah killed over 3,000 people on September 11, 2001, there certainly was no massive backlash whatsoever."

More On the Obamacare Nightmare

I continue to be outraged and disgusted at the frenzied desperation of the Democrats to force us against out will to accept their health care bill!

Here, the editors at National Review discuss the three strikes against Obamacare:

"We call that three strikes: taking away Americans’ current insurance plans, replacing them with a system of government rationing, and burning through more than a trillion steadily depreciating U.S. dollars to get it done."

And here's the latest by Thomas Sowell:

"Most people have earned money by producing something that other people wanted. But getting what you want by what you have earned, rather than by what elites will deign to allow you to have, is completely incompatible with the vision of an elite-controlled world, which they call 'social justice' or other politically attractive phrases. The 'uninsured' are another big talking point for government medical insurance. But the incomes of many of the uninsured indicate that many — if not most — of them choose to be uninsured. Poor people can get insurance through Medicaid. Free loading at emergency rooms — mandated by government — makes being uninsured a viable option."

Hero

Meet Sgt. Kimberly Munley, the hero of Fort Hood. When I heard the unwelcome news that mass murderer Hasan had unfortunately survived being shot, all I could think of was Sollozzo's line after learning that Don Corleone wasn't dead: "He's still alive. They hit him with five shots, and he's still alive!"

Terror at Fort Hood

When I want information on important news stories, I avoid the TV networks and go straight to the Internet. And my first source for online news on the horrific slaughter at Fort Hood is Blackfive.

Rally Against Obamacare

Here's Dr. Thomas Sowell on the costs of Obamacare. And I was very happy to see that 10,000 concerned citizens turned out for the rally at the Capitol today.

P.C. Lunacy of the Week

Can someone explain to me how wearing a Remembrance Day poppy to honor the troops is politically incorrect? I think we should all wear as many red poppies, and as much red, white, & blue, as we can on November 11.

"We're Not Going to Take it Anymore"

Here's Monica Crowley on last night's extremely satisfying wins in Virginia and New Jersey:

"The message from voters: Enough. Enough big government. Enough massive spending. Enough deficits and debt. Enough sky-high taxes. Enough huge entitlement programs. Enough dismissing the will of the people. Enough radicalism in the White House and Congress. Enough seizure of our freedoms. Enough ravaging of the Constitution. Tonight, the American people said, 'Enough'. Enough to incompetence and unresponsiveness and disrespect from the Democratic president and members of Congress. And there’s a message in here for Republicans too: if you don’t learn the lesson of this victory, we’ll hold your feet to the fire as well. We’re mad as hell, and we’re not going to take it anymore."

Foxx-y Lady!

I don't agree with this comparison, and hopefully Rep. Foxx won't be asked to apologize for it, but I do agree that Obamacare would be a disaster for this country.

Nostalgia

Doug Ross @ Journal links to this nostalgic 2007 piece at American Digest. Using Ennio Morricone's wonderful music makes it even nicer!

Grand Rounds

Time for Grand Rounds Volume 6 No 6 at Non-Clinical Physician Jobs, Careers and Opportunities (part of the HCP Live)

Fat Chance!

Oh, how I hope Corzine is defeated in New Jersey! His disgraceful attack on Christie shows how desperate the Democrats have become, and how low they've stooped.

Disapproval Ratings

Take a look at this chart showing Obama's approval ratings. Gee, I wonder why!

New York Tribute

Read about the USS New York, built with steel from the Twin Towers, which arrived in New York Harbor this morning.
(Above photo from UK Times Online)

Haveil Havalim Time

Haveil Havalim #241 - The Blogoversary Edition is now up at Simply Jews.

Rooting for the Yankees

This is a great article called "Warming to the Yankees: A Story of Betrayal", about a Red Sox fan who's become a Yankees fan despite himself. It sounds like me!

American Evil-Doers

Read Austin Hill's column titled, "In The Era Of Obama, Americans Have Become 'the Evil Doers'". He writes,

"I am, however, nostalgic for the days when the American President seemed to be fond of his country, and its people. This is largely because I have increasing doubts that our current President is fond of either one."

Obama himself is an evil-doer, for what he's done to this country in just ten months.

The Brilliant Thomas Sowell

Read the latest column by Thomas Sowell about the dismantling of our country. I agree with the whole thing, and especially with this line:

"The entitlement mentality has eroded the once common belief that you earned things, including respect, instead of being given them."

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

The Truth Hurts

Why is this considered so politically incorrect and terrible? It's true, isn't it?

"Father of 9/11 Victim Fights to Have 'Murdered by Muslim Terrorists' Inscribed on Son's Memorial"

"Beyond Disgraceful"

I just have to print Charles Krauthammer on Obama and Afghanistan:

On the record number of U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan this month: "It does, of course, impress us with the urgency of the matter and how it has to be decided. But I want to point out one thing about what Obama said when he talked about the 'long years of drift.' There is something truly disgusting about the way he cannot refrain from attacking Bush when he is being defensive about himself. I mean, it is beyond disgraceful here."

The Study of Antisemitism

Congratulations to Clemens Heni and company on the publication of their new Journal for the Study of Antisemitism.

"The Journal for the Study of Antisemitism (JSA) is a select group of independent scholars who are interested in examining antisemitism in all its forms. This group is not affiliated with any institution or financially dependent on a single source of funding. We have in common an understanding of antisemitism as a social pathology that must be eradicated.“

Old-Time Jewish Housework

Israpundit has an article that makes us realize once again just how hard the lives of our grandparents and great-grandparents were. We definitely take convenience foods for granted today, that's for sure!

How Annoying!

Lewis Grossberger discusses annoying words and phrases. I too loathe the expression "baby daddy" -- and I despise "baby bump"! Who comes up with these sickeningly cutesy euphemisms, anyway?

Cluelessness

I enjoyed this Arnold Ahlert column spotlighting examples of stupidity in our country.

At a Loss for Wordles

Soccer Dad links to this Wordle on the Goldstone Report. Can you find the words 'Hamas' or 'militant'? Of course the answer is no.
(Maybe it's just my computer, but I could only see the Wordle on Internet Explorer, and not on Firefox.)

Obamacare? Feh!

I came across this great, short argument against Obamacare at Legal Insurrection, via Maggie's Farm:

"Instead of solely considering costs, shouldn't we ask if Americans are willing to die sooner from cancer, to give up access to specialists, to be refused safer, more accurate diagnostic imaging, to lose the most accessible screening programs, and to lose their autonomy in pursuing treatments for their families? Shouldn't we ask if Americans want to replace the most advanced and successful medical care in history with the restricted care and lower cost social programs of Europe, and insure the less than 5 percent of people who don't buy insurance but receive care anyway?"

Argus Hamilton Quips

Argus Hamilton offers more of his take on the news here and here, including these items:

"President Obama suffered the worst drop in job approval ratings in fifty years last week. He's descended from eighty percent approval to fifty percent. The whole balloon flight was only intended to get him a reality show and he ended up president."

“Senator Max Baucus met with Democrats in the U.S. Capitol last week to merge the twenty-three-hundred-page health care bill. Every American ought to read it. It's so heavy that if you lift the bill three times a day you'll live to be one hundred.”

Grand Rounds

Grand Rounds Volume Six, Number Six can be found at code blog -- tales of a nurse.

"Hypocrisy at the U.N,"

Today I received this video in an email from Honest Reporting:

"Dear Readers: The United Nations Human Rights Council spends all its time condemning Israel while ignoring real human rights abuses. Recently, the Council approved a resolution endorsing the one-sided, biased report of Judge Richard Goldstone and accusing Israel of "War Crimes." This resolution will now be considered by the U.S. Security Council.Please sign the petition at the end of this short video that will be sent to President Obama and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council urging them to veto this biased resolution."

(By the way, Soccer Dad has had great coverage of the vile Goldstone Report.)

Obama-Ed Piece

I always thought that you put serious articles about important issues on the Op-Ed pages. Evidentally, the New York Times now thinks that this embarassingly fawning piece on Michelle Obama belongs on its Op-Ed page. As with other Lucianne.com readers, I thought it was a joke at first, then became quite nauseous when I realized it wasn't.

Haveil Havalim Time

Haveil Havalim #240 is up at Artzeinu: A Blog About Eretz Yisroel.

Just Joking!

Here we go again, another "joke" that backfired. This time, it concerns Ronan Tynan and the Yankees.

The Third Man

I saw "The Third Man" for the umpteenth time the other night. The first sight of Orson Welles in this great film is always amazing.
This YouTube page also has the famous quote comparing Italy and Switzerland:

"In Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder, bloodshed — they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."

(I once used this quote with my Swiss penpal when she made disparaging remarks about the United States, but she missed the point entirely.)

"Fine Guys"

Is Amherst the Berkeley of the East Coast? They have invited two Gitmo terrorists to come live amongst them.

Obama vs. GW Bush

I like this comparison of Obama vs. Bush.

Work Warfare

Linda Chavez writes about class envy. I am a proud capitalist. I have never understood why people who work hard, earn money, and become successful (Bill Gates and Sam Walton come immediately to mind) are constantly demonized and attacked, when in fact it's those young, able-bodied people who don't work, and who expect something for nothing, who should be criticized. To cut executive salaries by 90% just teaches you that if you bother to work hard, you'll be punished by having the pay and bonuses you earn taken away from you. So what's the incentive for working at all?

Au Revoir, La Machine!

Soccer Dad mourns the demise of his special food processor in "The last kugels".

Tunes for Terrorists

I heard about this on the news this morning and thought it was a joke.

"Thomas Blanton, the executive director of the archive, told The A.P., 'At Guantánamo, the U.S. government turned a jukebox into an instrument of torture.'"

The continued sympathy and misplaced outrage regarding terrorists makes me ill. What next, a live Prison-Aid concert to raise money for those poor prisoners?

Nightmare Scenario

Take a look at this Dry Bones cartoon over at Crossing the Rubicon.

Go Figure!

Neal Boortz has some fun with numbers that will leave you completely unamused.

Calypso Louie Strikes Again

One of the items in the latest Argus Hamilton column just reminded me that race hustler Louis Farrakhan is convinced the swine flu vaccine was developed to kill black people. What's just as scary is the number of fools who actually believe him! Will it be considered racism when unvaccinated people die of swine flu anyway?

Antisemitism Derangement Syndrome

Just when you think you've heard it all, you come across an outrageous story like this one: "Holocaust denier sues survivor, calling Auschwitz memoir vicious lies'".

Ballooning TV Reality Shows

I definitely agree with this assessment of reality TV and the disgraceful people who want, or who get, their owns shows. These people are shameless enough, but it adds fuel to the fire when the media caters to them, and when viewers continue to watch this garbage.

Grand Rounds

I need a doctor -- but failing that, I'll join Grand Rounds - Brains and Cognition Edition over at SharpBrains.

Argus Hamilton Quips

Take a look at Argus Hamilton's latest column. He includes such items as this:

"President Obama flew to San Francisco on Thursday aboard Air Force One. As the plane headed west it had to fly into one hundred and forty mile an hour headwinds. Al Sharpton accused the wind of being racist for opposing President Obama's progress."

Say Si Si!

"Spanish Eyes" is Mark Steyn's Song of the Week.

Haveil Havalim Time

Jack has informed us that Haveil Havalim - The Post-Chagim Edition is up at Ima on (and off) the Bima. You'll find lots of interesting reading there.

Off The Charts

Click for today's Graph of the Day from American Thinker: Rockets Fired Into Israel by Hamas and "other terrorist organizations". Nice, eh?

Greedy Garbage of the Day

It's an insult to use the word "mother" to describe this inhuman, greedy British creature, who faked her son's illness in order to collect disability:

"A mother claimed £130,000 in benefits for her son by pretending he was disabled in a six-and-a-half year deceit during which she kept him wheelchair bound and convinced doctors he was so unwell they should operate on him."

To fake your own illness for money is bad enough; to ruin your own child's like this way is unforgivable. As punishment, she should have done to her what she did to him. (Oh, but that would be too 'cruel and unusual', wouldn't it?)