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?)

Back to School With Greg Crosby

Greg Crosby has written another of his wonderfully nostalgic columns, this time about attending his high school reunion. Enjoy!

Animals and Humans

I read two stories today that couldn't be more different. This one is about animals who have saved people's lives. Unfortunately, this one is about human animals, "mother" and friend, who abused her child (This vile creature had previously served only 6 months of time for killing her toddler). To me, the fact that the 18 year old sister didn't get help is just as bad; she's 18, not 8, and supposedly an adult who should have known better.

Auschwitz on Facebook

Auschwitz just launched its own Facebook page to raise awareness of the Holocaust. I hope it serves its purpose and doesn't become a magnet for Holocaust-deniers and other anti-semites.

OyBamacare

I am outraged and sick that the Democrats are so hellbent on ramming government-run health care down our throats whether we want it or not. Here is another persuasive argument against Obamacare.

Hall of Jerks

You've heard of the Hall of Fame? Well, Roger Simon lists his candidates for The Hall of Jerks.

Hot, Hot, Hot!

Well, THIS certainly makes me feel better about Obama's qualifications and leadership skills!

Argus Hamilton Quips

Have a laugh at the latest Argus Hamilton column, which includes quips such as this one:

"The Los Angeles Dodgers swept the St. Louis Cardinals in three games to win the National League Divisional Series in St. Louis Saturday. The TV ratings were huge. President Obama watched all three games and was named the series Most Valuable Player."

Grand Rounds

Grab your medical chart! Grand Rounds Volume 6, Number 4 is up at survive the journey.

Endless Bush-Bashing

The Anchoress expertly analyzes the hatred of President George W. Bush:

"In reviewing all this, it does seem to me that this passionate 'hate' of George W. Bush is based not on substance but on style. Obama swagger is cool; Bush swagger was arrogant. Obama arrogance is 'confidence.' Bush confidence was 'ignorance.' Obama’s misspeaks and gaffes are ignored, Bush’s were magnified. Obama looks good. Bush looked goofy. All that 'hate' seems to be part of an adolescent values system that is willing to overlook a multitude of sins as long as you get to belong to the jock/cheerleader clique, and not the Nerd/AV gang."

What Obama Doesn't Say

American Thinker lists the top 20 things Obama doesn't say.

Truly Must-See TV

If you were as impressed and awed as I was by the Emmy-winning September 11 program "102 Minutes That Changed America", then you have to see "JFK: 3 Shots that Changed America". As with "102 Minutes", it's just powerful raw film footage without narration.

Obama: Danger for Israel

Lloyd Greif, the son of Holocaust survivors, has written this excellent analysis of what Obama's policy means for Israel:

"Obama spoke eloquently to the United Nations about having compassion for 'the Palestinian boy in Gaza who has ... no country to call his own.' Where’s his concern for the 3,000-year-old Jewish communities in Arab lands that were ethnically cleansed between 1948 and the early 1970s? Commencing with Arab League retaliation for the declaration of the State of Israel, 1 million Jews were forcibly removed from their homes and personal property, forfeiting 62,000 square miles of land (nearly five times Israel’s 12,600 square miles) and assets worth approximately $300 billion. What of their 'right of return?' By tying the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to improving Muslim-U.S. relations, Obama has forced Israel into the position of answering for U.S. failures in the Muslim world and making the sacrifices necessary to mend that relationship. Obama has placed immense pressure on Israel to halt settlement building. Where is the equal pressure on the Palestinian Authority to ensure Israel’s security? Obama’s far greater pressure on the Israelis has emboldened Arab intransigence and moved the Middle East farther away from the prospect of peace."

Haveil Havalim Time

This time, Jack himself is the host of Haveil Havalim #238 - The We Love The Dodgers/Angels Edition! available at his blog Random Thoughts-Do They Have Meaning?

A Cartoon Speaks A Thousand Words

There have been some terrific editorial cartoons lately about Obama's Nobel Peace Prize. NRO's The Corner displays one of the best, above, by Henry Payne. You can find more Nobel cartoons here.

Life On Hold

How is this for gall?

"Members of the New York City Muslim community suggested Saturday they were being unfairly targeted in a terror plot probe, as a friend of the probe's prime suspect said the scrutiny has put his 'life on hold.'"

Aww, isn't that tough. Maybe if they weren't still trying to murder Americans, we might not be targeting them; what they did to us on September 11, 2001 actually did put people's lives on hold -- forever.

Nobel Nebbish

The interesting thing about yesterday's shocking and still-incomprehensible Medalling Messiah news is that I instinctively went for confirmation not to the TV news, not to a newspaper, but to the Internet and the bloggers. I find it both satisfying and comforting to know that so many fine writers feel the same way I do about things. Among other sites, I checked out Soccer Dad and Betsy's Page, and I found this perfect Times of London piece via Lucianne.com. Of course, trusty Instapundit had a good roundup. But my favorite blog post headline came from Doug Ross @ Journal , with "Best of the Stunned Obama Nobel Prize Reactions." After reading all these items and more, you may still want to actually DO something to vent your frustrations, so answer this question -- does Obama deserve the Nobel Peace Prize? Vote at the New York Post and Washington Post polls, check out the results, and you'll feel somewhat better.

The Most Annoying Word

No, it's not "Obama"! It seems that "whatever" is the most annoying word -- but I disagree. For me, "cool" and "awesome" still rank as the most annoying words, especially when used by adults who should know better. I also personally find "yeah, right" and "yada-yada-yada" to be extremely annoying.

Not a Noble Nobel

Warning! Take Pepto Bismol and a tranquilizer before you read this. When I heard the news just now on radio that Barack Obama has somehow won the Nobel Peace Prize, I had to run to my computer to prove to myself that it was just a bad joke -- or a bad dream. Unfortunately, it is neither. I thought Al Gore's win was inexplicable, but this is much worse.

Hello, Deli!

The New York Times has a mouthwatering story about Jewish delis, which sadly are vanishing from the scene.

Watcher's Council

Soccer Dad has the latest Watcher's Council winners, along with today's Watcher's Council submissions.

Today's Poop Scoop

This definitely has to be the "too much information" headline of the week. Maybe Bush's dog Barney will get the blame for this accident!

Thomas Sowell

I always enjoy the "Random Thoughts" column by Thomas Sowell at Jewish World Review. Take a look at his common sense observations.

Argus Hamilton Quips

Argus Hamilton has some more humorous takes on the news today, including this zinger:

"David Letterman's staffers who didn't have sex with him and didn't get promoted were reportedly angry about all the staffers who did. An investigation is sure to follow. By the time this ends he'll have an office in Harlem and a wife in the Senate."

It's McChrystal Clear

Obama is more of an arrogant fool that I thought if he intends to disregard the advice of General McChrystal in Afghanistan. War is one subject this Messiah should leave to the expertise of others.

Grand Rounds

Grand Rounds Vol.6, No.3: The Art of Medicine and Nursing is up at Pallimed, a hospice & palliative medicine blog.

Argus Hamilton Quips

Take a look at Argus Hamilton's take on the news, such as this:

"President Obama told the IOC about his itinerant childhood on Friday. Michelle told the IOC about her wheelchair-bound father's health problems. The IOC gave the games to Rio but they sent Barack and Michelle home with a brand-new washer and dryer."

Haveil Havalim Time

Per Jack, you can now find Haveil Havalim #237 - The Sukkoth 5770 Edition available at Esser Agaroth.

The Ig Nobel Awards

Attention, all you women out there! Here's an essential product we have somehow managed to live without all these years.

It's Always Bush's Fault

American Thinker has a good article about Obama's embarassing excuse-making and unprofessional Bush-bashing:

"Obama's relentless effort to promote his own superiority by humiliating Bush reaches beyond the borders of this nation. Pitiless toward his Presidential colleague, Obama tolerates authoritarian dictators like Castro, Chavez, Ortega, and Ahmadinejad, and then bashes Bush before audiences who claimed to smell sulphur when he was in the room. The thought of a sitting President blaming a former President, on the world stage, for relinquishing American values and failing to live by example is not only scurrilous but borders on scandalous."

How long is this going to go on?

Heaven Forbid!

Didn't they used to say the same thing about Hitler?

Driving Me Crazy

It amazes me that time and money had to be wasted doing a study to learn what smart people already know: that using
cell phones and text messaging while driving can cause accidents and death. Is common sense completely gone? I truly think it's going to take either the deaths of very famous people, or the deaths of kids on a schoolbus, to finally shame these self-absorbed fools into acting responsibly. But even then, I doubt it.

Bush-Bashing Blitz

In case you were wondering, it's President Bush's fault that Chicago wasn't awarded the Olympics.

Strange Things Seen and Heard

Greg Crosby lists some things he never thought he'd see.
And Soccer Dad cleverly comments on the headline he saw. Meanwhile, Charles Krauthammer has this to say about the criticism he heard:

"When France chides you for appeasement, you know you're scraping bottom."

Not Just a Word

I am always extremely angry when I hear the word "holocaust" bandied about so casually or used to compare something else to the Jewish Holocaust. I still haven't forgotten how the morons at PETA dared to compare the killing of chickens for food to victims of the Holocuast. It's not just a word -- when you think of "Holocaust" you usually think of the 6 million murdered Jews, as it should be.
Neal Boortz comments on Alan Grayson's cavalier attitude in using the word to describe the American health care system. And Politico asks, "When is it OK to use 'holocaust'?" I say "never". There are certain other words that also usually only mean one thing, such as "segregation", or "crucifixion". Let's not lessen the true and important meaning.

A Taxing Day

Outrageous news like this absolutely infuriates me, especially after a very hard day at work: "47% Will Pay $0 Income Tax in 2009."

Nordlinger!

This is from Jay Nordlinger's always enjoyable "Impromptus" column:

"Okay, I’m at a newsstand yesterday, and I see the new New York magazine. It has a portrait of Obama, with a bunch of epithets written into his face, and it says 'HATE.' The point of the cover is that this poor president is the target of widespread and oppressive hatred. I couldn’t help thinking, 'Have they no shame? Have they no sense of irony? Did they live here from January 2001 to January 2009? The hatred directed at our current president is practically a kiss compared with the hatred of those long, nasty, toxic years.'"

Read the whole column, as it's full of interesting observations.