Unlikely Penpals

I've had penpals myself, but nothing like this: "Moammar Khadafy is dead -- and his unlikely pen pal, a retired Jewish florist from Brooklyn, never got to say goodbye.
Louis Schlamowitz, 81, had been writing to Khadafy since the late ’60s and over the years amassed a pile of letters and autographed pictures from the Libyan dictator.
'He was a good pen pal,' said the lifelong Canarsie resident. 'I felt it was very nice of him to take the time to write back to me, because I’m nobody special.'"

Here We Go Again!

Sound familiar?  Hmm, maybe we can get Anita Hill's expert opinion on all this:

"POLITICO: Two Women Accused Cain of Inappropriate Behavior...
Reporter: 'We're Not Going To Get Into Details Of Exactly What Happened'...
Fmr. Secy: Not the Cain I know...
CAIN FLASHBACK: 'I'M READY FOR HIGH-TECH LYNCHING'...
Coulter: 'They Are Terrified Of Strong, Conservative Black Men'...
RUSH: 'Unconscionable Racially Charged Attack'...
'Occupy Politico'..."

Self-Reliance: It's a Good Thing!

Instapundit links to this terrific Clarice Feldman piece titled "Self-Reliance for Dunces." It's good to see people finally stressing the importance of personal responsibility; it's just too bad it took something like the Occupy Wall Street movement to do it.

Halloween for Democrats

 From Jessica's Well.

Obama's Book Club

Instapundit's book review is perfect: "Frank J. Fleming has a new book coming out: : Obama: The Greatest President in the History of Everything. I’m pretty sure it’s fiction."

Lessons for The Entitlement Crowd

I love this description of the protesters by Marybeth Hicks.  In her terrific column, she lists five things their parents obviously never taught them, and they are as follows: "1. Life isn’t fair;  2. Nothing is 'free' ; 3. Your word is your bond;  4. A protest is not a party; and 5. There are reasons you haven’t found jobs. The truth? Your tattooed necks, gauged ears, facial piercings and dirty dreadlocks are off-putting. Nonconformity for the sake of nonconformity isn’t a virtue. Occupy reality: Only 4 percent of college graduates are out of work. If you are among that 4 percent, find a mirror and face the problem. It’s not them. It’s you."

Movie Music

If you love symphonic music from the movies, check out The Score With Edmund Stone. I'm listening to the one on John Barry, composer of many of the themes from the James Bond movies.  Click "Listen Now", then click on the "On Demand" tab.

Begging Is My Job

Today I was accosted by 2 beggars as I left a restaurant. These were 2 big, healthy young males laden with backpacks. They had the nerve to ask for money, and I told them no, told them they were bums, and told them to get a job. One of them actually laughed and replied, "This IS my job" before going into the restaurant. (The restaurant staff probably gave them money and free meals.)  This episode just reinforced my outrage at the Occupy Wall Street mentality, where taking from others IS their job.

How Cheeky!

Gee ready for Diaper Wars!  Now the entitlement crowd wants free diapers for poor mothers (via Overlawyered).  I got a better idea -- stop having children you obviously can't afford to care for yourself, and stop making others pay for your irresponsibility!  On a similar note, Mark Steyn thinks there ought to be a Self-Reliance Awareness Day. I'm all for that!

Politically Correct Catholicism

These PC idiots are trying to destroy every belief, every principle, and every tradition in this country. We have to fight back. There's a reason that it's called CATHOLIC University! You don't like it? Go elsewhere!!  From The Anchoress: "John Banzhaf said some Muslim students were particularly offended because they had to meditate in the school’s chapels 'and at the cathedral that looms over the entire campus – the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.'"

Watcher's Council

The latest Watcher's Council winners have been announced. Prepare yourself for some good reading.

Crime Pays

Diane Dimond has some examples that prove that crime pays: "Whether our politicians want to admit it or not, health care has become a luxury for millions of Americans. Excluding, of course, those convicted of a crime."

Happy Birthday, Statue of Liberty!

Take a tour inside.

Go Rangers!

I had to laugh when I read this headline at Tablet Magazine: This is what you get when you replace Scott Feldman in the World Series. That was my own thought during last night's stomach-churning game 6, and I simply couldn't understand the strategy.   Read the moral of the story in this piece.

Great Cartoon

I found this cartoon over at Don Surber.

Tough Talk on Terrorism

Read this column by Naomi Ragen about giving the death penalty to murderers of Jews in Israel. Amen to that!

America: A Third-Rate Country

Here's Monica Crowley on how America and the world have gone downhill since Obama took office. She ends by saying: 

"Team Obama just unveiled a new slogan for its re-election efforts: We Can’t Wait. Who’s the genius who came up with that one? The jokes write themselves. We Can’t Wait for 2012! We Can’t Wait for the end of his economic reign of terror! We Can’t Wait for the economy to begin to rebound! We Can’t Wait for America to be respected and yes, feared, again! We Can’t Wait for the skinny socialist to get booted out of office! We Can’t Wait for the return of America!"

Read the comments at Lucianne.com regarding Obama's plan to forgive student loans. I like this one:  "Vote Democrat. It's easier than paying off your debts."  He has made personal irresponsibility acceptable. How low America has fallen!

So Demanding!

Betsy Hart has a list of her demands  at Jewish World Review.

It's The Jooos!

On the news tonight, I saw a schvartzer protester blaming the Jews for everything that's going wrong, á la Cynthia McKinney, and it made me sick!   Read this analysis on antisemitism by Ben Shapiro.

Pre-Occupied

I get angrier by the day as these sickening protests continue.  Eric Golub writes,

"For those lucky enough not to walk outside in major cities, civilization is under assault from leftist basket cases. Known as 'Occupy Wall Street,' they are protesting for the sake of protesting. They want 'stuff". They are attacking people who have 'stuff.' Those people actually earned their stuff, which is a foreign concept to the protesters.
Yet the real hidden story is that like most leftists, the parasites harassing Wall Street are hurting the very people they claim they want to help.
Unlike Tea Party attendees, who tend to be more conservative (civilized) in nature, those camping out in Manhattan and other cities are causing direct harm to many middle and lower class individuals around them.
Many jokes have been made at the expense of the cleanliness of the protesters. Stereotypes about the great unwashed aside, the area in Manhattan where the protesters are camping out has become unsanitary. Attempts to clean the park were met with fierce resistance. Mayor Bloomberg backed down, and the cleaning was delayed.
If this were four years ago in a poor middle America neighborhood,  the media would declare it a tragedy. George W. Bush would be burned in effigy for 'not caring' about people living in squalor.
Yet leftists voluntarily living and spreading toxins is somehow acceptable."

They said that most of these idiots are actually employed. Can someone explain to me what kind of employers pay their workers while they're out banging drums and stinking up our cities? Obama says nothing, doesn't urge them to return home. Why should he, when they are an extension of his own views, that successful businessmen, and successful businesses, are somehow bad for this country? And the protests will go on as long as it's politically expedient for the Democrats.

Kiddie Class Warfare

Will this be the next entitlement?  Sorry, but this is not a hardship or a right: "With children spending more time than ever before mobile screens, a new study suggests an 'app gap' that differentiates the poor kids from the rich ones." Maybe our government can send free iPhones to poor kids next, at taxpayer expense.

Crosby on the Road

Greg Crosby writes about his road trip across America. I always enjoy his columns.

Can You Hear Me Now?

Or, "Sorry, Wrong Pitcher". I have really enjoyed listening to and reading the analyses of The Great Motte/Lynn Mixup of 2011.  Even for a disillusioned baseball fan like myself, this World Series has been extremely exciting, and last night's bullpen blunder just added to my enjoyment. (But must they wear those ugly necklaces that look like jump ropes?)

Friend of Israel

Here's another good article about actor Jon Voight, a champion of Israel.

Haveil Havalim Time

Need some good reading? Haveil Havalim #335 -  The Gilad is Free Edition! is up at The Rebbetzin's Husband.

A Question

How come the protesters hate Wall Street workers so much but they don't hate athletes who make millions every year?  Shouldn't ballplayers be considered among the evil rich?

Cruising With Betsy

Here are more good links at Betsy's Page.

Watcher's Council

Take a look at the latest Watcher's Council winners.

Words of Wisdom

Mark Patinkin has some examples of good advice, including this one:

The Breast of Intentions

I always felt guilty for feeling overwhelmed by pink, until I read Margery Eagan's post, via Instapundit.  (One of the most ridiculous examples was receiving a bottle of prescription drugs the other day -- with a pink cap.)

Hate on Wall Street

Jennifer Rubin discusses the antisemitism of the Wall Street protesters.  How long will these protests be tolerated, anyway, and how much money will be lost because of them?

Drunken Debate

Vodkapundit is drunkblogging tonight's debate.  Romney worries me; he sounds more like a Democrat than a Republican when he defends things like his Massachusetts "wheels for welfare" and Romneycare schemes.

Random Thoughts by Thomas Sowell

Take a look at observations like these:

"People who live within their means are increasingly being forced to pay for people who didn't live within their means -- whether individual home buyers here or whole nations in Europe."

"Most of us may lament the fact that so many more people are today dependent on food stamps and other government subsidies. But dependency usually translates into votes for whoever is handing out the benefits, so an economic disaster can be a political bonanza, as it was for Franklin D. Roosevelt. Don't count Obama out in 2012."

It's always nice, in this topsy-turvy world, to see your own views vindicated by a wise man like Dr. Sowell.

Oh, My Word!

Here's an enjoyably-written article about the World Scrabble Championships. What's a 7-letter word for "obsessed"?

Coming Home

Poor Gilad Shalit.  Not only has he had to spend 5 years as a prisoner,  but he and his family will be under even more scrutiny due to this deal. I hope he somehow manages to put the past behind him and have the good life he deserves.   Here's Jonathan Tobin regarding the Palestinian celebrations that are planned: "Rather than ask why Israel is willing to trade so many terrorists for one soldier, the world should be asking why the Palestinians are cheering the release of sociopaths."  I would like to see the joy of his release, but I can just imagine, and I dread,  the coverage of the celebrations by the enemy.

The Good Old Days

I rarely read the funnies anymore, but I spotted this in the Sunday comics and enjoyed it greatly.

Repulsive

Look at this Day By Day cartoon at Instapundit; as well as more examples of the antisemitism by the Occupy Wall Street lowlives.  And these are the people to whom Obama is giving his blessing. Nice!  (By the way, if we Jews did control the media and the government and Wall Street, do you really think these creeps would be occupying our cities right now and getting all this attention?)

Haveil Havalim Time

Haveil Havalim #334 - the Sukkot Edition is up at To Kiss A Mezuza.

Jesse Jackass

Jesse Jackson, Jr. says that 15 million unemployed Americans should be hired for $40,000 apiece! At Moonbattery, commenter Frank W. has a good proposal on what such jobs should involve: "

1. No welfare for 5 years after accepting federal employment.
2. 1 million new federal workers are to be employed in a six month project to build a pair of walls 25 feet tall separated by a 50 foot "kill zone" at the Mexico border. Walls will meet maximum security prison guidelines.
3. Workers will be assigned to a renovate Detroit (and other liberal cesspools) project. Abandoned, drug, and other types of substandard housing will be demolished and parkland installed.
4. Workers will be assigned to sweep highways / remove refuse from roadways.
5. Workers will NOT be allowed to join unions.
6. All wages are taxable as normal, no special deductions.
7. No contributions will be made to retirement plans from this jobs bank.
8. Jobs bank will be used to staff all unfilled jobs for private contractors.
9. Workers involved in this jobs bank will voluntarily rescind the right to vote for the length of their involvement + 2 years. – Conflict of interest policy
10. Workers will not be eligible for regular government employment outside the jobs bank for 5 years after leaving (military exception).
11. Workers can not have held public office at the Federal, State, county, Parrish, borough, city, township or any other levels for at least 2 years prior to entering jobs bank, and are voluntarily prohibited from running for office for 5 years after. – Conflict of interest policy."

I Am The 39.3%!

In 2010, the United States had 39.3% of the world Jewish population.  Here is a charming description of us by one of the protesters,   "‘I think that the Zionist Jews, who are running these big banks and our Federal Reserve, which is not run by the federal government… they need to be run out of this country,’ she said.”  (She sounds like Helen Thomas.)  Guess what her occupation is? A teacher!  Can you just imagine the mainstream media attention someone would get if they said this about blacks or Muslims?

Obama: The 1%

What a great image, as seen at Instapundit.

Quotation of the Day

I saw this very appropriate quotation at Nealz Nooz:

"You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot help small men by tearing down big men. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot lift the wage-earner by pulling down the wage-payer. You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot establish security on borrowed money. You cannot build character and courage by taking away men's initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves." – William Boetcker

I had to look him up, and I learned that he was an American religious leader & public speaker who lived from 1873–1962. Imagine what he would think of Obama and the liberals if he were alive today!

Watcher's Council Winners

Here are the latest Watcher's Council winners.  With the surge in weasels, watching has become a full-time job!

Moonbats on Parade

You can find some good commentary on the socialist Occupy Wall Street leeches,  and the rest of us who are actually self-reliant, over at  Moonbattery and Sense of Events.  Says the aptly named Moonbattery:

"The moonbats who have been turning lower Manhattan into a cesspool absurdly claim to be the 99%. Actually, they are the 47%; that’s how many do not help carry the crippling burden of federal taxation. We the 53% carry these malevolent parasites on our backs. The looters and moochers wallow in sob stories and demand other people’s money; those who support them take a different attitude."

Yes -- how about giving more publicity to hardworking, productive citizens (including the rich) who keep paying and paying; and less publicity and sympathy to these freeloaders? And what on earth is wrong with New York for postponing the cleanup? How spineless!

"As Mad As Hell"

Gerald Nachman isn't going to take it anymore!

Moon vs. Hammarskjöld

I decided to see what kind of hay the foreign papers were making out of our disgusting, embarassing protests, and I immediately thought of Pravda. To my surprise, there was nothing on the home page -- but I did find an article attacking the UN's Ban Ki-Moon for insulting the memory of Dag Hammarskjöld, a truly great man.  I definitely agree with the sentiment, even though the writing style is hilariously overwrought and propagandistic, such as:

"Ban Ki-Moon is the human face of the UNO's failure to represent anything more than a humanitarian agency, a vapid monstrosity of goodwill but in concrete terms, a monument of pith and wind....

How dare he refer to himself in the same breath as Dag Hammarskjöld, under whose feet he is not even fit to squirm."

Very true!

Shovel-Ready Jobs

Instead of the city cleaning up the park and actually inviting the Wall Street protesters to come back, Bloomberg should put them to work cleaning up their own filth!

It's so infuriating to hear them say that "Wall Street bankers, organizers claimed, knowingly sold mortgages to people who couldn’t afford to pay them back." No, banks were practically blackmailed into giving loans to unsuitable people -- they were threatened with the racism card. And what kind of people continue to feel they are entitled to a home even when they must know they can't afford it? Do all liberals and Democrats feel this way?

(cartoon seen at Watcher of Weasels)

Condiment Confusion

Mark Patinkin has written an amusing article on a little product that's been in our lives forever: "Heinz is altering the ketchup package, and I'm a nervous wreck."

Antisemitic Lunacy of the Day

How do they come up with things like this?  "Saudi paper says Switzerland is a Jewish plot."  Somehow, I doubt they could pull it off.  Whenever I think of Switzerland (which isn't often), I remember this Orson Welles dialogue from "The Third Man": 

"Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."

From Gloat to Goat

The Boston Globe has a good expose on the Red Sox collapse.  I always thought their World Series wins were aberrations, so this article didn't surprise me in the least.

Politically Incorrect Persecution

Caroline Glick writes about the continued persecution of Christians, which, like the killing of Jews, doesn't seem to be politically correct enough to warrant the attention it deserves. Of course, if it had been Muslims who had been slaughtered the other night, it'd be all over the news, and we would be lectured about evil we are.

I Protest!

David Limbaugh writes: "Obama is laughing all the way to the evil bank, hoping he can continue to capitalize on this very type of chaos and class envy to eke out re-election in 2012. Obama's protesters are occupying Wall Street while he is occupying America."  Maybe us law-abiding, tax-paying citizens should have a protest of our own and refuse to have our money going to support bums like these! They should be cut off from whatever entitlement checks they usually collect.

Sorry, Obama, but killing Bin Ladin and breaking up this terror plot are not enough to make us forget how you have ruined our country in so short a time.

Gilad Shalit

I hope this is true, but I'll believe it when I see it. And I do hate what Israel has to do in return for his freedom.

Cruising With Betsy

This perfect Ramirez cartoon, as well as interesting links, can be found at Betsy's Page. 

What Passes for Adults Today

In this column, Star Parker aptly describes our entitlement culture:

"We have an endangered species in America whose loss threatens our future. That species is called the American adult.
Can someone please explain to our vice president the difference between a screaming infant not getting what he wants when he wants it, and an adult who understands personal responsibility, humility, work and service to others?"

Excellent Acting

What great acting! Giancarlo Esposito should get an Emmy for "Breaking Bad".  The scene last night where he walked into the nursing home reminded me of  Clint Eastwood walking into the confrontation with Lee Van Cleef & Eli Wallach at the end of "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" -- even the music. Bryan Cranston deserves another Emmy as well.  You are reminded of how mediocre most TV is when you watch a rare series like this one.

Haveil Havalim Time!

I have two of them to report this time! Haveil Havalim #332 - The Rosh HaShannah תשע"ב/5772 Edition is up at Esser Agaroth, and  Haveil Havalim: Yom Kippur Edition 5772 is up at Liberty's Spirit. Get ready to do some serious reading.

Paul McCartney

See? I always knew my favorite Beatle was a mensch!

Occupied With Stupidity

Like Arnold Ahlert,  "I Stand With the ‘One Percenters’".
Please explain to me why the idiots had to protest at the Air & Space Museum rather than at the White House. And how much longer will these agitators be permitted to get away with it? Who's going to pay for the damage, and who's going to clean up? Certainly not them!  It's yet another embarrassment for this country.

Soulfulness

I had never heard of Susan Tedeschi before, but I sure loved this performance at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival.  Her voice -- and that guitar!

Evil Corporations

How clever bloggers are! Take a look at the idiots protesting against evil corporations (As seen at American Digest)   
By the way - if these people were offered jobs at the corporations they claim to be evil, would they accept them, or would they prefer to remain unemployed?

Righteous Gentiles

This is a touching article about Righteous Gentiles who moved to Israel.

The Real Victim

Finally!  A sympathetic look at Meredith Kircher, the murder victim in the Amanda Knox case. All you hear about is Amanda Knox, and this was the first time I had read anything about the true victim. Her father says,  "This cult of celebrity is demeaning to Meredith’s memory, disrespectful. I don’t think Amanda Knox has actively sought out celebrity status; I think that has been created for her. But then again, she hasn’t actively rejected it."

Anne Frank's Family

We all know about Anne Frank, Margot, and their parents, but we've never known about the rest of the family -- until now. I'm reading "Treasures from the Attic: The Extraordinary Story of Anne Frank's Family", by Mirjam Pressler.

Herman Cain

This is a nice look at Herman Cain, from liberal New York Magazine.

Obama in the News

David Limbaugh lists more reasons not to re-elect Obama.

This received a grade of evil on Don Surber's Daily Scoreboard:  4. From USA Today: “Obama reads children book about himself.” The Pet Gloat.  (At least Bush never did that!)

No Vaccine Against Stupidity

Two related stories: (1) a new study has revealed that texting while driving is more dangerous than first thought.  Why was a study needed to figure that out?  (2) Here's a new ailment: "text neck". I wonder if you can collect disability payments for it?
(Above cartoon is "Maxine")

#OccupyWhiteHouse2012

William A. Jacobson has a protest group I would love to join:  #OccupyWhiteHouse2012

"The silent majority.
The ones who pay the bills, and the taxes, and the tuitions, and the pensions, and the benefits, for the people who falsely claim to be the 99%.
The ones who did not graduate from the school of perpetual expectations and handouts.
The ones who falsely have been called terrorists and extremists and racists because they dared to object to trying the same socialist policies here that have failed everywhere they have been tried before.
The ones who showed up at the polls in 2010.
The ones who will show up at the polls in 2012:
    #OccupyWhiteHouse2012"

 Is that perfect, or what? Where can I sign up? (via Instapundit)

Colorful Cosmos

What awe-inspiring photographs!

Shalom, Y'all!

The Cape Fear Museum has an exhibit called “Down Home: Jewish Life in North Carolina”. (Via Jewish World Review.)

The Best and the Brightest

The Anchoress has a roundup on the death of genius Steve Jobs. Imagine kids growing up today never having known a world without iPods and computers in it! 

Anthony Weiner Atones

Amy Klein at the The Forward reveals Anthony Weiner's prayer list.

Lowlives in New York

"Often bearded, smelly and intellectually incoherent, a horde of political activists occupied New York City, making outrageous demands on the U.S. government."  No, it's not the Occupy Wall Street hippies -- it's the U.N. delegates, as described by Ron Hart!

American Landscapes

Beautiful photographs like this help rescue the UK Daily Mail from its usual trashy content.

Analyzing Obama

Read this analysis of Obama by Bret Stephens, which includes the following:

"What is it that Mr. Obama doesn't like about the United States—a country that sent him hurtling like an American Idol contestant from the obscurity of an Illinois Senate seat to the presidency in a mere four years?
I suspect it's the same thing that so many run-of-the-mill liberals dislike: Americans typically believe that happiness is an individual pursuit; we bridle at other people setting limits on what's 'enough'; we enjoy wealth and want to keep as much of it as we can; we don't like trading in our own freedom for someone else's idea of virtue, much less a fabricated concept of the collective good."

Dead Sea Dive

How interesting!

Zombies

Don Surber is right: "The Astroturfing Occupy Wall Street movement might as well be funded by the Committee to Re-elect America’s President (CRAP) because its list of demands look like something Barack Obama wrote as a community organizer." I'd love to know who's supporting these people financially while they agitate all day long.

Are You Better Off Now?

Need we say more?   (Via Doug Ross @ Journal)

Feast or Famine

Television is usually very bad, so it was a real pleasure to be able to watch not one but two great programs last night. Of course, anything Ken Burns does is special, so I am enjoying "Prohibition", and I'll certainly feel the loss when the last episode airs.  But I also got to see another wonderfully-acted episode of "Breaking Bad". You can't take your eyes off the screen when that show is on, even though it's farfetched.

Love of Art

I enjoy reading New York Social Diary.  Here's a recent article with photos of  the Fragonard Room of the Frick Collection, focusing on the Progress of Love panels.

Argus Hamilton Quips

Read Argus Hamilton's take on the news, including this item:  "The White House leaned on Ford Motors last week to pull its TV commercial critical of auto companies that took bailout money. No one's out of the woods yet. Two years ago al-Qaeda looked at aerial photos of Detroit and just assumed they'd already been there."

Watcher's Council Winners

Take a look at the latest Watcher's Council winners.

Baseball Hell

If you like the ESPN documentary series 30 for 30,  you must see "Catching Hell" by Alex Gibney. It's about baseball scapegoats, focusing on Bill Buckner and the fan Steve Bartman, and it will make you very angry.

Protesting the Evil Rich

This Wall Street protest is just ridiculous, and the authorities ought to crack down before it turns into another London. It's certainly not Wall Street's fault there are no jobs, so why aren't these useless people protesting in front of the White House instead?

Crime Does Pay

Who decides which criminals become worthy of media hype? I just don't get the reason for the intense coverage of murderer Amanda Knox, for example. Is it because she's attractive? Same with baby-killer Casey Anthony. There are heinous murders and there are murder trials every day in this country, so what sets some apart?