Cumulative Confirmed COVID-19 Cases

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Best Conservative Blogs

Here's a list of the top 100 popular conservative blogs. It's nice to see some of my favorites listed, and to discover new ones.

Haveil Havalim Time

Haveil Havalim 254: Tu B’Shevat Edition is up at The Israel Situation.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Desktop Disaster

Last night I read about a website that offers a great array of desktop wallpaper. So I decided to check it out, and in the search box, I typed in "Jewish" to see what nice images I would get. I got a page of 15 ugly, mostly non-Jewish images, one of which showed a cartoonish Hitler face, with a swastika and the words "hello hitler"!

The Latest Must-Have: Fast Internet Connections!

This is just ridiculous. Fast internet access is NOT a "right" to be paid for by the rest of us. Before I earned enough to pay for my own computer and internet access, I went to the library and used the Internet there, as many people do. When I finally did get the Internet, I used inexpensive Juno dial-up service for many years, and it worked very well. And many dial-up services even offer X number of hours free per month. "Slow" internet is better than NO internet, and it's not the end of the world if you don't have the Internet at all: there are still such things are books and encyclopedias for your research; and if you need to contact someone, there's such a thing as letters, and telephones! This "right" is definitely a "wrong"!

Friday, January 29, 2010

How the UK Deals With Terrorists

Michelle Malkin calls this ludicrous plan Bribes for Bombers.

MGM: 85 Years Old

Here are some great photographs from the glory days of MGM. It was a bit jarring to see a photo from "A Fish Called Wanda" included in this array of mostly black & white classics.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Pressuring Israel

Read Soccer Dad for a headline that had me doing a double-take. The absolute gall of these people! But when you see the names of some of the Congressmen involved, it's not surprising.

Analyzing The SOTU Speech

Last night, I followed the speech along with the livebloggers here
and here. And here's The Anchoress:
"You know, one could argue that President Bush 'inherited' Al Qaeda from Bill Clinton, who did little-to-nothing in response to all of Al Qaeda’s provocations throughout the 1990’s and unto the USS Cole bombing. But never, not once, did Bush ever say, “I inherited this…” It’s time for Obama to become a man."

Driving Me Crazy

Please explain how this creature is still driving. While texting, "She has wrecked three cars in the past three years. She totaled two cars within two months."

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Tonight's Speech


For some reason, I thought it was last night, thanks to all the spin on the networks. This cartoon says it all. (I wonder if anyone will shout, "You lie!" this time)

Political Correctness, 2010

This has to be the most ridiculously PC story of the year so far. From England: "Employer told not to post advert for 'reliable' workers because it discriminates against 'unreliable' applicants".

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Monday, January 25, 2010

Tax Man!

This is one of the funniest videos I've seen in quite some time. (I won't be laughing on April 15, however.)

The State of the Union: It Stinks!

Will the Messiah blame President Bush during his State of the Union address? I'm sure many bloggers will be playing some form of Obama Bingo, during the speech, although this particular card needs to add the words "inherited" and "previous administration."

Haveil Havalim Time!

According to Jack, you can find HH 253: The Real Work Edition online at The Real Shaliach.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

My Favorite Cover Girl

The Delish Knish

Congratulations to the Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery, celebrating its 100th year. My grandfather would have bought knishes there as a boy.

Watcher's Council Winners

The latest Watcher's Council winners are listed at Soccer Dad.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Holocaust Memoirs

I signed up at the library for Thomas Buergenthal’s “A Lucky Child: A Memoir of Surviving Auschwitz as a Young Boy” after reading this article at The Forward.

I Am Massachusetts!

I just visited Interesting Pile and took this quiz called "What US State Are You?" And the answer was
"You Are Massachusetts. You are smart, serious, and quite traditional. You don't have a lot of time for junk in your life. It's likely that you're well educated and hard working. You live a very goal oriented life. You are probably socially liberal, but personally quite conservative. You would never be described as wild. But you're more diverse than people give you credit for. You're equally comfortable at a business meeting and at a rowdy sports game!"
They were right: I AM Massachusetts and I'm FROM Massachusetts. But I'm definitely not socially liberal, and I can't stand business meetings.

Ding Dong, Obamacare's Dead!

And permanently, I hope. Until last week, the Democrats ignored what the majority of Americans was saying. Their humiliating defeat in Massachusetts finally made them see the light. We don't want our health care, our 401(k) plans, or our hard-earned money redistributed. In just one year, Obama has gone from walking on water to treading water, and nobody's to blame but him.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Ask Yourself This Question

Yesterday at American Digest I read a question I myself had asked: "Are We Better Off Today Than We Were One Year Ago?" The answer is a definite no!
""A year ago President George W. Bush left the White House. Since that time the unemployment has nearly doubled, the national deficit has tripled, government has grown in leaps and bounds, and the current president has blamed his predecessor for every problem he has encountered. President Obama even blamed George Bush for the Coakley loss yesterday in Massachusetts." -- Gateway Pundit
Abraham Lincoln? 'He freed the slaves.' Ronald Reagan? 'He won the Cold War.' George Bush? 'He kept America safe.' Barack Obama? To date.... 'Putz.'"

Words That Won The War

Here's the obituary of a woman who helped win World War II.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Blame Bush/Praise Bush

I came across this item at The Anchoress: Paul Krugman "is seriously trying to claim that one of Barack Obama’s biggest failings is that he doesn’t blame Bush enough for his own failings." On the other hand, Andrew Brietbart has a terrific post called "Rethinking Bush", in which he writes: "A year after he left office, it looks more and more like others will now not only start appreciating our 43rd president, they might start wishing they helped him when he had the toughest job in the world and they could only wish him ill."

Watcher's Council Winners

Soccer Dad reveals two weeks' worth of Watcher's Council winners. It was worth the wait!

Relatively Speaking

Israeli director Chanoch Zeevi has made a documentary called "Hitler's Children", in which descendants of the Nazi leaders speak out about their own guilt and disgust over being related to such evil monsters.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Are You Being Served -- in Walford?

I got a kick out of this story, and particularly the photographs. It's two of my favorite British TV shows rolled into one!

Happy Obamaversary!

Soccer Dad writes about the Scott Brown victory -- what a great way to celebrate hope and change, Republican style!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Mirth In Massachusetts!

Congratulations to Senator Scott Brown! When I heard on TV that "Marcia" Coakley had conceded, I actually thought they were joking! That's how unused we Massachusetts natives are to having a Republican in the Senate. (The Boston Globe website seems to be down. They're probably frantically trying to come up with a good spin for tomorrow's headline!)

Grand Rounds

Grand Rounds: Can Food Be Health Care? is up at the blog of Dr. John La Puma.

Influenza 1918

Last night I saw this poignant documentary about the influenza epidemic of 1918. In America, over 675,000 people died: 550,000 of them in just 10 months, and 200,000 in one month alone!

Monday, January 18, 2010

Israel and Haiti

I wanted to applaud after reading this excellent article on Israel's response to Haiti:
"The international agencies that condemn Israel for its 'disproportionate response' when it is attacked are not mentioning Israel's disproportionate response to human suffering...In the rubble and suffering of Haiti, Israelis are relentlessly searching for and saving lives. It is this 'disproportionate response' that rankles their enemies the most, for it shines a light on their failings."

Massachusetts on my Mind

Read what the National Review has to say about the Martha Coakley-Curt Schilling kerfuffle:
"Screwing up who Curt Schilling is isn't just grounds for losing a Senate race; it's ground for expulsion from the Bay State. If Massachusetts had the death penalty, it would probably qualify for that too. But then, this is Massachusetts, so that's probably wishful thinking on both accounts."
(Some people think HE should run for office!)
Meanwhile, Argus Hamilton quips:
"The White House saw polls showing Republicans may win the Massachusetts Senate seat Tuesday. Change is fleeting. The Tonight Show's going back to Leno, the home run record is going back to Maris, and Massachusetts is going back to the Protestants."
Keep your fingers crossed!

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Haveil Havalim Time!

I always look forward to every installment of Haveil Havalim, and now Haveil Havalim - The Year of Jack Edition is up at the website of Jack himself: Random Thoughts-Do They Have Meaning? "Founded by Soccer Dad, Haveil Havalim is a carnival of Jewish blogs -- a weekly collection of Jewish & Israeli blog highlights, tidbits and points of interest collected from blogs all around the world. It's hosted by different bloggers each week and coordinated by Jack."

Be Fair to Terrorists

Read this outrageous but unsurprising story, via Instapundit.
"Jury selection in the "Lady Al Qaeda" trial got off to a bizarre start Wednesday with the accused terrorist telling jurors she was "boycotting" - and demanding Jews be excluded from the panel.'If they have a Zionist or Israeli background...they are all mad at me,' said Aafia Siddiqui, a U.S.-trained neuroscientist charged with attempted murder. 'I have a feeling everyone here is them - subject to genetic testing....They should be excluded if you want to be fair,' she told Manhattan Federal Judge Richard Berman.
Prospective jurors weren't present for that outburst, but they were in the courtroom to hear her say, 'I'm boycotting the trial...there are too many injustices.'' At another point, Siddiqui repeatedly refused to talk to her own lawyers, saying she didn't trust them.
'I don't trust you either,' she told Berman."
She's a terrorist, and she dares to talk in our courtroom about injustice?? Too bad they can't move the trial to the Holocaust Museum instead!

Another American Revolution?

I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much, but I do like this video!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Dirty Politics

I wonder if the Democrats regret having to vigorously campaign for this woman. They should be embarrassed that this the best candidate they could come up with, and they deserve to lose the election.

Famous Blondes

In his nostalgic way, Greg Crosby writes here and here about some famous blonde stars of the past.

Friday, January 15, 2010

An Eventful Life

I never tired of stories like this one, about the last known British veteran of World War I -- it's 108 year old Florence Green, who looks pretty good! (Make sure you see the photo of Florence with her 88 year old daughter.)

1 Year Ago Today: Miracle on the Hudson

What a happy reunion! I just love Captain Sullenberger, and now a cocktail has been named in his honor: "The Sully", by Dale DeGroff: “A cocktail celebrating the combination of skill, luck and physics.”

Mass. Mayhem

Here are some tidbits on the Massachusetts Senate race from Instapundit. It shows the Democrats' panic and desperation when both Obama and Hillary Clinton feel obliged to campaign for Coakley, but hopefully the voters will be smarter this year.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Important Holocaust Research

Read about Father Patrick Desbois, who "believes that many more than six million Jews were killed during the Holocaust, and he can prove it. Through interviews with more than 1,200 witnesses, Desbois has uncovered upwards of 700 previously unknown Jewish mass graves in Eastern Europe, where at least 1.5 million Ukrainian Jews are buried. Since 2004, Desbois has worked systematically and painstakingly, documenting and mapping the site of Jewish mass killings by Nazi mobile killing units, or Einsatzgruppen, in Eastern Europe." Reading this article reminded me of the powerful book "The Lost".

Horror in Haiti

Just look at these nightmarish scenes from the earthquake zone. Fox News has a list of charities accepting donations for disaster relief in Haiti. And I had the same thought as this blogger: "Divert Stimulus $$’s To Haiti, Pay Americans To Go & Help!"

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Sad But True

This Doug Gamble column points out the continuing dumbing down of America and people's utter lack of common sense. Among other things:
"We are so stupid we are politically correcting ourselves right into the grave. Terrorists must be doubled over with laughter (if extremist Islam permits laughter) as we hassle and search obvious innocents at airports instead of profiling those most likely to do us harm. It may turn out, looking back, that America was actually lost the instant the airplanes hit the Twin Towers on 9/11 and we are now going through a steady decline leading to the inevitable end. I’m sure terrorists can hardly believe their luck as they watch us doing ourselves in.... We are so stupid we have lending institutions allowing people to buy houses with no money down, and people falling for such schemes, ignorant of the severe economic consequences to individuals and the country as a whole.
We are so stupid we sit in front of TV sets and watch mindless 'reality' shows that not only have no redeeming value whatsoever but further debase our culture. America is a country where the results of 'American Idol' are actually reported as a legitimate news story, not only on the network that carries the show but on the news broadcasts of competing networks as well. We’re stupid enough to believe that celebrities matter in our lives."

More Bad Baby Names

I love this column about ridiculous baby names.
"The day may come when names like John and Mary, Pete and Susan, Tom and Sally are back in fashion, but now they sound as old-timey as Cotton and Constance, Mame and Fanny, Ichabod and Elihu to new parents. Even Paris and Nevada may fall by the wayside to be replaced with more up-to-date-sounding names.
'Good morning class. Would you please settle down, Blackberry? We have a lot of work to get through this morning. Kindle, put that book down and pay attention. What is it, Wii? Well, why didn't you go before you came to class?'"

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

PC and Stupidity Gone Wild

This story proves once again that political correctness and a total lack of common sense have taken over our society. A family returned from vacation to find that a group of squatters had taken over their home. And instead of kicking these criminals out, here is how the police are reacting:
"Mrs Mosedale, whose three sons are ten, eight, and five, said: 'We called the police as soon as we found out they were in there. An officer suggested I was racist when I asked if they were Romanians, and did they have a legal right to be in this country."

Argus Hamilton Quips

Click here to read Argus Hamilton's take on the news.

Grand Rounds

Grand Rounds Volume 6, Number 16 is on duty at The Covert Rationing Blog, presented by Dr. Rich.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Cheating Your Way to Fame

Mark McGwire has apologized to Mrs. Roger Maris for cheating his way to breaking Maris' home run record. An apology isn't enough -- they ought to have a ceremony to rightfully restore Maris' record to him. Greg Cote writes,
"McGwire puts the first syllable in asterisk, and that disclaimer (*) must now attach itself to the player's artificially enhanced accomplishments -- to an entire career that can only be seen as fraudulent to at least a significant degree."

At a Loss For Words

Fark sums up this news very succinctly: " Stupid -- The American Dialect Society has voted 'tweet' the 2009 word of the year and 'google' the word of the decade. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go kill myself."

Sunday, January 10, 2010

English as a Tough Language

Here's a clever poem about the English language.

Haveil Havalim Time!

Haveil Havalim #251 - the Mazel Tov Chavi Edition is up at Ima on (and off) the Bima. You are always assured of a great Jewish blog roundup here.

Saturday, January 09, 2010

Dishonest Reporting

Visit Honest Reporting to see who won their Dishonest Reporter Award 2009. It's HR's "annual recognition of the most skewed and biased coverage of the Mideast conflict".

Conservative Apparel for a Liberal Office

Here's the perfect gift for those of us Republicans and conservatives who work in liberal offices! Now I can proudly read National Review during lunch!

Friday, January 08, 2010

A Brave Stand Against Antisemitism

I love Jay Nordlinger's "Impromptus" columns, and in the last one I read, he praised the great pianist Evgeny Kissin for his brave stand against antisemitism. This is what he wrote:
"Friends, I can’t tell you how unusual this is: A classical musician — a very famous one — has spoken out in behalf of a very unpopular cause: Israel. For a story, go here. I am speaking of Evgeny Kissin, the 38-year-old pianist. He was born and raised in the Soviet Union, and in 2002 became a British citizen. He was a child prodigy. When we first knew him, he played in his red Young Pioneers scarf. He ditched that scarf long ago.
Kissin sent a letter to the BBC — a phenomenally eloquent one — blasting the organization for its 'slander and bias' against Israel. He said that, listening to the BBC, you could hear echoes of 'the old Soviet anti-Zionist propaganda.' When he became a British citizen, he explained, he was 'inspired and proud to belong to the country of Winston Churchill,' whose contempt for anti-Semitism was total. He quoted a Churchill line: 'There is no anti-Semitism in England because we do not consider ourselves more stupid than the Jews.'
A profound comment, to be reflected on.
Anyway, Kissin said that the BBC 'had always been a beacon of light, of truth and objectivity to those of us behind the Iron Curtain, in the ‘Evil Empire.’' Yes, a famous artist actually used the phrase 'Evil Empire,' without irony. Why wouldn’t he? He lived there (and in a privileged position, which is interesting). 'Reaching out to far corners of the world, [the BBC] was the voice of a country which for us was a model of democracy and human rights.' And now? The Beeb has disgraced itself, with scurrilous coverage from the Middle East.
In writing his letter, Kissin stuck his neck out. The classical-music world, like the arts and academia at large, is not exactly friendly toward Israel. An anti-Israel stance is de rigueur and chic. Some musicians — I think I have spoken before about Nigel Kennedy, the British violinist — actually boycott Israel. I wonder whether Kissin will suffer any professional setbacks for his speaking out. He is famous and well-established, yes. But the arts world can be ruthless. I know famous musicians who you might think would be perfectly protected. But they keep mum on certain issues, lest they run into difficulty.
In any case, I bow deep to Kissin, somewhat stunned by his clarity and courage."

Crime and Lack of Punishment

Soccer Dad quotes from the great Charles Krauthammer regarding the sickening equating of terrorists with common criminals. There's nothing common about these evildoers (as President Bush would say). This administration just doesn't get it, and their blase, politically correct attitudes infuriate me.

Captain Sullenberger: Hero

Slate has a great article on Captain Chesley Sullenberger. He, not Ben Bernanke, should have been Time magazine's choice for Man of the Year! We need heroes even more than ever. And make sure you watch "Brace for Impact" on TLC this Sunday night at 9 pm. to be reminded of the quiet heroism that occurred last January in the Hudson River.

Thursday, January 07, 2010

A Eulogy by Rex Reed

Rex Reed has a lovely tribute to celebrities who died in 2009. I especially like his nostalgic look back at the great stars of the past, such as Karl Malden and Jennifer Jones.

Tribute to Al Gore

Is this perfect, or what? Read more here.

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Goons on the March

What is wrong with these people?
"The hate preacher organising a march of Islamic extremists through the streets of Wootton Bassett sparked outrage today by comparing British troops fighting in Afghanistan to Nazi stormtroopers. As more than 210,000 people signed an internet petition objecting to the march, Anjem Choudary said he had chosen to protest in the town - renowned for honouring soldiers killed in Afghanistan - because it would attract ‘maximum attention’. Prime Minister Gordon Brown said today such a march would be ‘completely inappropriate’."
It's much worse than "completely inappropriate" -- it's a deliberate attack on human decency!

Love, Plane and Simple

Here's a wonderful story. Not only did Capt. Sullenberger save all the passengers on the plane he landed in the Hudson River last January, but two of them have fallen in love!

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Towering Idiots

Oh, spare me the usual excuses about first amendment rights! There's such a thing as common decency, and these students obviously don't possess it.

New Words for the New Year

The People's Cube has come up with a list of new words for the 2010 Biden-Webster Dictionary. For instance, there is "Oprahtunity: The chance to cash in on fame in one area in another area you really have no qualification for. (Al Gore for instance.)"; and "Shamnesia: a condition where one cannot remember personal details or incidents on the advice of their attorney."

Grand Rounds

The doctor is in at Grand Rounds Volume 6, Number 15, hosted by blogborygmi.

Thuggish Tiger

When I saw Tiger Woods on the cover of "Vanity Fair", all I could think of was O.J. Simpson. What a bad first impression to make -- and another big mistake on his part.

Monday, January 04, 2010

Idiots of 2009

There is no shortage of moronic contenders, but there is only one winner of the 2009 Darwin Awards. The website helpfully explains:
"Named in honor of Charles Darwin, the father of evolution, the Darwin Awards represent examples of evolution in action by showing what happens to people who are unable to cope with the basic dangers of the modern world. These ironic tales of fatal misadventure illustrate some of life's most important lessons."

Wait Till We Get Our Hanes on You

Some clever terrorism headlines via Soccer Dad (who is way overdue with another installment of Shiny Happy Dhimmi.)

O is for Obnoxious

Right Wing News offers the 40 most obnoxious quotes of 2009.

Sunday, January 03, 2010

Haveil Havalim Time

Haveil Havalim #250 is up at Tzedek-Tzedek; and it looks like I completely missed Haveil Havalim #249 at I'll call Baila.

Saturday, January 02, 2010

Great Performances

Last night I saw a marvelous documentary about conductor Herbert von Karajan called "Karajan, Or Beauty as I See It". My greatest compliment for a TV show is that I didn't read while it was on; and with this program, I couldn't tear my eyes away from the screen.

Friday, January 01, 2010

Blogs You Should Read

Check out the First Annual Fabulous Fifty Blog Awards presented by Doug Ross @ Journal.

Watcher's Council

Soccer Dad starts off the New Year right with a list of the Watcher's Council winners.