News: August 2005 Archives

The best part about the "Reverend" Al Sharpton's speeding incident is how he abandoned his driver and hitches a ride to the airport to avoid missing his flight.

The car carrying Sharpton and two other passengers was clocked doing 110 mph in a 65 mph zone on the interstate south of Dallas, [Chief Deputy] Sullins said.

He said the driver ignored deputies' attempts to stop it and weaved in and out of traffic before state troopers were able to get in front of the car.

Sharpton caught a lift from a passing driver and made his scheduled flight to New York.

That's gotta be good for loyalty. At least this time he didn't falsely accuse anyone of rape or burn eight people to death.

Ok, so "profundity" may not be a real word, but you know what I mean. The point is, only an idiot would be impressed by a zoo installing a human exhibit.

LONDON - Caged and barely clothed, eight men and women monkeyed around for the crowds Friday in an exhibit labeled "Humans" at the London Zoo.

"Warning: Humans in their Natural Environment" read the sign at the entrance to the exhibit, where the captives could be seen on a rock ledge in a bear enclosure, clad in bathing suits and pinned-on fig leaves. Some played with hula hoops, some waved.

The ironic thing is that the humans doing the watching are the ones in their "natural environment". Contrary to the babblings of the stumbling brainiacs quoted in the article, humans have always modified nature into "artificial" forms to suit our needs. Skyscrapers, houses, cars, cities, farms, and zoos are no less the natural environment for a human than a nest is for a bird or a dam is for a beaver.

When visitor Peter Bohn, 42, saw the "animals" juggling, he stopped and had a good laugh.

"It's hilarious," he said. "It turns everything upside down. It makes you think about the humans in relation to the animals."

I'm suspect Mr. Bohn gets a headache every time he considers whether or not a tree falling in a forest makes a sound if there's no one to hear it.

Profound is when I tell my brother that an Army officer saying "hoo-ah" is a mixed metaphor and he points out that that's not a metaphor at all, at which point I say that it's like a metaphor.

Update:
The article above left out this delightful quote from some London Zoo flack:

"We have set up this exhibit to highlight the spread of man as a plague species and to communicate the importance of man's place in the planet's ecosystem," London Zoo said.

(HT: James Taranto for the update.)

I wrote a post on this same topic a while ago, but I can't find it. I tried to explain my thinking to my fiancee last night, but I don't think I came across very clearly. Fortunately Mark Steyn is able to articulate the our shared reaction to the left's continual infantilization of our soldiers. They key point to understand is that, to the left, being a victim is the absolute pinnacle of social stature; by casting our brave troops as victims the left thinks they're elevating them, when in reality they're denigrating everything our soldiers believe in.

Cindy Sheehan's son Casey died in Sadr City last year, and that fact is supposed to put her beyond reproach. For as the New York Times' Maureen Dowd informed us: ''The moral authority of parents who bury children killed in Iraq is absolute." ...

They're not children in Iraq; they're grown-ups who made their own decision to join the military. That seems to be difficult for the left to grasp. Ever since America's all-adult, all-volunteer army went into Iraq, the anti-war crowd have made a sustained effort to characterize them as "children." If a 13-year-old wants to have an abortion, that's her decision and her parents shouldn't get a look-in. If a 21-year-old wants to drop to the broadloom in Bill Clinton's Oval Office, she's a grown woman and free to do what she wants. But, if a 22- or 25- or 37-year-old is serving his country overseas, he's a wee "child" who isn't really old enough to know what he's doing. ...

The infantilization of the military promoted by the left is deeply insulting to America's warriors but it suits the anti-war crowd's purposes. It enables them to drone ceaselessly that "of course" they "support our troops," because they want to stop these poor confused moppets from being exploited by the Bush war machine. ...

Casey Sheehan was a 21-year old man when he enlisted in 2000. He re-enlisted for a second tour, and he died after volunteering for a rescue mission in Sadr City. Mrs. Sheehan says she wishes she'd driven him to Canada, though that's not what he would have wished, and it was his decision.

(HT: Power Line Blog.)

Despite my disgust for actor-vist Sean Penn, I feel like I'm performing a mild public service by periodically pointing out his absurd, America-hating drivel to fans and consumers of his work. When you watch his movies, this is the anti-American vacation you're funding:

It's the week preceding presidential elections. Candidates attack one another's credibility. Activists push to boycott the vote. Traffic and pollution choke the cities. Leftists support a no-win idealist. Preachers guide their flocks toward political starboard. The media have fallen under the grip of standing power, and should they defy it, they're imprisoned. University students promote human rights, while fundamentalists deny them. It is a culture in love with cinema. With Brad Pitt. Angelina Jolie. And anything Steven Spielberg. It is a nation of nuclear power, where the lobbies of the religious right effectively blur the lines between church and state. But it is also a country of good and hospitable people. And when the local team wins a big match, there is dancing, kissing, drinking and drugs in the streets. Women are graduating the campuses in higher and higher numbers, occupying government in higher and higher numbers. Sound familiar?

It's Amerikkka, right?

But wait. The women. Look at the women. All is not well. I'm thinking about the women. This is Iran.

Oh! Gosh, you almost had me fooled, what with all the recent behandings around here, and the opposition politicians being thrown out of office and into jail, newspapers shut down, elections cancelled, fatwas issued, and whatnot. America and Iran are practically indistinguishable! The real danger is that fundamentalist Christians in America might start making women wear burkhas at any moment.

Meanwhile, in Sean Penn fasntasyland (a.k.a., California), the application of an upstanding, law-abiding citizen (a.k.a., me) for a permit to carry a concealed weapon is continually denied, while that of a violent drunkard (a.k.a. Sean Penn) is granted.

In particular, some of the alleged quotes by Penn on his violent past are enough to give one pause:

"I hate journalists. Or better. I hate paparazzi. Yeah, I punched them out and I'll do it again if it's necessary. I think a fist in their face is the only way to protect my private life. I demand my freedom. And I must have it."
Source:
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/...339/QUOTES.html

"Family makes me feel there's a reason I'm alive... I'm feeling my life, which I didn't always do partly because I'd be drunk a lot."
Source:
http://www.saidwhat.co.uk/quotes.ph...n%20Penn&type=2

Of even more concern is an alleged timeline of Penn's criminal past, as compiled via public sources online:

In 1985, Sean Penn was arrested in Nashville for assault and battery for attacking two photographers with a rock. He plead guilty, paid a fine and was given a suspended sentence.

In 1986, Penn slugged a man he accused of trying to kiss his wife. Again he plead guilty and was placed on parole.

In 1997, while on parole for his previous conviction, he punched an extra working on his film "Colors" who tried to take a picture of him. He served half of a 60-day jail sentence for parole violation.

In 1998, Penn was accused of hitting a photographer with a rock. Penn claimed the photographer attacked the rock in Penn's hand with his head and injured himself. No arrest was made.

Gosh, I wish Sean Penn would write an article to explain this conundrum.

Update:
Here's a little more about Sean Penn's CCW. I'd be willing to go through the same process!

He [Sean Penn] even had a private security firm review all the crank calls and letters and give him "threat assessments."

Most were nothing, but one former employee was rated as being "in the worst category of pursuers," according to a report submitted by Penn's security outfit to Ross police.

The man -- who according to the threat assessors was trained in martial arts and had prior arrests for possessing a concealed weapon -- repeatedly tried contacting Penn after he was fired.

Penn admitted to using marijuana 20 years ago and had a couple of arrests for assault and driving recklessly, factors that could have disqualified him for a permit for carrying a concealed weapon. In this case, however, Penn got FBI and state Department of Justice clearance and completed firearms training early last year.

How many movies to have I have to star in to get the FBI and the California Department of Justice to do a special background check on me? I hope they can be ready to come over as soon as my personal private investigation team finishes assessing the threat-levels of all the ninjas and pirates who are stalking me.

Unfortunately, last time I applied for a CCW the FBI and the DOJ didn't seem to be interested, and the Hawthorne Police Department basically threw my application straight into the trash.

The New York Times has a great article about Rupert Murdoc and Hillary Clinton that gives some insight into both these characters. I have no idea how accurate the portrayal is, but it makes a fascinating read.

Mr. Murdoch has a history of backing and engaging political winners, most notably Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain, the Labor Party leader, even though Mr. Murdoch all but invented Thatcher-mania back in the 1980's. Because he has no romanticism for lost causes, The Post apparently will not try to maim Mrs. Clinton in a Senate race with Ms. Pirro that is beginning to seem over before it has begun. They still whack Ms. Clinton occasionally, but it is more on general principle - they do it to stay in shape - and not with the same glee as in the past.

Over the long haul, the Murdoch-Clinton détente cannot last. In its phenomenal success, Fox News has used institutional enmity of the Clintons as one of its guiding principals. But in the meantime, the fight between Ms. Pirro and Mrs. Clinton will help ratings and circulation numbers, and the prospect of a Clinton presidential candidacy will agitate and engage the News Corporation's core audiences.

I'm not sure if this article is an editorial or a news report or what; the page linked to by Drudge doesn't make it clear, or even list an author.

So what do you make of Cindy Sheehan, the woman camping outside Crawford, Texas, in an attempt to see President Bush again? I'd be a lot more sympathetic to her pleas if not for her antipodal reaction after her first meeting with the President.

"I now know he's sincere about wanting freedom for the Iraqis," Cindy said after their meeting. "I know he's sorry and feels some pain for our loss. And I know he's a man of faith."

The meeting didn't last long, but in their time with Bush, Cindy spoke about Casey and asked the president to make her son's sacrifice count for something. They also spoke of their faith. ...

The trip had one benefit that none of the Sheehans expected.

For a moment, life returned to the way it was before Casey died. They laughed, joked and bickered playfully as they briefly toured Seattle.

For the first time in 11 weeks, they felt whole again.

"That was the gift the president gave us, the gift of happiness, of being together," Cindy said.

So why the change of heart? Generally time helps heal wounds, so why is Mrs. Sheehan growing more and more bitter? Isn't it obvious that she's being exploited and manipulated by leftist political forces? Even if I agreed with her position, I'd find it hard to grant her much credibility.

(HT: James Taranto.)

The Horatio Alger Association has released the results of its 2005 - 2006 "State of Our Nation's Youth" survey. It's 84 pages long, so I haven't had time to read it all, but there are some interesting statistics in it (and you know how much I love statistics).

For instance, page two reveals that high school students are severely deluded about the effectiveness of their education: 83% and 71% of students say that high school is preparing them for the expectations of college and the working world, respectively. If only they were right!

On page four, the parent breakdown is sad; of responding students:
- 90% live with their mom,
- 69% live with their dad,
- 61% live with both parents,
- 36% live with one parent.

When families fail, it's usually the father who abandons the kids.

The "One Wish" results are interesting also.
- 46% want more time with their family,
- 27% want more money to buy items such as televisions or cars,
- 14% want a bigger house,
- 7% want more time spent in spiritual pursuits.

There's a lot more, go dig in.

(HT: Nick.)

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