Falling Awake

…stash your savings in an offshore account, and bury your gold.  Hillary Clinton Hillary Rodham Clinton Hillary!(tm) wants your money!

We Are All in It Together, Clinton Says: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

Presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton outlined a broad economic vision Tuesday, saying it’s time to replace an “on your own” society with one based on shared responsibility and prosperity.

That means pairing growth with fairness, she said, to ensure that the middle-class succeeds in the global economy, not just corporate CEOs.

“Fairness doesn’t just happen. It requires the right government policies.”

It’s almost as if she heard about the Pope’s recent remarks in South America, but forgot to check Falling Awake for the substance behind the sound bite.

I’ll lay it out for her again.  Fairness can never be enforced by the government.  Fairness requires that each of us deal with people as individuals, whereas the federal government’s policies are tailored towards groups.

The only “fairness” that government is good at is of the lawn-mower variety, where everyone is chopped down to the same height.

Thank you, no.  But I appreciate the offer!

These are pictures of just some of the ”mischief” our friends on the left got up to this past Memorial Day.  As you can see, they range from the juvenile to the unforgivable.

Flag vandalism and grave desecration in Washington state.

Swastikas spray painted all over an American Legion hall in Delaware.

Eggs thrown at veterans in Boston.

Is this what John Edwards wanted when he urged Americans to turn Memorial Day into a day of protest?

As patriots, we call on our government to support our troops in the most important way it can - by ending this war and bringing them home.

I’m sure the troops are thrilled to be supported by being called war criminals.

As citizens, let’s volunteer in support of our troops, and offer our service to honor theirs. As Americans, let’s take a moment to join in prayer for our troops.

I like the call to prayer–we all know that John Edwards is a profoundly religious man.

And as patriots, let’s gather together this weekend and make our voices heard. It’s up to us. If we are loud enough, and clear enough, we can end this war.

Well, the message this picture sends is loud and clear…

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Last Veteran’s Day, a man named Charles Pinning wrote an opinion piece for the Providence Journal in support of John Kerry, who had just caused a stir by implying that US soldiers were stupid.  Pinning, unlike Kerry’s other defenders, didn’t make the argument that Kerry’s remarks were nothing but a botched joke.  He claimed that US soldiers are stupid, and that Kerry didn’t need to apologize for telling it like it is.

I wrote a response to Pinning here.

In the six months since, this site has been visited by many people googling the name “Charles Pinning.”  Now, I’m starting to feel bad.

Here’s why:

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Robert Spencer, whose books The Truth About Muhammad: Founder of the World’s Most Intolerant Religion and  The Politically Incorrect Guide(tm) to Islam (and the Crusades) I mentioned here will be analyzing the Koran every Sunday at the Hot Air blog.

Here’s the link:

Hot Air » Blog Archive » Blogging the Qur’an

Mr. Spencer describes his plan this way:

So over the course of the next few months, I’m going to read it, and discuss it in a series of columns. All of it. Not “cherry-picked” or “out of context.” The whole thing, beginning to end. Some of you may be familiar with David Plotz’s series on Slate, “Blogging the Bible.” This series will be similar to that one, but rather than just write about what I think or feel about a certain passage, I will, unlike Plotz, refer to commentaries – all Muslim ones – on the Qur’an. I’ll try to explain how mainstream Muslims who study the Qur’an will understand any given passage, and what its import might be for non-Muslims.

His first post explains what he’s going to do, and why it’s especially important to be familiar with the Koran.

Joe Kennedy’s friend Hugo Chavez is planning to shut down a television station that inconveniently opposes his totalitarian regime.  Come to think of it, it’s been a while since I’ve seen those television ads that salute our “friends in Venezuela.”  Maybe they’re Kennedy’s friends during the winter, but the rest of the time I suppose their cheap oil is a major contributor to “global warming.”  [UPDATE: Looks like it's a fait accompli.]

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I missed Earth Day!  In all the hustle and bustle of preparing for May Day and Cinco de Mayo, it completely slipped my mind.  Eminent ecologist Bill Maher remembered, though:

Here’s a quote from Albert Einstein: “if the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would have only four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man.” Well, guess what? The bees are disappearing. In massive numbers. All around the world. And if you think I’m being alarmist and that, “Oh, they’ll figure out some way to pollinate the plants…” No, they’ve tried. For a lot of what we eat, only bees work. And they’re not working. They’re gone. It’s called Colony Collapse Disorder, when the hive’s inhabitants suddenly disappear, and all that’s left are a few queens and some immature workers — like when a party winds down at Elton John’s house.

That last line’s actually funny.  I forgot Bill Maher used to consider himself a comedian.  Unfortunately–for Maher, not for us–the whole thing’s untrue.  First, Einstein never said anything about bees.  Second, “Colony Collapse Disorder” is a theory concocted by European beekeepers in order to justify their massive subsidies.  Third, we’ve got plenty of bees.  Maybe too many!  Here’s some more!  Someone’s playing a joke on environmentalist doomsayers.  It’s just like those “marches against global warming” that always take place during blizzards and cold snaps.

Here’s a suggestion to environmentalists who really want the average person to give a crap.  Stop lying.  When you make up figures to create a sense of urgency, rational people suspect that there might not actually be a problem.  If the real data is alarming, why not stick with that?  If it isn’t, maybe you should take up a different hobby.

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Poll: American Muslims reject extremes

How comforting.  Only 26% of American Muslims aged 18-29 believe suicide bombing is justified.  If it were 49%, the headline would be the same.  I wonder what the story would be if an equivalent percentage of American Christians aged 18-29 supported the bombing of empty abortion clinics?  Only the “religion of peace” gets a free pass on random murder.  (I’m arguing that Islam shouldn’t get a free pass, not that anyone else should, in case I need to spell that out.)

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Anyone who thinks Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay exemplify man’s inhumanity to man should check out the Smoking Gun’s publication of Al Qaeda torture manuals recently declassified by the Defense Department.  (Obviously, click at your own risk.  The depictions are color illustrations, not photographs, but they are still disturbing.)  Some of the methods are “blowtorch to the skin,” “eyeball removing,” and “loud music.” Actually, no.  Al Qaeda is not barbaric enough to recommend loud music.

Now, I’m not suggesting we treat our captives like this.  We are more humane than they are.  As a matter of fact, Al Qaeda could even earn the right to be treated according to the Geneva conventions if they upheld them themselves.  Until that happens, loud music and excessive air conditioning don’t bother me one bit.

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Google’s goal: to organize your daily life

I’d be a little more concerned about this if Google’s motto wasn’t “Don’t be evil”:

“The goal is to enable Google users to be able to ask the question such as ‘What shall I do tomorrow?’ and ‘What job shall I take?’ ”

The race to accumulate the most comprehensive database of individual information has become the new battleground for search engines as it will allow the industry to offer far more personalised advertisements. These are the holy grail for the search industry, as such advertising would command higher rates.

Mr Schmidt told journalists in London: “We cannot even answer the most basic questions because we don’t know enough about you. That is the most important aspect of Google’s expansion.”

I’m sure this is nothing.  “Don’t be evil” is admirably clear.  It’s not like Google would ever give this information to bad guys.  (NYT - reg. req.)

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Canadian media needle “Sicko”

Michael Moore’s upcoming film “Sicko” compares US health care unfavorably to the Canadian system.  Canadian journalists who viewed the film in Cannes, however, were puzzled by the rosy picture Moore painted of their country’s health care situation.  Moore responded to their criticisms this way:

“You Canadians! You used to be so funny!” an exasperated Moore said at a press conference in the Palais des Festivals.

So, when pressed, he relies on the “it’s a joke, you morons!” defense.  Then he goes on the offensive:

“The Canadian system, if you look on that list of the World Health Organization, is not that far above us. It’s not like the French system. The French system is the best in the world.”

Maybe he should have figured that out before he made the film.  Now we have to find the flaws in the film Moore didn’t actually make in order to refute his arguments.  That’s not really fair.  Although it is typical.

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House votes to make energy price-gouging illegal

I suppose I should get used to linking to this essay every couple of months.  The same author (Ian Murray) elsewhere makes this point more succinctly by way of rhyme:

You’re gouging on your prices if
You charge more than the rest.
But it’s unfair competition
If you think you can charge less!
A second point that we would make
To help avoid confusion:
Don’t try to charge the same amount!
That would be collusion!

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Judge: Spector’s expert hid victim’s fingernail

That expert would be Dr. Henry Lee.  The judge in the Phil Spector trial found that Lee tampered with evidence at the crime scene.  The evidence, a fragment of a fingernail belonging to the victim, would have served to incriminate Mr. Spector by demonstrating that she had been struggling when the gun was fired.

You may recall that Dr. Lee was the most respected witness presented in O. J. Simpson’s defense.  “Something wrong,” was the famous sound bite from Lee’s testimony regarding the police’s handling and testing of the evidence.  Well, there’s also something wrong with a man of Lee’s stature exchanging his honor for money…

…again?

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Good opinion piece here by Bob Kerrey, former Democratic senator from Nebraska and member of the 9/11 Commission.  A couple of chunks:

No matter how incompetent the Bush administration and no matter how poorly they chose their words to describe themselves and their political opponents, Iraq was a larger national security risk after Sept. 11 than it was before. And no matter how much we might want to turn the clock back and either avoid the invasion itself or the blunders that followed, we cannot. The war to overthrow Saddam Hussein is over. What remains is a war to overthrow the government of Iraq.

The critics who bother me the most are those who ordinarily would not be on the side of supporting dictatorships, who are arguing today that only military intervention can prevent the genocide of Darfur, or who argued yesterday for military intervention in Bosnia, Somalia and Rwanda to ease the sectarian violence that was tearing those places apart.

Suppose we had not invaded Iraq and Hussein had been overthrown by Shiite and Kurdish insurgents. Suppose al Qaeda then undermined their new democracy and inflamed sectarian tensions to the same level of violence we are seeing today. Wouldn’t you expect the same people who are urging a unilateral and immediate withdrawal to be urging military intervention to end this carnage? I would.

It’s all worth a read.

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And finally, this post by Andy McCarthy sums up my feelings on illegal immigration and the proposed “Comprehensive Immigration Reform” better than anything else I’ve read on the subject.  Maybe better than anything I’ve written on the subject, too.  I’d have to excerpt the whole thing, so just click on over and read it if you want to.

The Coleman Amendment to the Immigration Reform Act was defeated on Thursday in a close 49-48 vote.  It would have addressed the problem of “sanctuary cities.”

From Senator Coleman’s website:

Currently, a number of cities throughout the nation are using a loophole to get around Sec. 642 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) of 1996 by instituting ordinances forbidding local law enforcement to even ask the question as to whether a person is in the U.S. lawfully, thereby evading their legal responsibility to report their suspicions to the federal government.

Senator Coleman’s legislation will not require local law enforcement to use their own resources to enforce federal immigration laws. Moreover, it does not require local law enforcement to conduct immigration raids or act as federal agents. Senator Coleman’s bill will simply give law enforcement officers the ability to inquiry about a person’s immigration status during their routine investigations, and in turn report their findings to the appropriate Federal authorities though already-established channels, as they are currently required to do by law.

Both of my senators voted against this amendment.  Here’s the e-mail I sent them:

Dear Senator:

I’m writing to express my disappointment in your vote against the Coleman Amendment to the Immigration Reform Act.

I can understand that state and local law enforcement may not have the resources to enforce federal laws against illegal immigrants.  But the Coleman amendment required nothing of the sort.  When state and local officials bar police officers from inquiring about the immigration status of people they are ticketing or arresting, who is served?

I have read once too often about terrorists living in the United States illegally being detained on more than one occasion and no inquiry into their immigration status being made.  This must stop.

If the amendment as offered had been incorporated into the Immigration Reform Act you support, and that Act were to become law, then the only people who would have any reason to fear would be immigrants who refuse to apply for legal status.  And aren’t they the people we should be most concerned about?

By the way, I would be interested to know which other federal laws you encourage state and local officials to not only ignore, but to actively undermine.  If this is a unique case, please explain why it should be.  If there are others, perhaps you might consider upholding the Constitution in the future.

Thank you for your time,

Blah, blah, blah…

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UPDATED: 5/30:  I received a reply from Senator Lieberman’s office.  It spoke generally about the immigration reform bill, but did not address my concern about the specific amendment Senator Lieberman opposed.

UPDATED: 6/14: Senator Dodd’s office replied today.  You can tell he’s running for president, because reading his response you couldn’t even tell if he was for or against the immigration bill, never mind the Coleman amendment.  But he’s very concerned, and grateful for my input.

Attention Rosie O’Donnell!

The Rove-Cheney regime is using you to distract the American sheeple.  While you are running around exposing the truth about the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center (and doing a fine job, might I add–imagine: steel melting!) you are missing the big picture.

I’m sorry to say that you have become an unwitting pawn of Chimpy McBushHitler!  By raising these questions, you are aiding in the cover-up of the real conspiracy:

Uncomfortable Questions: Was the Death Star Attack an Inside Job?

Here are a few of the questions you should be asking:

Read the rest of this entry »

Lebanese minister pleads for money and weapons - CNN.com

Why doesn’t he ask for help from Israel?  Oh, that’s right.  If Israel kills terrorists who are launching rocket after rocket at civilian targets, the response is “disproportionate.”  In other words: they’re good at it.  They kill the terrorists while taking few casualties themselves, all the while striving to minimize civilian deaths.  Where’s the fun in that?  Plus, they’re Jews.  And we can’t root for the Jews.

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UPDATE: Uncle Sam to the Rescue!  I knew we’d answer Lebanon’s call, and it’s the right thing to do.  But when does this action start to appear on the Left’s litany of how we’re “destabilizing” the Middle East?  How long until Carter denounces this move?

The proposed Immigration Reform Act has taken me three days to read.  Well, skim.  And it looks quite reasonable.  There are measures for increased enforcement of the borders, with the money to back it up.  There’s supposed to be greater emphasis placed on the skills of the immigrant, with a merit-based point system used to determine who receives visas.  (By the way, doesn’t this give the lie to the oft-heard phrase, “…jobs Americans won’t do?”  Was that just a con?)

There is one provision that I find troubling, though.  It’s Title VI Sec. 601 (h):

 1) IN GENERAL —An alien who files an application for Z nonimmigrant status shall, upon submission of any evidence required under paragraphs (f) and (g) and after the Secretary has conducted appropriate background checks, to include name and fingerprint checks, that have not by the end of the next business day produced information rendering the applicant ineligible [emphasis added]–

(A) be granted probationary benefits in the form of employment authorization pending final adjudication of the alien’s application;

B) may in the Secretary’s discretion receive advance permission to re-enter the United States pursuant to existing regulations governing advance parole;

(C) may not be detained for immigration purposes, determined inadmissible or deportable, or removed pending final adjudication of the alien’s application, unless the alien is determined to be ineligible for Z nonimmigration status; and

(D) may not be considered an unauthorized alien (as defined in Section 274A(h)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1324a(h)(3))) unless employment authorization under subparagraph (A) is denied. 

As always, Mark Steyn puts it better than I could:

Is that This-background-check-will-self-destruct-in-24-hours clause for real? If the entire “undocumented” population of, say, Falls Church, Virginia wanders into the local immigration office at 4pm on Monday, the clerks have got till 5pm on Tuesday to find anything on the guys or they’ve got no choice but to issue the Z visa? For the agency that takes the best part of a decade to process nanny applications and which sent Mohammed Atta his visa six months after he’d died, this is, to say the least, a massive cultural change.

If the 24-hour dry-cleaner standard were to be mandated for every government agency, I might reconsider my position. But it seems curious, to put it at its mildest, that only the lucky members of the Undocumented-American community will get to enjoy the benefits of express service from the US government.

There are other problems, too.  Title VI Sec. 601 (i) (2) (C) allows the use of affidavits in lieu of other documentation to establish that the applicant has been residing in the US.  But as you only have to have moved here by the end of 2006 to be eligible, not too many people will need to phony those up.

The latest update is that illegal aliens will no longer be required to pay back taxes.  No big surprise, really.  If they had left that language in it would never have been enforced, anyway.

And isn’t that indicative of the whole problem?

The White House and the Heritage Foundation have been going back and forth, challenging each other’s characterizations of the bill, as if that matters. 

The bill really doesn’t matter at all.

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On the astronomy beat, this week is great for planet-spotting.  Four of the five bright naked-eye planets are in the sky together in the early evening hours. 

SPACE.com — Planet Parade: Spot Four Worlds in the Night Sky

 I don’t think I’ve ever managed to see Mercury.  In the evening it requires a clear western horizon which is hard to find in these parts.  I could get up at dawn when it’s visible in the eastern sky and go down to the ocean, but I’m saving that for my retirement.

With a small telescope or a good pair of binoculars, you should be able to see Saturn’s rings.  Also, see if you can glimpse any of Jupiter’s four large moons.  They may be further away from the planet than you’d think, so pan around.

While we’re on the subject of viewing planets, take a look at this movie.  It was made in 1990, but I hadn’t seen it before.  It’s constructed from a series of still photographs snapped once per minute by the Galileo spacecraft as it passed by Earth on it’s way to Jupiter.  Refresh the page to view it again.  (It takes a couple of minutes to load on dial-up the first time you view it.)