AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: An actual examination of the Constitution and a review of the historical context of the Fortas filibuster. But let's not have facts get in the way...

Do what I say...

Thanks Bangor!

The part they leave out...

The concise critique...

Today's Air Safety Announcement

Things you didn't know that will prepare you for things you may find yourself needing to do:

Hey guys, there's a way to open those lavatory doors on an airplane. There's usually a small metal plate underneath the "locked" sign. You can lift it up, and there is a latch underneath. Slide it over. Then open the door. Have a cup of hot coffee in your hand, that you just got from the galley. If he's doing nothing bad, say "excuse me". If he IS up to no good, throw the hot coffee in his face, and scream TERRORIST! HELP!

Do this if some of these middle east goons are on your flight making synchronistic hand-signals and going to the lavs together and staying in there a long time.

No one else is going to save your lives. There's not air marshalls on every flight.

THAT will teach THEM a lesson.

Good practical advice...

Hoot! Hil's hot!

On The Lamm

Glenn has it right on the recent Richard Lamm row. What DU admin is saying by not publishing it is that they have (or believe they have) largely left wing donors -- and they're too stupid and easily offended to read Dick's piece.

Of course, that's true of leftists in general so we're really not plowing any new ground but rather rehashing leftist projection.

Anyway, here's "Two Wands" (reproduced here in its entirety since it's not getting enough exposure):

Two Wands
Richard D. Lamm
Center for Public Policy and Contemporary Issues

Let me offer you, metaphorically, two magic wands that have sweeping powers to change society. With one wand you could wipe out all racism and discrimination from the hearts and minds of white America. The other wand you could wave across the ghettoes and barrios of America and infuse the inhabitants with Japanese or Jewish values, respect for learning, and ambition. But, alas, you can t wave both wands. Only one.

Which would you choose? I understand that many would love to wave both wands; no one can easily refuse the chance to erase racism and discrimination. But I suggest that the best wand for the society and for those who live in the ghettoes and barrios would be the second wand.

This metaphor is important in correctly diagnosing one of the most significant problems facing contemporary America: the large economic, education and employment gap between Black/Hispanic America and White/Asian America. The problems of crime, educational failure, drugs, gangs, teenage pregnancy, and unemployment that burden certain groups threaten our collective future. They form a nation-threatening social pathology that must be addressed in broader terms than we have done to date.

Most discussion of minority failure blames racism and discrimination. I m an old civil rights lawyer and such racism and discrimination clearly still exists. But the problem is, I fear, deeper than the current dialogue. We need to think honestly about these problems with new sophistication. One of these new areas is to recognize that increasingly scholars are saying culture matters.

I m impressed, for instance, that minorities that have been discriminated against earn the highest family incomes in America. Japanese Americans, Jews, Chinese Americans, and Korean Americans all out-earn white Americans by substantial margins and all have faced discrimination and racism. We put Japanese Americans in camps 60 years ago and confiscated much of their property. Yet today they out-earn all other demographic groups. Discrimination and racism are social cancers and can never be justified but it is enlightening that, for these groups, they were a hurdle, not a barrier to success.

The Italians, the Irish, the people from the Balkans America has viewed all these groups and many more with hostility and suspicion, yet all have integrated and succeeded. Hispanic organizations excuse their failure rates solely in terms of discrimination by white America and object vociferously when former Education Secretary Lauro Cavazos observes that Hispanic parents don t take enough interest in education. But Cuban Americans have come to America and succeeded brilliantly. Do we discriminate against Hispanics from Mexico but not Hispanics from Cuba?

I suggest that those groups whose culture and values stress delayed gratification, education, hard work, success and ambition are those groups that succeed in America regardless of discrimination. I further suggest that, even if discrimination was removed, other groups would still have massive problems until they develop the traits that lead to success. Asian and Jewish children do twice as much homework as Black and Hispanic students, and get twice as good grades. Why should we be surprised?

A problem well defined is a problem half-solved. We must recognize that all the civil rights laws in the world are not going to solve the problem of minority failure. Ultimately Blacks and Hispanics are going to have to see that the solution is largely in their own hands. Lionel Sosa, one of America s leading Hispanic businessmen, in his book The Americano Dream, titles his first chapter Escaping the Cultural Shackles.

Daniel Patrick Moynihan has insightfully observed, the central conservative truth is that it is culture, not politics, that determines the success of a society. The central liberal truth is that politics can change a culture and save it from itself.

Thus, morally, I would want badly to wave both wands; if I had to choose, I would wave the second wand. A Confucian or Jewish love of learning would gain minorities far more than any affirmative action laws we might pass.

[Emphasis mine.]

Biology AND culture. Or should I say CULTURE (with a hint of biology)?

“Can I just sit here and read?”

DON'T. MISS. THIS!

Vacuuming Out The MSMemory Hole

Freedom for Lebanon? Vanished down the MSMemory Hole of course. This one is a real eye-opener including stats on AP newswire content!

And of course, demonstrations in Iraq are not what the MSM wants you to believe...

UPDATE: In case you missed it, the entirety of the Steyn "Bish" column is worthy of redux on this topic as well...

"Unable to prosper in the medium, liberals have taken to denouncing talk radio as a threat to democracy."

Yes, OF COURSE astroturf is fake!

Unbalanced Redux

I bet you missed my post on "What the h*ll are they thinking?"



It's short. I'm patient. Come back when you're done.

Now read this series by Dr. Sanity. (Kudos Roger and a tip from the comments as well)

Narcisism is pretty scary huh? When you're not balanced then you're, well, unbalanced! Why didn't YOU think of that?

And you never thought evil might seem almost understandable did you?

Yikes! A completely new imperative for the virtue of moderation.

Something Is Finally Missing!

Can you believe it?



I can't.

I never thought I'd be glad to see Old Glory taken down...

Accurate but fake.