Bookworm on Feb 04 2011 | Filed under: Open Threads
You asked for it, you got it. My only regret regarding Reagan is that, as he was president during my liberal days, I didn’t appreciate him at the time. I’ve made up for that now, but I wish I could have enjoyed him when he was in office. Here’s his totally amazing 1964 “Time for [...]
Bookworm on Feb 04 2011 | Filed under: Government
In 1832, Andrew Jackson vetoed a bill granting a new charter to the Second National Bank. In a statement justifying that veto, he wrote a stirring statement defending equality of opportunity, and acknowledging how ridiculous it is to pretend that government can force equality of outcome: It is to be regretted that the rich and [...]
Don Quixote on Feb 04 2011 | Filed under: Egypt
Brian E added this letter as a comment to an earlier post. In it, his brother, a teacher at BEN- Baptists Equipping Nationals, relays a communication he received from someone in Egypt. I think it is important enough for everyone to read that I’m making it a separate post. Thanks, Brian. My brother who travels [...]
Bookworm on Feb 04 2011 | Filed under: Open Threads
I’m putting the finishing touches on the first drafts of a demurrer and motion to strike, so I’m in lawyer mode. My writing has become appropriately boring, obfuscatory and pompous, so you should all be very grateful that I’m not visiting it on you this morning. I’ll get back here as soon as I can [...]
Bookworm on Feb 04 2011 | Filed under: Watcher of Weasels
I knew that the post I submitted for this week’s Watcher’s Council vote was pretty good ( wouldn’t have submitted it otherwise), but I was so completely overwhelmed by the high quality of the other submissions, I assumed I wouldn’t even show up on the winner’s map. I was therefore very surprised to find myself [...]
Bookworm on Feb 03 2011 | Filed under: Egypt, Freedom
A lot of people keep talking about a desire for a “democratic” Egypt. I hate to say it but, with the word “democratic” as the starting point, that’s not a very useful discussion. The dictionary definition of a “democracy” is as follows: government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power [...]
Bookworm on Feb 03 2011 | Filed under: Watcher of Weasels
The one good thing about living in exciting times is that those times create good reading material. A case in point is the submissions I got to read for this week’s Watcher’s Council vote. Here — you can read them too: Council Submissions The Noisy Room – Of Philanthropists and Monsters – Rockin’ the Casbah [...]
Bookworm on Feb 03 2011 | Filed under: Egypt, Israel
One of the things I’ve noticed regarding the “news” coming out of Egypt is that it’s incoherent. Because the situation is so big and so fluid, and because the reporters streaming in are remarkably uninformed to begin with about the region, the news stories remind me strongly of the blind man and the elephant. If [...]
Danny Lemieux on Feb 03 2011 | Filed under: Economics, Leftist morality, Uncategorized
I attended a family gathering not long ago, liberally populated with Liberal in-laws, in which the mood was decidedly sour. Discussions revolved around the poor job market, employment uncertainty and health insurance. In conversations, a lot of resentment was directed at corporations, CEOs and their “disgusting and greedy” profits, salaries, benefits and bonuses. I understand [...]
Bookworm on Feb 03 2011 | Filed under: Open Threads
I have actual paying work this morning, and that trumps even the delights of blogging. Please consider this an open thread until (a) my work is done and (b) I actually have something worthwhile to say. In the meantime, since you know my deep and abiding respect for Rush, you may enjoy reading this.
Bookworm on Feb 02 2011 | Filed under: Egypt
There are few people on the scene sharper when it comes to Islamic dynamics than Daniel Pipes so, when he says he doesn’t see the Muslim Brotherhood walking away triumphant from the revolution, I take heart.
Bookworm on Feb 02 2011 | Filed under: Barack Obama, Egypt, Islam, Jihad, Muslim violence
When I read that the Obama administration is good with having the Muslim Brotherhood on board in Egypt, because it’s really not such a bad organization, I keep thinking of 1930′s rationalizations about Mussolini: He made the trains run on time. Surely our standards of decency are higher than that? Uh, no. I guess not. [...]
Bookworm on Feb 02 2011 | Filed under: Military, White House
May I quote myself, writing about the beautiful and moving Battle of Midway Commemoration in San Francisco last year? The event was a formal one, which is much more beautiful than a civilian black tie affair. The women, of course, presented a familiar and pleasing picture. They had on lovely dresses ranging from safe (but [...]
Bookworm on Feb 02 2011 | Filed under: Watcher of Weasels
The results were in, and I forgot to post them. Better late than never is my motto, though (needs to me, ’cause I forget things so often), so here are the Watcher’s Council winners for January 28, 2011: Council Winners First place with 2 2/3 votes! – The Razor –Japan Will Not Be Saved Through [...]
Bookworm on Feb 01 2011 | Filed under: Barack Obama, Egypt, Islam, Israel, Jihad
1. Faced with a popular revolt of the type we’re seeing in Egypt, can an American president make a difference? My sense is that, while we’re certainly not going to drop bombs, the American president (any president, not just Obama) is such a vast presence that both his silence and his speech matter. His bully [...]
Bookworm on Feb 01 2011 | Filed under: Abortion, Health, Media matters
The MSM, Gosnell and Planned Parenthood all come together in a single post at The Anchoress’ place. Do read it. The MSM has many obsessions — that is, stories it covers relentlessly and obviously — but the moral collapse that so often circles around abortion is not one of those subjects. I continue to want [...]
Bookworm on Feb 01 2011 | Filed under: Constitution, Gun control
“A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” If it wasn’t for the fact that he’s a committed gun control guy, I might have mistaken Nicholas Kristof’s NYTs column today for a perfectly realized, Iowahawk-esque gun [...]
Bookworm on Feb 01 2011 | Filed under: Silly Stuff
The only difference for me is that my house has a rather sprawling floor plan, so I get more exercise as I go through my day:
Bookworm on Feb 01 2011 | Filed under: Media matters
A young man did a terrible, terrible thing: he shook a baby to death. Justice worked, and he got 20 years in prison. Sadly, the fact that a young man shows poor impulse control and shakes a baby to death is a common story. Usually, headlines read, “Man gets 20 years for shaking baby” or [...]
Bookworm on Feb 01 2011 | Filed under: San Francisco
This little squiblet from C.W. Nevius’ column in the SF Chron (which is about the only thing in the SF Chron still worth reading), sums up everything that is wrong with San Francisco: Greg and Christy Baciocco, who have run NuStar Heating and Metal Supply on Otis Street since 1989, are resigned to their graffiti [...]
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