Sunday, December 25, 2005
Thursday, December 22, 2005
I Don't Know Which Part to Object to First
The SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE listed its top 10 news stories of the year. Here is number 7.
7. Palestinians overwhelmingly elected moderate Mahmoud Abbas to replace Palestinian Authority President Yassar Arafat, an iconic leader who died in 2004. Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon agreed to a truce between the bitter opposing sides, which held for most of the year, leading Israel to withdraw from the Gaza Strip it had occupied since 1967.
Ok let us start with the most obvious part. The plan to pull out of Gaza was put forward before the terrorist, Arafat died. Abbas, is hardly a mdoerate. The author of "The Other Side: the Secret Relationship Between Nazism and Zionism" which was a Holocaust denial. He was responsible for the fianancing of the Munich Massacre. Israel did occupy that land for that amount of time but only after offering to returning it to Eygpt who it had annexed it from, after Eygpt had forced Israels hand into war.
The SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE listed its top 10 news stories of the year. Here is number 7.
7. Palestinians overwhelmingly elected moderate Mahmoud Abbas to replace Palestinian Authority President Yassar Arafat, an iconic leader who died in 2004. Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon agreed to a truce between the bitter opposing sides, which held for most of the year, leading Israel to withdraw from the Gaza Strip it had occupied since 1967.
Ok let us start with the most obvious part. The plan to pull out of Gaza was put forward before the terrorist, Arafat died. Abbas, is hardly a mdoerate. The author of "The Other Side: the Secret Relationship Between Nazism and Zionism" which was a Holocaust denial. He was responsible for the fianancing of the Munich Massacre. Israel did occupy that land for that amount of time but only after offering to returning it to Eygpt who it had annexed it from, after Eygpt had forced Israels hand into war.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
2006 Predictions
Ok so some of these will be no brainers, others may be stretches and others my imagination going nutty but enjoy.
1. Iran will make a provocative step against the west. The dark end of this scenario is testing Nukes. The nightmare scenario is testing the nuke on Israel, its most likely target. Even if it is not a nuclear action, they will do something to finally push there aggression towards the west to a head.
2. Someone other then the Yankees will have a payroll topping $200 million and still not win the Series.
3. In a stunning surprise Stanley Cup Final the Islanders will win their first Cup in over 20 years, in game 7 versus the Detroit Red Wings. It will be considered one of the greatest hockey games ever played. No one will notice.
4. The GOP will maintain control of both house but with slimmer margins. Sen. Chafee will switch parties the day after the election.
5. Pres. Bush approval rating will hover around 45-50% for most of the year, end just north of 50%.
6. Israel will make another gigantic concession in the hopes of peace which will be quickly dashed. They will be blamed for the ensuing violence.
7. John Kerry will say something pompous and arrogant that will contradict a past statement of his. (I said a few were no brainers)
8. Michael Steele will be the lone bright spot of the 06 elections for the GOP winning the Senate seat in Maryland.
9. The movie of the Da Vinci Code will receive mostly iffy with a few strong positive reviews and will be the big box office draw of the year narrowly edging out the new Superman.
10. Someone will be called daring for saying something that people have been saying for years.
11. After a year with no good albums, I will finally get a new good album but by a surprising artist.
12. My comic collection at work will finally overcome the rest of my desk, forcing us all from the building ( I said some would be stretches).
Ok so some of these will be no brainers, others may be stretches and others my imagination going nutty but enjoy.
1. Iran will make a provocative step against the west. The dark end of this scenario is testing Nukes. The nightmare scenario is testing the nuke on Israel, its most likely target. Even if it is not a nuclear action, they will do something to finally push there aggression towards the west to a head.
2. Someone other then the Yankees will have a payroll topping $200 million and still not win the Series.
3. In a stunning surprise Stanley Cup Final the Islanders will win their first Cup in over 20 years, in game 7 versus the Detroit Red Wings. It will be considered one of the greatest hockey games ever played. No one will notice.
4. The GOP will maintain control of both house but with slimmer margins. Sen. Chafee will switch parties the day after the election.
5. Pres. Bush approval rating will hover around 45-50% for most of the year, end just north of 50%.
6. Israel will make another gigantic concession in the hopes of peace which will be quickly dashed. They will be blamed for the ensuing violence.
7. John Kerry will say something pompous and arrogant that will contradict a past statement of his. (I said a few were no brainers)
8. Michael Steele will be the lone bright spot of the 06 elections for the GOP winning the Senate seat in Maryland.
9. The movie of the Da Vinci Code will receive mostly iffy with a few strong positive reviews and will be the big box office draw of the year narrowly edging out the new Superman.
10. Someone will be called daring for saying something that people have been saying for years.
11. After a year with no good albums, I will finally get a new good album but by a surprising artist.
12. My comic collection at work will finally overcome the rest of my desk, forcing us all from the building ( I said some would be stretches).
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Media Bias?
A UCLA study looked to discover if in fact there was a bias in the media. Here is a highlight that really shouldnt be all that surprising
"Overall, the major media outlets are quite moderate compared to members of Congress, but even so, there is a quantifiable and significant bias in that nearly all of them lean to the left," said co‑author Jeffrey Milyo, University of Missouri economist and public policy scholar.
A UCLA study looked to discover if in fact there was a bias in the media. Here is a highlight that really shouldnt be all that surprising
"Overall, the major media outlets are quite moderate compared to members of Congress, but even so, there is a quantifiable and significant bias in that nearly all of them lean to the left," said co‑author Jeffrey Milyo, University of Missouri economist and public policy scholar.
Friday, December 09, 2005
Yes Virginia,
Every so often we need a reawakening of our faith in things unseen.
Below is the letter and response, from the New York Sun, September 21st 1897
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Editor--
I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, "If you see it in The Sun, it's so." Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?
-- Virginia O'Hanlon, 115 West Ninety-fifth street.
Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.
No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
Every so often we need a reawakening of our faith in things unseen.
Below is the letter and response, from the New York Sun, September 21st 1897
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Editor--
I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, "If you see it in The Sun, it's so." Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?
-- Virginia O'Hanlon, 115 West Ninety-fifth street.
Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.
No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
Thursday, December 08, 2005
John Lennon
Though hes not the number one muscian whos talent I would like to steal (fyi, that would be Brian Wilson) it is hard to argue the talent of the man who tried to get us to imagine a new world. Lord knows the musical word could use his talent these days.
Though hes not the number one muscian whos talent I would like to steal (fyi, that would be Brian Wilson) it is hard to argue the talent of the man who tried to get us to imagine a new world. Lord knows the musical word could use his talent these days.
Let me tell you how it will be
There's one for you, nineteen for me
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
Should five per cent appear too small
Be thankful I don't take it all
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah I'm the taxman
If you drive a car, I'll tax the street,
If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat.
If you get too cold I'll tax the heat,
If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet.
Don't ask me what I want it for
If you don't want to pay some more
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
Now my advice for those who die
Declare the pennies on your eyes
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
And you're working for no one but me.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Until Every One Comes Home...
Not often enough, do we give thanks to all our troops serving our great country, any where in the world, not just Iraq. At this time of year I think it is especially important to do so. As they are proudly serving us, seperated from their loved ones, we should give thanks. And what better when then with help of the good people at the USO. Give what you can, even just a few dollars if thats what you can spare. And encourage others to do the same. I have over the last few years encouraged my friends to make donations to the USO in lieu of gifts to me for Hannukah. Do what you can for them, for they help support those serving us.
