The End Zone

Projection

2010-08-09T06:00:00.004-05:00

Jerry Jones and Emmitt Smith have made tremendous contribution to the Dallas Cowboys franchise, and to many people beyond. However, both Jerry and Emmitt are insufferable. It's not the worst trait in the world, but it is trying for the rest of us.

When I have such a feeling about another person, it's usually b/c I share the irritating trait with the other person, and therefore clearly recognize a trait which I detest in myself. Yuck.

Therefore, as I watched Emmitt's Hall of Fame induction, I remembered: I am insufferable, and cannot stand to listen to myself any more. So, blog vacation. Thank goodness.

If you read this blog: thank you for your friendship. You have my appreciation and love.

1992 Cowboys-49ers NFC Championship
Psychological Defense Mechanisms
Cathy Seipp just would not take any @#$% from any insufferable fool ... not even a little bit
Michael Irvin goes into the NFL Hall of Fame
Courage redeems a lot of foibles: Then Out Spoke Brave Horatius

"[The media] lie. That is almost all they do anymore."

2010-08-07T23:00:00.001-05:00

Ace rants about the media:

They lie. That is almost all they do anymore. They lie in their reportage and then they rub salt into those wounds by lying about the reasons for their reporting decisions.

They all lie, and all from the same script of the same lies.

They lie to your ... face and then warble about their "integrity" and "professionalism," and how all their "experience" and "schooling" has dictated that only they know which stories are important. (Curiously, a frightening high percentage of "important" stories directly advance the interests of the progressive movement.)

They lie, and they lie, and they lie, and then they demand your respect and appreciation for their lies.

This Mark Cuban quote, which was funny in context of his blogpost about the Texas Rangers auction, also fits here:

What I have learned in 11 years in the sports business is that the dumbest guys in the room are always the media guys.

Friday Hot: Gun Girl

2010-08-06T06:00:00.003-05:00

at a Phoenix rally in support of Arizona's SB 1070 illegal immigration enforcement law...

God bless America, and bless all the legal immigrant daughters who have come to America! Such beauty. Such firepower.

Girls, Guns, Shivaree
Feds File Suit Against Arizona Immigration Law

McDonald vs. Chicago: McDonald Wins!
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer speaks out
Arizona illegal immigration law

Mark Cuban's side of the Texas Rangers auction

2010-08-05T16:00:00.003-05:00

Mark Cuban and Jim Crane bowed out of the bidding for the Rangers at the $600M level, and therefore Greenberg/Ryan will own the team as soon as MLB approves.

I made a mistake in this blogpost. I did not know that Cuban had only purchased $2M of Tom Hicks debt. Therefore, Cuban obviously paid as much or more ... in legal fees ... as he gained in profit from the sale price being raised by $85M. Cuban explains his side of the entire sale process at Blog Maverick.

Cuban only purchased the $2M in debt so he could gain access to the financial records of the Texas Rangers and the Dallas Stars. Cuban first looked at purchasing the Rangers in 2009, but believed Hicks had included undesirable non Rangers related debt into his demands. This was a deal breaker for Cuban.

In mid July 2010, Cuban learned that the bankruptcy process could eliminate the undesirable non Rangers related debts from the deal. This reignited Cuban's interest in owning the team. However, with Cuban having his own money tied up in various investments, and having only a few weeks in which to raise capital for the potential acquisition, the Cuban and Crane partnership was unable to raise more than $600M with which to bid for the team.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

According to Cuban's account, and I've no reason to disbelieve him: Cuban fully intended to purchase the team, and was not acting from any nefarious secret strategy or motive.

Cuban's participation might have been the best thing which could have happened to the Rangers franchise. Here's why: the creditors believed a better price was out there, wanted to force an auction, and - absent an auction - apparently would have been able to tie up the sale of the franchise for years --- through 2012? 2014? 2016? Crazier things have happened. The creditors have the money both to pay for lawyers and to wait for resolution.

However, because Mark Cuban jumped in: an auction which satisfied the creditors' demand actually did happen, and now the team ownership will pass to the Greenberg/Ryan group within 10 days.

Cuban jumping in did cost the franchise an additional $85M. However, an additional $85M cost is preferable to having the franchise be operated by MLB through the 2015 season (and this is especially true b/c the Rangers will be serious World Series contenders during most or all of those seasons. Such likely would not have been the case if MLB had run the Rangers for 5 or so consecutive seasons.) Because I believe either Cuban's or Greenberg's ownership would have been excellent, therefore Cuban's jumping into the fray was the best thing which could possibly have happened.

Cuban is being portrayed, in many places in DFW, as the villain. In actuality, Cuban was the savior. If Chuck Greenberg did not now have to move his family into a trailer park, I'm sure Chuck would've sent Mark Cuban a bottle of champagne as a thank you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Funniest Cuban quote in his blogpost:

What I have learned in 11 years in the sports business is that the dumbest guys in the room are always the media guys.

Texas declares war on the EPA

2010-08-05T12:00:00.001-05:00

I am so proud to live in this state.

The Strata Sphere
The Belmont Club

Related, at American Thinker: The Revolt of the States

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Sorta kinda related...

Richard Fernandez:

The effects of incompetence build up. With the Left in power and determined to make the most of their chance they’ve tied down the circuit breakers. All at once. Health Care, Cap and Trade, Disarmament, Withdrawal from the Middle East, Cancellation of Wasteful Space Programs, Cancellation of the War on Terror, Open Borders, Gays in the Military, the Stimulus. They’re like a kid in a candy store whose exploits are silently abetted by people like Journolist. Pig away, comrades. Because nothing bad was ever going to happen, right?

“The terrible ‘ifs’ accumulate”. If the Administration had diddled with only a bit at a time the entire system could regain it’s balance before it was tripped up again by the Hope and Change boys in Washington. But no. They removed every support all at once and watched in astonishment — an astonishment that was itself astonishing — while jobs sank, the economy tanks, North Korea flexed its muscles and while Julian Assange made a monkey of them all. They watched their political support vanish, watched respect evaporate and still they doubled down.

And they’re doubling down again on the weakest of possible grounds and on the most irrelevant of issues. Friggin cap ‘n trade. What distinguishes this administration is the sheer inability to pick and choose priorities. They are policy Flatlanders. There is no terrain in their moral universe but the towering mountain of ego.

neoneocon:

Asked what it means that voters in Missouri would vote against the federal mandate, Gibbs said: “Nothing.”

As I wrote last Saturday:

…[Obama] ignores the wishes of the American people, something neither FDR nor Clinton would ever do…Obama sees the public as his enemy, a stumbling block that he needs to get around if he is ever to reach his goals. For Obama, the public is an entity to deceive and manipulate if possible, and he regards it contemptuously rather than respectfully. He no longer needs to inspire people. He just needs to exercise power over them.

And the despicable Gibbs is the perfect mouthpiece for that sentiment.

My twitter feed at 12:40 AM: Greenberg/Ryan win the Rangers auction

2010-08-05T00:45:00.012-05:00

The auction process cost Greenberg/Ryan an additional $83M in order to purchase the team. Their original winning bid, months ago, was $502M. Final winning bid (including assumption of $200ish Million of existing Rangers' debt) is $585M.

Note: throughout the day, opposing attorneys have not been shy about directing bitter profanity at each other. This bitter contest would make a good book or movie. Re the tweets: start at the bottom and work up...

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Update 3:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Update: More tweets (start at bottom and work up)

mcuban
Congrats chuck and nolan. Go Rangers !

aandro
Chuck Greenberg: it was a lot of money but we're still going after Cliff Lee.

aandro
A happy Chuck Greenberg. http://tweetphoto.com/36918599

aandro
Nolan Ryan said it was time for someone to say uncle.

dkaplanSBJ
the court room erupted in applause. congratulations to chuck greenberg and nolan ryan

aandro
Hugs everywhere.

dkaplanSBJ
its over!! cuban just through in the towel!

aandro
Cheeers erupt in courtroom with standing ovations all around.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

aandro
If I'm lying, I'm frying and I want Lauria to defend me.
less than 20 seconds ago via TweetDeck

aandro
Don't know what it means but I saw it and heard it.
half a minute ago via TweetDeck
Reply Retweet

aandro
Crane just shook Nolan's hand and said Congratulations we're done.
less than a minute ago via TweetDeck

dkaplanSBJ
cuban is taking 10 minutes
1 minute ago via mobile web

aandro
The money in hand right now from Greenberg is worth more than Cuban money.
2 minutes ago via TweetDeck

aandro
The Greenberg bids can be less because of present value of money. They can close bid now.
3 minutes ago via TweetDeck

dkaplanSBJ
greenberg just went to $385 mln. presuming they are factoring in cuban has to be about $25 mln over greenberg
5 minutes ago via mobile web

aandro
Cuban group wants 10 minutes to assess its next bid.
5 minutes ago via TweetDeck

aandro
We are back in session. Greenberg group just bid $385 million cash money for #Rangers.
8 minutes ago via TweetDeck

GuyKawasaki
50 stunning examples of animal photography http://tinyurl.com/28cj3s2
11 minutes ago via API

dkaplanSBJ
greenberg's lawyer says only needs 5 minutes to respond to latest offer
19 minutes ago via mobile web

aandro
We could have another bid in about five minutes. Greenberg didn't need the 30. Said five.
20 minutes ago via TweetDeck

aandro
The Cuban bid for the #Rangers right now could total somewhere in the $610 million neighboorhood. But the pressbox wireless is still bad.
21 minutes ago via TweetDeck

dkaplanSBJ
now sal is a hero to them. total price is now at $588 mln, $68 mln more than original deal. lenders look smart right now
22 minutes ago via mobile web

dkaplanSBJ
sal galatioto is a happy man. last night he killed a lender deal with greenberg for $361 and they threatened to sue him
23 minutes ago via mobile web

aandro
We just had a bid of $390 million from Cuban and a cut of the $12 million escrow.
25 minutes ago via web

dkaplanSBJ
cuban and crane just bid $390 mln and cut their escrow.
25 minutes ago via mobile web

Update 2: Photoshops in comment threat at Lone Star Ball.

Kickboxing Class

2010-08-04T06:00:00.008-05:00

Any day you can put up photos of Gina Carano (in red), and Kyra Gracie (in workout gear) is a good day.

Kickboxing Class:

it was me + 16 women + a woman instructor.

The woman instructor taught mostly exercise, plus a couple of self-defense moves, plus some inspiration to the students - including exhortation to really give it to the imaginary persons we were punching and kicking. We practiced various punches, kicks, throwing elbows, and also driving the palm of the hand through someone's nose. That palm of the hand thing can kill somebody pretty easily.

Uncomfortable. I do not wish to practice killing people with the palm of my hand. Plus, I am a big man. If I really throw myself into punching the imaginary person; if I really throw myself into deploying the palm of my hand into the underside of an imaginary person's nose: I would make a vicious and scary looking sight. I didn't come here to be a vicious and scary looking sight. I just came here to exercise.

I will not be going back to this class. Plus, I think this was instructor malpractice: the women in the class were not as strong or as expert as Gina Carano, and the instructor had no business building their confidence in their ability to prevail in a fight against a man. A self-defense class is one thing: it would discuss strategy and situational awareness; it would carefully practice what to do when. A woman can effectively defend herself in the right situations, and a true self-defense class will discuss what are the right situations to take such action. Conversely, our kickboxing instructor was taking a chance on creating foolish confidence amongst her students.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you are a woman, and you are worried about security in your home, do this:

1. Inspect your home and take common sense security precautions: outside lights, good locks, safe doors and windows, other smart protection.

2. Get a dog, and then train the dog. Then get a second dog and train that dog.

3. Pepper spray.

4. Purchase a gun, and learn to use it. Take a class.

5. If you still want more, investigate an alarm.

6. If you still want more, take a true self-defense class.

7. If you still want more, hire the security service.
8. If you still want more, move to a gated community.

In bidding for the Texas Rangers, Mark Cuban's possible outcomes are win, win, and probable win

2010-08-03T15:00:00.004-05:00

Update: Cuban bowed out of the bidding for the Rangers at the $600M level, and therefore Greenberg/Ryan will own the team as soon as MLB approves.

I made a mistake in the article below. I did not know that Cuban had only purchased $2M of Tom Hicks debt. Therefore, Cuban obviously paid as much or more ... in legal fees ... as he gained in profit from the sale price being raised by $85M. Cuban explains his side of the entire sale process at Blog Maverick. He only purchased the $2M in debt so he could gain access to the financial records of the Texas Rangers and the Dallas Stars. He first looked at purchasing the Rangers in 2009, but believed Hicks had included undesirable non Rangers related debt into his demands. This was a deal breaker for Cuban. In mid July 2010, Cuban learned that the bankruptcy process could eliminate the undesirable non Rangers related debts from the deal. This reignited Cuban's interest in owning the team. However, with Cuban having his own money tied up in various investments, and having only a few weeks in which to raise capital for the potential acquisition, the Cuban and Crane partnership was unable to raise more than $600M with which to bid for the team.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here's why: in 2009, Cuban bought some of the discounted Tom Hicks debt. Therefore, in thrusting himself into the bidding for the Rangers, Cuban's three possible outcomes are all wins:

1. Cuban loses the bidding.

Consider: by entering the bidding, Cuban has driven up the sale price of the Rangers by ... $50M? ... $100M? ... $200M? Therefore, Mark Cuban the creditor thus reaps a bigger return on his purchase of Tom Hicks' debt. Outcome: win for Cuban, triggered by Cuban shrewdly and aggressively jumping himself into the bidding process.

Note that Cuban could only be aggressive b/c Cuban is an expert on owning a professional sports franchise. Other creditors, due to their corporate ignorance of what it takes to be a successful professional owner, therefore could not trust their ability to put a proper value on the Rangers franchise, and therefore could not afford to be as aggressive as Mark Cuban.

No one seems to consider that Cuban could be bidding in order to drive up the price, and therefore in order to drive up the profit on his 2009 purchase of debt. There's no possible way to know, until tomorrow, what Cuban's true motives are. However, this is a logical motive which everyone in media seems to be overlooking.

2. Cuban wins the bidding, then gets his proposed ownership approved by MLB.

Win. Cuban now gets to own a franchise, i.e. do something at which he is expert. Further, Cuban eventually gets to use Texas Rangers games as programming for his HDTV Channel. If that happens, the Rangers' placement as prime tenants on HDTV would create wider appeal for the Rangers franchise: would thus increase the profits of and the value of the franchise. Add in that the Rangers are about to contend for World Series titles every year for the next decade, and HDTV exposure could result in the Rangers gaining a national audience, a la the Atlanta Braves in the early days of TBS. Mark Cuban's ownership might be the very best thing which could happen for the franchise.

Something else: Mark Cuban knows how to fill a venue to the brim with fans; knows how to create excitement around a franchise. Cuban is a born marketer.

3. Cuban wins the bidding, then gets denied by MLB

Outcome: probable win. In this scenario, if MLB awards the franchise to, for instance, Greenburg/Ryan, then I speculate MLB will insist that Greenburg/Ryan pay a price which is much higher than even the $540M which Greenburg/Ryan agreed to last week, and which was significantly more than the $502M which Greenburg/Ryan used as their bid over the last months. Cuban the creditor, even if he gets denied by MLB, still wins.

Separate note:

Nolan Ryan is speculated to be gone if Cuban wins. However: what else can Nolan Ryan say? If Cuban wins: Ryan may be gone, or Ryan may be interested in working with Cuban. No one knows. We do know that Ryan, at this moment, cannot possibly give any indication that he would be willing to work with Mark Cuban.

Realistically, anyone handicapping this issue would say that Mark Cuban and Nolan Ryan are oil and water. Ryan, however, can surprise. Once upon a time, Ryan was a big booster of pitching coach Tom House' unorthodox teaching techniques. No one, at the time, would have expected the meat and potatoes Ryan to endorse House' fruit and nuts methods.

As for Cuban, I expect him to be quite flexible re working with Ryan. Cuban is shrewd and adaptable. Cuban's mistakes are mistakes of enthusiasm. Cuban's are not mistakes of either intractability, or of I know better arrogance. Cuban's decision making process is shrewd and well considered. If Cuban seems hasty, it is often b/c - once he does make a decision - Cuban has the money and the confidence to immediately pull the trigger and go for it. Other organizations, both in sports and out of sports, usually take longer to implement actions which require big money and big risk.

Captured: America in color from 1939-1943

2010-08-03T06:00:00.001-05:00

http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2010/07/26/captured-america-in-color-from-1939-1943/?source=ARK_plog

Get out of my light bulb!

2010-08-02T06:00:00.002-05:00

Ann McElhinney:

“So when my husband and I came to America, we heard a story about conservatives. We heard that these conservatives are a really really weird lot. Nutjobs, basically. And these conservatives, they’re obsessed with sex. They’re obsessed with sex and they’re obsessed with what you’re doing in your bedroom. It’s all they think about. They’re just constantly worrying about what you’re up to in your bedroom.

But you know something? Since we’ve moved here, we haven’t found that. But what we have found is that liberals, are in every other room in your house. They’re in the fridge. They’re in your car. They’re in your air miles. They’re in your clothes. They’re in your hair. They’re in your cleaning products, and your washing machine and the refrigerator. They’re all over the place! And they’re in your light bulb! And I want to say them .. This is America! Get out of my light bulb!"

Friday Hot: Midwestern Niece

2010-07-30T06:00:00.004-05:00

For her hot swimming...

Kris-In-Law writes:

In her first season of swim team in the 8 and under group, she has successfully competed in every category offered in her age group: medley relay, free style relay, individual free, fly, breast, and back. Today she completed the individual medley race. Here is a picture of her during that race. She completed 25 meters each in fly, back, breast, and free!

Southern Brother and fellow Temple College coaches

2010-07-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

Southern Brother is on the right: #40, with the other two Temple College baseball coaches. Their team went to the NJCAA World Series this year in Grand Junction, CO. They lost, then won, then won, then lost. A respectable showing for a gritty team.

Southern Brother is 5'11". Coach Craig McMurtry, standing center, is just tall.

Batting instruction from a college baseball coach

Why are scores so high in the JUCO World Series?

Southern Brother's team wins regional tournament

Everything I know about batting

NAACP, via crying out an exculpatory claim, actually incriminates itself even more

2010-07-28T18:00:00.000-05:00

James Taranto in WSJ:

When [NAACP leader] Jealous defends himself [and the NAACP] by claiming to have been "snookered" by Breitbart, it calls to mind the politician caught in a sex scandal who says: "Yeah, I slept with the girl. But you can't believe her, she's a prostitute!" Far from being exculpatory, the accusation against the accuser makes the admission even more incriminating, especially if the accusation is true.

On the surface, Breitbart's attempt to expose the NAACP as corrupt was a spectacular failure. His charge against Shirley Sherrod turned out to be false. The corollary charge against the NAACP was false in this instance.

Yet the NAACP's leaders rushed to the conclusion that it was true. To the extent that they did so because they had faith in Breitbart's credibility, they merely acted stupidly. To the extent that they did so because the charge rang true to them, their behavior suggests that there is truth to the broader accusation of corruption.

The NAACP's actions in this matter have not been what one would expect from an organization that is confident in its own integrity. We surmise that Jealous and his colleagues don't want you to think about that, and that this is why they are so eager to shift the blame to those who "snookered" them.

From Cousin Sara: Homecoming

2010-07-28T06:00:00.006-05:00

I just saw my cousin, Sara, at her going away party, 3 weeks ago, on July 3. Sara is another of my beautiful girl cousins. Lah dee dah: I've got a million beautiful girl cousins. Their beauty and their density of number are amazing. When our family gets together, sometimes you can barely take a step w/o bumping into a beautiful cousin. A good number of them are End Zone commenter Emjay's granddaughters.

Anyway, a lot has happened in 3 weeks since July 3.

Sara's husband, Jon, is a U.S. Army lawyer. Jon is beginning service in Italy, so Sara and Jon left for their new home on July 5.

Sara has begun a heartwarming and entertaining blog. Today, the blog has quite a wonderful story: Homecoming. You'll be happy you looked at it.

Cousin (and niece and nephew) related:

Cousin Wedding Photos

Love Conquers My Girl Cousins

Watching Cousin Morgan Pitch

Cousins Kathleen and Taylor heckle the referees

Courtney the Irresistible

Sombrero Nancy

Cousin Blake gets decorated

Girl Cousins Everywhere

Radical Opposite of All Dead Things

They forgot Santa Claus

Future POTUS Piper Palin goes fishing and encounters bear

2010-07-27T18:00:00.005-05:00

Photos

A man I know had suites at Texas Stadium and at The Ballpark in Arlington. He took his grandson to the Cowboys game, and they had fun. He took his grandson to the Rangers game, and they had fun. He took his grandson, on a sunsplashed day, to a TCU Football game. Grandpa was having a fine time. He asked grandson: "Are you having a good time?" Grandson said: "Well, yes, Grandpa, but why are we sitting outside?"

Piper Palin's life reminds of this. I expect she will one day be on a fishing trip, and she will say: "This is fun, but where are all the cameras?"

Some Journolisters helpfully taught others the purpose of journalism

2010-07-27T12:00:00.001-05:00

Ed Morrissey:

Journolisters started debating whether the media should report on Fort Hood terrorist Nidal Hasan’s ties to radical Islamist terrorists. When Luke Mitchell of Harper’s argued that reporting on the ties would lead to something “alarmingly dangerous, such as the idea that there is a large conspiracy of Islamists at work in the United States,” Surowiecki reminded Mitchell and others of the entire purpose of journalism, emphasis mine:

“I find it bizarre that anyone would argue that an accurate description of what happened is somehow pointless,” Surowiecki said. “That is, that it’s not useful to offer up an accurate picture of Hasan’s actions because nothing obvious follows from it. We want, as much as possible, to have a clear picture of what’s actually going on in the world. Describing Hasan as a violent Islamist terrorist is much closer to the truth than describing him as a disturbed individual.”

One has to wonder why a journalist from Harper’s — and other publications — would need that reminder....

Government is not a multiplier of capital

2010-07-27T06:00:00.001-05:00

Ed Morrissey:

We have spent the past two years pursuing the policies that failed in the 1970s, such as large government interventions in labor and goods markets and the imposition of massive regulatory regimes intended to manage the economy from the top down. We’re ignoring the policies that succeeded in the 1980s that eventually provided the antidote to the Keynesianism of the Nixon-Ford-Carter years, and that touched off a massive expansion of the American economy.

The semi-annual review shows that the Obama administration still hasn’t learned its lesson. It’s akin to having a money-losing product but trying to convince the bank that you can make up the losses in volume sales. At its heart, Obamanomics holds a central flaw: the idea that government acts as a multiplier to capital rather than a diluter and destructor of capital. The more capital it confiscates for its central-planning economics, the less we have for real growth. Some government oversight is necessary to prevent fraud and theft, but even that doesn’t act as a multiplier for the capital it consumes; it’s merely the rational cost of doing business.

Barack Obama still hasn’t learned that, but the voters have begun to figure it out.

Journolisters studied how to frame the Trig story to best help Obama's election chances

2010-07-26T12:30:00.000-05:00

William A. Jacobson studies Journolister's interest in the "is Sarah Palin the mother of Trig" story. Journolisters were mostly concerned with how to frame the story so as to help Obama's election chances. Jacobson concludes:

The emerging picture of the Journolist is that it served as a place where like-minded people who had great influence on how the media portrayed events were able to coordinate their story lines for the benefit of the Obama campaign.

We saw the media bias on the surface; the Journolistas helped frame that bias below the surface.

Barack Protectors

2010-07-26T06:00:00.002-05:00

`

`

Timothy Dalrymple's Theory of the Missing Motive

2010-07-25T00:22:00.002-05:00

Timothy Dalrymple observes that h/s and university faculty are overwhelmingly on the left, and many students go through entire academic careers w/o hearing conservative ideas be addressed in any more than the most shallow, dismissive fashion. Major media is overwhelmingly on the left, and many Americans who consume major media go through their lives w/o hearing conservative takes on issues be addressed in any more than the most shallow and dismissive fashion. Many Americans simply do not understand what conservatives believe. Dalrymple: "Thus, the Theory of the Missing Motive applies," i.e. it becomes easy, when trying to understand conservative motivation, to mistakenly reach for shallow stereotypes: ignorant, greedy, bigoted, et al. Dalrymple concludes:

Even among educated liberals, few have more than a single-layered view of conservatism. They may know the conservative argument superficially, and they are armed with their own objections, but they are ignorant of how conservatives would respond to their objections. This is worse than knowing nothing at all, as it gives liberals the false impression that they have addressed and defeated conservatism. Yet they have only conquered a Potemkin village, where the people are thin and false.

[...]

Liberals consistently misinterpret what motivates conservatives because they really cannot see the world from the conservative perspective. Liberals cannot imagine that Tea Partiers are really motivated by concern for their country….

Thus, the Theory of the Missing Motive applies. Unable to see a rational and noble motive at the center of the Tea Party movement, liberals supply a darker and more convenient motive instead. Just as ancient cartographers wrote "there be dragons here" beyond the bounds of the world they knew, so liberals write "there be racism here" because the mind of the Tea Partier is undiscovered country in their map of the world. The Tea Party cannot be rationally and nobly motivated, the liberal believes, because the Tea Partiers are not rational and noble.

In other words, the problem is not that liberals dislike the principles promoted at Tea Party rallies. Most do not understand those principles. The problem is that liberals dislike the kind of people who go to Tea Party rallies.

Long before liberals rejected the placards, they rejected the people holding them.

Was it ethical for Tucker Carlson to publish the leaked Journolist info?

2010-07-24T14:38:00.007-05:00

~1~ Was it ethical for Tucker Carlson to publish the leaked info?

The answer partially hinges on whether or not a wrong was being committed. Opinion journalists were conspiring to use their professional platforms to suppress embarrassing info about Obama, to coordinate dissemination of memes about Palin, and to discredit any newspersons who embarrassed Obama. It's clear to me that wrongs were being committed – not by the existence of Journolist itself, but rather by the immoral actions of professionals who were shirking their professional duties to truthfully opine on the most important news; who were suppressing true opinion in service of political agenda. The unethical behavior of these opinion journalists is a big story – a big scandal – which will only fully set in as the truth about the unethical behavior seeps more and more into the consciousness of American citizens. Therefore, Tucker Carlson acted ethically in reporting the story.

Tucker Carlson:

"I don't think you can be a journalist and carry water for a politician, and that's what they were doing: 'Here's the line on Palin.' . . . These are political hacks, and I think they should stop calling themselves journalists. It discredits the rest of us."

Howard Kurtz of WaPo:

"But there is no getting around the fact that some of these messages, culled from the members-only discussion group Journolist, are embarrassing. They show liberal commentators appearing to cooperate in an effort to hammer out the shrewdest talking points against the Republicans -- including, in one case, a suggestion for accusing random conservatives of being racist."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"But there is no escaping the fact that some of the list's liberal literati come off sounding like cagey political operatives."

~2~ Was it ethical to for an insider to leak Journolist info to Tucker Carlson?

Tougher call. The leaker broke his word, yet did so in service of shining light on significant unethical behavior. My principles are this: once significant unethical behavior occurred, then the leaker was released from his commitment to keep the information secret. Your principles may be different. I say it was ethical for the insider to leak the info to Tucker Carlson.

~3~ How does the Journolist leak compare to the Palin emails leak?

The comparison of Journolist to Palin emails in an interesting initial thought. Yet, once fleshed out, the comparison does not hold up well.
First, the guy who stole the Palin emails broke the law; the Journolist leaker broke no law.

Second: the Journolist leaker was highlighting unethical behavior; the Palin email leaker was just releasing everything in a cast-a-wide-net hope to embarrass the candidate.

Third, in releasing the Palin emails, you create a lot of collateral damage amongst innocent civilians whose personal medical information, personal thoughts, personal prayers, and personal email addresses were put into the public domain. Journolist was about professionals who ought have calculated the risk of being on the list. The Palin emailers were rank civilians, most of whom never dreamed Palin would be on a Presidential ticket and thence targeted by the son of a Dem state senator. Most or all of those civilians had to change their email address, some had to make apologies to their friends for things said in private emails.

~4~ Is the contentious issue about "kicking around ideas in a bull session"?

No. Such is uncontentious. The issues were laid out in ~1~.

~5~ Is it a downside that anything a person puts in writing or says on video can be held against them?

No. Exposing oneself as a fool is a feature, not a bug.

~6~ What of professionals who undertake bland careers so as to not say anything which can later be used against them in a potential nomination, et al?

This is interesting, and I've considered this before. We're in a moment in media and societal history in which political demagogues can get away with a lot of mischaracterization; can overly influence voters via overemphasizing what ought be considered minor historical transgressions on the part of individuals, if such were even transgressions at the time they were committed. No human is perfect. For various reasons, at this moment in media and societal history, demagogues are able to overly punish other human beings for being human, i.e. for being imperfect, as every single human is. This moment shall pass. Until it does: nominees are being unfairly punished, and that is a shame; our nation is suffering a rash of bland, uncreative, uncharismatic nominees, and that is a shame.

~7~ Does an overplayed "scoop" invalidate the true scandals which have otherwise been reported?

From Kathleen Parker comes the idea that an overplayed scoop (about a UCLA Law Prof wanting to jerk a broadcasting license from Fox News) invalidates the true scandals which are being reported beside the overplayed scoop. Kathleen is engaged in fallacious reasoning.

~8~ What is "verbal ju jitsu"?

An excuse one flings out as cover for having gotten the worst of a reasoned argument.

~9~ Kathleen Parker: "Are we better off never having the ability to speak offhandedly among friends, to say in private what we could never say in public, to think aloud and uncensored?"

No. We are not better off. Yet, this Journolist scandal is not about that. The scandal is about professional opinion-journalists being engaged in unprofessional, unethical, immoral behavior, as explicated in ~1~. There is a difference. When Kathleen Parker misidentifies the scandal as being about mere offhand, private conversation + idea bouncing, then she either intentionally or unintentionally misleads her readers.

Friday Hot: Tamara Standard is Yoga Girl

2010-07-16T06:00:00.028-05:00

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Video on 6th Street in San Francisco.

Tamara draws us in. She is engaging, demonstrates leadership, is full of life, is sporting outstanding dental hygiene. We instinctively sense she will jump in beside us for life's activities: will hike to the top of the mountain with us, will jump in beside us for whatever needs doing - gardening, cleaning, whatever. Tamara is up for it.

A large part of Tamara's appeal generates from the balance, happiness, and energy which she derives from her yoga practice. Decent, well adjusted, regular American girls are more appealing than most of the celebrities which our culture celebrates. Tamara is more appealing than most any actress or model we could name (and is equally appealing with the rest!).

Tamara used to teach yoga, at Fort Bliss in El Paso, to the soldiers and their spouses. She loves Texas. We love anyone who loves soldiers and Texas.

Take a look, in the better light of the studio video at Tamara's website, at how strong she is: look at the definition in her shoulders and arms. If you were unfamiliar with the physicality of yoga, you might never suspect that Tamara is a very strong girl. Some yoga poses, which seemingly require expert balance, actually depend to a greater extent on coordinated strength amongst muscle groups. Tamara is strong throughout all her muscle groups. Such is difficult to achieve. We exercisers typically develop popular muscles, while accidentally ignoring less popular muscles. Yoga helps us be strong all over. Yoga is the healthiest workout I know of; is the most balanced and complete workout I know of.

Tamara envisions bringing yoga studios to economically depressed areas of SF. I stand beside her in saying yoga can help any of us turn our lives around. Yoga helps us be healthier - which triggers all types of positive benefits in capability, energy, stamina, brain chemistry (peptides; endorphins!), happiness, and more. Yoga is an effective tool for turning lives around - just as Alcoholics Anonymous is an effective tool for turning lives around, just as the Salvation Army is an effective tool, just as a good friendship or a good marriage are effective tools. If you want to take a look at Tamara's vision, her website has more info.

Update: excellent Facebook video, by Rosalyn Fay, in which Tamara explains her story. Also: Yoga Girl Facebook page.

Tamara's faith in yoga as armor reminds of Cha Cha's OODA Loop was tighter; her willing spirit reminds of Lisa Hannigan: I Don't Know [But I Am Game].

`

Super-determined little girls of summer

2010-07-15T06:00:00.004-05:00

Needing to complete a cell phone conversation: pulled off the road to watch soccer camp at TCU while I did so. Watched an 11 person team of 19-20ish year old camp counselors sequentially take on various age groups of campers in 10 minute scrimmages. At one point, an entire 18 girl team of 10-11ish year old girls charged onto the field, en masse, and played with endearing determination. There were so many of them on the pitch: they were like ants who played with supremely determined body language and flying pony tails. They chased the ball and the counselors all over the field. Their enthusiasm and energy never flagged. They were out there to give those counselors a serious game, and nothing was going to prevent their doing exactly that.

And thats all I have to say. I just really enjoyed watching those super-determined little girls of summer.

For some Arabs: hatred is their self esteem

2010-07-14T06:00:00.010-05:00

I have reasoned this: Arafat, in 2000, when offered 90% of all his demands by Ehud Barak at Camp David, rejected Barak's offer b/c Arafat's ultimate goal was to drive Israeli Jews into the Mediterranean.

Brigette Gabriel, Why Do Arabs Hate Israel?

I was raised in Lebanon where I was taught that the Jews are evil, Israel is the devil, and the only time we will have peace in the Middle East is when we kill all the Jews and drive them into the sea...

Shelby Steele suggests another motive for Arafat: to have accepted Barak's offer would have resulted in Arabs being forced "to forego hatred as consolation and meaning". Steele also mentions Arabs being forced to forgo victim status as explanation for lack of modernity.

I would reshape this last assertion, and here's why: Islam and tribalism, in many areas of life, actively oppose modernity. Therefore, I would say foregoing victim status would force Arab Muslims to forgo a beloved explanation for why Islam is not currently dominating the world, i.e. would force Arab Muslims into a reckoning about the supposed infallibility of the Koran and the Hadith, as well as into a reckoning about the continued viability of many tribal principles and values which are centuries old and are revered.

Arafat had two choices:
1] peace, and the inevitable religious and tribal reckonings which would follow; or
2] instigation of war.

Arafat feared the reckonings, and chose instigation of war. It's as simple as that. If, as consequence of war, Israeli Jews were eventually driven into the Mediterranean? Bonus! Thank goodness Arafat, the smiling lying evil murderous corrupt animal-sex pervert, is dead.

Shelby Steele:

Palestinians—and for that matter much of the Middle East—are driven to militancy and war not by legitimate complaints against Israel or the West but by an internalized sense of inferiority. If the Palestinians got everything they want—a sovereign nation and even, let's say, a nuclear weapon—they would wake the next morning still hounded by a sense of inferiority. For better or for worse, modernity is now the measure of man.

And the quickest cover for inferiority is hatred. The problem is not me; it is them. And in my victimization I enjoy a moral and human grandiosity—no matter how smart and modern my enemy is, I have the innocence that defines victims. I may be poor but my hands are clean. Even my backwardness and poverty only reflect a moral superiority, while my enemy's wealth proves his inhumanity.

In other words, my hatred is my self-esteem. This must have much to do with why Yasser Arafat rejected Ehud Barak's famous Camp David offer of 2000 in which Israel offered more than 90% of what the Palestinians had demanded. To have accepted that offer would have been to forgo hatred as consolation and meaning. Thus it would have plunged the Palestinians—and by implication the broader Muslim world—into a confrontation with their inferiority relative to modernity. Arafat knew that without the Jews to hate an all-defining cohesion would leave the Muslim world. So he said no to peace.

And this recalcitrance in the Muslim world, this attraction to the consolations of hatred, is one of the world's great problems today—whether in the suburbs of Paris and London, or in Kabul and Karachi, or in Queens, N.Y., and Gaza. The fervor for hatred as deliverance may not define the Muslim world, but it has become a drug that consoles elements of that world in the larger competition with the West. This is the problem we in the West have no easy solution to, and we scapegoat Israel—admonish it to behave better—so as not to feel helpless. We see our own vulnerability there.

Steele has more essay at the link, and it is smart stuff.

I'm pretty sure Jesus doesn't care what you do with semen

2010-07-13T06:00:00.005-05:00

This blogpost deserves a place inside the conversation about which The Bloggess post is the funniest: http://thebloggess.com/?p=1603

As always, profanity warning, along with every type of bad taste warning imaginable.

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Completely adorable twitpic of moving day.

Sample @TheBloggess tweets, from after she moves into a new house. Work from top to bottom:

We've been here 1 day and we've found 2 scorpions in our house. Stung once already. Stop being such an asshole, Texas Hill Country.
2:34 PM Jul 5th via web

No, I can't buy a chicken to curb the scorpion infestation problem because we also have a fox infestation problem.
2:47 PM Jul 5th via web

Ooh. Unless we had a TON of chickens so there were too many for the foxes to handle.
2:49 PM Jul 5th via web

Okay, text ads for sale for $75 *OR* a truckload of fast chickens.
2:50 PM Jul 5th via web

No, y'all. I can't get a lion to eat the foxes that eat the chickens that eat the scorpions. Because we have deed restrictions.
3:07 PM Jul 5th via web

The exterminator is here to murder all the scorpions. He did *not* bring a lion. I'm starting to question his expertise.
about 13 hours ago via web

@#$%!^&! The exterminator just accidentally let in a wasp. This whole thing seems counterintuitive.
about 12 hours ago via web

At the closest restaurant to our new house. They specialize in live bait, uhauls, and computer repair. And tacos. http://twitpic.com/231a2o
about 8 hours ago via Echofon

Holy shit. Some guy just walked in and yelled "Frank! I need some goddam worms!" at our waiter. He paid by check.
about 8 hours ago via Echofon

He paid by check. For worms. Also, our waiter's name is not even close to being "Frank". Oh Texas Hill Country, Never change.
about 8 hours ago via Echofon

Okay, I just had the best Mexican food in my life. Well-played, "Frank's bait & taco".
about 8 hours ago via Echofon

Sara Carbonero kiss

2010-07-12T16:30:00.002-05:00

Bringing the Sara saga full circle:

after the championship game...

Most adorable couple in existence? They're in the running.

Sara Carbonero distracting Spain goalie
Sexy World Cup Girls

Diagrams of a World Cup play

2010-07-12T06:00:00.005-05:00

Championship Game: Espana vs Netherlands, 3rd minute of overtime

Espana had ball inside Netherlands goal box; attempted two quick and short touch passes inside close quarters. Netherlands defended closely; gained control of ball; headed upfield on offense. Behind the play, the three Spanish players writhed on the ground in great pain: their arms flopped overhead, they rolled from side to side, they were obvious victims of vicious fouls by the Netherlands. Except, replays showed that none of the Spanish players were fouled; only one of them was even touched. The Spaniards, after writhing on the ground for some seconds - thence noticing they had not drawn fouls, and that Netherlands was approaching midfield with the ball - bravely jumped up and ran back to join in on defense.

Official diagrams: Espana in blue; Netherlands in orange

Scene One: Extreme close quarters; all players within 20 feet of each other; elapsed time of action = 1.5 seconds

Scene Two

The touches happened very quickly: touch touch interception, with all action happening inside 1.5 seconds, and immediately followed by the Spanish players going down, simultaneously, landing prone w/feet towards the center. Because the three Spaniards went down simultaneously, flailing their arms above their heads, therefore the Spaniards looked exactly like American football players doing the "grenade" celebration after a touchdown - as demonstrated, below, by the senior members of the 2006 Red Raider Marching Band:

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Almost psychic

2010-07-10T06:00:00.001-05:00

I just realized: during a Thus July 8 comment at this Baseball Time in Arlington post, I speculatively and accidentally predicted the Rangers preferred offer for Cliff Lee: Chris Davis + Blake Beavan. Like the Rangers, I would have been happy to do Chris Davis + Beavan, b/c I think Smoak is better suited for batting success in playoffs and World Series games.

Here was my comment at BBTiA:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I like the point that making the playoffs is worth $25-$30 Million to a franchise. However, thats also a reason keep the high value prospects and run off 6-8 seasons of deadly serious World Championship contention.

To some extent, the persons/media who say "sell everything and go for it this season!" are pessimists; are shell-shocked by decades of Rangers baseball futility. To some extent, these persons cannot envision a 6-8 year run of dominance; cannot envision a Rangers franchise being a massive baseball power over several consecutive seasons. These pessimists are thinking small. Think big!

I love Cliff Lee. A good trade is always a good trade. However, the Rangers control a number of players who could be monstrous good over time. I don't want to see those players depart. I like Chris Davis; I like Beavan. If we have to give up Davis + Beavan type prospects, I am thrilled with a trade. If we give up Holland type prospects, we are small minded pessimists and we deserve to continue in baseball futility.

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Oddly related:
I allllmost nailed a spectacular Texas Rangers prediction

I'm on a roll! My next prediction ..........
a workout shall happen at 8:30 this morning!
WEIRD. Lets SEE IF IT COMES TRUE...

Rangers acquire Cliff Lee, Mark Lowe, $2M

2010-07-09T17:30:00.007-05:00

For 1B Justin Smoak, AAA Starter Blake Beavan, AA Reliever Josh Leucke, AA 2B Matt Lawson.

I would not have made this trade. Smoak and Beavan are too talented to trade away for 2 1/2 months of Cliff Lee. If Cliff Lee signs here long term (a slim possibility, but a better possibility today than yesterday), then this trade will have been worth it.

That said, the Rangers could have given up more - a lot more. Am immediately intrigued by the secondary considerations.

Mark Lowe is a Francisco Cordero clone who ~~will heavily contribute to this season's pennant race and to any playoff games which occur~~ is recovering from back surgery and is likely out for this season. Lowe pairs a 95 mphish+ 2 seam fastball (which runs in on the hands of RH hitters - just as Cordero's does) with a sharp slider (reminiscent of Cordero's slider). Lowe has touched 98, and not infrequently. This is a World Championship quality reliever - a potential closer - whom the Rangers will control through the end of the 2012 season. Lowe went to high school in Sugarland and college at UTArlington, and therefore offers Texas/local appeal to Rangers fans.

Blake Beavan has a body and a fastball which are reminiscent of Colby Lewis. Also reminiscent of Lewis: Beavan has elite fastball control which he uses to set up all his other pitches. Losing Beavan is painful. He's going to go to Seattle and pitch 200+ innings for 6 consecutive seasons. He's going to make a couple of All Star Teams. He's going to kick the Rangers' derrieres season after season after season. I am going to hate it. Worse: Beavan is a local kid, hailing from Irving, TX. Rangers fans would have appreciated that aspect of Beavan; would have taken him into their hearts. Like Lowe, Beavan is a World Championship caliber pitcher. He's been overlooked and underrated by fans and media who follow the Rangers. He will rectify that - possibly as soon as April, 2011. Beavan will put some hurt on the American League West. Sooner, rather than later, Rangers media who have underrated Beavan will suddenly remember that they always knew he would be very good; they always wrote and said that he would be very good. When they remember that, I will laugh. Bitterly.

I've seen Leucke pitch. He came out of nowhere. He throws mid to upper 90s and has a slider. He's a nice prospect, and he's the type prospect the Rangers needed to package in a trade, as the Rangers are facing future 40 man roster problems.

Matt Lawson is a polished 2B in all aspects. He reminds, a bit, of Cubs 2B Ryan Theirot, insofar as both players are well rounded, can make all the plays, can handle the bat, are smart and gritty winning players, and do not have any one tool which wows you. Lawson, if he has the luck to find the right situation, could be a major league starter for some years. Lawson, also, is the type player the Rangers must trade in order to avoid future 40 man roster problems.

I would not have traded Smoak straight up for Cliff Lee. Smoak's approach at the plate is rare; is elite; is EXACTLY what any team needs in order to win in playoff situations. When it's the 8th inning of a close World Series Game, every single team in baseball needs a Justin Smoak coming to bat with runners on base. By approx. 2012, there won't be a single Ranger whom you would prefer to hit in that situation over Justin Smoak. Kinsler will be the best Rangers hitter in that situation, yet Smoak will be his equal. Nelson Cruz will be the second best Rangers hitter in that situation, yet Cruz will not be superior to Smoak. Elvis will equal Smoak in shrewdness in big situations, except Smoak will pack more power. Michael Young will not equal Smoak, and neither will the Rangers own flawed Achilles: Josh Hamilton. Losing Smoak is painful.

Onward. Cliff Lee is fabulous. Mark Lowe will be exactly what any franchise needs. Chris Davis is a Longview, TX boy whose defense is premium; whose offense is probably ready. The 2010 Rangers are solidly better, now, than they were 2 hours ago. And they were already a raucously talented ballclub.

Cliff Lee is from Benton, Arkansas. NO ONE from Benton, Arkansas is a New York City type of person. NO ONE. Cliff Lee is a natural Texas Ranger. Finish the sale of the club. Sign Cliff Lee long term. Pay the huge price. Get it done. It's worth it.

Rangers Starting Rotation for the pennant race:

Lee

Lewis

Wilson

Hunter

Holland

Nice.

Final note

It's not what I would do, but: the Rangers do retain the minor league depth to make another huge trade and still retain a stocked minor league system. I wouldn't do it, but the Rangers could do it, and it's something to keep in mind.

Friday Hot: Sexy World Cup Girls

2010-07-09T06:01:00.000-05:00

Keep scrolling.

Also

Sara Carbonero is vindicated: Spain is in the World Cup Final. And a lovely vindication it is.

Spain's coach, also, is vindicated after my criticism of his keeping his players away from wives and girlfriends. Although, I do wonder exactly what has gone on with his players during the last 3 weeks in S. Africa? Hmmm.

C.C. Sabathia vs Colby Lewis

2010-07-09T06:00:00.006-05:00

Through July 9, 2010

ERA

Sabathia 3.19
Lewis 3.33

Batting Average Against
Sabathia .227
Lewis .209

WHIP
Sabathia 1.15
Lewis 1.12

Innings Pitched
Sabathia 124
Lewis 110.2

Yielding to a threat usually fails

2010-07-08T18:00:00.000-05:00

“[I]f you yield to a threat, you do so in order to avoid war, and more often than not, you do not avoid war. For those before whom you have thus openly demeaned yourself by yielding, will not stop there, but will seek to extort further concessions, and the less they esteem you the more incensed will they become against you.”

– Niccolo Machiavelli, Discourses Book II, Chapter 14

I allllmost nailed a spectacular Texas Rangers prediction

2010-07-08T06:01:00.008-05:00

On June 6, I predicted the Texas Rangers would go 22-5 for the month. They went 21-6. Dang it. So close. What's really frustrating: they ought have been significantly better than 21-6, i.e. they ought have gone maybe 24-3. They underperformed by about 2-3 victories. Still, I do get the satisfaction of being proven to not be the insane person it appeared I was.

Here's why my predictions sometimes seem odd: I watch the Rangers for myself, I watch the players closely, and I form my own opinions. I don't rely overly on statistics; I don't rely overly on what "scouts" are saying. I rely on my own eyes. Therefore, my amateur opinions are often at odds with the "scouts", and are almost always at odds with the casual fan's opinion.

The casual fan, plus most media (such as Jennifer Engels of the Star-Telegram) are currently plenty frustrated by Justin Smoak, and are demanding that the .210 hitting Smoak be sent to the minors. I think Justin Smoak is going to be a star, mostly b/c he has a shrewd batting eye to pair with outstanding hitting ability. I think the frequency of Smoak's excellent at bats is very high for a rookie. I think Smoak has played a crucial role in the Rangers line-up: occupying the batting slot immediately in front of the light hitting catchers. Therefore, I think Smoak has been contributing this season in a way in which few of the free swinging Rangers could have contributed. I would not trade the .210 hitting Smoak straight up for 2 months of Cliff Lee, much less package Smoak with Holland, as most Cliff Lee fantasizers are speculating.

Anyway, when I watch with my own eyes, and give my own true opinions, sometimes my opinions are way out there and way wrong: I thought Ramon Nivar would be a star CF; thought Jason Botts would rake; thought Chris Young would become dominant.

Still, sometimes my opinions are better than the professional opinions. I knew the Ian Kinsler for Larry Walker trade was stupid (the Rangers weren't ready to win that season, therefore giving up Kinsler was stupid). I knew the John Danks trade was stupid (the Rangers weren't ready to win that season, either). I saw, with my own eyes, something seemingly no one else saw: the rookie Nelson Cruz was getting yanked around in and out of the line-up by an airheaded Ron Washington. Therefore, the rookie could not get comfortable and in a groove. Therefore, I knew putting Nelson Cruz on waivers was stupid. And I almost knew the Rangers were going to go 21-6 in June. I was thiiiiiis cloooooose. There's plenty of stuff I've missed on. But sometimes I get it more correct than Jon Daniels.

Current advice for Jon Daniels?

Forget trading for a pitcher this season. The price, which is giving up the best arms in the organization, is too high. Instead of giving away the future in a trade, Daniels should go with this rotation in August, September, and in the playoffs:

Colby Lewis
C.J. Wilson
Tommy Hunter
Derek Holland
Neftali Feliz

Holland and Feliz have better arms than Daniels could trade for. If they are starting pitchers during August and Sept, then they will be ready to be starting pitchers in the playoffs. Think Colorado in the 2008 World Series with the young starting pitchers. Thats the goal. Holland and Feliz are ready to meet that standard. Why in the world would the Rangers stand in the way of Holland and Feliz fulfilling their destiny? All I can figure: a prophet is never respected in his own hometown. The Rangers are undervaluing the readiness and the quality of their own talent.

Bullpen:

Francisco
Ogando
Oliver
O'Day
Harden (is ready to pitch better; is a natural reliever, imo)
Feldman
Harrison

Remember: you need a maximum of four starting pitchers during the playoffs. Therefore, the playoff bullpen could have another power arm during the playoffs, i.e. either C.J. Wilson, Feliz, or Holland.

Want still another power arm in the bullpen? How greedy are you? Well, you can have it: Tanner Scheppers. He'll be major league ready by August 1. Think of David Price's dominant pitching out of Tampa Bay's bullpen in the 2008 playoffs. Price first came to the major leagues as a September call up at the end of the 2008 regular season.

There is no need for Daniels to make a trade in which he must give up arms such as Hunter, Holland, Ogando, Scheppers, Martin Perez. The Rangers have spectacular young pitchers (Hunter, Holland, Feliz, Ogando, Scheppers) who are ready to succeed in the major leagues this season. Loosen the reins; let the horses run. Let Neftali Feliz out of the gate in the first inning!

Feds file suit against Arizona illegal immigration law

2010-07-08T06:00:00.003-05:00

Ace of Spades:

It is accepted constitutional law (whether you agree or not, it's accepted) that states cannot pass laws which conflict with federal law in areas of federal jurisdiction.

In this case, however, the Arizona law does not conflict with federal law; it in fact restates it.

[...]

So yes, federal law trumps state law, but does mere federal policy trump state policy, especially when federal policy is in fact at odds with its own stated law?

Can the feds basically argue that it's their policy to ignore the law and then demand that Arizona be instructed by the Supreme Court to follow them in their policy of ignoring the law?

Well, the feds obviously can and are arguing that. Can they win the argument? Maybe on grounds of national interest vis a vis immigration as a vital component of foreign policy? Except, if the Executive is set up as all powerful arbiter of immigration, then Legislative Branch power is usurped.

I say this case is a big deal. If the Executive doesn't want AZ enforcing law which is identical to existing federal law, then the Executive ought lead the Legislative Branch into changing existing federal law into something which the Executive finds palatable. I say the Legislative Branch can lawfully curtail the actions of the State of Arizona. The Executive cannot. This federal lawsuit must fail: the State of Arizona deserves to prevail.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bonus: from PJTV, my favorite Barack spoof so far.

Bill Whittle said the one thing Barack cannot weather is the public laughing at him. Because Barack is propped up as a super intelligent transcendent savior, therefore Barack is set up for a catastrophic Humpty Dumpty fall; for public ridicule via a "the King has no clothes" moment; for a pull back the curtain on the Wizard of Oz moment of clarity. Barack can weather heated criticism. What he cannot weather is scornful laughter from his public. He cannot weather being made to look ridiculous. A transcendent savior barely gets to look mortal; definitely does not get to look ridiculous.

If the public begins to scornfully laugh at Barack, things could go really bad for him in a hurry. Really, deeply bad. The only supporters who would remain for him would be the same bleeding hearts and/or race-first supporters who believed OJ was innocent.

`

Geico's Abe Lincoln commercial is an instant classic

2010-07-07T06:00:00.008-05:00

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New Black Panthers voter intimidation: the case against the DOJ just got legs

2010-07-07T05:59:00.003-05:00

Wow. Wow wow wow. On video, Mr. New Black Panther exclaims:

"I hate white people! All of them. Every last iota of a cracker, I hate em.

[...]

You want freedom? You gonna have to kill some crackers! You gonna have to kill some of they babies!"

Jennifer Rubin has done the reporting legwork on the DOJ's dismissal of the case they had already won against the New Black Panthers. In a comprehensive article on June 21 in The Weekly Standard, Rubin covered the damning actions of the DOJ, then zeroed in the biggest issue:

While the interference by political appointees in the NBPP case has been egregious, there is a critical issue with implications far beyond this single case: Whether the attorneys who populate the civil rights division of the Justice Department believe that civil rights laws exist only to protect minorities from discrimination and intimidation by whites.

[...]

Former voting rights attorneys confirm that the belief is omnipresent in the Justice Department. DoJ attorneys openly criticized the Panther case, objecting not to any lack of evidence or to the legal arguments but to the notion that any discrimination case should be filed against black defendants. There are instances of attorneys refusing to work on cases against minority defendants. In 2005, for example, Coates pursued, filed, and won a case (upheld on appeal to the Fifth Circuit in 2009) of egregious voter discrimination by black officials in Noxubee County, Mississippi. Colleagues criticized Coates for filing the case and refused to work on it.

Liberal civil rights lawyers argue that because “a history of official discrimination” can be one subsidiary factor in voting cases it “wipes out every other factor” and prohibits cases from being brought against blacks. And further, that since “socio-economic” factors can be considered in determining whether voting discrimination has occurred, these cases cannot be brought against black defendants until there is economic parity between blacks and whites. Such attorneys use phrases like “traditional civil rights cases” and “traditional civil rights victims” to signal that only minority victims and white perpetrators concern them. Justice sources tell me that career attorneys have been “assured” that cases against minority defendants won’t be brought.

Update: three DOJ officials come forward to vouch for the veracity of whistle blower J. Christian Adams.

`

I noticed a woman at the dog park

2010-07-06T06:00:00.005-05:00

She finished an intense conversation on her cell phone, and she seemed shaken. I asked, "Are you okay?" She said, "I'm okay. It's just ... when you've been married for 25 years ... it's so hard to fight."

Maria McKee, at the apex of her beauty and skill:

Back to the dog park:

I said, "Not to minimize, at all, what you are going through, but: if your relationship was always easy, you wouldn't like it. Nobody would. The difficult part is what makes it interesting, and worthwhile."

Presumptuous. A cardinal sin in this situation is to say anything which seems anything at all like trying to solve the other person's problem. Another cardinal sin is to say anything which could have come off of a bumper sticker. So sue me. She did seem to appreciate the sentiment, and therefore I have hopes she truly did appreciate it.

After, I realized at least one person did need to hear the bumper sticker slogan: me. I needed to hear that the hard part is what makes it great. It's an obvious thing, yet I had forgotten it. Life is funny: the lady aided me.

"Everything has already been said, and well said; but one must always recall it anew." .... -Frithjof Schuon

Baby Its Cold Outside - Norah Jones and Willie Nelson

2010-07-05T06:00:00.002-05:00

Willie is a master of phrasing, and of putting authenticity and humanity into his performances. Norah is a master of phrasing, and she's working on that other thing, with pleasing results..

I wrote about Norah in March 2008:

The first thing to notice about Norah is her immense talent. Much of her performance is in her soulful intonations. The second thing to notice is that Norah sings for people who love music. She doesn't perform for the larger audience, as Johnny Cash did so well. Why?

Like a lot of famous girl singers: Norah is a naturally shy girl. Watch the song below: her eyes do not connect with audience as she sings - a signal of shyness. Watch, also, at the very end, when the applause flows. At a moment when most country music girls would be greeting the applause with ebullient, gleaming smiles: Norah seems almost embarrassed. Culture may be a factor: Norah is Indian, and Indians are modest about public display. Also, Norah may simply consider bigger performance to be artistically ungraceful. When you are as talented as Norah Jones, you simply let your talent flow out, and you let audience members experience it as they will.

Norah may not realize it, but there are millions of $ waiting for her if she ever goes full out into country music. Or, she may realize it and just not care. She lives in a not-too-large apartment in NYC. She has comfortable income, she has close friends in the city, and she plays at and haunts NYC nightspots most nights of the week. There, she can play and try out any new or experimental type of music which catches her fancy; can go to a club where she is known, and ask if she may play a set or two.

Encore example of Norah and "performing": a duet with Keith Richards[fast forward to the 2:00 minute mark]. He is old, wrinkled, lecherous; she is young, beautiful, modest. He can't sing; she can. He pulls her in close to his old man breath; she bravely sings through it.

HOWEVER, Keith Richards, from 18 inches away, is giving Norah Jones a lesson in performing. Love HURTS, and you can feel it in everything about his outstanding performance. He is performing; she is being careful to hit correct notes. The difference is easy to see. He, with a lifetime lived, with a lifetime of performances under his belt, is conveying the essence of the song. I don't know if she notices the lesson, or if she cares about the lesson. But she should. I like to think she does, and that she is gradually maturing both as a person and as a performer.

The End Zone likes girl singers:

Maria McKee
Desiree Bassett: Best Girl Guitarist
Imelda May:
1) "Don't You Do Me No Wrong", & "I've Got a Lover",
2) "Johnny Got a Boom Boom", & "Big Bad Handsome Man"
Daniela Mercury
Lisa Hannigan
Joan Baez:
1) w/ Earl Scruggs: "Love is Just a Four Letter Word",
2) "Diamonds and Rust"
Lady Gaga and Elton John at 2010 Grammys
Duffy
Jenny Silver
Brandi Carlile
Brandi Carlile and Norah Jones
Norah Jones and Willie Nelson: Baby Its Cold Outside
Kelly Clarkson
Carrie Underwood has perfect balance in her batting stance.
Julianne Hough has booty.
Susan Boyle: Les Miserables, "I Dreamed A Dream"

Friday Hot: Salma Hayek World Cup Fan

2010-07-02T06:00:00.005-05:00

Fan of snakes, no. Fan of futbol, si.

Viva Italia

Paraguayan cell phone holders are expensive

My country tis of thee

Classic Friday Hot: Salma Hayek in Cannes

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Ya can't make this stuff up - recurring MSM edition

2010-07-01T18:00:00.004-05:00

Newsweek Magazine is watching subscribers sprint away, is hemorrhaging millions of $ a year in losses, and therefore is up for sale in exchange for anything anyone will offer. Ya got an old TV? Toss it to WaPo, and they will sell you Newsweek Magazine.

Unless you are politically conservative. Newsmax Magazine made a bid which was rejected by WaPo for this reason: Newsmax magazine is too conservative. Bolding and coloring is mine:

[T]he issue for the Post Company has become whether it can find a new owner that the company’s chairman and chief executive, Donald E. Graham, believes will be a suitable steward for the magazine.

That is the main reason the Post Company decided not to entertain offers from Newsmax or Mr. Ritchie, according to these people. The conservative political ideology of Newsmax’s chief executive, Christopher Ruddy, is at odds with the editorial bent of Newsweek, which strives to be apolitical in its news coverage though is often criticized as left-leaning.

Ya can't make this stuff up. All of the above is reported by NYT with an absolutely straight face. And with utmost professionalism, we may be assured. If, a month ago, you had publicly proposed that WaPo would defraud her stockholders - via blatantly walking away from an intensified bidding war and resultant potential profit - so as to promote ideology, the left would have savaged you as a frothing insane Ann Coulter-style extremist.

Oil Spill Video Timeline of Obama Nonresponse

2010-07-01T06:00:00.003-05:00

which absolutely slams Pres. Obama upside the head with the reality of his own nonaction.

Oil Spill Timeline from RightChange on Vimeo.

For political reasons, Obama and allies act as if the oil spill is mainly about failure to plug the leak. Media pick up this meme, refresh it, and muddle things in cynical fashion. It is not failure to plug the spill which drives us really crazy. What drives us really crazy is failure to handle the clean-up in anything which approaches competent and responsible fashion. At this point, even mediocrity would be welcome, yet mediocrity is nowhere to be found. Things are much much much worse than mediocrity. Mediocrity is a seemingly impossible dream.

Pres. Obama said "we will not rest" until this problem is solved. Yeah, right.

Unlike Pres. Obama, Governor Jindal is not resting until the problem is solved. Unlike Pres. Obama, Governor Jindal is on top of and has an easy command of the facts; is not afraid to tell the facts, and in the process of telling the facts is not afraid to criticize the feckless U.S. Government in multiple areas.
This audio of Governor Jindal is well worth a few minutes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Richard Fernandez:

To ask [about Candidate Obama's qualifications and history] was deemed churlish. UnAmerican. Bigoted.

[T]he President was presumed a capable executive because he ran a campaign. The proof was entirely circular, but through some peculiar myopia no real questions were asked. To demand the sealed transcripts, to ask about the absence of articles for the Harvard Law review, to raise the non-existent legislative record was deemed churlish. UnAmerican. Bigoted. The fact that he had come so far was proof that he was qualified to come so far. And there the matter rested.

[...]

Barack Obama’s incompetence, if indeed he is incompetent, results directly from a flawed political and media process that allowed such a candidate to go forward. It’s a failure of quality control. It’s an indictment of the gatekeepers and of the media in particular.

Now, MSM are protecting Pres. Obama via pretending public anger at the White House is largely about inability to plug the leak. This meme is a lie. MSM's proactive promotion of this lie amounts to a media scandal which is hiding in plain sight. MSM protected Candidate Obama, and are now protecting Pres. Obama. MSM are calling down a reckoning upon their own heads.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related:

Terry Anderson in WSJ on close-in oil drilling:

[M]ore onshore [oil] development would certainly be safer. In early June there was a blowout in western Pennsylvania. Did you see it on the nightly news? No, because it was capped in 16 hours. The Texas Railroad Commission, the state agency that regulates oil and gas production there, recorded 102 blowouts of oil and gas wells since the start of 2006, resulting in 10 fires, 12 injuries, and two deaths. None of those made the nightly news either. The largest oil spill on Alaska's North Slope in 2006 was from a pipeline leak. It dumped only 6,357 barrels and had no disastrous impacts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A lot could be said about the following clip, in several areas and in several respects, and both positive, negative, and humorous. Mainly, Bill Clinton is more relaxed and more interesting than when in office.

Watching Pres. Clinton, one realizes most executives would be more effective than Barack Obama. Even Bill Clinton, when measured against Barack Obama, is a comparative selfless patriot and a massively more effective executive. If most U.S. Presidents had been as helpless and ineffective as Pres. Obama, then Pres. Clinton would already be on Mount Rushmore.

Related End Zone:

Oil Spill Obama Incompetence

Kindra Arneson communicates inside information about BP response

Happy Birthday Bro 64!

2010-06-30T06:00:00.005-05:00

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Bro 64 will be pleased if we today feature his daughter, aka Midwestern Niece.

<== Here she is, front left, with her 1st Grade soccer team.

Here she is, maybe in 2nd Grade, dangling during a school circus ==>

<== Here she is doing the breast stroke. She has won 3 ribbons in swimming events during this summer before she enters 3rd Grade.

During this missive: Bro 64's Classic Family Thanksgiving , Bro 64 relates Midwestern Niece's exasperation that boys would make a big deal out of receiving mere pokes from her fists of medium fury. Boys are wimps, for sure.

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Desire and Logic; Buda, TX

2010-06-29T18:00:00.000-05:00

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Did you know Buddha is a separate entity from Budha? Until today, I did not know it. Buddha is the major figure which I formerly thought of as either Buddha or Budha. In actuality, Budha is a minor figure.

Must mention, again, my fervent wish that the next high school in Buda, TX will choose "Belly" as their mascot. Buda Bellies. All their teams would wear cut off shirts which show their bellies. Cheerleaders would show their bellies. Fans would wear cut off shirts in solidarity. Buddha statue in the park for children to climb on. Bellyfest: a town festival celebrating 6 pack abs, Buddha style bellies, abdominal crunches, and the crowning of "Miss Buda Belly". If there is a mascot god in heaven, this will happen.

h/t Maggies Farm

Issues are of no consequence to organizers: it's all about building a socialist movement

2010-06-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

Occam's Beard comments at neoneocon:

Environmentalism isn’t about the environment.

Feminism isn’t about women.

Peace groups aren’t about peace.

Free speech groups aren’t about free speech.

Civil rights groups aren’t about civil rights.

Homosexual marriage isn’t about homosexuals.

Human rights groups aren’t about human rights.

Organized labor isn’t about the working man.

These are all merely wedge issues to mobilize the useful idiots to “build a mass movement.” The issues themselves are of no consequence to the organizers. Angela Davis once chided me in my pre-Damascene conversion era for not realizing this.

Consider the competing hypotheses:

1. The organizers and decision makers of each group above actually care first and foremost about issue.

In this case we should be able to predict their response based on what has happened.

2. The organizers and decision makers of each group above actually care first and foremost about building a socialist movement – and merely employ the issue as a vehicle to do that.

In this case we should be able to predict their response based not on what has happened, but rather on its effect on advancing socialism.

Hypothesis #1 would predict that environmentalists would be howling about the oil spill and Chinese pollution, and would have howled about the Aral Sea and Chernobyl, that feminists would have howled about the treatment offered Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, Condoleeza Rice, and Monica Lewinsky (not to mention women in Islamic countries), that civil rights groups would have howled about the treatment offered Clarence Thomas and Condoleeza Rice, that peace activists would have howled about Soviet SS-20s back when, and would be howling now about Obama’s continuing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, that human rights groups would be howling about, well, most of the world outside the US and Europe.

Hypothesis #2 would predict that the response of each of the groups above would depend on the political affiliation of the dramatis personae, rather than just the facts of the case. Environmental catastrophe? Is America in any way involved, or be made to look responsible? If yes, is there any way to lay this at door of patriotic Americans, Republicans, or corporations? If yes, break out the papier mache heads. If no, forget it. Aral Sea, Chernobyl, Chinese pollution…yawn.

In each case, hypothesis #2 stomps hypothesis #1 and leaves it for dead. Hypothesis #1 simply does not comport well with the data, and therefore must be rejected in favor of hypothesis #2, which uniformly predicts the experimentally observed outcome.

In the same comments section, Steve G.:

Environmentalists are now known as watermelons. Green on the outside; red on the in.

McDonald vs Chicago

2010-06-28T18:00:00.000-05:00

McDonald wins!

Researcher John Lott says the murder rate has gone up in every city which has banned handguns. Put another way: there exists not a single city which has banned handguns and which has subsequently had their murder rate either decrease or even stay the same. In every instance, the murder rate has increased. What more evidence do you need?

Classics: Walter Johnson and Cleveland Indians 1933 Uniform

2010-06-28T06:00:00.003-05:00

Modeled by 1933 Indians Manager, and Hall of Fame pitcher, Walter "Big Train" Johnson.

via UniWatch

Totally Awesome Video of Various Reactions to Landon Donovan's Goal

2010-06-26T06:00:00.002-05:00

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Go USA. Beat Ghana!

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Dallas Cowboys Uniform Change Crisis!!!

2010-06-25T16:00:00.005-05:00

The Chinese word for "crisis" equates to "danger + opportunity".

B/c of HDTV, the Dallas Cowboys are looking into tweaking the shade of their metallic green pants:

"When fans go to our home games in person the No. 1 grief we hear about is the green pants," says Cowboys vice president of merchandising Bill Priakos. "Now we're hearing it from fans watching on TV because of HD. It's too realistic."

On old-school TV, Cowboys' green came across silver. On HD TV, Cowboys' green comes across, well, green.

The solution might be a rare, subtle uniform tweak.

"Nothing's set in stone," Priakos says. "But we want the pants to look silver, to be consistent to every fan no matter if they're at the game or watching on TV, whether we're home or on the road. Of course, we'll never change the home white jerseys or the helmets, but we're experimenting with some different shades in the pants."

It is dangerous to tweak classic uniforms -- it would be iffy even if genius Hall of Fame GM Tex Schramm were doing the tweaking.

An aside:

<== Note the blue jersey, courtesy of the great Texas E. Schramm:

it is the greatest shade of blue ever worn by the Cowboys. It is dark, dark, dark, and yet, seemingly impossibly: also bright!

Note the super shiny silver pants, also courtesy of Tex Schramm.

This combo was uniform greatness. I mourn it's passing.

Southern Brother is a uniform professional. Read his insider details about how Tex Schramm assembled this uniform.

Having Jerry Jones do the uniforms tweak scares me to death. When Jerry Jones first bought the team, he wanted to change the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders costumes. A man like that lacks fashion sensibility. He builds a great stadium, but he needs to step away from the fabric.

Dallas Cowboys white uniforms are plain, with quirkiness. Much of the quirkiness has to do with mishmashed colors which are especially designed for television effect: the navy on the helmets does not match the true blue of the jersey numerals does not match the more royalish blue of the stockings; the metallic silver of the helmet does not match the metallic green of the pants.

The white uniforms are classics because we've more or less been looking at the same uniforms for 50 years. Both the plainness and the quirks have become part of American folklore. Are the Yankees uniforms fancy? No, they are plain, and they've become folklore. Dodgers uniforms? Plain, and they've become folklore. Green Bay Packers uniforms? Plain, and they've become folklore.

If you change the Dallas Cowboys uniforms more than the tiniest and most innocuous tweak: you risk losing folklore status and being left with plain uniforms which are nothing special and which do not set anyone's heart racing when they gaze upon them.

What of the quirks in the Dallas Cowboys uniform? Nowadays, b/c we are familiar with the quirks, the quirks enjoy "so ugly they are pretty" status. However, damage the folklore status and the quirks become merely "ugly." Yuck.

I will not stand against the idea of tweaking the color. The pants color has actually been tweaked several times over the decades. I do say this: the tweak must be handled with great sensitivity, taste, discretion, vision for the future. Less is more; exactly or closely matching uniform colors are overrated. You want a look to which the eye is attracted, i.e. an aesthetically pleasing look, and do not need exact matching colors to achieve this objective. Blending and contrasting several colors - pulling the colors together in a way which is pleasing to the eye, can easily be a superior option. The Cowboys whites would lose something if the blended colors were too closely or too exactly matched. The Cowboys whites would become undistinctive; bland. They would become - shudder! - common.

A crisis moment. Danger + Opportunity. I'm completely nervous.

Related End Zone:

ESPN's Paul Lukas Studies Dallas Cowboys Uniforms

More Cowboys Uniform Dish

Friday Hot: The Recently Deflowered Girl

2010-06-25T06:00:00.006-05:00

by Mel Juffe and Edward Gorey

Thanks to Darleen Click

Friday Hot Classic: Sweet Patti Ann Browne

Kindra Arnesen communicates inside information about BP response in Louisiana

2010-06-24T14:00:00.002-05:00

I've been to South Louisiana numerous times. Ms. Arnesen is typical of the kind of person you will find who lives inside the fishing culture of that region. These are smart, hard-working, resourceful people, and these are patriotic Americans. They are being devastated, right now, in slow motion, before our very eyes.

Disclose.tv - louisiana resident speaks about BP Video

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June 23, 2010: one of the great sports days ever

2010-06-24T06:00:00.003-05:00

in the order of my excitement:

R.A. Dickey!!! threw 8 scoreless against Tigers; now has 6-0 record and 2.20 ERA as New York Met!!! I've always said: R.A. Dickey's true destiny is to be a dynamic and charismatic star who electrifies New York City. Anyone coulda seen it coming.

Update: Harold Reynolds analyzes R.A. Dickey's success, concludes: "This is a great story".

TCUnbelievable, facing elimination from the College World Series, scores 8 in the 8th to overcome a 7-3 deficit for an 11-7 victory. TCU has been adopted by Omaha CWS fans as this year's Cinderella who is fun to root for.

Texas Rangers win their 10th in a row. Ogando! Ogando threw 1 inning in his 1st appearance, 2 scoreless in his 2nd appearance, 3 scoreless (on 25 pitches!) in his 3rd appearance. Clearly, he needs to start!

Landon Donovan. Fun moment for U.S. soccer fans, and instantly the most famous goal in U.S. Soccer history. Donovan slips into frame like a thief: as if he is moving in to grab a woman's handbag and then run away with it towards the corner flag.

U.S. fans in Lincoln, Nebraska react to the final 90 seconds of the match:

The tension in a World Cup game is notable. The veteran Donovan cried and cried during postgame interviews. He's spent a career working to get the United States to this point.

Wimbledon: American John Isner and Frenchman Nicholas Mahut are playing the longest match in Wimbledon history: 9 1/2 hours, and still it goes on. Hilarity in the London Guardian live blog of the day - just scroll down: http://is.gd/d0Wu8

Friday Hot: Summer Rules

2010-06-23T12:00:00.001-05:00

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from summerrules.tumblr.com/

Bonus! Via Copenhagen Cycle Chic: ocean and bicycle, summer and love

Ocean On Bicycles from runrobot on Vimeo.

What is the foundation of President Obama's foreign policy?

2010-06-23T10:00:00.013-05:00

Paul at Powerline is not the first to note President Obama's seeming contempt for nations which have recently displayed loyal friendship towards the United States:

As far as I can see, there is only one thing that unites Britain, Israel, India*, and Colombia (along with certain former Soviet bloc counties like Poland towards which Obama has also demonstrated ambivalence) - their friendship with the United States. Thus, I think we should presume that Obama's contemptuous approach to these countries is a reflection of his profound misgivings about his own country. To him, it may well seem that any nation seeking close ties with an entity as deeply flawed as the United States is not worthy of respect.

Is Paul's conclusion a bit far out and wacky? Can you think of a better explanation for President Obama's foreign policy actions?

The infant/child/teen Barry Obama was inculcated with a belief that success and power only occur via unfair exploitation. President Barack Obama retains this foundational view of humanity and of life - including holding the belief that national success and power only occur due to unfair exploitation of less powerful peoples and nations. President Obama believes this: over the last century or so, if all nations had acted fairly towards each other, then all nations would today be enjoying equal wealth and equal power on the world stage. Therefore, I suspect President Obama has profound misgivings about:

-- the United States
-- any nation which becomes wealthy and powerful
-- any nation which is a loyal friend to any nation which becomes wealthy and powerful.

President Obama believes such nations, entities, societies, and peoples are greedy schemers who unfairly exploit the less powerful. President Obama surrounds himself with like minded persons, and the meme about unfair exploitation informs United States foreign policy.

God help us, and I am not speaking rhetorically.

Separately, Pres. Obama’s belief about power only occurring via unfair exploitation thus explains Pres. Obama’s own easy willingness to play by Chicago Rules. Pres. Obama knows this as certainly as he knows the sun rises in the east: even he cannot rise without unfairly exploiting people and situations along the way. Therefore, Pres. Obama eagerly bends rules and exploits people. He’s doing it for our own good! He is virtuous that way.

*related: source of Pres. Obama's beef with India?

Case study: Honduras

President Obama's inculcated belief about unfair exploitation allows him to believe:

rich Hondurans are unfairly exploiting poor Hondurans on a massive scale, and
the solution to this unfair exploitation is ....... wait for it ......... waaiit ........... socialist dictatorship!

President Obama's inculcated beliefs (along with his Chicago Way political habits) mean President Obama cannot see the bright light of Honduran democracy shining amidst Latin American jungle; mean he cannot see brave and heroic Honduran statesmen who believe democracy is the best solution to human deprivation and suffering. President Obama is blind to these wonders. President Obama can only see exploitation and corruption; can only see a red diaper dictatorship solution (which - the "dictatorship" part of that solution amounts to self flattery by Obama).

If you are a ~~hammer~~ hammer and sickle, then all the world are ~~nails~~ capitalist exploiters.

More End Zone:

Why is the United States punishing Honduras?

Senator DeMint, God bless him, goes to Honduras

What the United States is doing to the Honduran people is a damnable and barely believable miscarriage of justice

This month, Josh Hamilton is the best baseball player in the world

2010-06-23T06:00:00.010-05:00

and 2nd place is not even close. During June, Hamilton has been Barry-Bonds-on-steroids good. 2 weeks ago, Hamilton was co-player of the week. Last week, Hamilton hit for a .583 batting average - with power, and finished second in player of the week voting to Carl Crawford's .381 batting average?! What?! Hamilton is so scorching hot the Player of the Week people have to ignore him just to give someone else a chance. Hamilton's June numbers: 19 games, .476 batting average, 8 HRs, 26 RBIs.

Also, Hamilton's production has been in key situations, i.e. he hasn't feasted on a weak pitcher and collected 6 RBI in a game or anything. Time and again, Hamilton has delivered key hits. The Rangers have won 9 in a row (8 on the road). Hamilton has carried the offense like Juan Gonzalez in his heyday. Or, actually, better than Juan in his heyday - which is no knock on Juan, who was, for a few seasons, an awesome offensive force.

Josh Hamilton goes 5 for 6 in Sunday's 10 inning 5-4 comeback victory in Houston. Hamilton got an RBI in the 9th to tie the game 4-4; then got the winning RBI in the 10th inning of the 5-4 victory.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yesterday, the complicated bankruptcy and potential sale of the Rangers' franchise took one tiny yet definite step forward.

If the Rangers sale to the Nolan Ryan group is not completed before the late July MLB trade deadline, it increases the chances the Rangers will hold on to their high ceiling prospects this season, as opposed to tossing those high ceiling prospects into trades for rent-a-players.

Veteran DFW sports media - Randy Galloway being the worst offender - are loudly campaigning for the Rangers to ditch their prospects and go for the World Series this year. This is exactly the level of thinking which brought Lee Mazzilli to Arlington in exchange for Ron Darling and Walt Terrell; exactly the level of thinking which brought Harold Baines to Arlington in exchange for Sammy Sosa and Wilson Alvarez; exactly the level of thinking which tried to give away Kinsler for 2 months of a fat and ancient Larry Walker; exactly the level of thinking which gave away Chris Young and Adrian Gonzales for nothing; exactly the level of thinking which gave away Danks for Brandon McCarthy; exactly the level of thinking - by the Atlanta Braves - which allowed the Rangers to bring in Andrus and Feliz and Harrison and Saltalamacchia in exchange for Teixeira and Ron Mahay. Veteran DFW sports media have been in Arlington for all those trades, yet apparently have learned nothing. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me in 6 separate seasons, and I must be veteran DFW sports media.

If the Rangers find the right deal(s) this season, then it's okay to go for the World Series this season. A good trade is always a good trade. However, it's also okay for the Rangers to make progress step by step and year by year, i.e. it's okay for the Rangers to make the playoffs this season and yet fail to win the World Series.

Galloway acts as if year by year progress would be a huge disgrace. Galloway wants to immediately jump from perennial also ran to world champion, and anything less is travesty. Galloway shouts: "Prospects are currency!!", w/o having any apparent appreciation for the onfield value which prospects Holland, Scheppers, Strop, Beltre, Beavan, Martin Perez, Saltalamacchia, Chris Davis, and Mitch Moreland will soon provide; w/o having apparent appreciation for the role which former prospects Borbon, Cruz, Andrus, Kinsler, Smoak, Feldman, Hunter, Feliz, Ogando, O'Day, and Harrison are playing in getting the Rangers to their current level of excellence as a baseball team; w/o having apparent appreciation for the 8 year or so run of baseball excellence upon which the Rangers franchise is about to embark (if the franchise does not toss away it's high ceiling prospects). Galloway and friends cannot conceive of a multi year run of Texas Rangers baseball dominance. Galloway quotes Earl Weaver: "do what you must to win this year; worry about next year next year." Galloway is a brittle extremist. Even Earl Weaver would not throw away the Rangers future for a crap-shoot run at a title this season. Earl Weaver, irascible and impatient as he was, was nevertheless a baseball man: Earl Weaver would not have lightly tossed away the future of the franchise. Randy Galloway and his controversy-seeking friends are simultaneously small minded, foolish, and full of Shiite.

#1 on Google search of "rock chunking"!

2010-06-22T06:00:00.004-05:00

Today is the 1 year anniversary of this post:

Baseball Ensures American Rock Chunking Supremacy Over Non-Baseball Nations

I have, in the 1 year, frequently recommended the post, b/c the post makes me smile and laugh. I just like it.

Aaaannnndddd, now: a Google search of rock chunking is topped by that very post! That's right, baby: #1 of over 4 million choices!

I am embarrassingly happy about the novelty entertainment value of this. Stupid smile happy.

Rangers Latin Pitchers: Big Success

2010-06-21T06:00:00.002-05:00

Photo from Spring Training 2010.

Poveda was injured and is out for the year.

Every other pitcher is delivering their hoped for best case scenario at this point:

Feliz is having an excellent season as the Rangers closer.

Ogando and Strop and Beltre (far right) have been excellent in AAA. Video of Ogando's first two major league appearances: first appearance, on 6/15/10; second appearance, on 6/17/10.

Look at these guys and dream of Octobers - and music.

Jenny the Bloggess visits the shrink

2010-06-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

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<== In repose, wondering what the tricky shrink thinks of her

Then I filled out the rest of the paperwork but I got depressed about writing about how depressed I was and so I drew pictures of smiley kittens in the margin so that the shrink wouldn’t think I was suicidal because suicidal people never draw smiley kitten on anything, probably. The receptionist gave me a weird look when I handed it back to her and I was all “I take it you’re a dog person?”

More here

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Friday Hot: Sara Carbonero distracting Spain Goalie

2010-06-18T06:00:00.004-05:00

That's what Spanish futbol sites alleged after Espana's shocking 1-0 loss to Switzerland.

Sara, who was voted world's sexiest journalist 2009, has been dating Spain's goaltender for a year. The Spanish team is supposed to be in South Africa sans wives and girlfriends. Sara is performing her job, and her job puts her in proximity to the team.

Who could fail to be distracted? I'm with those Spanish futbol sites: Sara Carbonero lost the game for Spain. Sad, but obviously true.

It's not just the goalie: Sara Carbonero is distracting the entire team. LOOK at her! The coaches sequester an entire team as if they are monks, then the team is put into proximity with Sara Carbonero?! It is not her fault. Rather, it is coaching malpractice: the Spanish coach is sabotaging the team.

Spanish futbol players are likely the most oversexed human beings in Spain. The coach took the most oversexed beings in Spain and cut them off? Cold turkey?! And then was surprised when their performance suffered?! The Spanish coach is a fool. And, though I wrote this for laughs, I now realize I am not even kidding. This is foolish coaching; an unforced error. If even a couple of players are distracted by monkhood, Spain has hurt her chances to win.

Sara interviews her boyfriend after Espana's derrota tragica:

The distractions in Spain stand mainly behind the goal...

Friday Hot Classic:
Scott Brown's smokin wife, Gail Huff, in 1984 music video

Photos from luscious Seville

2010-06-17T06:00:00.006-05:00

I love everything* about this photo

I imagine stories for all the women in the photo. I imagine this tiny boy grows into a man filled to the brim with self confidence; into a man who has absolute knowledge that the women in his life adore him. Self confidence beats tentativeness every time. The little boy's shoes are the kind of shoes which, were I a better cousin, I would buy for Cousin Tate.

I wore either Buster Browns or cowboy boots through early childhood. There was some type of problem with Southern Brother and I rolling our feet outwards (to best of my understanding), and Mom attempted to fix it with "good shoes". She seemingly succeeded. I will attest that Buster Browns were good and durable shoes: we beat them to death, yet they persevered. I was in first grade before I scored a pair of tennis shoes like the other kids.

Searching Buster Brown online, I discover the venerable company no longer makes the model of shoes which Southern Brother and I wore, and which looked a lot like the shoes the Spanish boy is wearing.

Modern day Buster Brown preschool selections for boys

The "Bryce" comes closest to replicating the shoe we wore. Except, memory of the shoe is burned in my mind for life, and the Bryce's non leather sole is an aesthetic fail. If shoes make the outfit, soles make the shoes. The Bryce does not measure up to our 1960s classics.

Photo at top is from a blogpost of travel photos from Seville, linked by lovely Tatyana.

*Would I recommend those purple ankle collar shoes? I would not, yet a man does appreciate the charm of a thing which may be unbuckled.

Men, sensitivity, brain structure, testosterone, evolution

2010-06-16T06:00:00.002-05:00

Amy Alkon:

The idea that men aren't "sensitive" is bullshit. They just don't express it like women, nor should they be expected to. It's related to brain structure, it seems, and hormones. Testosterone isn't exactly "the chat hormone."

In addition to the above, I suspect it is also related to evolutionary development. "Take it like a man" is not an accidental formulation, but rather an ingrained evolutionary one. When sunset is close; when you don't want to be trapped overnight away from the village and exposed to predators; when you are tired, beat up, wet, cold, and maybe injured: now is not the time to emote and to discuss your feelings. Now is the time to "take it like a man", and to get yourself and your compatriots back to the village. The emoters and discussers died off ages ago. Our fathers took it like men.

Friday Hot: Jessica Alba is as girl next door as it gets in Hollywood

2010-06-15T06:00:00.001-05:00

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She's only an actress, and thus automatically suspect of being a neurotic narcissist airhead. But, as Hollywood actresses go, Jessica Alba is about as decent of a human being as you could find.

Ago, I saw a reality show about a Hollywood contractor. One episode included visits to remodel a house which Alba was purchasing for her parents. The contractor couldn't believe how easy Jessica Alba was to work with. When it came time to make various decisions, Alba solicited input and then made up her mind. She did not agonize; she did not later waffle. Her parents showed up, and they were wonderful, and you could see why Jessica is not a prima donna.

Now, I don't think Jessica is a well rounded actress. However, for instance, neither was Lauren Bacall - at least in the beginning - yet she made some classic movies with Bogart. Alba could do the same. She needs to be used correctly, i.e. directors need to play to her strengths and avoid her weaknesses. Alba needs to play herself, sort of as John Wayne and Lauren Bacall (at least in the early days) often played themselves in their roles. Audiences will respond to Alba's inner decency.

Finally, and really the reason I initiated this: in the Kimmel appearance, what's up with that blouse?! I always say the following type things with humility - for, truly, I've huge chasms of ignorance re fashion - but: is Alba committing an obvious faux pas? Isn't that blouse obviously designed to be worn with a jacket which is buttoned very low, thus allowing Alba to show some of her abdomen inside the open "V" of the jacket's lapels?

Probably Jessica knows this, and is merely being daring and fashion forward. She is wearing cutting edge shoes which are right off of a Milan runway (and which she will look back on in 20 years and say: "What was I thinking with those shoes!"). The shoes argue for both daring fashionista and daredevil, as the spike heels look dangerous.

But, also, could be a faux pas! Lord knows I've committed a thousand faux pas - just never one which involved a blouse. Or, wait ... just never one which involved ME wearing a blouse!

The lovely (and fashion forward?) podiatric daredevil, Ms. Jessica Alba:

The End Zone likes Jessica Alba:

Beauty, Ethnic Identity Bunkum
Friday Hot: Curvaceous Scarlett Johansson

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Awesomeness: Rick Barber, Rep Candidate for AL 2nd District

2010-06-14T12:00:00.000-05:00

To ask ... was deemed churlish. UnAmerican. Bigoted.

2010-06-14T06:01:00.001-05:00

Richard Fernandez:

[T]he President was presumed a capable executive because he ran a campaign. The proof was entirely circular, but through some peculiar myopia no real questions were asked. To demand the sealed transcripts, to ask about the absence of articles for the Harvard Law review, to raise the non-existent legislative record was deemed churlish. UnAmerican. Bigoted. The fact that he had come so far was proof that he was qualified to come so far. And there the matter rested.

[...]

Barack Obama’s incompetence, if indeed he is incompetent, results directly from a flawed political and media process that allowed such a candidate to go forward. It’s a failure of quality control. It’s an indictment of the gatekeepers and of the media in particular.

"We Con the World", hosted at Eyeblast

2010-06-14T06:00:00.002-05:00

b/c YouTube took the video down, and b/c the video is exactly what is needed: hilarious spoofing. Laugh at the enemy. Humorously ridicule, w/o mercy. THAT, they cannot survive.

I don't respect YouTube: regardless of the validity of a complaint, YouTube takes videos down. Instapundit

Who takes aggressive advantage of YouTube's weakness? Answer: the left and the jihadists, i.e. groups which - in quest of power - are frequently willing to take unethical and immoral actions.

http://twitter.com/gcotharn:
Wretchard: The left seeks power. The right seeks to mind it's own business. The right does not see the true left.

Stacy McCain notes PayPal is refusing to allow Pamela Gellar to use their service. They say she has a "hate site". Upon whose opinion is PayPal depending in order to make their determination about Gellar? CAIR, of course. You can't make this stuff up. Wretchard

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Steyn: the left's strange hostility to Hirsi Ali

2010-06-12T06:00:00.003-05:00

Mark Steyn:

Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s great cause is women’s liberation. Unfortunately for her, the women she wants to liberate are Muslim, so she gets minimal support and indeed a ton of hostility from Western feminists who have reconciled themselves, consciously or otherwise, to the two-tier sisterhood: when it comes to clitoridectomies, forced marriages, honour killings, etc., multiculturalism trumps feminism.

[...]

In Terror and Liberalism, Paul Berman wrote that suicide bombings “produced a philosophical crisis, among everyone around the world who wanted to believe that a rational logic governs the world.” In other words, it has to be about “poverty” or “social justice” because the alternative—that they want to kill us merely because we are the other—undermines the hyper-rationalist’s entire world view. Thus, every pro-gay, pro-feminist, pro-black Western liberal’s determination to blame Ayaan Hirsi Ali for the fact that a large number of benighted thuggish halfwits want to kill her.

At Big Hollywood, Mr. Wrestling IV reports:

On May 24th, at Track 16 Gallery in fashionable Bergamont Station in Santa Monica, CA, dozens of marginal works of art were nearly destroyed by the exploding heads of some of SoCal’s finest and most dogmatic liberals, as a roomful of them were injected with some cognitive dissonance when author Ayaan Hirsi Ali spoke.

[...]

If this man had asked Ms. Ali his ridiculous question, she could have answered it handily. So why didn’t he? Why was he huddled in the farthest corner of the room spewing his nonsense to his nodding compatriots? What about Ayaan Hirsi Ali had flummoxed him and his fellow travellers into circles of insular outrage?

Well, she was black, so they could not dismiss her as a racist; she had lived in Somalia, Saudi Arabia, The Netherlands and the United States, so they could not call her an ignorant provincial hick; she was an avowed atheist, so they could not call her a Christian bigot on a crusade against peaceful Islam; and she was multi-lingual, articulate, and brilliant, so they couldn’t just call her stupid. All the pejoratives they usually apply to people who disagree with them wouldn’t work, and so they were left to confront her ideas, and those ideas stripped them naked, rent their garments of superiority and condescension into tatters at their feet, and left them angry and confused, whining to each other in the corners of the room, unable to say anything to her face. Their favorite weapons, ad hominem name-calling and sneering condescension, were disarmed.

From 2007:

Wretchard:

Maybe the reason why the Left hates Sarkozy and that renegade "woman of color" Hirsi Ali so much is ... because both remind [the Left] of the principles they have betrayed.

This secret guilt may stand at the center of the inexplicable hysteria with which the Left regard the neocons and President Bush in particular. [...] the extreme demonization of George W. Bush and the neocons is psychologically necessary in order to restore a feeling of moral superiority to the Leftist universe. They would be guilt stricken without it.

The more intelligent Leftists must be subconsciously aware of how monstrous the enemy is and secretly cognizant of how great is the betrayal of their own ideals. They can't confront this fact; cannot accept that they are delivering children, as Caroline Glick's example above shows, to cruel murderers. And in order to obtain some kind of solace ... it is necessary for them to invent something worse; to make a caricature devil of GWB [...] George Bush must be made nothing less than the moral equivalent of Hitler or else their ethical universe would collapse.

But George Bush is not Hitler. And one day the better men among the Left will face up to the fact that they have failed a huge moral and historical test. And from that memory, there will be no redemption.

Dr. Sanity:

Wretchard rightly perceives that the degree of the left's moral and intellectual bankruptcy is so great; the betrayal so profound, that it is simply impossible they are not aware on some level of the nihilistic traitors they have become to all that is good and worth fighting for in the world.

Like a deer caught in the headlights of reality, they are paralyzed because there is no way to escape their fate; instead they try to make their paralysis a moral virtue; their betrayal an heroic stance. And the rage they feel toward all who remind them of what they have betrayed distracts them from the rush of reality that will overwhelm and destroy them eventually.

The final psychological touch to all this is the projection--where they take the rage they feel and imagine that the object of their rage actually feels it toward them--is that it breeds the paranoia and the utterly nonsensical and histrionic conspiracy theories.

But no matter how carefully they construct their fantasies; no matter how much information they choose to ignore; how tightly they close their eyes; the headlights of the reality train--and not the peace train, I fear--as it rockets toward them only highlights the bankruptcy of the ideology they now profess.

The End Zone:
Ayaan Hirsi Ali at University of Wisconsin, Madison
Ayaan Hirsi Ali interviewed by a cartoonishly anti-American Canadian

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Friday Hot: Sarah Palin's breasts, plus a clitoral study

2010-06-11T06:00:00.007-05:00

`

My favorite combination of Elvis, Harry Truman, and Holly Golightly has blogs eyeing her breasts:

To me: looks like she's always had em.

Reading tea leaves: not running for POTUS. The white top is Sarah at the Belmont Stakes horse race. Do horse owners at major races dress so casually? Would a horse owner who is interested in running for POTUS dress so casually?

Clitoral study

Ace speculates about Obama having cynical motivation for oil spill inaction

2010-06-10T18:00:00.002-05:00

Ace's headline ...

Dutch Government: Hey, Let Us Bring Over Equipment and Expertise To Help Contain That Spill
Obama: Nah, No Thanks Son, I'm Good; I'm Just Going To Sit Back and Keep On Bein' Awesome:

Obama had already been informed the leak would take weeks and weeks to fix, and it was better, I guess, to let it leak and destroy the coastlines if doing so would keep the story underreported and thus merely environmentally disastrous, but not politically disastrous.

Better to pretend there's not a problem, and let the problem destroy the Gulf, than to admit the problem and take action about it, which draws attention to it.

Ace links to The Houston Chronicle:

Three days after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico, the Dutch government offered to help.

It was willing to provide ships outfitted with oil-skimming booms, and it proposed a plan for building sand barriers to protect sensitive marshlands.

The response from the Obama administration and BP, which are coordinating the cleanup: “The embassy got a nice letter from the administration that said, ‘Thanks, but no thanks,'” said Geert Visser, consul general for the Netherlands in Houston.

Now, almost seven weeks later, as the oil spewing from the battered well spreads across the Gulf and soils pristine beaches and coastline, BP and our government have reconsidered.

Also, seven weeks after ignoring Kevin Costner's brothers vacuum machines, suddenly BP wants the machines from Costner. Kevin Costner comments on the tardiness:

“We’re coming to this fight very late,” said Costner. “I think everybody would recognize that....”

“If we want to discuss the ‘what ifs’ looking back, I think you could fill in the blanks of understanding if these machines were already deployed, what we would be looking at,” said Costner. “I could scale this out for you and we would be chasing this oil out at the derrick itself. We couldn’t do anything about the size of the leak but we would be chasing that and we would be keeping that offshore.”

The End Zone: Obama oil spill incompetence

Texas Rangers Potential 2012 Pitching Staff

2010-06-10T06:00:00.004-05:00

If the Rangers let all free agents walk, and make zero trades, this could be their pitching staff in 2012:

Holland
Feliz
Hunter
Scheppers
Martin Perez

Alexi Ogando
Pedro Strop
Darren O'Day
Omar Beltre
Blake Beavan
Matt Harrison
Kirkman/Phillips/Beau Jones

That awesome, yet dirt cheap, pitching staff would have 3 arbitration players: Hunter, O'Day, Harrison; and 9 pre arb players.

In addition, coming into 2012, the Rangers could control the following talented pitchers who already have major league experience: Feldman, Nippert, Mathis, Hurley. Depth.

Further, in 2012, the Rangers could control additional prospects who might easily be ready if needed: Michael Ballard, Danny Gutierrez, Evan Reed, Ben Snyder, Ryan "I'm 6'4" and I throw 94" Tatusko, Kasey Kiker, Tim Murphy, plus Main, Font, Brigham, Pimentel, Boscan, Wieland, and more. Fabulosity. Consider: if the Astros, for instance, traded their entire current major league roster for the entire roster of the Rangers High A Affiliate - the Bakersfield Blaze - might the Astros come out ahead in the deal?

The Rangers are probably going to make trades - especially in the off season after 2011 - so as to recoup value from players who would otherwise be left off the 40 man roster and be lost without compensatory return. However, the Rangers do not need to trade for major league talent in order to have strong pitching staffs in 2012 and beyond. All the following have big arms which are perfect for playoff success as starters: Holland, Feliz, Scheppers, Martin Perez. Ogando has a big arm which is perfect for playoff success as a closer. Strop throws 94-95 with deceptive fast arm action which makes his fastball difficult to catch up with. Strop, therefore, also has closer stuff.

I retain patience with the Rangers. I'm not desperate to win in 2010 and 2011. I don't want the big arm prospects broken up and scattered across major league baseball. I want the potential dynasty to remain intact. If it means Josh Hamilton and Ian Kinsler - both scheduled free agents before the 2013 season - fail to win world championships in Arlington: I don't care. Both those players are underperforming, anyway. If they perform consistently and excellently, they might win here. Cruz and Michael Young (dammit) will be here through 2013; Elvis through 2014; Borbon through 2015; Smoak and Max Ramirez through 2016. The team on the field will not be lacking in talent. Engel "Willie Mays Hays" Beltre, anyone?

Which reminds:

Engel Beltre ==>

Engel Beltre went full Willie Mays Hayes ("Hit like Mays, run like Hayes") on a game winning HR: throwing his bat 30 feet into the air, and thus nearly starting a riot - which riot was averted, in part, due to swift action by Bakersfield Manager Bill Hasselman (who, I hope, will be managing the Rangers in 2012).

Compare: when Vlad Guerrerro reeeaaaallly gets into a HR, he stands at the plate and admires it like Reggie Jackson, then he goes around the bases at no faster than a mosey. It never starts a riot. People don't even get angry. He's Vlad! The league loves him.

Only the home fans love Willie Mays Hayes (er, if he were, you know, an actual, real player).

Oil Spill Obama Incompetence

2010-06-09T06:00:00.022-05:00

The U.S. Government needed, and still needs, to aggressively step in and clean up the Gulf; to aggressively step in and protect the Gulf Coast, i.e. to step in and aggressively protect the sovereign territory of the United States, i.e. to step in and aggressively protect American citizens whose livelihoods are threatened, and who are facing potential pain and suffering which the United States Government could either lessen or eliminate. Government inaction and incompetence is assuring that this oil spill becomes the greatest ecological disaster to ever befall the United States of America.

Rather than bringing all the resources of the United States Government to bear upon the problems of clean up and protection of the Gulf Coast, President Obama has allowed BP to take the lead in cleaning up the spilled oil.

Why?

First, could it be that President Obama is reticent to spend money to protect both U.S. citizens and sovereign U.S. territory? Is Pres. Obama only interested in spending money on bribes to unions (taxpayer money which is laundered through unions and then spent to elect Democrats?)? in spending patronage money via the Trillion $ Spendulus?

Is President Obama reticent to spend money to protect Red States? Is Pres. Obama only interested in spending money on blue states, purple states, and illegal immigrants who will be future voters? I don't know this answer. I've wanted to discount this possibility. However, the more I look at it: it can't be fully discounted. It's possible. Barack Obama is a cynical, cynical man who is steeped in Chicago power politics. That's where Pres. Obama's statement to a Repub Congressman: "We won", came from. "We won", and now we get to rob the taxpayers and patronize our people. That's what Barack Obama thinks governing is about. I want to say Chicago power politics thinking is not in play in this oil spill, but cannot. It's possible.

Second, could it be that President Obama is massively incompetent? a deer frozen in the headlights? a ditherer? a slave to rules and regulation who has neither the know how nor the cojones to cut through bureaucratic red tape? an actor who is mainly interested in how to best divert blame, in how best to use self righteous anger and posturing in order to best position his re-election chances?

You would think most anyone would intuit the problems with allowing BP to run the clean up and protection of the coast:

-- corporate CEO's tend to be nearsighted, i.e. more interested in short term public relations than in working problems with an eye towards long term solutions. A company with this interest will be powerfully tempted to lie all along the way (and, in fact, BP has lied all along the way - and the WH has consistently lied, also*).

-- in the matter of clean up and protection of the coast, BP doesn't have the resources of the United States Government.

You would think most anyone would intuit these factors in the equation, yet Pres. Obama apparently did not. If President Obama wants to kick someone's ass, he can start with his own.

What's happening is horrifying, and oil on beaches is not even near the worst of it - not even close to the worst of it.

The worst of it is the damage to the ecosystem of the Gulf itself, including the related problem of killing off the Gulf fishing industry.

The second worst of it is the 6 month moratorium on drilling which Pres. Obama wants to implement. Do you think oil companies can twiddle their thumbs for 6 months? NO! Oil companies will pull their people and their money and their expertise and begin drilling in other parts of the world. And they will not, can not come back to the Gulf easily and quickly. Drilling in the Gulf will be negatively affected for a decade - even longer if Pres. Obama is re-elected. It will be economic devastation for residents of the Gulf States who are in the oil industry - and that amounts, at minimum, to multiple tens of thousands of people, and hundreds of thousands of family members. This amounts to an unforced error by Pres. Obama. His action is clueless and reprehensible.

The third worst of it is the destruction of the wetlands of Louisiana. I've been in South Louisiana many times, and have met and seen many Louisianans who make their living as private fishermen who operate mainly in those wetlands. These are not formally educated people. They don't work for companies, and would rather die than work for companies. Think of them as frontiersmen, as hunters and trappers, and what they hunt and trap is game and fish which is deep inside those wetlands. I mourn for these people. There are a lot of them. You don't need a job in South Louisiana. Everything your family needs is in the wetlands and deep in the bayous: food, plus extra fish which may be sold in order to purchase staples and such. If you're willing and able to manage the bugs and the snakes, you can provide for your family. Barack Obama's inaction is threatening these families' livelihoods.

However, also, and worse on a larger scale: damage to the Louisiana wetlands affects all of us - especially those of us in the southern United States. Those wetlands nurture wildlife and aquatic life and plant life which we all depend on. Barack Obama's inaction thus threatens citizens of the entire southern United States - which citizens, btw, live in deeply Red States. Again, is Pres. Obama's inaction a coincidence? But this is digression, and I don't actually purport to know the answer to the question. It does worry.

Media is infatuated with oil on the beaches. Such is an easy story. However, the significance of oil on the beaches falls somewhere after all of what is listed above.

What should be done?

The United States Government must take over the clean up and protection operation, effective immediately, must bring our massive resources to bear upon the problem. Send the bill to BP, get reimbursed for some of the bill from BP, and taxpayers bear the rest of the burden. This is exactly the type situation for which government exists. It is beyond irony that Barack Obama, i.e. the biggest big government advocate ever, is punting this clear government responsibility to BP.

Specifically, attack the clean up and coastal protection on multiple fronts.

Use government resources and personnel to canvass ideas from other nations; from all oil companies (including ideas re stopping the leak).

Bring in supertankers, as was done in the Persian Gulf in 2004, to skim scores of millions of gallons of oil/water out of Gulf and then dump it at Baton Rouge and Houston refineries. These will separate much of the oil from the water, then send newly empty supertankers out to collect more oil/water. Call in favors. Twist arms. Do what you have to do to collect supertankers from around the world. Cut through the red tape. This is the most important step, and would largely transform a crisis into a mere huge mess. This might still save us, if we begin immediately.

Do everything else. Do everything. The United States has the resources.

Build the sand berms between Louisiana's barrier islands. Despite the current supposed promise to build the berms, the berms remain a hazy dream. Red tape obstacles remain. Insufficient resources have been allocated.

Boom and burn. Also: buy this guy's oil boom!!!!!!! This type entrepreneurship is what made America great. Is the Obama Administration busily killing off greatness wherever it exists?

It's hay season. Send the hay into the gulf to absorb oil, then collect the hay.

Purchase all 50ish of Kevin Costner's brother's machines which can be deployed in the Gulf and which separate and collect oil from water on the spot. Get them out there in the gulf and let them work. Do it. We have a crisis. Why would you not do it?

Do everything. Take the lead. Get BP off the lead. They cannot be trusted. No oil company could be trusted with this problem. Further, BP does not have the resources of the U.S. Government.

Finally, I've left stopping the leak for the end:

BP, properly so, ought be in charge of stopping the leak. However, the White House ought ride herd on BP like a good Hollywood Producer rides herd on a movie director, like Warren Buffet rides herd on a company he owns, like a parent rides herd on their child who is swimming in a pool. Hire or borrow the most skilled oil industry people and get them into every single BP meeting during every hour of every day. BP is in charge, but BP must be in constant, incessant communication with a task force of our best oil industry thinkers (who are also constantly communicating with the best oil industry thinkers from around the world, and about every step BP is taking). Keep the White House intimately briefed and closely involved. The President will need to weigh in and twist arms and prod BP at various points along the way. Many such moments have already been missed by Pres. Obama. Get going.

Also, do whatever is necessary to induce BP to begin drilling a third relief well, and possibly a fourth. Relief wells are tricky, and can miss the mark and fail to stop the problem. The 1979 spill off of Yucatan required 4 relief wells and almost 12 months in order to solve the problem. Technology now is far too similar to technology then. BP's thinking is short sighted: is the thinking of accountants and of a weak CEO. It's in BP's interest to begin drilling a third (and even fourth) relief well. If BP won't be persuaded, threaten them, punish them, twist arms, call in political favors from England, bring in another oil company, do whatever is needed to ensure this problem is stopped in August or September, as opposed to Christmas.

This crisis, this situation, is the reason government exists. The irony of the U.S. Government punting to BP ... its difficult to process the hugeness of the irony, its difficult to process the hugeness of the incompetence, it's difficult to process the hugeness of the tragedy which government inaction is allowing to metastasize.

Consider, for instance: could the cutting of the riser during the Top Hat #2 effort have resulted in SIGNIFICANTLY worse leakage than before? Despite the alleged success of the top hat #2 effort, did the effort actually expand the disaster? Consider this: http://is.gd/cHyEL and this http://justoneminute.typepad.com/main/2010/06/the-bp-oil-cap-is-actually-working-imagine-their-surprise.html

*Remember when BP initially estimated the leak at 1000 barrels a day? This is knee jerk reaction of public relations novices who are practicing short sighted corporate management, plus bad citizenship. Bafflingly, the Obama White House knee jerk reaction was also to lie: remember "5000 barrels a day"? Remember the White House initial refusal to characterize the oil spill as an “Oil Spill of National Significance”? That declaration was necessary to draw full resources to the problem, and Napolitano didn't make it until almost a week after the incident. Thus, lying was also the knee jerk reaction of a novice and incompetent White House. Hot Air quotes Rolling Stone:

...the administration knew the spill could be far worse than its “best estimate” acknowledged. That same day, the president’s Flow Rate Technical Group – a team of scientists charged with establishing the gusher’s output – announced a new estimate of 12,000 to 25,000 barrels, based on calculations from video of the plume. In fact, according to interviews with team members and scientists familiar with its work, that figure represents the plume group’s minimum estimate. The upper range was not included in their report because scientists analyzing the flow were unable to reach a consensus on how bad it could be. “The upper bound from the plume group, if it had come out, is very high,” says Timothy Crone, a marine geophysicist at Columbia University who has consulted with the government’s team. “That’s why they had resistance internally. We’re talking 100,000 barrels a day."

Trend of modern thinking, such as PC and scapegoating, is in backward direction towards pagan superstition

2010-06-08T06:00:00.006-05:00

David Warren:

I like to dwell on the wisdom of our ancestors. It took us millennia to emerge from the primitive notion that a malignant agency must lie behind every unfortunate experience. Indeed, the Catholic Church spent centuries fighting folk pagan beliefs in things like evil fairies, and the whole notion the Devil can compel any person to act against his will -- only to watch an explosion of witch-hunting and related popular hysterias at the time of the Reformation.

In so many ways, the trend of post-Christian society today is back to pagan superstitions: to the belief that malice lies behind every misfortune, and to the related idea that various, essentially pagan charms can be used to ward off that to which all flesh is heir. The belief that, for instance, laws can be passed, that change the entire order of nature, is among the most irrational of these.

Sheer human stupidity is the cause of any number of human catastrophes -- including the stupidity of superstition itself. We need to re-embrace this concept; to hug the native incompetence within ourselves, and begin forgiving it in others.

h/t

Baseball celebrations after scoring a run

2010-06-07T06:00:00.005-05:00

<== German Duran went to Paschal High in dear old Fort Worth, then matriculated down the street at TCU.

William Wilkerson:

[Texas Ranger David Murphy's] all-time favorite was a fixture in the dugout two years ago involving German Duran.

"This was a funny one because he was Mexican, 5-foot-8 or so and had a stocky type of body," Murphy said. "So he was like a piñata. He would do a few little claps with Michael Young and then he would jump and hang on the top of the dugout.

"Mike or somebody would hit him like he was a piñata, and it was predetermined that someone would get a handful of gum and throw it on the ground when he'd get hit. Then the whole team would pick up the gum. That was taking it to the extreme."

It has begun: Texas Rangers budding dynasty announcing itself with authoritay

2010-06-06T10:00:00.013-05:00

From last summer, this blogpost: http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2009/07/texas-rangers-do-not-trade-justin-smoak.html is looking good, as both Smoak and Max Ramirez are playing well; as the Rangers are embarked upon a month of June in which they will win and win and win.

As if the baseball gods suddenly snapped their fingers: things are going right for the Rangers.

A few weeks ago, Francisco and Chris Ray began to pitch well; Scott Feldman began to show signs of life, i.e. signs of the return of his massively sinking fastball; Michael Young and Josh Hamilton began to hit; Max Ramirez began contributing quietly effective performances.

A week or more ago, other things began to click into place:
Justin Smoak began to hit SCREAMING line drives from the left side. SCREAMING.
Max Ramirez began to hit with more consistency.
Matt Treanor broke out of his slump.
The batting ghost of Julio Borbon began to display some life.

At this moment, the only struggling offensive player is Ian Kinsler ... yet his slump is not disastrous: he draws some walks; he still accomplishes some positive things at the plate; he is not a black hole in the lineup.

In April and May, poor offense was holding the Rangers back from being excellent. Yet, the Gods have snapped their fingers: snap snap: summer is here, offensive players have awakened, the offense is suddenly good.

Then, yesterday: Tommy Hunter sublimely combined a Mariano Rivera type cut fastball with a Burt Blyleven type curve. Hunter's pitches do not equal either Rivera's 96mph or Blyleven's around the world action. However, Rivera doesn't throw a curve, and Blyleven did not cut a fastball. Tommy Hunter can do both. Hunter's cut fastball has very similar action to Rivera's. Hunter also displayed a big, tailing change-up which he could not control, yet with which you know he will get better and better as the year goes on. If a control pitcher like Hunter can make the change-up tail - and he can, then he will eventually harness it. Hunter is a player to watch.

Rangers fans are not recognizing it, yet - b/c they are shellshocked from almost 40 years of futility (which were only broken up by the Will Clark Rangers of the 1990s) - but, beginning 6 days ago, the Texas Rangers are displaying the excellence of the budding dynasty which they are. In another 2 weeks, serious Rangers fans will pretend they knew, even this weekend, that the Rangers were suddenly, instantly good. The casual Rangers fan is so shellshocked that they will not believe it for a couple more months; or maybe not even until January - when, on a cold and gray day, it will suddenly dawn on their shellshocked psyche: "Holy smokes! The Rangers are actually good!"

The Rangers have a 4-1 record in June, plus an easy schedule through the end of the month. I expect the team to go 22-5 for the month. On July 1, I expect the Rangers to have an 8 game lead in the division. In 2020, we will look back to June 2010 as the month when a budding dynasty announced itself with authoritay. It's only been 40 years in the making.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Notes:

What if Rich Harden remains ineffective and has to go?

What if Derek Holland's mystifying arm numbness is actually a career threatening rotator cuff injury which shelves him for 2 seasons?

Here's what:

Move Neftali Feliz into the rotation (preferably in mid July, so as to not overtax his young arm with innings this season ~~ Feliz could be prepped via 4-5 outings of long relief).

Make Francisco the closer and Chris Ray the set up man. These are young veterans who are up to the tasks.

Either
1) make Rich Harden a relief pitcher (he might be a natural relief pitcher, as he is a strike out pitcher who is difficult to hit, and as he would not then have to worry about his number of pitches per inning), or
2) choose a relief pitcher from amongst white hot minor league prospects Pedro Strop, Alex Ogando, Tanner Scheppers, or Omar Beltre. Any of the four might be superior to the current relief pitchers in Arlington.

Francisco and Ray are plenty of relief for the regular season. If you want more dynamic relief for the playoffs: slide Feliz back into the bullpen during the playoffs. Teams only use 4 starters for the playoffs (or, sometimes, only 3 veteran starters - if the team is willing to pitch a starter on 3 days of rest).

Friday Hot: Angelo State University Golf

2010-06-04T06:00:00.003-05:00

Rambelles! Here's hoping that prospective 2011 Angelo State CF Korey Wacker owns a battered set of LH clubs...

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Why are the scores so high in the JUCO World Series?

2010-06-03T12:00:00.016-05:00

Swinging away in Grand Junction, CO:

Temple College's Korey Wacker -
Centerfielder, Pitcher, Lead Off Hitter, pride of Harker Heights, TX, and pride of the grandmother who raised him - and who traveled to his games to watch and to feel her chest swell with joy. Korey is now headed to Angelo State Univ. in San Angelo, TX.

Photo credit Chris Tomlinson/Special to the Temple Daily Telegram

Temple College Eliminated
Temple College played bravely. They lost their 1st game, then fought to consecutive valiant and close victories in their 2nd and 3rd games. Their 4th game was tied 2-2 in the 8th before Temple lost 4-2. All in all, a solid performance, of which they may be justifiably proud. Bravo.

Video highlights of Temple College's 2nd game. Facing elimination, and down 8-1 in the 6th inning, Temple rallied for an 11-8 victory. Southern Brother can be seen coaching 1B during Korey Wacker's single to RF.

In other news from the World Series: scores have been high from day 1, as typified by a thrilling 19-18 victory in which Crowder College (in southwestern Missouri) eliminated Faulkner State (southern Alabama). So, people went to a baseball world series and a slow pitch softball tournament broke out. Why?

A confluence of reasons:

1. Pitching is at a premium. Fewer players are born with the ability to develop a 90 mph fastball than with the ability to develop into a good hitter. This, combined with the high incidence of injury amongst pitchers, means professional baseball clubs put heavy emphasis on drafting a high volume of pitching prospects. Thus, colleges have a greater volume of good hitting prospects from which to choose, and have a reduced volume of good pitching prospects. Evidence of the disparity may be seen on scoreboards across America.

2. Aluminum bats are amazing weapons. They scare me. College baseball is the sound of pinging and the sight of crooked numbers.

3. Time of year: by the time a world series arrives, batters have had 60+ games to get into a groove, and they are READY. Any batters who are not in a groove have already been eliminated from competition. A world series amounts to a convention of red hot batters who are salivating for another chance at the plate.

Re Grand Junction, CO:

The elevation is 4593 feet. Therefore, baseballs fly a bit further, and - in the thin air - breaking pitches and tailing pitches do not bite as decisively: curves are less sharp and more softly rounded; sliders are more flat; tailing pitches are more straight.

The climate is hot and arid - both conditions are conducive to baseballs flying further. Arid conditions also lessen the sharpness of breaking pitches.

A comparison may be made between batting in Grand Junction and batting in professional spring training in Arizona. The hitters have advantage in both places, and for the same reasons.

Truman Capote anecdotes in "Infamous"

2010-06-02T06:00:00.002-05:00

Researching the "To Kill A Mockingbird" post, ran across the following Truman Capote anecdotes from the movie "Infamous". He was a self created American original.

Below, 30 seconds of Capote anecdote. He is in Kansas, with Harper Lee, doing research for "In Cold Blood". If you wish to stay with this, the Christmas visit is fun, and Capote does a funny reaction at 8:20, when it dawns on him that his Kansas friends do not know who John Huston is.

In matters of humor, I often feel out of step with normal. To me, Capote's John Huston dawning realization is the funniest moment of the scene. I laughed with delight. I don't know that most persons would find Capote's reaction quite so funny.

Conversely, I often find that things which cause an entire group of people to laugh do not seem very funny to me. I find myself standing amidst the group and wondering: am I seriously lacking in the sense of humor department? If so, how would I ever know this? A fish does not perceive water. I would not know I am living a weird humor existence. My friends and family are unlikely to say: "Greg, you do not have a good feel for humor; you are a quirky person who laughs at odd, unfunny things."

One more:

Leftists are screaming at Israel for trying to survive. Can anyone here play this game called reality?

2010-06-01T06:00:00.009-05:00

I keep intending to do summer blog vacation, yet keep seeing events and then wanting to get stuff off my chest.

Update: Darleen Click has information we want.

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What is it with the idiot left condemning Israel for interdicting missiles, rockets, bombs, and other weapons from being imported into Gaza so they may be shot into Israel with blatant murderous intent?

I haven't been to Israel. It's my impression that, were I in Israel, Gaza would be no further distance from me than the nearest high school is from me here in Fort Worth. And Gaza would be shooting at me, if they could just get some rockets and missiles in, either through the tunnels from Egypt or via "aid" ships. I exaggerate, a bit, out of frustration at leftist idiots. But I don't exaggerate all THAT much. Before Israel's incursion into Gaza a couple of years ago, multiple thousands of rockets had been launched from Gaza into Israel. One of the major targets: Israeli schools. Jeejackhosaphat the left is stupid.

Deep breath. Let's try and make the case for the leftist condemnation of Israel's interdiction of the "aid" ships. The case:

Premise: Palestinian Arabs wish to live in peace with Jews.

Assertion: If Israel treats Palestinians "fairly", then Palestinians will live in peace with Israelis. Israel ought accede to Palestinian demands for land, goods, services. The result will be peace.

Problem: both the premise and the assertion are fantasy. Stupid, stupid, asinine fantasy. In actuality, Palestinians desire eradication of Israel. Consider: if Palestinians laid down their weapons, there would be peace; if Israel laid down her weapons, there would be no Israel. Palestinian complaints about unfair treatment are actually tactics and strategy which are implemented in service of the ultimate objective of eradicating Israel.

So, when you wonder how the left can condemn Israel for inspecting "aid" ships for weaponry, know that the left condemns any Israeli action which any Palestinians might consider unfair. For the left: if Palestinians complain about an Israeli action, therefore said Israeli action ipso facto is an obstacle to peace. It follows that said Israeli action is likely to create injury, death, suffering ... in the form of formerly peaceful yet newly angered Palestinians conducting future attacks against Israel.

So, every time I begin to say:

what is up with the stupid left objecting to preventing rockets from being imported into Gaza? Why do they even need aid ships for Gaza? No one is starving in Gaza. There's food in every market. Israel lets everything in: they just check for weapons first, and they told the ships they would let everything into Gaza after they had checked for weapons. Why did 5 ships get checked without incident, then Israeli soldiers were beaten with steel rods, knifed, and shot at on a 6th ship? Isn't if obvious?! What is up with the left calling terrorists who beat, knife, and shoot at soldiers "peace activists"? Can anybody here play this game called reality? And exactly WHY has the UN already condemned Israel, and has yet to condemn N. Korea for firing a torpedo and SINKING a S. Korean ship? Anyone? We know the UN hates Israel and wants it shoved into the sea. However, isn't the double standard a bit blatant even for the UN?

Anyway... rather than saying all the above with maximum exasperation, I need to repeat a mantra: ipso facto aaahhhhhmmmmmmm ipso facto ahhhhhhmmmmmm ipso facto if we want SERENITY NOW! Because, for the left, it's not about importing weaponry, its about angering those wonderful humanitarians known as Palestinians.

As far as the idiot left is concerned:

allow all the weapons into Gaza which anyone wants. The weapons will not be used unless you anger those Palestinians who just wish to live in peace and fairness. So: stop with the interdiction and all the other futile efforts. It doesn't matter whether or not they have rockets and launchers. The only thing which matters is whether or not you appease them. Give them what they want, and everyone will live in peace. And, Israel, DON'T do anything to make anyone mad! Ipso facto till you die, Israel.

Could the left actually believe that incredible pap??? I kinda think maybe not. I think, maybe the left, quietly, in places deep inside and which they never allow to be known in public: just wants Israel to die. Maybe the left thinks: if Israel dies, then the world will have no more problems with Islamic terrorism. Which type of hoping and appeasement is what Churchill called: hoping the alligator will eat you last. Israel is not a sacrificial virgin which will appease the Volcano gods and prevent disaster. Israel is the canary in the coal mine. Israel is the warning: GET OUT OF THE MINE!!! POISONOUS GAS!!!! GET OUT!!!!!! Israel is the warning that the problem must be dealt with by the free world; that the problem is coming. Poison gas will not be appeased. The problem is coming for our children. We either take effective action, or our children die in tragic numbers. It's that simple.

Wretchard, aka Richard Fernandez, is ... I don't know. I started to say exasperated, but, unlike me, maybe he's too enlightened and spiritually balanced to be exasperated. So: he's piquant, urgent, focused.

I am not. I am frustrated and want to scream that this whole thing is insanity.

Wretchard the piquant and focused:

Both cases [Israel interdiction and N.Korea torpedo] demonstrate that nothing is more paramount either to the establishment nor to the politically correct sections of the media than the maintenance of a lie. For the lie is in the service of the greater good. High reasons of policy will be invoked to explain why the truth should not be so. But the extreme reliance on fantasy by parts of the Western establishment goes well beyond surrounding a kernel of the truth with a “bodyguard of lies.” Instead it is the lie itself which is guarded by even more falsehoods. Gradually and inexorably, an entire political class has staked its existence on continuation of falsehood. The greater good is the fiction. Deception has become a necessity in itself.

As a result, any moderately well informed individual knows that there is no Islamic extremism, nor even terrorism. There are only man made disasters. Everybody knows that we can borrow our way out of debt, that the welfare state is the sustainable wave of the future; that Egypt has no border with Gaza through which it can provide supplies if it wanted; that the UN has kept Hezbollah from importing hundreds of missiles into Lebanon; that the thought of a handful of Jews has kept hundreds of millions of oil-rich Muslims from attaining prosperity; and that Global Warming is the main danger facing the planet Earth. That these assertions are untrue hardly matters; that they are indisputable is what seems to count. For who shall dispute them?

Reality might. And therein lies the problem.

Here’s what is going to happen with one hundred percent certainty. All of these lies will explode with considerable force in the faces of political establishment. Nothing can prevent it. Just as reality eventually exposed the hollowness of the financial bubble and showed that nothing was “too big to fail,” eventually it will demonstrate to our extreme cost, that no lie can be maintained forever. That is the real reason anyone should really care about what happened on the “peace flotilla.” We are as corrupt as a preacher in a whorehouse. It ain’t what we don’t know that will hurt us, it’s what we know that ain’t so that will drive the dagger into our hearts.

For Memorial Day Weekend: the Moon Over Yusifiyah

2010-05-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

via Greyhawk

Friday Hot: Game

2010-05-28T06:00:00.009-05:00

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photo by Marc LaRoche

Lisa Hannigan: "I Don't Know", but I am game

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Swaddling a baby with a neat final tuck

2010-05-27T06:00:00.005-05:00

I never knew of this final tuck. It is cool.

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To Kill a Mockingbird

2010-05-26T06:00:00.012-05:00

Two weeks ago, my internet connection was down, my back was injured, and my barely satiable desire to read remained intact. Therefore, I read, for the first time, the fully enjoyable "To Kill a Mockingbird". Yesterday, I read that this year is the 50th anniversary of the publication of the Pulitzer Prize winning book, and that various celebrations of the book will occur throughout the summer. What a happy coincidence that I finally read the book!

An interesting thing about the book: author Harper Lee (photos) identifies, in her own life, with the reclusive Boo Radley of the story. Further, Harper Lee has said she considers the book "a simple love story". She's speaking of Boo Radley's love for the Finch children. In the very last chapter, in the words of Scout, Lee hints at what it is like to watch the world pass by, and to love from behind a barrier. Scout walks Boo Radley home. Boo goes inside, and Scout is left standing on Boo's front porch and looking at Boo's world:

Neighbors bring food with death and flowers with sickness and little things in between. Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good-luck pennies, and our lives. But neighbors give in return. We never put back into the tree what we took out of it: we had given him nothing, and it made me sad.

I turned to go home. Street lights winked down the street all the way to town. I had never seen our neighborhood from this angle. There were Miss Maudie's, Miss Stephanie's- there was our house, I could see the porch swing- Miss Rachel's house was beyond us, plainly visible. I could even see Mrs. Dubose's.

I looked behind me. To the left of the brown door was a long shuttered window. I walked to it, stood in front of it, and turned around. In daylight, I thought, you could see to the postoffice corner.

Daylight... in my mind, the night faded. It was daytime and the neighborhood was busy. Miss Stephanie Crawford crossed the street to tell the latest to Miss Rachel. Miss Maudie bent over her azaleas. It was summertime, and two children scampered down the sidewalk toward a man approaching in the distance. The man waved, and the children raced each other to him.

It was still summertime, and the children came closer. A boy trudged down the sidewalk dragging a fishingpole behind him. A man stood waiting with his hands on his hips. Summertime, and his children played in the front yard with their friend, enacting a strange little drama of their own invention.

It was fall, and his children fought on the sidewalk in front of Mrs. Dubose's. The boy helped his sister to her feet, and they made their way home. Fall, and his children trotted to and fro around the corner, the day's woes and triumphs on their faces. They stopped at an oak tree, delighted, puzzled, apprehensive.

Winter, and his children shivered at the front gate, silhouetted against a blazing house. Winter, and a man walked into the street, dropped his glasses, and shot a dog.

Summer, and he watched his children's heart break. Autumn again, and Boo's children needed him.

Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough.
[...]
As I made my way home, I thought Jem and I would get grown
but there wasn't much else left for us to learn, except possibly algebra.

The title of the book even refers to Arthur "Boo" Radley and his "shy ways". Note: early in the book, it is discussed that one ought never shoot a mockingbird, for a mockingbird only sings and makes music, and never does harm to crops or to anyone. Later, in the next to last chapter:

Mr. Tate stopped pacing. He stopped in front of Atticus, and his back was to us. "I'm not a very good man, sir, but I am sheriff of Maycomb County. Lived in this town all my life an' I'm goin' on forty-three years old. Know everything that's happened here since before I was born. There's a black boy dead for no reason, and the man responsible for it's dead. Let the dead bury the dead this time, Mr. Finch. Let the dead bury the dead."

Mr. Tate went to the swing and picked up his hat. It was lying beside Atticus. Mr. Tate pushed back his hair and put his hat on.

"I never heard tell that it's against the law for a citizen to do his utmost to prevent a crime from being committed, which is exactly what he did, but maybe you'll say it's my duty to tell the town all about it and not hush it up. Know what'd happen then? All the ladies in Maycomb includin' my wife'd be knocking on his door bringing angel food cakes. To my way of thinkin', Mr. Finch, taking the one man who's done you and this town a great service an' draggin' him with his shy ways into the limelight- to me, that's a sin. It's a sin and I'm not about to have it on my head. If it was any other man, it'd be different. But not this man, Mr. Finch."

Mr. Tate was trying to dig a hole in the floor with the toe of his boot. He pulled his nose, then he massaged his left arm. "I may not be much, Mr. Finch, but I'm still sheriff of Maycomb County and Bob Ewell fell on his knife. Good night, sir."

Mr. Tate stamped off the porch and strode across the front yard. His car door slammed and he drove away. Atticus sat looking at the floor for a long time. Finally he raised his head. "Scout," he said, "Mr. Ewell fell on his knife. Can you possibly understand?"

Atticus looked like he needed cheering up. I ran to him and hugged him and kissed him with all my might. "Yes sir, I understand," I reassured him. "Mr. Tate was right."

Atticus disengaged himself and looked at me. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it'd be sort of like shootin' a mockingbird, wouldn't it?"

Atticus put his face in my hair and rubbed it. When he got up and walked across the porch into the shadows, his youthful step had returned. Before he went inside the house, he stopped in front of Boo Radley. "Thank you for my children, Arthur," he said.

The simple final lines of the book comprise one of my favorite endings to any book. "He" is Atticus:

He turned out the light and went into Jem's room. He would be
there all night, and he would be there when Jem waked up in the
morning.

Verklempt, baby.

In "Infamous", Sandra Bullock shines in a supporting role as Harper Lee accompanying her childhood friend, Truman Capote, to Kansas to research the murders which Capote wrote about in "In Cold Blood". Lee had based her Mockingbird character, Dill, on Capote as a child.

Turn your volume way up:

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Friday Hot: Salma Hayek in Cannes

2010-05-25T06:00:00.005-05:00

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Wonderful dress. It focuses attention on the woman, and in turn focuses attention on the God who could create such a woman. Sublime, all around, from God to Salma to the fashion designer, and back again.

Cannes is an ocean resort. The dress color is soft, like the sky near the ocean. It has a glamour by the sea feel.

The shoulder strap is balanced by the sash.

I love the offset center, and the way the dress gathers around it, and (below) the gold flecks emanating from it. The lack of symmetry creates artistic possibility. The designer's touches are just enough, without being too much.

Much of Hollywood is boring. Salma Hayek is interesting: she makes daring movie choices; she has excellent taste in fashion.

Salma consistently features her cleavage, as she should for career purposes. And besides, why not? Hollywood, done properly, is glamour and sexiness. Therefore: bring it! Bring everything you can, while you can.

Salma does Monroe:

Salma does Morticia ==>

Salma does Bardem?

Tango with Ashley Judd in "Frida", reimagined with different music:

for Campari:

How prevalent is false accusation of rape?

2010-05-24T06:00:00.003-05:00

Via Amy Alkon and Wendy McElroy

Peter Neufeld and Barry C. Scheck, co-founders of the Innocence Project:

"Every year since 1989, in about 25 percent of the sexual assault cases referred to the FBI where results could be obtained, the primary suspect has been excluded by forensic DNA testing. Specifically, FBI officials report that out of roughly 10,000 sexual assault cases since 1989, about 2,000 tests have been inconclusive, about 2,000 tests have excluded the primary suspect, and about 6,000 have 'matched' or included the primary suspect.
[...]
these percentages have remained constant for 7 years, and the National Institute of Justice's informal survey of private laboratories reveals a strikingly similar 26 percent exclusion rate."

I'm shocked. I thought I was more cynical than most about the legitimacy of many sexual assault accusations, yet 25% is a solid bit higher than I expected. My question:

Why?

Why do women falsely accuse of this crime? Is it simply about vengefully hurting someone who has hurt them? b/c this is either the easiest, the only, or the most effective avenue of vengeance open to them?

Southern Brother's baseball team wins Regional Tournament; going to JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, CO

2010-05-20T21:14:00.018-05:00

CONGRATULATIONS to TEMPLE COLLEGE on a well earned tournament victory!

Update
Temple Daily Telegram: Diamond Kings

Temple Head Coach Craig McMurtry:
"This is the sweetest win we've had since our program started."

Waco Tribune Herald: MCC Baseball Denied Title in 13th

The Tribune-Herald notes that these teams split their first 6 games this season. Their 7th and final game required 13 innings to be decided.

An email I sent to Bro64:

Hooray! Fantastic series of baseball games: Temple clawed - and I mean clawed - their way through the losers bracket to the tourney championship -- close game after close game. Yesterday's second game - which also was Temple's second game against MCC, ended 10-9. All fans were exhausted from a final hour of tense baseball: scoring threats and heartbreak occurring for both sides; the game seeming to be fully in the balance every minute for an hour. It was tense.

So, today's final game - a rematch third game against MCC in this tourney - couldn't possibly match yesterday. Would likely be a comfortable victory for someone, right? Wrong. Instead: game won by Temple on a solo HR in the bottom of the 13th inning.

Temple's CF, Korey Wacker, is a LH from Harker Heights, which is lightly plopped in between Killeen and Temple. Wacker is listed at 5'9" and 145 lbs - and you get the feeling that listing is exaggerated to make him seem bigger. He played every day in this tourney. CF is a lot of running; our weather is hot and humid. He ran the bases every game - including stolen bases, including beating the MCC pitcher to 1B on a key ground ball infield single in today's game. He played a double header yesterday, and all day today. When, after fighting through the loser's bracket, Temple had used up their top 7 pitchers ---- at that point, just as in little league, the tiny CF trotted in to pitch the 12th inning. You have to savor the scene: it's the last day of the tourney; it's extra innings - one team is about to go to the World Series and one team is about to disband forever; it's a hot and humid 12th inning; Wacker is as tiny skinny as a blade of grass, is dirty dusty sweat-stained, and is trotting in nonchalantly from deep CF so he can climb up onto the pitchers mound. It was a moment.

MCC had a runner on 1B and no one out. Wacker, throwing from well below a 3/4 arm slot, had one good pitch: a sinking, fading change-up. Everything else he had was not a lot. Wacker was a tinier and skinnier Jamie Moyer, only without the good curve and without the pin point control. He just had the change-up, and somehow he rode it for two innings: miraculously stymieing aluminum bat wielding college baseball hitters who had played an 80 game college season just to get their timing down so they could crush this will-o-the-wisp poor man's Jamie Moyer. Yet: throwing the dancing change-up is apparently the way they teach pitching in the baseball hotbed of Harker Heights, TX. Wacker kept chucking it: sidearm slow dancing it in there with a fade-away finish. He gave up two fly balls to the warning track - once with runners on base. Somehow, nothing went out, everything got caught by OFs, MCC didn't score, and Temple got the solo HR in the bottom of the 13th. Pandemonium. A baseball miracle.

Everybody Draw Muhammad Day

2010-05-20T00:00:00.001-05:00

May 20, 2010

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Oh Nashville, Oh

2010-05-08T06:00:00.001-05:00

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Update: declaring blog vacation for a couple of days.

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Can't get over these images from Nashville. Guess I was out of touch. I knew things were serious and messy in Nashville. I did not know the flooding had progressed to quite this extent.

Southern Brother's baseball team wins their conference championship!

2010-05-07T06:01:00.002-05:00

Congrats to Temple College in Temple, TX, just down the road from Fort Hood. The Leopards will enter the Regional Tournament at Fort Worth Cats Field, beginning on May 16.

Photo: Temple's Zach Cohen about to score the winning run to clinch a doubleheader sweep and a conference championship.

Photo by Mitch Green of the Temple Daily Telegram.

I was just saying, only a week or so ago, that watching Temple College and their opponents is heartening to a baseball fan. They play the right way. Watching them rekindles my own love of the game. By coincidence, Southern Brother emailed the same sentiments yesterday:

I am of the belief that JUCO baseball is baseball at it's purist form. Kids play hard and play because of an absolute love of the game...the game and respect for the game is what matters and those that learn that...win.

Game story

Friday Hot: Francesca Bertini

2010-05-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

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In college, I knew a girl named Francesca. Nice name.

Francesca Bertini was a star Italian actress during the earliest days of movies. She was a pioneer: the first actor to eschew large motions - which were designed for the stage - in favor of a natural style of acting. When movies became talkies, she continued on as a star. Mussolini's fascism, however, derailed the Italian movie industry and derailed Francesca's career. She refused to make another movie until 1976, when Bernardo Bertolucci cajoled her into a role in his Novecento. Francesca also submitted to extensive interviews for the documentary Behind the Screen: Stories of Cinema - The Last Diva (1982)

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I put up Francesca, partly, b/c it's Mother's Day weekend. Francesca's photo is shot from below. That's the angle which I, as a child, had when looking up at my mother. Francesca, in profile, reminds of Mom.

A photo of my Mom, Nancy, below. Compared to the onscreen Francesca: Mom is a bit taller, and Mom has more of a Dutch/Northern European look, as opposed to Francesca's Latin look. Still, in profile, I see resemblance - including even the sweep of the hairstyle on the sides.

Francesca in front of the camera:

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Jaded Haven: "Screw you, we're from Texas"

2010-05-06T06:01:00.012-05:00

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Update Video: PJTV's Roger L. Simon hangs out with Tex. Gov. Rick Perry at Texas Motor Speedway. Gov. Perry is a political star: an effusive "people person" who keeps politics simple and packs heat when he jogs with his dog. You never know when you and your dog will be threatened by either a coyote or a Democrat. Governor Perry has already shot a coyote....

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Texas: it's a profane state of mind?

Daphne's blogpost does capture a pervasive attitude amongst residents of this state, as vocalized by the great Ray Wylie Hubbard:

And thank God for it. With Barack and friends running amok in Washington, Daphne's and Ray Wylie's is exactly the sentiment which is needed. Texans are born to be defiant. Any Americans who want to defy Barack can be comforted that Texans will be right there beside em, and will be taunting that lightweight poseur in the Oval Office.

In 1835, when the Mexican Army demanded the surrender of a tiny cannon, residents of Gonzales, TX replied: "Come and take it!" They made a battle flag for the occasion.

Texas History:

Under the leadership of General Santa Anna, the government of Mexico was transformed into a military dictatorship (see the letter by S.F. Austin, p. 85, Texas and the Texans), ignoring the Constitution of 1824, which had cost many lives and had secured liberties not previously enjoyed by the people. The state of Coahuila did not cooperate with Santa Anna's plans, and the state of Zacatecas rebelled, but was brutally crushed by the military. One of Santa Anna's "reforms" was to reduce the number of the militia to one soldier for every five-hundred inhabitants, and to disarm the remainder. This arbitrary decree was a sufficient justification of Texas for her subsequent acts. [Historian H. Yoakum wrote the following in 1855:] "Every one who knows the Texans, or who has heard of them, would naturally conclude that they never would submit to be disarmed."
[...]
The eighteen men in Gonzales, willing and able to conduct an organized fight, removed all boats from the Guadalupe River, and hid the ferry in a bayou north of town. Next they captured the handful of Mexican soldiers waiting near town--but one man escaped, and rode hallooing back to Bexar.

Meanwhile, volunteers responding to the call to arms rushed to the scene, and the little Texan force of 18 mushroomed to 150 on September 30...167 on October 1.

Also at this time, Sara Seely DeWitt and her daughter Evaline made the flag, back then referred to as the Old Cannon Flag, now called the Come and Take It flag. Depicted on a white cloth was a cannon with a lone star above it, and the words "come and take it" beneath the cannon. It was Texas' first battle flag, and first lone star flag. [To my knowledge, it is also the only flag that indirectly equates arms to liberty, and that openly defies a tyrant's attempts at gun control. Ed.]

On October 1, 1835, Captain Francisco Castaneda arrived from San Antonio with something less than two hundred men. Ugartechea intended a show of force. Castaneda, blocked by the Guadalupe, demanded the ferry be restored, and the cannon handed over. There was some parleying, a demonstration by the Mexican cavalry near the town, and considerable yelling and taunting by the Texans, who dared the Mexicans to "come and take it!" echoing the words emblazoned on their newly created flag flying in the breeze.
[...]
The fog lifted suddenly as a curtain, showing both forces drawn up on an open prairie. With the Come and Take It flag flying, the Gonzales cannon fired, and Captain Castaneda immediately requested a parley, asking why he was being attacked.

Colonel Moore, commander of the Texans, explained that the Captain had demanded a cannon given to the Texans for 'the defense of themselves and the constitution and the laws of the country,' while he, Castaneda, 'was acting under orders of the tyrant Santa Anna, who had broken and trampled underfoot all the state and federal constitutions of Mexico, except that of Texas,' which last the Texans were prepared to defend.

Castaneda answered that 'he was himself a republican, as were two-thirds of the Mexican nation, but he was a professional officer of the government,' and while that government had indeed undergone certain surprising changes, it was the government, and the people of Texas were bound to submit to it.

Moore then suggested to the Captain, if he were a republican, he should join the revolution against tyranny by surrendering his command, and join them in the fight. Captain Castaneda replied stiffly that he would obey his orders. At this, Moore returned to his own lines and ordered the Texans to open fire. There was a brief skirmish, and the Mexican force immediately abandoned the field and rode back toward San Antonio.

Three hundred Spartans prepare for glory at Thermopylae:

Hollywood imagines the epic Molon Labe moment.

Arizona Gov Jan Brewer Speaks Out

2010-05-06T06:00:00.005-05:00

Gov Brewer:

[W]ith a federal government unwilling to secure our border for years and years, Arizona is left with little choice.

[...]

So here are the facts:

1. The new Arizona law creates a state penalty to mirror what already is a federal crime. Despite the most vile and hate-filled portrayals of proponents of the law as "Nazis," actions that have been condemned nationally by the Anti-Defamation League, it is ALREADY a federal requirement for legal aliens in the United States to carry their green card or other immigration document. The new Arizona law enforces what has been a federal crime since before World War II. As anyone who has traveled abroad knows, other nations have similar laws.

2. Contrary to many of the horror stories being spread -- President Obama suggested families risk being pulled over while going out for ice cream -- law enforcement cannot randomly ask anyone about their immigration status. Much like enforcement of seat belt laws in many states, under SB 1070 there must first be reasonable suspicion that you are breaking some OTHER non-immigration law before an officer can ask a person about their legal status. Only then, after law enforcement officers have a "reasonable suspicion" that another law has been broken, can they inquire about immigration status -- but ONLY if that individual's behavior provides "reasonable suspicion" that the person is here illegally.

"Reasonable suspicion" is a well-understood concept that has been thoroughly vetted through numerous federal court cases. Many have asked: What is reasonable suspicion? Is it race, skin color or national origin? No! Racial profiling is prohibited in the new law. Examples of reasonable suspicion include: a person running away when approached by law enforcement officers, or a car failing to stop when the police turn on their lights and siren.

3. Arizona's local law enforcement officers, who already reflect the great diversity of culture in our state, are going to be trained to enforce the new immigration law in a constitutional manner. It is shameful and presumptive for opponents to question the good will and the competence of Arizona's law enforcement personnel. The specter that is raised of rogue, racist police harassing people is insulting to those in Arizona who risk their lives in the name of law enforcement every day.

President Theodore Roosevelt said,
"No man is above the law and no man is below it; nor do we ask any man's permission when we require him to obey it. Obedience to the law is demanded as a right; not asked as a favor."
Arizona has been more than patient waiting for Washington to act. Decades of federal inaction and misguided policy have created a dangerous and unacceptable situation. Arizona has acted to enforce the rule of law equally and without bias toward any person.

Sheri Gilmour makes me laugh

2010-05-05T06:01:00.003-05:00

Name Sheri Gilmour
Web http://sherigilmour.com/
Bio I love doilies, Hummel figurines, afternoon teas, flower arranging, brandishing weapons, and cussing at @#$%^&* idiots.
I will cut a bitch.

Arizona Illegal Immigration Law

2010-05-05T06:00:00.006-05:00

The law was clarified on Friday:

[L]awmakers have removed “lawful contact” from the bill and replaced it with “lawful stop, detention or arrest.” In an explanatory note, lawmakers added that the change “stipulates that a lawful stop, detention or arrest must be in the enforcement of any other law or ordinance of a county, city or town or this state.”

“It was the intent of the legislature for ‘lawful contact’ to mean arrests and stops, but people on the left mischaracterized it,” says Kris Kobach, the law professor and former Bush Justice Department official who helped draft the law. “So that term is now defined.”

Don't know when I've seen such ado about nothing as is coming from those who oppose the state of AZ declaring they will enforce existing federal law. That's it. That is all AZ is doing: enforcing existing federal law which the feds are mostly failing to enforce. The sky is not falling. AZ's simple law has been mischaracterized about as badly as anything could be. My comments at another blog:

A nation is not a nation if it cannot control it's borders

If the borders become controllable, then we can look for solutions re illegal aliens. Unless the borders become controllable, there will be no solutions, and here's why: illegal immigration is truly a problem. A few examples:

1. A nation cannot condone the flaunting of it's law without weakening itself (including immigration law, enforcement law, employment law).
2. Illegal immigrants increase crime rates across the board.
3. Illegal immigrants increase the stress on social services.

Comprehensive reform is the wrong way to go (and is even unethical, imo). The right way to go, the ethical way to go, is bite by bite - beginning with the huge yet necessary bite of controlling the borders. After that, solutions may be discussed - one small bite, followed by consideration which leads to another small bite, followed by consideration which leads to another small bite. Small bite example: confer citizenship upon those who complete a military commitment. Small bite example: consider appropriate and enforceable sanctions upon businesses who hire illegal aliens. Small bite example: allow illegal aliens to retain lawyers and sue businesses or individuals for employing them at less than minimum wage. See how such small bites work, and progress towards amnesty as a last ditch solution. However, unless and until borders are controlled, no solutions are possible.

Summarizing the open borders argument and the racism accusation

Here is the open borders argument: the cure (for illegal immigration) is worse than the disease. It is an interesting argument, yet it is not a self-evidently correct argument. It is not a winning argument in this nation at this time: Grandma and Little League coaches and small business owners currently believe in controlling the border, plus 1,2,3 above. Open borders is an argument which must be sold, marketed, effectively argued: must win over Grandma, et al.

I see (not heavily in the comments to this series of blogposts, but some) this "argument": the cure is worse than the disease, and if you disagree with me then you are a racist. I've zero respect for that "logic". Sometimes that "logic" is soft-served, like this: those who disagree with me don't see the underlying racism. Okay, so: I'm ignorant, instead of racist? Thanks. Very much. Am so relieved to know that.

The "the cure is worse than the disease" argument must be won the merits. It's really the only hope of having open borders win the day. Racists will be with us - at least in this portion of this millennium - yet racism is not driving the big numbers who disagree with the "the cure is worse than the disease" argument. The "control the borders" logic of Grandma, Little League coaches, and small business owners are driving those numbers. The dynamic is similar to the Tea Parties, actually. Racism will always be with us, yet racism is not the driving force behind the big numbers; and, therefore, an accusation of racism will not win the day. Such accusation will lose the day; will only allow the accuser to nurse their grudges as they age.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Re the Casual Observer/Tidbits discussion, which Casual Observer began with these three points:

the AZ law does not require but rather empowers
the demand for proof of citizenship is empowered only within the context of a precedent stop for another violation of law
the immigration violation must be referred to federal authority

The third point hinges on the arguments I reference at top, i.e. which is better: controlled borders or open borders? Enforce the law or ignore the law?

The second point was clarified today by AZ legislators.

The first and second points may be considered together, as both hinge on this: is profiling good or bad?

My opinion: skilled profiling is good, unskilled profiling is bad.

Profiling is police work; police work is profiling. We cannot legislate a utopia in which only highly skilled, perfect, mistake-free, prejudice-free police officers exist. And we cannot have police without also having profiling.

Racial profiling is only one component of profiling. If Marco Rubio is stopped for a traffic violation, and if Marco Rubio is dressed in crisp clothing and is driving a newish auto, then a police officer will profile Marco Rubo differently from three Mexican roofers driving home in beat-up pickup.

This is the flaw with condemning profiling: profiling concerns a bunch of elements, not just one element. Race is one element amongst 20 or even 40 factors which a human being instantly and instinctively considers, both consciously and unconsciously. It's all well and good to make every effort to encourage Americans to be more racially sensitive, yet it does not follow that considering race as one of 20 factors inside an instantaneous profile of a situation equates to racism or to unfairness.

Jesse Jackson famously said, in so many words, that he profiles. When he walks down the street and hears young men behind him: Jesse said he is relieved if they are white. There's a lot more to his statement than maybe even Jesse understands: if Jesse saw three Urkels behind him, he would be equally relieved. If Jesse saw three skateboarding, rap music loving, tatooed white kids behind him(plus about 15 other factors which Jesse would instantly and humanly assess): then Jesse might be very concerned. Much more than race goes into instant profiling assessments.

Therefore: racial profiling is a good thing if it constitutes one profiling factor amongst many profiling factors at work when making a skilled judgment about a situation. Skilled profiling is good. Being shrewd is good. Good police work is good. Unskilled profiling and bad police work are bad.

Both good and bad police work will always be with us. We cannot be rid of them. In a metaphysical sense: bad policemen are a feature, not a bug - though we rightly make every sensible effort to reduce their number. And: life is not fair. Which is also a feature, not a bug - though we rightly make every sensible effort to be as fair as possible to our fellow human beings.

This weekend, I became a big Seattle Mariners fan

2010-05-04T06:00:00.003-05:00

even though the Mariners played sloppy ball which resulted in their being swept by the Rangers. The series gave me a chance to really focus on the Mariners: their starting pitching is fantabulous.

King Felix Hernandez is fantabulous.
Cliff Lee made his first start of the season and painted corners for 7 scoreless innings. Lee dominated the Rangers.
Eric Bedard should return from injury soon.
Grasshopper Doug Fister (I am creating this moniker: Fister is tall and thin, like grasshopper; also throws mystical change-up - thus grasshopper also works as a "Kung Fu" TV show reference) is a surprise, and is the additional ingredient which cements my Mariners fandom. On the season, Fister has a 1.29 ERA and a fantabulous 0.80 WHIP. Fister is 6'5"ish. He comes over the top with a fastball he which paints on corners. He follows that with a mystical dancing change-up which he also controls. Video: Fister no hit the Rangers through 5 innings; shut out the Rangers on 3 hits and 0 walks before departing after 8 innings.

So: 4 fantabulous starters (and a capable 5th starter in Jason Vargas), pitching in a big ballpark in heavy air, and backed by outstanding defense - especially in an OF where everyone is a speedster and where CF Franklin Gutierrez is a defensive mega-star. In the infield: 1B Casey Kotchman and SS Jack Wilson are outstanding defenders; Chone Figgins is plenty solid at 2B. How do you beat a team like that? Not easily. The Mariners are no fun to play against.

The Mariners ought be in the pennant race all season. If the Mariners get a lead in the pennant race: how do the trailing teams make up ground against a Mariners club which is sending out King Felix, Lee, Bedard, Fister, and Vargas over and over all through the season? Catching the Mariners would be a formidable task. Further: if the Mariners make the playoffs, who wants to go back to back to back to back against King Felix, Cy Young Winner Cliff Lee, Eric Bedard, and Grasshopper Doug Fister? No one wants to face that.

Shifting focus: the AL West is going to be a fun division to follow. The pennant race will be heated all through the season, and likely right through the final weekend.

The Angels are division champs and are not disappearing; have their own fantabulous group of starting pitchers; have a dynamic offensive team. Any team with Erik Aybar at SS is worth watching. Aybar is one of my favorite baseball players, ever.

The Rangers are a rising team which might be ready to win. The Rangers are a volatile and powerful thunderstorm. They could strike with the sudden and massive force of suddenly mature talent. The rest of the division looks on warily.

I'm fired up for this season.

Victoria Jackson is a good performer

2010-05-03T06:00:00.001-05:00

She makes her success on stage look accidental. She makes it look like luck - as if she just stumbles around on stage and accidentally makes everything come out good and funny and entertaining. It is the opposite of accidental and it is the opposite of luck. Ms. Jackson is a veteran stage performer who understands her craft. She may go extemporaneous here and there, yet that is b/c she has years of experience in front of an audience: she can sense when and where to go, as a jazz musician extemporaneously goes here and there during certain performances. Ms. Jackson gives just about the perfect entertaining and fun Tea Party performance. Its a fun interlude for the crowd, yet she also gets her message across; she also rallies the crowd; the crowd enjoys being rallied. Kudos, Ms. Jackson. I hope you don't get sick.

h/t
`

You couldn't watch the Texas Rangers tonight without instinctively sensing

2010-05-01T00:45:00.013-05:00

Update: player postgame quotes

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

they might make the playoffs this season.

Most importantly, Colby Lewis' performance last night (on top of his previous performances) means the Rangers have a competitive 1-2 combo of pitchers at the top of their rotation: C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis. If the Rangers can add an excellent Derek Holland, then C.J. + Colby Lewis + Derek Holland looks like a trio which could lead a team to victory in a playoff series.

In Aug and Sept, if the Rangers mix in two effective starters from the group of Feldman, Harrison, Hunter, Harden: then the Rangers could have 5 capable starters workin it down the stretch drive to earn a playoff berth.

The only caveat, and this worries me: how many innings can C.J. Wilson and Derek Holland throw this season? C.J. is going to jump from 80 innings to 160 innings for sure. Can C.J. throw 200 innings without wearing down and becoming ineffective (and at the worst possible time, i.e. down the stretch and in the playoffs? I kinda suspect he cannot. It's a problem.

Derek Holland is throwing 7 innings or more in a regular rotation slot at OKC. Can Holland throw 200 innings without both wearing down and endangering his young arm? I kinda suspect he cannot. It's a problem.

How much more AAA does Holland need? Surely not much. Holland is close to a point where he's wasting spring innings in OKC which will be needed in Arlington in August and September. Maybe Holland could rest RIGHT NOW, while the Rangers dilly dally for a couple more starts before doing what everyone except the Rangers now believes in inevitable: moving Rich Harden either into the bullpen or onto the disabled list.

Solutions for C.J. and Holland? Pitch each in long relief for a month during midseason? Jump each of C.J. and Holland onto the 15 day disabled list at least one time during the season? Think up a blister problem - it's as good as a hammy.

If C.J. and Holland are handled intelligently, i.e. if the best conditions for the players' health and effectiveness are put into place, then players and franchise and fans all win. I kinda suspect they will not be handled intelligently. Ron Washington is not Gregg Popovich. Especially in Holland's case: worrisome.

Back to last night: the Rangers looked like a veteran team which keeps it's composure and plays to win. Good to see.

Elvis scored the first run of the game, in the top of the 12th, then launched his beatific smile. Best sports smile since Magic Johnson. It's not just a smile: it's an inspiration.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An odd play in the bottom of the 11th

Video of the play

It was a bases loaded, 1 out squeeze play. Supposed bunter Eric Byrnes pulled his bat back and did not offer at a low and outside fastball which was off the plate. Catcher Treanor bobbled the ball in the dirt before picking up and tagging out a sliding Ichiro. Freakish play; heartstopping play ... three times:

1] when Byrnes squared,

2] when Treanor was fishing around in the dirt for the ball, and grabbed at it ... and WHIFFED! Holy smokes!;

3] when Treanor grabbed the ball on his second stab and lunged for Ichiro.

Here's what I think happened inside Byrnes' head on the play:

Byrnes was aware of the squeeze.
However, though aware of the squeeze: in the moment, Byrnes instinctively pulled his bat back from a low outside pitch which was not a strike. It looked weird, b/c the pitch was buntable, yet Byrnes pulled back. I believe it was an instinctive move by Byrnes. In the moment, and to his great regret, Byrnes blanked and acted on instinct.
After pulling his bat back, Byrnes realized his error. Trying at that point to do something, anything, to help his team, Byrnes waved his bat between Treanor and home plate. It looked comical, but it probably was worth a shot. Treanor was looking in the dirt and searching for a grip on the ball. If Byrnes could have momentarily attracted Treanor's attention, it could have prevented Treanor from grabbing the ball and tagging Ichiro. Quirky play.

Former Cowboys Coach Jimmy Johnson would have put Byrnes on waivers by now.

Update: two days after both this game and the above quip, Seattle released Eric Byrnes. A sad thing, really. Byrnes might be an airhead, but he plays hard. Playing hard is not nothing, esp. in a present era in which most players do not run out ground balls. At least a Little Leaguer could watch Eric Byrnes and get the right idea about how to play the game.

Seattle management may have felt pressed by fans who 1) were infuriated with Byrnes after Friday night's failed squeeze play, and 2) were infuriated with the Mariners team after sloppy play allowed a Rangers sweep. Management might have panicked, might have felt they had to appease fans in some fashion, might have offered Byrnes as a sacrifice to the attendance gods - symbolically tossing him off of Mount Ranier.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Elvis, in the top of the 12th, hit what I am dubbing a "Little Leaguer". This is a Little League Texas Leaguer. Elvis hit what looked for all the world like a mini Texas Leaguer - only it landed over the mound dirt instead of over the infield dirt. It was as if the mound were the infield dirt, the pitcher was an infielder, the infield dirt was the outfield warning track, and the infielders were outfielders who were frantically running for the Texas Leaguer. The ball maybe traveled the distance of a Little League Texas Leaguer which lands barely beyond the dirt and dead in the center of a Little League field. It was a "Little Leaguer". I claim copyright of that terminology.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Rangers have now turned over their preseason preferred #1 starter (Harden), plus their 1B, plus both catchers, plus their Closer. The Rangers played w/o their 2B during April, will be w/o their RF for the first half of May, and must be considering turning over their rookie CF also. The Rangers have led in 21 of their 23 games this season, only to see 5 of their losses occur via catastrophic late inning breakdowns of relief pitching and/or defense. These were the kind of breakdowns which scar; the kinds of breakdowns which - on a good team - typically only occur a few times a season - yet the Rangers suffered 5 of these catastrophic breakdown losses in the 1st month.

Yet, today, May 1, the Rangers find themselves tied for first place. And last place. The entire American League West has 12 losses. Quirky beginning to the season. The Rangers were due for some luck, and they got some tonight. They are due for some more luck. More importantly, you've got to like the way the Rangers carried themselves in the tense moments of a memorable game.

In the 11th, Michael Young missed an Ichiro line drive which 29 Major League 3Bs catch, and which only Michael Young misses -- due to Michael Young's excessively high ready position + resulting ineptness at making even the simplest diving plays. And it was a VERY simple play. It was so simple it wasn't even really challenging for an actual 3B, yet Michael Young contorted and frantically avoided the ball as if it were a poisonous snake. He almost had to ole' the ball. It was such an easy play that the ball almost hit Michael Young in spite of his contorted effort to avoid it.

Still, still: the way the Rangers carried themselves late in the game was probably something which partially rubbed off of Michael Young and onto some of the other players. The Rangers were poised, focused, and never for a moment gave up or gave in. That is Michael Young type of mental toughness and influence, and it is a wonderful thing to sense in a team. I loved it. Loved it.

O'Day, Elvis, Kinsler, and Smoak save the 10th inning and the game.

It was the kind of game you bring up years later: Hey, remember that time ....

Vlad Guerrero makes a play in the 5th

Feliz saves it in the 12th: hits 99 mph

You could not watch w/o sensing the Rangers might make the playoffs this season.

Could not not sense it.

Friday Hot: Margaret Thatcher

2010-04-30T06:00:00.001-05:00

`

Roger L. Simon:

The real reason liberals accuse Tea Partiers of racism is that contemporary American-style liberalism is in rigor mortis. Liberals have nothing else to say or do. Accusations of racism are their last resort.

The European debt crisis — first Greece, then Portugal and now Spain (and Belgium, Ireland and Italy, evidently) — has shown the welfare state to be an unsustainable economic system. The US, UK and Japan, according to the same Financial Times report, are also on similar paths of impoverishment through entitlements.

Many of us have known this for a long time, just from simple math. Entitlements are in essence a Ponzi scheme. Now we have to face that and do something serious about it or our economy (the world economy) will fall apart.

Liberals, leftists or progressives — whatever they choose to call themselves — have a great deal of trouble accepting this. To do so they would have to question a host of positions they have not examined for years, if ever, not to mention have to engage in discussions that could threaten their livelihood and jeopardize their personal and family associations.

Thus the traditional wish to kill the messenger who brings the bad news: the Tea Partiers. And the easiest way to kill them — the most obvious and hoariest of methods – is to accuse them of racism. Never mind that there is no evidence — or what little evidence proffered has been shown to be manufactured prevarication — liberals must continue the racism meme at all costs. There is no other. To engage the Tea Party Movement in a battle of ideas would be suicidal for them, because the basic economic tenet of American liberalism — an increase in government spending and consequent increased national debt is good for society — seems nonsensical to the vast majority of our citizens at this point in history. And for good reason.
[...]
In the battle to maintain power — and equally as importantly to maintain self-image — many strains of the left will redouble their efforts to define the Tea Party movement as racist, further splitting our society and racializing it. They will seize on any isolated incident of the slightest prejudice as a pretext. And it is not unlikely that they will find what they need somewhere, because any movement of millions contains someone who exhibits some form of racism some time. Again, it’s simple math.

Epistemic Closure Epidemic? There is Hope

2010-04-29T06:00:00.001-05:00

Tom Maguire:

A typical lefty could listen to NPR on the drive to work, pick up the NY Times/LA Times/Washington Post, watch CNN, read Newsweek/TIME, and feel very well informed. Although Ezra might not agree, some of us think such a person is actually well cocooned. To be fair, they often get some "Now they tell us" coverage eventually, as on health care, when the time for cheerleading has passed.

To pick an illustrative but otherwise unimportant example seemingly at random - a regular reader Times reader / NPR listener would have no way of knowing that Obama and his team lied throughout the campaign about his relationship with Bill Ayers, and are almost surely still lying. (David Remnick of the New Yorker preferred the word "disingenuous" in his recent book on Obama.)

Now, if a cocooned lib does not know that Obama has been lying they are more likely to fall in line with the notion that Sarah Palin is a right wing nutjob for even mentioning Ayers.

Obviously, that is not as important as a rational national debate on global warming. That said, I meet many well-informed libs, and few of them take the position that they understand that Obama is lying about Ayers but don't care. The most common response is that Sarah Palin is not fit to be President, which is a bit of a non sequitur, one might think. Bush lied about his military service is another typical but not entirely topical response.

Well. As a broader theme, the notion that Obama is lying about his biography while our watchdog press looks the other way troubles me; I think most libs are not even aware that it is happening.

Video star Andrew Klavan explains NYT's modus operandi.

Janine Turner is making a forthright effort to be an engaged citizen. Her website: Constituting America, and video podcasts as she studies through the Constitution.

Over to You, Bill Clinton, Frank Rich, Joe Klein et al.
[by Mark Steyn]

Actually, there is a lot of incendiary hate out there.... The voiceover is by U.S. citizen (and spiritual mentor, most recently, to Major Hasan) Ayman al-Awlaki. He is explaining the rationale for killing identified individuals, including the creators of South Park.

Mr. al-Awlaki says things like, "Harming Allah and his messenger is a reason to encourage Muslims to kill whoever does that."

Maybe he'd get a worse press if he were to stop pussyfooting around and explicitly incite violence by saying something openly hateful like "I'm becoming very concerned about federal spending."

Politico: Pres. Obama is forgoing issue argument in favor of excoriating individual opponents

Mitch McConnell is in bed with Wall Street “movers and shakers” — and is fronting “cynical and deceptive” arguments on their behalf.

John Boehner is a health care Chicken Little to be mocked for predicting Armageddon if the Democrats’ reform bill passed.

Sarah Palin can be ignored on arms control because she’s “not exactly an expert on nuclear issues.”

And Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh are just a “troublesome” twosome spreading “vitriol.”

Democratic oppo research? Comments from Daily Kos?

No, this is your president speaking.

Once chastised for not being tough enough, President Barack Obama has lately been getting personal with his political adversaries — singling them out for scorn in speeches, interviews, asides and even in his weekly radio address.

Rather than just going after big groups of bad guys — insurance companies, lobbyists, the media — Obama has adopted a strategy that gives a face to the enemy.

By setting himself up against specific opponents, he provides a point of contrast that’s useful in invigorating a base hungry for bare knuckles and bravado — and forces those in the middle to choose between him and his villain du jour.
[...]
“The presidency is the highest office of the land, and when he differs, he should differ on policy [and] on principle,” said Ari Fleischer, who was the White House press secretary under President George W. Bush. “He’s entitled to fight and defend himself, but not in ad hominem personal style. It’s unseemly for a president to do that.”

Republicans also depict Obama’s approach as a sign of weakness born of a loss of traction on the issues.

“Name-calling isn’t typically done from a position of strength,” McConnell spokesman Josh Holmes said.

In future, issues will be explained more clearly. The internet is enabling Repubs to get their message out more effectively; is enabling Repubs to fight the public relations and marketing fights on more even ground. When Repubs could only get their message out via ABC,NBC,CBS,CNN,NYT,WaPo, certain Repub messages were minimized by these media outlets. The internet makes the playing field more level.

Example: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/36097.html

Beyond allowing Repubs to better get their message out, the internet allows journalists and commenters from the right to more widely disseminate their understanding of issues; to more widely disseminate information which CBS/NBC/ABC/CNN/NYT/WaPo either would ignore, or would bury deep in a story on page 15A.

Examples:

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/How-Clinton-exploited-Oklahoma-City-for-political-gain-91267829.html

http://www.pjtv.com/v/3439

It's a new day. As marketing and public relations strategies are more able to be exposed and destroyed by the other side, the importance of marketing and public relations strategies will diminish. What will gain more and more prominence and importance? Win the argument! On the merits! It's a new day, with even better days ahead.

Barack defines free press inquiry as "an old Washington game"

2010-04-28T18:00:00.003-05:00

Today, in a statement to media, Barack defined journalism as “an old Washington game”, i.e. as a low down insincere distraction.

I empathize with POTUS’ desire for his VAT commission to complete it’s work before announcing it’s conclusions. However, whether or not the commission does so is under the control of the commission and it’s aides. What do journalistic questions have to do with it? Nothing.

Barack intentionally, extraneously ventured into straw man land in order to define journalism itself as a detestable “old Washington game”. For a President of a free press nation to do this constitutes a scandal which is standing out in the open in the plain sight of everyone. If media are truly becoming wise to Barack, then media will roast Barack over this contrived characterization which impugns the importance of a free press.

If there’s one thing media love, it’s their own image of themselves as virtuous and gallant knights. With media’s cherished narrative about their own virtue and importance now being openly challenged: will media shriek like stuck pigs? We shall see. This is the time to stand up and shriek. Even I will stand behind media in this instance.

The relevant passage from today’s press statement by Barack:

Our friends in the media, will ask me and others once a week or once a day about what we’re willing to rule out or rule in,” he said, “That’s an old Washington game and it’s one that has made it all but impossible in the past for people to sit down and have an honest discussion about putting our country on a more secure fiscal footing. So I want to deliver this message today: We’re not playing that game. I’m not going to say what’s in. I’m not going to say what’s out. I want this commission to be free to do its work.

neo-neocon: Obama, the press' abusive lover
The Anchoress: Obama & WH Press: Love Hurts

`

Andrew Breitbart accurately labels a civil rights legend a liar

2010-04-28T06:01:00.004-05:00

Breitbart collects cell phone video which backs the accusation. Breitbart:

Now this story is much more important than the accusation of fifteen racists among the thousands of protesters that day. This is now about the accusers.

Bob Owens:

Breitbart has exposed real racists on Capitol Hill. Watch the liberals scatter as they try to avoid admitting that the bigots and liars are their own ignorant brethren.

Spurs vs Mavericks

2010-04-28T06:00:00.005-05:00

The mentally toughest team will win.

The Mavs could win if they attack relentlessly. The Spurs weakness, as it has been since David Robinson retired - excepting when the Spurs had either Kurt Thomas or Robert Horry in the game and paired with Tim Duncan - is in the dead center of their defense: exactly in the center of the lane and at the lip of the cup. The very heart of the Spurs defense is the weakness of their defense.

Do the Mavs have the heart to relentlessly, unceasingly attack the heart of the Spurs defense? Probably not. If the Mavs can find the heart: the Spurs are there to be had.

The Mavs weakness is their over-reliance on their 2-3 matchup zone. It's a nice change of pace defense, yet the Mavs have been relying on it for huuuuge chunks of the series. The Mavs can't win that way, imo.

Its a good series, and at this point is unpredictable. Some NBA playoff series are ruined by NBA referees refusing to allow an athletic shooting guard such as Kobe, LeBron, or Dwayne Wade to be defended. This series is not marred by that. Ginobli doesn't have the athleticism which convinces NBA refs that he simply cannot be defended w/o being fouled. Makes for a more interesting series.

Whittle Interviews Whistleblowers Re Government Cover-Up of Nature of Islamic Jihad; Plus Infiltration of Jihad Into U.S. Government

2010-04-27T17:30:00.006-05:00

Must see video. Whittle's and PJTV's scoops are superior to anything "60 Minutes" has done in many years.

http://www.pjtv.com/?cmd=mpg&mpid=56

My transcription of portions of the interviews:

The first whistleblower was tasked with finding Islamic doctrinal arguments which the U.S. Government could market to the Islamic world in such a way as to decrease numbers of Islamic fundamentalists and to increase numbers of moderate Muslims.

Ultimately, First Whistleblower was shocked by his own findings:

Over a long period of time, I ended up collecting a large body of Islamic law - an enormous amount of it available in English - and realized that: if Islamic law is the criteria by which you measure legitimacy or illegitimacy, you can't show that the moderates have a doctrinal basis to the position they hold; and you can't show that, on the statement of the law, the radicals are wrong.

I was expecting to find competing views that had some merit. I was expecting to find that the moderate view would be the dominant view, and that we would have to figure out these and how to make these arguments so that the people in the Middle East would know what it was -- and [I] could not find it. Now, I could find that you're not allowed to fight a jihad you can't win. And thats a limiting factor. But when you get to actually what published Islamic law says: it supports the radicals in what they say. And, you come to find, after you get a sense for the language of jihad, and for a sense of how the language of Islamic law works, that it's [the language of jihad] pervasive, even in the U.S. Muslim community.

Whittle:

Inside the Dept. of Defense ... what were the consequences of you coming back with this information?

First Whistleblower:

Shock, [and then] complete unresponsiveness to facts. If you are professionals, then you have a duty to be competent that includes the duty to know. And if you are National Security Analysts who are professionals: your violation of your oath to be competent is a violation of your oath to protect and defend. It just seems that they completely picked up our whole national security apparatus and moved it from a factual legal basis to one that supports narratives. And it just struck me that, when you hit a certain level - and I don't want to sound too cynical, but, at the same time: it seems that the point at which your future promotion was dependent upon [orienting around] a narrative, as opposed to orienting on facts - well, I witnessed a complete shutdown. A friend of mine called my brief "the red pill brief", or "the guilty knowledge brief".

Second Whistleblower is a former Special Agent for the FBI who spent nearly 15 years working with a primary expertise on the Islamic movement in the United States, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Islamic doctrine.

Second Whistleblower says all information he references is openly available online, and much of it came out in the Holy Land Foundation trial. Just Google "Holy Land Foundation".

The documents [from the trial] show that every major Muslim organization in the United States is a Muslim Brotherhood front, specifically: the most prominent organizations. The two most prominent organizations in the United States - or the three most prominent - are the Muslim Public Affairs Council, the Council on American Islamic Relations - "CAIR", and "ISNA" - the Islamic Society of North America.

CAIR is a Hamas entity. It is Hamas. And ISNA is a huge financial entity for Hamas in the United States. And CAIR and ISNA are the two groups that the U.S. Government - including the FBI, DOD, State Dept., and DHS, look to, and utilize, to do their outreach with the Muslim community in America.

At the national level, with the FBI and DHS, they actually are invited in, by General Council's Office of FBI and DHS, to sit in on brainstorming about investigative techniques that are used in the field. So, for instance, the General Council of the FBI, Valerie Caproni, invited these Muslim organizations - as well as the ACLU and other groups - in to make sure that the investigative techniques and the Attorney General guidelines ... was okay and not offensive to these organizations.
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When the people advising ... are Muslim Brothers: you're not going to get training that discusses Islamic doctrine, and who the Muslim Brotherhood is: their history and influence, and their penetration operations here in the United States. And, to boot, the people who are training the FBI are people like CAIR.
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This has happened b/c the Muslim Brotherhood has a long term strategy. They are well organized, with hundreds of front groups.
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Muslim Students Association is on every major campus in the United States, recruiting people into the [Muslim] Brotherhood on our own campuses.
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The evidence entered into the Holy Land Foundation trial demonstrated that the Muslim Students Association was the first Muslim Brotherhood entity in the United States - established in 1963 - for the sole purpose being and establishing a Muslim Brotherhood here. And it continues today to be a Muslim Brotherhood entity that is expanded and recruits students on campuses in the United States.