November 22, 2004 by s.z.

Some Recommendations 1.  The Princeton Progressive Review is an interesting and worthy new student blog that just got some money! The Princeton Progressive Review is delighted to announce that it has been selected as one of the inaugural members of the Center for American Progress' new Campus Progress Network, and has received a major grant from CAP to develop its operation. Of course, when we hear CAP, we think of CAP, which isn't giving money to worthy students because it wants US to give IT money for listing all the bad words in naughty movies.   And they're ALL naughty movies. Note, for example, this section of the review of The Polar Express: The new boy, withdrawn and insecure, obviously more affected by his history than the others were by theirs, isolated himself in an unlit car behind the car with all the other children. It seems strange this car would be unit since all cars were lit in an exterior view of the whole train. The new boy remained mysterious for most of the journey, but I wonder whether there was intent in making the lonely boy look so much like an adolescent George Dubya? Sorry.  That's not the section I meant. THIS is the section that points out the bad stuff in the G-rated Polar Express: Impudence/Hate (I) adolescent sneaking about the house after all have gone to bed children leaving home with a stranger in the middle of the night masked use of one example of the three/four letter word vocabulary, much the same as in Shrek 2 adolescent mischief leading to endagering self and others Offense to God (O) Christmas without the Reason for the season (without Jesus)  In any case, check out the Princeton Progressive Review, to support some students who presumably AREN'T using their college years learning how to become vampires. 2.  Over at The Rittenhouse Review, you'll probably want to take a gander at the World's Most Incompetent Mother coverage (and the great new names for the Gurdonettes).  See also the recomendation to D-R-I-N-K-M-O-R-E-T-O-M-A-T-O-J-U-I-C-E (and less orange juice).  It's the patriotic thing to do! 3.  Sisyphus Shrugged has your rumpy-pumpy story for the day.  (I think she was inspired by the astounding success of the movie of the musical version of "The Sexy Life of a Naked Blogger.") 4. Dawn at Clareified brings us this very seasonal conversation: CONVERSATION OF THE DAY Me: I want an Ipod for Christmas. Mom: Eye Pad? Me: No, Ipod. What's an eye pad? Mom: I don't know, like an eyepatch? Anyway, happy reading! P.S.  If you've sent me info about your blog (or about the newest hot new conservative writer on the internets) and I haven't gotten back to you, I apologize.  I get an emailed version of every comment on the blog, plus lots of spam, and often the real mail gets buried. So, sorry.  It really doesn't mean that I'm a stuck-up jerk -- necessarily. 3:41:07 AM

More Shocking Examples of Youthful Sex! This is from Rich Lowry's NRO review of Mary Eberstad's Home-Alone America, a book designed to make you feel guilty for going to work -- apparently even when your children are in their twenties. Consider one aspect of juvenile life under this new dispensation — sexually transmitted diseases. Eberstadt writes: "Of reported cases of chlamydia in 2000, 74 percent occurred in persons age 15 to 24, and that number is judged to be 'a substantial underestimate of the true incidence of chlamydia among young people,' in the words of The Alan Guttmacher Institute. An estimated 11 percent of people age 15 to 24 are infected with genital herpes, and 33 percent of females in the same age group are thought to be infected with human papillomavirus (HPV). This age group is also thought to account for 60 percent of gonorrhea cases. ... Of the 18.9 million new STD cases in the United States in 2000, about 9.1 million, or half, were found in people between the ages of 15 and 24." That is a paragraph that will make any morally sensate reader queasy. Where are many of these kids having sex? In empty homes. Yes, many of these "kids" are having sex in empty homes (well, "empty" except for the people who there having sex).  And many are probably doing it in their OWN empty homes, since they are old enough to be in college, or even to have GRADUATED from college.  Some are probably married.  Won't somebody please think of the children, and require mothers to live with their 24-year-old children, to keep them from having sex? But see, if Eberstad had just used estimated STD stats for people between the ages of 15 and 18, they wouldn't have looked so alarming, and you wouldn't have quit your job to stay home and keep your kids from getting genital warts in your "empty" house. But here's one more reason you should stay home with your teen instead of working to feed and shelter him: he might kill himself if you're not there to keep him from drinking, using drugs, and acting on other "feral" behaviors. Despite recent dips, crime and suicide rates among teenagers are higher than they were three decades ago. Eberstadt writes, "A causal chain is suggested in which home-alone teenagers pick up alcohol and drug habits that, in turn, make it easier to imagine and act on feral behaviors, including suicide." Okay, "feral" means "relating to, or suggestive of a wild beast."  How many undomesticated animals do you know that have committed suicide?  And here's some more info about teen suicide that either isn't in the book, or which Lowry didn't feel like mentioning: The risk of suicide increases dramatically when kids and teens have access to firearms at home, and nearly 60% of all successful suicides in the United States are committed with a gun. Just contemplate that while you mull on this tidbit from the this week's NewsMax "Insider Report" (available by subscription only): Media Spike Story: NRA Beats Dems, Daschle Probably because they find this reality so upsetting, most media have refused to report one of the most important developments from the elections Nov. 2: Opponents of Second Amendment rights shot themselves in the foot. Of the 251 House candidates supported by the National Rifle Association, all but 10 won. The winners include 20 newcomers. Five of the six Senate candidates backed by the NRA won. "This election was crucial for the Second Amendment," said NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre. "The NRA stands for freedom. Our members are defenders of freedom, and we are proud to see that gun owners across the country came out and voted for freedom." So, if parents really want to feel guilty about stuff, maybe they could feel guilty for voting the way that the NRA (which has opposed mandatory child safety locks, because they claim such locks place an undue burden on gun manufacturers) told them to. Or, they can instead, just work themselves into a frenzy about all those 23-year-old children, home alone and having sex. 1:36:51 AM

Who Said It? As Clif (the guy who blogs Outside the Tent) so astutely noted, our last Mystery Guest was "the preposterous Hugh Hewitt." In his column, Hugh also recommended Jonah Goldberg, Stephen Hayes, and Peter Robinson for William Safire's job.  You know, if the Times was, for some really outlandish reason (like the paper was bought by Scaife and put under the management of Kathryn Jean Lopez), required to select one of Hugh's nominees, I'd suggest that they go for Robinson, because he seems like he's the oldest, and therefore the most likely to die before he wore out his welcome.  But Hayes, or Lileks, or even Goldberg, would be preferable to Mark Steyn, who is like Ann Coulter without the "tasteful black leather" dominatrix outfits.  IMHO. Now, which of Hugh's nominees for that coveted NYT column said this? I was in a bad mood anyway; [Pre-school Child] had been churlish before I left, and I sulked off on my rounds Full Martyr Mode. Do we need Nyquil? Sure. And of course I’ll get it, because there’s alllllways Nyquil when someone gets sick, thanks to who? I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you? To me, you say? Why, what’s this, gratitude? I didn’t recognize it. Come closer, gratitude, so I can feel your face; my eyes aren’t so good anymore.  Okay, that was pretty easy.  So, here's a bonus mystery quote: As I see it, a Christian without a Pit Bull Attitude is a Poodle Christian. What a terrible fate, to be a poodle Christian.   [...] It’s time to put down our pusillanimous poodle proclivities and start taking onboard a pitbull-esque tenacity … you know, like the Christians of old, like Peter, like Paul, like Timothy, and Stephen.  Hint: This column was given the prestigious "John Derbyshire" award by Andrew Sullivan. Okay, that one was pretty easy too.  So, here's "Who Said It?" for $500, contestants: Sam Walton made his fortune by selling goods at low prices in downscale rural and exurban communities where other retailers saw little profit. Mehlman won the election for Bush by increasing the Republican vote in downscale rural and exurban counties where neither party used to think many more votes could be won. Yes, Bush voters, you're the Wal-Mart shoppers of the election!  Hey, I hear the Giant Smiley Face is cutting prices on Presidential Yachts over in sporting goods -- and your goverment is buying one with all the money it saved by not helping you get cheaper prescription drugs! [Hint: the mystery political guru above wrote an indispensable almanac, per Ann Coulter.] 12:46:19 AM