September 22, 2004 by s.z.

TBogg Turns Two Teething is going to be a bitch. Yes, we want to wish a happy blogiversary to TBogg, which turned two sometime last week (Tom claims to be a guy, and therefore unable to recall anniversaries -- and he may indeed be a guy, although I'll have to wait until the special kerning unit of the 101st Fighting Keyboarders verifies this before putting it on "60 Minutes"). Anyway, let's join some of the special friends of TBogg in wishing it many happy returns of the day!         5:23:15 AM

Townhall Review Townhall hasn't posted many new columns for today, but let's look at the nuttier ones which are up. Mike Adams, Ph.D. In another one of his "whining about how everybody is mean to me is somehow relevant to YOU" columns, Mike explains that he no longer subscribes to the local paper because it doesn't print his editorials.  And besides -- it uses articles from the NY Times, and the Times "has the blood of our troops on its hands" because it doesn't say enough nice things about George Bush.  So, don't buy the Mayberry Gazette, because it's part of the NYT media empire of treason and terrorism. We all know where the lack of journalistic integrity of many local NYT affiliates originates. It is company policy. That is why the Times editors are involved in an open and unabashed crusade to legalize same-sex marriage. Um, but if it's an open and unabashed crusade, why does this mean the paper lacks journalistic integrity?  I mean, one could say (if one was a dimwit) that it means that the paper's editors are going to hell, but I don't think the canons of journalistic ethics proscribe one from working to legalize same-sex marriage. The New York Times (with the help of many of its affiliates) also intentionally distorts reality in a crusade against the war in Iraq. They highlight our ill treatment of some Iraqi prisoners while downplaying Iraqi abuses of civil liberties. They highlight our failures in Iraq while downplaying our successes. They demoralize our troops while giving comfort and aid to our enemies. It is no exaggeration to say that some New York Times propagandists have the blood of our troops on their hands, and the spirit of our enemies in their hearts. Mike, journalistic ethics compel me to inform you that the above HAS to be an exaggeration (at a minimum), unless you are claiming that some of the Times writers personally murdered our soldiers.  (And if you are, that could be considered libel.)  Too many decent conservative citizens are supporting the New York Times propaganda machine because they like reading the classifieds or because they think that it is the only way to advertise for their business or to sell their car. America can no longer allow such flippancy and self-interest to fund such an anti-American enterprise. It may sound harsh, but you know in your heart that it is no exaggeration. 9/11 changed everything, and selfless, non-flippant, patriotic Americans should no longer sell their cars or advertise their businesses.  (What kind of world does Mike live in, if he seriously believes that it's literally the case that the local paper is an anti-American enterprise?) I hope that our local NYT editorial page editor reads this editorial, loses his temper, and then calls my office for a profanity laced hissy fit. Mike, it's touching (but rather pathetic) that you cling to the hope that people will read your columns. Kathleen Parker Kerfufflegate.  Is there anything new to say about it at this point? As punditress Lucianne Goldberg, Mother Superior of the blogosphere, noted on her news blog (www.lucianne.com): "Blogs: one hour; CBS: 13 days." Well, I guess describing Lucianne Goldberg as blogosphere's head nun is new.  Thanks, Kathleen.   Dennis Prager Deniss expains why religious conservatives don't have to obey the law: because they are morally superior to the godless liberals. Also, the reason that the rest of the world doesn't appreciate our selfless invasion of Iraq is because they're just jealous. Plus, we don't need any legal reason to declare war, because GOD tells us who to invade. Generally speaking, the Left and the secularists venerate, if not worship, law. They put their faith in law -- both national and international. Law is the supreme good. For most on the Left, "Is it legal?" is usually the question that determines whether an action is right or wrong.  Dennis knows this because ... ?  Whatever their feelings about George W. Bush or about attacking Iraq, for most of those on the Left, the rightness or wrongness of toppling Saddam Hussein's regime was determined by its legality (i.e., whether it was authorized by the U.N. Security Council). On the other hand, for those who supported attacking Iraq, whether the war was deemed legal played no role in their assessment of its rightness or wrongness. Yeah, those who supported attacking Iraq believed that Saddam was behind 9/11 -- so a flippin' clue also played no role in their assessment. In fact, since it lacks the self-control apparatus that is a major part of religion, the Left passes more and more laws to control people. That is why there is a direct link between the decline in Judeo-Christian religion and the increase in governmental laws controlling human behavior. Hey, that's just what Paula Devlin said in that column we looked at yesterday!  She also said that God only needed ten sentences to give us His laws -- do you also believe that, Dennis?  Oh, and she thinks that the Jews are allied with the antichrist in a conspiracy to bring about the New World Order.  I think you two kids should really hit it off.   And that's one reason the Left hates the America represented by George W. Bush. This country under this president says morality is higher than man-made law. Dennis, if you are right and Bush holds himself above the laws of this country because he believes he only answers to God, then we're in deeper trouble than I thought.   Walter E. Williams  Walter explains the economics of why some people are richer than others: it's because they work harder, and are just better. Then, there's a supply side of the story. Shaquille earns many times more than the brightest neurosurgeon. Why? It isn't because basketball is more important to society than neurosurgery; it's because the supply of people with aptitudes to become bright neurosurgeons far exceeds those with skills to do what Shaquille does. And there are very few dogs who chase tennis balls and put five of them in their mouths, like Augie.  But Augie doesn't make big bucks, like Shaq.  It would seem that playing basketball well has no more inherent value that what Augie does. Therefore, what society values is certainly part of why Shaq makes more money than a neurosurgeon.  And if Shaq, who is arguably one of the country's top basketball players, makes more money than one of the country's top-five neurosurgeons, then this would invalidate Walter's point about the wage inequalities being just about supply and demand.  But hey, Walter is the Shaquille O'Neill of economists, while I'm just an ignorant neurosurgeon/supermodel, so make up your own mind about this point. People spend too much time worrying about income inequality.  [...] Far better good could be done for our fellow man by focusing more of our attention on productive inequality rather than income inequality. Income inequality is a result, and it's productive inequality that mostly explains that result rather than some insidious plot afoot. Whether it's individuals or countries, one seldom sees highly productive people poor or highly unproductive people rich unless there are government restrictions and subsidies at play. Yeah, race, sex, class, nationality, and luck have nothing to do with it -- it's just how industrious you are that determines your income.  Shaq would be just as rich even if he had been born in a remote village in Ecuador, and George Bush would still be a millionaire if he had been born a poor, black child.   Well, since that didn't take too long, let's now review some of the columns available at TownHall's low-rent competitors (who AREN'T currently holding annoying fund-raising drives, by the way). 4:04:40 AM

The Generic-Brand Challengers Since Townhall was slow about posting some the work of some of the usual Wednesday columnists, Michelle was forced to join the WorldNetDaily team, serving alongside kindred spirit Hugh Hewitt.  Representing Renew America is America's oldest member of the He-Man Women Hater's Club, Carey Roberts.  And rounding out things is our favorite from BushCountry.org, Pastor Swank. So, here's Michelle, being extra nutty, possibly because she got demoted to the farm team. Michelle Malkin Michelle has her panties in a bunch because a school district's emergency preparedness drill used fictitious anti-public school zealots as the attackers, thus distracting us from the only REAL terrorists: Muslims! What's jaw-droppingly unbelievable is the next paragraph describing the attackers in the simulation: The exercise will simulate an attack by a fictitious radical group called Wackos Against Schools and Education who believe everyone should be homeschooled. Under the scenario, a bomb is placed on the bus and is detonated while the bus is traveling on Durham, causing the bus to land on its side and fill with smoke. This is not a joke. A taxpayer-funded drill is using public school students to enforce anti-homeschooling bigotry under the guise of preparing for terrorism. No, Michelle, per the story you cited, they were preparing for "emergencies," not terrorism.  Here, they did a similar exercise, but the event that supposedly caused all the injuries and destruction was a big explosion caused by a gas leak.  See, our drill wasn't about enforcing anti-natural gas bigotry anymore than the one in Michigan was about defaming homeschoolers -- it was about emergency preparedness.  Get a grip, woman!  Terrorism by whom? By Islamic jihadists who hijack planes and incinerate kids headed to Disneyworld. Islamic terrorists who take hundreds of children hostage in Beslan, force them to drink their own urine and shoot babies in the back. Islamic terrorists who groom toddlers as suicide bombers.   Our enemies are Islamic extremist murderers. So, the domestic terrorists AREN'T our enemies? Except if you happen to attend the Muskegon County, Mich., schools, where the menacing faces of terrorism belong to parents who make untold sacrifices to give their children the best education they know how by schooling them in the loving environment of their own homes. Michelle, honey, that release didn't say that homeschooling parents were the pretend terrorists, it said "a fictitious radical group called Wackos Against Schools and Education who believe everyone should be homeschooled."  Since that's not you, it seems like you're overreacting a bit.  That isn't you, is it? Hugh Hewitt Hugh's claims that Kerfufflegate has caused John Kerry to go into hiding. And then he drops from site [sic] of reporters asking questions, just like Bill Burkett, who is now speaking through a lawyer, but never on camera in response to questions. It has been 51 days since the cameras rolled with John Kerry taking a series of questions from a Russert or a Wallace or a Hume? Dr. Phil? You can throw in a Dr. Phil, but you can't substitute Dr. Phil for Brokaw or Jennings or one of the heavies. Not, at least, if you are a real presidential candidate – an authentic candidate. When did authentic candidate George W. Bush last answer hard-hitting questions from, well, anybody?  The last time I recall George being part of a TV interview with "one of the heavies" was that respectful handling he got from Chris Matthews back in February.  That was over 200 days ago.  And Atrios and Pandagon point us to this recent bit o'news: Facing questions about President Bush’s Guard Service and its own possible involvement with the disputed National Guard documents, the Republican National Committee has postponed a call scheduled to discuss the issue this afternoon. And, in the last several hours, the Bush campaign has also cancelled scheduled appearances by Dan Bartlett on cable networks this evening. These cancellations came as the Bush operatives refused to appear live alongside Kerry campaign official Joe Lockhart. So, I guess George isn't a REAL presidential candidate.  (Not that I ever thought he was, but I am surprised that Hugh would admit as much.) The blogosphere is hell on the inauthentic. It has been hell on the docs, on Christmas in Cambodia, on Jayson Blair and his mentors and on Trent Lott's defenses of his remarks in honor of Strom. Oh, and it's also been hell on America's Worst Mother™, Mickey Kaus, and Bush's Texas Air National Guard Service.  Carey "Gramps" Roberts Carey explains that KerfuffleGate was caused by feminism. Mr. Rather was not the person who did the legwork on the ill-fated 60 Minutes II show. That task fell to producer Mary Mapes. She's the one who researched the story and obtained the four fake memos. One would expect a 60 Minutes producer to be highly objective in her work. But recently Mary's father, Don, appeared on KVI radio in Seattle. When asked about the 60 Minutes brouhaha, Mr. Mapes described his daughter as "a typical liberal. She went into journalism with an ax to grind, and that was to promote radical feminism." (talonnews) So much for journalistic objectivity. And Don Mapes couldn't possibly have any bias of his own.  And TalonNews is well known for being credible and non-partisan.  So much for pundit objectivity! It's no secret that the fem-liberal worldview permeates the Old Media. The Sisterhood doesn't even bother to deny it any more. Here's Susan Winston, former executive producer of Good Morning America: "We were feminists. We were liberals, and most of us still are." So, if the producers of "Good Morning America" are feminists and liberals, then this proves that the entire mainstream media is biased against men. The feminist-driven media rigidly cleaves to three rules in its coverage of gender issues: Portray women as deserving virtually limitless rights, with no corresponding responsibilities. Whenever possible, present men as bumbling fools. If they also can be shown to be abusive clods, so much the better. Never depict men as victims or being treated unfairly. And what does that have to do with the fake Killian documents, you ask.  Well, nothing -- but the feminists just make Carey so darned mad that he lost his train of thought. Pastor Grant Joseph Swank In another "mediocre minds think alike" moment, our friend Pastor Swank also writes about how those snotty European nations are just jealous of the way we invade other countries.  So, I'd like to suggest that Dennis Prager and Pastor Swank get together, since they seem to be another ideally suited couple. What the world then thinks of such noble efforts is secondary to the noble efforts themselves. First, there are some national leaderships who are blatantly jealous of anything and everything that the United States accomplishes. Therefore, they are going to broadcast to other countries that the United States should quit, pull back and mind its own business. But the business of a democracy is to share its freedoms with others while at the same time protecting its own freedoms in order to continue its mission. It says right there in the Constitution that we have to share our form of government with other nations, whether they like it or not, and even if they aren't properly grateful.  And it just so happens that Pastor Swank knows a little something about people who just don't appreciate one's efforts like they should. In the ministry, I have spent a lifetime helping people. I have counseled the thankless. Given food to the thankless. Visited in the hospital those who were not especially appreciative. And preached sermons to congregations who went their selfish ways. Should Pastor Swank take this as a hint that his counseling, ministering, cooking, and preaching could leave something to be desired, and perhaps he shouldn't inflict them on everybody? Heck, no! If I ministered over half a century only to those who had the opinion that I was a grand pastor, I would have quit in the first year. But my ministry was not to the congregations’ opinion of me. It was the high mission of ministry provided by Jesus Christ that had called me into the work. Therefore, I kept my eyes on Him, not on the people around me. It's probably a good thing for the Pastor that Jesus Christ doesn't pass out pink slips these days. So it is with the United States’ mission to the world and to its own protection. Yes, while everybody else may think that we're officious, bumbling, high-handed meddlers, since Jesus hasn't fired us yet, we must be doing the right thing. And that's this week's Townhall Vs. the Low Rent Wingnut venues.  Next time we hope to get Mother Superior Lucianne to moderate the procedings. 3:41:08 AM