3.8.2002
Customers who bought this book also bought:
Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News by Bernard Goldberg
At Any Cost : How Al Gore Tried to Steal the Election by Bill Sammon
The Death of the West: How Dying Populations and Immigrant Invasions Imperil Our Country and Civilization by Patrick J. Buchanan
Uncivil Wars: The Controversy over Reparations for Slavery by David Horowitz
I guess I find that all alarming. At the very least, Timmerman is only preaching to the converted. Speaking of race, what's up with the "Black History Quiz" site ? I don't have a problem with somebody pointing out that there were black slaveowners, and indeed black supporters of the south, but I'm a bit surprised by who the sponsors of the site are, and even more so by the books they use as supporting evidence, especially "The South was Right" advertised on the Dixienet website. Unfortunately, the whois no longer gives useful information - who do you think is really behind the Black History Quiz site and why ? [The dixienet site is fascinating btw]
For those who believe in tooth fairies... and contemporary civil rights leaders, the new book Shakedown : Exposing the Real Jesse Jackson by Kenneth Timmerman is a must-read. Jackson, you'll recall, is the booty-chasing "civil rights leader" that (black) Congressman J.C. Watts was talking about when he coined the term, "Race-hustling poverty pimp."
From a review:
"He calls himself an advocate for "the poor" -- but lives more lavishly than the CEOs from whose companies he extorts millions. He pretends to represent the interests of blacks -- but consorts with African dictators who oppress their own citizens. He claims the title of "Reverend" -- though he was never ordained. Who, then, is the real Jesse Jackson? According to veteran investigative reporter Kenneth R. Timmerman, he is little more than a modern day highway robber who uses cries of "racism" to steal from individuals, corporations, and government ... and give to himself."
3.7.2002
Can we impeach him based on this?
* Here's a vignette we're dying to see on the ABC broadcast of Sunday's Ford's Theatre Presidential Gala: When Stevie Wonder sat down at the keyboard center stage, President Bush in the front row got very excited. He smiled and started waving at Wonder, who understandably did not respond. After a moment Bush realized his mistake and slowly dropped the errant hand back to his lap. "I know I shouldn't have," a witness told us yesterday, "but I started laughing."
Reported here. You'll have to scroll past the part about stoned Harvard professors.
3.6.2002
A Nobel Prize Judge of the Peace Prize is trying to get enough "signatures" on a petition (e-mail counts) to revoke the Nobel Peace prize that was given to Arafat in 1993. They need at least a million signatures.Please go to the following web site and add your name: www.revoketheprize.org
Please send this mail to all your friends.
I wasn't aware that Nobel Peace Prizes could be revoked. Can we take Kissinger's back while we're at it?
What can I say? Ususally I like your editorial cartoons, even if I don't agree with them. But I just don't understand what drove you to do "Terror Widows". What were you thinking? That just because the widows and widowers of the victims of the September 11th attacks are seen as beyond criticism, that you therefore must criticize them? What is there to criticize? You may think that they're getting too much money from government, from charity, from insurance. Even if that were true, does that mean you have to portray them as money-grubbing and heartless? Do you really think that is how the families of the murdered feel? Such a portrayal completely negates any political point you might possibly be making. My estimation of you as a political commentator has fallen about as far as it can go.
Sincerely,
Mike Everett-Lane
Tip of the mouse to LGF for pointing this out.
Thought this might be interesting reading for Ishbabiddlers. But maybe that's because I think Steven Emerson is a complete freak. Excerpt:
Sept. 11 obviously proved that one militant Islamic fundamentalist group does pose a deadly threat to the United States. But Emerson wants us to think they all do, and that they're working together -- yet there is no evidence to support either claim. In fact, with the exception of al-Qaida and the group that carried out the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, none of the groups and organizations Emerson denounces have ever carried out terrorist attacks against America, nor does Emerson present any evidence that they intend to do so. Nor does he provide any evidence that the terrorists who carried out the 1993 and 2001 attacks were welcomed by the American Muslim community at large, were shielded while they plotted their attacks or assisted in any way. Finally, there's nothing in "American Jihad" to suggest any American-based Muslim organization had anything to do with, or had any advance knowledge of, the attacks.
I much enjoyed your piece on bookspotting on the trains. I thought you might be interested in the MTA Bestseller List, where I and my intrepid contributors list the books we've seen most recently on the subway.
I have yet to spot anyone reading Native Speaker, although your wife might be pleased to know that I saw someone reading Can You Forgive Her? recently.
-- Mike Everett-Lane
3.4.2002
Former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani has become one of the most sought-after fund-raisers in Republican history, welcomed in places where no New York mayor, in office or out, has raised money before. He is headlining a "Salute to America's Heroes" this month to raise $5 million for House Republicans.
The Washington Post also reported on the GOP fundraiser, which is going to be held tomorrow:
Lt. Jack Ginty, vice president of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, criticized the fundraiser today. "It's just in bad taste to run a campaign of 'Salute the Heroes' and use the money for political campaigns," said Ginty, who narrowly escaped the collapse of the World Trade Center towers. Ginty said the dinner could have honored just Giuliani for the job he did as mayor. "Everyone's being called a hero," he said. "I was in both collapses, and I'm not a hero. . . . The heroes haven't come home."
. . . .
"Suggestions that this event is inappropriate are offensive," said GOP congressional committee spokesman Steve Schmidt. "Mayor Giuliani is an American hero, and we are thrilled beyond words that he will play a role in the coming campaign."
As a New Yorker who's long been critical of Giuliani, I was deeply impressed with his leadership after the attack. It's the kind of job he was meant for. He should know better than to capitalize on the deaths of thousands by attending this fundraiser. Don't ever let them tell you that the Republicans haven't used this war for political (and monetary) gain.
Bitter after being snubbed for membership in the "Axis of Evil," Libya, China, and Syria today announced they had formed the "Axis of Just as Evil," which they said would be more evil than that stupid Iran-Iraq-North Korea axis President Bush warned of in his State of the Union address.
Axis of Evil members, however, immediately dismissed the new axis as having, for starters, a really dumb name. "Right. They are Just as Evil... in their dreams!" declared North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. "Everybody knows we're the best evils... best at being evil... we're the best."
Diplomats from Syria denied they were jealous over being excluded, although they conceded they did ask if they could join the Axis of Evil. "They told us it was full," said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
"An Axis can't have more than three countries," explained Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. "This is not my rule, it's tradition. In World War II you had Germany, Italy, and Japan in the evil Axis. So you can only have three, and a secret handshake. Ours is wicked cool."
THE AXIS PANDEMIC
International reaction to Bush's Axis of Evil declaration was swift, as within minutes, France surrendered. Elsewhere, peer-conscious nations rushed to gain triumvirate status in what became a game of geopolitical chairs.
Cuba, Sudan, and Serbia said they had formed the Axis of Somewhat Evil, forcing Somalia to join with Uganda and Myanmar in the Axis of Occasionally Evil, while Bulgaria, Indonesia and Russia established the Axis of Not So Much Evil Really As Just Generally Disagreeable.
With the criteria suddenly expanded and all the desirable clubs filling up, Sierra Leone, El Salvador, and Rwanda applied to be called the Axis of Countries That Aren't the Worst But Certainly Won't Be Asked to Host the Olympics; Canada, Mexico, and Australia formed the Axis of Nations That Are Actually Quite Nice But Secretly Have Nasty Thoughts About America; while Spain, Scotland, and New Zealand established the Axis of Countries That Be Allowed to Ask Sheep to Wear Lipstick.
"That's not a threat, really, just something we like to do," said Scottish Executive First Minister Jack McConnell.
While wondering if the other nations of the world weren't perhaps making fun of him, a cautious Bush granted approval for most axes, although he rejected the establishment of the Axis of Countries Whose Names End in "Guay," accusing one of its members of filing a false application. Officials from Paraguay, Uruguay, and Chadguay denied the charges.
Israel, meanwhile, insisted it didn't want to join any Axis, but privately, world leaders said that's only because no one asked them.
Speaking of which, the speechwriter who came up with "Axis of Evil" was allegedly canned when his wife bragged about it in an email:
"Dear all, I realize this is very `Washington' of me to mention, but my husband is responsible for the `axis of evil' segment of Tuesday's State of the Union address. . . . So I'll hope you'll indulge my wifely pride in seeing this one repeated in headlines everywhere!!"
Guess W had some axes to grind over that one.
I was excited to see that the revolution is afoot. Police, as part of their ongoing drive of the past 10 years to make sure that their officers look completely ridiculous on patrol, are giving it a try as a way to make Faneuil Hall and Manchester, N.H. safer places. Meanwhile, Amazon.com is auctioning the first three builds of the consumer model, and the price tags are already hefty with a month to go. Okay, so its not July 1776 or October 1917 just yet, but I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for the first one gliding down St. Marks nevertheless.
3.3.2002
There is a net petition to appeal to Bloomberg to change the policy, given his recent inclusive stances, I'm hoping that he responds. While I know that net petitions are of limited use in twisting politicians arms, it would be great if any of you who agree could click through, that way the Mayor will know that this is more than a sectarian concern.
