Hi, I’m Newt Gingrich, loathsome has-been. I was married to my second wife for 19 years before our divorce in 1999, but now I’m asking the Catholic Church to give me an annulment. But hey, at least I tell her about it while she was on her sickbed after cancer surgery, like I did with my first wife.
“You know, Trudeau was right. My name does sound like a character from Dune.”
Categories: Please Help Tagless Posts
Students’ History Knowledge Lacking, Test Finds (washingtonpost.com)
I majored in history, but… YAWN. I’m sorry, this isn’t news anymore. Heck, as far as I know they just reprinted the same article from last year. Or 1976.
Categories: Please Help Tagless Posts
Bethlehem Talks Hit New Snag, Delaying End of Israeli Siege
Mr. Hosni said there had also been an agreement for the 13 militants to keep their assault rifles.
WHAT?!?! I seriously doubt that the Israeli authorities were going to agree to that. And I’m pretty sure whatever European country (Italy and Spain, they say now) gets stuck with the gunmen isn’t going to let them bring their guns on the plane.
Categories: Please Help Tagless Posts
Avedon Carol (hey, my name gets reversed all the time — the Mac is short for “McCutcheon” — Scottish, not Irish! — and everybody wants to make that a last name) takes issue with my brief dismissal of Robert Wright, comparing the treatment he wants of Arafat with the actual treatment of Gerry Adams. I can’t disagree that there’s a disconnect between American policy towards Israel and its blind eye towards IRA terrorism. There are some slight differences between the two, but it’s a valid point.
I would say, however, that we’ve seen that Arafat won’t negotiate in good faith, and that even if he would he’s not in control of Hezbollah and Hamas. I honestly don’t see the point in talking to him. My main argument with Wright is that his answer always seems to be to negotiate with Arafat. If he’s a terrorist, they should. If he’s not a terrorist, but can control terrorists, they should. If he’s not a terrorist, and has no control over the terrorists, they should. If he’s an implacable foe of Israel and wants to kill every Jew he can and drive the rest into the sea — and he is — they should negotiate with him anyway. Israel — according to Wright, and I disagree — didn’t go far enough in previous negotations, but the PA hasn’t given up anything at all. All they’ve done is ramp up the Intifada.
My opinion is that you don’t negotiate with terrorists. Rewarding them only reinforces their resolve to commit more acts of terror. And the United States should not have pressured the UK to talk to Sinn Fein, though I understand the domestic political reasons why we did.
Categories: Please Help Tagless Posts
The Scotsman - Top Stories - Scotland to approve same-sex weddings
I could make a kilt joke here, but I will decline. Good for the Scots.
(Via Grim Amusements.)
Categories: Please Help Tagless Posts
Cardinal Law Says Pedophile Matter Was Left to Aides
In other words, he shouldn’t be found guilty of aiding and abetting. He should be found guilty of simple negligence. And the Church, if it cared, shouldn’t have removed him for protecting child molesters, but for incompetence. I don’t see how this makes him look any better.
Categories: Please Help Tagless Posts
Single-Sex Education Gets Boost (washingtonpost.com)
Dubya wants to push single-sex public schools. It’s all part of the administration plan to turn the education clock back to 1935. Next: single-race public schools!
That was facile and a little unfair, but segregation is segregation. The idea troubles me, not least because I had enough trouble talking to girls as it was without removing them completely from the scene.
Categories: Please Help Tagless Posts
More mindblowingly dull international sports… Rotterdam, the city where Pim Fortuyn scored his first big electoral victory, saw its soccer team win a trophy today. In an almost American fashion, the fans rioted; it’s not clear if this has anything to do with Fortuyn.
Categories: Please Help Tagless Posts
Ex-New Zealand captains voice concern
Of all the dumb items… The Hindu reports that former New Zealand cricket captains say that no international cricket is going to be played in Pakistan “for some time” because of the bomb a couple of days ago. Somebody actually wrote this story.
Categories: Please Help Tagless Posts
Senate passes election-year increase in farm subsidies, sends bill to Bush
Great Moments in Link Writing
The AJC links to the story with “Democrats push through
pork-laden farm bill”, which sure looks biased, doesn’t it? Except it’s more or less true and I agree with it. To be fair, at least thirteen Republicans voted for it, and Bush is going to sign it. It’s a disgusting piece of fatty, rotten, pork.
Categories: Please Help Tagless Posts
 | Mac Thomason on Debbie Downer |
 | lipscomb bohemian on Debbie Downer |
 | Linkmeister on And yet, I don’t ca… |
 | Southtrek on So, what’s Larry up… |
 | walt moffett on Or a state of wet, anyway |
