Archive for July, 2008
Photographing Children Becomes a Crime
The paranoid belief that all photos represent a threat to kids is more widespread than ever.
Time Running Out to Cast Your Veepstakes Vote!
Week 5 votes have been counted: Bill Richardson continues to lead the Dems with 14%, followed by Jim Webb (11%), Kathleen Sebelius (9%), Wes Clark (9%), and Hillary Clinton (7%). For the GOP, it's Mitt Romney (21%), Sarah Palin (18%), Tim Pawlenty (9%), Bobby Jindal (9%), and Mike Huckabee (7%). Don't miss your chance to vote — and win great prizes! Click here...
Obama’s Fact-Fudging Mission in Iraq
Visit or no visit, the candidate's understanding of the war and its consequences is stagnant and superficial.
The Gray Lady Rejects McCain
The story of the senator's discarded op-ed explains why the New York Times is dying. (Read more from Roger L. Simon here.)
In the Middle East, Diplomacy = Weakness
Dialogue and concessions often frighten America’s allies in the region and embolden its enemies.
Trouble on the Afghan-Pakistan Border
The US must perform a complex diplomatic dance in Pakistan to protect its troops in Afghanistan, says Rep. Thaddeus McCotter.
Holy Smokes: Turning Cigarettes Into a Religion
A church that considers smoking a sacrament? It gives a whole new meaning to "Ash Wednesday."
McCain Must Get a Grip on the Economy
Security is important, but again in 2008 it's the economy, stupid. John McCain needs to recognize this if he wants to win.
The Weather Nerd Has the Latest on the Hurricane Season
The newest PajamasXpress blog Weather Nerd by renowned weatherblogger Brendan Loy will be tracking every gust and downpour.
Energy Independence: Shooting for the Moon
Comparing freedom from foreign oil to the moon landing is a ridiculous analogy.
Hollywood Loses the War in Iraq
Will Hollywood ever wake up and realize that all films about the Iraq war aren't doomed to failure — it's their bias that's the problem?
Obama-Gate (The Brandenburg Gate, That Is)
Degrading the historical monuments of friendly countries into electoral campaign backdrop scenery shows a lack of respect.
Research is Good, Public Policy Change is Better
I have been doing a bit of summer reading and wanted to share a book with you that I thought was a rather fair-minded view of domestic violence. The book a href=”http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465045774?ie=UTF8tag=wwwviolentkicomlinkCode=as2camp=1789creative=9325creativeASIN=0465045774″emViolent Partners: A Breakthrough Plan for Ending the Cycle of Abuse/em/aimg src=”http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wwwviolentkicoml=as2o=1a=0465045774″ width=”1″ height=”1″ border=”0″ alt=”" style=”border:none !important; margin:0px !important;” / was written by lawyer and social worker, Linda Mills, who holds the controversial view that women can often be as violent as men. In an interview, Mills states:br /br /blockquoteOver 200 studies of violent relationships have confirmed a pattern: Of relationships that are violent, one quarter of the violent incidents are initiated by women and one-quarter are initiated by men. What may be most surprising, however, is that 50 percent of the cases involve men and women who are inititating violence against each other–there is a back and forth./blockquote br /br /The book has a good chapter on the anatomy of intimate abuse with sections such as “Are Women as Violent as Men? and “The Feminist Backlash Against Those Who Speak Up.” Mills states that women are more likely to report abuse than men and that men are expected to tolerate hurt feelings, abuse, and even injury, since it supposedly tests their manhood, and they are often taught that they should hide their suffering. Apparently, only 14% of men who have experienced significant incidents of intimate violence even bother to report it vs. women who report such incidents at twice the rate. br /br /Mills points out that homicide statistics report that women are far more frequently killed by intimate partners than men are but another trend suggests that a different pattern is emerging:br /br /blockquoteThe Department of Justice reports that between 1991 and 2000, the number of girls under eighteen convicted of aggravated assault crimes increased 44%, whereas for their male contemporaries, the percentage decreased by 16%. Similarily, crimes involving weapons increased 18% for girls while decreasing 29% for boys. These patterns have also been detected in reports of dating violence.br /br /A study by Murray Straus published in 2008 reveals that approximately 30 percent of college students who are dating in the United States experience a physically violent episode in their relationships. Overall, Straus found that approximately 21% of thse violent incidents were initiated by women, 10 percent by men. As these young women move into adulthood, we may very well detect an increase in intimate violence among married couples. /blockquotebr /br /While it is all well and good to report the research and I am glad that Mill’s book sheds some light on the real gender stats, this research needs to translate into policy changes in domestic violence laws such as VAWA and a href=”http://www.acfc.org/site/PageServer?pagename=maines_adoption_of”predominant aggressor laws /a that unfairly target men. For in the coming years, if there is an increase in domestic violence due to women’s increased participation, guess which gender will pay a legal price for that domestic violence and guess which will just get away with it more often?
Anti-Semitism Without Anti-Semites
A recent speech to the German Bundestag argued that while anti-Semitism has changed a lot, it's still as pernicious as ever.
IndyMac: Not Such ‘A Wonderful Life’
Portraying Senator Chuck Schumer as the evil Mr. Potter from It's a Wonderful Life makes understanding a bank run fairly easy.
Let’s Learn to Laugh About Obama
The New Yorker cover controversy and Obama's humorless reaction show that America has forgotten how to laugh.
Mamma Mia: A Movie to Laugh At (Not With)
This is a musical comedy with terrible jokes that is nevertheless hilarious.
Tweaking the Terrorist Watch List
The ACLU says there are one million names on the list. The fact that they are wrong doesn't discredit many of the solutions they offer to fix the real flaws of the program.
Technology No Substitute for Customer Love
Companies that don’t provide decent customer service won’t have their customers much longer.
[For the latest in tech visit PJM's new blog Edgelings]
Canada Charges Comedian with Not Being Funny
The Canadian Human Rights Commission hits a new low by investigating a stand-up comic who heckled hecklers.
US Agrees to Participate in Iran Nuclear Talks
America's entry into nuclear negotiations with Iran is the right move at the right time.
Do the Netroots Get a Revote?
Obama faces the challenge of acknowledging progress in Iraq without alienating the left-wing base that nominated him.
The Rapid Decline of the New York Times
Pinch Sulzberger has taken perhaps the most recognizable media brand in the country and run it into the ground. Can the Gray Lady be saved?
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