Archive for December, 2008
Why We Need Net Neutrality
The principles of Internet freedom are the tenets of the Framers: free speech, free markets, and innovation.
Anti-Americanism is always the storyline in Hollywood
It seems that Hollywood a href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/dec/28/hollywood-recession-luhrmann-great-gatsby”has some new hot subject matter/a now with the current economic downturn:br /br /blockquoteHollywood has found its new hot subject matter: the global economic meltdown.br /br /Until recently, the slump had only been bad news for the movie industry as financial backers pulled out of what are often high-risk ventures. But the studios have now had time to develop proposals for pictures about the financial chaos, inspiring a clutch of big-budget films over the next year. /blockquotebr /br /Naturally the films will be anti-American and how we got in this mess because of–you guessed it–the American corporate “empire” supported by the Republican government.br /br /If we are still having economic bad times (which I doubt, because Obama will be in) next year with Obama as president, I wonder how Hollywood will explain that? I am just hoping that so many of the studios are out of business, we won’t have to find out.
Should a bachelor’s degree be a job qualification?
Charles Murray, author of a href=”http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307405389?ie=UTF8tag=wwwviolentkicomlinkCode=as2camp=1789creative=9325creativeASIN=0307405389″ span style=”font-style:italic;”Real Education: Four Simple Truths for Bringing America’s Schools Back to Reality/span/aimg src=”http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wwwviolentkicoml=as2o=1a=0307405389″ width=”1″ height=”1″ border=”0″ alt=”" style=”border:none !important; margin:0px !important;” / and a href=”http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0684824299?ie=UTF8tag=wwwviolentkicomlinkCode=as2camp=1789creative=9325creativeASIN=0684824299″ span style=”font-style:italic;”The Bell Curve/span/aimg src=”http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wwwviolentkicoml=as2o=1a=0684824299″ width=”1″ height=”1″ border=”0″ alt=”" style=”border:none !important; margin:0px !important;” /br / wrote an op-ed in the span style=”font-style:italic;”New York Times/span today entitled, “Should the Obama Generation Drop Out?” (viaa href=”http://nalert.blogspot.com/2008/12/are-most-americans-smart-enough-to-get.html” Newsalert/a). Of college, that is:br /br /blockquoteBARACK OBAMA has two attractive ideas for improving post-secondary education — expanding the use of community colleges and tuition tax credits — but he needs to hitch them to a broader platform. As president, Mr. Obama should use his bully pulpit to undermine the bachelor’s degree as a job qualification. Here’s a suggested battle cry, to be repeated in every speech on the subject: “It’s what you can do that should count when you apply for a job, not where you learned to do it.”/blockquotebr /br /Murray sees the college degree as out of reach or a waste of time for some:br /br /blockquoteFor most of the nation’s youths, making the bachelor’s degree a job qualification means demanding a credential that is beyond their reach. It is a truth that politicians and educators cannot bring themselves to say out loud: A large majority of young people do not have the intellectual ability to do genuine college-level work./blockquotebr /br /What do you think, should college be a prerequisite for the job market? I don’t think so, but many people do.
Putin’s Authoritarian Steamroll in Russia
The groundwork for the extended — perhaps eternal — Putin regime of the future has been laid.
German Researchers: ‘Islamophobia’ the ‘New’ Anti-Semitism
A prestigious European research center sparks controversy.
Life at New Animal Farm Won’t Be All That Bad
Expect the media to report on mysteriously wonderful upturns come January 20.
PJM Political 12/27/08: The Ghosts Of Elections Past
Tune in each Saturday to Sirus XM’s POTUS channel (#110 on Sirius, #130 on XM) at 7:00 AM eastern, 1:00 PM eastern and 7:00 PM eastern for the weekly edition of Pajamas Media’s PJM Political!
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Join host Steve Green of VodkaPundit.com for the year-end edition of PJM Political as he recaps the key moments of the 2008 presidential election. Plus a look back at the decisive elections of the past with:
- Michael Knox Beran, the author of Forge of Empires: Three Revolutionary Statesmen and the World They Made, 1861-1871 describes “How Lincoln Saved The World.”
- Amity Shlaes, the author of the New York Times best-seller The Forgotten Man on the 1932 and 1936 presidential elections.
- James Piereson, the author of Camelot and the Cultural Revolution on JFK and the election of 1960.
- Craig Shirley, the author of the Reagan’s Revolution and the forthcoming Rendezvous With Destiny on the 1976 and 1980 elections and the fall and rise of Ronald Reagan.
- Produced by Ed Driscoll.
If you missed any previous episodes of PJM Political, click here and scroll through for hours of audio archives. And tune in to Pajamas Media’s PJTV channel for video coverage throughout the week.
Israel Furiously Attacks Gaza — And Braces for Reprisal
The operation came quickly — as did the international condemnations. (Also, Ron Radosh: Answering the Left’s Attacks on Israel in Advance, Richard Fernandez: The Strike on Hamas and Claudia Rosett: The Real Crisis in Gaza)
Ahmadinejad’s Unwelcome Christmas Address on British TV
Shame on Great Britain's Channel 4 for handing the Iranian president his biggest political achievement of the year.
The Mediterranean Diet, heart health and tips
After eating three different Christmas dinners, I am now stuffed and am dedicating myself to reading a new book Glenn got in the mail entitled, a href=”http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933771542?ie=UTF8tag=wwwviolentkicomlinkCode=as2camp=1789creative=9325creativeASIN=1933771542″emThe Great American Heart Hoax: Lifesaving Advice Your Doctor Should Tell You About Heart Disease Prevention (But Probably Never Will)./em/aimg src=”http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wwwviolentkicoml=as2o=1a=1933771542″ width=”1″ height=”1″ border=”0″ alt=”" style=”border:none !important; margin:0px !important;” / Although the book is about how to avoid heart surgery such as angioplasties and coronary bypass, the writer, Dr. Michael Ozner, is a cardiologist who also wrote a href=”http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/193377150X?ie=UTF8tag=wwwviolentkicomlinkCode=as2camp=1789creative=9325creativeASIN=193377150X”emThe Miami Mediterranean Diet,/em/aimg src=”http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wwwviolentkicoml=as2o=1a=193377150X” width=”1″ height=”1″ border=”0″ alt=”" style=”border:none !important; margin:0px !important;” / so I decided to fast forward to the chapter, “Follow a Mediterranean Diet” to see if I could learn anything. Frankly, I don’t think heart surgeries are a hoax,a href=”http://drhelen.blogspot.com/2005/10/more-than-you-wanted-to-know-about-my.html” one saved my life/a and I am forever grateful to my doctors. I do think the author may be correct that those who are stable may not benefit from some of the tests and procedures, however. But that aside, the chapter on diet starts out with the author stating, “What you eat is the single most important factor in your health.” br /br /I don’t think I buy that, the single most important factor seems to be one’s genes or other factors. However, I do agree with the author that eating is the one thing you can control and I think because of that, people tend to give it top billing to gain a sense of mastery over their fate. The advice given on the Mediterranean diet is nothing earth-shattering but there are good, straight forward tips on what to eat. br /br /Dr. Ozner says to stay away from red meat, eating it at most weekly or monthly and lean cuts only. Avoid high fructose corn syrup as the average American consumes 73.5 pounds of this sweetener each year, a large increase since it was introduced in 1970. High fructose corn syrup increases triglyceride production which is a major risk for heart disease. He is not into milk and says if you must drink it, use fat-free or skim milk.br /br /The main components of a Mediterranean diet are whole (non-refined) grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts such as almonds and walnuts which have omega-3 fatty acids, olive oil, red wine, complex carbohydrates, omega-3 fatty acids, tea, fruit and vegetable juices, cinnamon (some research shows the smell improves brain activity), and finally, dark chocolate. Okay, nothing new here but it’s good to hear again to refresh my memory.br /br /The book seems good for those who wish to read up on how to prevent heart disease. Dr. Ozner has a ten-step program with information on how to take command of your blood pressure, reduce free radicals and oxidative stress, and how to avoid unnecessary diagnostic tests and procedures, among others. I will probably refer to it from time to time as I try to improve my overall health, especially now that the holiday eating frenzy is over and spring is around the corner (one can only hope).
Harold Pinter Passes: The Death of a Great Artist Who Hated Us
Can we honor creative geniuses whose political ideas are anathema to us? (See also: Roger Kimball — Unpleasant thoughts about Harold Pinter)
How George Washington Saved Christmas — and America
Our problems today are nothing compared to the horrors the country has faced.
The Bernie Madoff I Knew
There were many warning signs. But his clients refused to see them. (Also, Phyllis Chesler on Madoff the Jew: The Media’s Hypocritical Obsession with the Fraudster’s Faith)
Hamas Goads Israel Into War
Israel has no good options left: they can either look weak or look brutal.
A Truly Heavenly Christmas
Forty years ago, brave pioneers first ventured into space — and the world was never the same.
Happy Holidays!
a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6XsGr86A1rs/SVKlrhche8I/AAAAAAAAAF4/kn4ST-4AEyo/s1600-h/whitehouse.bmp”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6XsGr86A1rs/SVKlrhche8I/AAAAAAAAAF4/kn4ST-4AEyo/s400/whitehouse.bmp” border=”0″ alt=”"id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283467479989976002″ //abr /Merry Christmas to all my readers who celebrate, Happy Hanukkah to my readers who, like me, are Jewish, and Happy Holidays to the rest. Here is a picture of the White House that we took the other day on our tour. As you can see, they had some beautiful Christmas trees up–although it was so cold and dark that night, I could not really fully appreciate them. I do now though, looking at them from the warmth of my computer.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: A New American Classic?
The dazzling film starring Brad Pitt will likely sweep the Oscars.
Cheer Up — It’s Christmas!
Americans of all stripes could use a tale of comfort and hope right about now. Good thing we've got the Christmas story.
‘Santa’ Klaus Takes on Global Warming
The Czech president attacks the "unscrupulous ideology" that drives global warming fanatics.
Obama’s Race Against the Economy
If a recovery begins too soon, a massive “stimulus” package might not be needed. Democrats consider that a bad thing.
Do men have any reproductive rights?
a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6XsGr86A1rs/SUlz3ChGOSI/AAAAAAAAAFw/qcQ_95GS8pg/s1600-h/helenstacysm.jpg”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 280px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6XsGr86A1rs/SUlz3ChGOSI/AAAAAAAAAFw/qcQ_95GS8pg/s400/helenstacysm.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”"id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280879427474307362″ //abr /I interviewed Tennessee State Representative a href=”http://www.lastcar.blogspot.com/”Stacey Campfield/a on his “Baby Daddy Bill” a href=”http://www.pjtv.com/?cmd=videomedia-id=3361video-id=1046video-title=Ask_Dr_Helen_Dec_24th_-_Stacey_Campfieldseries-name=Ask_Dr_Helen”at PJTV./a This bill seeks to petition to the court to disestablish paternity after DNA evidence reveals a baby was not sired by the man on the birth certificate. a href=”http://www.pjtv.com/?cmd=videomedia-id=3361video-id=1046video-title=Ask_Dr_Helen_Dec_24th_-_Stacey_Campfieldseries-name=Ask_Dr_Helen”Join us for a fascinating discussion./a
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