Random Musings

It's amazing how much you can miss something that has only been a part of your life for a couple of years. But that's how I felt about losing my DSL for the last two weeks. Trying to surf online with a 56K modem was so frustrating, I barely spent anytime online.

So another teacher has been accused of having sex with a student. As bad as it is, it could be worse. He could have been home-schooled.

The teacher, Wendie Schweikert is accused of having a sex with an 11-year-old boy. Unreal.

Well it's nice to see the American Idol voters are back to their old tricks. While I agree that Bobby "Copacabana" Bennett was awful, I was surprised at the other three who were voted off. If it were up to me, I'd have offed Brenna Gethers, Kevin Covais and Melissa McGhee.

My prediction for the final four (in no particular order): Ace Young, Chris Daughtry, Katherine McPhee and either Lisa Tucker or Paris Bennett.

Although my favorite is Taylor Hicks.

So what else did I miss?

I see that Al Gore is taking the Jimmah Carter route to oblivion. What kind of crack is Gore smoking? It's one thing to disagree with the President's policies, but to tell the Saudi's that the U.S. government committed "terrible abuses" against Arabs after 9/11?

Maybe I'm jaded. But to me, that's treason. I have no problem saying what he said to the folks back home. But to say that to the country from where 9/11 murderers lived and were supported? That would make Benedict Arnold look patriotic.

Al Gore and Jimmah: The Pride of the Democrats!

Whatever happened to the freedom of speech excuse liberals use when someone criticizes Christianity? What about the freedom of Speech excuse they use whenever some idiot holds up a "Bush=Hitler" banner? I know they're still out there. But why have they kept silent regarding the anti-Mohammed cartoons?

And now, the University of Illinois, far from a right-wing establishment, has decided to punish the students at the Daily Illini (the school newspaper) for publishing these cartoons. The paper's editor-in-chief, Acton Gordon, and its editorial editor, have been suspended. The school has removed the editorial with the cartoons from it's website as well.

Oh, but look for the return of the "Piss Christ" display any old time now.

I wonder if the Fighting Illini will change their team flag to all white.

Here's a great comment from James Taranto of the Wall Street Journal, regarding a man who pleaded no contest to a sodomy charge involving a sheep. Apparently, the man says he should not have to register as a sex offender.

Taranto's take: "Kinda reminds us of that movie, 'Brokebaaaack Mountain.'"

It's nice to see that Harvard fired President Lawrence Summers. I mean, get real. Harvard should be ashamed of itself for keeping a man like Summers on their payroll for so long. His ideology just doesn't fit with the "Harvard Class".

That's right. He was a Centrist in a leftists world.

His biggest flaw, you ask?

He was honest. And in any debate between honesty and liberalism, honesty will always lose. Liberalism cares not for the facts. Liberalism cares just for the results, regardless of truth. Men like Lawrence Summers epitimize all that's right about higher education. Schools like Harvard epitimize all that's wrong with liberalism.

I would not be surprised to see Cornel West be given the post. There's nothing quite like having an anti-Semetic, anti-American and anti-educational race baiter lead one of the formerly finest institutions in America.

I wonder who he'd appoint as Dean. Cindy Sheehan, perhaps? Al Sharpton? You know, I always wondered, where did "Weird" Al get his clergy certification?

Okay, as you know, I support President Bush. But even I have to wonder what the hell he's thinking. There may be absolutely nothing problematic about the UAE deal, but c'mon, even I see the political blunder here. And I had a stroke!

This may be the most damaging P.R. in his 6 years in office. And that does say something. Something real bad.

From the sad news department, legendary funnyman Don Knotts died Friday from pulmonary and respiratory complications, in Los Angeles. He was always one of my favorites growing up and I long ago forgave him for his portrayal of Mr. Furley. But anyone who did not enjoy him on the Andy Griffith Show, or who didn't bust a gut laughing at such gems as "The Reluctant Astronaut" and "The Incredible Mr. Limpet", simply is unpleasable.

Goodbye Roy Fleming. I hope you touched down safely.

My brother-in-law forwarded this to me...

All European Life Died In Auschwitz
by Sebastian Vilar Rodrigez *

I walked down the street in Barcelona, and suddenly discovered a terrible truth - all Europe died in Auschwitz.

We killed six million Jews and replaced them with 20 million Muslims. In Auschwitz we burned a culture, thought, creativity and talent. We destroyed the chosen people, truly chosen, because they produced great and wonderful people who changed the world.

The contribution of this people is felt in all areas of life: science, art, international trade, and above all, as the conscience of the world. These are the people we burned.

And under the pretense of tolerance, and because we wanted to prove to ourselves that we were cured of the disease of racism, we opened our gates to 20 million Muslims, who brought us stupidity and ignorance, religious extremism and lack of tolerance, crime and poverty due to an unwillingness to work and support their families with pride. They have turned our beautiful Spanish cities into the third world, drowning in filth and crime. Shut up in the apartments they receive free from the government, they plan the murder and destruction of their naive hosts.

And thus, in our misery, we have exchanged culture for fanatical hatred, creative skill for destructive skill, intelligence for backwardness and superstition. We have exchanged the pursuit of peace of the Jews of Europe and their talent for hoping for a better future for their children, their determined clinging to life because life is holy, for those who pursue death, for people consumed by the desire for death for themselves and others, for our children and theirs.

What a terrible mistake made by miserable Europe.

(*This is a translation of an article from a Spanish newspaper.)

Thanks Doc!

Well, my DSL is still down. Now the lovely people at SBC have informed me it will be next Friday (instead of last Friday) when it will be back up. If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all.

I happen to be typing from my brother's casa in Dallas tonight. Came down today to visit Mom. Thanks, she's doing okay. She's now living in a nursing home here and - like the good son I am - I came to see her for her birthday. Thankfully, I will be back in Chicago 17 hours (I expect). I was kinda looking forward to getting away from the biter cold there, but, lo and behold, while it was in the '80s a few days ago, it was about 28 degrees today (there's that luck thing again).

I did get lucky when no one sat in the middle seat of the row (I sat by the window). That should count for something, right?

The day turned out all right after all. I got to spend time with my brother and 3 of his kids, I saw Mom, I spoke to a couple of old friends (both of whom I hadn't spoken to in a number of years, visited with someone who was in my NCSY (youth) group when I was an advisor about 10 years (or a millenium) ago, and watched a couple of movies.

But it really is true that you can never go home again (funny, that's what my wife told me when she dropped me off at the airport! - Nah, just kidding). Now, it's bedtime and I need to get some sleep.

If I get access to a computer this week, I'll post again. Thanks for being patient with me.

Dear readers,

I'm having serious issues with my DSL and won't be able to post anything until (probably) Sunday. Please be patient with me and check back then.

Thanks.

Shayne

Our local classic rock station, 97.1 - The Drive, perhaps the best radio station I have ever heard (and I've heard quite a few), featured The Monkees this morning. It's amazing how such simple music can't change you from a very sullen mood into a happy one.

Have I mention that I approve of state-sponsored assassination? Well, generally I don't, but I certainly make exceptions when it comes to dangerous lunatics (no, Cindy Sheehan is just not worth it). I'm talking of course about the jackass in Tehran. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (PMA - pre-menstrual asshole?) spewed his filth again, calling on the West to "Do the removal of Israel before it is too late and save yourself from the fury of regional nations."

Hey, f**kface, do us all a favor. Kill yourself and save us the cost of a bullet.

I'll tell you what. It takes a different breed to make Kim Jong Il look moderate.

It's apparently snowing in the Northeast. Damn. Here is Chicago, if it doesn't snow 12", life goes on as normal. It's just an annoyance. I remember being in Baltimore (visiting) exactly 23 years ago and being caught in the Blizzard of 1983. I want a storm like that here. The kind of storm where you can't do anything but sit and watch the snow fall while drinking something hot, while lying under a warm blanket.

That would be nice.

I recently saw two headlines which made me feel that we are on the cusp of the apocylpse:

Bush-Clinton: Best Friends?

After Nearly Three Decades, Manilow Tops Album Chart

So this got me thinking. What other headlines would be a sure sign of the coming of the end of the world? I came up with a few:

Sheehan's Son Found Alive: Cindy to Prez, "Never Mind."

World Muslims Agree That Koran Misread: Arabs Hate World Jewelry, Not Jewry

Nancy Pelosi's Love Child: "We named him Lucifer, after his father"

Hollywood Unites: "Cut Our Pay To Help The Poor"

Mayor Nagin Prefers White Chocolate

Michael Moore Explodes! Witness: I can't believe he ate the whole poodle!

Arab Nations Agree To Cease Fire: "We Will Accept the Borders From The King Solomon Era"

Night Turns Into Day: "Just as I predicted", sez Al Gore

Snow Falls in Alaska: "More proof of Global Warning" warns experts

ShayneBlog Voted Best Blog: $25 Billion Prize Awarded

(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me

I walk along the city streets you used to walk along with me
And every step I take reminds me of just how we used to be
Well, how can I forget you, girl?
When there is always something there to remind me
Always something there to remind me

As shadows fall, I pass a small cafe where we would dance at night
And I can't help recalling how it felt to kiss and hold you tight
Well, how can I forget you, girl?
When there is always something there to remind me
Always something there to remind me

I was born to love her, and I'll never be free
You'll always be a part of me

If you should find you miss the sweet and tender love we used to share
Just go back to the places where we used to go, and I'll be there
Well, how can I forget you, girl?
When there is always something there to remind me
Always something there to remind me

I was born to love her, and I will never be free
You'll always be a part of me

'Cause there is always something there to remind me
Always something there to remind me
There's always something there to remind me
Always something there to remind me

Well I got the score wrong, but I did pick the winner. Congratulations to all you Steeler fans out there.

Normally, I'd be upset when another team ties or breaks a Cowboy record. But with last night's outcome, Pittsburgh tied Dallas (and San Francisco) for the most Super Bowls wins and I'm okay with that. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that not only do I agree that the Steelers deserved the two wins they got over Dallas ('76 and '79), I think that they waited long enough for the next one (especially after coming so close so many times since). Of course the fact that Dallas beat the Steelers in SuperBowl XXX helps.

Seattle will continue to be a good team since they have Holmgren coaching and a strong nucleus of talent. I have no doubt that they will break the recent trend of Super Bowl losers who failed to evn make the playoffs the next year.

An odd thing I noticed about the games are the scores. Only twice during the XL years the Super Bowl has been played has there been an identical score from another one. In XII, Dallas beat Denver and in XV, Oakland beat Philadelphia, 27-10. In XVII, Washington Beat Miami and in XXX, Dallas beat Pittsburgh, both at 27-17.

Another oddity is that there have only been three rematches. In VII and XVII, Washington played Miami. In X, XIII and XXX, Dallas played Pittsburgh. In XVI and in XXII, San Francisco played Cincinnati. And finally, in XXVII and XXVIII, Dallas played Buffalo.

Considering that there have been XL Super Bowls (I need to stop that), I think those numbers are odd. Of course, most of you will probably acknowledge that it's odd that I think about those things.

One last "homer" note. The Cowboys record for fewest points allowed by an opponent still stands at 3. They set that back in January of 1972 against the Miami Dolphins, in Super Bowl VI. It would be the last Dolphin defeat until the second game of the season two years later.

This missive from honestreporting.com says it better that I can...

OFFENSIVE CARTOONS

"The publication of cartoons that incite religious or ethnic hatreds is unacceptable."
--U.S. Department of State

The decision of several European newspapers to publish cartoons portraying the Islamic Prophet Mohamed has led to death threats and rioting around the world. While many in Europe are standing firm, the cartoons' publication has also produced strong apologies by international leaders and some of the media. The managing director of France Soir (one of the papers that published the cartoons) was even fired"as a powerful sign of respect for the intimate beliefs and convictions of every individual for allowing them to be published."

Jyllands-Posten, the original Dutch paper that published the cartoons, had this to say: "They (The cartoons) were not intended to be offensive, nor were they at variance with Danish law, but they have indisputably offended many Muslims for which we apologize."

We wonder why no similar outcry and apologies have come after viciously anti-Semitic and anti-Israel cartoons are published on an almost daily basis throughout the Arab world. The following cartoon (as reported by Palestinian Media Watch) was published in Al-Hayat, the official newspaper of the Palestinian Authority, last month. Perhaps the reason that it did not provoke an outrage is that by the standards of the Arab press, it is hardly exceptional.

"Offensive" Cartoons in the Arab World

As documented by Palestinian Media Watch, the Arab Press exercises almost no self-censorship in the publications of cartoons which involve gross stereotypes of Jews.

Not a week goes by in the Arab world without a "political" cartoon portraying Jews as either blood-suckers, Nazis, or the indiscriminate killers of Palestinian children.


The Anti-Defamation League points out that: The U.N. designation of January 27 as a Holocaust memorial day was an occasion for many newspapers to run cartoons and columns that denied or downplayed the horrors of the Holocaust. Additionally, many newspaper articles accused Jews of using the Holocaust to justify the persecution of others

The Nazi Swastika superimposed on the Star of David. From Al-Yawm (Saudi Arabia).


In an interview with the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, analyst Joe Kotek, writes that "The main recurrent motif in Arab cartoons concerning Israel is 'the devilish Jew.' This image conveys the idea that Jews behave like Nazis, kill children and love blood."

"A major theme in Arab cartoons is the blood-loving or blood-thirsty Jew. This originates in Christian anti-Semitism. The Christian anti-Semitic libel alleged the Jews needed Christian blood for their Passover service. Its claim is that the Jew is evil, as his religion forces him to drink blood. In today's Arab world this image of unbridled hatred has mutated into the alleged quest for Palestinian blood.

Blood-drinking Jews are frequently shown by Al Ahram, one of Egypt's leading dailies. On 21 April 2001, it printed a cartoon showing an Arab being put into a flatting mill by two soldiers wearing helmets with Stars of David. The Arab's blood pours out and two Jews with kippot and Stars of David on their shirts drink the blood laughingly."

Yet, we find very little condemnation and apologies from the international community when these cartoons are published. In response to the offending cartoons of Muhammad, many like The Vatican said that "the drawings amounted to an "unacceptable provocation" and the right to freedom of expression "cannot entail the right to offend the sentiment of believers." One wonders why the same standards have not been used in reacting to the above cartoons.

On the other hand, Die Welt, one of the German papers to print the cartoons, got it right when they noted (as quoted in CNSNews.com):

"The protests from Muslims would be taken more seriously if they came across as
less hypocritical," the Hamburg-based daily said, noting that no protests
greeted the depiction by Syrian television of rabbis as cannibals."

Not Just in the Arab World

Unfortunately it is not just the Arab world that seems comfortable publishing blatantly anti-Semitic slurs in the guise of "political" cartoons. As previously documented by Honest Reporting, media in Europe and the United States have published cartoons that go beyond offensive.

A political cartoon published in The Independent in 2003 depicted Ariel Sharon biting into the flesh of a Palestinian baby. The background shows Apache attack helicopters firing missiles, and blaring the message "Vote Likud." Sharon is saying, 'What's wrong, you never seen a politician kissing babies before?"

The government of Israel lodged an official protest to the cartoon by Dave Brown. Yet no apology similar to the many we are hearing from around the world today was forthcoming.

Not only were no apologies forthcoming, but the UK's Political Cartoon Society awarded it first prize in its 2003 "Cartoon of the Year" competition, choosing it over 34 other entries. When Honest Reporting wrote to protest the award, the reply we received was:

"You have all taken this award completely out of perspective and context. Shame on you! We do so much good."

For an eye-opening selection of more cartoons of this nature, go to Tom Gross Media.com. With the lack of remorse that we hear from publications of these cartoons one has to conclude that the threat of violence is the only reason that most of the media are so concerned with offending Muslim sensibilities.

Well here goes. Every year I try to pick the outcome of the Super Bowl, although I don't think I posted it last year (I'm certain I chose the Patriots because - unless they are playing the Redskins - I will never root for the Eagles).

This year, however, gives me a chance to enjoy the game and not dislike the participants. The truth is, I do like the Patriots, but I didn't want them to win 3 out 4, like the Cowboys did. While I suppose the Steelers could tie the record for most Super Bowl wins (with Dallas and San Francisco), it would be okay with me.

The way I look at it, I believe that either the Seahawks will win by a wide margin or Pittsburgh will win in a close game. Earlier this week, I felt the Seahawks would take it. Now, I'm not so sure.

So, without any further delay, my pick for Super Bowl XL is...

Pittsburgh over Seattle 24-20

The MVP will be Troy Polamalu.

Mayer, my 12-year-old know-it-all says that Seattle will win 27-24, with Shaun Alexander the MVP.

Stay tooooned.

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