Your Weekly Steyn Fix

Chicago is one of the few remaining citys with more than one major daily paper. We have the Tribune (ugh) and the Sun-Times; in fact, you could even include the Daily Herald even though it focuses on the suburbs.

The Sun-Times has its share of issues: first and foremost, no one is ever going to accuse them of having a conservative bias. However, at least they aren't as rabidly partisan as the Tribune. More importantly, however, the Sun-Times carries Mark Steyn and publishes his column every Sunday. This alone is usually worth the $1.50 for the paper.

Steyn makes short work of John Kerry and the rest of the "Defeaticrats" who seem to think the rest of the world is as stupid as the MSM when they describe a retreat as "redeploying" our troops.

The only teensy-weensy problem is this: If America ever adopts the Kerry plan, the Murtha plan or some variation thereof, does anyone think al-Jazeera, the BBC, Le Monde, Der Spiegel et al will be using the word "redeploy" in their headlines? Or will they use a word closer to what's actually going on?

Read the rest of Steyn's article here.

An Example of Liberal Tolerance

One of Ann Coulter's insights into the Left is their inability to defend their beliefs. In fact, liberals get so frustrated when they are challenged, that their recourse is to lash out -- usually figuratively, here physically -- against their opponents.

Here is a powerful example of how low liberals will go when their beliefs are challenged.

Libs' new strategy: Assault 7 year old
By Kevin McCullough
Jun 18, 2006

Liberals in Lexington Massachusetts have taken to beating up the seven year old children of their political opponents.

This disgusting tactic should be ousted on the front pages of every newspaper across the nation, yet you've heard nary a word about it.

Here are the specs:

A number of months ago, as first reported by yours truly, Superintendent Paul Ash decided to have his second grade teachers begin reading "fairy-tale" about two princes getting it on homosexual style to be read in the classrooms under his direction. The book was called "King and King."

In reaction parents from the Estabrook School decided to plead with Ash as to whether this book should be allowed. The all powerful Ash laughed and went on his way.

Somewhat disheartened by this response the parents then made the completely over-the-top request of being notified when such material would be presented in the classroom - especially if it knowingly violated their conscience and their religious convictions.

Growing somewhat angry the all powerful Ash shot the parents a verbal middle finger by retorting, "Estabrook has no legal obligation to notify parents about the book. We couldn't run a public school system if every parent who feels some topic is objectionable to them for moral or religious reasons decides their child should be removed. Lexington is committed to teaching children about the world they live in, and in Massachusetts same-sex marriage is legal."

This profane sort of arrogance didn't sit well with one of the parents by name of David Parker. He went to the school to discuss it directly with Ash. When Parker refused to leave without being heard by the all powerful Ash he was arrested. Remember Parker's only request was to be notified when homosexuality or transgenderism was to be discussed.

Word spread amongst the liberal activist groups around the area. Nasty letters began to be written to local newspapers in an effort to get Parker to back down. When that didn't work a nasty web-site was created to spread the anti-Parker venom via the internet and rally the call to other activist groups nationwide. On the day of Parker's hearing the Ash/Nasty coalition turned out dozens of adults to demonstrate hate-filled nastiness against Parker as he entered and exited the courthouse. All in an attempt to get him to shut up. The nasties even convinced the school district to post anti-Parker newspaper stories on the bulletin boards throughout the schools as another means of intimidation.

None of it worked!

Instead on April 27 Parker and another family from the school district filed a federal civil rights suit against the school district. This made Ash and the other nasties even angrier and some of them decided to get even.

At the courthouse hearings and many of the protests outside Parker's home the nasties had used children to hold up hateful signs and demonstrate alongside their nasty parents. They also recruited young children to participate in angry anti-Parker demonstrations outside the school and to engage in letter writing campaigns.

But on May 17 they crossed the line.

That was the day that 10 of these thug-kins grabbed David Parker's 7 year old son, dragged him behind the corner of the school, well out of sight from the school officials, and proceeded to punch him in the groin, stomach, and chest, before he dropped to the ground when they then kicked and stomped on him. Several of the alleged thug-kins were children of the adults who had been protesting Parker, several of them - not even in the same class as Parker's child. It also needs to be pointed out that May 17 was a targeted date because that is the anniversary of changing the marriage definitions in the state of Massachusetts to include homosexual unions. Emotions among many activists were running very high on this day.

The school district "investigated" and did determine that the attack was pre-meditated. Shockingly they decided no punishment necessary for the 10 thug-kins who were serving as political hit men for the activists in Lexington.

All of this happening because one father wished to reserve the right to teach his own family's faith-based views on sexuality.

I support the lawsuit that David Parker is bringing against Ash, and the Estabrook School District. Standing up is always the right thing to do. His legal fees are growing and if you are interested in making a donation to help - as I have - I would encourage you to. I would also encourage you to drop an e-mail to Paul Ash or place a phone call - either way it is obvious that Ash believes that he is unaccountable to the parents of his district. Here's Paul Ash's e-mail address: pash@sch.ci.lexington.ma.us. His phone number at the school is (781) 861-2550. His home number is (617) 244-9622.

It's also very sad that Ash's compadres have sunk to the level of assaulting the seven year old child of David Parker in their attempts to shut him up.

But then again liberals don't believe in absolutes, morality, or the law - so why should we be surprised?

Kevin McCullough's first hardback title "The MuscleHead Revolution" is now available for pre-order. Kevin McCullough is heard daily in New York City, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware on WMCA 570/970 from 2-5pm. He blogs at www.muscleheadrevolution.com.

Copyright © 2006 Townhall.com

Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.

C. S. Lewis

Tiger by the Tail

Wow, Tiger Woods failed to make the cut for the cut for the U.S. Open. It's the first time he's failed to make the cut for a major tournament since turning pro 10 years ago. Note his comments though; it's what I like about Tiger Woods -- he never makes excuses, he never blames others, poor conditions, his father's recent death, etc. His response: "I played poorly."

Tiger Woods found little to be happy about after his second straight 76 during Friday's second round of the U.S. Opn. (Photo: AP)

No excuses for Woods after missing cut at U.S. Open

He didn't blame the longest layoff of his career. Nor did he say his father's death last month weighed on his mind. Before departing Winged Foot, Tiger Woods said only one thing caused him to miss his first cut in a major as a professional. Poor play.

MAMARONECK, N.Y. (AP) -- The longest layoff in Tiger Woods' career ended with his shortest week at a major.

Woods kept thinking he was one putt or one shot away from turning it around Friday in the U.S. Open until there was nothing left to do but tap in for another bogey, sign for another 76 and head home.

At 12 over par, he missed the cut in a major for the first time in 10 years as a professional.

"It's not something you want to have happen," Woods said. "Unfortunately, I missed this one."

Perhaps it was the rust from not having played since the final round of the Masters in April. Maybe his mind was cluttered by memories of his father, Earl, who died May 3 of cancer. Someone even suggested that he would have been better off playing two weeks ago in the Memorial as a tuneup instead of making his return at the toughest test in golf.

Woods shook his head each time.

"When you don't execute, you're not going to be happy either way," Woods said. "I don't care if you had what transpired in my life of recent or not. Poor execution is never going to feel very good."

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press.
All Rights Reserved.

All I Want for Christmas
(or Father's Day, or my Birthday, ...)

Review from G&A magazine

Springfield Armory XD Series

An innovative and economical take on the polymer auto concept

By Jeff John

Springfield Armory took key features from the Glock, SIG and 1911. They included the 1911's grip angle and grip safety, the Glock polymer frame and striker-fired ignition, and the barrel lock up and takedown system of the SIG Sauer.

The firearms community has never been the same since the introduction of the polymer-framed pistol more than 15 years ago by Glock. The firm combined simplicity, durability and reliability into a somewhat homely package that has managed to win over all but a few. Gaston Glock paved the way for polymer pistols and many companies have followed his lead. Most manufactures have one or more polymer-framed pistols in their stable today and polymer-frame technology is seeping into rifles now, so this technology is here to stay.

Most polymer pistols are designed for military and police applications, which, of course, makes them quite suitable for personal defense. Unfortunately, this imbues the guns with trigger systems that will never see a bullseye match, but are oddly shootable to a very high degree. Here we're talking combat accuracy, reliability and durability. The Glock set the bar by excelling at all three. It's safe to say that none of its imitators have approached the firm's record in sales or brand identity, but maybe that's about to change.

The Croatian designers of the XD looked at other firearm designs (much the same way Glock did initially) and took the best features from each. Thus, the X-treme Duty concept borrows key features from the Glock, the Colt 1911 and SIG Sauer automatic pistols. The Croats even thought up a few new wrinkles to add to the XD mix. Springfield Armory is the exzclusive importer, although the pistol was originally imported as the HS 2000 by HS America more than a year ago.

Getting A Grip
One thing most of us look at when we choose a gun is how it feels and points, since we all have "muscle memory" from previous handgun experience. Many serious pistoleros teethed on the Colt 1911 and its grip angle is what's natural for them. It is also one of the criticisms leveled at Glock. Europeans rarely care about grip angels, since few Europeans get to handle firearms of any sort, and the makers assume that neophyte police and military trainees will adapt to whatever they're given. That's true, with reservations. Americans are different. Our legacy of a free association with firearms builds notions that are difficult to crack. Even many first-time purchasers have some shooting experience already through family and friends and, when buying the first, second or third gun, any new engineering attributes of such are weighed against the shooters' prior experience and training. Dedicated 1911 users often point a Glock skyward (and vice versa) and that makes some pause before buying. So Springfield Armory chose to build its new X-treme Duty series based on the 1911 grip angle in deference to the millions in circulation. By doing so, the company silently leaps that first sales hurdle.

The XD's grip is narrow for a double-stack mag pistol. In fact, it is narrower than a 1911 with wood grips, but is more squared. It's a one-piece molding that includes the entire lower end of the pistol. The front strap and backstrap have molded-in, non-slip coarse checkering and sides are rough textured. A groove on either side of the grip accommodates the thumb.

XD designers kept the circumference of the grip down by eschewing a plastic-coated magazine and using a plain metal one. The smaller grip fits an average size hand well, and the mag also drops free, as befits an American combat arm. This brings up one of the XD-9's most intriguing features. If you already own a metal high capacity 9mm magazine from S&W, Beretta, SIG, CZ or others, it can be modified to fit the XD-9 and still be usable in its parent pistol. The XD-9's mag release cut is a half-circle in the top-center of the magazine body, while most other mags have it on the side. Put a new cut in your hi-cap mag for the XD's center catch and your in business. The XD's mag release button operates from both sides and is easy to reach.

The best was a 2-in. four-shot cluster with the fifth shot pulling it out to 3 1/4 inches using 180-gr .40 S&W with CCI Gold Dot ammo. The 9mm shot the largest group at 3 3/4 in. using Blazer ammo. In between was the .357 Sig XD grouping at 3 5/8 in.

A Matter Of Safety
The X-treme Duty series has a variety of safeties. Of course, the most important one is out of Springfield Armory's control and that's the one between your ears. A failure there and the rest is academic. Most copies or "paraphrases" of the Glock Safe Action system have included its most controversial feature--a safety only on the trigger. The XD series of pistols includes this feature, but also a grip safety as well. That John Browning didn't include a grip safety on the majority of his pistol designs speaks for itself. But it is there and this grip safety prevents the firearm from discharging as well as preventing the slide from being pulled back unless it is depressed. Just like the 1911, you have to grip the gun before it'll discharge. A loose, casual offhand grip can allow the grip safety to remain insufficiently depressed to allow a discharge. In testing, I found this was only a problem during one-hand weak-hand practice. With a firm grip no problems were encountered.

The firing pin is of the inertial variety and its travel is stopped by a block that is raised by the trigger when the trigger is squeezed. When the pistol is cocked, a small pin protrudes from the back of the slide that is easily seen or felt. The top of the slide has a loaded chamber indicator that is also easy to see and feel. No magazine safety is present.

The frame's slide rails are not molded integrally into the frame as are most of the XD's competition, but are sub-assemblies that are held in by good-sized pins. These sub-assemblies can be repaired or replaced by the factory, but shouldn't be removed otherwise. The forward slide rail sub-assembly contains the takedown latch and very closely resembles the SIG Sauer system.

The XD's were built to work in harsh conditions. Team Springfield member Rob Leatham pours dirt over the top and into the cutout under the bottom of a loaded XD 9mm at the range. Leatham then ripped off 10 shots rapid fire without a malfunction.

The triggers on our three test pistols broke in the 51/2 pound range. It looks like a Glock's trigger, with a bar that prevents movement of the trigger until it is squeezed, but is subtly different. It feels more like a two-stage military trigger. Upon taking up the initial slack, a hard spot is acquired that breaks with a little creep. For law enforcement applications, a heavier trigger can be provided.

From The Top
The slide itself is a one-piece machined forging that is heat-treated. The barrel is cold-hammer forged and conventionally rifled with six grooves in standard-for-caliber twists. It is a locked-breech short recoil action, and barrel lock-up is achieved in the same manner as a SIG or Glock--the barrel hood locks at the front of the ejection port. It is a striker-fired pistol and uses a round inertial firing pin. Both front and rear sights are dovetailed in place and Springfield Armory chose to use the SIG Sauer dovetail width. Any aftermarket sight manufactured for SIGs can be used on the XD. Our test guns were equipped with the optional Trijicon three-dot night sights. An adjustable sight version will be offered factory installed soon. The recoil spring is a dual spring on a captive rod. The smaller spring rides in a tunnel beneath the larger spring so that the springs cannot bind on one another. As an added benefit, the rod prevents the pistol's slide from being pushed out of battery in a situation where the muzzle is jammed into another surface prior to discharge.

G&A Publisher Kevin E. Steele shot this 10-yard rapid-fire target. The XD is a fully capable combat pistol, delivering accuracy and reliability.

At The Range
Several of us were invited by Springfield Armory to try out the new XDs at Raahauge's Pheasant Club in Norco, California. Joining us was Team Springfield member Rob Leatham, just in case any of us needed a reminder on how poorly we shoot. We had silhouette targets and steel plates at roughly 10 yards and plenty of 9mm, .357 SIG and .40 S&W ammo. The general consensus is that this gun is a winner. There were no malfunctions on any of the three pistols. The 9mm had the most ammunition fired through it, and the empty box tally at the end of the morning was more than 500 rounds. While that's certainly no marathon, it's a darn good interval between cleaning.

We next took the gun to Mike Dalton's Steel Challenge at the Oak Tree Gun Club in Santa Clarita, California. There we fired range reloads (mixed brass reloaded many times and fired through many guns) for an additional 200 rounds before the unserviced pistol stopped. A live round jammed in the chamber and had to be forced out. The brass had a hard black coating on it that may have been left over from its manufacturing. We couldn't decide, so we stopped and cleaned the gun anyway. Nonetheless, a 700 round endurance test isn't bad, and this particular cartridge probably would have stopped up any gun. If you're going to have a stoppage, it'll be with such ammo and it really didn't concern us.

SPECIFICATIONS Maker:SpringfieldArmory Action type: Short recoil semi-auto Caliber: 9mm, .357 Sig, .40 S&W Capacity: 10 Barrel Length: 4 inches Height: 4 1/4 inches Weight: 29 ounces Finish: Black Parkerized Sights: Three dot Grips: Integral with frame Price: $490 in 9mm, $498 in .357 Sig or .40 S&W

For chronograph and rest shooting, Angeles Shooting Ranges in San Fernando, California, was our next stop. Throughout this 25-yard target and chronographing session--returning to fresh factory ammo--we had no other malfunctions. We burned through an additional 150 9mms, 150 .40 S&Ws and 100 or so .357 SIG rounds without a bobble of any sort. Accuracy-wise, the .40 S&W was king. It gave us groups of 3 1/4 inches at 25 yards. Not the type of groups you'd brag on, but consistent. The .357 Sig was next, delivering a group of 35/8 inches and the 9mm was a close third with a group of 3 3/4 inches. Staffer Payton Miller took the XD to the 50-yard gong range and shot about 70 percent with the .40 S&W with our last 100 rounds of Black Hills and Norma 155 grainers.

To sum it up, the Springfield Armory XD Series never bobbled when fed factory-made ammunition from Black Hills, CCI, Federal, Norma, Remington or Winchester. Our lone stoppage was with range reloads at around the 700 mark with the 9mm. All three guns shot well enough to ensure combat hits at 25 yards. Our best pistol shot hit a 10-inch gong seven out of 10 times at 50 yards. The Springfield XD has all the attributes to give the pistolero a reliable and consistent pistol, and does it all for less than $500.

Don't Bring a Knife to a Gunfight
(or is it the other way around? :-)

Former Marine kills would-be robber
Woman, armed men attack waiter walking home

By BILL MONTGOMERY, BETH WARREN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/30/06

A former Marine who police say killed a woman that attacked him during a gang robbery attempt told reporters Tuesday he acted only to save his life.

"My first instinct was to run," said former Cpl. Thomas Autry, 36. "Those kids were younger than me. They caught me and cornered me. It was about life preservation."

"I'm sorry this whole thing happened. I hate this world has gotten to the point where it is predatory," said a shaken Autry.

The pack of would-be robbers, including a 17-year-old woman, might have mistaken the tall, thin, waiter for an easy mark, said police. But, the bandits picked the wrong victim, said Atlanta police homicide Detective Danny Stephens. The former Marine, cornered by his pursuers on Penn Avenue at 4th Street, fought back with a pocket knife in a deadly melee that left the young woman dead and a man in his late teens seriously injured at a hospital.

Autry suffered minor injuries, including a cut to his hand.

The woman, identified as Amy Martin, had just had a birthday May 10, said Investigator Mark Gilbeau with the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office. An autopsy was expected to be completed Tuesday. "Cause of death will be stab wounds, but we don't know how many yet," Gilbeau said.

Early reports were that Martin was pregnant, but the autopsy concluded otherwise, said the Fulton Medical Examiner's Office.

The teenager lived in an apartment at 3000 Stone Hogan Connector in southwest Atlanta, south of Greenbriar Mall near East Point, Gilbeau said. A young man also stabbed in the robbery attempt remained in critical condition, he added.

The identities of the surviving suspects, who Stephens said are believed to be linked to "a lot" of pedestrian robberies in Midtown and Virginia-Highland, were not released. They face aggravated assault and robbery charges, police said.

Autry will not be charged, Stephens said. "It was a clear case of self defense."

Stephens said Autry had left his job at the Jocks & Jills restaurant in Midtown and was walking along Penn Avenue when a blue Cadillac pulled alongside and three men, one armed with a shotgun, and the woman jumped from the car.

"This group had robbed two men on Piedmont earlier Monday night, taking a video camera and a cellphone," Stephens said.

"Autry takes off running, and they chase him. During the chase, Autry's trying to get into his backpack to get a pocket knife, which slows him down," Stephens said.

During the chase, Autry repeatedly yelled "fire, fire," which Stephens said attracted nearby residents' attention.

Grabbing the knife from his backpack, Autry managed to kick the shotgun from the man's hands and stabbed the woman in the chest, fatally wounding her. Stephens said. In the melee, Autry also stabbed one of the male suspects. Another suspect attempted to shoot Autry with a .380 pistol, which misfired, Stephens said.

The suspects ran back to the Cadillac and drove to Atlanta Medical Center, where police arrested them.

Autry, honorably discharged in 1992 after serving in Operation Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia, spoke to a gaggle of reporters from the porch of his apartment about six block north of the King Center in downtown Atlanta.

Autry recounted the attack, saying he first realize something was amiss when he saw a white cat scurry across the road. That's when he turned around and saw the armed attackers getting out of a stopped car.

He said his military training kicked in, but "what really helped me was growing up in New York."

He said he changed his locks after the incident because of security concerns.

When told that many in the metro area consider him a hero for his actions, Autry disagreed.

"The heroes are those guys out there fighting for us every day and not getting respect," he said, referring to military personnel fighting in Iraq and elsewhere. "That [killing the attacker] wasn't admirable, it was fight or flight and I tried the flight."

'Taking Back Our Homes'

Rebecca Hagelin of the Heritage Foundation recently spoke at Hillsdale College. She spoke on the vital topic of protecting our children from the poisonous toxins that our culture spews at our children and her talk was distributed by Hillsdale publication, Imprimis (you can get a free subscription to Imprimis here.)

Her talk is based on her recent book, Home Invasion: Protecting Your Family in a Culture That’s Gone Stark Raving Mad. I’ve taken excerpts from her talk and set them out below. After reading her comments, you may want to visit Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com to purchase a copy of her book.

Taking Back Our Homes
Rebecca Hagelin
Author, Home Invasion: Protecting Your Family in a Culture That’s Gone Stark Raving Mad

Home Invasion

Everywhere we go, from the grocery store check-out stands with their tacky women’s magazines, to the mall with windows filled with mannequins and photos of young women in their underwear, to the video store with ultra-violent and pornographic movies, to the sexually graphic books many public schools are using to “teach” our kids, our sensibilities are under attack.

But tragically, the toxic culture that is poisoning the hearts and souls of our families and our children isn’t just “out there.” Often times the American home has become the sump for cultural sewage.

It used to be that the home was the nurturing oasis providing relief from outside dangers. It used to be that a parent’s greatest worry was looking out for the guy in the trench coat lurking in the shadows at the edge of the school playground. Well, that guy in the trench coat is now in our homes.

Log on to the Internet. According to the London School of Economics, nine out of ten children who go online, usually to do homework, will stumble across hardcore pornography. Let me repeat: 90 percent of children will fall victim to pornography in their own homes. Chat rooms and sites such as MySpace.com have become playgrounds for sexual predators, often luring kids to situations of abuse and even death.

Tired of Internet porn? Turn on the television and flip to MTV. Why? It’s what your teenagers are watching. As a matter of fact, MTV is the number one viewing choice for teen girls. Today’s MTV programming is filled with reality-based shows that feature kids dressed in teeny-weeny bikinis licking whipped cream off each other. Or “pooh diving”—a “sport” in which teen boys swim in open sewers filled with human waste. Think the problem is just on cable?

Had enough Internet and television porn? Check out the video games our teen boys are playing. The second most popular of these games is Grand Theft Auto, in which the player actually becomes the character who steals cars, rapes women, has sex with a prostitute and then clubs her to death. And that’s not to mention the decapitation of policemen.

If that’s not enough, check out the books. Gossip Girls is one of the most popular romance series for girls ages 12-16. Published by Simon and Schuster, recurring themes are incest and graphic sex among children.

And then there’s the music. The number one music genre of choice for today’s youth of all races and socioeconomic groups is the often verbally pornographic and violent rap and hip-hop. [O]ur kids are consuming six-and-one-half hours of media every single day. And as I’ve described, the vast majority of it is sexual, violent, uncivil, and often plain stupid.

But what’s the harm? Isn’t this just entertainment? Well, let’s see. Corporations spend billions of dollars every year on advertising. Why? Because they know that media affects behavior. Today’s youth are the most marketed-to generation in the history of the world.

They are selling a “lifestyle” to our children that robs them of their innocence and their best futures, and capitalizes on the natural raging hormones that mark the teen years. Instead of helping channel that energy into worthwhile activities, the media fuels the flames in an effort to keep them tuned into the programming.

These marketers are teaching our young girls that their lives are all about their sexual power and our young boys that life is all about who can be more crudely funny or irresponsible. Sexual activity is expected and has no consequences. Civility does not exist. And the only brand of respect that’s taught is a twisted brand of “self-respect.”

Taking Responsibility

Before we point the finger at Hollywood, the government, or the business community for what is happening to America’s youth, we must look at ourselves. [T]he solutions to these problems do not rest in Washington, D.C. Most of the solutions can be found in active, loving parenting. It doesn’t take an act of Congress to take back your home.

Many parents are more concerned about being their children’s friend than they are about parenting. But kids don’t need more drifting friends; they need their moms and dads. The greatest gift we can give our children is to teach them that there is a God that loves them. We must teach them the two greatest commandments: to love God with all their hearts and to love others as they love themselves. And we must teach them to tell truth from lies, good from evil.

There are several practical resources available to help us make wise choices for our kids. But the best tool we can use is our expression of our love for them as people. And sometimes, that commitment is difficult. I know what it’s like to have my 13-year-old daughter look at me with tears streaming down her face and say, “But Mom, all my friends are going to that movie.” It rips my heart out. But in those moments, I sit Kristin down and I say, “You know what, Kristin? God made me your mom, and I love you more than anybody else in the world could possibly love you. I have to do what I think is best for you. Please allow me to be your Mom, allow me to love you, allow me to protect you the best way I know how. I might make mistakes, but as long as there is breath in me, I will be here for you.” And then, we always find something else to do that’s fun for her.

We must remember that our kids want us to be involved in their lives. They don’t really want or need another gadget or the hottest video game. What they really want is more time with Mom and Dad. They need us desperately, not to build walls around them that shut them off from the world, but to build within them a moral compass that will guide them when they go out into the world each day. Not only will they be spared much harm having this compass, but they will succeed better as adults. And maybe, just maybe, if enough of us commit now to taking back our homes, there will one day be enough adults to reclaim our culture.

A man can no more diminish God’s glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, ‘darkness’ on the walls of his cell.

C. S. Lewis

Freakonomics: Economics or Just More Liberal Propaganda

I know I came late to the Freakonomics party (in fact, I've yet to finish the book). But, I've got to tell you that I had some real heartburn with Levitt's contention that the reason crime went down a few years ago was because more women were having abortions.

I'm not an economist, and didn't know if Levitt was right or not; what I do know, and found extremely objectionable was his attitude that aborting millions of babies was just another data point in an economic analysis.

Hello!!?? You're talking about murdering children as if it was no big deal; as if you were discussing what to have for dinner. Wake up.

Anyway, my point is (yes, I do have a point :-) -- I saw in the latest Claremont Review of Books that John Mueller shows that Levitt's economic argument is wrong as well. According to Mueller:

But nearly all violent crime is committed by men ... precisely the ages of the fathers of aborted children. In short, the missing variable is "economic fatherhood." ("Economic" fatherhood is defined not by residency with but by provision for one's children.) Including this variable not only invalidates Levitt's claim but reverses it. [emphasis added] One can see this in a comparison of homicide rates and economic fatherhood, the latter defined by the Total Fertility Rate for the same demographic mix as prisoners (though measured for women, it's almost exactly the same for men) minus men in prison (who cannot provide for children) and children on welfare (who aren't supported by fathers). Though strong for all categories of crime, the trade-off with economic fatherhood strengthens with the crime's violence, and is strongest for the most violent of all, homicide.

As far back as data exist, rates of economic fatherhood and homicide have been strongly, inversely "cointegrated"—a stringent statistical test characterizing inherently related events, like the number of cars entering and leaving the Lincoln Tunnel. Legalizing abortion didn't lower homicide rates 15-20 years later by eliminating infants who might, if they survived, have become murderers: it raised the homicide rate almost at once by turning their fathers back into men without dependent children—a small but steady share of whom do murder. The homicide rate rose sharply in the 1960s and '70s when expanding welfare and legal abortion sharply reduced economic fatherhood, and it dropped sharply in the '90s partly due to a recovering birth rate, but mostly because welfare reform and incarceration raised the share of men outside prison who were supporting children.

See the whole article here.

David Horowitz Nails the Hysterical Anti-Coulters

Great post from David Horowitz's blog:

The Coulter Identity

Here is the syndrome behind the attacks on Ann Coulter: the left is once again in an untenable position defending an enemy who wants to destroy us. Just as they were rooting for the Communists in the Cold War so they want us to lose the war in Iraq and the war with radical Islam. That's because they think we are the cause of the war with radical Islam. According to the left: the Islamicists -- like the Stalinists before them -- are really desperate people driven to desperate means by our imperial ways (which now include torture and the deliberate murder of little children). Since leftists know that they can't just come out and say directly what they think and in so many words -- e.g., America is the bad guy in the war and should throw in the towel, give Iraq to al-Qaeda and give the world a break -- and do so with impunity, they need shields behind which to advance their cause. In this they have taken a leaf from the terro rists' playbook. Hide behind the women and children and then when the Americans defend themselves and fire back call them baby-killers. So the left advances behind "mothers" like Cindy Sheehan, widows like the leftist Jersey girls, and veterans like the ineffable Kerry and call-our-brave-young-men-women-war-criminals-before-the-evidence-is-in Jack Murtha. I put quotes around the word "mother" in describing Sheenhan because she disowned her son twice before using him as fodder for her leftwing cannon. Once when he was seven and she simply left him, and the second time when he was dead and she pissed on his grave calling him a stooge (to serve her own miserable ends) when he was actually a hero, having volunteered twice, and a third time for the rescue mission that killed him. Mourning is one thing and so is grief. Hiding behind a dead relative to defame your political opponents and stab your countrymen in the back is quite an other. Bravo Ann for exposing these wretches.

From the 'I Am Not Making This Up' Dept.

Robber Sues Victims After They Beat Him

The Associated Press
Monday, June 12, 2006; 7:58 AM

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- A man is suing an auto-parts store for assault and battery after he attempted to hold up the business and employees responded by beating him with a metal pipe.

Dana Buckman, 46, walked into an auto shop brandishing a semiautomatic pistol last summer, only to have it turned on him by two AutoZone employees, police said. The men beat Buckman with a metal pipe and held him with his own gun.

Buckman escaped and was arrested a week later.

He pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery and was sentenced to 18 years in prison as a repeat violent felon.

Buckman claims the men chased him out of the store and continued to beat him. He is suing the auto shop and the men for the injuries he suffered and for emotional distress.

"In some respects, you wonder if a case like this even needs a defense. It speaks for itself," said lawyer Patrick B. Naylon, who represents AutoZone and the employees.

But lawyer Phillip R. Hurwitz, who represents Buckman, said the employees crossed the line by pursuing Buckman and attacking him.

"The danger was past," Hurwitz said. "These two employees took it upon themselves to go after Mr. Buckman after he left the store."

© 2006 The Associated Press

Unmasking Leftist Disinformation from the "Objective" MSM
(from the June 7 Patriot Post -- their comments are in italics)

DEZINFORMATSIA

This week's "Gratuitous Nazi Reference" Award: "[Al] Gore wants to do something admirable like save the planet...and what do critics call him? Hitler. The 'Swift-Boating' of Al Gore already in full swing." —MSNBC's Brian Unger **The only guy we know that has been called Hitler is President Bush.

From the "Garbage in—Garbage out" Department: "The U.S. economy was charging ahead at an annual rate of almost 5 percent [actually 5.3%] in the first quarter of this year. But now it appears we'll be lucky if it grows half that rapidly in this quarter. There are new signs this evening that the economy is slowing down." —CBS's Russ Mitchell **Like unemployment falling to 4.6 percent?

From the Clintonista Sycophant Files: "Hillary Rodham Clinton has fashioned a political persona that generates intense passions but defies easy characterization." —Dan Balz of The Washington Post ++ "The President's image of compassion was shaky to begin with, even though he calls himself a compassionate conservative. Bill Clinton felt your pain. George Bush flew over it." —CNN's Bill Schneider

"Supporting" the troops: "[T]he American military is not a fearsome force in potentia, but a depleted, demoralized and disparaged force trapped in Iraq trying to police a civil war. The invasion that was supposed to help terrorism has made it worse. The invasion that was supposed to make America more feared and beloved has made us more hated. The invasion that was supposed to banish post-Vietnam syndrome has revived it." —Maureen Dowd ++ "There are some who are already making comparisons between Haditha and My Lai in Vietnam, the massacre in which hundreds of Vietnamese civilians were killed, an incident that you well remember. Is that a fair comparison, a fair, a fair analogy?" —CNN's Wolf Blitzer

This week's "Leftmedia Buster" Award: "I never read The New York Times anymore for information. I read The New York Times only to find out what the left-wing slant on stuff is." —Morton Kondracke

The Stupid Sign

Stupid people should have to wear signs that just say, "I'm Stupid." That way you wouldn't rely on them, would you? You wouldn't ask them anything. It would be like, "Excuse me...oops...never mind, didn't see your sign."

It's like before my wife and I moved. Our house was full of boxes and there was a U-Haul truck in our driveway. My neighbor comes over and says, "Hey, you moving?" "Nope. We just pack our stuff up once or twice a week to see how many boxes it takes. Here's your sign."

A couple of months ago I went fishing with a buddy of mine, we pulled his boat into the dock, I lifted up this big ol' stringer of bass and this idiot on the dock goes, "Hey, y'all catch all them fish?" "Nope. Talked 'em into giving up. Here's your sign."

I was watching one of those animal shows on the Discovery Channel. There was a guy inventing a shark bite suit. And there's only one way to test it. "Alright, Jimmy, you got that shark suit on, it looks good... They want you to jump into this pool of sharks, and you tell us if it hurts when they bite you." "Well, all right, but hold my sign. I don't wanna lose it."

Last time I had a flat tire, I pulled my truck into one of those side-of-the-road gas stations. The attendant walks out, looks at my truck, looks at me, and I SWEAR he said, "Tire go flat?" I couldn't resist. I said, "Nope. I was driving around and those other three just swelled right up on me. Here's your sign."

We were trying to sell our car about a year ago. A guy came over to the house and drove the car around for about 45 minutes. We get back to the house, he gets out of the car, reaches down and grabs the exhaust pipe, then says, "Darn that's hot!" See, if he'd been wearing his sign, I could have stopped him.

I learned to drive an 18-wheeler in my days of adventure. Wouldn't you know, I misjudged the height of a bridge. The truck got stuck and I couldn't get it out, no matter how I tried. I radioed in for help and eventually a local cop shows up to take the report. He went through his basic questioning...okay...no problem. I thought for sure he was clear of needing a sign...until he asked, "So, is your truck stuck?" I couldn't help myself! I looked at him, looked back at the rig and then back to him and said, "No, I'm delivering a bridge... here's your sign."

I stayed late at work one night and a co-worker looked at me and said, "Are you still here?" I replied, "No. I left about 10 minutes ago. Here's your sign."

Anybody you know need a sign today?

The next time someone says something stupid ask them where their sign is.

Today's Mark Steyn SunTimes Column

Events at Haditha don't change need for victory
June 4, 2006
BY MARK STEYN SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST

Here are a couple of observations from two parents of American heroes fallen in Iraq. The first is from Cindy Sheehan, the mother of Army Spec. Casey Sheehan, a brave man who enlisted in 2000, re-upped for a second tour and died in 2005 after volunteering for a rescue mission in Sadr City:

"We've been talking about Martin Luther King Jr. this night. My son was killed the same day he was killed, on April 4. I don't believe in any coincidences. Casey was born on John F. Kennedy's birthday. He was born on the day, and died on the day, of two people who were assassinated by the war machine in my country."

The second observation is from Martin Terrazas, the father of Marine Lance Cpl. Miguel Terrazas of El Paso, who was killed by a roadside bomb at a town called Haditha:

"I don't even listen to the news."

The New York Times' Maureen Dowd, the Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist of the most important newspaper in America (well, OK, the most self-important newspaper in America), has written that "the moral authority of parents who bury children killed in Iraq is absolute." She wrote this in a column about Sheehan. She doesn't seem to have found the time to write any columns about any other parents of fallen soldiers and their absolute moral authority. Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of "moderate" "mainstream" Democratic Party vice presidential nominee John Edwards, sent out a letter headlined: "Support Cindy Sheehan's Right To Be Heard." Mrs. Sheehan doesn't have much difficulty being heard. The remarks above were made a week ago at a meeting in Melbourne. That's to say, dozens of organizations pay to fly her around the United States and Canada and over to Britain and Europe and all the way to Australia to ensure her "right to be heard," now and forever. She is the subject of a forthcoming movie, in which she will be played by Susan Sarandon.

But I would hazard that Martin Terrazas is far more typical of the families of American forces in Iraq: A man who can't bear to pick up an American newspaper, or listen to a radio news bulletin, or watch a political talk show, because every square peg of an event is being hammered into the round hole of the same narrative, the only narrative our culture knows: This is Vietnam, it's a quagmire, we can't win, and the longer we delay losing and scuttling and getting the hell outta there, the more wicked things we will do. And, lookie here, whaddaya know, here comes the Sunni version of the My Lai massacre.

I don't know any more than you do about the precise nature of events triggered in Haditha by Cpl. Terrazas' death. But assume every dark rumor you've heard is true, that this was the murder of civilians by American service personnel. In the run-up to March 2003, there were respectable cases to be made for and against the Iraq war. Nothing that happened at Haditha alters either argument. And, if you're one of the ever swelling numbers of molting hawks among the media, the political class and the American people for whom Haditha is the final straw, that's not a sign of your belated moral integrity but of your fundamental unseriousness. Anyone who supports the launching of a war should be clear-sighted enough to know that, when the troops go in, a few of them will kill civilians, bomb schools, torture prisoners. It happens in every war in human history, even the good ones. Individual Americans, Britons, Canadians, Australians did bad things in World War II and World War I. These aren't stunning surprises, they're inevitable: It might be a bombed mosque or a gunned-down pregnant woman or a slaughtered wedding party, but it will certainly be something. And, in the scales of history, it makes no difference to the justice of the cause and the need for victory.

For three years, coalition forces in Iraq behaved so well that a salivating Vietnam culture had to make do with the thinnest of pickings: one depraved jailhouse, a prisoner on a dog leash with a pair of Victoria's Secret panties on his head and an unusually positioned banana. "Just look at the way U.S. army reservist Lynndie England holds the leash of the naked, bearded Iraqi," wrote Robert Fisk, the dean of the global media's Middle Eastern correspondents. "No sadistic movie could outdo the damage of this image. In September 2001, the planes smashed into the buildings; today, Lynndie smashes to pieces our entire morality with just one tug on the leash."

Down, boy.

But now at last the media have their story. They're off the leash. And, if the worst rumors are true, those 10 Marines will come to symbolize the 99.99 percent of their comrades who every day do great things for the Iraqi and Afghan people. In 2004, in the wake of Abu Ghraib, I wrote that "there is something not just ridiculous but unbecoming about a hyperpower 300 million strong whose elites -- from the deranged former vice president down -- want the outcome of a war, and the fate of a nation, to hinge on one freaky jailhouse; elites who are willing to pay any price, bear any burden, as long as it's pain-free, squeaky-clean and over in a week. The sheer silliness dishonors the memory of all those we're supposed to be remembering this Memorial Day."

Two years on, it's even worse. If you examine the assumptions underlying speeches by professors, media grandees, etc., it's hard not to agree with the Wall Street Journal's James Taranto, that these days America can only fight Vietnam, over and over: Every war is "supposed to become a quagmire, which provokes opposition and leads to American withdrawal.'' That's how the nation demonstrates its "moral virtue" -- i.e., its parochial self-absorption.

Last week, Cindy Sheehan said in Melbourne that "Bobby Kennedy was assassinated by the war machine in my country." This week, Bobby's son, Robert Kennedy Jr., said in Rolling Stone that Bush stole the 2004 election. Next week, it'll be something else.

But there is more pain and more truth about America in those seven words of Martin Terrazas. A superpower that wallows in paranoia and glorifies self-loathing cannot endure and doesn't deserve to.

©Mark Steyn, 2006

Blogging Stooges
How Cool is That!!

Quit Making Excuses!

Repeating an earlier post.

Sunday, April 30, 2006

"We Want The Weathered One!"

Our editorial office has been innundated with mourners distraught over the demise of The Weathered One blog.

Our sleep at night is interrupted by crowds in the street chanting Tom-meh!, Tom-meh!, Tom-meh!

There is a billboard nearby which recently replaced the ad for a Japanese SUV with the plaintive message: "We Want the Weathered One!"

Folks, please hear me. This matter is not within my control. You need to reach out to the Weathered One directly and ask him to restart the blog.

Yes, it can be done. All the Weathered One needs to recognize is that he shouldn't dis his employer. But the rest is all good.

Yours truly and, obviously a cast of thousands, enjoy following the daily exploits and travails of the young man who came out of nowhere to take the blogosphere by storm. It became part of our daily ritual and was cruelly yanked away from us all too soon. But there's still hope. Things can still be corrected. Just join me and take up the chorus:

Tom-meh!, Tom-meh!, Tom-meh!
We Want the Weathered One!

Numa Numa

1975 vs 2005

1975: Long hair
2005: Longing for hair


1975: KEG
2005: EKG


1975: Acid rock
2005: Acid reflux


1975: Moving to California because it's cool
2005: Moving to Arizona because it's warm


1975: Tryin to look like Marlon Brando or Liz Taylor
2005: Trying NOT to look like Marlon Brando or Liz Taylor


1975: Seeds and stems
2005: Roughage


1975: Hoping for a BMW
2005: Hoping for a BM


1975: Going to a new, hip joint
2005: Receiving a new hip joint


1975: Rolling Stones
2005: Kidney Stones


1975: Being called into the principal's office
2005: Calling the principal's office


1975: Disco
2005: Costco


1975: Parents begging you to get your hair cut
2005: Children begging you to get their heads shaved


1975: Passing the drivers' test
2005: Passing the vision test


Just in case you weren't feeling too old today, this will certainly change things. Each year the staff at Beloit College in Wisconsin puts together a list to try to give the faculty a sense of the mindset of this year's incoming freshmen. Here's this year's list:

The people who are starting college this fall across the nation were born in 1987.

They are too young to remember the space shuttle blowing up.

Their lifetime has always included AIDS.

Bottle caps have always been screw off and plastic.

The CD was introduced the year they were born.

They have always had an answering machine.

They have always had cable.

They cannot fathom not having a remote control.

Jay Leno has always been on the Tonight Show.

Popcorn has always been cooked in the microwave.

They never took a swim and thought about Jaws.

They can't imagine what hard contact lenses are.

They don't know who Mork was or where he was from.

They never heard: "Where's the Beef?", "I'd walk a mile for a Camel", or "de plane, Boss, de plane".

They do not care who shot J. R. and have no idea who J. R. even is.

McDonald's never came in Styrofoam containers.

They don't have a clue how to use a typewriter.

Feel old yet?

(Oh, notice the larger type? – that’s for those of you who have trouble seeing the screen. :-)

"Acquiesce"

Here's a great picture. What's wrong with John Kerry do you think? Is suffering from a little indigestion? Maybe he's a little constipated?

I'm not sure what his problem is, but this picture was taken of him in January 2005 -- as he was waiting for the inauguration ceremony of George Bush. :-)

Ready for a Change

Here is a great article from Peggy Noonan on her thoughts on a shift in American politics towards a new political party.

I, for one, am all in favor of a new party. When you get right down to it, are there really any significant differences between Republicans and Democrats?

Abortion? At first blush, yes. The "official" Republican position is pro-life, and the official Democratic position is pro-abortion. However, in reality, how pro-life are Republicans? When's the last time you saw a Republican come right out and say "abortion is murder", or "I'm unequivocally pro-life"? For crying out loud, Republicans hold the presidency and both the House and Senate -- yet don't even have the moral conviction to outlaw partial-birth abortion!

Republicans pro-life? Give me a break.

And let's see a new political party -- one that is truly conservative. One that's truly pro-life; one that's truly in favor of limited government; one that's truly in favor of lowering taxes; one that's truly in favor of free market economics.