Thinking Right

By TW

October 26, 2007 8:09 AM | Link to this

War over?

Who needs Al-Qaeda when you’ve got the Republicans??????????

By jbmlaw

October 26, 2007 8:24 AM | Link to this

Good morning all. Dr. Reid may be guilty of a false syllogism: as it now appears that the California fires were anthropogenic, and as all faithful leftists accept as Gospel that all global warming is anthropogenic, it surely seems rational to our leftist friends that global warming must be causative. About as rational as any logic we see from our leftist friends. And I suppose if we point out the silliness, we’ll be accused of trotting out faux arguments.

Perhaps we should have a dumbest of the dumb laws competition in this space. I suspect we could come up with many even stupider than the PSC residence requirements, if we give it a little thought. My friend getalife and I would probably magnify drug laws, even though we have never used drugs.

Jim asks the question of the day, but it is not the one he so-labels: “Why is it, when minorities are involved, it’s assumed that they have “leaders” and, therefore, are accorded the authority to anoint others?” Some of the loony-right churches exhibit the same Moses tendencies. Funny, our leftist friends perversely attribute the same “power” to Rush Limbaugh, and Ann Coulter, and similar right-wing pundits, but I don’t recall any ever conservative thinkers attempting to act as a “king-maker.” You don’t see them endorsing candidates except at the lowest levels. It’s a group identity leftist thing mostly, almost a sort of cult worship. The Hawaii question shows the same thinking.

Who are the Thrashers? Is that some sort of small college team in Georgia?

College tuition suffers the same economic problem as healthcare. Because the taxpayer subsidizes everyone’s “right” to get it, we have an artificial stimulation of demand, a classic demand-pull inflation.

As to the labeled “question of the day,” the real question we ought to ask is why the leftists are attempting to lessen the authority of the elected executive to set the agenda for the executive branch, evidenced in several areas. I think it is time for term limits for the bureaucracy, no more than two six-year terms/lifetime for any government employees.

I’m not sure what I want to think about riparian rights. I’ll have to cogitate awhile.

Horowitz’s great crime is that he abandoned leftism, and thus the national socialists among us cannot tolerate the apostasy. “College liberals are in a fit of pique because various speakers are coming to their campuses this week as part of David Horowitz’s Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week — not to be confused with Islamo-Fascism Appreciation Week, which I believe is in April….Apparently liberals support Islamo-fascism. The Democratic leadership might want to have a powwow with their base because I believe their public position is to pretend to oppose Islamic fascism. Elected Democrats at least make empty rhetorical gestures about opposing Islamic fascism. Of course, amidst their nonspecific condemnations of Islamic terrorism, they make very specific demands that we genuflect before Islam and perform exotic fetishes on the fascists. Liberals believe in burning the American flag, urinating on crucifixes, and passing out birth control pills to 11-year-olds without telling their parents — but God forbid an infidel touch a Quran at Guantanamo.” You-know-who wrote the quote, but the Chairman got it right.

Today’s WSJ has a thoughtful perspective story for getalife and other Louisianans, and/or their Cajun expatriate-friends: http://www.opinionjournal.com/taste/?id=110010785

By Shark Sammich

October 26, 2007 8:26 AM | Link to this

Jim gave us:

Activists at Emory University refused to allow the scholarly David Horowitz to speak on academic freedom and radical Islam during Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week.

Jim, how’s about it if Moveon.org puts together a “Conservo-Fascism Awareness Week,” and they send left-wing firebrands to speak at Bob Jones, Liberty and other selected wingnut establishments?

Will you cry and whimper if a Cindy Sheehan or Cynthia McKinney is denied their “free speech” in a similar fashion as experienced by feces-hurling jerk Horowitz?

By Analchord

October 26, 2007 8:29 AM | Link to this

Thrashers on Ice: A parody of the real team? If a entertainment venue is already on ice, then why have the Ice Capades version of it? Obviously some advertising wiz thought it would be great to have the Thrashers on Ice imitate the real team. Where do we find such men?

By jbmlaw

October 26, 2007 8:30 AM | Link to this

Our friend TW @ 8:09 honestly reflects contemporary leftist thought, that terrorists are their friends, and that Republicans are their true enemies. But don’t question TW’s patriotism.

By jbmlaw

October 26, 2007 8:34 AM | Link to this

Our friend Shark Sammich @ 8:26 may have a great idea. I think it would be valuable to have leftist speakers appear at the rational schools, promoting Islamo-Fascism Appreciation week.

By sct

October 26, 2007 8:35 AM | Link to this

Lets play “Question of the Day: Private Emory University plays host to a conservative that gives a speech that is booed and heckled, would the hoopla have been the same had the director of a Gay Rights organization been even ALLOWED in the first place to give a speech at private Bobby Jones University. No credit for the right answer, students. Everybody knows it.

By Analchord

October 26, 2007 8:42 AM | Link to this

Reid is running interference for Hillary. Fire away, hacks, you’re being played. I love a fall guy, rally I do, rally. (I’m definitely going to have to fix that.)

By Shark Sammich

October 26, 2007 8:48 AM | Link to this

J’s B.M. law gave us:

Funny, our leftist friends perversely attribute the same “power” to Rush Limbaugh, and Ann Coulter, and similar right-wing pundits, but I don’t recall any ever conservative thinkers attempting to act as a “king-maker.”

Please. The simpering, servile, “we’ve got your back, Rush! Smegma dildos!” defense of the man after he not only trashed dissident soldiers by calling them “phony” but actually likened one critic to a suicide bomber tells us all we needed to know about the power that man holds over you dittoheads.

By JK

October 26, 2007 8:54 AM | Link to this

Equality Ride — inspired by the anti-segregation Freedom Rides of the 1950s and ’60s, was a group of kids on a bus seeking to gain equal footing for gays and lesbians through nonviolent activism. They took their message to colleges that have anti-gay policies, with the mission of making them more inclusive.

When the Equality Ride bus pulled into Lynchburg, home of Jerry Falwell’s “Liberty” University in 2006, the participants were greeted by more than a dozen police who warned the demonstrators that they’d be carried off in handcuffs if they stepped on the campus grounds.

And they meant it — more than 20 activists were charged with trespassing as they attempted to recite a speech chastising the school’s enrollment policy, which bars homosexuals.

Mr. Wooten, what did you write about this? I can’t remember.

By Analchord

October 26, 2007 8:58 AM | Link to this

You cannot read anything these days without seeing the name of Hitler. The left is Hitler. The right is Hitler. Every cause and every issue is being led by Hitler. The only one whose not Hitler is Hitler. He is being remembered only as the co-choreographer of the Leiderhosen Slap Dance, which, although amazing, should not let him off the hook for what he did to automobile design.

By TW

October 26, 2007 8:58 AM | Link to this

jbmlaw@8:30 - Usama establishing himself as Bush’s Daddy qualifies him for GOP membership. Bush granting him amnesty makes him a card carrying member.

By jbmlaw

October 26, 2007 9:07 AM | Link to this

Dear Shark @ 8:48, I understand that fellows such as Jessie McBeth represent the highest values you admire, and values I destest. Fellow such as Michael Murphy represent the highest values Limbaugh and I admire and you detest. You and I simply hold different views of the world – mine is right and yours is wrong.

Dear JK @ 8:54, I think you make a solid argument. Liberty University detests homosexuals, and Emory University detests those who oppose terrorists.

By jbmlaw

October 26, 2007 9:10 AM | Link to this

Dear TW @ 8:58, I perceive you provide a news-flash from Move-On, thanks. It is good to know what our leftist friends are thinking. Any word lately on flying saucers?

By Analchord

October 26, 2007 9:13 AM | Link to this

The problem with KFC style touch screen voting is that they’ll get the order wrong…..”I didn’t order the extra crispy McHitlers”,

(I know i touched the original constitutional recipe. awww, they’ve closed the drive thru window and I cant get a refund).

McHitlers!

By Shark Sammich

October 26, 2007 9:13 AM | Link to this

JK’s wisdom:

Mr. Wooten, what did you write about this? I can’t remember.

I’ll take “The Twelfth of Never” for $600, Alex!

Oh, and lest we forget:

“One reason why we have the fires in California is global warming,” opined the esteemed scientist Reid.

Jim, are you seriously suggesting that climate change has NOTHING to do with the conditions in California?

Dude, WTF? Hypersensitive much?

By Curious Observer

October 26, 2007 9:14 AM | Link to this

Suppressing or disrupting lawful speech is wrong, no matter which side of the political spectrum a speaker falls on. It’s wrong on campuses where the student body is predominately leftist, and it’s wrong on campuses where the student body is predominately rightist.

Sorry, but I have no patience for this kind of thing. I was in graduate school at Emory in the 60s, where I saw professors as well as students trample on the free speech rights of those who didn’t agree with them. Things evidently haven’t changed much there.

But let’s also acknowledge it’s just as wrong at Liberty University and Bob Jones University.

No individual or institution has a monopoly on the truth, which usually resides in the middle ground between the extremes. Until we learn to respect the rights of others to disagree with us, we will continue to be blown around by whatever prevailing political wind happens to blow. That’s how dictators come into existence.

By JK

October 26, 2007 9:16 AM | Link to this

Ooooo… the Limbaugh league is defending their Master today. How impressive. Hey tell us, what’s the real deal re: beging busted carrying prescription Viagra, someone else’s name on the bottle, on a “trip with the boys” to the Dominican Republic, a known toursit haven for those whose vacation utopia is purcahsing under-aged prostitutes real cheap? Is that what y’all do on vacation too?

Dear jbmlaw: TW makes a great point @8:30. The Democrats didn’t whisk wealthy Saudis out of the country on 9/12 and 9/13, using our taxpayer-funded super-secret forces while the rest of us were grounded, before the investigation had even truly begun. That’s a benefit for GOP card carriers and big donors only.

By Analchord

October 26, 2007 9:25 AM | Link to this

Pakistan has 20 thousand schools that teach, “I am Death to America and So Can You.” Bush badgered Pakistan to crack down on these schools. The did. Hundreds were keeled. Enrollments surged. Now there are millions of children ready to become the Islamic Lion.

The child-terrorists think that they’re fighting for Islam. (Not radical islam, not al queda, not pakistan, but Islam itself). Brainwashing is effective.

Ask any christian. Ask that christian lurking on your blog. Ask that christian waterboarding your neighbor. Ask that christian rifling through your garbage can. (firesign theatre).

Pakistani children dont see jihad it as any more radical than “army training, sir”.

Foreign policy does matter. Amateurs need not apply.

By Shark Sammich

October 26, 2007 9:28 AM | Link to this

JBM, Stop lying. I know it’s hard for a Dittohead, but you can if you try.

The soldier in question is Brian McGough. That’s the one your God, your Jayzus, your Supreme Being, likened to a brainwashed suicide bomber.

Not Jessie McBeth.

By TW

October 26, 2007 9:31 AM | Link to this

jbmlaw@9:10 - I think the flying saucers must be with the WMDs…maybe we should ask Rumsfeld? Or do you think he’d say that was ‘baloney’, the way he did when was asked about the war costing more than $50 billion…

By Peter

October 26, 2007 9:33 AM | Link to this

Good morning well here we have Jim Whooten with absolutely nothing to say today……….

It must really hurt his mind to come up with something at a time like this.

A time when the President is making a mockery of our Constitution, and burying the next generation in debt because of the WAR!!!

The funniest thing is the article Jim wrote on the 24th about the issue with Georgia State Pension, and his final comment in that article…..

“It bears repeating: Doing nothing is not an option. It would be irresponsible to push these problems onto our grandchildren.”

HAHAHAHA JIM……..

Gee I guess it is OK to deal with the state’s issues, BUT forget BUSH is doing the exact same thing…..!!!!!!!

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan could cost taxpayers a total of $2.4 trillion by 2017 when counting the huge interest costs because combat is being financed with borrowed money, according to a study released on Wednesday.

With President George W. Bush indicating a large contingent of U.S. troops likely will be engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan for many years to come, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated the total tab for the wars from 2001 through 2017.

CBO estimated that interest costs alone from 2001-2017 could total more than $700 billion.

“To put it all on our credit cards with no accountability, with no plan to pay for it, I think is the height of irresponsibility,” said Rep. James McGovern, a Massachusetts Democrat who serves on the budget panel and is an outspoken war critic. “It will be just one more toxic legacy of this disastrous war we will have to leave our kids to clean up.”

HAHAHAHA JIM WHOOTEN……. with the President doing the SAME THING…….creating a mess for future GENERATIONS to clean up why don’t you speak about this !!!!!!!

Talk about being two faced……!!!!

I guess we shall blame the Democrats for all of this !!!! HAHAHAHA

So we see the leader of the WRONGS, writes a column speaking of NOT leaving the problems locally to the Next generation, then says NOTHING as the President does EXACTLY the same thing !!!!!!!!

Also Jim funny you add the Thrashers to the Mix today…….. what do you know about sports, Hockey. or frankly anything……..???????

HAHAHAHAHA……. I guess the brain must really be hurting…..!!!!!!!!!

By Glenn

October 26, 2007 9:33 AM | Link to this

Jim:

If you truly believe, as you frequently write, that the fulcrum of educational improvement is standardized testing, then you are either _ or _. Your consistent advocacy of test-centered education is so unexamined and so counterproductive that, to my mind, it discredits all of your other fine work.

Question #1: Which two words fit best in the first sentence above? We know that you are not an imbecile, but rather a highly intelligent person. So strike that possibility. Neither can we truly count you among the vast class of lazy commentators that under deadline pressure resorts to facile fixes and bromides. So we’ll rule out that explanation, along with the possibility that you are compensated for your advocacy. It seems that we are left with the likelihood that you have been gulled into making most if not all of the following false assumptions:

• That norm-referenced, standardized tests (hereinafter, “tests”) actually assess what they claim to assess.

• That a high score on such a test assures that competencies have been achieved or content mastered.

• That students actually retain the supposedly tested skills or material.

• That test publishers stand behind the use of their tests for purposes of predicting student performance.

• That the purpose of these instruments is to “test ‘em going in” and to “test ‘em going out”, and not to affect what happens in the interval.

• That a standardized curriculum is desirable.

• That schools and colleges have a “productivity” comparable to that of a ball-bearing factory.

• That the educational enterprise should be principally concerned with imparting something quantifiable or otherwise susceptible of standardized testing.

• That test scores should be known to and used by administrators, bureaucrats, politicians and the public.

• That the tests are developed, purchased and used primarily for the benefit of students and student learning.

• That standardized testing in primary and secondary education is consistent with the increased parental authority and control you espouse.

• That the tests somehow stimulate actual education or improve the conditions for learning.

• That more effective and efficient means of assessing student outcomes do not exist.

• That weighing the hog makes it fatter.

All of which brings us to Question #2: Are you really that gullible, Jim?

By Bob Doster

October 26, 2007 9:36 AM | Link to this

Jim:

You have suggested raising taxes for two days this week. Are you getting mellow in your old age?

As to the CDC testimony, that question is moot. It wouldn’t have happened in a Democratic administration. Abstinence only wouldn’t be the policy.

By Dennis

October 26, 2007 9:39 AM | Link to this

By Shark Sammich October 26, 2007 8:26 AM “Jim gave us: “Activists at Emory University refused to allow the scholarly David Horowitz to speak on academic freedom and radical Islam during Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week.”

Jim, how’s about it if Moveon.org puts together a “Conservo-Fascism Awareness Week,” and they send left-wing firebrands to speak at Bob Jones, Liberty and other selected wingnut establishments?”

Will you cry and whimper if a Cindy Sheehan or Cynthia McKinney is denied their “free speech” in a similar fashion as experienced by feces-hurling jerk Horowitz?”

OOPS!!! Leave it to a liberal to ask a question like that.

Quick, Mr. Wooten!, It’s time to change the subject.

You don’t have to be a blind conservative not to see it, just an ignorant one to deny it.

By RCH

October 26, 2007 9:50 AM | Link to this

Isn’t it odd that it is “progressives ” that ask for tolerance,yet are grossly intolerant of those who disagree with them.

By Kieran

October 26, 2007 9:56 AM | Link to this

Couldn’t agree more, Analgesic. Hitler is blamed for, like, everything. You’d think he were McCavity the Mystery Cat. His agency explains more things than global warming does. And he’s inerrant. Evidently immortal also. Quite an accomplishment for a fifth-rate painter of tourist tchachkes! Too bad his contributions to automotive design didn’t match the sophistication of his couture, without which Armani and Boss would be begging on the streets of Vienna as we speak. Lest we forget, buy your tickets online for the National Holocaust Museum. And don’t forget to visit the fabulous gift shop!

By Dusty

October 26, 2007 10:04 AM | Link to this

What is this…Liberals on the Loose Day? The whole pack is prowling to snarl and bite at anyone who might EVEN sound conservative..There’s TW(Total Waste), Shark Snark, JK (I’ve got a BETTER bad story than yours!), Peter the Lenthy Laughing Hyena and Sct who will paraphrase anybody ‘cause he can’t think on his own. Even Glenn is a bit off his feed and gives us a LONG manifesto.

All I can say is you’d better watch it. The sun is coming up and all of you lil’ werewolves will turn into normal patriotic citizens again. Well…I hope so.

By GayGreyGeek

October 26, 2007 10:06 AM | Link to this

RCH @ 9:50

Such as the attacks by Rush, Faux News, and the usual suspects from the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy, all on that poor little 12-year-old boy who DARED to say that S-CHIP was beneficial?

By Shark Sammich

October 26, 2007 10:08 AM | Link to this

Also sprach Glennathustra:

Your consistent advocacy of test-centered education is so unexamined and so counterproductive that, to my mind, it discredits all of your other fine work.

Whereas I think it goes together quite nicely. Kinda like horse plop and cow chips.

But, kudos on the standardized testing talking points. It’s one of those topics that hasn’t been politicized to the point where the likes of you and I can still speak without hurling blunt objects.

Smell ya later…

By Glenn

October 26, 2007 10:09 AM | Link to this

Sick ‘em, Dusty!

By deegee

October 26, 2007 10:10 AM | Link to this

There is no assumption that minorities elect and/or appoint people to positions of leadership, it is a fact. Jerry Gonzales made one of the remarks that JW so casually dismisses in his opinion. Jerry Gonzales is the Executive Director of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO). Teodoro Maus, former consul general of Mexico in Atlanta made the other remark. Minorities find strength in unity. The inability of the right to understand the dynamics of the minority populace in the US goes a long way to explain why they just can’t get minorities to vote Republican.

The remarks made by the Latino leaders, no quotation marks around leaders, were intended to distance themselves from someone unknown to the community that could potentially pose a public relations threat their cause.

By MELO

October 26, 2007 10:11 AM | Link to this

Wooden,u see Democrats in ur shadow all the time. Democrats this, democrats that, dont u tire of dogging them fab. Dems? Why dont u guys on the Jesus Right pray for Rain in GA and the fires in Cali? Give us some positive spin..geez!! Whiner!

By Mel

October 26, 2007 10:12 AM | Link to this

Israel is the root of all evil in the world, destroy them and the world will have peace. Pogam, Pogam, Pogam

By Shark Sammich

October 26, 2007 10:14 AM | Link to this

Dusty tried:

The sun is coming up and all of you lil’ werewolves will turn into normal patriotic citizens again.

“Normal patriotic citizens” don’t take kindly to having their money stolen and their civil rights trampled upon by an Administration long past its sell-by date.

By Ted P

October 26, 2007 10:14 AM | Link to this

I do believe that Shark Sammich is the exact type of left wing nut that believes that only their opinion is protected by free speech. These are the people who do not use logic to think, if they did they would want to hear all sides before making a logical decision.

By JK

October 26, 2007 10:20 AM | Link to this

So, help me understand: Mr. Wooten’s response to the fact that the cost of college tuition is increasing significantly faster than inflation (or income) is to implement bureaucratic TESTING before and after?

Let’s see… this would require another agency to design these tests (Quick! Get Neil Bush on the phone!), hiring, scheduling, implementing, etc. Um…. who do you imagine would pay for that? People who already struggle to pay for the education needed to bootstrap their way into productive citizenship, or taxpayers who are already saddled with generations of debt for the borrow & spend war? Would the cost of testing be more or less than increasing some Pell grants? How does the “I wanna keep what I earn!” crowd feel about Mr. Wooten’s suggestion of more big government involvement?

By Kieran

October 26, 2007 10:23 AM | Link to this

MELO the funny thing is ain’t no such thing as a Democrat no more. Now it is just a word. A name they use. Them peoples all turned green and don’t even know it yet like a monster movie I saw once or twice at the drive-in.

By Shar

October 26, 2007 10:23 AM | Link to this

Glenn @ 9:33 - All good points, although you left out a few of my favorite assumptions - that every student ought to develop the same set of skills, regardless of talents, that tests are scored correctly and even rationally (for example, the new “writing” portion of the SAT requires that a student go from seeing a topic to completing an essay in 25 minutes, and that the two scorers who review said gibberish each have 30 seconds to grade it), that statewide normed tests like Georgia’s CRCT are comparable to nationally normed tests like the ITBS or the SAT, that test-taking skills will not affect a student’s ability to display understanding, that every student is at his or her best on test day so their fate can be determined fairly, and of course that rampant cheating does not exist, blinked at by educators whose jobs are on the line.

The one thing that the new emphasis on standardized testing does do well, however, is include all students. No longer can there be special field trips for the kids who are unmotivated, or non-English speakers, or who are distracted by hardships at home. However, shining a spotlight on kids who are failing does nothing to guide remediation, particularly with the current insistence on “inclusion” at all costs.

Mr. Wooten is right in comparing the ridiculous cost increases in the education (and I’d include public and private elementary and secondary schools here) and healthcare markets. I’d add to jbmlaw’s suggestion for the cause, however. Consumers of those two specific products will do just about anything to purchase what they think they need, unlike almost any other category of good and service. Therefore, the providers are free to charge whatever the market will bear. Big Pharma made that point explicitly when they said that drug prices would no longer be set in consideration of what they cost to produce but rather as a reflection of what they were worth to the consumer - i.e., life or death. At least colleges and universities are subject to some level of competition. I don’t believe that an education at an Ivy League institution is intrinsically three, four or five times as valuable as that offered at schools with less brand recognition, and the marketplace allows my kids and I to make that choice. The protected markets enjoyed by the pharmaceutical and medical industries do not.

By Shark Sammich

October 26, 2007 10:30 AM | Link to this

Ted P wrote:

I do believe that Shark Sammich is the exact type of left wing nut that believes that only their opinion is protected by free speech.

Well, you’d be wrong then.

Now, if you can point to one (1) post of mine where I actually advocate such a thing, perhaps you might have some reason to feel that way.

Hell, forget about me (I’ll save you the trouble, because you won’t find such a post)—just point me to some prominent “liberal” (your definition is fine) who actually advocates such a position.

If it’s for real, I’ll be the first to denounce it. See, that’s how it is with principled, patriotic progressives. We don’t tolerate BS from anyone, especially our own.

Speaking of protecting free speech, here’s an oldie-but-goodie from your bleached-blonde hag-Goddess:

“My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times Building.”

Now THAT’s defending free speech, Conservo-Fascist style!

By jbmlaw

October 26, 2007 10:37 AM | Link to this

Dear JK @ 9:16, I understand you are really-big on conspiracy theories. I have a son who really likes role-playing video games. So long as they do not interfere with your cognizance of reality, have at it.

Dear Shark @ 9:28, Limbaugh said he was talking about McBeth. I know why “Media Matters,” the Soros organization co-founded by Hillary, lies. Why do you lie? (Carefully chosen word there – “an intentional deception.”)

By Griffin voter

October 26, 2007 10:42 AM | Link to this

I tend to avoid fast food places so I haven’t seen the touch screens at KFC but I’m concerned about this dumbing down of the voting process. I don’t encourage anyone to vote. In fact if you have not taken the time to learn about the candidates and their positions I encourage you NOT to vote. This move toward making voting easier is disturbing because the easier voting is, the more people will vote just because they can, not because they care strongly enough about the issues to take time out of their day to travel to a precinct, learn how to use the balloting system (I love the old voting machines with switches and levers) and make at least a small sacrifice of effort to vote. This move toward online voting, ballots in Spanish, pictograms instead of text, and no reliable form of ID required is quite disturbing. Is anybody as concerned about this as I am??

By Dennis

October 26, 2007 10:43 AM | Link to this

By Shark Sammich October 26, 2007 10:14 AM “Normal patriotic citizens” don’t take kindly to having their money stolen and their civil rights trampled upon by an Administration long past its sell-by date.”

If you believe that, then you’d have to be a liberal.

Better to play it safe and be a member of the “bewildered herd” and listen to the crooning of cowboys like O’Reilly and Rush. Oh, and Wooten.

You don’t have to be a blind conservative not to see it, just an ignorant one to deny it.

By Shark Sammich

October 26, 2007 10:47 AM | Link to this

Wooten is right — maybe — about this:

Woodstock voters will decide Nov. 6 whether to limit homeowner tax exemptions for the over-62 crowd with homes valued at $250,000 or less. It’s now unlimited. Old does not equal poor. Ban age-pegged tax exemptions.

On principle, I hear ya. I think it’s generally ridiculous to tell older folks that their responsibility as citizens to share a property tax burden ends at a certain age. Particularly when it’s not all that unusual, these days, for 62 year olds to have children who are still being educated in the public school system.

But wait a minute—when you say “Ban age-pegged tax exemptions,” are you calling for a statewide ban? Is that really what you want?

By Peter

October 26, 2007 10:53 AM | Link to this

Hey Dusty,

I was wondering how long it would take you to pipe up…….

“Peter the Lenthy Laughing Hyena and Sct who will paraphrase anybody ‘cause he can’t think on his own.”

WOW I am amazed you could come up with this……..Big stuff, valid points !!!!!

I made a valid Point Dusty….. and frankly there is NOT a WRONG on this Blog who can say that my point is WRONG !!!!!

Not a single blogger responds with any thoughts about the paying for the WAR !!!!!! Just no more Taxes….and of course with these issues at hand, the best thing to do is call names………yes we are definitely coming up with solutions !!!!!!

Too bad the lemmings can’t think for themselves……get in line for the jump…….!!!!!!!!

(I left out the laugh to make you happy…..)

Too bad your kids and the Grand kids, as in ALL Americans with children, will be paying for this war, and will be for generations to come.

Yes Global warming means nothing….the new stains of infections that are killing the school children mean nothing….our current drought means nothing……

I guess you are over your head in credit card debt……. that would make sense, then you would be doing to yourself, what King George is doing to America !!!!

No wonder you can agree with this fiscal lack of responsibility.

Here is a comment that makes sense……

By TW

October 26, 2007 8:09 AM | Link to this

War over?

Who needs Al-Qaeda when you’ve got the Republicans??????????

Yes let us hear the new plan to WIN this WAR……. Gotta clue….???

OPS I forgot George told us ALREADY we WON the WAR…… REMEMBER ?????

Also cutting and NOT wanting New Taxes is totally burying one’s head in the sand……..

That’s right let the Kids pay for the mistakes of this generation !!!

What should be the Republican Motto…… “BUY NOW PAY LATER”

Duhhhhhhhhhh we have Credit with the Chinese……!!!!!!!!!!

(again leaving out the laugh)

By Jack

October 26, 2007 10:53 AM | Link to this

How long has China been poisoning us with their lead based everything? NAFTA, the right way to go!

By Shark Sammich

October 26, 2007 10:56 AM | Link to this

J’s B.M. feebly offered:

Limbaugh said he was talking about McBeth.

No, he wasn’t. JBM, kindly get your head out of your backside and try to pay attention. Had you clicked on the link and read what I’d posted (and I know you didn’t—all you saw was Media Matters and yer heart went all aflutter), you’d see that the soldier being referenced was clearly NOT Jessie McBeth, but Brian McGough.

The specific Limbaugh quote is this, emphasis mine:

*And there’s a man identified as Brian McCoff — McGough — it’s M-C-G-O-U-G-H, I’m not sure how he pronounces it, McGo, McGuff — I haven’t watched the ad.

He discusses his service in Iraq, the wounds he suffered there, and he says to me in this ad, “Until you have the guts to call me a ‘phony soldier’ to my face, stop telling lies about my service.” You know, this is such a blatant use of a valiant combat veteran, lying to him about what I said, then strapping those lies to his belt, sending him out via the media in a TV ad to walk into as many people as he can walk into.*

Again: That’s NOT Jessie McBeth, but Brian McGough. And it’s THAT quote, to my mind, far more than the “phony soldiers” gaffe, which is inexcusable. Rush merely slipped on the more famously reported example. The less well-known insult was quite deliberate.

Deny it if you like, you’ll just look like the Limbaugh arse-kisser you are.

By Dusty

October 26, 2007 10:58 AM | Link to this

Glenn @ 10:09

Grrrrrrr….

(money stolen,rights trampled,conservo-Fascists style!!!! They’re still at it and sun’s up.)

By Glenn

October 26, 2007 10:59 AM | Link to this

Shar,

That’s wonderfully cogent stuff. Your lucidity really makes my day. I’m sorry that you obviously know this pedomnivorous mangle-tangle machine from the inside. I was trying to limit my comments to standardized testing, which, as both topic and industry, is enormous and twisted. Jbm’s comments and yours regarding market dynamic in the delivery of education and health services are I think of the utmost importance also.

Here’s a sort of H-bomb of a question: Is the real content of universal public schooling actually not “content” at all, but rather a process by which the young learn to become sickeningly dependent consumer, in a service-driven service economy, of trumped services rendered by special classes of supposed experts?

By Shark Sammich

October 26, 2007 11:00 AM | Link to this

Peter, dude. Lay off the espresso, k’ pal? Multiple exclamation points are NOT better than one.

When I read your well-intentioned posts, all I can do is think of, well, this.

(free, legal download, but kiddies, the language might be a tad harsh.)

By Dusty

October 26, 2007 11:03 AM | Link to this

zzzzzzzzzzzzz

Now… what was your point? Peter?? Snark Sammich??? Shar???

By Shark Sammich

October 26, 2007 11:06 AM | Link to this

Glenn, who I am finding hard to dislike, gave us:

Here’s a sort of H-bomb of a question: Is the real content of universal public schooling actually not “content” at all, but rather a process by which the young learn to become sickeningly dependent consumer, in a service-driven service economy, of trumped services rendered by special classes of supposed experts?

That’s a very good question. (It’s a lot better than “Is our children learning,” anyway.)

My thought is, if it is indeed a process, it’s one that has approximately a kajillion different interests hammering away at it. I don’t think the “special classes of supposed experts” wield as big a hammer as is imagined; I think that whomever it is that happens to get on the good side of the folks with the purse strings tends to ensure that their interests are protected/promoted.

I’m not saying “don’t worry, be happy.” I am saying that when it comes to educational matters, sunlight is the best disinfectant. More parents need to get involved at the school-board level. The participation in board elections, in particular, is scandalous.

And we taxpaying citizens haven’t got anybody but ourselves to blame for that, really.

By Southern Democrat

October 26, 2007 11:06 AM | Link to this

Griffin voter @ 10:42,

You raise a good question regarding whether an increase in voter participation is necessarily a good thing. It certainly is troubling that we might have completely uninformed voters selecting candidates on rumor or (even more so than normally) on political party alone.

I don’t know the solution, but I do think that the more voters the better. The act of voting gives people a sense of involvement and connection to the government, good things in my opinion or, as my nephew said when he first voted, “I counted today and that was cool.”

By Jack

October 26, 2007 11:07 AM | Link to this

We will never win the war because we are not fighting to win. The soldiers hands are tied because they are afraid they may kill civilians and then be procecuted by our country even though the enemy hides behind the civilians. Do you think our enemy cares about civilians?

By Glenn

October 26, 2007 11:07 AM | Link to this

Shar, that last one came out of my funny mind all funny, but I hope you got the question anyway. BTW, yesterday while you evidently were away I posted another ditty for you:

If Richardson over Barak ascends,

There’ll be no more talk of Oaxaca’s sins.

A New Mexican knows,

Before stepping on toes,

You’d best walk a mile in their mocassins.

By Shark Sammich

October 26, 2007 11:10 AM | Link to this

Oh, sorry about the song download url getting censored, upthread. Shoulda known better, my bad.

(of course, all you need to do make the linkee workee is change the asterisks to, well, you know.)

The tune’s from former Clash guitarist Mick Jones. Fun stuff for righties and lefties, if not the whole family.

By Commander Guy

October 26, 2007 11:10 AM | Link to this

Dusty asserts that the sun is up. Given that her head is stuffed so far up where the sun don’t shine, we’ll have to assume that one of her minders told her this is so. It is, after all, the only way she has to form an opinion.

If that woman pharts, she’ll blow her teeth out.

Pathetic parrot. Get your butt cheeks off your shoulders.

By Glenn

October 26, 2007 11:10 AM | Link to this

Dusty, should we throw ‘em some canine doggerel?

By RCH

October 26, 2007 11:15 AM | Link to this

GayGreyGeek

Please tell me in any way these organizations suppressed this young mans ability to tell his message. Yes, they disagreed with his statements but did not” put their hands over his mouth and not let him speak”.

By JK

October 26, 2007 11:15 AM | Link to this

jbmlaw@10:37. Oh right. My bad. I forgot to check the “revised” U.S. History of the 21st Century. After all, according to our own executive deciders, it’s a “living document” in which the reasons for war, and the events of Sept 11 and beyond, are subject to change at any time. Is the official story (today) that Saudi citizens were detained and questioned after 9-11 instead of being flown home? Or are we going with the notion that they were free to go because it was the Iraqis, and not a Saudi named Bin Laden who orchestrated the attacks on our citizens? Help me get on the right page, please.

By getalife

October 26, 2007 11:17 AM | Link to this

Poor Gates having to beg for money and troops for NATO to fight Afghanistan. He is much better than rummie.

The GA. Supreme Court ruled to release Wison for getting a bj.

Weird how bj’s are an outrage with the gop unless it is with another man.

Sick.

w spewing that he will veto SCHIP again was sick too.

What a disgusting creature. Has he done anything to help the people?

No, he gets off on blowing up babies just like Stark said.

Geez.

By Camus

October 26, 2007 11:18 AM | Link to this

jbm,

Your knee-jerk defense of Limbaugh is de riguer, and utterly false. Shark Sammich @10:56 quite effectively demonstrates the dishonesty behind the dodge.

As to your defense of shamelessly self-promoting Horowitz, I am a bit more surprised. I half-believe that he never really abandoned “leftism”, but is instead pretending to be a conservative solely to make you guys look like buffoons, like the captain and the redneck on this board. But I guess anyone who is willing to embrace Coulter will snuggle up to anything.

As to your contention that Regents or Liberty are somehow “rational schools”: these are institutions that explicitly reject rationalism in favor of magical skycreature superstition. They have every right to pursue this path, and may in fact be very good schools within that framework. But please recognize that rationalism is and always has been de facto a rejection of explaining the workings of the world via religion. You are smart enough to know that.

By Griffin voter

October 26, 2007 11:24 AM | Link to this

Southern Democrat,

You said, “the more voters the better.” I would say “the more informed, committed voters the better.” Voting just to vote is irresponsible and potentially disastrous. I have actually skipped some small local referendum elections because I was not well-informed on the issue, and I think my act (or inaction) was a smart, patriotic thing to do. At least I wasn’t eenie-meenie-miney-moe-ing the ballot like I suspect a lot of people do.

Just to throw another ingredient into the mix, I also strongly believe there should be a “none-of-the above” option on all candidate elections. Sometimes it’s hard to choose between two cads!

By Redneck Convert

October 26, 2007 11:26 AM | Link to this

Well, I see the librul GA supreme court set this Genarlow Wilson guy free to go bother our fine Southren women again and here you all are talking about silly stuff like education and testing and weather libruls should be allowed to talk. One of these days you’ll wake up and all Those People will be outside of your door with their pants off and ready to bother your wife.

I don’t know what happened to Law and Order. Here we went to the expense of convicting this guy fair and square and not making the law change apply to him, and now he’s out here ready to ruin the purity of fine Southren women again. And the court calls his sentence cruel and unusual punishment.

The libruls won’t quit till every one of our women is hitched up to one of Those People and these animals is roaming the street with their things showing and ready to do You Know What to our women. Even to Sister Dusty. Although that would be a high price for them to pay.

It looks like we are going to have to go back to lynching. Back in those days Those People knowed their place.

Anyway, I’m desgusted with all of you for not talking about this. You ought to be drummed out of the redneck race for talking about silly stuff when the world is coming down around our ears. I’m quitting work today to go home and put a new lock on the trailer to protect the missus.

By Glenn

October 26, 2007 11:26 AM | Link to this

Sharky, of course you’re right about board mtg. truancy, and involvment. I was trying to go to that slightly woo-woo place of a (forgive me) phenomenological analysis of schooling as a social institution. (Gawd I hate sociology, and I used to teach it!) The question I put was garbled in translation from the original Pig Latin, so please bear with me while I try it another way: Is the central reason for the phenomenon of mass schooling actually to debilitate the young into a lifelong dependency upon expensive service providers of dubious distinction?

By anonymous

October 26, 2007 11:31 AM | Link to this

What about the free speech of protesters who are never allowed anywhere the President is going to be? Wasn’t there even some leaked memo or something like that that specifically stated the policy of the White Houe that protesters shouldn’t be in the President’s view? I guess all that free speech just gets in the way of his strategerical decidingnessisivity.

By Glenn

October 26, 2007 11:32 AM | Link to this

For Commander Guy @ 11;10:

Your unconsciously instilled anality

In reality’s distilled banality.

What passes for logic’ll

Get scatalogical

If lit is just $hit-filled orality.

By Mark

October 26, 2007 11:33 AM | Link to this

Liberals seldom acknowledge that we haven’t had a second successful terrorist attack on U.S. soil since 9/11. When they do acknowledge it, most act as though they don’t like it.

By Luke

October 26, 2007 11:47 AM | Link to this

Funny that libs display a faux frugal side when it comes to “paying for” the war.

But nary a mention about Charlie Rangel’s “Mother of All Tax Bills” which he proposed this week.

“In proposing what would be the largest tax increase in history, Mr. Rangel is showing the world what he wants the tax code to look like if Democrats run the entire government.” [from Opinion Journal}

What is it about a healthy economy that liberals despise? Hatred of free enterprise? A desire for everyone to be dependent on the government? A resentment for “the rich” [>$94K/yr, Source: Obama].

By Dusty

October 26, 2007 11:48 AM | Link to this

Cammander Guy @ 11:10

You sound just like Midori who loves salacious comments. Are you two related?

Glenn@11:10

Rin tin’s food is not their type.

Liberals only thrive on tripe.

You see it here every day.

The Irish knew to call it “fey”.

But.”phenomenological” !!!!!

That’s excessively astrological.

By Shar

October 26, 2007 11:48 AM | Link to this

Glenn@10:59 - Yes, I have perhaps too much familiarity with the education world, public and private. But no, I don’t go as far as you (and, I should add, my Libertarian/contrarian husband)do. Or maybe I go farther. There is not a lot of difference, in my mind, between the public and private educational industries in terms of what their actual aims, or your “real content”, consist of. Their primary purpose is the care and feeding, as lavishly as possible, of their respective bureaucracies. Imparting knowledge, or some other form of social conditioning, to students comes pretty far down on the list of priorities. This is true whether you are the principal of Centennial Elementary School or the president of Harvard. Excuse me, Hahvahd.

There really isn’t anyone guarding the educational store. Interest groups, Right and Left, slaver uncontrollably at the prospect of squeezing in another mandate to carry their particular message of indoctrination. Administrators and teachers brush aside parent concerns and questions from the exalted height of their wadded-up credentials. Most students lack the perspective to see the deficiencies, and for the few who do see the threat of grade retaliation is an effective muzzle. Taxpayers who doubt the need for the glistening mountains of coin feeding this machine are marginalized for being against Mom, kids and bake sales. And the unions and suppliers who batten off those mountains issue clarion calls for more, ever more while attacking anything that threatens the status quo.

My son is in a private college in North Carolina. I get lots of solicitations for the Annual Fund, for the Parent’s Fund, for Christmas gifts from the school store, and on and on. I have yet to receive a report on what the content of the classes I am paying through the nose for is supposed to be, or the progress of the professor in delivering that content. I went up for Parents’ Weekend last month, was charged $25 to get my son’s class list and the parent visit hours and whereabouts of his professors. Only one of the four bothered to show up to explain what they were teaching. However, we had lots of flyers and talks about donations. AFTER the tuition went up 12% over last year. With no explanation of purpose. Ranks right up there with the Atlanta Board of Education setting City property taxes based on what APS tells them it wants. No rhyme, no reason, and absolutely no input accepted.

By RCH

October 26, 2007 11:49 AM | Link to this

anonymous

Protest all you want,especially if you have the “floor.” But give that right to others when they have it. How do you suggest the President or any other person can give a speech or a news conference if they are constantly interrupted our shouted down. Is this the new battle strategy of the “progressives.” Disrupt and interupt until it is deemed unsafe and the speech is stoped ? Now you have given the”progressives ” what they wanted in the first place. * Censorship*

How about if Jim constantly put other blogs ahead of yours untill you finally are frustrated and stop writing.

By Glenn

October 26, 2007 11:52 AM | Link to this

Now Emory’s shown two failed lines its effort to become the next Duke of academic high fashion.

In the world of higher ed. couture, it’s no longer fashionable for faculty to wear the cap of academe ensemble with the hat of classified research, as Dr. Gerberding does. (So if Emory is to continue Dukeward, the Professor/Director will have to lose one of her jobs.) And it’s definitely last year not to let offensively tendentious off-campus speakers duke it out on the debating platforms of the academy. While Duke continues to define the Southern Style, Columbia is the enfant terrible that’s the toast of the runway this season.

And Emory, poor thing, just went pret-a-porter.

By TW

October 26, 2007 11:53 AM | Link to this

Mark - the terrists haven’t needed to attack again. The post 9/11 tantrum thrown by Bush has done their work for them…

By Matthew

October 26, 2007 11:55 AM | Link to this

So now liberals are claiming a Constitutional right for protesters to be “near the President”?

How many feel of separation does the Constitution provide for? And is it expressed in feet, yards, furlongs, or meters?

Also, is this “right” next to the one about a right to an abortion?

By Liberal Acknowledger

October 26, 2007 11:56 AM | Link to this

Hey Mark, guess what: We haven’t had a second successful terrorist attack on US soil since 9/11!

There are lots of ways one could connect those dots. For example: if the protector drops quickly off the trail of the bad guy he swore to get dead or alive, and after someone else that wasn’t even there, that the protector and the bad guy might have made a deal somewhere. Happens all the time on Law & Order and CSI.

What’s your theory, and can you back it up?

By Glenn

October 26, 2007 12:05 PM | Link to this

Dusty, not bad. Woof.

I know, I know. The phenom thing’s a silly boyish prank, but one tires of the stale stuff and, besides, I couldn’t resist. And since the inscrutable Brahmins of punditry use the word “existential” a lot lately, as in “existential threat to Israel”, I figgered this ol’ peckerwood could get away with it. And that’s just how I feel, like I just stole Mrs. Katzenjammer’s pie.

They always taste better stolen.

Better than store-bought stollen!

By Glenn

October 26, 2007 12:08 PM | Link to this

Shar, I’d like to digest it and get back to you. Brilliant stuff, really.

By getalife

October 26, 2007 12:09 PM | Link to this

“House Budget Committee held a hearing today to discuss the $2.4 trillion price tag. Republican lawmakers on the committee didn’t show up.”

Yes, they were busy trying to cut American childrens health care.

$2.4 trillion makes their sprending arguments pathetic as usual but have the guts to not and run from the hearings cowards.

Geez.

By Shar

October 26, 2007 12:24 PM | Link to this

Glenn@12:08 - “Brilliant”? From a guy who can insouciantly rhyme “logic’ll” and “scatological”? And limerick-up Bill with Barak? You’ve made me choke on my homemade chicken soup (or maybe that was the bone I just infelitiously excavated).

By Analchord

October 26, 2007 12:25 PM | Link to this

Good, so far, today, no death threats, little bickering, but try to change your syntactical choices if you’re going to reply to yourselves with sock-gerbil aliases.

Not accusing, just a reminder.

Blogfather: Improving Blogs one Hack at a Time.

By Dusty

October 26, 2007 12:25 PM | Link to this

Shar @11:48

I’m assuming you live in Atlanta. You should have tried the local universities (not Emory unless you want Med School). My children, being plentiful and joyful, amassed many degrees from state universities here. My daughter is still working on her fourth and highest. (She loves science and “it” loves her.)

The point is, we did not go broke educating our children and I think their studies were/are very good. As for the donation requests, you will not miss those at any university. They all do it. You probably know, they don’t have alumni offices just for fun!

By getalife

October 26, 2007 12:26 PM | Link to this

That $2.4 trillion is a nationalized expense but reeps private profits (corporate welfare).

And that want to cut American childrens health care?

Come on people, that is pathetic.

By Glenn

October 26, 2007 12:34 PM | Link to this

Bloggers from GA love GA.

Posters from KS dig KS.

The murderous Lucrezia BA

Would buy off the screener who BS.

By Morons

October 26, 2007 12:37 PM | Link to this

This blog is a big waste of time. This is why lazy workers get fired. What is so great about homosexuals? It is the celebration of butt sex. There is really no point, excuse the pun, to it.

By getalife

October 26, 2007 12:37 PM | Link to this

Check this out wingnuts

Outraged?

By deegee

October 26, 2007 12:38 PM | Link to this

JW is concerned about touch screen voting in the day of the 30-second sound bite? Does anyone really think that the RNC and the DNC are interested in an informed electorate? The candidates bounce around like shiny metal balls in a pinball machine.

By Mark

October 26, 2007 12:39 PM | Link to this

“Liberals seldom acknowledge that we haven’t had a second successful terrorist attack on U.S. soil since 9/11. When they do acknowledge it, most act as though they don’t like it.”

Confirmed.

By Glenn

October 26, 2007 12:50 PM | Link to this

Hi getalife.

No, doesn’t outrage me at all. T.E. Lawrence did a bang-up job of fightin a Muslim enemy while donning Arab headdress. The special forces in Afghanistan do it too. Can’t see why POTUS & FLOTUS, not to mention Flick & Flack, shouldn’t do so.

Rudy 08

By getalife

October 26, 2007 1:03 PM | Link to this

You do know Rudy is a liberal and now a Red Sox fan right? Then there is the Kerik connection.

And they spew Hillary panders.

Geez.

By getalife

October 26, 2007 1:18 PM | Link to this

But Rudy’s advisors are neocons to pander to the ignorant, so called Christian, base

Christians who are pro death.

Geez.

By Shark Sammich

October 26, 2007 1:24 PM | Link to this

Mark at 11:33—you conveniently leave out, as does virtually everyone, that there was indeed a terrorist attack on this soil after 9/11.

It’s just one that the government and mass media have decided to ignore, and which no serious resources seem to have been allocated to solve.

You do remember this, though, don’t you?

By Glenn

October 26, 2007 1:24 PM | Link to this

getalife, not to put too many angels on it, but What is a Christian, in your vocabulary?

By Shark Sammich

October 26, 2007 1:29 PM | Link to this

Glenn asked nicely:

Is the central reason for the phenomenon of mass schooling actually to debilitate the young into a lifelong dependency upon expensive service providers of dubious distinction?

All I can express is my opinion, because I don’t really know for sure. But such an explanation for “mass schooling” sure sounds tinfoil-hattish to me.

But I can’t say I blame you for wondering.

I think that we have widespread public education because that’s what civilized industrialized nations do. And it’s what TJ and other Founding Fathers wanted.

By anonymous

October 26, 2007 1:33 PM | Link to this

RCH - I wasn’t referring to people getting into events where the President may give a speech. I’m talking about people standing outside on the street corner (public property) and exercising their free speech. No one inside an event where the President is speaking is going to protest anyway, since they are all vetteted and shown to be loyal supporters and campaign contributors before they are allowed in.

By jbmlaw

October 26, 2007 1:45 PM | Link to this

Dear Shark @ 10:56, I accept your explanation that you were talking about two soldiers, when you conjoined, without names, the liar McBeth and the war critic McGough in the same thought, and thus the confusion was not a malicious lie by you. I will agree that when you quote Limbaugh confirming McGough is not a phony soldier, you report accurately. You do not contradict Limbaugh’s affirmation that McGough stated untruths about Limbaugh after being prepped to do so. You then object to Limbaugh’s comparison of the false, prepped accuser as like a “suicide bomber;” I think Limbaugh’s analogy is almost perfect, sorry to disagree, but I can appreciate that your intellectual skills preclude your appreciation of the analogy. (By way of explanation, Limbaugh is reminding the literate listener that suicide bombers are normally decent people but are prepped to do evil acts by others.) We would agree that McGough is a decent and honorable fellow who does evil unknowingly. And you are correct that I do regard media matters as an automatically unreliable reporter.

Dear JK @ 11:15, surely, the problem is not the truth of your assertion, but the relevance. You could just as truthfully write that sun arose at 6:02 AM, and it would have as much meaning – unless you are a conspiracy theorist, which is the only circumstance where the evacuation of Saudi royals would mean anything. Glom onto any bizarre factoids you wish, but so long as you do not assemble some bizarre meaning from discrete irrelevancies, it will not screw up your mind. Note, for example, Liberal Acknowledger @ 11:56.

Dear Camus @ 11:18, I accept that most of my leftist friends do not appreciate humorous conservatives, and thus do not “get” Limbaugh or Coulter; indeed, most I know are thoroughly unacquainted with them, just as I don’t know Bill Maher or Al Franken (I assume those are the dominant leftist political humorists today, or perhaps the fellow who said he is entering the SC primary?) Your knee-jerk acceptance of a bad faith attack on Limbaugh is telling. As to the importance you attach to creationism vs steady-state evolution, that is clearly more important to you than to me; it makes no difference either way in my life. My argued disgust is with schools that attempt to indoctrinate their students by precluding any dissenting views, such as Emory. I suppose you are arguing that Horowitz’s ideas are too dangerous to disseminate. We on the right take the opposite view; we think the guys like the Colorado professor-nut ought to be heard everywhere, as like to call him “representative” of your side of the debate – easy way to discredit leftism.

By RCH

October 26, 2007 1:48 PM | Link to this

anonymous

RCH - I wasn’t referring to people getting into events where the President may give a speech. I’m talking about people standing outside on the street corner (public property) and exercising their free speech.

I have no problem with this. Anyone should have the right to excercise free speech. What I am addresing is the situation at Emory and at Columbia where invited speakers are disrupted untill the event is cancelled. Those who use this tactic not only violate the free exchange of ideas but also the right of others to hear them.

By Analchord

October 26, 2007 2:07 PM | Link to this

The last twenty comments: “I didn’t mean that. You twisted my words. I meant that I didn’t mean what you meant. What I said was that I didn’t say that.”

Every day, about this time, the whole blog devolves to myspacing and facebooking and he’s a liar and no I didn’t, yes you did, oh brother.

That’s a fine bit of prose you wrote there jmblaw, and a finer bit o’thinkin’. Nobody understands a word of it, but good blog.

Where do we get such men?

By Glenn

October 26, 2007 2:19 PM | Link to this

Sharky,

Years ago, at the Charlottesville home of the late Dumas Malone, the Jefferson scholar and editor of the Dictionary of American Biography, I had the cherished privilege of asking Mr. Malone about TJ’s views on the subject of mass, compulsory, commonly funded schooling. Here’s what he said.

• That both the incidence and degree of literacy in Jefferson’s day were far higher than they are today [and higher, incidentally, than after public schooling was introduced], and that TJ knew that, not least because he had commissioned — of no less a personage than P.S. DuPont de Nemours — the very first federal survey of American literacy.

• That TJ repeatedly established, notably in his Notes on the State of VA and in the “Rockfish Gap Report”, that education was a critical prerequisite for the implentation of the democratic experiment.

• That TJ saw compulsory pedagogy as a necessary means of ensuring that citizens were equipped with the raw requirements for doing democracy.

• That the imposition of such a procedure as compulsory schooling represented a breach of the people’s liberty, such that “the asportation” (a legal archaism for kidnapping), as TJ put it, should not exceed three years.

• That, in consideration of this governmental interference and imposition, the state had a moral obligation to promulgate a contract specifying what, in this transaction, was owed to the state by the people and what owed to the people by the state. (Presumably such a contract would belong in the constitutions of each state, since education is constitutionally reserved to them.)

• In Mr. Malone’s considered judgment, then, Jefferson regarded the prospect of universal public schooling — which was not to be fully implemented until the 1930s, and not justly so until the 1970s — as a necessary evil of 19th century America. He said that were Jefferson alive today, “I should think he’d be appalled” to see the overweeningly presumptuous devices now at work in the name of year upon year of expensively bad “education”.

Today, we have this blog.

By Shark Sammich

October 26, 2007 2:21 PM | Link to this

Can’t see why POTUS & FLOTUS, not to mention Flick & Flack, shouldn’t do so.

Agreed.

However, I guess you must have missed the thunderous waves of right-wing outrage, led by Matty Drudge, when Nancy Pelosi wore a head covering during a visit to the middle east.

By MELO

October 26, 2007 2:22 PM | Link to this

GERNALOW is free. Are u appealing the ruling, Wooden? These judges are legislating from the bench, right? Would luv to hear from our genius lawyer, politico,coloumnist korean war veteran.

By Analchord

October 26, 2007 2:33 PM | Link to this

What a team Boston has. The bats cool off. The pitching stays hot.

The Thrashers on Ice? When an entertaiment venue is already taking place on iceskates, then why put a parody of it on ice? The Thrashers are already on ice, and one wonders why the vegas act losing all those games was allowed to replace the real team. Whatever puts the azzes in the seats?

By jbmlaw

October 26, 2007 2:48 PM | Link to this

Dear Melo @ 2:22, I think we are all celebrating the pending release of pornographer Genarlow Wilson. Certainly there is no intelligent reason to imprison those who engage in and photograph sexual acts with minors, and I understand your joy.

By Analchord

October 26, 2007 2:53 PM | Link to this

Shark. Potus was a cool riff for five minutes after it aired on the premier of “West Wing”. It’s over. Promise me you’ll never refer to it again.

Where do we get such men?

Blogfarter: Effluving blogs one pass at a time.

By jbmlaw

October 26, 2007 2:56 PM | Link to this

Dear Analchord @ 2:07, my life philosophy has always been if you cannot dazzle them with genius, then you should buffalo them with bs. And – NL partisan that I am - I regrettably agree with your 2:33 assessment of Boston.

By Glenn

October 26, 2007 3:01 PM | Link to this

getalife, that Twain quote yesterday was as Rudylicious as today’s Coulter quote (thanks a lot, Sharky) is Hillacious. What’s the point of blowing up the NYT anyway? Thing’s collapsing on its own.

By jbmlaw

October 26, 2007 3:07 PM | Link to this

Taranto must have read Jim’s essay on college tuition today:

Think you’ve got problems? Let Ken Ilgunas offer you some perspective. Ken’s got problems, and the Buffalo News has generously offered him space to tell the world about them:

“I am 24, live with my parents, can’t find work and am floundering in a sea of debt five figures high. I think of myself as ambitious, independent and hardworking. Now I’m dependent, unemployed and sleeping under the same Super Mario ceiling fan that I did when I was 7.

“How did this happen? I did what every upstanding citizen is supposed to do. I went to college… .Upon graduating, I was helplessly launched headfirst into the “real world,” equipped with a degree in history and $32,000 in student loans. Before ricocheting back home, I would learn two important lessons: 1) There are no well-paying—let alone paying—jobs for history majors. 2) The real world is really tough.

At one point, Ken was so “desperate” that he even considered working for a bank or an insurance company! “I had hit an all-time low. Could I surrender my soul for health coverage and a steady income? Could I sacrifice my ideals by falling into line?” Our hero stood firm:

“My loan payments can’t wait much longer, and soon I must leave home to find work that doesn’t compromise my integrity. Although I sometimes wonder what it would be like if I had declared as an accounting major and got a cushy job punching numbers somewhere, I’ll take my history major, my debt and my mom’s cooking any day of the week.”

Of course, if he had majored in economics, he might understand that government subsidies are a reason college costs are so high. Anyway, he can always take the Brady Center approach: You don’t like debt? Drop out of school.

By Shark Sammich

October 26, 2007 3:12 PM | Link to this

Glenn wrote: What’s the point of blowing up the NYT anyway? Thing’s collapsing on its own.

That’s an odd thing to say. The company’s doing splendidly of late.

“New York Times reported a 27 percent sales increase last quarter in its online business, including its namesake paper’s Web site and About.com, a reference site purchased in 2005. At $79.7 million, the Web accounted for 10.6 percent of total revenue, 2.1 percentage points more than a year earlier.”

Print media overall is in decline, but that’s hardly surprising.

By Dusty

October 26, 2007 3:21 PM | Link to this

Analchord @ 2:97

Do I not get a gold star? I am most concise, poetic if not mellifluous. And I never show off with words like “infelitiously” which is an infinitesimal bit of braggadocio.

Where do we get such women?

There once was a woman concise

Who was not even afraid of mice.

She wrote with a bit of spice

Which she thought was very nice.

But she got so much advice

Not once but maybe twice.

Her heart turned to ice

And she said “Whatever the price

This ending will suffice.”

OH…where do we get such women??

By anonymous

October 26, 2007 3:24 PM | Link to this

RCH 1:48 - Then we are in agreement. I just saw the clip (i think on cnn.com) of Bill Clinton telling a heckler to “shut up” and thought he was right to do so. Just as I wouldn’t blame Bush for talking down a heckler who interrupted him. Good manners are good manners no matter what you’re political viewpoint.

By getalife

October 26, 2007 3:25 PM | Link to this

Time for ya’ll to correct a mistake

chickenhawk bushie vs a great American patriot vet.

By Analchord

October 26, 2007 3:25 PM | Link to this

Yeah, jbmlaw, but you dont have to stampede anyone with that chip on your shoulder.

The Buffalo news report reminds me of Rush callers. Sometimes Rush lets a lunatic call in and he has a field day with the caller. It’s not fair, because Rush only plays the softballs the lunatics throw at him, never the beanballs that the majority of callers expose his panties with.

By Mid-South Philosopher

October 26, 2007 3:26 PM | Link to this

Good afternoon, Jim and others.

I have been otherwise encumbered this week so I haven’t commented any at all. I am still “traveling” but I had to jump in here long enough to comment on the Genarlow Wilson matter.

The Georgia Supreme Court, despite the sexually repressed predilection of at least three of its members, arrived at the correct decision.

The law, under which Genarlow was convicted, was a grossly inept piece of legislation drafted by equally inept legislators, albeit for a good cause.

Now, Genarlow is no saint. In fact, I suspect that he is what my father use to call me… a “punk.” But, that is not reason enough to send him to prison for 10 years as a result of the facts in this case.

Of course, “punks” sometimes go far in our society. I have made it for the better part of a century without going to jail, and Georgie Bush and Teddy Kennedy have gone further than me.

By Nostradamus & Andy

October 26, 2007 3:26 PM | Link to this

And speaking of the Ice Capades and how that lascivious friar predicted them, it reminds me of the time I scraped together the lucre to buy into a partnership that was preparing a Christie’s bid on the dismembered member of the Mad Monk himself.

I had no money at the time, but was so keen to get into the game that I sold my antique brass-and-leather USN spyglass and my entire collection of postcards from the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition and bought my share just in time for the auction. We won! We couldn’t wait to gather at a motel in Clines Corners NM for the great unveiling. The thing came in an elaborate nest of lacquered Russian boxes, each decorated with its own erotic motif. The tension built and built as the chairwoman of the partnership, her knees buckling a bit, opened one box within another box within yet another. At that point we almost couldn’t stand it, and we weren’t even finished! Finally, after six boxes (!) we were down to the last and smallest box, which seemed somehow kinda, I dunno, inadequate or something. Then, the moment of truth!

Inside the last box was an object wrapped in stained linen. It smelled powerfully of something we couln’t quite put our fingers on. When the chairwoman carefully unwrapped it, there it was! We could feel Rasputin’s mojo working the room. I believe I saw into his soul! Later the chair sent it to Hopkins for testing, just to make sure we’d gotten our money’s worth.

Turned out we’d bought the dessicated remains of what was once a rum-soaked Cuban plantain. She sent a slice to each of us, along with the group photo from the unveiling ceremony. It tasted kinda good, actually. Perhaps it really is some kind of aphrodisiac.

Anyway, the lawsuit with Christie’s is still pending. (Sorry, jbm, we’d already retained services.)

By RCH

October 26, 2007 3:35 PM | Link to this

anonymous

I agree. If you have the floor you have the right to answer , or ask for no comments and interruptions. Its doesn’t matter who is speaking.

By Analchord

October 26, 2007 3:35 PM | Link to this

I bid on John Dillinger’s zonie once on Ebay and had to settle for a signed, 8X10 glossy of Pee Wee Herman.

Hated that summer.

By getalife

October 26, 2007 3:39 PM | Link to this

“Attack Iran and you attack Russia”.

A vote for Rudy with his neocon advisors is a vote for WWIII.

WWIII and you get a draft and millions killed.

By Glenn

October 26, 2007 3:40 PM | Link to this

Dusty @ 3:21,

That’s exactly what I’d like to know!

By How to Spot a Counterfeit

October 26, 2007 3:45 PM | Link to this

A faker who cannot answer your question will instead explain to you in detail what he thinks your problem is. Afterward, he will bill an innocent client $450.

By Glenn

October 26, 2007 3:49 PM | Link to this

Sharky @ 3:12,

I stand — or, swim — corrected. Somebody here (was it RW?) was recently citing some figures from the business press indicating a huge decline in NYT stock value, so I mistakenly took it to mean collapse across the board, a la the hemic throes of the LAT. That just teaches me how dumb it is to take Internet “journalism” as seriously as once-and-futuristic NYT readers evidently do.

getalife, did jbm not tell you that we’re on WWIV now?

By RCH

October 26, 2007 3:54 PM | Link to this

getalife

We are already fighting the Iranians in Iraq.

By Glenn

October 26, 2007 4:10 PM | Link to this

Shar,

I’ve mulled your thoughts on the scamminess of education. Unfortunately I agree with everything. That’s no fun. Maybe I could haggle second-hand with your husband’s beliefs. What are your differences with him on this front?

Two things especially intrigue me. One, your perception that public vs. private is (at least in this country), a structurally irrelevant distinction. The structure of the delivery system remains the same, and if its the system that matters and not its wares, then we should encourage everyone, especially Jim Wooten, to see the forest.

Second, your use of the concept of “branding” in this context is so incisive and so inside-baseball that it makes me feel right at home. Er, home plate.

Finally, it may amuse you to hear, if you don’t already know, that when systems engineers are brought in to analyze how teacher/student time is spent in school (e.g. with time/motion studies), they find that actual instruction and attention to instruction are about the lowest things on the list. You’re right, it’s very much — at least in the view of these trained outside observers — about custodial functions vis-a-vis the students.

Well, this is all a rather bleak diagnosis. In my estimation, the prognosis is even worse, in part because of dilletantes such as Wooten. Do you have any promising prescriptives? Rx?

By Analchord

October 26, 2007 4:11 PM | Link to this

Hillary 08

By Craig

October 26, 2007 4:14 PM | Link to this

The “scholarly David Horowitz”? That’s the goofiest thing I’ve heard today.

By Kieran

October 26, 2007 4:15 PM | Link to this

RCH 3:54, nice play. Could I just suggest “beating” in place of “fighting”?

By Glenn

October 26, 2007 4:30 PM | Link to this

jbm,

It occurs to me, watching your deft work here, that you might enjoy learning, if you haven’t already done, that the Boalt professor Phillip Johnson, the bane of magical Darwinism (as distinguished from the Darwinian theory to which even you and I hew), is a specialist in legal argumentation and disputational rhetoric. He’s also an unselfconsciously devout and simple Presbyterian.

They never seem to catch on to the pejoritive suffix “-ism”, do they?

Rudy 08

By Dusty

October 26, 2007 4:33 PM | Link to this

Glenn, 3:40

Just a weak moment of verse after reading Analchord’s “Where do we get such men?”

Pardon moi, s’il vous plait.

Like Hillary said long ago, “Maybe I should stay in the kitchen and bake cookies.” I, too, depart for the kitchen in my pink burka with BRAVES stitched on the back. Gives me karma. (getalife’s favorite word).

By Glenn

October 26, 2007 4:45 PM | Link to this

Really, Dusty? That’s getalife’s favorite word?

Geez

By Sally Field

October 26, 2007 4:57 PM | Link to this

What ever happened to “Sybil”? Is she still around? I’ll bet she is.

By Kieran

October 26, 2007 4:58 PM | Link to this

Is there any chance that Ms. Pelosi will do the honorable thing and go down with her SCHIP?

By catlady

October 26, 2007 5:03 PM | Link to this

Old does not equal poor

So how do you explain our president rushing to provide ALL elderly drug cost assistance?

By Dusty

October 26, 2007 5:44 PM | Link to this

Well, Glenn

Geez is getalife’s favorite closing exclamation.

“Karma” is his favorite word for “coolness” and contemplation…

Or something…

Catlady @5:03,

“Poor”” does not mean $80K/year and children” does not mean 25year olds. But “old” is inclusive of ALL elderly and most elderly take medicine.

Prescription drug cards do not pay the total amount on all drugs for the elderly. It only helps.

Really poor underage children can get extensive health care and medicines if their parents apply.

When you taugh school, how many 25 year old students did you have? If you approve of S-chip, then you must have had some slow learners.

By Shar

October 26, 2007 5:45 PM | Link to this

Glenn@4:10 - My husband thinks that school bureaucracy is purposely trying to de-educate kids. I think it’s a byproduct of their greed, tiny empire building and self-satisfaction. Suggestions? It’s a tough nut, because the primary consumers are in a subservient position and the secondary ones - parents - are intimidated and uninformed, and thus easily ignored. The biggest difference between schools you pay for directly and those you don’t is that the former are more responsive to parents. I say this as a person who has gone to, and used, both. So I’m a supporter of vouchers, to empower parents and force administrators to pay attention to problems. I also believe that schools where parents are closely involved beat schools where they are diffident, regardless of the public or private nature. So I’d play all kinds of tricks to get parents to focus and participate on a school-wide and individual student basis. I believe that public schools in particular are taking too much on, with social work, discipline, nursing care and all kinds of other things clogging up the day - but putting more money into the school, thus making the admins happier but the students poorer off. I’d take all that stuff out, and recognize that kids who have a crack addict mother at home cannot concentrate on algebra the way kids from stable two parent families can. So change the delivery system! This crazed insistence that all classes must be “inclusive” is making it impossible to teach to students at the level that is right for each. Gotta go. Also, concentrate on core curriculum. Leave out the Bible, the political (ly correct) science, all the stuff that takes time and attention away from learning to read, write, add and think. If a child has the basic skills, they can add. If the skills are never inculcated, they will continue to fail and lose interest. The interest groups are so eager to indoctrinate young converts in a compulsory environment that the curriculum has been larded with a bunch of trash that impedes learning but that gets federal and state money in a direction beloved by some small group. Throw ‘em all out and start from the ground up, adding if the student is capable and interested.

Finally, wrest as much power away from the bureaucrats as possible, especially power over money. Leave bonus decisions up to parents. And fire the administrators first if a school tanks, not last.

Rantings, I know, and wholly unfeasible, but wouldn’t it be satisfying to see it tried!

By Analchord

October 26, 2007 6:23 PM | Link to this

The Thrashers on Ice? Why would an act that’s already on ice, then go and parody itself with a clown act on ice like the actors obviously pretending to be the real Thrasher Hockey Team on ice? Thrashers on Ice? They’re already on ice, where’s the supervision?

By catlady

October 28, 2007 8:52 AM | Link to this

Hey, Dusty, I wasn’t trying to tangle with you. In fact, I think we are in total agreement on this one. My comment about “poor elderly” was refering to the bolded quote from Mr. Wooten regarding homeowner tax exemptions. It was not a reference to Peachcare.

I think Peachcare has grown way out of bounds. Most of my students, whose parents are 100% illegal residents, are on peachcare. These children would not be using this service if not for their parents illegal activity. However, since our government says these products of illegal activity are citizens, they are entitled to Peachcare. So be it. Carefully evaluate income—no “presumptive Peachcare”, like there is presumptive medicaid for pregnant women. No free ride for the first 6 years of a child’s life. No “buy two and the rest are free” like is currently the case for Peachcare.

I am in favor of dropping the pretense that Peachcare is for the working poor, and just make it available to every citizen child, no matter what parental income. It is almost to that point now if the new regs are implemented (300%—give me a break). Let all parents chose whether to use their employer provided insurance for their children or not. However, for the more wealthy families, put a realistic price tag on Peachcare. Also, put a copay on Peachcare usage, even if small. Penalize heavily those who abuse the system with unnecessary trips to the ER. Cover well-child visits 100%, along with 2 well-child trips to the dentist and one to the eye dr. Put small copays on other trips, as well as visits to the “therapist”. Right now there is no incentive for cost-containment. Oh, yeah, and if the “child” gets pregnant, they are no longer covered by Peachcare (they are now adults, no matter what their age).

And make it clear that if parents chose NOT to provide, through peachcare or private insurance, for the care of their children, every bit of the cost of their medical bills WILL BE COLLECTED from the parent’s paycheck, child support payments, welfare, social security, or EIC for however long it takes. You sometimes gotta give people a tangible reason to do the CORRECT, RESPONSIBLE thing. It is too bad, but true.

Sorry about the miscommunication re medicare.