what if?

Still Alive and Kicking

A few friends have written concerned emails to me.  No posting for several days; what's up?

No.  I have not had a dire medical emergency. 

Warren and Bill have not opted to enlist my aid in parceling out all the billions.

And neither have I kicked my internet habit.

But - I was in Chicago over the weekend, for a beyond-incredible opera and piano concert at my stupendously talented cousin's home.  Now, I am battling away in college town Iowa City at a regional bridge tournament.  (Early going, yet - so far, so good.)

Between all the festivities and some work in my "spare time" - next to no time for blogging.  Please check in again after July's first weekend!

Hunger Strike?

Is Saddam a tough guy or what!?

After one meal, our boy decided that he'd suffered enough.  Back to refreshments.

At least observant Jews can make it through 24 hours without sustenance.

Pathetic.

First, Kill All the Lawyers

Shakespeare was ahead of his time.

Sunny Side Up

Though some have long scorned and derided the egg as a food fit for human consumption, I myself have ignored the hoopla.  As one who loves the myriad of ways they can be prepared, their simplicity and felt that they contributed to good and not poor health - they've been a part of my diet for years.  Be it scrambled, over easy, poached, slipped into rice pudding, omelets, meat loaf or a strata, the perfect egg has been a major part of my diet.

Still, I did have a hint of worry and guilt.

Today, however:  a reprieve! 

"To view eggs solely in terms of their dietary cholesterol content is to ignore the potential benefits of eggs on coronary risk factors, including obesity and diabetes," Griffin says, describing eggs as super food.

One egg provides 13 essential nutrients, all in the yolks. It contains the nutrients lutein and zeaxanthin, which could help to prevent or even reverse the age-related eye problem macular degeneration (MD).

Egg whites contain albumen, an important source of protein, and no fat, the researchers say.

Eggs are an excellent source of Vitamin B, which are needed for vital functions in the body, and also provide good quantities of Vitamin A, essential for normal growth and development, the researchers said.

An egg's Vitamin E content protects against heart disease and some cancers; there's also Vitamin D, which promotes mineral absorption and good bone health.

Eggs are rich in iodine, for making thyroid hormones, and phosphorus, essential for healthy bones and teeth.

Yay!

What Would Booker Say?

At Booker Rising, Shay posts a quote from Professor Carol Shain musing that Booker T. Washington would bemoan the state of black America today.

Would he?

As more than one of those commenting have stated, never easy to know for sure what someone from an era gone by would think today.  (WWJD, anyone?)  Still, I think that Professor Swain is correct - and off the mark at the same time.

Surely Mr. Washington would be saddened by some subsets of the black community.  A man who urged self-reliance, hard work, dignity ... how could he not be appalled at those who fail to seek honest work, bear children without any means to support them, commit crimes, etc?

Yet, in contrast to Professor Swain, I think that Mr. Washington would also see much that would please him.  Less than 50 years ago, our nation still was stained with Jim Crow.  I need not go into the burdens and pain that that ugly era levied on all of us.  Today, though, the black middle class is healthy and strong.  Wealthy blacks abound; one of the country's most beloved and famous icons is a black female billionaire! 

Many of the "firsts" for blacks have been accomplished; we find substantial black representatives throughout our society and workplaces.  All this achieved, within a fairly short time span, from an era when blacks were held down in every way.

So.  Would Mr. Washington say, "Blacks have lost their minds?"  No.  He would say that some blacks have lost their way. 

Here's hoping that one day, more of them can find the road to a better life.

A Thousand Words

They say that "a picture is worth a thousand words."  Far be it from me to doubt the power of photographs.

Yet, if you think that photographs gain their power because they are unimpeachable sources of the truth; think again.

Jonathan Tobin explains how skepticism, whether aimed at words or photographs, ought always to be an integral rule.

And none of us should ever forget the strength of the MSM.  "The pen is mightier than the sword."  Sorry about the old saws today.... frequently, however, they have been repeated over the ages because of the truth within.

Minimum

Most would assume that if you are not in favor of high state mandated minimum wages, then you are either:  selfish, uncaring, ignorant ... you fill in the blanks.  After all; working full time at minimum wage will earn you $11,000.  Who can support a family on that? 

Yet, when you look beyond sound bites and surface, there are good reasons - compassionate reasons - why a minimum wage should indeed be "minimum."  Herman Cain, successful businessman, explains why - with additional topics.

The Color Green

Excellent column by Robert Kagan on Why They Hate Us - and, indeed they do.

There are two lessons to be drawn from all this. One is that in time the current tidal wave of anti-Americanism will ebb, just as in the past. Smarter American diplomacy can help, of course, as can success in places such as Iraq. But the other lesson is not to succumb to the illusion that America was beloved until the spring of 2003 and will be beloved again when George W. Bush leaves office. Some folks seem to believe that by returning to the policies of Harry Truman, Dean Acheson and John F. Kennedy, America will become popular around the world. I like those policies, too, but let's not kid ourselves. They also sparked enormous resentment among millions of peoples in many countries, resentments that are now returning to the fore. The fact is, because America is the dominant power in the world, it will always attract criticism and be blamed both for what it does and what it does not do.

Some of the people and nations throughout the world will hate you if you are successful, strong and take action.  Period.  The only way to be "loved" is to be a victim; need help and have little power. 

I have no illusions that our nation is free of flaws and never commits grievous errors.  "If only," as they say.  Nevertheless, the bottom line is that we do much more good than evil.  We should accept this, and not allow the U.S.-haters to influence our actions.  Nothing except failure will gladden their hearts; we should not wish to go there.

Skepticism

It's almost always healthy - and a good practice.

Read this Washington Post column, and you will have a far better appreciation why this is so.

Most mainstream news organizations have dismissed the Leopold story as egregiously wrong. But even if he had gotten it right and scooped the world on a major story, his methods would still raise a huge question: What value does journalism have if it exposes unethical behavior unethically? Leopold seems to assume, as does much of the public, that all journalists practice deception to land a story. But that's not true. I know dozens of reporters, but Leopold is only the second one I've known (the first did it privately) to admit to doing something illegal or unethical on the job.

After reading his memoir -- and watching other journalists, such as Jayson Blair at the New York Times and Jack Kelley at USA Today, crash and burn for making up stories or breaking other rules of newsgathering -- I think there's something else at play here. Leopold is in too many ways a man of his times. These days it is about the reporter, not the story; the actor, not the play; the athlete, not the game. Leopold is a product of a narcissistic culture that has not stopped at journalism's door, a culture facilitated and expanded by the Internet.

Don't believe everything you read.  Not by a long shot.

Father's Day

I wanted to write a long tribute to my dad on Father's Day.  Somehow, though - I just couldn't find the exact right words to say.

So, it will be short and simple.  I hit the jackpot with my dad.  Most kids think that their dad is the best.  The difference is:  mine really is.

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

Love,

Pops

Whole Freedom

Do you assume that the founder and CEO of Whole Foods is some touchy, feely guy who now gives gargantuan amounts of cash to far left candidates?  Then, you would be incorrect. 

John Mackey might have started out like a hippie years ago.  Today, however, he is a staunch libertarian committed to freedom and the marketplace.  Check out this talk given at FreedomFest in 2004.

What I love most about the freedom movement are the ideas of voluntary cooperation and spontaneous order when channeled through free markets, leading to the continuous evolution and progress of humanity. I believe that individual freedom in free markets, when combined with property rights through rule of law and ethical democratic government, results in societies that maximize prosperity and establish conditions that promote human happiness and well-being.

If only we could get all the Whole Food patrons to read this!

Hat tip:  Pejman

My DNA; Myself

While I am a firm believer that we have free will and are able to shape our lives significantly, we still must work within the parameters of the hand that we are dealt.

A fabulous explanation of why I ate three quarters of a bag of potato chips last night!  (At least, mercifully, they were 40% lower fat than regular..... )

Fleeing for Freedom

When we think about people escaping to reach freedom, usually we contemplate a move from some third world nation.  Vodkapundit, however, demonstrates that it is not necessarily so.

More interesting, however, is what the Times can't bring itself to say in the story: there isn't a single mention of New York's high taxes and rampant government regulatory regimes, or the relative lack therof in the (er, "red") Sun Belt states. Was it just too much trouble for the Times to admit that jobs (and thus people) are leaving for places that are more ameniable to, you know, employers?

Apparently so. Like Old Europe, America's high-tax, high-regulation states are literally pricing themselves out of the job market--and they're losing population as a result. Pity the "newspaper of record" can't bring itself to say so.

Touche

This morning, a letter to the editor put a sly grin on my face.

CIVIL POLITICS

Good for the gander

I read with interest your June 14 editorial explaining that Republican abuse of Sen. Mark Dayton was unseemly and rude, because he is retiring and Minnesotans just don't treat people that way.

President Bush will not be running for the presidency again. Please let us know on which day your new policy will take effect.

BOB FLEAGLE JR., EDEN PRAIRIE

In case you are curious, here is the editorial to which Mr. Fleagle refers.

What does it bode for civility in public discourse, when a major party starts the campaign season by trampling this state's norm of respect for retiring elected officials? Unless partisans hear the public cry "foul," nothing good.

Mr. Fleagle could not be more amusing.  Days that one can find a Star Tribune free of excoriating words about President Bush are few and far between - irrespective of its reverence for "civility in public discourse!"

They Publicize; Therefore, It Exists

The complicity of the MSM in terrorism.

More ink equals more blood, claim two economists who say that newspaper coverage of terrorist incidents leads directly to more attacks.

It's a macabre example of win-win in what economists call a "common-interest game," say Bruno S. Frey of the University of Zurich and Dominic Rohner of Cambridge University.

"Both the media and terrorists benefit from terrorist incidents," their study contends. Terrorists get free publicity for themselves and their cause. The media, meanwhile, make money "as reports of terror attacks increase newspaper sales and the number of television viewers."

Of course, I don't expect the MSM to ignore terrorism - nor should it.  Nevertheless, the MSM could try to do more to avoid this effect.  That is - if it wanted to .......

Mr. Sulzberger: Tear Down That Wall!

A column both rational and amusing about why the wall around Times Select should be demolished, brick by brick.

Last month, a release from the Times announced that there were 482,000 subscribers to the service. Unfortunately for the paper, 62% of that number got it for free as subscribers to the print edition. Boston Globe business columnist Brett Arends did the math: only about 183,000 users (out of 11.9 million monthly visitors) had actually plunked down the $50 annual fee to read the Times Op-Ed columnists and gain access to the other features -- essentially one reader in 65.

Could the revenue generated from those 183,000 readers be worth choking off the worldwide audience for these premiere columnists? Perhaps the paper doesn't think it could make up that new pay revenue in ad dollars from a fresh jolt in traffic, but as PBS columnist Mark Glaser wrote an open letter to Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. last week, free content supported by online advertising has been "working miracle after miracle."

Civility

It warms the cockles of my heart to see this. 

Let me ask you this: when, prior to last week, was the last time you heard of the Jersey Girls? I can’t give a definite answer, which in itself is telling. Not that I was paying any large amount of attention, but there was a lot of noise in between the Afghan and Iraqi campaigns, intense media play building up to the 2004 election, which they did their damndest to throw to Kerry, and then… nothing.

They’d shot their bolt, they had their fifteen minutes and more, and that was the end of it. Until last week when Ann Coulter, acting unilaterally, put them back on the front pages with an attack so obnoxious that it immediately (and unjustly – it was the Girls themselves, after all, who debased their victim status for political purposes) threw all sympathy in their direction. A free ticket to a second act. Not to mention providing Madame Hillary with an opportunity to pose as, of all things, the defender of civility.

Thanks a lot, Ann.

At least some conservative thinkers appreciate that the road to convincing others is not through insult, shock and awe.  Civility, combined with hard evidence and thoughtful logic has a far better shot.  (In the old days, this was called the "you get more flies with honey than vinegar" approach.)

Of course, IMHO although I do believe that Coulter believes the principles underlying what she spews, I also think that her injection of venom and insult is more to sell books than anything else.  Since it's working (at least so far), she should have no motivation to change.

The rest of us, however, should.  And we can try, on an individual basis, to not reward Coulter for her boorish behavior.  If treating others with dignity and thoughtfulness sold more books, I'm betting that we'd see a bit more of that from the leggy blonde.

"Knock Knock"

"Who's there?"

"Candygram."

"Candygram?"

Beware of the visitor at the door.  See ya later, alligator.

It's Coming

  A while back, I contemplated a future where the food police would be after us as we tried to purchase a jelly doughnut, enjoy a cheeseburger and fries, or down a hot fudge banana shake.

Well ... the future is here.

The fast food chain KFC is being sued for the fat content in its fried chicken, which Center for Science in the Public Interest says contains "staggering amounts" of trans fat.

Why pick on KFC?  Shouldn't the Center head on down to the local grocery?  There, some folks actually purchase fat laden meats, bags of chips - not to mention delectable desserts, loaded with fat and oodles of sugar.  And, still by law, they are allowed to take it all home and snarf it down as quickly as they are able, should they so choose.  Makes a paltry KFC chicken dinner look like chickenfeed in the fat, sugar and caloric Olympics.

Don't get me wrong.  As someone who rejoined the health club a few months ago, valiantly does her best to avoid rich desserts, heavy entrees and the like, I am very much in favor of healthy eating.  "A moment on the lips; forever on the hips" has much truth to it - not to mention what it does to the heart and other organs.

But.

A lawsuit over transfat content??  What's next:  a lawsuit against those who publish trashy romance novels?  A ban on rap music?  I.D. to purchase Almond Joy and Snickers?  All ski resorts shut down because they are too dangerous?

As Walter Williams says,

Diet decisions that people make are none of anybody else's business. Yes, there are untoward health outcomes from unwise dietary habits, and because of socialism, taxpayers have to pick up the bill. But if we allow untoward health outcomes from choices to be our guide for government intervention, then we're calling for government to intervene in virtually every aspect of our lives. Eight hours' sleep, regular exercise and moderate alcohol consumption are important for good health. Should government regulate those decisions?

Here's hoping that those who eat not-so-healthy food will do so in moderation.  And that police-state lawsuits like this one will fall flat.

Oh My Man I Love Him So

  And will he know?  Perhaps in 2008....

A few reasons why Rudy is my choice for the top slot next time around.

A small gathering in Mid town yesterday got a sneak peek at Rudy Giuliani's formula as he gears up for a likely 2008 presidential run. That formula: one-third leadership, one-third technocratic centrist and one-third radical conservative reformer.