News from Around the World

This week marks the fifth anniversary of the kidnapping of Elian Gonzalez from his Miami family by American agents doing the dirty work of the captain of the Island Gulag. Quid Nimis has a good post about it here looking at the BBC coverage. Say a prayer for Elian's mom Elizabet Brontons, who sacrificed her life for her son's liberty, a life lost in vain thanks to Janet Reno and Bill Clinton.

Calling the president wicked or evil is not just the kind of thing we can expect the university to regulate. It's what we should expect the College Democrats to do! I don't like their view of Bush, but that's no reason to act as if a bad portrayal of Bush is a bad portrayal of Christ, which seems to me what you're doing. Assuming what they assume, Jesus would judge Bush, and if Bush isn't a real believer then he'll do a lot worse than punch him in the face. I think he is a believer, but the important thing is that what's driving this doesn't seem...

Based on this plan, by 2018, when Bill Clinton and George W. Bush are in their 70s, the pair would become the first living persons to be enshrined on a US minted coin.

"Based on this plan, by 2018, when Bill Clinton and George W. Bush are in their 70s, the pair would become the first living persons to be enshrined on a US minted coin." And four years later in 2022 we would be putting the president-ELECT on a coin. Whoah!

Former President Bill Clinton lashed out at the Bush administration’s energy policies Friday, criticizing them as “dumb economics” during a wide-ranging speech to a friendly crowd at Brown University. …

The moral panic around Bill Clinton's infidelity is another example of this--conservatives never got over thinking of him as trailer trash, and the sex scandal was an opportunity to differientiate him from what they perceive as legitimate, upper class rulers. Clinton doesn't get to be discreet. As someone hailing from the working class, his sexual behavior is to be held up and mocked as crass and cheap.

Bill Clinton may have working class roots (I think petty bourgeois roots would be more accurate) and some of the ruling class may personally dislike him for that. But Bill Clinton isn't working class anymore. He's ruling class, and has been for a very long time, and he acts accordingly.

However, it’s a simple matter of history that the American people owe a large debt of gratitude to the people of France. It is, after all, the French who presented the Statue of Liberty to the American people as a gift. Even though (and perhaps especially because) George W. Bush has used the War of Terror as a pretext to refuse Americans the right to enter the famous landmark, the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of how people can work across international borders, and even across oceans, in the name of liberty.

I have a Bill Mauldin cartoon which shows the statue of liberty, torch upraised, giving light. Outside the light is a monstrous, menacing creature. Crouched by the figure of Liberty is a person labled “Hysteria” which is saying, “Maybe it will go away if we put out the light.” That was published 1 May 1961. I guess nothing really changes.

I have a Bill Mauldin cartoon which shows the statue of liberty, torch upraised, giving light. Outside the light is a monstrous, menacing creature. Crouched by the figure of Liberty is a person labled “Hysteria” which is saying, “Maybe it will go away if we put out the light.” That was published 1 May 1961. I guess nothing really changes.

BONO: “Yes — no, I mean, I’m like an annoying fan. I’m like the one that reads the liner notes on the CD. I’m the one that — I read the Declaration of Independence before a speaking tour we did on AIDS in the Midwest. I’ve read the Constitution. I’ve read these poetic tracks. And I suppose, you know, I’m just going around trying to remind people that their country — why it is great, and in case they forget, why it’s great. Because the United States that I love is like the Statue of Liberty with...

My last post, “Nguyen Never Forgets the Long Journey to America“, reminded me of a line from the end of the poem, “The New Colossus,” by nineteenth-century American poet Emma Lazarus. This poem appears on a plaque at the base of the Statue of Liberty, and describes her. In this line, the statue herself is speaking:

A while back I wrote an ode to my favourite lady: the Statue of Liberty. Lady Liberty was conceived and given to America out of love for an idea. She stands in the harbour with love in her heart and hope in her torch lighting up the sky.

I just came across e-bay's auction of the Pope Chicken Breast Oooh, yes..you read that right--a baked chicken breast in the exact image of Pope John Paul II was found by a young college student while enjoying the benefits of his meal plan.

A logical mind can only conclude that if Pope John Paul II wanted to reach out to the younger generation he would find no better place than on the dinner tray of an average university student. It makes pefect sense to me...the college meal plan is all about chicken, chicken, chicken...

Speaking of religion, after Pope John Paul's death and the subsequent election of Pope Benedict, a lot of Catholic feminists have been heard to express their fears and dismay. Here's an interesting article illustrating some of those feelings. I, personally, do not believe Pope Benedict to be an evil man. I believe that his actions and thoughts are a result of what he feels is truly best for the Catholic Church and its people. I do not, however, agree with his viewpoints on many,many issues.

HP HBP is going to be released on July 16. And I still have not saved a copy! Wahh… I want to reserve a copy. My parents won’t let me.. huhu. And I don’t have money to buy one. I think I’ll just rush to the mall on July 16 or something. I really want to know who is going to be the next gf of Harry. Lol… haha, yes, he had one in book the fifth. Hmm. And speaking of Harry Potter, the new pope is against HP. Well, you can’t please everybody. On the other hand, the late Pope John Paul II is not against the HP books....

The decision Thursday by the Archdiocese of New York to end its relationship with Marymount Manhattan College marks the fourth time since the late Pope John Paul II issued Ex Corde Ecclesiae – the apostolic constitution on Catholic universities – that a bishop has declared a historically Catholic college or university to be not Catholic.

This new ecumenical system was established by Pope John Paul II.

In an Apostolic letter entitled ROSARIUM VIRGINIS MARIAE, Pope John Paul makes a strikingly Sufic point regarding the saying of the Rosary.

To Pope John Paul II, the life of humans belongs to God and should be dedicated to Service. In his encyclical EVANGELIUM VITAE, he wrote:

Many millions of our Catholic brothers and sisters will be saddened by the death of much-loved Pope John Paul II. I watched a documentary on the Pope's life this evening with many old photos and stories. It was a great chronicle of a life lived in an extraordinary manner. I watched footage of the Pope embracing Mehmet Ali Agca, (photo above, source www.reuters.com) his attempted assassin in a very moving scene. I immediately wondered, "Whatever happened to that guy? Where is he now?"

‘Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Agca, who gravely wounded Pope John Paul in a failed assassination attempt in 1981, was grief-stricken over the Pontiff’s death, Agca’s brother said Sunday.

There is already a photo of Pope John Paul II’s body is lying in state in the Clementine Hall at the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace Sunday as Cardinal Eduardo Martinez Somalo, center, sprays holy water on the body. (AP Photo/ Vatican TV via APTN)

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Pope John Paul II passes away- 1981 gunman, Mehmet Ali Agca: where is he now?:

But we must not forget his predecessor Pope John Paul II the Great Bear.

— James Carroll, in the April 11, 2005 Time Magazine Commemorative Issue for Pope John Paul II 1920-2005

Like many, I have gobbled up much that has been written about the late Pope John Paul II since his death. The optimist that I strive to always be, I read the coverage wanting to only read the good that is being shared in celebrating a noteworthy and meaningful life. I read wanting to believe that we can have faith in our chosen leaders, wanting to know that those called to leadership will step into the shoes of humility to lead with vision, integrity, honor, truthfulness, and compassion.

When I read this article written by James Carroll for Time Magazine I felt I could stop reading; that I knew all I needed to know and wanted to know. I wish I had the tools needed to reprint for you here the picture that accompanies the article, for there is something about that picture of Pope John Paul II with his head bowed in prayer that reaches into my very core, leaving me with just one, clear, and strong thought: To those who are chosen to lead, much is required. Must such self-sacrifice be made?

Princeton professor emeritus Harry G. Frankfurt, author of the very timely bookOn Bullshit, writes that bullshitters are different than liars because liars acknowledge that they’re presenting an alternate version as the truth. Liars can lie, but the truth is in the room or else they wouldn’t have to lie. Bullshitters actually deny truth, with an up-is-down-ist stubbonness that’s all too familiar these days in politics, news, and the commentariat.

So is all of this really just a way for Russia to reintroduce itself as a player in MidEast politics?

The rest of the cast is alright as well - no one drags the film down in any way. If anything did, it would be the plot. Skip the rest of this paragraph if you haven’t seen the film. The romantic sub-plot between two of the scientists seems contrived only to inspire concern for the guy before he finds himself in a jam, and in the end is ultimately wasted. Also, it seems ridiculous that Quaid’s character would make it halfway across the continent in a matter of days, let alone do it while walking in sub-zero temperatures (I’ve...

Voters in Togo turned out in force to elect a successor to Gnassingbe Eyadema, ruler for 38 years, as the opposition claimed the presidential polls had been rigged in favour of the late leader’s son.

Witnesses claim fraud in Togo presidential polls (AFP via Yahoo! News)

The mixed legacy of Pope John Paul II

• Michael Jackson (10,634 citations)

We would be ordered to try to avoid saying anything too controversial (and I don't mean "Crossfire" controversial), because we would be calculating what would bring in 15% profits per annum on our operating capital. Would hours and hours of television "reportage" and discussion of Michael Jackson or of Terri Schiavo or Scott Peterson (remember?) bring in viewers and advertising dollars? Then that is what we would be giving the public. Bread and circuses.

On the Today Show, it got a single sentence (right before the fact that 8 people were "killed across the country," a sentence so informative you wonder why they bother. Only three stories got fuller treatment: the shift in White House strategies on John Bolton, an extended treatment on the testimony of Michael Jackson's ex-wife, and a story on the missing woman of the moment, a 32-year old woman who disappeared while jogging in Georgia.

"There is more coverage about the Michael Jackson Trial than I'll ever want to see and other trivial matters.... Things like that make the evening news, but nothing about my father, for example, who has been held hostage now for over 6 ½ months. I find this to be an outrage."--Carrie Hallums Cooper

Look Kenneth, I know you're trying to fit in with all your new friends like Howie, and Babs, and the Nanster, but you need to understand that you can't be calling your opponents "the Antichrist"...especially when there are better candidates for the job. People like Osama, and Zaqarwi, and the folks in the Janjaweed are better candidates, don't you think? And by the way, Focus on the Family does have a point. You said that judges deserve an up or down vote, yet you flip flopped in a manner that makes John Kerry look like...

Folks like John Kerry said, in supporting the war (or disarmament, or vigorous negotiation, or whatever Kerry was supporting when he voted "yes") back in October 2002, that the only reason for war that was acceptable to him was disarmament:

Those of us that support progressive candidates and ideals spent time after the election reflecting on what went wrong. Adding insult to injury, my uncle asked at Christmas if I was planning on “wasting” my vote on Hillary Clinton in 2008, since I had wasted my vote on John Kerry. Although I’m not sure that one had anything to do with the other, the fact that my uncle wanted to discuss politics with me (however casually) was interesting in and of itself. This isn’t a guy who had EVER discussed politics in my presence, and...

Just between you, me, and anybody related to me that might still be reading this entry, the real family scandal would have been if I had revealed to my conservative family that my traditionally conservative mother, had also voted for John Kerry.

In light of this knowledge, let's see if any of what the liberal media and John Kerry Catholics are hoping will change with the new pope will actually change.

If I could be a lawyer...I'd challenge Hillary Clinton to a cage match.

The Eleanor Roosevelt statue at the 72nd Street entrance to Riverside Park is easily the most conversational sculpture in the city. Through posture and demeanor, artist Penelope Jencks evokes a warm, wise companion who invites confidences. Hillary Clinton was mocked for her talks with Mrs. R. but we find it impossible to pass by this marvelous statue without at least a brief telepathic chat.

As you know, I look out over Eleanor's likeness from my apartment. After being out of the city for a year or so, I returned one spring day to lean out a window and hear Hillary Clinton dedicating the statute, as a noisey crowd packed the area. And I surveyed the feminist wonder out my window and said, "This is good. This is very good. This is New York."

And, at the time of that fund-raiser, Rick Lazio, the GOP candidate, had challenged Hillary to refuse to accept soft money. He found himself awash in hard money — small checks from Hillary haters across the country. But First Lady Hillary Clinton was heavily dependent on large checks from fat-cat donors whom she and the president wined, dined, photographed, and hosted at the White House. And these folks gave a lot more than $1,000 each.

"I don't know where and why US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice wants to drive. I support the case when only the nation resolves all in the sovereign state and it is the source of power and sovereignty," Sergey Mironov, the chairman of the Russian Council of Federation, told Trend on Friday. He was commenting the recent statement by US Secretary of State on US intention to move forward with velvet revolution across CIS.

First of all, if Bush's claim that there were Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq wasn't just wrong, if it was a lie, if it was "fictitious," then when will the Times uncover the vast conspiracy that must exist to explain why Democrats like Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Al Gore, Robert Byrd, & Ted Kennedy -- among many others with access to data from our intelligence agencies -- came to exactly the same conclusion about Saddam's WMDs?

The moderates have rebelled before. This period in American politics is beginning to take on the contours of the years leading up to the 1992 election. That's when Ross Perot led an uprising of the angry middle and Bill Clinton waged war on the "brain-dead politics of both parties." Bush's decision to read the 2004 election as a broad mandate for whatever policies he chose to put forward now looks like a major mistake. In fact, Bush won narrowly in 2004, and he won almost entirely because just enough middle-of-the-road voters decided they trusted...

First of all, if Bush's claim that there were Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq wasn't just wrong, if it was a lie, if it was "fictitious," then when will the Times uncover the vast conspiracy that must exist to explain why Democrats like Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Al Gore, Robert Byrd, & Ted Kennedy -- among many others with access to data from our intelligence agencies -- came to exactly the same conclusion about Saddam's WMDs?

The moderates have rebelled before. This period in American politics is beginning to take on the contours of the years leading up to the 1992 election. That's when Ross Perot led an uprising of the angry middle and Bill Clinton waged war on the "brain-dead politics of both parties." Bush's decision to read the 2004 election as a broad mandate for whatever policies he chose to put forward now looks like a major mistake. In fact, Bush won narrowly in 2004, and he won almost entirely because just enough middle-of-the-road voters decided they trusted...

Bill Clinton's apology accompanied by denial turned out to be the decline of the Democrat machine. Martin's speech to the nation signifies the death of the Liberal Empire.

Former President Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton sleeps on floor of plane during tsunami tour, allowing elder Bush to sleep on bed. Political analysts believe this is first time Clinton has seen bush in a bed and declined to jump in

Finally after waiting at the red light again, I'm finally on my way to work. The 8AM news comes on the radio, and they start talking about Bill Clinton (minus Hillary) taking a break down in Kiawah. Nowhere near the Folly Beach direction these police cars were headed from, but maybe he decided to take a jog down Folly or something.

Recently Feinstein has been notably realistic about politics (which should be expected, but with today's Democrats...). So this position, if real, would be a surprise. Bill Clinton himself credits the assault weapons ban with Republican gains in 2000. So as a partisan Republican I say to DiFi, go ahead, make my day!

(That's well regulated, not well-coordinated and accessorized. But still, this frequently-mistranslated open-season for bang-bangs says nothing about prohibiting gays from serving in the militia, and our armed forces haven't changed their Don't Ask Don't Tell policies between the gay-friendly according to revisionist historians Bill Clinton.)

The Neo-Neocon brings us an essay on spring, New York, the World Trade Center, and the Statue of Liberty

~ WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.

The photoset includes 266 photos from all over New York City. Times Square, Broadway, Central Park, the Met, the Statue of Liberty, and of course Yankee Stadium.

We can't make economic arguments !?!?!?!?! We can afford to throw away talent? Ok, then how about the moral argument as engraved in on the Statue of Liberty:

If we’re talking about well-known historical events, that’s tougher. Probably the dedication of the Statue of Liberty. Why? Because it’s cool.

We would be ordered to try to avoid saying anything too controversial (and I don't mean "Crossfire" controversial), because we would be calculating what would bring in 15% profits per annum on our operating capital. Would hours and hours of television "reportage" and discussion of Michael Jackson or of Terri Schiavo or Scott Peterson (remember?) bring in viewers and advertising dollars? Then that is what we would be giving the public. Bread and circuses.

I got up yesterday afternoon and went to Home Depot and got some air filters and some of those Michael Jackson mask to wear when I clean again this weekend…

I like to never found them. I finally asked this cute little guy where the “Michael Jackson mask were” We both laughed as he told me where to find them…

In recent years the Democratic party has been branded as soft on terrorists by, among others, Republicans, men, toddlers and terrorists. John Kerry's statement during the 2004 presidential campaign, that we should "fight a...more sensitive war on terror", did little to change this perception. Neither did the fact that the Democrats offered nothing in the way of real solutions. Until now.

In fact, the corporation is so Republican, the only two contributions for John Kerry were from two different Pharmacist employees, one in KIRKWOOD,MO giving $500 and one in CHEEKTOWAGA,NY giving $250. Awwww…

Help John Kerry fill out his 180.

So many old military guys want to see that 180, John Kerry.

Help John Kerry fill out his 180.

John Kerry never released his military records, in spite of his bragging about being a “war hero”. So let’s encourage him to release his military records to “clear things up”.

Email John Kerry his 180 at this address

I have followed some of the events that have taken place at the now concluded Democratic National Convention held at the Fleet Center in Boston. I watched as the Democratic Presidential nominee saluted and told his loyal followers “I’m John Kerry and I’m reporting for duty.” Kerry reminded me that he and Bush are two faces of the same beast that the citizens will get to vote for in November. They are using the same careful controls, the same rhetoric and subversion of justice. It seems that the hippies of the last generation...

"They really have been having a great time together," Sen. Hillary Clinton told The News.

Advisers to both men scoff at cynics who allege the relationship is politically motivated, yet concede that the former leaders - as well as President Bush and Hillary Clinton - benefit from their detente.

I have to admit, I was bummed. Not because I like her; quite the contrary in fact. I just really, really wanted to witness a Condoleezza Rice vs. Hillary Clinton presidential face-off.

Two weeks ago Senator Hillary Clinton attended the DFL Humphrey Day Dinner in Minneapolis . Minnesota is a state both parties consider a key 2008 presidential swing state.

Hillary Clinton 39