Breakfast at Tiffany's

Rudy Shows His Teeth During Debate

2007-05-16T18:51:00.000-07:00

Rudy Shows His Teeth During Debate

Ten -- yes, count 'em, 10 -- Republican presidential hopefuls gathered a year and a half before the 2008 general election and answered questions from a panel of Fox News personalities. From what we saw, there was very little substance or difference between most of the candidates.

Mitt Romney was the most telegenic (although we felt he stumbled on several answers), John McCain appeared the most informed (although looking old) and Rudy Giuliani seemed the most fiesty (although most anxious, too). The rest were just along for the ride. All in all, it wasn't very exciting, nor could it be this far out from the first primary and with that many people on stage. The only real fireworks came when Giuliani pounded Texas Congressman Ron Paul -- who really is a big "L" Libertarian -- after Paul played the moral equivalence card when asked if American "brought on" the 9/11 attacks by enforcing U.N. resolutions passed against Iraq after it invaded Kuwait.

On defense for much of the evening, Giuliani switched gears nearly an hour into the debate, challenging Rep. Ron Paul's suggestion that the U.S. bombing of Iraq had contributed to the terrorist attacks of 2001.

As mayor of New York at the time of the attacks, Giuliani said sternly, "I don't think I've ever heard that before, and I have heard some pretty absurd explanations."

His rebuke to Paul drew some of the loudest applause of the night from the partisan audience.

You can watch the exchange here.

Tom Maguire over at JustOneMinute pokes the hole in Paul's "argument," which is really nothing more than Birchism in a modern suit.

Well - the specific use of the word "invited" came from the moderator, but Ron Paul twice went to the moral equivalence argument with his ruminations about what the US might do if China were putting bases in the Gulf of Mexico. And what a great question! Does anyone else remember Jack Kennedy blowing up some buildings in Moscow as a response to the Cuban missile crisis? Maybe Ron Paul could expound on that.

But the best one-liner of the night came from former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a former Baptist minister, who said of our big-spending elected representatives, "We've had a Congress that's spent money like John Edwards at a beauty shop."

The AP dutifully notes that Huckabee "did not mention that until January, Congress has been under the control of Republicans for a dozen years." The AP might have been better served to point out that the Republicans also controlled the White House for eight of those years, and the Democrats four -- and neither one of them did much to control Congress' porking, even though a veto every now and then would have helped.

Huckabee's point wasn't that Republicans or Democrats are to blame -- it's that the Washington "insiders" are. As a governor who has never served in the U.S. House or Senate he was attempting to differentiate himself from many of those on stage who have. That, AP, was his point. The quality of political "analysis" among the mainstream media is simply horrid these days. That's why, I guess, we have the Internet.

But back to the GOP race: A New York City mayor with national stature, tough foreign policy stances and moderate social positions leading the ticket and a Southern governor/former preacher as his veep?

Giuliani-Huckabee '08?

Jerry Falwell Is Dead

2007-05-15T18:05:00.000-07:00

Jerry Falwell Is Dead

Jerry Falwell, the TV preacher and founder of the Moral Majority, is dead at age 73.

The rise of Christian conservatism -- and the Moral Majority's full-throated condemnation of homosexuality, abortion and pornography -- made Falwell perhaps the most recognizable figure on the evangelical right, and one of the most controversial ones, too.

Over the years, Falwell waged a landmark libel case against Hustler magazine founder Larry Flynt over a raunchy parody ad, and created a furor in 1999 when one of his publications suggested that the purse-carrying "Teletubbies" character Tinky Winky was gay.

Matt Foreman, executive director of National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, extended condolences to those close to Falwell, but added: "Unfortunately, we will always remember him as a founder and leader of America's anti-gay industry, someone who exacerbated the nation's appalling response to the onslaught of the AIDS epidemic, someone who demonized and vilified us for political gain and someone who used religion to divide rather than unite our nation."

Flynt released this statement upon Falwell's death:

My mother always told me that no matter how much you dislike a person, when you meet them face to face you will find characteristics about them that you like. Jerry Falwell was a perfect example of that. I hated everything he stood for, but after meeting him in person, years after the trial, Jerry Falwell and I became good friends. He would visit me in California and we would debate together on college campuses. I always appreciated his sincerity even though I knew what he was selling and he knew what I was selling.

And then there's this reaction from another Falwell nemesis. We all saw that one coming.

When In Doubt, Create The News

2007-05-14T19:41:00.000-07:00

When In Doubt, Create The News

Here's an interesting article on a voter poll as "reported" by Minnesota Public Radio. Check out this lead:

Fewer than half of the people interviewed in the MPR polls last week -- 48 percent -- said they think Norm Coleman is doing a "good" or "excellent" job as Minnesota's U.S. senator. Additionally just 43 percent of the respondents had a favorable opinion of Coleman a quarter of have an unfavorable opinion.

Moorhead State University political science professor Barbara Headrick says the numbers confirm what Democrats and political analysts have been claiming: Coleman is vunerable going into his campaign for a second term in the Senate.

"Any incumbent who's below 50 percent should see himself or herself as in trouble," according to Headrick.

While it is true that any incumbent -- or for that matter any candidate -- who finds himself below 50 percent in anything would be considered in trouble. "Obvious for 500, please, Alex."

If not for the lead-in synopsis, you wouldn't find out until the 12th paragraph that Coleman is comfortably ahead of both Democrats who are vying to replace him: "comedian" Al Franken and trial lawyer Mike Ciresi.

According to the poll, Coleman would beat either by a comfortable margin.

Matched up again Franken, Coleman would win 54 to 32 percent. Against Ciresi, he would win 52 to 29 percent.

While Coleman is struggling with popularity, his negative ratings are well below those of Al Franken. According to the poll, nearly 8 of 10 Minnesotans know who Franken is and, of them, nearly a third have an unfavorable opinion of him.

Considering this is very liberal Minnesota, Franken is well-known and Ciresi spent millions of dollars in a losing effort for the Democratic nomination in the 2000 Senate race, only bias can explain the decision to lead with questionable assumptions about the power of incumbency in a situation where it is of less importance.

Coleman may lose. Who knows at this point. But all this poll actually shows is that Coleman is doing better than nonbiased conventional wisdom would declare.

The Land Of The Rising Sun

2007-05-10T18:59:00.000-07:00

The Land Of The Rising Sun

Yes, it's another busy week in BaT land. We hosted three presentations in two days, so we're tired of looking at computer screens and thinking in general.

To fill the void, skip over to Ceiting's blog and check out his cool photographs from his trip to Japan. Keep scrolling (past his strange fascination with a car rally) ... the vacation pictures go on for awhile.

Three Strikes And He's Finally Out

2007-05-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

Three Strikes And He's Finally Out

Here's a typical Louisiana crime story; this one out of Covington, just across the lake from New Orleans.

Spousal abuse, a lax criminal justice system and stupidity all rolled into one.

A 78-year-old man who died after setting a fire to hide the murders of his third wife and her brother had killed two previous wives, a sheriff says.

Everette Simpson had served a total of 20 years for the two killings.

He spent nine years in a California prison for second-degree murder of his first wife, who was hacked 16 times with a butcher knife in 1960, and 11 years in Louisiana for manslaughter of his second wife, attacked with knife and hatchet and then smothered with a pillow in 1983, authorities said.

He died of smoke inhalation April 3. Estelle Simpson, 69, and her brother, Allen Martin, 75, were bludgeoned in their sleep.

"This is incredibly frustrating for people who spend their careers chasing these monsters," St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Jack Strain said Friday. "Everyone deserves a second chance, but when you start letting out cold-blooded murderers not once but twice, you've got to wonder what's going on."

Simpson was charged in 1960 with first-degree murder of Virginia Hudson, 35, in Los Angeles, and was convicted of second-degree murder, Strain said. He pleaded guilty in 1983 to manslaughter of Ruby Richardson in Shreveport, the sheriff said. ...

"Why in the world was he walking the streets as a free man? That's utterly unbelievable," said Earl Martin Sr., a cousin who lives in Lanham, Md. "It's absolutely beyond my comprehension."

It's a good question. And they say capital punishment isn't a deterrent. Well, it would have deterred him from another three murders. He finally had to stop himself (almost 50 years after his first homicide) when he set a fire from which he couldn't escape.

Apparently he's a better killer than he is an arsonist.

La Democratie Parle

2007-05-07T17:49:00.000-07:00

La Democratie Parle

The French voters have spoken: Former Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy will be the country's "new generation" leader. On Sunday, in the biggest voter turnout in a quarter of a century, Sarkozy captured 53 percent of the presidential vote -- roughly the same percentage that Jacques Chirac received when he was first elected in 1995.

(In comparison, the U.S. presidential candidate to win as much was the elder George Bush, who gained 53.4 percent almost 20 years ago in 1988. Bill Clinton received 43 and 49.2 percent in 1992 and '96 respectively, and George W. Bush tallied 47.9 and 50.7 percent in 2000 and '04. The last Democrat to win a percentage larger than Sarkozy was Lyndon Johnson in 1964.)

What does this all mean?

Is France in the midst of its Thatcher Moment?

"The French people have chosen to break with the ideas, the habits and the actions of the past," Sarkozy said in a victory speech following his emphatic triumph over Socialist Segolene Royal.

The former interior minister with a tough line on immigration campaigned on a pledge to change France to face the realities of the 21st century and get the country back to work -- a platform viewed with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation.

French newspapers of the left and right agreed Monday that Sarkozy -- often attacked as a divisive figure -- had won a clear mandate for reform.

"With the strong legitimacy his indisputable electoral performance gives him, the new president of the Republic can now begin his great transformation, but taking care, of course, to reconcile the French," wrote the right-wing Le Figaro.

"Nicolas Sarkozy is a legitimate president, elected without rotten tricks or hesitation," wrote the left-wing Liberation. "Tough, but it's the people's will. Thatcher without the petticoats? Let us prepare ourselves ... "

Sarkozy's programme includes the abolition of tax on overtime, big cuts in inheritance tax, a law guaranteeing minimum service in transport strikes, and rules to oblige the unemployed to take up offered work.

The French people, it seems, are tired of gross domestic product (GDP) rates running in the middle of the EU pack and of unemployment rates near the bottom of its European counterparts and almost twice as much as those in the United States. Let's see if they have the fortitude to correct their overly managed economy and become more business-friendly, like say an Ireland, which is now second only to the United States in GDP.

Sarkozy also holds promise as a closer ally of the United States -- although being French and all, we may never actually know it.

Prior to the election results being made public, Sen. Richard Lugar, an Indiana Republican, said a Sarkozy victory would be favorable to the United States.

"Clearly, his views are more in line with ours," Lugar told CNN's "Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer."

Sen. Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, concurred: "I do. I do," he told CNN. "I mean, it would be nice to have someone who is head of France who doesn't almost have a knee-jerk reaction against the United States."

It should be noted that Sarkozy opposed the use of force in Iraq. But there is a difference between opposing a friend's actions and actively undermining U.N. sanctions and resolutions. But the foreign policy activitities are of little consequence. Except for having veto power on the United Nations Security Council, French standing among the world's powers in minimal. (It's standing army is only the 20th largest in the world -- behind Brazil, Taiwan and Thailand -- and just more than half the size of the Iranian army. Its special forces remain superior, however, and it maintains its nuclear arsenal.)

And this sidenote is interesting.

With today's election in France, the advanced industrialized democracies of the world (i.e., the G7) have all had a chance to weigh in since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Who won those elections anyway, the anti-American hysteric, or the pro-American supporter of the war on terror? Here is the scorecard:

Pro-American supporters of the war on terror:

United States (George Bush, 2004)
Great Britain (Tony Blair, 2005)
Germany (Angela Merkel, 2005)
Japan (Junichiro Koizumi, 2005)
Canada (Stephen Harper, 2006)
France (Nicolas Sarkozy, 2007)

Anti-American opponents of the war on terror:

Italy -- (Romano Brodi, 2006)

6-to-1 pro-American (or, if you prefer, pro-Bush), with all polls taken since the invasion of Iraq. Germany and France, once the most vocal advocates of indefinitely propping up the genocidal dictator in Iraq, have now elected leaders who sound just like Bush.

The above statement may give too much credit to "pro-Bush," as both Bush and Blair would have difficulties if they were to stand for re-election. In part, it's because of Iraq. In part, it's because people tire of seeing the same person in charge.

But is this a trend? Is the West moving rightward? The case is building.

Nice PR Move, Rookies

2007-05-02T18:16:00.000-07:00

Nice PR Move, Rookies

Since Illinios Sen. Barack Obama became "the next big thing" a few months ago, people on the Left and people on the Right have been wondering if he's ready for prime time. He's been a U.S. senator for barely more than two years, so it should come as no surprise when he makes rookie political mistakes.

But with all the campaign cash he has, why must Obama -- the media darling -- flush tons of good will and bring up tons of bad PR over $50,000.

For the past two and a half years, the page has been run by an Obama supporter from Los Angeles named Joe Anthony. At first, that arrangement was fine with the Obama team, which worked with Anthony on the content and even had the password to make changes themselves.

But as the site exploded in popularity in recent months, the campaign became concerned about an outsider having control of the content and responses going out under Obama's name and told Anthony they wanted him to turn it over.

In this new frontier of online campaigning, it's hard to determine the value of 160,000 MySpace friends -- about four times what any other official campaign MySpace page has amassed. But the Obama campaign decided they wouldn't pay $39,000, which is what Anthony said he proposed for his extensive work on the site, plus some additional fees up to $10,000.

MySpace reluctantly stepped in to settle the dispute and decided that Obama should have the rights to control http://www.myspace.com/barackobama as of Monday night, while Anthony had the right to take the contact information for all the friends who signed up while he was in control. That includes the right to tell them exactly how he feels about the Obama campaign.

Anthony referred The Associated Press to his MySpace blog, where he has written that he is heartbroken that the Obama campaign was "bullying" him out of the page he built. He said the candidate has lost his vote.

OK, one can argue that Joe Anthony was trying to jack the Obama campaign. Even if you can convince me a Myspace page is worth $50K -- hey, 160,000 pimple-faced subscribers who might save $10 of their lunch money equals $1.6 mil -- you could never convince me that strong-arming a guy out of 2 1/2 years of devotion would ever read good in the morning paper.

Too late now, but here's how the pros do it: The pros have Barack Obama call Joe Anthony and say, "Hey, Joe, I love what you've done on Myspace. Great job. Thanks for your support. I tell you what, I'm coming through your town in a few weeks. Let's get together for some lunch. I have something I'd like to chat with you about."

Have him come in, smooze him, tell him how much you need his help and that the No. 1 way he could help is to turn the Myspace account over to the campaign. "It would mean the world to me, Joe, because you can't be too careful nowadays about who uses your name. You wouldn't want to hurt me, now would you, Joe? Of course, not, I know you wouldn't. Here's a check for $20,000 for all your trouble setting this thing up. And, hey, I tell you what: When I receive the nomination, you'll be right there in the convention center. As my guest, right, Joe? Great! See you in Denver, Joe. You're the greatest!"

If Obama is the great politician the media hacks tell us, he could have sealed this deal in five minutes. Instead, the rookie's campaign showed it's full of rookies, too, or worse. It's either incompetence or arrogance.

Neither one will get you past her.

P.S. And I won't comment on Myspace's role in all of this. I hear a certain media tycoon has a crack staff of legal attack dogs. Release the hounds!

The Real Way To Remember May Day

2007-05-01T18:14:00.000-07:00

The Real Way To Remember May Day

The May Day immigration marches of last year are a bust this year. In Los Angeles, 150,000 people turned out, compared to a million-plus last year. (And the AP, in its ever-PC coverage dutifully quotes a legal Irish resident of the United States and a legal Korean immigrant high up in the article. It's not until the 17th paragraph that the reporter finds it necessary to quote an illegal alien from Mexico. Nah, no agenda there.)

No celebrations of communism here. Instead, we again reflect on the millions killed by the Red Menace and the millions who remain repressed by it today.

This documentary highlights the struggle continuing in Cuba for freedom and democracy. For the morons and wingnuts out there who want to compare the American government with Nazis, this is what a real dictatorship looks and feels like.

Free Cuba! Kill Castro!

For more, read BaT's post last May Day. It remains as true today as it was a year ago.

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In unrelated news, longtime Bob Newhart sidekick Tom Poston has died. He was 85.

Scotty Is Beamed Up

2007-04-30T17:54:00.000-07:00

Scotty Is Beamed Up

The ashes of James Doohan, who portrayed Montgomery "Scotty" Scott on the original "Star Trek" television series, have finally been blasted into space. His earthly remains had some good space company on Saturday: the great Mercury original Col. Gordon Cooper. (For those of you who remember "The Right Stuff," Dennis Quaid portrayed Cooper.)

Wende Doohan, the wife of the Star Trek actor, spoke of her late husband: "It's not how you die, or when, but rather how you lived." In his role, Scotty was "engineer extraordinaire", she continued, completing his five year mission in three years and that "he's in good company on this flight."

Suzan Cooper, the wife of the late Gordon Cooper explained: "Supposedly, we are all made of stardust. So then it is only natural to one day return to the stars once our lives have ended on this Earth."

"We are all here to celebrate the lives of friends and loved ones ... and to embrace an incredible new technology which allows anyone to leave the boundaries of Earth and actually travel into space," Cooper said.

We wrote a tribute to Doohan back when he died in 2005. There, you can read about his near-death experience as part of the Canadian D-Day assault on Juno Beach.

Godspeed, Scotty and Gordo.

A Few Brief Notes Tonight

2007-04-23T17:38:00.000-07:00

A Few Brief Notes Tonight

We have four presentations this week to prepare for, but a few short items before we go.

Gun violence, despite what the Parisians would like you to believe, isn't solely an American production. Only in America? Hardly.

Five years ago I did research for an article on mass shootings. Here are a few of the headlines I came across:

"8 slain at council meeting"
"Teen wounds 5 in tech school"
"Suspected gang shooting leaves 4 dead, 2 injured"
"Man kills ex-bosses, principal, himself"
"Gunman kills self, 7 others"

The incidents these headlines describe occurred in France, the Netherlands, Japan, Germany and Italy, respectively. In the five years since that research, crime rates have continued to climb in many other countries with far stricter gun control laws than those in the United States. ...

In the 2002 presidential election in France, many political observers cited soaring crime as the Number 1 issue. Nationwide strikes by thousands of France's police officers a few months before the election heightened the issue. The strikes came in response to what police said are growing dangers from gun-wielding criminals. They had strong evidence to cite, including the recent shooting deaths of two police officers during an armed robbery in a Paris suburb.

I've heard people say "only in America" in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shootings. Clearly, though, it's not only in America. Terrible incidents like these have occurred and are occurring in countries across the world, including countries that severely restrict or ban the private ownership of firearms, and countries with a reputation of peace and harmony.

Which reminds us of the old joke. "For Sale: French WWII Army Rifle. Never Fired. Dropped Once."

---

We are also continuing to hear the Virginia Tech shootings referred to as the "worst case of mass murder" by one person (presumably the wording is used to avoid discussing wars on American soil or the 9/11 attacks as "murder"). Regardless, even if you refer to it as the "deadliest act by one person, you'd still be wrong.

The Happy Land social club fire in 1990 killed 87 people. Julio Gonzalez was convicted of murder and arson and sentenced to 174 25-year sentences. This being in New York, of course, he is eligible for parole in eight more years. Down here, he would have already been strapped in and needled.

--

Former Russian President Boris Yeltsin is dead. So is author David Halberstam.

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Hey, Europe, are you paying attention? This could be you in 20 years if you don't wake up.

Enough already ... back to work.

Why All The Focus On The Reaction?

2007-04-19T17:20:00.000-07:00

Why All The Focus On The Reaction?

Because we refuse to participate in the death pornography that the "news" outlets are obsessed with today, we'll address a fair question of this blog. Why have BaT's posts focused so much on how faculty and students reacted to the attack?

The answer is simple: We must be mentally prepared to react to a similar situation -- if, God forbid, we're ever in it -- far in advance of the seconds it takes for the horror to unfold. Once something like this begins, instinct can be the difference between survival or death for you, your family, your friends or even strangers too weak to help themselves.

This is a new era. Hijackers are no longer looking for a free trip into or out of Cuba. They are looking to crash planes into buildings. Bank robbers are no longer folk heroes. They kill everyone inside to eliminate witnesses. And anti-social losers are no longer content with pretending to be Alhandra the Human Paladin. They spout off nonsensical tirades, worship other losers and make references to "88" -- when that particular man would have just as soon sent your non-Aryan ass to the gas chamber, too.

This is a new era. We should assume the worst and pray for the best. Most of us learned this lesson after 9/11, but the sheltered and the clueless need more reminders. This week at Virginia Tech was yet another. Be prepared, be vigilant and, once confronted, be aggressive.

Cowering under a desk and waiting for help to come is no longer an option. American schools must teach their students to respond aggressively to attacks by people bent on mayhem.

"I would hope that the administrators and folks that are making the decisions would understand that it's difficult to negotiate with a bullet," security consultant Allen Hill told TODAY. "A person that comes into your facility with a gun intends to kill and do you harm." ...

The "bad guys" plan their attacks. Schools need to plan and rehearse their defenses and responses just as aggressively.

"The training should be just as intense and be taken just as seriously as the bad guy takes their mission to kill," he said.

At Virginia Tech, Cho Seung Hui walked into classrooms and simply shot people. There are reports that he even lined up victims to shoot them one by one. But in one Norris Hall classroom, student Zach Petkewicz led his classmates in barricading the door, saving all inside.

We received an e-mail yesterday from our friend The Gay Marine from Marigny, last seen beating the hell out of a frat boy who made the mistake of calling someone "a faggot" in the presence of a queer, 6-foot-2 combat veteran. GMfM comments on our Monday post encouraging an unspoken plan for everyone to charge an armed madman as a group rather than be picked off one by one. He reminds us there is another option for those who may not have that option. He writes:

Run like hell! That might be an option, particularly if there's only one or two of you and you are physically outmatched. To charge a gunman, you need more people than he has bullets -- or at least more people than he has time to fire those bullets. So run, but run wisely. Zig-zag like hell. It is very difficult to hit a moving target, particularly under a stressful situation -- and a gunman will be under some stress, especially if he is a thrill killer. Even for skilled marksmen like ourselves, lining up the target and firing accurately becomes extremely difficult when the target moves about wildly. Run away, but not straight away. Don't give him center mass (meaning a good shot at your chest or back). He might hit an arm or leg, but you'll live.

We still prefer returning fire, but not everyone is comfortable with that. So your other choices are charging the gunman, throwing the biggest, hardest objects you can find at him or running like hell. You don't need to be paranoid, but be aware of your surroundings. Always know where the nearest exit is. When you enter a place for the first time, ask yourself: "If some serious sh*t breaks out in here, what's my plan?"

Those 15 seconds of thought before the sh*t breaks out could save your life. And that's why we're focusing on the reaction.

The Not-So-Great Generations

2007-04-18T17:47:00.000-07:00

The Not-So-Great Generations

We had similar thoughts following last night's post about Professor Liviu Librescu and his bravery in the midst of the Virginia Tech rampage. We weren't sure how to sum up our concern that our generation -- those of us over 25 but under 40 -- and the one after us fail to live up to the example set by our parents and grandparents.

Canadian author and columnist Mark Steyn, however, nails our feelings exactly in this column titled, "Cult of Passivity."

On Monday night, Geraldo was all over Fox News saying we have to accept that, in this horrible world we live in, our "children" need to be "protected."

Point one: They're not "children." The students at Virginia Tech were grown women and -- if you'll forgive the expression -- men. They would be regarded as adults by any other society in the history of our planet. Granted, we live in a selectively infantilized culture where twentysomethings are "children" if they're serving in the Third Infantry Division in Ramadi but grown-ups making rational choices if they drop to the broadloom in President Clinton's Oval Office.

Nonetheless, it's deeply damaging to portray fit fully formed adults as children who need to be protected. We should be raising them to understand that there will be moments in life when you need to protect yourself -- and, in a "horrible" world, there may come moments when you have to choose between protecting yourself or others. It is a poor reflection on us that, in those first critical seconds where one has to make a decision, only an elderly Holocaust survivor, Professor Librescu, understood instinctively the obligation to act.

We can't get the image of a nearly 80-year-old professor pressing against a door while a gunman shot through it ... trying desperately to keep a madman out while his students escaped. Tears come to our eyes. Of all the young men in those rooms, it is this old white-haired man who we praise today.

No, none of us can absolutely predict how we'd react in that situation. But we can take a pretty good guess by looking at how we live our lives. Are we the type of people who run up burning skyscrapers or hold doors amidst gunfire? Or are we the type who hide in a corner or turn the other way rather than "get involved"?

God help this country if Professor Librescu is more of the exception than the rule. At least we are heartened to hear some other stories of people helping others. And we may never know what this young man did or tried to do. But judging from the stories we've already heard of his kindness and spirit, we can assume he was rushing to help one of the students who he was charged with looking after. God only knows what great accomplishments he might have produced.

We do our children a disservice to raise them to entrust all to officialdom's security blanket. Geraldo-like "protection" is a delusion: when something goes awry -- whether on a September morning flight out of Logan or on a peaceful college campus -- the state won't be there to protect you. You'll be the fellow on the scene who has to make the decision. As my distinguished compatriot Kathy Shaidle says:

*When we say "we don't know what we'd do under the same circumstances", we make cowardice the default position.*

I'd prefer to say that the default position is a terrible enervating passivity. Murderous misfit loners are mercifully rare. But this awful corrosive passivity is far more pervasive, and, unlike the psycho killer, is an existential threat to a functioning society.

"Better to die on your feet than to live for ever on your knees." -- Dolores Ibarruri.

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Speaking of classics, the "great dame" and New Orleans native Kitty Carlisle Hart has died. She was 96.

In a piece on CBS' "60 Minutes" in 2000, Marie Brenner, author of "Great Dames: What I Learned From Older Women," said: "A great dame is a soldier in high heels. ... They lived through the Depression. They lived through the war.

"They were tough, intelligent and brassy women," said Brenner, who described Hart as a great dame who "walks into a room, and the room lights up."

Discipline ruled Hart's success. She began every day with an exercise routine, even after she turned 90.

"I can do things a woman a fifth my age can't do. ... I do 40 leg lifts without stopping, And then I take my legs, I put them over my head, and I touch the floor behind me with my toes, and then very slowly I let myself down, touching every vertebrae as I go," Hart told "60 Minutes."

RIP.

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Harry Lee, the take-charge sheriff of Jefferson Parish, La., has leukemia. He still plans to seek re-election, even at 74 years old.

But, brandishing his legendary obstinacy, he vowed to stay on the job and even to seek an eighth term in office this fall.

"I fully intend to qualify and run for sheriff on Sept. 4," Lee, 74, said at a news conference.

Love him or hate him, you can be sure the ol' cuss will be there on Election Day if -- and only if -- the Lord Almighty Himself doesn't intervene.

When Ordinary People Do Extraordinary Things

2007-04-17T17:52:00.000-07:00

When Ordinary People Do Extraordinary Things

On this day, we choose to focus not on the evil person who murdered fellow human beings in cold blood. We don't care why he did it. We don't care that he was a loner. We don't care if he may have been on medication. In fact, the only thing we care about him is that he's dead. And we're glad he is.

Instead, we will highlight the story of man who died as he lived: courageously.

A 76-year-old professor who survived the Holocaust was shot to death while saving his students from the Virginia Tech assailant, students said.

Liviu Librescu, an internationally respected aeronautics engineer who taught at Virginia Tech for 20 years, saved the lives of several students by barricading his classroom door before he was gunned down in the massacre, according to e-mail accounts sent by students to his wife.

"My father blocked the doorway with his body and asked the students to flee," his son, Joe Librescu, said in a telephone interview from his home outside of Tel Aviv. "Students started opening windows and jumping out." ...

"He should be recognized as a hero," Virginia Tech graduate student Philip Huffstetler said. "We should be in such great debt to his family for the rest of our lives."

Professor Librescu escaped Nazism. He escaped communism. In the end, he didn't escape a cowardly loser. But because of a 76-year-old man, many young people are alive today. Emerson once said, "A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer." But for the few moments the good professor held that door admire gunfire, his students jumped to safety. In those few moments, he taught them a lesson he will never hear them repeat -- but one they will never forget.

Rest in peace, Professor Librescu. You are a hero.

G-d bless.

A Moment Of Silence

2007-04-17T17:43:00.000-07:00

A Moment Of Silence

Several blogs are briefly going black in remembrance of those murdered at Virginia Tech. (Hat tip: Rocky Top Talk)

We join in this evening.

2007-04-16T17:44:00.000-07:00

Virginia Tech Update

The victim toll is now at 32, with more critically wounded. The killer apparently fought with a girlfriend or ex-girlfriend, and when a dorm adviser intervened, he shot them both. More than two hours passed before the university warned students that a double-murderer was on the loose -- and by then, the much-deadlier shooting spree was already over.

During the later murders, the killer apparently lined his victims up and then shot them execution-style. Let's learn from this and from 9/11 ... both cases when people did what they've "always been told to do" -- don't resist, don't aggitate.

To hell with that. If you're ever in that situation, where you are superior in numbers, the unspoken command should be, "Charge!" A few, no doubt, will die, but in doing so, the others will subdue (or beat to death, we're fine with that, too) the offender.

Better yet, Virginia is a right-to-carry state -- although we've been told that Virginia Tech refused students their constitutional right to protect themselves. If, just maybe, it hadn't ...

NOTE: Odd, but Blogger doesn't seem to be allowing us to update the previous entry. So if this appears twice, our apologies.

Horror In Blacksburg

2007-04-16T10:50:00.000-07:00

Horror In Blacksburg

ABC News is reporting at least 29 people have been murdered in a shooting rampage on the Virginia Tech campus. More are wounded. Pray for the injured and the families of those who have been taken from us.

"It is difficult to comprehend senseless violence on this scale," said Virginia's Governor Timothy M. Kaine in a statement. "Our prayers are with the families and friends of these victims, and members of the extended Virginia Tech community."

Amen.

I-Man Is Canned

2007-04-12T17:38:00.000-07:00

I-Man Is Canned

MSNBC showed talk show host Don Imus the door yesterday. Today, CBS fires him from his radio show once also carried on the lowly rated cable news network.

Losing Imus will be a financial hit to CBS Radio, which also suffered when Howard Stern departed for satellite radio. The program earns about $15 million in annual revenue for CBS, which owns Imus' home radio station WFAN-AM and manages Westwood One, the company that syndicates the show nationally.

The news came down in the middle of Imus' Radiothon, which has raised more than $40 million since 1990. The Radiothon had raised more than $1.3 million Thursday before Imus learned that he lost his job.

"This may be our last Radiothon, so we need to raise about $100 million," Imus cracked at the start of the event.

Imus finally fired back at race-baiting bigot Al Sharpton -- albeit too late and just moments before CBS executives decided to can him.

6:12 AM: On Imus' radio program (no longer simulcast on MSNBC) this morning, Chris Carlin, who covers sports for the program, discussed yesterday's dismissal of charges against the Duke lacrosse players. (rough transcript)

DON IMUS: When will Al Sharpton be apologizing to them?

(LAUGHTER)

CARLIN: I'm unaware of such a press conference.

IMUS: I'll be darned...

Don Imus is a cad. He hurt some young women's feelings, but nobody died. Al Sharpton can't say the same.

Hypocrisy, Table For Two ...

2007-04-11T17:56:00.000-07:00

Hypocrisy, Table For Two ...

These stories are like shooting fish in a barrel nowadays ...

The likes of Madonna and Red Hot Chili Peppers will perform at Live Earth at Wembley Stadium on July 7, yet campaigners say they are among the least "green" individuals on the planet. ...

But green campaigners called the stars' involvement hypocritical last night saying their lifestyles which demand they jet themselves and their huge entourages on world tours give them enormously large carbon footprints.

Last year, for example, they report how Madonna flew as many as 100 technicians, dancers, backing singers, managers and family members on a 56-date world tour in private jets and commercial airliners.

Madonna herself also has a collection of fuel-guzzling cars, including a Mercedes Maybach, two Range Rovers, Audi A8s and a Mini Cooper S. Yet she will headline the London concert to "combat the climate crisis".

"Madonna's Confessions tour produced 440 tonnes of CO2 in four months of last year. And that was just the flights between the countries, not taking into account the truckloads of equipment needed, the power to stage such a show and the transport of all the thousands of fans getting to the gigs.

"The Red Hot Chili Peppers produced 220 tonnes of CO2 with their private jet alone over six months on their last world tour which was 42 dates.

"The average a British person produces is 10 tonnes a year," said John Buckley, managing director-of CarbonFootprint.com.

But don't you get it, Johnny-Boy, they aren't "average." They're celebrities. The rules don't apply. They can do what they want, when they want and where they want. It should come as no shock that Al Gore's foundation will get the sucker cash generated by this concert.

Maybe he can use it to pay for his own outrageous gorging of energy. What a group of first-class a-holes.

UPDATE: Speaking of a-holes, Don Imus has just been dumped by MSNBC. The seven people who watch him every morning will surely miss him ... for about 10 minutes.

Blogger Hiccup

2007-04-11T17:45:00.000-07:00

Blogger Hiccup

Interesting ... BaT never completely migrated over to the new Blogger. We kept a backup identity while adding a new one. The new one now can't log in, but the old backup can.

Let's test this and see if it works live.

UPDATE: Alright, we'll have to work this out later. For now, "Jake" is the same Jake as before.

Cha-Ching: Lesser Of Two (?) Evils Prevails

2007-04-10T18:30:00.000-07:00

Cha-Ching: Lesser Of Two (?) Evils Prevails

Who's ya daddy? If you're Anna Nicole's little girl, you now have an answer -- although considering your choices, you might just as soon be an orphan.

Choice 1: A sleazy lawyer with one client (your drugged-up mother) who just happened to be around at the time your mom and your brother both OD'ed

Choice 2: A "photojournalist" with ethics that allow him to sleep with his most-photographed subject and sell her photos after she dies

Choice 3: An actor/boyguard/chef whose biggest role was either "Bar Patron," "Military Observer" or "Mercenary" -- although his greatest stretch was playing himself

Choice 4: A masseur/fake prince whose only claim to fame before all of this was that he's been married to Zsa Zsa Gabor longer than the other seven men she called hubby

Choice 5: The sperm of a rich oilman who's been dead for more than 10 years -- and whose fortune is nothing less than a curse to anyone around it

Jeez, when you put it that way, maybe the paparazzo guy ain't so bad after all.

DNA tests prove it: Larry Birkhead is the father of Anna Nicole Smith's million-dollar baby.

"I told you so!" the late Playboy Playmate's former boyfriend said Tuesday upon emerging from a closed court hearing. He added: "My baby's going to be coming home pretty soon."

Birkhead, a 34-year-old California photographer, then hugged his rival, Howard K. Stern, who has been caring for baby Dannielynn since Smith's sudden death in February.

The hearing was a pivotal moment in the battle over who gets custody of the girl, who could inherit a fortune from the estate of Smith's late husband, J. Howard Marshall II. Although Birkhead is the father, Stern's name is on the birth certificate. Another custody hearing was scheduled for Friday.

"I told you so!"? And hugging Howard K. Stern? That's his reaction? We guess we shouldn't expect more. The whole damn crew is nutso.

Well, except for you, Howard. We love you. Serious. No, really.

Newsflash: Don Imus Remains An Old Fool

2007-04-09T19:08:00.000-07:00

Newsflash: Don Imus Remains An Old Fool

Radio talk show host Don Imus was once funny. For about 15 minutes. Back about two decades ago, after he sobered up and before he started playing to the television cameras at MSNBC. But now he's 66 years old, and you know, his act is just tired. A lot like Stern. You can only insult people and be a pompous jerk for only so long.

It comes as no surprise to frequent Imus listeners that another bigoted, insensitive comment has rolled off his tongue. And he's now been suspended for two weeks -- and could still lose his job if advertisers starting backing out on his show.

His offense this time around: He called members of the Rutgers women's basketball team (who finished second to the mighty Lady Vols) "some nappy-headed hos."

MSNBC, which telecasts the radio show, said Imus' expressions of regret and embarrassment, coupled with his stated dedication to changing the show's discourse, made it believe suspension was the appropriate response.

"Our future relationship with Imus is contingent on his ability to live up to his word," the network said.

Imus, who has made a career of cranky insults in the morning, was fighting for his job following the joke that by his own admission went "way too far." He continued to apologize Monday, both on his show and on a syndicated radio program hosted by the Rev. Al Sharpton, who is among several black leaders demanding his ouster.

We're torn here. Imus has a history of intolerent comments, and we stopped listening to him years ago. On the other hand, the race-baiters like "Diamond Merchant" Sharpton and Jesse "Hymietown" Jackson after him, one can't help wishing against them -- even if it means being for him. Imus is a moron. What did he have to gain by insulting a group of young women? If he's going to talk about hos, talk about the grown men like Sharpton and Jackson, who undoubtedly will be waiting for the end-game payoff from Imus' corporate bosses.

Eddie Robinson, 1919-2007

2007-04-04T18:49:00.000-07:00

Eddie Robinson, 1919-2007

The great Eddie Robinson is gone.

And so ended the life of a beloved football coach who put a small school in remote northern Louisiana on the map and turned it into a virtual farm team for the NFL during a career that spanned 57 years.

Robinson built a football powerhouse with a worldwide reputation, all the while struggling to get past years of segregation and discrimination against blacks.

His success at Grambling no doubt made him the first easily recognizable black coach in any sport.

"Today, we mourn the loss of a great Louisianan and a true American hero," Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco said. "Coach Eddie Robinson became the most successful college coach of all time and one of the greatest civil rights pioneers in our history. ... Coach Robinson elevated a small town program to national prominence and tore down barriers to achieve an equal playing field for athletes of all races."

Robinson won 408 games, the most ever for any football coach at the time of his retirement in 1997. He sent hundreds of players to the NFL and other leagues, and the majority of them were clutching college degrees when they left Grambling.

He was far more than a football coach, both to the young men who played for him and to the greater community who enjoyed his competitive drive, his class and his success. He died just hours before the 39th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King's murder.

In their own ways, the two men shared a common goal: a world where men would be judged by the depth of their character.

Robinson had character. He also had the respect of those who draw X's and O's for a living. The accolades and remembrances have been pouring in all day. It's as if football's pope died, as if a head of state expired.

"There is no doubt in my mind that in the late 1960s, when they started integrating Southern college football, nobody played a bigger role than Eddie Robinson and (former Florida A&M coach) Jake Gaither," said Florida State's Bobby Bowden, the all-time winningest Division I-A coach. "They were pioneers. It wouldn't have been successful without Eddie Robinson and Jake Gaither. At the time, their schools had it made. Their schools were all African-American and they'd been going undefeated every year. LSU couldn't get African-Americans in school. Tulane couldn't get African-Americans in school. We couldn't get African-Americans in school. Even though they were about to lose a lot of their kids, they helped it be successful, telling people how to act and what to say and to be patient. They made it a wholesome process."

RIP, Coach.

Searching For Bobby Jindal

2007-04-03T17:29:00.000-07:00

Searching For Bobby Jindal

If you haven't heard of Bobby Jindal, you will. Not only can he be the saviour of Louisiana, but he could very well be our first non-white president. Red State takes a look at the wunderkind in a must-read post.

This fall, Louisiana can choose the old ways of doing things, the corrupt ways, the status quo. They can fall back. Or they can move forward under the leadership of the brilliant young policy wonk who chose his home over comfort and financial success. They can take this opportunity to walk in a better path, a path toward solving their problems, fixing the crushed houses and streets, and do what they have to do to make this broken state new again.

The choice is theirs to make.

We first met Bobby back in the late 1990s, when we lived in Louisiana and he had just returned to his home state to work for then-Gov. Mike Foster. It was over dinner at Al Copeland's, and Bobby was out shilling for the governor. We weren't overly impressed with his boss, but we were with him. As the above article mentions, he is razor sharp, in complete command of the facts and the smartest kid in the room. Normally, that's a turnoff. But he was different; you couldn't help but like him.

If not for those sleazy campaign tactics, he would have defeated Kathleen Blanco in 2003 governor's race ... and Louisiana would have avoided the suffering case by her pathetic Katrina response. As local, state and federal bureaucrats "followed procedure" and generally sat on their asses, Bobby and the great sheriff of Jefferson Parish, Harry Lee, were taking action.

Jindal's office had set up a hotline number, with the number broadcast over the radio airwaves, for anyone who needed help to call. The calls ranged the full gamut, from the expected to the shocking -- from no power, to missing children, to medical supplies needed, to "I'm stuck in my attic with a cell phone and a radio. Please come and save me."

They had a helicopter pilot call in. He had his helicopter, gassed up and ready to go. But he wanted authorization to go in and save people.

Jindal's staff called FEMA -- they said it was a military issue. They called the Marines -- they said it was an issue for the Department of Transportation. They called the DOT -- nobody knew who to ask.

Jindal called the helicopter pilot back. "Go in."

"You got me authorization?" the pilot asked.

"Yeah, I'm giving you your authorization right now."

That's the kind of person Louisiana needed as its leader, and now its voters can correct the mistake of '05 by sending him to the Governor's Mansion.

Apologies For The Outage

2007-04-03T17:27:00.000-07:00

Apologies For The Outage

BaT is back online after a blank week. We can't keep up this professional pace and the blog for much longer. But, for now, on with the show ...

Head East, Young Man

2007-03-26T20:38:00.000-07:00

Head East, Young Man

BaT will be a road show this week, so blogging may or may not happen. Tonight, this travel update is it, as there was a PowerPoint calling our name. We may be able to check in again midweek.

M-I-A In A-L-A

2007-03-22T18:30:00.000-07:00

M-I-A In A-L-A

We're betting now this story in the Moonie Times will have an interesting ending ...

An Iraqi air force colonel disappeared recently from an Alabama Air Force base and is being sought in a regional manhunt by federal and military agents, defense officials say.

The colonel, who was not identified, was studying at the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, near Montgomery, since last winter in a leadership training course that is part of U.S. efforts to rebuild the Iraqi air force.

The officer disappeared along with his family, who were living either on the base or in the Montgomery area. He left a note stating that he was leaving the yearlong military course because he did not want to return to war-torn Iraq, said officials familiar with the case.

Air Force security, FBI and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have started a search throughout the Southeast for the colonel and his family.

One official said that the Iraqi is a "high-interest" target and that Montgomery police are involved in the search. He is thought to be planning to hide in the United States or to be fleeing to Mexico.

So let's take some bets on the outcome. Our most like scenarios:

1. This will be the first ever case of someone breaking out of the United States and into Mexico (at least the first one where it's not a man accused of killing his wife).

2. Some redneck will kill this guy, thinking the Iraqis have finally invaded us.

3. The colonel will own a whole chain of Quickie Marts within five years.

So what do you think?

So Long, Larry Bud

2007-03-21T18:24:00.000-07:00

So Long, Larry Bud

"Letterman" regular Calvert DeForest, who went from file clerk to late-night icon, has signed off. He was 85.

Calvert DeForest, the white-haired, bespectacled nebbish who gained cult status as the oddball Larry "Bud" Melman on David Letterman's late night television shows, has died after a long illness. The Brooklyn-born DeForest, who was 85, died Monday at a hospital on Long Island, Letterman's "Late Show" announced Wednesday.

He made dozens of appearances on Letterman's shows from 1982 through 2002, handling a variety of twisted duties: dueting with Sonny Bono on "I Got You, Babe," doing a Mary Tyler Moore impression during a visit to Minneapolis, handing out hot towels to arrivals at the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

"Everyone always wondered if Calvert was an actor playing a character, but in reality he was just himself -- a genuine, modest and nice man," Letterman said in a statement. "To our staff and to our viewers, he was a beloved and valued part of our show, and we will miss him."

The gnomish DeForest was working as a file clerk at a drug rehabilitation center when show producers, who had seen him in a New York University student's film, came calling. ...

"It was the greatest thing that had happened in my life," he once said of his first Letterman appearance.

"So long, suckers!" RIP.

No-Go For Blanco

2007-03-20T18:28:00.000-07:00

No-Go For Blanco

Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco avoids the inevitable by declaring now she will not seek re-election.

Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco, whose popularity plummeted after two hurricanes devastated Louisiana during her term, announced Tuesday that she will not seek re-election.

The decision will let her get what she called important initiatives through an upcoming legislative session without having to worry about political considerations, she said.

"I am doing this so we can work without interference from election year politics," Blanco said.

Her definition of "work," however, differs from ours.

Blanco, 64, had been widely criticized not only for her immediate response to the storms, but also for a bureaucracy-bogged recovery effort.

That effort included the "Road Home" program, designed to funnel billions in federal dollars to pay hurricane-struck homeowners for repairs or buyouts. More than 115,000 people whose homes were damaged in 2005 by the hurricanes have applied for the aid. As of this week, about 3,000 have received grants.

Just last week, Blanco was promoting a plan for re-election and raising money to support it. But enter John Breaux, the former U.S. Senator who remains very popular in the state.

The stunning decision opens the door for former U.S. Sen. John Breaux, who has flirted with getting into the race but told fellow Democrats he would not run in the Oct. 20 primary unless Blanco decided to step aside.

Recent polling shows Blanco badly trailing Republican Congressman Bobby Jindal of Kenner, in what would have been a rematch of their 2003 runoff won by Blanco with a 52 to 48 percent margin.

With Breaux not wishing to challenge a sitting governor -- and that governor behind the likely Republican nominee -- one can only suspect that Blanco couldn't find campaign contributors for a protracted battle, first in the primary (two beatable candidates have already announced -- but had Breaux not entered the race, a bigger name would have) and then in the general election.

Is it time to start the Draft Willy Wonka movement?

(Little) Soul Brotha No. 1

2007-03-20T18:22:00.000-07:00

(Little) Soul Brotha No. 1

Check out this kid and his tribute to the late, great -- and finally buried -- James Brown.

It's Mine, All Mine!

2007-03-19T19:40:00.000-07:00

It's Mine, All Mine!

The environmental conscience of our nation or hypocritical robber baron? The media is torn on which face of Algore it wants to portray. Lately, it seems, the curtain has been torn away from this wizard who once was a heartbeat (or at least one more blue dress) away from the presidency.

This week, his hometown newspaper (the Tennessean, not the Washington Post) publishes an article loaded with class warfare buzzwords, in a piece subtlely titled: "Tenn. mine enriched Gore, scarred land." Enriched ... scarred ... wow, it sounds a lot like a Gore speech aimed at greedy Corporate America.

Al Gore has profited from zinc mining that has released millions of pounds of potentially toxic substances near his farmstead, but there is no evidence the mine has caused serious damage to the environment in the area or threatened the health of his neighbors.

Two massive white mountains of leftover rock waste are evidence of three decades of mining that earned Gore more than $500,000 in royalty payments for the mineral rights to his property.

New owners plan to start mining again later this year, after nearly four years of inactivity. In addition to bringing 250 much-needed jobs to rural Middle Tennessee, mine owners will resume paying royalties to some residents who, like Gore, own land adjacent to the mine and lease access to the zinc under their property. ...

Previous mine owners released toxic substances into waterways above the allowable levels several times in the eight years before the mine closed.

But state regulators consider those permit violations minor, and monitoring reports provide a clean bill of health for the surface water in the area. Community leaders and health officials recall no health problems ever associated with the mining.

But now that the mine is reopening and Gore's status as an environmentalist has grown, some of Gore's neighbors see a conflict between the mining and his moral call for environmental activism.

"Mining is not exactly synonymous with being green, is it?" said John Mullins, who lives in nearby Cookeville. A conservative, Mullins welcomes the resumption of mining for the benefits it will bring the community. But he says Gore's view that global warming is a certainty is arrogant and that by being connected to mining, Gore is not "walking the walk."

Yes, yes, we know Al Gore is a hypocrite. Nothing new here. Get to the real story. Oh, wait, there it is ... all the way down in paragraph 16.

Al Gore Jr.'s involvement in mining can be traced to Sept. 22, 1973.

Former U.S. Sen. Albert Gore Sr. bought about 88 acres along the Caney Fork River from Occidental Minerals, a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum, for $160,000. Included in the deal was the subsurface area. The rights to the minerals below ground were then leased back to Occidental.

On the same day, Gore Sr. sold the land and subsurface area to his 25-year-old son and daughter-in-law for $140,000. The mineral lease to Occidental was put in their names.

Ding, ding, ding. There it is. The good ol' Gore-Occidental connection again.

Forget that in 1973, Gore Jr. was a reporter for the very newspaper now writing about him -- and on his salary alone, he could hardly afford to purchase the land himself. (Adjusted for inflation, that's $650,000 in today's terms.) He surely had a trust fund at this point, since his old man had been "The U.S. Senator from Occidental" long before he actually went to work for the company.

What smells here? It's not Gore's hypocrisy on the environment. By all accounts, zinc mining does damage surrounding land. But, as the National Association of Manufacturers, points out, what economic activity doesn't have some environmental impact? In fact, NAM actually defends Gore -- and these two wouldn't normally agree that the sky is up.

No, the Gore hypocrisy on display here is his natural inclination to blame greedy corporate overlords for the world's ills, while he himself collects money from Big Tobacco, Big Oil and now Big Zinc. And all the while, he got in bed with the zinc mine in a midnight transfer of leases between his daddy and his daddy's longtime corporate benefactor.

Have you ever tasted zinc? Well, it tastes like this whole thing smells ... like sh*t.

--

John Fund of the The Wall Street Journal editorial page points out more media recognition of Gore's nuttiness.

The New York Times last week interviewed many scientists who say they are alarmed "at what they call [Mr. Gore's] alarmism on global warming." In a front-page piece in its science section, the Times headline read "From a Rapt Audience, a Call to Cool the Hype."

The Times quoted Don Easterbrook, an emeritus professor of geology at Western Washington University, as telling hundreds of experts at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America that "I don't want to pick on Al Gore. But there are a lot of inaccuracies in the statements we are seeing, and we have to temper that with real data." ...

Even James Hansen, a scientist who began issuing warning cries about global warming in the 1980s and is a top adviser to Mr. Gore, concedes that his work may hold "imperfections" and "technical flaws."

It goes on and on.

---

Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit sums it up best -- and much more briefly than we've done here.

That said, it's not clear that Gore himself has done anything wrong, though he's clearly made money from a project that's pretty environmentally unfriendly. But this will add to the perception that Gore's green talk is hypocritical, I suspect. As I've noted below, if you adopt a quasi-messianic posture, people will judge your actions very differently than if you do not.

And Hollywood really wants Gore to run for president? Imbeciles.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2007-03-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

To the McCaffertys everywhere -- and to those of you who are only Irish for a day -- Happy St. Patrick's Day! On this second anniversary of BaT, thank you to everyone who still continues to visit this blog every now and then. We hope we can get back on a regular routine in the coming weeks.

Until then ...

May your glass be ever full.
May the roof over your head be always strong.
And may you be in heaven
Half an hour before the devil knows you're dead.

Cheers,

Jake

Who Woulda Thunk It?

2007-03-15T21:46:00.000-07:00

Who Woulda Thunk It?

An 80-year-old Republican senator from Virginia -- who served in Korea as a Marine and later as secretary of the Navy -- rebukes the top military officer in the country and states outright that he doesn't consider homosexuality as immoral.

But when two so-called "liberal" presidential candidates on the other side of the Senate aisle are given the same opportunity, neither one could find the intestinal fortitude to do what the ol' white Southerner did.

If gays and lesbians were looking for a champion to dispute Gen. Peter Pace's claim that homosexuality is immoral, they might have expected Hillary Rodham Clinton or Barack Obama to leap forward.

Not quite. While both Clinton and Obama are courting gays and lesbians, and would allow them to serve openly in the military, the Democratic front-runners have been curiously reticent about challenging the statements of the chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff. ...

On Wednesday, Newsday repeatedly asked Obama if same-sex relationships were immoral.

"I think traditionally the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman has restricted his public comments to military matters," said Obama, leaving Capitol Hill. "That's probably a good tradition to follow." ...

That sequence was remarkably similar to Clinton's responses Tuesday. When an ABC reporter asked her about the issue, she replied, "Well, I am going to leave that to others to conclude."

Later, they both trotted out their "spokespersons" to say that they indeed disagree with Pace, but (Ed: Sarcastic, artist license warning ahead ...) "we just don't want to say it ourselves so it can become part of an opponent's television commercial later."

Later, Senator Clinton did speak for herself, but she made matters worse.

"Well I've heard from a number of my friends and I've certainly clarified with them any misunderstanding that anyone had, because I disagree with General Pace completely. I do not think homosexuality is immoral. But the point I was trying to make is that this policy of Don't Ask, Don't Tell is not working. I have been against it for many years because I think it does a grave injustice to patriotic Americans who want to serve their country."

Don't Ask, Don't Tell ... now exactly who came up with that policy -- despite campaign promises to the contrary? And who was that guy's "co-president"?

Yeah, That'll Get You Fired

2007-03-14T20:21:00.000-07:00

Yeah, That'll Get You Fired

Israel has had a tough time of late with diplomats. Two years ago, a diplomat was found to have published photos of nude Brazilian while stationed there. Last year, its (now former) ambassador to Australia described Asia as the land of people with "slanted eyes."

Now this, which leaves those two in the dust ...

The Israeli ambassador to El Salvador has been recalled after he was found drunk, naked and bound in sexual bondage gear in his yard, an official said Monday.

Tsuriel Raphael has been removed from his post and the Foreign Ministry has begun searching for a replacement, said spokeswoman Zehavit Ben-Hillel.

Two weeks ago, El Salvador police found Raphael naked outside his residence, tied up, gagged and drunk, Israeli media reported. He was wearing several sex toys at the time, the media said. After he was untied, Raphael told police he was the ambassador of Israel, the reports said.

The British Broadcasting Corp. reported that he could identify himself to police only after a rubber ball had been removed from his mouth.

OK, is it us or do your mouth not just drop about three inches when you read that last sentence?

But, c'mon, seriously, how much of a career has he lost? The Israeli ambassador to El Salvador? What else do we expect him to do while he's there? He couldn't have been very effective anyway. Since an ambassador's main duty is to speak, he couldn't fulfill responsibilities, what with that ball-gag and all.

Oy, vey.

Revisiting "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"?

2007-03-13T21:15:00.000-07:00

Revisiting "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"?

No real time for a long post tonight, but this interesting note from the Chicago Tribune's Washington Bureau suggests the U.S. Sen. John Warner, R-Va., may be willing to revisit the American military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy toward gay servicemen and women.

The ranking Republican of the Senate Armed Services Committee sharply rebuked the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Tuesday, taking issue with General Peter Pace's view that homosexual acts are immoral.

Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), a former Secretary of the Navy, said, "I respectfully but strongly disagree with the chairman's view that homosexuality is immoral. In keeping with my longstanding respect for the Armed Services committee hearing process, I will decline to comment on the current policy until after such hearings are held."

The power to schedule hearings rests with the current chairman, Carl Levin (D-Mich.).

But Warner's comments suggest that he may be willing to revisit U.S. military policy of "don't ask, don't tell," which was crafted under President Clinton and backed by Pace. A spokesman said Warner has not discussed his view of the policy in past years.

All of this following Pace's wrong-headed opinions. Considering some of the Marines I've known in my lifetime, does anyone want to bet that Pace is a bottom?

I kid, I kid! There's nothing wrong with being on the receiving end. Somebody has to.

There Goes The Neighborhood?

2007-03-12T21:47:00.000-07:00

There Goes The Neighborhood?

Video killed the radio star. O.J. killed Ron and Nicole. Now, the Internet and homo-powered downtown revitalization are killing gay ghettos across the country. (Link is to gay.com)

In just about any other place, the sight of a man and woman pushing a stroller would be welcomed as a sign of stability and safety. In San Francisco's heavily gay Castro District, some people can't help but think: There goes the neighborhood.

Gay leaders in the Castro and other gay neighborhoods around the country fear their enclaves are losing their distinct identities.

These areas are slowly being altered by an influx of heterosexual couples, the forces of gentrification, and growing confidence among gays that they can live pretty much wherever they want nowadays and do not need the security of being in a "gay ghetto."

"What I've heard from some people is, 'We don't need the Castro anymore because essentially San Francisco is our Castro,'" said Don Romesburg, co-chairman of the GLBT Historical Society, a group that represents gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals. ...

The same trend is happening in other large cities. In the South, we took notice the last couple of years when Backstreet -- at one time the No. 1 gay bar in Atlanta -- closed after years of fighting "blue laws" and numerous drug busts. High-rise condos are taking its place.

In part, gay people are to "blame" for the interest by straight people to move back into downtown areas. We move in, remodel and -- viola! But more likely, it's a sign of progress toward acceptance and equality. Twenty years ago, young gay people moved to urban centers to escape homophobia and to embrace safety in numbers. We moved to San Francisco, the West Village, New Orleans, anywhere but "here."

Gay people coming of age today see very little reason to move to large, high-tax cities. Or if they do, prefer to live outside the ghettos with straight roommates who think nothing of their sexual orientation. Instead, they can stay "home."

Community activists worry that gayborhoods are losing their relevance as gay men and lesbians win legal rights and greater social acceptance.

"Thirty years ago, if I lived in the Midwest and I was gay, my thought was I would go to San Francisco or New York," says Gary Gates, a demographer for the Williams Institute, a think tank at UCLA that specializes in sexual orientation and the law. "Now, a person can go to Kansas City and find a fairly active and open gay community." ...

Another factor contributing to the decline of gay neighborhoods: Many young gays feel comfortable mixing with people of different genders and sexual orientations.

"We don't want to ostracize ourselves," said Matty Lamos, 20, who moved to San Francisco's diverse Mission District from nearby Petaluma three years ago.

You just can't have it both ways. We can't clamor for acceptance while walling ourselves off from people who are different than we are. "What progress we are making," Freud once said. "In the Middle Ages they would have burned me. Now they are content with burning my books."

In losing some of our neighborhoods' identity, we gain something much greater: anonymity.

The Bea(s)t Goes On

2007-03-05T17:05:00.000-08:00

The Bea(s)t Goes On

This seems to be happening all too much. Unfortunately, we have a major project with a short deadline here at BaT.

Blogging will be suspended for awhile, as both time and travel will hinder it. This is also affecting the planned blog redesign.

See you soon ... we hope.

Killer Tornadoes Strike Alabama

2007-03-01T18:46:00.000-08:00

Killer Tornadoes Strike Alabama

Violent storms have struck the South today, particularly in Alabama where at least seven people dead -- including five students at Enterprise High School in the lower part of the state. Early reports had the school death toll at 15.

Richardson said a higher number of deaths at the school was reported erroneously earlier in the evening because of "miscommunication at the site." But she said search and rescue efforts were continuing in Enterprise Thursday night, and the number of dead could rise.

City officials in Enterprise at a news 6:30 p.m. news conference confirmed no deaths but said many were injured.

The deaths came as heavy thunderstorms sped through Alabama, spawning tornadoes and leaving widespread damage.

Worst hit was Enterprise, where a hallway at Enterprise High School collapsed and the downtown suffered heavy damage. More than 40 people were injured, Richardson said.Wilcox County Commissioner Mark Curl said one person died in the town of Miller's Ferry.

Students at Enterprise High were taken from the school in more than a dozen ambulances. Eleventh-grader Francisco Paulino said students had been sent to the halls for safety just before the winds struck.

"Most of the third hall was blown in by the wind," said Paulino, whose arm was injured. He said some students were trapped under debris and others were helping get them out.

Let's hope some of the presumed fatalities are found safe, or at least only slightly injured. Our prayers go out to the familes and those affected today. Wish for the best.

Do As I Say, Not As I Do, Case No. 48 -- and 49

2007-02-28T19:58:00.000-08:00

Do As I Say, Not As I Do, Case No. 48 -- and 49

Earlier this week, we discussed former Vice President Al Gore's hypocrisy. Today, courtesy of the Los Angeles Times (with a a hat tip to Instapundit), the glaring eye of "what's good for the goose is good for the ganger" is turned upon California's top politicians. And across the pond, the Evening Standard unloads on Prince "Ban Big Macs."

Reports the L.A. Times ...

Sen. Dianne Feinstein offers plenty of tips on how California households can combat global warming, such as carpooling and running only a full dishwasher.

But one bit of information Feinstein declines to share is the number of times that she flew last year on her husband's Gulfstream jet, which burns much more fuel per passenger-mile than commercial airliners.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger also has asked constituents to do their part to conserve energy -- including cutting summertime power consumption -- even though he takes to the skies on leased executive jets. ...

"There appears to be a discrepancy between calling on people to make personal reductions and using a private jet that exacerbates the problem," Clean Air Watch President Frank O'Donnell said.

Flying on a Gulfstream rather than an airliner is like driving a sport utility vehicle instead of riding a bus, O'Donnell and others say. A single cross-country round trip on a Gulfstream IV, or GIV, the model owned by Feinstein's husband, churns out about 83,000 to 90,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, experts say. By contrast, on a per capita basis, the average American produces 50,000 pounds from all activities in an entire year.

Nonetheless, Feinstein and Schwarzenegger intend to continue their noncommercial flying ways because their jobs demand a flexibility the airlines can't match, spokesmen say.

Then it goes on and on with the hooie about "carbon offsets," which even if it wasn't some scam designed to provide cover for "environmentalists" who don't want to fly with the great unwashed (i.e. me and you), may counter the emissions yet still does nothing about vainly wasting fuel.

And there's the inbred wonder that is Prince Charles, who says McDonald's should be banned as a public health threat. Meanwhile, he failed to check his own food line's nutritional value.

"... it was pointed out that the company's signature Big Mac contains fewer calories, fats and salt than some products in his own organic Duchy Originals food range.

How they compare ...

His Cornish pasty contains 264 calories per 100g compared to the burger's 229 calories, and 5.5g of saturated fat as opposed to the Big Mac's 4.14g."

There's some debate about the calorie count of a Big Mac, but still, check out the fat grams. Amanda from Chicago gets right to the point in the comments section.

I love the irony in Charles' comment ... "It is up to consumers to decide whether to buy them," concerning the pastry. Why can't consumers also decide if they want a Big Mac? I'm so glad the US doesn't have to deal with aristocracy ... we just get Sean Penn instead.

And Congress.

90210ooooooohhhhhhh

2007-02-27T18:21:00.000-08:00

90210ooooooohhhhhhh

The producers of "Will & Grace" are back with a new gay-centric comedy, starring former "Beverly Hills 90210" cast member Brian Austin Green. (Hat tip: Popnography)

Former "Beverly Hills, 90210" star Brian Austin Green will play a gay man in a new comedy pilot from the creators of "Will & Grace."

The untitled CBS project, from David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, is about two friends and writing partners, one straight and one gay (Green), and the women working with them (Jessica Capshaw, Vanessa Lengies). The project is loosely based on Kohan and Mutchnick's friendship.

We liked the early years of "W&G," but as time passed Will turned bitchier, Grace turned dumber, Jack turned queenier and Karen turned squealier. We're willing to give this one a chance if the pilot is picked up, but this doesn't seem extremely original. It's too much like a one-gay, one-straight "Odd Couple," although many question whether that hasn't already been done, too.

Rumors years ago had one of the male "90210" male cast members who dated a fellow female cast member as a regular on the Hollywood gay cruising circuit. Speculation fell mostly on Brian Austin Green, because he dated two cast members. However, those in the publishing circles, heard a certain male magazine magnate proclaim one more than one occasion that he was bedding the goodie-goodie, not the geeky geek.

Both West Beverly Hills High School graduates later married women, but we thank Brian Austin Green for giving us a chance to bring up that old gossip -- with the guise of relevancy.

So Where Do We Begin?

2007-02-26T18:15:00.000-08:00

So Where Do We Begin?

Thanks, Blogger, for eating half a post. Let's start over ...

Much has happened since we last gathered. Or not happened.

First, the Oscars. We couldn't watch the whole ceremony ... we don't have eight spare hours on the weekend to do so. But the highlights for us were few anyway. Here they are:

Forest Whitaker. Winner. Love him.

Martin Scorsese. Winner. Finally. Should have won 25 years ago.

Ellen. Funny. Most of the time.

Jerry Seinfeld. Funnier. "Five incredibly depressing movies." A riot. And yawning as Leo DiCaprio (who can't carry Forest Whitaker's lunch ... and he had two chances this year alone!) and Algore slobbered on with each other.

We won't even discuss the former vice president and the glorified PowerPoint presentation he calls a documentary. Instead, this article from the "independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan" -- translation: libertarian -- Tennessee Center for Policy Research pretty much sums up that gas bag. (Disclaimer: In another life, I knew a TCPR staffer, and in 1988, I volunteered on the Gore presidential campaign.)

Gore's mansion, located in the posh Belle Meade area of Nashville, consumes more electricity every month than the average American household uses in an entire year, according to the Nashville Electric Service (NES).

In his documentary, the former Vice President calls on Americans to conserve energy by reducing electricity consumption at home.

The average household in America consumes 10,656 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, according to the Department of Energy. In 2006, Gore devoured nearly 221,000 kWh -- more than 20 times the national average.

Last August alone, Gore burned through 22,619 kWh -- guzzling more than twice the electricity in one month than an average American family uses in an entire year. As a result of his energy consumption, Gore's average monthly electric bill topped $1,359.

Since the release of An Inconvenient Truth, Gore's energy consumption has increased from an average of 16,200 kWh per month in 2005, to 18,400 kWh per month in 2006.

Keep that in mind the next time the fat blow-hard takes up 10 minutes of our lives lecturing us on what we should do. Hey, Al, your 15 minutes ended about the time Monica took it on her blue dress. Now ride off into the sunset and count your oil bribes.

---

Enough about the Oscars. Dictator-lovin' Looney Louie is back in the news. He says his "time is up." No mention if that "up" includes a spaceship. Eighty days and count, eh?

--

Yeah, yeah, Americans hate their jobs. Particularly Americans under 25. Blah blah. I remember when we had to walk to the Starbucks on the first floor of the office building. Uphill. Both ways. Whiners.

---

So what hasn't changed? Anna Nicole Smith and James Brown are still dead. And not buried.

Playboy Centerfold: 18 days and counting, body still in the morgue.

Soul Brotha No. 1: Two months, body in an undisclosed location -- but in a gold casket. Style even in the end.

Oh, and Al Gore is still a pompous a-hole.

Boy, Interrupted

2007-02-15T20:15:00.000-08:00

Boy, Interrupted

It's not a mental hospital, but BaT will not be here for the rest of this week and all of next.

We'll be traveling for work, and blogging will not be a priority. We're heading for the Rockies, where there should be clear skies and -- hopefully -- snow on the ground. Which reminds us of this line from the movie that inspired this blog heading.

"You know, taking us for ice creams in a blizzard ... makes you wonder who the real whack jobs are."

See you a week from Monday ... if not before.

Happy Valentine's Day

2007-02-14T18:31:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day

Just a short post tonight, as you should have better things to do on Love Day than read about Anna Nicole Smith.

So here's the best Valentine's Day greeting BaT received today:

"I wanted to mail you something amazing, sexy and hot. But the letter carrier told me to get my ass out of the damn mailbox."

Happy V-Day all!

She Can't Roll Over In Her Grave -- Yet

2007-02-13T18:01:00.000-08:00

She Can't Roll Over In Her Grave -- Yet

It's now time for another round of "Battle for the Body, Celebrity Edition." The possible-baby-daddy count for Anna Nicole Smith's sole surviving child is now up to at least four: the sleazy lawyer/companion, a former boyfriend, Zsa Zsa's husband and the bodyguard/former-chef.

And there are some interesting photos of the former Playboy model and a Bahamian official who granted her immigration favors -- although we're fairly certainly there's no need to DNA test him considering the lily-white Smith-and-God-knows-Who offspring.

Meanwhile, poor Anna Nicole -- who rose to stardom because she looked like Marilyn Monroe -- is now, in death, imitating another celebrity ... James Brown. Like Soul Brotha Number One, there's a fight over what happens to the body.

TMZ has learned that a fight is brewing over Anna Nicole's lifeless body lying in a Florida morgue.

Sources tell TMZ that Anna's mother, Virgie Arthur, wants to claim her daughter's body as soon as possible, paving the way for a proper burial. But Anna's mother, TMZ has learned, is not the only one who wants to claim the former Playmate's body.

We're told Anna's people have contacted Larry Birkhead's reps and tried to bargain. You see, Birkhead has a legal hold on the body per a Los Angeles Judge. If Birkhead releases that hold, Anna's reps promise to give him a sample of her DNA. But here's the catch: Anna's reps have not agreed to give Birkhead a DNA sample of the baby.

Even if Birkhead strikes a deal, it's unlikely Stern could claim the body since he had no legal relationship with Anna -- they were never married. It would seem that in this battle, Anna's mother has the upper hand.

Now, we're not legal experts here at BaT, so we can't comment on who is the rightful heir of the centerfold corpse. But what we do know is there's a special place in hell for people for just about everyone involved in this sordid mess.

P.S. Meanwhile, James Brown is still on ice in Dick Cheney's "Undisclosed Location." A judge told the family last week to hurry it up.

Just Creepy (Times Two)

2007-02-12T18:12:00.000-08:00

Just Creepy (Times Two)

At BaT, we aren't fashion experts. We prefer Banana Republic to Prada. But is it just us, or is this sh'aria-inspired outfit the creepiest thing you've ever seen? (Hat tip: Drudge)

And the photo caption leaves us completely clueless:

A model wears an outfit by Fashion East designer Louise Golden during her catwalk show at London Fashion Week in London, Monday Feb. 12, 2007. The designers are showing their Autumn/ Winter 2007/8 collections. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

We're pretty sure if some designer featured the Confederate battle flag -- a widely proclaimed symbol of repression -- then some helpful AP photo editor would explain to us the significance of the fashion "inspiration."

Speaking of creepy, is there anyone out there who thinks Howard K. Stern, Anna Nicole Smith's lawyer/companion/possible-baby-daddy, is a good person with good intentions? Anna Nicole's mother is trying to find out the whereabouts of her granddaughter, and this is his response.

As for Stern, in an interview with Entertainment Tonight reporter Mark Steines, he said Daniellynn is the only thing keeping him alive.

"If it wasn't for Daniellynn ... it's the only reason why I'm here," Stern said. "[Arthur is] trying to get the baby ... [I] despise that woman ... as long as I have one breath left in my body ... that woman will not see Daniellynn."

Maybe he's grief-stricken ... being present at the deaths of your girlfriend and your almost stepson in the past few months might do that to you. And maybe there's some history of hatred there between the mother and Stern. But is this something a normal person says to a reporter, just days after the woman he supposedly loves dies?

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark ... and this one has nothing to do with Hamlet.

A Sad Life Ends

2007-02-08T19:00:00.000-08:00

A Sad Life Ends

A depressing day here at BaT. Anna Nicole Smith, the former Playboy centerfold, Guess? icon and all-around troubled soul, died today. (See the post below, as well.) She was only 39.

Anna Nicole Smith, the pneumatic blonde whose life played out as an extraordinary tabloid tale -- Playboy centerfold, jeans model, bride of an octogenarian oil tycoon, reality-show subject, tragic mother -- died Thursday after collapsing at a hotel. She was 39.

She was stricken while staying at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and was rushed to a hospital. Edwina Johnson, chief investigator for the Broward County Medical Examiner's Office, said the cause of death was under investigation and an autopsy would be done on Friday.

Just five months ago, Smith's 20-year-old son, Daniel, died suddenly in the Bahamas in what was believed to be a drug-related death.

Seminole Police Chief Charlie Tiger said a private nurse called 911 after finding Smith unresponsive in her sixth-floor room at the hotel, which is on an Indian reservation. He said Smith's bodyguard administered CPR, but she was declared dead at a hospital. Later Thursday, two sheriff's deputies carried out at least eight brown paper bags sealed with red evidence tape from Smith's hotel room.

She was just a tragic figure, much like Marilyn Monroe, the woman she modeled herself after. (Ms. Monroe died at 36.) Anyone who watched her horrific reality show on E! could only be in awe of her life ... and not in a good way.

The product of a broken home, a teen mother, a stripper, the bride of an invalid, dirty old man, Playboy centerfold, mainstream model, widow, substance abuser, a mother who lost her son, a woman with a sleazy lawyer boyfriend -- and now a quick death in an Indian casino.

She brought so much on herself, but you just couldn't help but feel pity for her. Sad, simply sad.

RIP, Anna Nicole. Here's hoping you get a better hand somewhere down the road.

In Memory Of The Mad Man

2007-02-08T18:54:00.000-08:00

In Memory Of The Mad Man

Five years ago today, we lost a very dear friend after his battle with AIDS. We called him The Mad Man, not because of his wild ways. Quite to the contrary. He was quiet and unassuming, and the nickname was strictly tongue in cheek.

He is gone, but still remembered with love and respect.

NBGay! Former Pro Hoopster Comes Out

2007-02-07T20:33:00.000-08:00

NBGay! Former Pro Hoopster Comes Out

The AFP describes John Amaechi as an "ex-NBA star," which may be an exaggeration. Regardless, the former professional basketball player is set to announce he's gay -- becoming one of only a few male athletes (at least in the major American sports) -- to come out of the lockerroom closet.

John Amaechi, the former NBA player and England basketball international, is to publish a book next week in which he will reveal he is gay.

The autobiography, entitled Man in the Middle, will detail his six seasons in the world's leading basketball league and its release is being eagerly awaited in the United States.

ESPN, publishers of the book have lined up a television documentary featuring the 6ft 10in former centre and a revelatory magazine article prior to the release of the book in the United States on February 20.

Amaechi, 36, becomes the first male basketball player to come out as gay and only a handful of high-profile men in other team sports have done so.

He was born in Boston but raised in England -- and has a British accent. You can watch a clip of him on his Web site. I'm guessing he didn't go to many gay clubs when he was in the States. It would be pretty hard to hide a 6-foot-10 black guy with a British accent.

I'm sorry, all I can think about right now is an episode of "Will & Grace" where Jack was into outing television characters. Will tells him: "C-3PO wasn't gay, he was British."

On a serious note, congratulations to Mr. Amaechi for coming out and chipping away at yet another stereotype. Welcome to the neighborhood!

C'mon, Get A Life, Round 17

2007-02-06T18:26:00.000-08:00

C'mon, Get A Life, Round 17

A couple of gay activist groups are upset over a Super Bowl commercial, and a candymaker quickly caves to the hysteria.

A commercial for Snickers candy bars launched in the Super Bowl broadcast was benched after its maker got complaints that it was homophobic.

The ad showed two auto mechanics accidentally kissing while eating the same candy bar and then ripping out some chest hair to do something "manly." One of the alternate endings on the Snickers Web site showed the men attacking each other.

The Human Rights Campaign and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation complained to the maker of Snickers, Hackettstown-based Masterfoods USA, a division of Mars Inc., which also makes M&M's and other candies. ...

Masterfoods spokeswoman Alice Nathanson issued a statement in which she said the company would stop running the ad on television and the Web site.

"As with all of our Snickers advertising, our goal was to capture the attention of our core Snickers consumer," Nathanson wrote.

Good Lord. Can't we have the least bit of a sense of humor? The commercial was funny. Get over it.

And, then there's the PR flack. "Our core Snickers consumer"? Exactly who is that? Insecure auto mechanics? If nothing, the commercial illustrates homophobes' stupidity that an accidental touching of lips could be remedy by self-mutilation.

We really have better things to focus on.

Now here's the correct way to get attention -- and show a real sense of humor.

A group of gay-marriage supporters could begin collecting signatures today for a November ballot initiative that would limit marriage in Washington to couples willing and able to have children.

The measure would also dissolve the union of those who remain childless three years after marrying.

Are they serious?

Gregory Gadow, of the Washington Defense of Marriage Alliance, said the group hopes to make a point by parodying a state Supreme Court ruling last year that denied gays the right to marry because, among other reasons, such unions don't further the purpose of procreation. ...

Gadow said his alliance -- whose name itself is part of the parody, forming the acronym DOMA -- is a loosely organized group of 15 or so friends. While they will work to get Initiative 957 on the ballot and passed in November, Gadow said he doesn't really want to see it enacted -- and would expect the Supreme Court ultimately to strike it down as unconstitutional.

And that's the point, he said. By striking down I-957, he believes the court would be forced to confront its decision in the gay-marriage case.

But, of course, the gay activist groups so upset over a candy commercial are nowhere to be found on this one. Could it be because there's no $18 billion company ripe for a "sensitivity" training shakedown? Jesse Jackson would be proud.

Help Redesign BaT

2007-02-06T18:07:00.000-08:00

Help Redesign BaT

Don't forget to vote for your favorite image. BaT will get a new paint job soon, so if you think one of these photos is cooler than the other, tell me in the comment section.

Is Rudy In?

2007-02-05T20:37:00.000-08:00

Is Rudy In?

Rudy Guiliani, the former mayor of New York, has removed some "hedge" phrases from this presidential exploratory filing. He is now, legally, on the same footing as two other GOP probables: U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney.

Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor who became a national hero for his response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, suggested Monday that a formal presidential announcement was a matter of when, not if.

"Today we just took another step toward running for president," the Republican said, hours after filing a so-called "statement of candidacy" with the Federal Election Commission, which moved him closer to a full-fledged campaign.

"It's a big step, an important one. Quite honestly, we're probably ahead of schedule," Giuliani told reporters in Long Island while campaigning with a state Senate candidate. "We still have to think about a formal announcement and how to do it, but this is a pretty strong step."

C'mon, Mr. Mayor, America needs you in this race. Run, Rudi, Run!

P.S. If you came here to vote on new BaT imagery, scroll down.

More On The New Blogger

2007-02-05T19:43:00.000-08:00

More On The New Blogger

Thank you to everyone who commented on their experiences moving to the new Blogger.

I poked around a little more on it using a backup account. I have to say the selling point of new templates isn't that strong. In fact, the new templates look much like the old ones -- just in different colors. Even an HTML novice like myself can manipulate colors. I was hoping for more original designs.

I've surfed through several sites offering blog designs, and most of them seem geared toward 13-year-old girls. I did find one that keeps the sleek, simple look of the current design by MayStar. (Alas, MayStar seems to have retired from creating such templates.) This template will require me to create a new header, which I believe I can do.

Here's where you come in. I want to update Ms. Hepburn's image -- yes, Jay, she stays ... it wouldn't be BaT without her. I've narrowed it to three choices, although once I begin creating the header, I may discover one or more may not work. For now, though, what do you think of these images:

Number 1

Number 2

Number 3

The target date for migration and the redesign is our two-year anniversary on March 17, unless Blogger/Google make me move before then.

Template Temptation

2007-02-01T18:31:00.000-08:00

Template Temptation

BaT's second anniversary is a month and a half away, and we've been considering a blog redesign. The simple black-and-white look is starting to tire. But, quite frankly, we're not very good at creating our own template, and the packaged designs from Blogger have never been exciting, either.

And now, four years after it bought Blogger, Google seems to be finally interested in improving it. We've been tempted for a couple of weeks now as Google promotes "the new Blogger." We have been hesitant to switch, however, because primarily we don't like change. Secondly, we're worried that some of our previous posts will be lost in the migration. We're already using a customer template, and we're not sure how the exchange will go.

The new Blogger promises features that BaT has been missing. New design features are available, which could making updating our look easier. Feed options are increased, and we have received several requests for RSS and Atom additions. Publishing is suppose to be easier, and there's a label feature which would save time I now spend searching for previous posts on similar topics.

We were almost convinced to switch. Until ...

We read this from Professor Althouse, who did move to the new blogger and is not happy. At all.

Oh, how I wish I hadn't switched to New Blogger! I'm over the problem that the switch itself took three hours, though I'm still irked that there was no warning that it would take such a long time, which would have tipped me off to do it late at night instead of in the middle of the day. And I actually like some of the new features: I get to skip the word verification stage in the comments, I can use labels creatively, publishing is quicker. Maybe there are a couple other things. But the feed doesn't work anymore. ...

If you're going to bring in something important and new, you ought to wow people with it, not make them wallow in regret that you've deprived them of the old. I have defended Blogger for years when people have told me over and over to quit. Ironically, the main reason I've stayed is that I'm assume that anything new will come with its own set of problems.

Of course, her site is much bigger than BaT, and I don't care about lost traffic since I don't have ads and about 30 people a day visit. I'm more concerned about losing posts (even though I have the text backed up) or not being able to switch back to old Blogger if there are problems with the new version.

So, I'm asking for your help ... at least the help of my fellow Blogger users out there. Have you switched, and what's been your experience?

When It Rains, It Pours ...

2007-01-31T17:25:00.000-08:00

When It Rains, It Pours ...

And when it pours, it freezes. In the South, we get the least bit freaked out when either snow or ice appear in the weather forecast. Stores run low on batteries and candles; the grocery sells out bread and milk. You'd think the world was about to end.

Let's get a little power-blogging in now before we're forced to defend our food stock with lethal force ...

'Articulate And Bright And Clean'

The blogosphere is abuzz over U.S. Sen. Joe Biden, D-Dela., and his comments about his 2008 rivals -- especially his description of fellow Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois.

Mr. Biden is equally skeptical--albeit in a slightly more backhanded way--about Mr. Obama. "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy," he said. "I mean, that's a storybook, man."

But--and the "but" was clearly inevitable--he doubts whether American voters are going to elect "a one-term, a guy who has served for four years in the Senate," and added: "I don't recall hearing a word from Barack about a plan or a tactic."

Articulate and bright and clean? Good Lord, I'm glad I'm not his press guy. He might as well said, "You know, he's pretty smart for a Negro." As an editor told me years ago, when I innocently described a black athlete as "well-spoken": "Well-spoken is a white guy's code word for, 'I can't believe a black guy can form a complete sentence.' " I never forgot that lesson, and to this day, attempt to never describe someone as well-spoken or articulate. It's patronizing, especially since you'll never heard a white guy say about another white guy, "Wow, he's articulate." It's the subtle prejudice that we don't expect black people to speak like they aren't out of central casting for "Boyz n the Hood."

My natural inclination is to give Biden a pass, except ... that if a white Southerner (and most likely a Republican) senator referred to Obama -- a Columbia University and Harvard Law graduate and former college professor at the University of Chicago nonetheless -- as "articulate," the mainstream press would be screaming bloody murder.

So, at best, Biden is an idiot who speaks before he thinks. At worst, he's a closet racist who believes it practically impossible that a black man in 2006 can form complete sentences.

The rest of the interview is pretty interesting. At least the man has ideas.

Is Hayden Christensen Gay?

Apparently there's a new movie out called "Factory Girl." And apparently, Hayden Christensen and some actress I've never heard are in it. And apparently, the steam up the screen.

Those who have seen Factory Girl say the sizzling clinch is even saucier - and more revealing - than the famous are-they-or-aren't-they love scene between Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland in 1973's Don't Look Now.But Miller's publicist insisted the sex was not real.

"She's just a really good actress," she told the New York Daily News.

The 25-year-old plays Andy Warhol's beautiful but doomed protege Edie Sedgwick in the movie.

Unconfirmed reports have claimed Miller and Star Wars actor Christensen, who plays her folk rocker lover, were romantically involved off-screen as well.

This, of course, would be contrary to the numerous rumors that Christensen is gay. So why do we care? We don't. We're just taking this guy's approach.

Molly Ivins, 1944-2007

Some sad news today. Longtime columnist Molly Ivins has lost her third battle with breast cancer. She was 62.

Ivins made a living poking fun at politicians, whether they were in her home state of Texas or the White House. She revealed in early 2006 that she was being treated for breast cancer for the third time.

More than 400 newspapers subscribed to her nationally syndicated column, which combined strong liberal views and populist humor. Ivins' illness did not seem to hurt her ability to deliver biting one-liners.

"I'm sorry to say (cancer) can kill you, but it doesn't make you a better person," she said in an interview with the San Antonio Express-News in September, the same month cancer claimed her friend former Gov. Ann Richards.

Our politics rarely matched, but we always thought she was funny. Her editor and friend Anthony Zurcher has written a nice tribute with some typical Molly Ivins moments.

For a woman who made a profession of offering her opinion to others, Molly was remarkably humble. She was known for hosting unforgettable parties at her Austin home, which would feature rollicking political discussions, and impromptu poetry recitals and satirical songs. At one such event, I noticed her dining table was littered with various awards and distinguished speaker plaques, put to use as trivets for steaming plates of tamales, chili and fajita meat. When I called this to her attention, Molly matter-of-factly replied, "Well, what else am I going to do with 'em?"

Now that's my kinda gal. RIP, Molly I.

Farewell-To-Fidel Fete

2007-01-30T20:14:00.000-08:00

Farewell-To-Fidel Fete

At BaT, we despise Fidel Castro about as much as anyone. But this just seems a little, well, tacky.

The city of Miami is planning an official celebration at the Orange Bowl whenever Cuban president Fidel Castro dies.

Discussions by a committee appointed earlier this month by the city commission to plan the event have even covered issues such as a theme to be printed on T-shirts, what musicians would perform, the cost and how long the celebration would last.

Such a gathering has long been part of the city's plan for Castro's death, but firming up the specifics has been more urgent since Castro became ill last summer and turned over power to his brother, Raul.

City Commissioner Tomas Regalado, a Cuban American, came up with the idea of using the Orange Bowl, noting that the stadium was the site of a speech by President Kennedy in 1961 promising a free Cuba, and that in the 1980s it served as a camp for refugees from the Mariel boatlift from Cuba.

"(Castro) represents everything bad that has happened to the people of Cuba for 48 years," Regalado told The Miami Herald for a story in Monday editions. "There is something to celebrate, regardless of what happens next."

Knock back a few mojitos, or drive through Little Havana blaring your car horn. Do we really need an "official" celebration when the old murderer finally kicks the bucket? And, as one supporter of a free Cuba notes, Fidel's death doesn't mean libertad for the island nation.

Ramon Saul Sanchez, leader of the Miami-based Democracy Movement organization, worries about how a party to celebrate a man's death would be perceived by people outside the Cuban exile community.

Sanchez also pointed out that, even after Castro dies, his communist government still will be in place.

"The notion of a big party, I think, should be removed from all this," Sanchez said. "Although everybody will be very happy that the dictator cannot continue to oppress us himself, I think everybody is still very sad because there are still prisons full of prisoners, many people executed, and families divided."

The city of Miami should stay out of any post-Fidel festivities. The Cuban-American community can handle this on its own.

From Russia, With Hate

2007-01-29T20:43:00.000-08:00

From Russia, With Hate

They brought us Gulag labor camps, brutal purges and 40-plus years of Eastern European repression. Now the Russians, who once refused to recognize a higher power, suddenly embrace the concept of evil. But not as it applies to their history, or at least not in the case of Moscow's mayor.

No, he thinks gay pride parades are Satanic.

Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov said Monday he would never allow a gay parade to take place in Moscow despite pressure from the West, Russia's RIA-Novosti news agency reports.

"Last year, Moscow came under unprecedented pressure to sanction the gay parade, which can be described in no other way than as Satanic," Luzhkov said at the 15th Christmas educational readings in the Kremlin Palace.

"We did not let the parade take place then, and we are not going to allow it in the future," said Luzhkov who has been in office since 1992.

Funny, but I thought all those Victory Day parades with their big giant missiles and tanks were nothing more than overcompensation.

Russia ... never liked it, never will. From us at BaT to you, kiss our queer American asses.

Power Blogging Thursday: Making Up For Lost Time

2007-01-25T17:57:00.000-08:00

Power Blogging Thursday: Making Up For Lost Time

It's cold, my attention span is short and there's a lot of interesting items out today. So hang onto your hats, and let's power-blog ...

To Be Gaaaaaay Or Not To Be Gaaaaaay

Wisconsin law professor and fellow Blogspot resident Ann Althouse points to a New York Times article on an Oregon researcher looking into why 8 percent of male sheep prefer sex with other rams -- and the Left's reaction to it.

Charles Roselli set out to discover what makes some sheep gay. Then the news media and the blogosphere got hold of the story.

Dr. Roselli, a researcher at the Oregon Health and Science University, has searched for the past five years for physiological factors that might explain why about 8 percent of rams seek sex exclusively with other rams instead of ewes. The goal, he says, is to understand the fundamental mechanisms of sexual orientation in sheep. Other researchers might some day build on his findings to seek ways to determine which rams are likeliest to breed, he said.

But since last fall, when People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals started a campaign against the research, it has drawn a torrent of outrage from animal rights activists, gay advocates and ordinary citizens around the world -- all of it based, Dr. Roselli and colleagues say, on a bizarre misinterpretation of what the work is about.

Professor Althouse wonders if "progressives" only promote "science " when it suits their agenda.

"The more we play God or try to improve on Mother Nature, the more damage we are doing with all kinds of experiments that... turn into nightmares."

That sounds like the alarmism of a religious fundamentalist, but hostility to scientific research comes from the progressive side when the question is the source of sexual preference. ...

But shouldn't we want to know the truth? Shouldn't gay rights advocates care when they sound like the religious fundamentalists they usually deride?

This is more about PETA stirring up its allies than concerns over future human applications. Those unserious human beings who are so misguided as to compare Fido to developmentally challenged children aren't concerned at all with gay rights. They are upset that a few sheep die as a result of the experiments.

Interesting comments, however, following the Althouse post. We suggest reading them, including this one:

I think the real irony is in the penultimate sentence. The prospect of parents' eventually being able to choose not to have children who would become gay is a real concern for the future, Dr. Wolpe said.

The real issue will be that this touches the "third rail" of progressive politics: Abortion.

1. The Gay community keeps saying that gayness must be genetic, e.g. 5-10% of the population.

2. Sheep farmers say, this is real money

3. Researchers will eventually discover the genes, develop pre-natal tests, and gene therapies.

4. When this research ultimately crosses over into people, as it will, given the importance and incentives, does one doubt that;

5. parents will want to know the gender alignment of fetuses, and then either chose to treat or abort the fetus?

6. Hence the pro-choice community will need to say, it's a "woman's right to chose, except when...."

catch 22 comes to the abortion debate.

At BaT, we're pro-gay rights and, in most cases, anti-abortion. Until having a baby with any "gay gene" threatens the life of the mother, then we'll stick with the later stance and avoid playing God via a Planned Parenthood clinic.

Might As Well Jump

Will the oft-rumored Van Halen reunion tour finally happen? The Review Journal of Las Vegas is reporting it will.

A Van Halen reunion tour, with David Lee Roth back in the fold after 22 years, is in the works, with a Las Vegas launch looking good. A late April date at the Palms' new venue, The Pearl, is "99 percent" likely, a source said.

We were fortunate to see a stop in the 1984 Van Halen tour, before David Lee Roth left the band. Awesome. We were also unfortunate to see Roth in concert as a solo act. Sucked. Let's hope they can last through at least one show before Roth and the Van Halen brothers rip each other limp from limp.

Celebrity Death Match, Vegas Edition?

2008 TIME Poll: Rudy's In The Hunt

TIME magazine's 2008 presidential poll shows John McCain leading Rudy Guiliani narrowly, but America's Mayor is currently positioned as a uniting candidate.

If the election were held now, Rudy Giuliani appears to have the support of the greatest number of respondents of both parties, with 56% indicating they would "definitely" or "probably" support him -- followed by Hillary Clinton (51%) John McCain (50%) and Barack Obama (50%).

Hillary Clinton, however, surprises TIME with her big lead early on.

Despite the buzz generated by Senator Barack Obama entering the race, the survey found that Senator Clinton would beat him for the Democratic nomination by a margin of 40% to 21%. Senator John Edwards is a distant third with 11%.

It's no surprise to BaT. Of the currently announced Democratic candidates, Senator Clinton is the most qualified and best organized. John Edwards may very well be the nominee, but it's not because he deserves it.

You Read It Here First, Part 22

Speaking of polls and Barack Obama, a CBS News-Washington Post survey shows that the current media darling and Illinois' junior senator has some work to do with what clueless pundits thought was his lock on the black vote.

A CBS News survey this week found Hillary Clinton leading Obama among black voters, 52 percent to 28 percent.

Almost identical findings were reported by a Washington Post poll Thursday, leading some to suggest that certain African Americans just don't identify with the Ivy League-educated, bi-racial senator.

Loyal BaT readers learned this more than a week ago in this post (second item).

That's all for today. Whew, what a workout!

Reality Bites; Kerry Is Out

2007-01-24T19:09:00.000-08:00

Reality Bites; Kerry Is Out

Massachusetts' junior senator finally realizes what the rest of us have known for about three years now: He will never be president.

While most of Washington's chattering class had long ago dismissed Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) as a viable candidate for the presidential nomination in 2008, today's news that he is officially removing himself from consideration sent waves through the political world.

Kerry made the formal announcement in a speech on the Senate floor in which he castigated the Bush Administration for its handling of the war in Iraq and pledged to work to correct the policy in the months ahead.. People close to Kerry insisted his decision was based on his belief that the Senate offered him the best place to have maximum impact on the way forward in Iraq. Allies insisted that his somewhat sluggish showing in state and national polls had little to do with no-go decision, pointing out that he would have started a second national campaign with $12.5 million in the bank -- a sum that would have allowed him to spend freely to rehab his image.

Kerry is expected to run for a fifth Senate term in 2008, disappointing a number of ambitious Democrats in the Massachusetts congressional delegation.

He may have fallen less than 120,000 votes of winning the swing state of Ohio in 2004, as well as losing a number of swing states (Iowa, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada would have made up for the Ohio defeat), but even gaining the '08 Democratic nomination was unlikely. Hillary Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Biden and Dodd would have smoked him early and often. Let's face it, if you're a Democrat and can't beat George W. Bush once, they aren't going to give you another chance.

Can you imagine a Rudy Guiliani-John Kerry debate? And Kerry can hardly match John McCain's military record. Let him waste the ketchup money somewhere else.

Where In The World Is Jake?

2007-01-24T18:50:00.000-08:00

Where In The World Is Jake?

A photo from my recent travels.

I'm back. Let the blogging begin again.

Viva Los Intestinos!

2007-01-17T18:30:00.000-08:00

Viva Los Intestinos!

Is Fidel Castro a victim of poor medical care, vanity or old age? Who cares, as long as the bastard hurries up and dies. (Hat tip: Instapundit.)

It appears that one of the great pioneers of socialized medicine, Fidel Castro, may soon die as a result of what appears to be bad health care:

U.S. doctors said Tuesday's report in El Pais suggested Castro had received questionable or even botched care.

"It sounds like they tried to spare him the colostomy, which would have been the safer and more conservative approach," said Dr. Meyer Solny, a gastrointestinal expert at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Botched care? Under socialized medicine?

Am I supposed to be surprised?

One of Fidel's best known slogans was "Socialism or death!" and comedian Jack Benny's best known retort to a similar alternative was to say "I'm thinking it over!"

How about Fidel? Is he thinking it over? I doubt it. While I'd think it would be a little embarrassing for him to admit they had to fly in a specialist all the way from Spain, to a true believer nothing is embarrassing.

There's a good debate in the comments section.

OFF TOPIC: We will be heading to ice country tomorrow and will be there until the middle of next week. Blogging may be light or nonexistent, depending. We'll return to regular programming by this time next week.

The Beard, Obama, BP and Visitor No. 20,000

2007-01-16T18:58:00.000-08:00

The Beard, Obama, BP and Visitor No. 20,000

It's quick-hit night at BaT, as we seek to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time.

Cuban dictator Fidel Castro slide toward death continues. A Spanish newspaper reports that the 80-year-old murderer has a medical condition that kills almost every elderly person it inflicts.

The intestinal disease Fidel Castro is reportedly suffering from is usually easy to treat -- but if complications develop in an elderly patient like the Cuban leader, it can quickly become a death sentence.

The Spanish newspaper El Pais reported Tuesday that the 80-year-old Castro is suffering from diverticulitis, an inflammation of the colon that can lead to serious infection if contents from the intestine leak into the abdomen.

In the elderly, the prognosis for this kind of infection is generally very poor -- with the mortality rate as high as 90 percent. "Castro would definitely qualify as critically ill," said Dr. Roshini Rajapaksa, a gastroenterologist at New York University School of Medicine, referring to the report.

Of course, we've heard these sorts of reports before. Award-wining blogger Babalu will keep us up to date.

...

The junior senator from Illinois says he will seek the Democrat Party's nomination for president in 2008 -- setting himself up to face the junior senator from New York, the junior senator from Massachusetts and a bunch of other people who don't have a prayer of winning.

Sen. Barack Obama launched a presidential campaign Tuesday that would make him the first black to occupy the White House, and immediately tried to turn his political inexperience into an asset with voters seeking change.

The freshman Illinois senator -- and top contender for the Democratic nomination -- said the past six years have left the country in a precarious place and he promoted himself as the standard-bearer for a new kind of politics.

"Our leaders in Washington seem incapable of working together in a practical, commonsense way," Obama said in a video posted on his Web site. "Politics has become so bitter and partisan, so gummed up by money and influence, that we can't tackle the big problems that demand solutions. And that's what we have to change first."

Obama filed paperwork forming a presidential exploratory committee that allows him to raise money and put together a campaign structure. He is expected to announce a full-fledged candidacy on Feb. 10 in Springfield, Ill., where he can tout his experience in the state legislature and tap into the legacy of hometown hero Abraham Lincoln.

It will be interesting to watch if the media continues to write the "first black" storyline. A friend of mine who is also black reminded me this past weekend that Obama "isn't really all-black. His mama was white." I remember similar comments about Colin Powell when he was rumored to be a candidate.

...

Auto-racing champ and all-around good guy Benny Parsons has lost his battle with lung cancer.

Benny Parsons, a former taxi driver turned NASCAR champion, died Tuesday from complications stemming from his short battle with lung cancer, his son Keith said. He was 65.

Parsons, the 1973 NASCAR champion, died in Charlotte, N.C., where he had been hospitalized since Dec. 26.

A member of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers, Parsons retired from racing in 1988 and moved into the broadcasting booth. He spent the past six years as a commentator on NBC and TNT, and continued to call races from the booth during his treatment.

Of course it wouldn't be a lung cancer death story without the media pointing out that Parsons is a former smoker. But considering he kicked the habit in 1978 -- some 30 years ago -- wouldn't it lead you to believe that maybe something else contributed to the cancer? I don't know, like years of exposure to gasoline, burning rubber and exhaust fumes?

Back on point, though. We met him a few times not long after he retired from racing and became a broadcaster. He was a genuinely nice man. RIP, BP.

...

We missed pointing out earlier that BaT recorded visitor No. 20,000 this past Thursday afternoon. The milestone reader came to us through Google's new Blog Search tool. Funny enough the visitor was from Sumter, S.C., and was searching for information on "james brown children." He or she found this entry.

Since James Brown presumably is still on ice in his Beech Island home some two hours from Sumter, one wonders if it might have been a vanity search by one of Soul Brotha No. 1's kids. If so, please, for the love of all that's good, bury your daddy.

Even funnier to me, visitor No. 20,000, was framed by visitor No. 19,999 from a Twentieth Century Fox IP address in Los Angeles and visitor No. 20,001 coming to us from Tehran, Iran. Talk about a trinity of the odd!

Who Killed MLK?

2007-01-15T17:02:00.000-08:00

Who Killed MLK?

On what would have been Dr. Martin Luther King's 78th birthday, we ask the question: Who killed him and was his murder a conspiracy?

The answers: James Earl Ray and yes.

Much like BaT's belief that Lee Harvey Oswald was an actor in the assassination of President John Kennedy, we say that Ray -- despite his frequent denials after once confessing -- did indeed pull the trigger that fateful day in Memphis. But, like our theory with Oswald, he did not act alone or at least not without some help. (We believe that Oswald killed Kennedy, with funding from the Cuban government.)

So who conspired with Oswald? The mob? The government? A racist cabal?

Answer: Just what the U.S. House Select Committee on Assassinations alluded to in 1979 ... that a racist group placed a bounty of $50,000 on King's head, and Ray saw easy money in killing a man he hated anyway. You can read more here on the committee's findings.

The King family has, in the last decade, publicly stated that they believe Ray wasn't the killer. As with JFK's assassination, no one wants to believe someone so insignificant as James Earl Ray could have such a profound impact on a historical figure like Martin Luther King Jr. But Ray was no patsy, as the dying old man tried to play in his final years.

He was a career criminal who ran in some very seedy circles. He had a history of escape and eluding capture. He was a known racist. Patsy? Hardly. He was a willing participant in the murder of a great man. As with Oswald, he was funded by outside sources -- and as with Oswald, those people were never brought to justice.

Many of them may be alive today, just like this man. James Earl Ray fired the deadly shot. Sometimes in this world, the smallest people have the largest influence. He was one of those people.

Well, It Is More Time Than O.J. Got

2007-01-11T18:20:00.000-08:00

Well, It Is More Time Than O.J. Got

A 30-year-old schoolteacher has sex with a hearing-impaired, underaged student ... and gets a mere 90 days in jail. Ninety days. Of course, it was a woman teacher and a male student, and the whole country just winks at this sort of thing -- even the parents of the victim (yes, I said victim!).

"I abhor what you have done here," 3rd District Judge Stephen Roth told Melinda Lee DeLuca, 30.

In an agreement with prosecutors, DeLuca last year pleaded guilty to attempted forcible sexual abuse, a third-degree felony.

DeLuca had sex with the boy while she was a teacher at Copper Hills High School in the Jordan School District. She was fired in December 2005. ...

The maximum punishment was five years in prison. Pre-sentence investigators recommended 60 days in jail, but the judge ordered 90. DeLuca, who has two daughters, 3 and 5, must get sex-offender treatment and reimburse the boy for counseling.

DeLuca's remorse, the lack of prior crimes and forgiveness by the boy's family spared her from a year in jail, Roth said.

"Even though she's hurt my family, I've grown to love her," the victim's mother said. "I want whatever happens to her to be what is best for her."

Let's change a few nouns and pronouns here ...

"I abhor what you have done here," 3rd District Judge Stephen Roth told MELVIN Lee DeLuca, 30.

In an agreement with prosecutors, DeLuca last year pleaded guilty to attempted forcible sexual abuse, a third-degree felony. DeLuca had sex with the 16-YEAR-OLD GIRL while HE was a teacher at Copper Hills High School in the Jordan School District. HE was fired in December 2005. ...

The maximum punishment was five years in prison. Pre-sentence investigators recommended 60 days in jail, but the judge ordered 90. DeLuca, who has two daughters, 3 and 5, must get sex-offender treatment and reimburse the GIRL for counseling. DeLuca's remorse, the lack of prior crimes and forgiveness by the GIRL'S family spared HIM from a year in jail, Roth said.

"Even though HE'S hurt my family, I've grown to love HIM," the victim's FATHER said. "I want whatever happens to HIM to be what is best for HIM."

I can only imagine what would have happened if both the teacher and the student were both "consenting" males. The teacher would be serving 25 years, because the charges would have been much more than third-degree felonies. Hell, he probably would've gotten life. If the teacher had been male and the victim female, he might be lucky to get out in 10 years himself.

Sexual abuse is sexual abuse. This woman should be spending the next two decades behind bars. Instead, she'll be out before spring bring, and -- undoubtedly -- selling her life story to some sleazy book publisher, followed by a television producer.

Just like this nutcase, who met her husband when he was just 8 ... and she was 28. And we see how well he's turning out (sixth item down).

And The Moral Of This Story Is ...

2007-01-10T19:22:00.000-08:00

And The Moral Of This Story Is ...

More than two weeks after he died, Soul Brotha No. 1 James Brown remains unburied as his children, his baby's mama and a woman accusing of a rape almost 20 years ago fight it out.

For now, his body lies in a sealed casket in his home on Beech Island, said Charles Reid, manager of the C.A. Reid Funeral Home in Augusta, Ga., which handled the services.

Brown died of heart failure Dec. 25 at age 73. His will has yet to be filed, said Buddy Dallas, an attorney for the singer.

The room where Brown's body lies is being kept at a controlled temperature, and security guards keep watch, Reid said. ...

"The hope is that all parties can sit down and figure out what the problem is and what the challenges are," attorney Thornton Morris said. "And once we figure out what the challenges are we'll see if we can't resolve something that's a win for everybody."

No, let's hope they find the nearest hole, plant him and let the man rest in peace. Is this normal behavior? James Brown, despite all of his talents, had a troubled personal life. It seems the trend is following him to his, er, well, seal casket in a climate-controlled room.

If you're as famous and probably as rich as James Brown, take this piece of advice: State in your will exactly where you want to be buried. The vultures can fight over your earthly possessions, but don't let them let you rot in a glorified refrigerator.

At The Half ...

2007-01-08T19:19:00.000-08:00

At The Half ...

Of the BCS Championship Game, the Florida Gators lead the Ohio State Buckeyes 34-14.

Need I remind you of the Gator's only loss this season?

Nineteen unanswered points by the Auburn Tigers. The Buckeyes would still be a point short if they can match that effort.

The Heat Is On

2007-01-04T19:24:00.000-08:00

The Heat Is On

U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is the target for all the 2008 presidential hopefuls these days, since he is perceived as the GOP front-runner and -- most likely -- the overall favorite. Considering McCain's history of "thin-skinnedness," it will be interesting to see how long he lasts before flashing his famous temper.

No doubt the assailing of McCain is only just beginning and he surely won't let the charges go unanswered indefinitely. The first primary contests are still a year away and the general election isn't until November 2008.

Still, attacking McCain, a political celebrity, this early allows lesser-known prospective candidates of all political stripes to raise their profiles and generate media coverage -- if even for one news cycle.

Republican critics, for their part, aim to chip away at McCain's credentials and raise questions about his positions to ensure he doesn't solidify his status as the one to beat.

Democratic foes, in the meantime, go after McCain in hopes of projecting strength and showing that they can take on the Republican heavyweight, particularly on the national security issues that are considered McCain's forte.

McCain is hardly a moderate, despite his status as Favorite Liberal Media Republican. And we cannot see ourselves voting for him in a general election unless the Democrats nominate another dolt like this guy ... or this one ... or this one. But we will always respect his tribute to 9-11 hero Mark Bingham. His words can a glimmer of hope that maybe he can be the best person for the job.

But for now, it's still Rudy '08!

This New Year, I Resolve ...

2007-01-03T18:20:00.000-08:00

This New Year, I Resolve ...

We're not big on New Year's resolutions at BaT, but this year we are trying a couple. There's the standard hope of exercising a little more and drop those 10 pounds we've added this year. And then there's the issue of keeping the blog moving forward.

Have you made resolutions? If you have or are still planning to, read these four steps to success.

The first rule is to focus on one resolution at a time. If you start the New Year thinking, 'I will lose weight, exercise four times a week, be a better person, make more money, etc.' you'll be overwhelmed and won't focus on anything. Start with one specific goal that's important to you (your most painful problem) at the present moment and develop a detailed plan of action for success.

The second rule for resolutions is to record them on paper or a computer; this way the goals won't be forgotten or changed. You'll find it easier to continue with your plan when it's written out on paper or your computer.

The third rule is that you must be held accountable for your resolutions, otherwise you'll 'let the goal go' when it gets tough. Designate a friend, mentor or a coach to monitor your progress, offer support and hold you accountable.

The fourth rule is you must be persistent; no goal will happen unless you keep working. This can be the most challenging rule -- especially if you're trying to lose weight and you don't see immediate results.

So who will be our accountability buddy? Before you volunteer, remember, you should be keeping your own blog up to serve as a good example. :-p

Happy New Year, everyone!

While We Were Out ...

2006-12-27T18:08:00.000-08:00

While We Were Out ...

We lost two important pieces of the Great American Quilt: legendary singer James Brown and former President Gerald Ford.

First, the Godfather of Soul ...

James Brown didn't play music. He didn't make music. He invented it.

Brown, the pioneering rock-soul-funkmeister who has rung every note out of every one of his classic hits, from "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" to "I Got You (I Feel Good)," died Christmas Day at a hospital in Atlanta.

He was 73, although somehow it seemed as if the man and his music had been around forever.

Rapper Chuck D of Public Enemy called Brown's death "a seismic passing." Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger called it a "huge loss to music." ...

"Music is usually on the two and four, but I changed it to the one and three," Brown told E! Online in 2000. "I invented that beat."

Brown put his signature beat to use in "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine," "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" and "The Payback," to reel off three more of his 100-plus hits on the R&B charts, most of which made Billboard's overall singles chart, too.

In the 1960s, Brown put his signature voice to the civil-rights movement, speaking out against rioting but declaring "Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud") in another hit song. After the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., Look magazine asked if the iconic performer was the "most important black man in America?"

With legend status came the spoils: the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, presented in 1992; the Rhythm & Blues Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award, presented in 1993; and the Kennedy Center Honor, presented in 2003, the same year as his 70th birthday.

To say Brown is in the Rock and Roll of Hall of Fame, too, doesn't cut it. He was in the original class of the Hall of Fame, circa 1986. Among his peerless peers: Chuck Berry, Ray Charles and Elvis Presley.

And then, "The Accidental President" ...

Gerald R. Ford was a man of limited ambition who, through bizarre circumstances never before experienced by the country, achieved an office that others win through the greatest determination and calculation. The nation's 38th president, Ford wanted only to become speaker of the House. History had another place for him.

Ford was comfortable in the House, representing a Michigan congressional district for 25 years, rising to Republican leader and working toward his dream of one day running the chamber, when President Nixon called. ...

And so the man who did not covet the presidency, who never had sought national office and who wanted only to become the "head honcho" of the House, became president by chance — unlike many since who have devoted huge amounts of time and money in pursuit of the Oval Office.

"I have not campaigned either for the presidency or the vice presidency," Ford told the nation in his inaugural address on Aug. 9, 1974. "I have not sought this enormous responsibility, but I will not shirk it."

RIP to them both.

P.S. BaT will be on the road again beginning tomorrow night. Updates are possible, but questionable. Come Jan. 3, the holidays will be over, and hopefully, our lives will be back to semi-normal. If I don't see you before then, Happy New Year, everyone!

'Twas The Night Before A Gay Christmas

2006-12-24T13:24:00.000-08:00

'Twas The Night Before A Gay Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas, yes that time again,
The butch snuggled tightly against her sweet femme.
They needed a man like a fish needs a bike,
And wondered what Santa would bring for a dyke.

The gay guy as tucked up in bed with his lover,
Two chaps quite content to love one another.
All that they wanted for Christmas that year,
Was to come out of the closet with nothing to fear.

When Santa came by with his reindeer and sleigh,
Would he bother to visit the lesbians and gays?
Whether passive or active they wanted only one thing,
No more persecution and some understanding.

Now sex-toys and presents, oh they could be great,
But they'd settled for respect from everyone straight.
No more condemnation of their inclinations,
An end to gay-bashing and discrimination.

Santa went to his household, his presents to share,
About sexuality he didn't care.
And when he departed, skywards in his sleigh,
He cried "Seasons Greetings - be you straight, bi or gay!"

Courtesy of Christmas Parodies

(And to see the Official BaT Christmas Tree, click back a year. It hasn't changed.)

Merry Christmas all, and God bless!

Love,

Jake

Christmas Break

2006-12-18T18:59:00.000-08:00

Christmas Break

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus ... but he doesn't buy all those gifts himself, plan parties and finish the year-end budget requests at the office.

As you can tell, BaT is suffering from a lack of attention. That probably won't change this week, either. We'll probably see you a little closer to Christmas. Until then, stay safe and enjoy the silence.

A Hard Sell?

2006-12-12T20:11:00.000-08:00

A Hard Sell?

Pfizer is under fire for its Viagra marketing tactics, as the drug company seeks to, er, expand its base from men who cannot function without Viagra to those who may need a, er, little boost. (NNSFW: Gay.com link for you government employees.)

A new ad campaign asking pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. to end its promotion of Viagra as a sexual-enhancement drug will launch in New York Wednesday and Los Angeles next week. The print campaign by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which will appear in The Village Voice and gay newspapers The New York Blade and L.A.'s Frontiers, also warns gay men of the danger of using Viagra with crystal meth.

"We call on Pfizer to exercise responsibility by discontinuing marketing to men with mild erectile dysfunction, and by initiating an educational campaign on the dangers of Viagra and meth targeting men who have sex with men," the ad copy reads. Headlined "Viagra/Meth Alert!" the ad also features an image of a doctor's prescription with the text "Viagra + Crystal Meth = Rx for HIV infection."

"Pfizer's direct-to-consumer marketing of Viagra as a drug to enhance sexual performance aimed at men who don't necessarily suffer from erectile dysfunction is irresponsible, especially in light of the drug's known use as part of a 'circuit party cocktail' that is fueling the spread of STDs and HIV," said Michael Weinstein, president of the L.A.-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation, said in a statement.

We rarely take anything stronger than Tylenol or Advil, even on the roughest of days. But we're more convinced now than ever that we live in The BaT Cave, as we were completely unaware there's such a thing as the "circuit party cocktail." We wish we had known about this last week.

Dumb Intelligence

2006-12-11T18:54:00.000-08:00

Dumb Intelligence

Barely a year after the Khobar Towers bombing that killed 19 American servicemen, U.S. intelligence agencies were monitoring a key figure in the global fight against the bad guys ... Princess Diana.

Huh?

American intelligence agencies were bugging Princess Diana's telephone over her relationship with a US billionaire, the Evening Standard has learned.

She was even forced to abandon a planned holiday with her sons in the US with tycoon Teddy Forstmann on advice from secret services, who passed on their concerns to their British counterparts.

Both US and British intelligence then forced Diana to change her plans to stay with Mr Forstmann in the summer of 1997, saying it was too "dangerous" to take her sons there.
Instead the princess took the fateful decision to take a summer break with Harrods owner Mohamed Fayed. This ultimately led to her going to Paris with his son Dodi, where they died in a car crash.

The revelation from independent inquiries by the Evening Standard comes as it emerged that Princess Diana's phone was bugged by US intelligence agencies on the night she died without the permission of the British secret intelligence services.

We'll reportedly learn more this week about why -- or even if -- U.S. intelligence agencies were keeping tabs on Diana. CBS News is reporting that the NSA will deny it tapped her telephones and that any mention of her in top-secret files was because people actually being monitored discussed her.

Meanwhile, the incoming chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes of Texas, is having a hard time with some simple geopolitical questions.

I thought it only right now to pose the same questions to a Democrat, especially one who will take charge of the Intelligence panel come January. The former border patrol agent also sits on the Armed Services Committee.

Reyes stumbled when I asked him a simple question about al Qaeda at the end of a 40-minute interview in his office last week. Members of the Intelligence Committee, mind you, are paid $165,200 a year to know more than basic facts about our foes in the Middle East.

We warmed up with a long discussion about intelligence issues and Iraq. And then we veered into terrorism’s major players.

To me, it's like asking about Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland: Who's on what side?

The dialogue went like this:

Al Qaeda is what, I asked, Sunni or Shia?

"Al Qaeda, they have both," Reyes said. "You're talking about predominately?"

"Sure," I said, not knowing what else to say.

"Predominantly -- probably Shiite," he ventured.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

Al Qaeda is profoundly Sunni. If a Shiite showed up at an al Qaeda club house, they'd slice off his head and use it for a soccer ball.

That's because the extremist Sunnis who make up al Qaeda consider all Shiites to be heretics.

Al Qaeda's Sunni roots account for its very existence. Osama bin Laden and his followers believe the Saudi Royal family besmirched the true faith through their corruption and alliance with the United States, particularly allowing U.S. troops on Saudi soil.

It's been five years since these Muslim extremists flew hijacked airliners into the World Trade Center.

Is it too much to ask that our intelligence overseers know who they are?

Good question. Maybe this is why we focus on a fairly insignificant person like a former British royal rather than people who are trying to kill us. It's the intelligence equivalent to: "Math be hard." I guess it's better than having a bribe-taking, impeached judge in charge. But it's not better than having Jane Harman as chairwoman of this highly important congressional oversight committee.

'A Clarion Voice For Freedom'

2006-12-08T11:43:00.000-08:00

'A Clarion Voice For Freedom'

A great woman, a true warrior for liberty and one of my personal heroes is gone.

Jeane J. Kirkpatrick, a political science professor whose support for
Ronald Reagan conservatism catapulted her into the post of U.S. ambassador to the
United Nations, has died at 80. She was the first woman to hold the post.

Initially a liberal Democrat, Kirkpatrick championed human rights, opposed Soviet Union communism and supported Israel.

"She defended the cause of freedom at a pivotal time in world history," President Bush said Friday. "Jeane's powerful intellect helped America win the Cold War."

I was fortunate to attend a dinner one evening years ago, met her and listened to her speak. She was the height of brillance and class. Her most memorable line, which still rings true today, came several years earlier.

In a speech to the Republican National Convention that nominated Reagan for a second term in 1984, Kirkpatrick castigated the Democrats as not blaming guerrillas and their Soviet allies "when Marxist dictators shoot their way into power in Central America."

"They always blame America first," she said.

Indeed they do, but not because people like Mrs. Kirkpatrick didn't try.

You will live in our memories. RIP.

Cocktail Carnival -- A Grown-up's Candy Cane

2006-12-07T18:39:00.000-08:00

Cocktail Carnival -- A Grown-up's Candy Cane

We all remember stocking stuffers when we were kids. In the old days, no one put an iPod in there. You mostly got candy and fruit and nuts. If you were lucky, there was a Hot Wheels car or two in there. If you were unlucky, there was one green- or red-wrapped Hershey's Kiss for every three peppermint candy canes. (We blamed the Ruskies ... damn communists.)

Candy canes ... The bane of Christmas sweets. It was like getting butterscotch disks at Halloween. Noooooo!!!!!

Well, tonight that memory goes away. Changes. Tonight, we have a candy cane that even the Scroogiest BaT reader will enjoy: The Christmas-tini.

Ingredients

3 oz. premium vodka
1/2 oz. dry vermouth
1 tsp. peppermint schnapps

Instructions

Shake ingredients with cracked ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a candy cane.

To Dedushka Moroz, za zdorovia!

Day Of Infamy

2006-12-07T18:27:00.000-08:00

Day Of Infamy

Dec. 7, 1941. Never forget. A special prayer to those 2,400 souls who lost their lives that day, and to the millions of others who answered the call of freedom that day.

God bless.

Cocktail Carnival -- Hanukkah Happiness

2006-12-06T19:27:00.000-08:00

Cocktail Carnival -- Hanukkah Happiness

Jewish? Or just one of those people who gravitate to the blue-and-silver Christmas ornaments? Then you're in need of a color-coordinated cocktail -- one corresponding with a wavelength range of about 440 to 490 nanometers.

We present: The Blu Fizz.

Ingredients

1 shot De Kuyper Blue Curacao (per cocktail)
Chilled champagne

Instructions

Pour the shot of Blue Curacao into a flute glass. Fill with chilled champagne. Stir gently. Garish with a sliver of lemon peel.

L'Chayim and Gut Yontiff!

Cocktail Carnival -- Holiday Cheer Punch

2006-12-05T17:38:00.000-08:00

Cocktail Carnival -- Holiday Cheer Punch

Do you have a large group coming over and want a simple -- and fairly inexpensive -- party punch with a Christmas flavor? Try our Holiday Cheer Punch. Three ingredients (excluding ice) ... it doesn't get much easier than that. You can prepare enough for a dozen in less than five minutes and for less than $20.

A variation of this is served at a party we assist with each year. It's not too sweet and not too worrisome on the DUI front. Try it for yourself.

Ingredients

2 bottles of champagne (keep it cheap ... no one will know or can tell)
2 cans of frozen cranberry juice (or two jars)
2 limes

Instructions

Mix champagne and frozen, undiluted cranberry juice. Slice lime as a garnish (red drink + green garnish = Christmas colors). Mix right before serving to retain the bubbles. If using in a large punch bowl, add a half-bag of ice.

Each recipe will serve a couple of drinks for about 12 people. You can also add a pint of vodka per recipe (or slightly less) to "kick it up a notch." You can hold the vodka and champagne for a perfect nonalcoholic punch as well -- although you might want to consider some nonalcoholic champagne, club soda or 7-Up to give it some fizz. It can also make the perfect breakfast drink for Christmas morning.

Cheers!

Cocktail Carnival -- A Week of Christmas Libations

2006-12-04T17:01:00.000-08:00

Cocktail Carnival -- A Week of Christmas Libations

The holidays have not been kind to BaT blogging. Nor has the last two months been any more forgiving to our Cocktail of the Week installment. All of that changes this week! We are making up for lost time -- and a slow news time -- to present The Five Cocktails of Christmas. The first is back by popular demand from last year. Several people served it at their Christmas parties, and it received rave reviews. Here is ...

Jake's Egg Nog

Ingredients

6 separated eggs
1 cup sugar
1 pint heavy cream*
1 pint milk
1 pint bourbon
1 oz. rum

Instructions

Separate the eggs. Beat the yolks well. Beat in 1/2 cup sugar. Clean and degrease the beaters and bowl. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Beat in 1/2 cup sugar. Fold in yolks to whites. Gently stir in the heavy cream, milk, bourbon and rum. Serve well chilled in small cups. If you double this recipe, you should be able to fill a standard punch bowl.

* For more on heavy cream vs. other cream, see last year's post.

This is the best egg nog you will find. Please don't insult your guests by serving them something out of a carton. Give 'em the real thing. Cheers!

Rosie And Sushi

2006-11-29T20:21:00.000-08:00

Rosie And Sushi

BaT is preparing for the annual Christmas decorating, so to decompress from the torture, we feasted on California rolls and watched Roseanne Barr's latest standup special. A couple of gems to share in this abbreviated edition of BaT:

On gay marriage ...

"If you find gay sex disgusting, you should actually favor gay marriage. That's the way to end all of that gay sex. You know, like straight marriage."

On getting older ...

"I'm wet where I'm supposed to be dry and dry where I'm supposed to be wet."

Sanity Prevails In Washington -- For Once

2006-11-28T18:19:00.000-08:00

Sanity Prevails In Washington -- For Once

House Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi makes a right call in refusing to elevate Congressman Alcee Hastings to chairman of the Intelligence Committee.

Hastings, currently the No. 2 Democrat on the panel, had been aggressively making a case for the top position, supported by members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Critics pointed out that he had been impeached when he was a federal judge and said naming him to such a sensitive post would be a mistake just as the Democrats take over House control pledging reforms.

"I am obviously disappointed with this decision," Hastings, D-Fla., said in a statement thanking his supporters. "I will be seeking better and bigger opportunities in a Democratic Congress."

Hastings, only the sixth federal judge to ever be impeached and removed from office, may be able to serve his country in another manner. But a man who still owes (link to a PDF) millions of dollars to lawyers -- and who has a history of accepting bribes -- should not have his hands on highly sensitive intelligence information.

So Abscam Murtha loses his race for the No. 2 position and Hastings is out as Intelligence chair. Neither should have been considered for such high posts with their questionable ethical backgrounds. But at least these potential wrongs were corrected by pressure from their own side of the aisle. It's another defeat for a Pelosi ally, but a win for centrist Democrats.

'Tis The Season

2006-11-27T19:25:00.000-08:00

'Tis The Season

We can't even make it out of November before Christmas invades. At BaT, we like Thanksgiving, dammit, and we refuse to surrender this great American holiday. (Although we do admit we've already purchased Christmas cards ... but no decorations at Chez Tiffany until after Dec. 1!)

Turkey Day, however, has passed, so we can turn our attention to the yuletide season. We shall start with a little song -- politically correct ones, of course. (Combined from a variety of sources.) See if you can determine the real song titles.

1. "I'm Dreaming of a Racially Diverse Non-Religious-Specific Day-Off in Winter"

2. "Let it Perform a Favorite Weather Pattern, Let it Perform a Favorite Weather Pattern, Let it Perform a Favorite Weather Pattern"

3. "O Quaint Town of Palestinian Joint Rule"

4. "Vertically Challenged Drummer Child of Undetermined Gender"

5. "Frosty the Snowperson"

6. "I Saw My Gynocentric Guardian Kissing a Non-Gender Specific Person who is Known to Wear a Red Suit"

7. "Supreme Being of Your Choice Rest Ye Merry Gentlepeople"

8. "Up on the House/Apartment/Cardboard Box Top"

9. "Twas the Night Before Dec. 25"

10. "Feliz Vacaciones"

Ho, ho, ho! Er, make that "Regulated sex worker, regulated sex worker, regulated sex worker!"

Happy Thanksgiving!

2006-11-22T19:41:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

In keeping with the football theme this week, here's a special Thanksgiving graphic -- marking both the holiday and the Auburn Tigers' fifth consecutive win over the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Fear the (Turkey) Thumb!

Seriously, I'm thankful for another year of good health and good friends. 2006 has certainly been a roller coaster. But that's life. My best wishes to you and your families (blood-related or otherwise).

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." -- William Arthur Ward

God bless, and Happy Thanksgiving.

362 More Days

2006-11-21T19:46:00.000-08:00

362 More Days

The South's most bitter college football rivalry: Auburn vs. Alabama. For those of you outside the battle zone, here are some highlights from the fifth straight Tiger victory over the Crimson Tide.

The ESPN highlights ...

And this is from last year, but it still applies ...

For those not from the South, Alabama's band plays this "Rammer Jammer" song at the end of each win (i.e., after half of their games this year). They say: "Hey (insert loser)! Hey (insert loser)! Hey (insert loser), we just beat the hell outta you ... rammer jammer yellowhammer give 'em hell, Alabama."

(The yellowhammer is the Alabama state bird, and I'm told the cheer may have actually been stolen from Ole Miss.)

Needless to say, the obnoxious cheer is turned against them when they lose. As they have done now for the past five years when they face Auburn. War Eagle!

War Damn Eagle -- Again

2006-11-20T06:57:00.000-08:00

War Damn Eagle -- Again

For the fifth consecutive year, the Auburn Tigers reign supreme in the annual Iron Bowl: 22-15 on Saturday. A good time was had by all ... except, of course, for the Crimson Tide fans. War Eagle!

The Dim Dem

2006-11-15T19:20:00.000-08:00

The Dim Dem

While the House Democrats may be on the verge of electing Abscam central figure John Murtha to their second highest post, disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff may be squealing on the leader of Senate Democrats.

As convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff reported to federal prison today, a source close to the investigation surrounding his activities told ABC News that Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) was one of the members of Congress Abramoff had allegedly implicated in his cooperation with federal prosecutors.

A spokesperson for Reid, elected yesterday as the Senate Majority Leader, said the senator had done nothing illegal or unethical. ...

A source close to the investigation says Abramoff told prosecutors that more than $30,000 in campaign contributions to Reid from Abramoff's clients "were no accident and were in fact requested by Reid."

Abramoff has reportedly claimed the Nevada senator agreed to help him on matters related to Indian gambling.

The Associated Press reported earlier this year that Reid wrote at least four letters helpful to the tribes that had contributed money to his campaign.

Meanwhile, Reid wants you to know he's a good Mormon and not queer -- even if his childhood nickname was "Pinky."

Nevada's senators -- both winning leadership posts in opposite parties -- pledged Wednesday to stay close on issues of mutual interest, but not too close.

"He and I just like each other, and I think we set a good example here in the Senate," Majority Leader-elect Harry Reid said of colleague John Ensign, who was chosen Wednesday by Senate Republicans to head their campaign fundraising operation.

"He's a Republican, I'm a Democrat, we work together on issues that are important to the state of Nevada. And I wish other people had the same nonaggression pact we have," Reid told reporters. "It's not a 'Brokeback Mountain' situation," he added, referring to last year's film about two gay cowboy lovers.

His wives, er, wife, must be relieved. We await the blistering rebukes for the remark.

He's Baaaaaaaack

2006-11-14T20:30:00.000-08:00

He's Baaaaaaaack

Enough politics for now, except to point out that Trent Lott, the Republican scumba ... er, senator from Mississippi, is trying to claw his way back to the top of the hog trough.

Former Republican Majority Leader Trent Lott, meanwhile, opened a bid to return to the Senate's Republican leadership after being ousted in 2002 for remarks interpreted as endorsing segregationist policies of the 1940s.

"Yes, I am," the Mississippian said Tuesday when asked if he was challenging Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander to become minority whip in the newly elected Democratic-majority Congress next year.

Ugh. Moving on ...

A Quick Trip Back To The Minority

2006-11-13T21:32:00.000-08:00

A Quick Trip Back To The Minority

When you're the political party not in power in Washington, you unite and focus your guns on the opposing political party. But when you're in power, your wounds tend to be more self-inflicted. The Democrats over time have proved to be especially adept at this. And the current crop wasted very few days before living up to the tradition.

House Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) endorsed Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) yesterday as the next House majority leader, thereby stepping into a contentious intraparty fight between Murtha and her current deputy, Maryland's Steny H. Hoyer.

The unexpected move signaled the sizable value Pelosi gives to personal loyalty and personality preferences. Hoyer competed with her in 2001 for the post of House minority whip, while Murtha managed her winning campaign. Pelosi has also all but decided she will not name the ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee, Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) to chair that panel next year, a decision pregnant with personal animus.

Pelosi had been outspoken about her frustration with Murtha's declaration that he would challenge Hoyer, currently the House minority whip, for the majority leader post long before Democrats had secured the majority. Many believed she would remain on the sidelines, just as Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) did earlier this year when three Republicans vied for the post of House majority leader.

But in her first real decision as the incoming speaker, Pelosi said she was swayed by Murtha's early stance for a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq. Her letter of endorsement yesterday made clear that she sees Iraq as the central issue of the next Congress and that she believes a decorated Marine combat veteran at the helm of the House caucus would provide Democrats ammunition in their fight against congressional Republicans and President Bush on the issue.

Why Murtha? Why dump Harman from a position she's earned? It seems the speaker-to-be is allowing personal relationships to cloud her judgment. Murtha, a former Marine and two-time Purple Heart winner, favored intervention in Iraq before he opposed it and opposed withdrawal before he favored it. With the exception of Iraq, Murtha has very little in common politically with the lefty Democrats Pelosi has in her inner circle. He's pro-gun rights -- and he received an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association. He's pro-life, receiving a 0 percent rating from NARAL.

He is, you might say, generally to the right side of the Democratic Party. But Murtha has one teeny, tiny (OK, not so teeny and not so tiny) problem: ethics. Considering the role ethics -- or a lack thereof -- played in the defeat of the Republicans recently, one would assume the new speaker would be more careful about who she entrusts with power.

See Abscam, Murtha. ($50,000 in cash? "I'm not interested...at this point.") Or see Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, Most Corrupt Members Report. (One of only four Democrats highlighted by the left-wing group ... 21 Republicans made its list.) CREW says: "As reported in the study and by the news media, Rep, Murtha has been involved in a number of pay-to play schemes involving former staffers and his brother, Robert "Kit" Murtha."

The inside scoop also has Pelosi favoring Florida Rep. Alcee Hastings over Harman, a Blue Dog Democrat from California, has leader of the House Intelligence Committee.

Hastings, who BaT knew back in the day, is one of a kind. Actually, he's one of six of a kind. The sixth federal judge ever to be impeached by the U.S. Senate and removed from office. There's this little problem of accepting a $150,000 bribe for a lighter sentence and then lying about it once he was caught. He was later elected to Congress, where it fit right in with the other crooks and liars.

No one really excepts Nancy Pelosi to promote her political foes -- inside the party or out. But, with the voter temperment boiling over and another congressional election only a couple of years away -- one would think she's semi-intelligent enough to find quieter ways to reward her friends and punish her enemies.

P.S. On another note, this breaking news ... Rudy Giuliani is forming an exploratory committee that will allow him to raise money for a possible 2008 presidential bid.

Veterans Day

2006-11-13T21:23:00.000-08:00

Veterans Day

A few days late, but BaT didn't want to allow Veterans Day to pass without a thank-you. For those of you who have served our country in peacetime and in war, our heartfelt appreciation.

God bless.

When 'Conservatives' Turn Liberal

2006-11-09T19:50:00.000-08:00

When 'Conservatives' Turn Liberal

It use to be that Republicans preached "small government." The Democrats were the big spenders. The liberals have always been the Mother Party; we must protect from all the evil out there in the world. Liberals "feel." Then, sometime in the '80s or so, the Republicans became more and more influenced by evangelical types. They started becoming the Daddy Party; you can do this, you can't do that.

Frankly, they became a bit bossy. The country rebelled and elected Bill Clinton. Then, as politicians always seem to do, the Clintonites forgot they were elected not crowned. Within two years, the Republicans were back in power on Capitol Hill. They ruled there until earlier this week, when -- after a couple of years of acting like kings themselves -- they were dumped on their thrones.

Iraq played a role in the Democrats' return from exile. But to here those on the Left talk, this is the only reason. Maybe they are trying to will it into being. But if you talk to the middle-of-the-roaders, the moderates, the independents, they will tell you it was must less about foreign policy than about the climate of corruption, pork and free-spending that was always more associated with the "big goverment" politicians.

Neal Boortz, the libertarian talk show host, sums it up quite nicely.

One thing is certain. The Republicans worked very hard for this defeat. They've earned every lost seat. The Republican majority that was sent packing yesterday bore little resemblance to the Republican majority that rode to power 12 years ago. In 1994 we were promised less government. Over the next 12 years the Republicans more than doubled the size of the government. We were promised control over runaway spending. In the last six years discretionary spending has doubled. We were promised fiscal responsibility. We got a bridge to nowhere in Alaska. We were promised the elimination of the Department of Education. After all, educational achievement had been on a steady decline since education was federalized under this Department. In no time at all the Republicans doubled funding for the Department of Education. In the meanwhile America continues to slip on the international scorecard of educational achievement.

The Republicans, in full control of the government, couldn't even manage to stop the Mexican invasion. How many Hispanics invaded our country across the Mexican / American border in the last 12 years? Twelve million? Twenty? Funny, but I don't remember pressing 1 for English in 1994. ...

Amid the ruins of the carnage from last night's election results, an interesting statistic stands out. According to exit polls, what was the most important issue in the election? Iraq, right? Nope...42% of voters said corruption was number one. Islamic terrorism came in at 40%...then the war in Iraq at 37%. In other words, last night's vote wasn't just an overwhelming rebuke of President Bush and the Republican Party based on Iraq. There were other issues at play.

Take corruption. There were plenty of reasons for voters to grow tired of the GOP. Sure, some of the so-called scandals over the past few years were really played up by the media, but after a while the stench grew to the point that voters could no longer ignore it. The Foley case was most likely the last straw. Voters instinctively knew that the Republican leadership knew all about Mark Foley and his stalking of pages, but did nothing. But it's very interesting that terrorism comes in second at 40%. Because Democrats are the least-equipped party to ever deal with the issue of Islamic terrorism. That just shows you how far the Republicans have fallen, that they lost their on their signature issue. Also not mentioned in the reporting on the exit polling was illegal immigration. If there is any one single issue that has the Republican base fed up with the president and his party, this is it. Now that Speaker Pelosi, and new committee chairmen Alcee Hastings and John Conyers will be taking over in January, perhaps Republicans will get the message --- but not before we get amnesty for the illegals already here.

More on Alcee Hastings later ...

The Day After

2006-11-08T20:16:00.000-08:00

The Day After

AP is calling Virginia for Jim Webb, although others being more cautious considering the options his opponent, George Allen, has.

Democrat Jim Webb won Virginia's pivotal Senate race Wednesday, unseating Republican George Allen and giving the Democrats total control of Congress for the first time in 12 years.

After GOP Sen. Conrad Burns' loss in Montana, the Virginia contest was the last undecided Senate race in the country. Webb's victory gave the Democrats 51 Senate seats and majorities in both the House and Senate for the first time since 1994.

Control of the Senate hung in the balance for most of Wednesday as Webb clung to an excruciatingly small lead.

AP contacted election officials in all 134 localities where voting occurred, obtaining updated numbers Wednesday. About half the localities said they had completed their post-election canvassing and nearly all had counted outstanding absentees. Most were expected to be finished by Friday.

The new AP count showed Webb with 1,172,538 votes and Allen with 1,165,302, a difference of 7,236. Virginia has had two statewide vote recounts in modern history, but both resulted in vote changes of no more than a few hundred votes.

In all likelihood, however, the Senate is now controlled by the Democrats by a 51-49 majority (if you count the independents, who should vote with the Dems when it comes to organizational matters). A few observations ...

Many commentators have called this a victory for liberals (and Defense Secretary Rumsfeld is out). But if you look at some of successful Democrats, particularly in the Senate, they ran a Clintonesque campaign (Bill Clinton, that is). Webb in Virginia, Casey in Pennsylvania. Harold Ford did in Tennessee, as well, and if his last name had not be Ford -- and his family had not been so tainted with scandal -- he would be a senator-to-be today.Which is exactly what the Right Democrat has been saying all along.

2. If it was such a sweep for the Left, how do you explain Joe Lieberman? The Republicans who lost ... most of it had it coming. Santorum, Chafee, Burns, Allen, you won't be missed very much. But Lieberman? He is a good man. I'm glad he won, and I hope he continues to vote his conscience. We need 99 more like him.

3. Will we hear calls for bipartisanship and power-sharing, as we heard when it was the Republicans who had the 51-50 advantage in the Senate (Cheney has the tiebreak, and Jeffords switched without the benefit of an election)? I doubt it. But if the Democrats' only agenda while in power is to continue acting as if they are out of power, it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

4. Mark Tapscott said it best: "When Republicans worry more about staying in government than about limiting government, they get thrown out of government. That's the lesson of Nov. 7, 2006."

5. I wish Steny Hoyer would stage a coup and be the next House speaker. But, alas, our destiny is two years of screaching from Nancy Pelosi. Is it just me or does her medication seem off?

6. Trent Lott is still in our lives. So is Robert Byrd. At least Rebel Yell sales will remain strong in the greater D.C. area.

7. The libertarians had some strong showings. The Outright Libertarians have more. And this year, in a few races, they may have been the Naders to Al Gore. (Hat tip: Instapundit):

"Libertarians are a generally Republican-leaning constituency, but over the last few years, their discontent has grown plain. It isn't just the war, which some libertarians supported, but the corruption and insider dealing, and particularly the massive expansion of spending. Mr Bush's much-vaunted prescription drug benefit for seniors, they fume, has opened up another gaping hole in America's fiscal situation, while the only issue that really seemed to energise congress was passing special laws to keep a brain-damaged woman on life support."

My own ballot was split almost equally, and most of my guys (and gals) won. This should come as no surprise. I'm that middle 20 percent that both sides have to appeal to to win. Now that they are in power, the Democrats should remember that we can swing just as easily the other way two years from now.

Election Night 2006

2006-11-07T19:18:00.000-08:00

Election 2006

11 p.m.

Senate race in Virginia remains very, very, very close. Recount, anyone?

Ah-nuld leading in California. No surprise. Big-mouth J.D. Hayworth, R-Ariz., out of the House. Heath Shuler wins in North Carolina, another Blue Dog Democrat. Better politician than quarterback. Corker still holds lead in Tennessee. A third of the vote still left in Missouri Senate seat. Tennessee marriage amendment way out in front.

More tomorrow.

10 p.m. Update

Fox is calling control of the House belongs to the Democrats. Allen continues with slim lead in Virginia Senate race. Missouri is too close to call with the St. Louis votes still out. Many are calling the Maryland Senate seat to remain in Democratic hands, but the Republican Steele actually leads with urban votes not in.

Crist will be the next governor of Florida. Foley seat lost to Democrats. Democrats take Ohio governor and U.S. Senate races. Indiana Republicans hit hard in House contests. Good news: Hastert is out as speaker. Bad news: Katherine Harris lookalike Nancy Pelosi is in. Not a serious person to be leading a resurgent Democratic Party, fueled by Blue Dog wins -- not liberal conquests. Beebe wins in Arkansas. Spitzer is the new governor of New York.

Oh, and Britney Spears apparently filed for divorce. Do you think she even knew there was a national election today?

9 p.m. Update

In Pennsylvania, Santorum is out of the U.S. Senate. Lieberman appears to be back in for Connecticut. Bill Nelson beats Katherine Harris in Florida. The Klan faction is 2-for-2, with Lott winning in Mississippi and Byrd gaining his 78th term in West Virginia. Chafee, barely a Republican, loses to an actual Democrat in Rhode Island.

Allen leads in Virginia; Corker in Tennessee; Talent in Missouri. Democratic chances to take the Senate aren't falling. Democrats are poised to take over the U.S. House.

Bob Riley (R-Ala.), Phil Bredesen (D-Tenn.), Rick Perry (R-Texas), Sonny Perdue (R-Ga.) and Mark Stanford (R-S.C.) cruising to re-election. Charlie Crist (R) leads in Florida; Beebe (D) ahead early in Arkansas.

Um, And This Comes As A Surprise?

2006-11-06T18:36:00.000-08:00

Um, And This Comes As A Surprise?

We didn't even know this was supposed to still be a secret. Pssst, Neil Patrick Harris is gay.

Neil Patrick Harris is gay and wants to quell any rumors to the contrary. "(I) am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest," Harris tells People magazine's website.

The 33-year-old actor said he was motivated to disclose his sexuality because of recent "speculation and interest in my private life and relationships."

Harris stars on the CBS comedy How I Met Your Mother. He started on TV as a teen, playing the namesake doctor on the series Doogie Howser, M.D.

At first, when a story was, er, coming out, Harris' mouthpiece said he "was not of that persuasion." A day later, like everyone else, Harris unveiled his sexuality to People magazine. As for the demeaning first denial from someone we hope is now employeed, we'll blame Harris' parents. They are lawyers.

P.S. Here is Neil's "sweetheart" ...

P.S.S. Speaking of non-surprises, a homophobic minister (or any other homo-hater) turns out to be ... homosexual. Or something. I don't have the energy to rip Ted Haggard apart. Duane does a pretty good job. As for my Haggards, I much prefer Merle.

In The Windy City

2006-11-03T08:27:00.000-08:00

In The Windy City

BaT is currently housed in Chicago, as Jake speaks at a conference.

Note to Jake: When traveling on someone else's dime, book your own hotel room. Nice place ... very nice. But luckily, BaT is a one man show here or there wouldn't be enough oxygen in this room for two. Small place ... very small.

BaT Endorsements -- Governors

2006-10-31T19:13:00.000-08:00

BaT Endorsements -- Governors

Once again, we focus on the Southern states.

Alabama

BaT endorses Bob Riley, Republican. (The incumbent Riley, which the exception of a failed tax increase his first year in office, has proved himself quite capable of leading the state. He has benefitted from booming tech and automotive industries, but he continues to recruit similar companies to establish a presence in the state. And his administration has been squeaky clean thus far. His Democratic opponent, Lt. Gov. Lucy Baxley, has shown voters no reason to vote for her ... or even against Riley. At least she's on the right side of the concealed permit issue.)

Arkansas

BaT endorses Mike Beebe, Democrat. (Beebe, the current state attorney general, is poised to lock up Arkansas for the Party of Clinton. If he defeats Republican Asa Hutchinson, Arkansas will be represented by a Democratic governor, a Democratic state legislature and two Democratic senators. Three of the state's four U.S. representatives are also Democrats. Hutchinson is best known as the first secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Establishing this new giant of an agency was a daunting task, and Hutchinson didn't exactly shine. Airport security, anyone? Ports? Anyone? Bueller? At least Asa is not his sleazy brother, who dumped his wife of 29 years for his Senate aide. Did we mention the brother is a former pastor?)

Florida

BaT endorses Charlie Crist, Republican. (Currently the state attorney general, Crist brings a wealth of governing experience to the contest. "Chain Gang Charlie" also has an interesting personal life, although at least he keeps his alleged affairs legal ... barely ... unlike that other Florida politician. Regardless, Crist has performed admirably as attorney general.)

Georgia

BaT endorses Sonny Perdue, Republican. (Perdue has made reform efforts, and he has given people in the Peach State little reason to "punt" him from office. He leads in the polls despite the politically unpopular Confederate battle flag decision.)

South Carolina

BaT endorses Mark Sanford, Republican. (Anyone who brings live pigs into the state House chamber to protest his own party's "pork projects" is alright with us.)

Texas

BaT endorses Kinky Friedman, Independent. (Who can resist supporting a Jewish singer best known for "A**hole from El Paso -- a parody of "Okie from Muskogee" -- for Texas governor? They've done worse. "One of his stated goals is the 'dewussification' of Texas." He also supports gay marriage: "I support gay marriage. I believe they have a right to be as miserable as the rest of us." Now this could get fun.)

Gay Halloween Quote of the Night

2006-10-31T19:09:00.000-08:00

Gay Halloween Quote of the Night

Overheard a recent Pooky Night gathering populated by people of the homosexual persuasion:

"I thought the trick was the treat ..."

BaT Endorsements -- U.S. Senate

2006-10-30T18:15:00.000-08:00

BaT Endorsements -- U.S. Senate

If you're looking for in-depth analysis on the candidates, look elsewhere. But if we were eligible to vote in all of these states, this is who we would choose -- and possibly a brief explanation.

We're sticking with Southern states, because, well, that's what we do.

U.S. Senate -- Texas

BaT endorses Scott Lanier Jameson, Libertarian. (We do not like Kay Bailey Hutchison, even though she will win in a landslide. Her Democrat opponent wants to increase spending for many typically liberal causes -- and she doesn't answer the question on what she would do with taxes. We all know what that means: She'd vote for more of 'em. This may be nothing more than a protest vote, but the people over at Outright Libertarians will be pleased.)

U.S. Senate -- Mississippi

BaT endorses Erik Fleming, Democrat. (Fleming supports right-to-carry laws and inclusion of sexual orientation in federal discrimination laws -- and he's not a complete cut-and-runner on Iraq. Oh, who are we kidding, he's running against Trent Lott, and there's no way in hell we'd vote from him.)

U.S. Senate -- Tennessee

BaT endorses Bob Corker, Republican. (Corker, the former mayor of Chattanooga, is best described as a moderate, especially in comparison to many Southern Republicans. His Democratic opponent, Harold Ford Jr., seems to wish he could also run as a Republican. If we're going to vote for anti-gay marriage, pro-gun and iffy on abortion candidates, we might as well have one in the same party as the president. Unfortunately, neither Corker nor Ford would participate in the Project Vote Smart survey. Boo to them.)

U.S. Senate -- Virginia

BaT endorses George Allen, Republican. (We really wanted to like Jim Webb. Really. Seriously. Allen is a bit of a nut, but Webb hasn't shown us that he isn't one, too. When in doubt, go with the nut you know.)

U.S. Senate -- Connecticut

BaT endorses Joe Lieberman, Democrat. (We know Connecticut is not in the South. Save your letters. But we want Fightin' Joe to be president one day, and that will never happen if he's retired back to New Haven. So, maybe it will never happen anyway. You can't blame a BaT for trying.)

Coming tomorrow: Governor's races.

The Return, Part 72

2006-10-30T17:55:00.000-08:00

The Return, Part 72

This kind of post is becoming too frequent on BaT, but we're back for a few days -- at least through Wednesday. We're not even sure what happened in the world over the last week -- but Election Day is fast approaching, so stayed tuned for some BaT political endorsements.

Disclaimer: BaT has accepted to advertising or contributions from any candidate. Although, if someone would like to secure 70 eyeballs for the upcoming week, we're open for bribery. If it's good enough for Congress, it's good enough for us.

BaT Takes To The Air

2006-10-21T19:58:00.000-07:00

BaT Takes To The Air

We leave tomorrow for the Left Coast again. Blogging will no doubt take a hit once again. We didn't expect so much travel this fall, but it's happening.

Hey, will anyone be in Chicago Nov. 3? We could use a drink. (Speaking of drinks, Cocktail of the Week has been harmed by all this time on the road. We'll work on that.)

Freddy Fender, 1937-2006

2006-10-19T19:05:00.000-07:00

Freddy Fender, 1937-2006

BaT regrets it missed news about the death of one of our favorite old-time musicians: Freddy Fender (nee Baldemar Huerta).

Freddy Fender, the "Bebop Kid" of the Texas-Mexico border who later turned his twangy tenor into the smash country ballad "Before the Next Teardrop Falls," died Saturday. He was 69.

Fender, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in early 2006, died at noon at his Corpus Christi home with his family at his bedside, said Ron Rogers, a family spokesman. ...

Fender hit it big in 1975 after some regional success, years of struggling -- and a stint in prison -- when "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" climbed to No. 1 on the pop and country charts.

"Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" rose to No. 1 on the country chart and top 10 on the pop chart that same year, while "Secret Love" and "You'll Lose a Good Thing" also hit No. 1 in the country charts.

Born Baldemar Huerta, Fender was proud of his Mexican-American heritage and frequently sung verses or whole songs in Spanish. "Teardrop" had a verse in Spanish.

"Whenever I run into prejudice," he told The Washington Post in 1977, "I smile and feel sorry for them, and I say to myself, 'There's one more argument for birth control.' "

Fender was also part of the Texas Tornados and Los Super Seven, winning a Grammy with both "supergroups." He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (we saw it during our trip earlier this year), but he is not in the Country Music Hall of Fame.

He said in a 2004 interview with The Associated Press that one thing would make his musical career complete -- induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville.

"Hopefully I'll be the first Mexican-American going into Hillbilly Heaven," he said.

Fender was another one of those "overnight successes" that was years in the making.

He signed with Imperial Records in 1959, renaming himself "Fender" after the brand of his electric guitar, "Freddy" because it sounded good with Fender.

Fender initially recorded "Wasted Days" in 1960. But his career was put on hold shortly after that when he and his bass player ended up spending almost three years in prison in Angola, La., for marijuana possession.

After prison came a few years in New Orleans and a then an everyday life taking college classes, working as a mechanic and playing an occasional local gig. He once said he sang in bars so dingy he performed with his eyes shut "dreaming I was on 'The Ed Sullivan Show.' "

"I felt there's no great American dream for this ex-Chicano migrant farm worker," he told the AP. "I'd picked too many crops and too many strings."

But his second break came when he was persuaded to record "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" on an independent label in 1974 and it was picked up by a major label. With its success, he won the Academy of Country Music's best new artist award in 1975. He re-released "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" and it climbed to the top of the charts as well. ...

"I feel very comfortable in my life," Fender told the Corpus Christi Caller-Times in August. "I'm one year away from 70 and I've had a good run. I really believe I'm OK. In my mind and in my heart, I feel OK. I cannot complain that I haven't lived long enough, but I'd like to live longer."

Fender was also a Marine. Thank you, Freddy, for your service and your music. Rest in peace.

Black Men Can Run

2006-10-18T19:52:00.000-07:00

Black Men Can Run

Wesley Snipes is on the run -- or at least complete disconnected to the world -- as the Internal Revenue Service wants either $12 million or 16 years of the actor's future.

Prosecutors said Snipes fraudulently claimed refunds totaling nearly $12 million in 1996 and 1997 on income taxes already paid. The star of the "Blade" trilogy and other films including "Jungle Fever" and "White Men Can't Jump" was also charged with failure to file returns from 1999 through 2004.

According to the indictment, Snipes had his taxes prepared by accountants with a history of filing false returns to reap payments for their clients. The firm American Rights Litigators would receive 20 percent of refunds from clients, according to the indictment. ...

Snipes, 44, who had a home in Windermere near Orlando, has not been arrested because authorities don't know where he is, Perez said. Snipes' manager and attorney did not return phone messages from The Associated Press.

"We've spoken to his former attorneys over the weekend," Perez said. "We presume that he knows, and of course after this press conference he will definitely know."

A 12-mil refund? C'mon, Wesley, don't you think that's going to draw one of those famous IRS red flags. About the only sign of tax fraud that's more obvious is the ol' "home office" deduction. But I guess if you make your living pretending to be a murderous robber, some bad habits will run off on you.

Be Smart, Be Armed

2006-10-16T20:24:00.000-07:00

Be Smart, Be Armed

Michael Sandy was lured via the Internet to a secluded site in New York. Once there, four punks beat and robbed him. As he tried to escape, he was hit by a car and critical injured.

He never regained consciousness, spending his 29th birthday in a coma. Today we learn, he has been removed from life support.

John Fox, 19; Ilya Shurov, 20, and Gary Timmins, 16 were initially charged with assault and robbery as a hate crime, but those charges have since been upgraded to include murder, according to news reports. The fourth suspect has yet to be charged.

According to New York City police, Fox and Shurov posed as gay on an internet chat room for gay men looking for a mark to rob. They lured Sandy to a parking lot near Sheepshead Bay, sandwiched between Plumb Beach and the Belt Parkway in New York.

Chat messages between Sandy and the men were reportedly found on his home computer and a printout from his computer showing directions to Plum Beach, a popular cruising area, were found in his car.

The alleged attackers say that they are heterosexual, and have made incriminating statements to police, even suggesting they had tried to lure and attack gay men online in the past, Newsday reports.

Michael Sandy was 5-foot-7, and he weighed 145 pounds. Alone, he was no match for four people, regardless of their size. Now, the first words of advice should be "do not meet strangers in anywhere but a public place -- and even then do so with caution."

Subsequent words of advice: One person is no match for four. How might the situation have been different if, upon being threatened, Michael Sandy had pulled out a licensed weapon -- forget for a moment that the only people in New York who can legally carry guns are bodyguards for the rich and famous -- and set a bead in between the eyes of one of these little thugs?

Would they have backed off or would they have continued their attacks? I'm telling you, my fellow queers, arm yourselves and protect you and yours. The police are no longer in the crime prevention business; they are in the crime cleanup business.

I'm sick of this sh*t, and I'm not going to take it. Lock and load.