Keep Yer Change

Movie Recommendations

Two thumbs up each for two excellent movies I've seen recently.

The Lives Of Others

Don't bother if you can't handle subtitles.  Its a German flick and entirely in German.  If you can get by that, its a very powerful movie.  The official review and even the plot summary on Amazon don't do it justice.  This is about life behind the wall, set in the police state of East German during the later years of the Cold War.  The fact that its a German production and not an Americanized portrayal makes it even better.  It was a different time then, but the themes will never go away.  This is what happens when we cede too much control and authority to a central government.

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

A documentary by Ben Stein of Forrest Bueller fame (though he's much more than that).  Ben takes on the Science and Education establishments that have barred any discussions of intelligent design in the classroom.  I've seen conservatives do smart documentaries before, but they always come off dry.  This one is very well done.  I wasn't sure about "Expelled" going in, as I'm not necessarily in the intelligent design camp, nor am I in the evolutionist camp.  Ben talks to leading voices on both sides, culminating with a face-to-face interview with renowned atheist/evolutionistRichard Dawkins.  The question isn't who is right, but why is only one side permitted to talk?  Ben leaves no doubt that the current state of academic freedom in the sciences leaves a great deal to be desired.

Joe the war correspondent

Good on him.  Joe is going to report for 10 days on the fighting in Israel/Gaza for Pajamas TV.  Glad to see after all the effort the libs put into trying to denigrate him, his notoriety has gotten him opportunities he never would have had before.  My how I will enjoy rubbing it in if this man ever wins public office.

Link

Here's the site he'll be appearing on:

Pajamas TV (done by Pajamas Media) 

Obama = Osama?

My Microsoft spell-checker still tries to correct "Obama" to "Osama".  Bill Gates, who woulda thunk it?  Hehehe...

Media love for first day of school

Barack Obama sent his two girls off for their first day at the posh private school Sidwell Friends on Monday, to much fanfare and fawning from the media.  Despite the hours of coverage it received, their apparently was no time to point out that Obama's own stance against private school vouchers would deny less affluent parents the chance to send their kids to such a school.  I was, however, informed of the schools organic lunch program and environmentally-friendly building design.

Just as an aside, what kind of mascot would a school named Sidwell Friends have?  Or are mascots just for us simpletons who attended public schools?  My money is on a dove.  Unicorn would be a close second.

Derb on Palestine

Excellent article written by John Derbyshire of the National Review.  It was originally written in May of 2002 but he reposted it in the Corner today.  Just as relevant now.  Here's an excerpt:

"Look at the last 50-odd years, since the colonial powers left. What have the Arabs accomplished? What have they built? Where in the Arab world is there a trace or a spark of democracy? Of constitutionalism? Of laws independent of the ruler's whim? Of free inquiry? Of open public debate? Where in your house is there any article stamped "Made in Syria?" Arabs can be individually very charming and capable, and perform very well in free societies like the U.S.A. There are at least two recent Nobel prizes with Arab names attached. Collectively, though, as nations, the Arabs are no-hopers."

And no, Arabs don't consider Palestinians to be Arabs and despite their rhetoric show little real compassion for them.  Whether they are Arabs or not is academic.  Derb's thesis rings true.  Follow the link for the whole thing.

The Derb

Leon Panetta for CIA Chief

I hated Obama's pick for Sec. of Ed.  But that pales in comparison to choosing Clinton flack Leon Panetta to run the CIA while we fight two wars and a world wide war on terrorism.  Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D. Cali.) expressed shock at the choice.  Even the AP struggled to set the stage for the spin we will soon hear from the Obama camp (Link).  Yep, he's an administrative whiz.  Just the weapon we needed in the war on terrorism.  A pencil-pushing phenom.

Reid's version of pay-for-play

So the Democrats are all unified in their derision of Gov. Blagojevich, and rightly so.  The Governor is alleged to have attempted to sell a Senate seat in return for donations to his war chest or whatever other favor might strike his interest.  Senator Reid, wanting to protect the integrity of his Senate (ha!) decides he's going to play hardball and deny Blago's choice from being seated.  Wait, wait, on second thought...  Why not see what Reid can get out of it himself?  Reid, on "Meet the Press" on Sunday left the door open to negotiate a deal.  He will meet with Blago's appointed man Roland Burris on Wednesday for closed door discussions.  Quid pro quo?  Most ethical congress ever (they said).

Media Bias in 2008

I look forward to this every year.  The Media Research Center's annual review of the most ridiculous quotes from the liberal media in 2008.  I look forward even more to a day when they can no longer do this due to a lack of material.

Link

Quote of the year:

Co-anchor Chris Matthews: “I have to tell you, you know, it’s part of reporting this case, this election, the feeling most people get when they hear Barack Obama’s speech. My — I felt this thrill going up my leg. I mean, I don’t have that too often.
”Co-anchor Keith Olbermann: “Steady.”
Matthews: “No, seriously. It’s a dramatic event. He speaks about America in a way that has nothing to do with politics. It has to do with the feeling we have about our country. And that is an objective assessment.”
— Exchange during MSNBC’s coverage of the Virginia, Maryland and Washington D.C. primaries, February 12. 

Christmas now an official holiday in Iraq

How cute is this?

 

More pics here: http://www.defenselink.mil/photoessays/photoessaySS.aspx?id=1058

And before you libs get your panties in a bunch, here are the details on the new holiday.  The Iraqi government chose to do this.  But i'm sure this will be re-interpreted by the crazies as us evangilizing in the middle-east. 

Princess Caroline - qualified

Mayor/Governor/0il-guru Sarah Palin - not so much.

Celebrity/heiress/socialite Caroline Kennedy gets a free pass from the media when it seems she will imminently receive a Senate appointment.  Meanwhile, the elected Sarah Palin, with her freakishly good approval ratings as a mayor and governor was somehow unfit to be elected to national office.

No really, the media isn't biased at all.  In fact, they take offense to that sort of talk. 

Paris Hilton for President 2012.