We’re into the season of ferocious retailing, so in that spirit a few gift ideas might be appropriate.

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As December, and Bush’s final year in office, approach, we’re looking at two simultaneous Munich-style giveaways – again: Israel and Kosovo.

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Forget the 13 dead lawyers in Uttar Pradesh blasts. No big deal. Their relatives will be compensated. They certainly cannot be allowed to damage the well entrenched Islamists leftist alliance ruling India. At the moment that alliance is working hard to punish Taslima Nasreen, the author of the “fictional” account of the persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh Lajja-Shame. Yes, you guessed. Islamist clerics issued a fatwa against her. Any Muslim choosing to kill her would go to paradise. Nasreen escaped her homeland. Then reports Kapchan Gupta:

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That the current Archbishop of Canterbury’s latest pronouncement is rooted more in anti-Americanism than the promotion of Christianity is not only a measure of the thoughtless fever presently sweeping those who consider themselves intellectuals, it is also a sadly precise diagnosis of the larger problem infecting many leaders of the human bureaucracy we regularly mistake for Christ’s true church. In an interview with a Muslim magazine, Rowan Williams makes another of his not-surprising sweeping statements about the evil of the West, the inhumanity not just of capitalism but of free markets, and the destructive force that America is in the world. The Archbishop is a learned man, but as he demonstrates over and over, the possession of an educated mind does not always accompany the possession of common sense–and, in his case, an American Sunday School pupil’s familiarity with the nature of G-d Himself.

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It seems that a popular new criminal defense strategy is emerging in North America. If you’re indicted for a violent crime, there’s an almost fail-safe get-out-of-jail card you can use. It’s called the Blame-the-Serbs Defense, and Johnny Cochran would be jealous that he didn’t come up with it. Let’s go back for a moment to the little-spoken-of October bombing attempt on the U.S. embassy in Austria. A follow-up story to that incident (from a Netherlands TV program) was titled “Bosnian in failed attack on US embassy, war trauma victim” and reported:

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The Institute on Religion and Public Policy [recently] cautioned German authorities against the targeting of Muslim converts in any domestic surveillance policies.

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(First published in the Vallejo Times-Herald) 

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 “If he does that (relinquishes power), he will be the greatest man in the world,” Said King George III about George Washington. The same can be said today about Vladimir Putin. If he steps down as he vows, he would create a new Russia. He seems to know that and vows to do just that. Yet to listen to him, it is clear that every fiber in his body rebels against the idea. He is sure his successors cannot be trusted to defend and nourish the Russia he constructed. Just read this excerpt from his November 21st campaign speech ( Translated by A. Ignatkin):“If he does that (relinquishes the presidency), he will be the greatest man in the world,” Said King George III about George Washington. The same can be said today about Vladimir Putin. If he steps down as he vows, he would create a new Russia. He seems to know that and vows to do just that. Yet to listen to him, it is clear that every fiber in his body rebels against the idea. He is sure his successors cannot be trusted to defend and nourish the Russia he constructed. Just this excerpt from his November 21st campaign speech ( Translated by A. Ignatkin): 

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This couple has decided to forgo having a family in order to help save the planet. It’s outstanding news: less breeding among eco-nuts! When you thank G-d this weekend for His many blessings, be sure to add the decision of this fortunately misguided couple to your list of great good things.

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“I Hope that the U.S. Won’t Recognize a Unilateral Declaration of Kosovo Independence” (Voice of America, Serbian Service - Translation)

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“Serbia Must Choose Kosovo over EU”

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The executive news editor just ran out to get our turkey from Koo-Koo Roo, and we’re scrounging on spinach dip and a meat and cheese tray (my contribution!) as we simultaneously get the paper out. Considering we’ve taken the bold step of getting catered turkey this year, that means our dinner time is bumped up to 4 p.m. As someone who spends all holidays working, I can assure you that’s not the best idea. We’ll all stuff ourselves silly, then just want to lie down and sleep and bloat as we hit deadline. That’s why newsroom potlucks are best done around 6 p.m. — stories are filed, copy is in, pages are at least halfway done as the press awaits an early deadline.

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Those who feel violated by the so-called “warrantless wiretapping” engaged in by the Bush Administration should consider the hazards of Thanksgiving in Pittsburgh.

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What is it with Hollywood and Christian-bashing?

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Workers at CBS News have voted to authorize a strike, which means that the CBS News-sponsored Democratic debate, scheduled for December 10, may be postponed or canceled altogether.

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I have a friend who was always trying to talk me into being part of his next business idea. Media, finance, health care—it didn’t matter which sector, he’d always say the same thing, “Jerry, it’s gonna be bigger than Microsoft.” I’d always nod and smile. Then I would change the subject back to the insurance firm that he already owned. How are your profits? Who’s your best producer? Are you controlling your costs? I knew that would end the conversation pretty quickly, because talking about the business that he already owned was boring to him. It shouldn’t have been; he’d built it from nothing and was beginning to break into the middle tier of his industry. He never made it, though; he’d siphon all his best people off to his whim of the month, left the running of his core business to one of his mediocre guys, and, in the end – bankruptcy. The problem, I think, was ingratitude. 

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In the movie, “What about Bob?”, Bill Murray’s character says to his therapist, ”There are two types of people in this world; those who like Neil Diamond and those who don’t!” I happen to fall into the former category. I have always liked his music. I think he is a creative and vocal genius. My favorites include, “Cracklin’ Rosie,” “I Am…I Said,” “Shiloh” and my all-time favorite, “Sweet Caroline.” Until…today. Now, I don’t know what to think…

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Cross-posted from PoliBlog:

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Capitalism as system based on private ownership of the economy may be slowly being replaced by a global system based state ownership of the economy. No, I am not talking about states merely controlling their own economic systems but those of other countries. Sovereign Wealth Funds are all the rage. Russia and China are reveling in them while Japan and India are considering them. For Sovereign wealth funds: Power magnifies as petrodollar gains ground and if you cannot beat them, you may as well join them.

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While on a campaign swing today through New Hampshire, Senator Barack Obama spoke to a group of high school students.  When asked about his time as a student, Obama admitted to having been a “goof off” who experimented with drugs and alcohol.  He told them he later realized what a mistake it had been and how he had wasted so much valuable time.

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Told ya so.

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I am forever fascinated by Americans’ schizophrenic attitudes regarding energy independence. Perhaps reality, unpleasant as it may be, should prevail.

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The most dangerous thing for any politician is to play into a pre-existing storyline. When Dan Quayle misspelled potato, I mean, if Bill Clinton had misspelled potato, no—everybody would’ve said he was tired. Dan Quayle, it was like, “He doesn’t know how to spell potato.” For Hillary Clinton, clearly the answer that you just played, played into what is her biggest vulnerability in this race, the sense that she may be too political, too evasive, not always telling, you know, the, the—fudging answers and so forth. So, in that sense, her response was very much a clear attempt to shore up that…in the second debate, and was going to shore up that vulnerability.”

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The US Special Operations Command is considering a forward-leaning plan to aid and train Pakistani tribes for operations against both al Qaeda and the Taliban that have found safe haven along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

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Check out my Los Angeles Daily News column today highlighting one little thing Americans can do to take a stand for human rights: Tell the San Francisco government how you feel about Beijing’s propaganda torch relaying through the City by the Bay next April. The San Francisco Team Tibet Coalition is doing just that, but Mayor Gavin Newsom hasn’t even acknowledged their concerns by agreeing to meet with the activists. I spent a month calling the mayor’s office, e-mailing when directed to do so, receiving one phone message in return and unable to reach a live person after that, with my messages going unreturned. One man who answered in the phone in the communications office on one of my early calls told me I was calling about the “supposed boycott” of the Olympic torch.

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Islamic fashion not only for faithful, designer says

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Columbia University is boiling. Professors find swastikas and nooses on their office doors and strenuous denials not withstanding Columbia president Lee Bollinger may soon be following in the footsteps Larry Summers. Why? Because he stepped into the maelstrom that is Middle East politics on campus. First, he invited Ahmadinejad to speak and then chastised him prior to his speech.

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(First published in the Vallejo Times-Herald) 

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Ripon High School is located just north of Modesto, California. But, over the past few days it may as well been mentioned in the same breath as the Middle East. For it was there that the Great Cheerleader Battle took place between fuddy duddy adults and the coolest hip chicks in school. Without taking sides here, let me detail for you a hilarious saga of youth vs. adults over a, “mooning” incident at the local football game.

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Splashed on the front page of today’s New York Times is a story headlined, “U.S. Hopes to Use Pakistani Tribes Against al Qaeda.”  Here is the first paragraph:

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The Democrats’ personal hatred towards President Bush – in light of the objective successes of his presidency – make clear the sad fact that they would rather see America fail if that failure made the president look bad.

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Julian Sanchez notes the increased political messages coming out in comic books. However, he draws exactly the opposite message from Marvel Comics’ Civil War “Superhero Registration Act” and its aftermath:

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