Quick Roundup 125

Morris on Bill vs. Hillary

Dick Morris, who should have lots of insight on this topic, has written a piece comparing former First Lady Hillary Clinton to Bill Clinton, who will likely become the First (chortle) Gentleman in a couple of years if the GOP can't find a decent candidate by 2008.

He is intensely creative, constantly turning issues over in his mind seeking new solutions. She rarely has a new idea but specializes in advocacy -- the rote recitation of talking points.

He has an instinctual feel for people and an uncanny ability to read a room and know what everyone in it is thinking. She is obtuse in her understanding of people and ham-handed in her approach.

Much of the article consists in such comparisons, and two things jump out at me. First, it is clear that the couple are a team and that, as politicians, he is the one who is best able to get things done, while she is the one who sets the direction. Second, because of this, there is some hope that they will not be very effective if they attempt to reverse roles as "throne" and "power behind the throne".

Color me cautiously optimistic less pessimistic, but rather than having in office someone who can pass as a non-leftist (but whose main source of input is from a loony leftist), we will have an easy-to-unmask loony leftist whose can-do husband will not actually hold any power.

Timmm-berrr!

Zach Oakes has called it quits. I'll miss Oak Tree and I wish him well.

No SUBstitutions!

Vigilis has a mini-roundup of recipes posted by submariners, which includes Spaghetti Van Horn and the bizarre insinuations that I (1) use it to diet and (2) make it while my wife is away.

Hmmm. Is he helping me remain anonymous here or is he trying to get more people to read about my strange relationship with Italian cuisine?

For the record, Gus "Bones" Van Horn will be dining on gumbo in another few days, thank you very much!

Aircraft Safety for Dhimmis

Cox and Forkum once again hit the nail on the head with this cartoon on the Islamic vision of aircraft safety, in addition to posting a good roundup of news and commentary about the incident. (For once, though, I think I came up with a better title than they did.)



Of particular note is a link (which I also saw at Jihad Watch) to an article in Investor's Business Daily, detailing the tactics and political connections of these agents provocateurs.

[Ringleader Omar] Shahin himself has ties to terrorism. He served (unknowingly, he now says) as an agent and fundraiser for a Hamas front. He ran a mosque in Tucson, Ariz., attended by several al-Qaida operatives including the hijacker who flew the plane into the Pentagon. And he now runs an imam federation that counts an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing among its trustees.

...

But most disturbing, these imams aren't the fringe. Shahin's group, the North American Imams Federation, represents more than 150 mosque leaders across the country. It works in concert with the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which wasted no time slamming US Airways for "stereotyping" Muslims and calling on Congress to pass legislation to outlaw passenger profiling.

Both CAIR and NAIF work closely with Rep.-elect Keith Ellison, D-Minn., the first Muslim member of Congress. Conveniently enough, he immediately stepped in on their behalf to pressure US Airways and the local airport to change security policies. [bold added]

And do check out the time line at IBD (or at Jihad Watch if the link stops working).

Also, Captain Ed points to more news and commentary including this: "Audrey Hudson continues her work on the story at the Washington Times today, noting that three separate investigations concluded that US Air acted appropriately when they removed the activists from the flight" [my bold].

The Homework Lie

Lisa VanDamme, whose Academy has a policy of not assigning homework, has an interesting post about that topic over at Principles in Practice.

Math practice is done in math class. We give students ample time to learn, practice, and master new concepts under the close supervision of the teacher. Essays are written in writing class. Writing, which is one of the most challenging and comprehensive skills a student must learn, demands the constant monitoring and assistance of the teacher.

That such disciplines are neglected during the day -- and then sent home in a mad-dash effort to get the kids up to speed for standardized testing -- is criminal.

It is not surprising that our policy does wonders for parents' relationships with their children. I will never when a parent sat at my desk one day and, told me, with tears in his eyes: "You have given back our family life." [my bold]

I never considered the role homework plays in completing the destructive job done by our horrendous public schools. Great! The schools waste learning time during the day and then preempt play time in the evenings! This way, we can be sure to stunt our children in all areas of their lives! The formative role of hobbies and social interactions are grossly underestimated. How else is a child supposed to gain experience in the realm of personal values so he will know himself well enough to set appropriate goals as an adult?

I can't wait to read Part II!

-- CAV