Tidbits 1/18/05

A new feature on pvblog will be a Tidbits post, around once a week, that will offer several observations on current topics. Any topic may be expanded in a later posting. Please let me know your preferences.

Bye Bye Indonesa The Indonesian government announced that it wants American and other foreign troops that are providing critical disaster relief to the tsunami victims out of the country by March 1. US Ambasador Pascoe felt that the directive is "a perfectively reasonable position." (Condi has some serious butt kickin to do over at the State Department.) Syndicated columnist Mona Charen noted that the Arab Doctors Association is providing medical care to jihadist fighters in Chechnya ( you remember the guys who killed the Russian school kids) but the docs refuse to assist Muslim tsunami victims because the disaster is seen as "punishment from Allah."

"Do Gooders : How liberals hurt those they claim to help - and the rest of us" Mona Charen's new book is a must read. It is a guide to know-it-alls in politics, the media, education and Hollywood who believe they know what is best for the rest of us. One example is education do-gooders who deny poor children a better education through voucher programs while sending their own kids to private schools. You all know who they are. I just ordered a copy of Mona's book from Amazon. If you live in the Palos Verdes area, the correct way to make such purchases is to go first to the Library web site (www.pvld.org). Then click on the Amazon button (upper left hand corner) the Amazon web page appears and when you buy stuff, the Library gets a small cut.

Daddy Truck, Baby Truck Harvard President Larry Summers got into serious trouble with feminists at an economics conference with his suggestion that "innate differences between the sexes could help explain why fewer women succeed in science and math careers." Summers cited as an example one of his daughters, who as a child was given two trucks in an effort at gender neutral upbringing. She named them "daddy truck" and "baby truck" as if they were dolls. MIT biologist Nancy Hopkins fled the room, later noting, "I had to leave or risk passing out or throwing up." Just like a man??? Interesting sidebar: President Summers was Treasury Secretary under Bill Clinton.

Condi takes on Batty Barbi Speaking of kicking butt: At the senate confirmation hearings today, California's own Barbi Boxer addressed Secretary of State-designate Condi Rice with an accusation: "You sent them in there because of weapons of mass destruction. Later the mission changed when there were none. Let's not rewrite history, it's too soon for that." Rice took measure of the Marin County brainiac and responded as follows. "We can have this discussion any way that you would like, but I really hope that you will refrain from impugning my integrity." Round one to Condi.

He's baaak Senator Kerry told Rice, at length, how he admired her courageous life story... and how he had just returned from Iraq where "soldiers" asked him "How are we gonna get out of here." (Or was that Christmas in Cambodia; so many stories, so little truth.) Kerry then provided the answer: "We have to rescue our policy from ourselves." Imagine, that guy could have been president.

"So what's wrong with the public schools" (1/8/05) is receiving the most spirited comments. Many thanks to Ralph, Anonymous, and new pvblog friend (long time Zone bridge friend) Nan Cameron. Their comments are well worth the reading.

Liberal Laura's latest response about America: It could be a country where the American Dream is a genuine possibility ..... where education and healthcare are available to all people. Wonder where Laura lives? Can't be the USA. And war is still wrong; "we should never enter into war easily and with glee." Funny ideas these liberals have.