Saturday, May 31, 2008
Celtics to Face Lakers in NBA Final
The Celtics had an enormous turnaround from last year. In 2006-2007, they were 24-58. In the off season, they acquired Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to give some much needed help to Paul Pierce. The Big Three along with the emergence of Rajon Rondo got the Celtics off to a 27-3 start and never looked back. They finished the 2007-2008 season 66-16, the best record in the NBA.
The excitement about the Celtics has been restrained. Of course, this city has seen the Patriots win the Super Bowl thrice and the Red Sox win the World Series twice this decade. We have become accustomed to it. It is also worth noting the Patriots loss in this year's Super Bowl as well as the lingering impact of the Spy Gate scandal has also tempered enthusiasm for the Celtics run.
Then there are the Celtics themselves. They came within a heartbeat of being eliminated by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs as they could not win away from the Garden. LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers also took them to 7 games as they continued to struggle on the road. But they did clinch last night on the road so perhaps a corner has been turned.
The Lakers have also undergone a resurgence. Kobe Bryant found the magic again and was named the NBA's MVP. But perhaps the key turning point in the Lakers season was the acquisition of Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies back in February. The Lakers are largely a young team which I why I think the key to their success maybe Derek Fisher (who was with Kobe when the Lakers won three consecutive NBA Titles earlier this decade). Then, of course, you have head coach Phil Jackson who was won 9 NBA Titles, which ties him with Celtics legend Red Auerbach.
Doc Rivers has never won an NBA Title as a head coach but the Celtics have won 16 - the most in NBA history. I think that's another reason why the fans in Boston have been relatively quiet about the Celtics. Their history. The Celtics, despite recent lean years, are expected to win championships. Garnett, Pierce and Allen are great but in order to be placed alongside Bird, McHale and Ainge there has to be a championship banner placed on the roof of the Garden. The Celtics-Lakers Final promises to be the best in years. Celtics in 7.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Harvey Korman, 1927-2008. R.I.P.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Attn: Phoenix area conservatives - new group Coalition for a Conservative Majority meeting
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Resigns
Prime Minister Harper has rightly said that Bernier's actions are at issue, not Couillard's. Aside from this breach, Bernier had recently publicly called for the sacking of a provincial governor in Afghanistan thus intervening in their internal affairs. Bernier had also promised aid to Myanmar on a plane that was not available for use. Add this gaffe and clearly Bernier had become a liability to Harper & the Tories. But since there is a beautiful woman with a past the focus will be unfairly directed to her and this story will be dragged far longer than it needs to be.
International Trade Minister David Emerson has been named Foreign Affairs Minister on an interim basis.
Clint Bolick named one of the nation's top lawyers
Goldwater Institute Litigation Director Named One of Nation's Top Lawyers
Legal Times Calls
The newspaper Legal Times has named
Mr. Bolick was selected based on his work to create the legal precedents that support school choice programs. This decade-long battle culminated in Zelman v. Simmons-Harris, decided by the
"We are proud to have Clint's extraordinary legal acumen recognized by the prestigious Legal Times," said
In addition to Mr. Bolick, the Legal Times list includes U.S. Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and activist lawyer Ralph Nader.
Before joining the Goldwater Institute in 2007, Mr. Bolick was co-founder and vice president of the Institute for Justice and president and general counsel of the
In addition to his role at the Goldwater Institute, Mr. Bolick is of counsel to the Rose Law Group in
Sydney Pollack, 1934-2008. R.I.P.
Myanmar Military Junta Extends Suu Kyi's House Arrest
Nice website redesign at the Washington Times
Carter Claims Israel Has 150 Nuclear Weapons; Says Israel is "Starving" Palestinians
Yet Carter fails to mention the other countries in question haven't declared their intent to wipe out other countries off the map hence the concern about Iran vis a vis Israel. But Carter doesn't care a wit about Israel. Carter also said, "One of the greatest human rights crimes on earth is the starvation and imprisonment of 1.6 million Palestinians." 1.6 million Palestinians are being "starved" and "imprisoned"? Evidence please. But don't expect any. Carter is nothing more than a tool for Iran.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Tsvangirai Returns to Zimbabwe Without Incident
Friday, May 23, 2008
Myanmar Refuses U.S. Military Aid
Myanmar Allows in Relief Workers; It's About Bloody Time
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
New York Stories #2: Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr.
Israel & Syria Talking Through Turkey
Terrorism Rewarded;Hezbollah Triumphant
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Ted Kennedy Diagnosed with Malignant Brain Tumor
New York Stories #1: Yankees Humiliation Brings Smile to Red Sox Fan
Monday, May 19, 2008
Jon Lester Tosses No-Hitter
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Bush Admonishes Arab States
Tsvangirai Delays Return to Zimbabwe
Friday, May 16, 2008
Gay Marriage in California
Should Venezuela Be Declared a State Sponsor of Terror?
Zimbabwe to Vote on June 27th
Does Arlen Specter Have Nothing Better To Do?
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Stop the Presses!!! Tampa Bay Rays in First Place in AL East
Hillary's Victory in West Virginia Matters
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Lebanese Minister: Hezbollah "Turning Weapons They Are Supposed To Be Using Against The Israelis Against Lebanese Citizens"
All Lebanese were proud of Hezbollah's resistance against Israel. But now Hezbollah's mask has been removed. They are just a typical militia, because they're turning the weapons they are supposed to be using against the Israelis against Lebanese citizens.
So Hezbollah is supposed to use its weapons against the Israelis? I guess Moawad is OK with Hezbollah murdering Israeli civilians. It is only when Hezbollah turns on her fellow Lebanese that she finds their ideology to be abhorrent. And remember that Moawad is part of a government that is pro-Western and that we're supporting. Believe me, I don't like Lebanon under the clutches of Iran or Syria. But with friends like these....
Chavez Likens Merkel to Hitler
It is worth noting that today Merkel embarks on a week long trip to Latin America which will culminate at a summit of Latin American and EU leaders in Peru. Chavez has threatened to confront Merkel at the summit on Friday. I say that Hugo should keep talking. He's proving her point and for that matter John McCain's. All the more reason for respectable democratic leaders like France's Nicolas Sarkozy not to engage with him.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Barr Won't Lower the Bar for McCain
Sharif Pulls Out of Pakistani Government
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Hezbollah Got What It Wanted
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Tsvangirai Will Participate in Zimbabwe Runoff
Friday, May 9, 2008
Hezbollah Takes Over West Beirut
Myanmar Refuses Foreign Aid Workers
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Hezbollah is Trying to Overthrow Government in Lebanon
Israel Turns 60
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Obama Wins Big in NC; Hillary Narrowly Wins Indiana
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Fox series "Bad Dads" featuring tracking down "Deadbeat Dads" should be boycotted
The idea almost seems ok at first, a reality TV series focusing on hunting down rich men who owe child support money to the penniless mothers of their children. But when you stop and think about it, it's a terrible idea, because conceptually it lumps all dads behind in child support as deadbeat dads. Child support is a flawed law to begin with. Presenting this rosy one-sided picture of child support enforcement is cruel to those fathers whose lives have been devastated and destroyed by it. Who doesn't know a father who has suffered bankruptcy, depression, and other ill effects from the battles over child support and custody. Not all fathers are rich and mothers are poor, many times it's the opposite. Yet the law doesn't take this into account; once a father gets behind more than a few months in child support, a warrant is issued for his arrest. Even if he is poor. Fox should be ashamed and the show needs to be pulled. What about a show featuring fathers who discover the mothers of their children are really making more money than they admit, and are spending their child support money on non-necessities such as breast implants?
Monday, May 5, 2008
Re: Swiss decide that plants have rights
Obama Is Soft On Iran
Swiss decide that plants have rights
Saturday, May 3, 2008
MDC Softens Stance on Runoff
Friday, May 2, 2008
Johnson Ousts Livingstone Highlights Tory Decimation of Labour in Local Elections
Undoubtedly, the most significant development in this round of local elections is Ken Livingstone's loss to Tory MP Boris Johnson for the mayoralty of London. Back in July 2005, in the wake of the London terrorist attacks, I wrote two articles on Livingstone (www.intellectualconservative.com/2005/07/11/ken-livingstone-is-no-rudy-giuliani/ and www.intellectualconservative.com/2005/07/25/i-am-right-about-ken-livingstone/) Livingstone played host to Yusuf al Qaradawi, a Muslim scholar who has often praised Palestinian suicide bombers. For his part, Livingstone declared the Israeli Likud Party and Hamas "were two sides of the same coin." Needless to say, Livingstone's eight years at the helm of London couldn't have come more unceremoniously. Although in fairness Johnson, currently a Tory MP, is known for stirring the pot first as a journalist and then editor of The Spectator. The best way I can describe Johnson would be if Ann Coulter were to have a sex change operation and then were to immediately decide to run for office. It remains to be seen what kind of mayor Johnson will be. For all of Livingstone's faults, he did have a strong background in local government. Johnson doesn't have this experience but that might not necessarily hurt him. Johonson might be someone who surrounds himself with good people who handle the day to day stuff while he takes hold of a couple of initiatives and uses those to put his stamp on London.
Zimbabwe Elections Results Finally Announced
O'Reilly Interview with Hillary, Part Two
Strange Ending at Fenway Park
I thought perhaps time got called but Jays closer B.J. Ryan ignored it and threw the pitch thus invalidating the out. However, what happened was that Ryan balked as he delivered the pitch. For the uninitiated, a balk occurs when a pitcher does not come to a complete and discernible stop before delivering the pitch. A pitcher cannot deceive a runner on base. Because of the balk, Brandon Moss was awarded second base and Crisp would live to fight another day. And wouldn't you know it but Crisp singled. So instead of game over we have runners at first and third. Crisp would then advance to second on defensive indifference. So now the tying run comes up to the plate in the form of rookie Jed Lowrie. My friend and I (as well as those who remained) thought if the Sox pulled this off we would be speaking about this game for years. But no sooner than we thought that Lowrie was called out on strikes to end the game. Jays still win 3-0.