The Slippery Lips of Obama

I appreciate what Quin is trying to say concerning President Obama's "Polish death camps" remark. But I simply do not agree with him when he argues that Obama made nothing more than "a harmless slip of the lip." The last time an American President made a slip of the lip concerning Poland we ended up with Jimmy Carter for four years.

To read the rest of this post, please check out The Spectacle Blog.

Anti-Tea Party Pop Psychology

From time to time, you come across articles or studies which argue that conservatism is steeped in mental illness or a byproduct of so-called authoritarian personality. Last summer, this academic drivel was extended to the Tea Party.

Today, Dr. Justin Frank, a clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry at George Washington University Medical Center in D.C., penned an article in Time arguing the Tea Party fears contamination:

The fear-based purism of the Tea Party brings to mind the developmental phase we see in toddlers who insist on keeping separate the different foods on their dinner plate; in their quest fo certainty, a fleck of green parsley in their plain spaghetti will ruin the entire meal. The extremist drive for political absolutism is driven by a similar fear of contamination.

On a different psychological level we see a fear of being force fed - that the mother or father is going to make the child eat the spaghetti despite that speck of parsley. This perspective equates compromise with surrender, a recent theme in primary races with Tea Party candidates. Recently, Indiana Republicans defeated long-time stalwart senator Richard Lugar in favor of a man who promised never to compromise with any Democrat. Texas Tea Party Senate candidate ran ads portraying his Republican opponent as a "moderate", meaning he's someone willing to work across the aisle.

This anxiety is also expressed in adulthood as the fear of having to mix with people who are different from self. A high percentage of Tea Party extremists to whom (Alan) Simpson refers still can't accept someone as different from them as Obama as their president. And what goes far beyond a simple bit of parsley is that Obama is experienced as a living, breathing contaminant that threatens to force-feed his other-ness down the throat of America.

Fear-based purism? Tea Party extremists? It's not exactly the kind of detached, sober clincial analysis that one would expect of a psychiatrist. If Dr. Frank likens Indiana Republicans who voted for Dick Mourdock over Dick Lugar to children who refuse to eat spaghetti because of a speck of parsley then what of Democrats in Connecticut who jettisoned Joe Lieberman in favor of Ned Lamont a few years back? Or for that matter Texas Democrats who yesterday dumped longtime Congressman Silvestre Reyes? Indeed, it would seem that Dr. Frank is projecting his own biases and prejudices towards a group of people with whom he disagrees.

Speaking of biases and prejudices, Dr. Frank makes the not so subtle suggestion that Tea Partiers dislike President Obama because of the color of his skin (i.e. "the fear of having to mix with people who are different from self"). That Dr. Frank would make such a statement tells me that he has never met a Tea Partier in his life.

It would be great if a local Tea Party group were to invite Dr. Frank to join them for a spaghetti dinner with all the parsley he wants. That is if he's willing to break bread. I wouldn't want Dr. Frank to feel contaminated in the presence of Tea Partiers.

Out of Thune

Quin Hillyer isn't impressed with talk of South Dakota Republican Senator John Thune being Romney's number two. I second his motion.

I haven't been much of a fan of Thune since he opposed John Bolton's nomination as UN ambassador back in 2005. If Romney were to be elected, Bolton would be a leading candidate to be appointed Secretary of State.

Not that there's any rule that a V-P and a Secretary of State have to like each other. Still, I think if Romney were to make this pick it would be terribly out of Thune.

Polish PM Rips Obama Over "Polish Death Camps" Remark

While posthumously bestowing the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Polish WWII resistance member Jan Karski, President Obama made reference to "Polish death camps".

The problem is while there were death camps in Poland they were run by the Germans. White House spokesman Tommy Vietor issued a mealy mouthed apology stating that the President merely "misspoke".
This was simply not good enough for Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk:

If these were "Polish death camps", then from whose hands did the uncle of the President of the United States liberate the Buchenwald concentration camp? When someone says "Polish death camps," it is as if there were no Nazis, no German responsibility, as if there was no Hitler - that is why our Polish sensitivity in these situations is so much more than just simply a feeling of national pride.

This truth about World War II is important and must also have importance for every other nation. I am convinced today, our American friends are capable of a stronger reaction - a clearer one, and one which perhaps eliminates, once and for all, these types of mistakes - than just the correction itself and the regret which we heard from the White House spokesperson. We take note of these words, but it seems it woul be even more important for the United States than for Poland to end this with class. That is how one acts with regard to tried-and-tested friends, but this is also how one acts in your own, well-defined interest. I believe our allies are capable of such behavior. Thank you very much.

This isn't the first time President Obama has insulted Poland. He did so in September 2009 when he cancelled the ballistic missile defense systems proposed by George W. Bush which were to be built in Poland and the Czech Republic in an effort to appease, er, reset relations with Russia.

President Obama has made apologizing for America's actions one of the hallmarks of his presidency. The time has come for President Obama to apologize for his own misdeeds. It's time for Obama to man up.

"Doc" Watson, R.I.P.

Guitar picking legend Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson has passed away of complications from abdominal surgery following a fall at his home. He was 89.


To read the rest of this obituary, please check out The Spectacle Blog.

Exclusive Breitbart Tribute at RightOnline

In less than three weeks, on June 15 and 16, we'll be in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the fifth annual RightOnline conference, the premier new media event for 2012 - and I hope you'll join us! Click here to learn more and sign up today. I'm excited to let you know that this year, in honor of the late Andrew Breitbart, long time friend and supporter of RightOnline, our 2012 event will kick off with a very special tribute honoring the tremendous impact Andrew Breitbart had on online activism and citizen journalism. Many of Andrew's closest friends will share their memories and stories, and you'll have the chance to watch a sneak peak of an extended segment of the never before seen "Hating Breitbart" movie. This year, we'll also be joined by the best and brightest new media experts from across the country. I'm excited to announce our newest confirmed speakers: Jonah Goldberg, author, columnist, and editor for the National Review Online, S.E. Cupp, author and political commentator, and Dana Loesch, radio host, editor for bigjournalism.com, CNN contributor, and blogger. As you already know, also joining us are media experts Scott Rasmussen, Michelle Malkin, Guy Benson, Hugh Hewitt, Ann McElhinney, Lars Larson and Roger Hedgecock! Our exciting line-up of panelists include Katie Pavlich, James O'Keefe, and Anita Moncrief. Today is also your last chance to register for RightOnline at the early bird price of $79, covering your cost of admission, access to the general sessions and breakouts, and breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturday. Register before MIDNIGHT TONIGHT for this special price! RightOnline goes up to $129 tomorrow, so act now to reserve your place. It's time to join together with hundreds of citizens and grassroots activists from across the country, as we train for online activism and work to make the difference for liberty and prosperity in our country. We'll see you in Las Vegas! Sincerely, Tim Phillips President, Americans for Prosperity Foundation

MD Legislator's Priorities Warped In What Life Is Worth Preserving

During the 2012 session, the Maryland State Legislature considered the abolition of the death penalty.

Opponents of the practice argued that not everyone receiving the sentence actually committed the crime of which the judicial system found them guilty.

However, having only carried out the practice five times since 1977, it is doubtful such miscarriages of justice have been perpetrated all that often in the jurisdiction under consideration.

State Senator Lissa Gladden, a sponsor of the legislation, said, "I think as a community and a government that we should not be in the business of killing people."

Senator Gladden certainly has a warped way of implementing that ethical assumption.

According to Maryland Right To Life Incorporated, Gladden voted for stem cell funding that placed no limits on the destructive harvesting of human embryos.

The legislator also voted against an amendment that would have limited taxpayer funding of abortions for reasons of mental health; in other words, for women in a panic that a pregnancy might leave them with stretch marks during swimsuit season.

So in her eyes, if you are a murderer or a rapist, Gladden believers your life is so precious that it is worth saving no matter the horror or carnage you may have wrought in other people's lives.

However, if you happen to rank among the most innocent or defenseless members of society, Senator Gladden has little problem with snuffing you out in the name of utilitarianism or convenience.

Proverbs 8:36 admonishes that those that hate God love death.

It may seem counterintuitive.  But the effort to eliminate the death penalty, when coupled with the effort to legalize homosexual matrimony, indicates that the hatred of the Almighty in this particular state is approaching levels that threaten to unravel those social conventions established from on high designed to protect life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness founded on true virtue.

by Frederick Meekins

Johan Santana Shines on Rusty Staub Bobblehead Day

I am spending Memorial Day Weekend in New York with my Dad.

We along with 28,743 other people are now the proud owners of a Rusty Staub Bobblehead.

To read the rest of this post, please click:

http://spectator.org/blog/2012/05/26/johan-santana-shines-on-rusty

WaPost Criticizes Romney's Lack of Rhythm

First, The Washington Post went after Mitt Romney for an alleged bullying incident which took place nearly 50 years ago. Then they went after him for a massacre committed by Mormons in Arkansas 150 years ago. Now they've gone after him for his rhythm or lack thereof.

To read the rest of this post, please click:

http://spectator.org/blog/2012/05/25/wapost-criticizes-romneys-lack

Warren Pulls Even with Brown in New Poll

For all the controversy around Elizabeth Warren's claims of Native American status, it would appear that it has not hurt her with Massachusetts voters.

According to a new poll released by Suffolk University, Warren has closed the gap between herself and Scott Brown. Warren trails Brown by only a percentage point (48% to 47% of likely voters). Back in February, Brown had a nine point lead over Warren.

The most significant part of the poll is that while 73% of those surveyed were aware of the controversy with regard to Warren claiming status as a Native American, 69% of those folks didn't see what the fuss was all about.

Of course, this is a by-product of living in a liberal state. Most folks here in the Bay State not only favor affirmative action but see nothing wrong with Warren's claims even if they are dubious. In which case, Scott Brown could be in a lot of trouble. If voters in Connecticut didn't care about Richard Blumenthal misrepresenting his military service, is it really a stretch to imagine that Massachusetts voters won't care if Elizabeth Warren lied about being Native American to advance her career?

Quigley's Quixotic Defense of Liz Warren

Bernie Quigley's defense of Elizabeth Warren's claims of Native American heritage have been both widely and wisely mocked by the likes of Ace of Spades, P.J. Gladnick at Newsbusters and the triumvirate of Jonah Goldberg, Kevin D. Williamson, and Mark Steyn at National Review Online.
But before I pile on, it should be noted that Quigley cannot be completely dismissed as a left-wing crank. Back in July 2009, Quigley eviscerated President Obama for his snobbery in his handling of the Gates-Crowley affair. Quigley's evisceration of Obama won him praise from no less than Rush Limbaugh.
Having said that, I shall proceed to pile on. Quigley begins by writing:

Elizabeth Warren might be excused for wanting to be Native American. She can claim an old American soul, going back generations in Oklahoma. In the heartland it is almost universal for those who have been there for a few generations to claim Indian blood; that is, to wish it were there even if it isn't.

Well, if not Indian blood then perhaps high cheekbones will do. It is almost universal for us to want higher cheekbones and for those of us that have the means, your friendly plastic surgeon can make those dreams come true. But it won't make you any more Native American than the late Chief Jay Strongbow.

It is not so much a lie as it is the acculturation of personal and regional American myth; the fabric of old-soul American consciousness.

If John Edwards is convicted then I guess he can appeal to a higher court and say that his conduct was only being representative of old-soul American consciousness.

The first poetic vision of Europeans in the new world was that James Fenimore Cooper, who conjured Natty Bumpo. He had an "Indian name" - he had several: Hawkeye, Deerslayer, Pathfinder - indicating that he had been "reborn" in the new world in the Indian spirit. It is the oldest and most important myth in the American canon of our folklore, from Lone Ranger, who died and became "born again" via agency of an Indian shaman, and Fox Mulder, who returned from the dead via Indian intercession in "The X Files," born anew with the past burned away in death, to enter a new age under the flag of the White Buffalo.

I mean if Quigley is going to go all out on a limb then why not conjure up an image of Kevin Costner on his hand and knees uttering, "Tatanka"?

So Warren's claim to be "part Indian" is correct in mythical terms. Every old-school white Oklahoman is in this regard even if this is nominally not true. But it is not a lie to want to be Indian and imagine your ancestors were.

Actually, it would be bald-faced lie. To put this matter in some perspective, I grew up in Thunder Bay, Ontario where there is a significant Aboriginal population both on and off reserve. I greatly admire Aboriginal culture and tradition. But I am not about to go around and claim to be an Aboriginal Canadian. To do so would be wrong and profoundly disrespectful. With that said, it is one thing to identify with Native Americans; it is quite another to identify yourself as a Native American. Even if it's only 1/32 Native American.

I hope Mitt Romney remembers this and incorporates Indian blessings and ritual in his inaugural ceremonies as Canadians do and as they did in those terrific Winter Olympics in Salt Lake in 2002. And I hope Elizabeth Warren doesn't back down on this, because wanting to be Indian, like Hawkeye, makes us in a deeper sense fully American.

I'm not sure which Canadian inaugural ceremonies Quigley is referring to exactly. Given that he mentioned the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics perhaps he was referring to the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. But there weren't any Aboriginal blessings when Stephen Harper's Tory government was first sworn into office six years ago by Canada's Governor General at Rideau Hall. Besides, could you imagine if Mitt Romney were to suddenly claim Native American heritage? The Washington Post would call him Chief Flip Flop faster than you could say Bain Capital.

I do agree with Quigley on one thing. I hope Liz Warren doesn't back down on this either because as long as she doesn't then her credibility remains suspect. OK, so Warren wants to be Native American. I want to pitch for the Red Sox. That doesn't mean Bobby Valentine is going to take Daniel Bard out of the starting rotation and give me the ball on Memorial Day against the Tigers. And if he did, it wouldn't make me any more fully American than I am now.

Robin Gibb, R.I.P.

Robin Gibb of The Bee Gees has passed away after a long battle with colorectal, liver and pancreatic cancer. He was 62.


To read the rest of this obituary, please check out The Spectacle Blog.

Debbie Schlussel Isn't Very Diligent

Debbie Schlussel is angry about the forthcoming joint cruise between TAS and National Review for amongst other things including Grover Norquist in the proceedings. Then she launched a lengthy tirade against TAS part of which I have highlighted below:

And as for the American Spectator, it's the same deal. Several American Spectator editors repeatedly attacked me for exposing Miss USA 2010 Rima Fakih's Hezbollah family and the fact that her pageant bids were paid for by PFLP terrorist, immigration defrauder, and FBI Award revokee Imad Hamad. They also attacked me for pointing out that Lara Logan learned the true Islam when she was gang-raped by the Egyptian Muslim "democracy" protesters in Tahrir Square. This little, inconvenient fact got in the way of the magazine's strong support for the "democracy protesters" and the removal of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (the Spectator's idiotic Aaron Goldstein actually quoted the New York Times pan-Muslim Marxist Nicholas Kristof to bolster their support).

Well, one can say many things about Debbie Schlussel. Being diligent isn't one of them.
I didn't quote Nicholas Kristof concerning Egypt. John Guardiano did. To which I replied:

Alas, Guardiano is content to dismiss the anti-Semitism of some of the protesters. Why? Because The New York Times says so. OK, maybe Nicholas Kristof saw only one anti-Semitic sign. Well, he can take a look at these others. Somehow I find it hard to believe there aren't more where those came from.

So I didn't quote Kristof on Egypt much less endorse any argument he was making. In fact, the only time that I have quoted Kristof was to critique an article he wrote concerning his questions for Bahrain's King Hamad.

With regard to Egypt, as John can attest, we disagreed quite sharply. I wasn't the only one here at TAS who took a skeptical view towards Egypt. For Ms. Schlussel's edification, I cite articles written by Ben Stein, Jed Babbin, as well as a thoughtful blog post from Jim Antle.

Sadly, this isn't the first time Ms. Schlussel has been inaccurate in her characterization of what I wrote (and probably not the last):

As his proof that the 200 Muslims who attacked Logan were operatives of Mubarak, Guardiano cites some Kapo token Spectator Jew, Aaron Goldstein. Goldstein's "proof" that the attackers were Mubarak "thugs masquerading as protesters"? Well, he links to the terse CBS statement announcing the assault - a statement which says no such thing, doesn't mention Mubarak, and says absolutely nothing he claims.

Here was my response to Schlussel:

If Ms. Schlussel is going to refer to me as "some Kapo token Spectator Jew" then should do me the courtesy of actually reading what I have written. Not only have I not asserted that the thugs who attacked Logan were pro-Mubarak but I criticized Guardiano when he claimed they were. I also criticized Guardiano when he suggested pro-Mubarak forces produced anti-Semitic signs seen during the protests.

I ended with that post by writing, "And with that I trust that Schlussel will correct the record."
Well, that was fifteen months ago and I'm still waiting.

Kerry Wood to Announce Retirement

Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood will apparently announce his retirement later today.

The announcement may come following this afternoon's game at Wrigley Field against the crosstown rival White Sox as interleague play begins.

Wood, who turns 35 next month, has struggled this season. In nine appearances out of the bullpen, Wood has gone 0-2 with an 8.64 ERA surrendering eight runs in eight and a third innings pitched and has walked more than twice as many batters as he has struck out (11:5).

In a classy move by the Cubs, it looks like Wood will get to pitch one more time in front of Cubs fans before he hangs it up.

Wood was the Cubs first round pick in the 1995 MLB draft and would make his MLB debut in 1998. In his fifth big league appearance, on May 6, 1998, Wood set a National League record and tied a major league record held by Roger Clemens (and later Randy Johnson) by striking out 20 Houston Astros on a one-hit complete game shutout.

Wood won 13 games that season and was named NL Rookie of the Year as the Cubs won the NL Wild Card.

However, injuries would soon become Wood's constant companion. He missed the entire 1999 season due to Tommy John surgery. In all, Wood would be placed on the Disabled List 16 times including earlier this season due to a sore shoulder.

His best season came in 2003 when Wood won a career high 14 games and led the NL in strikeouts with 266 as he and Mark Prior led the team to the NL Central Division title. Of course, the Cubs were five outs away from going to the World Series in Game 6 of the NLCS until Luis Castillo hit that ball down the leftfield line. What is forgotten is that there was a Game 7 which Wood started. He even hit a two-run homerun in the second inning to tie the game at 3-3. Unfortunately, the Marlins took the lead in the fifth and Wood was removed in the sixth having given up seven runs. There would be no joy in Wrigleyville and Steve Bartman had nothing to do with it.

The Cubs converted Wood into a reliever late in the 2007 season and in 2008 would record 34 saves for the Cubs who won another NL Central title before being dispatched by the Dodgers in the NLDS.
After more than a decade in a Cubs uniform, Wood signed a two-year deal with the Cleveland Indians prior to the 2009 season. However, Wood would be traded to the New York Yankees in mid-2010 where he pitched effectively as an eighth inning set up man for Mariano Rivera. But after the Yankees declined to sign him in 2011, Wood returned to Wrigley.

If not for injuries, Wood could have been amongst the all-time greats. But he certainly had flashes of greatness and never made excuses when things weren't so great which made him one of the most popular players in Cubs history.

UPDATE: Wood came on in the bottom of the eighth to face Dayan Viciedo and struck him out on a curveball and bid baseball adieu. He was greeted at the dugout steps by his son and teammates amidst a standing ovation. Now that's ending things on a high note. Well, not completely. The Cubs lost 3-2.

Inge by Inge

A couple of days ago, I wrote about Oakland A's thirdbaseman Brandon Inge having the best week of his 12-year big league career.


Well, this week hasn't been so good. The A's have placed Inge on the 15-Day Disabled List due to a strained right groin.

No Moment of Silence for Murdered Israeli Athletes at London Olympics

The International Olympic Committee has rejected a proposal by Israel for a moment of silence at the 2012 Olympic Games in London in honor of the eleven Israeli athletes and coaches murdered by Palestinian terrorists during the 1972 Summer Games in Munich.

I cannot say this comes as a great shock. The IOC is probably no different than the UN. If the IOC were to have honored the fallen Israelis in this way then the Arab/Muslim bloc would have either threatened to boycott the ceremony or the Olympic Games altogether. The truth of the matter is that most of the Arab/Muslim bloc is delighted the Israelis were murdered forty years ago and would probably celebrate if the entire Israeli delegation were to be slaughtered again this summer.

Why Didn't Romney Demand Obama PAC Return Bill Maher's Million?

Both David Axelrod and Jim Messina put out the bait and unfortunately Mitt Romney took it.

Joe Ricketts, formerly of TD Ameritrade and whose family owns the Chicago Cubs, proposed putting together a series of Super PAC ads highlighting President Obama's relationship with the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Both Axelrod and Messina said that Romney should take a page out of John McCain's book and not focus on Wright. Well, of course, Axelrod and Messina would like that because, gee, McCain lost to Obama. Romney responded it would be "the wrong course for a PAC or a campaign."

So Axelrod and Messina got Romney to condemn ads that haven't been even made. Score one for Team Obama.

Now while one could certainly argue that Romney is better off highlighting Obama's three plus years in the White House rather than rehashing Reverend Wright, I think Romney took the wrong approach here.

What Romney ought to have said something along the lines of, "We'll take your suggestion under advisement. In the meantime, when is the Obama PAC run by Bill Burton going to return Bill Maher's $1 million?"

That would have put the ball back into President Obama's court instead of having Romney juggle a hot potato he shouldn't have touched in the first place.

Donna Summer, R.I.P.

Donna Summer, who had a string of hits in the 1970s and 1980s, passed away today of cancer. She was 63.

I had no idea she was ill.

Born here in Boston, Summer was amongst the first artists who popularized disco in 1975 with the 17-minute song "Love to Love You Baby". She reached her peak in 1978 and 1979 with hits like "Last Dance", "Hot Stuff" and her cover of Jimmy Webb's "MacArthur Park" which had been a hit decade earlier for actor Richard Harris.

Summer continued to have hits in the 1980s the most notable of which was "She Works Hard For The Money" which became a staple of MTV in 1983.

I remember when she did a guest spot on Family Matters when she played Urkel's Aunt Oona from Altoona. Yes, Aunt Oona could sing.

UPDATE: Via Mark Steyn, Summer was apparently exposed to toxic particles in the air from the attacks of September 11, 2001 resulting in lung cancer. Yet another reason to despite terrorism committed in the name of Islamic fundamentalism.

Doug Dillard, R.I.P.

Bluegrass banjo player Doug Dillard passed away last night after a lengthy illness. He was 75.

Dillard began playing banjo as a child and idolized Earl Scruggs (who passed away back in March). After Scruggs replied to a letter he wrote, Dillard convinced his parents to drive him to Scruggs home in Madison, Tennessee. He knocked on Scruggs' door and asked the bluegrass legend to install his tuners on his banjo. Dillard was only sixteen at the time.

Dillard and his younger brother Rodney along with Dean Webb and Mitch Jayne would form The Dillards. They got their first break on The Andy Griffith Show as a fictional bluegrass band known as The Darlings and made regular appearances on the show between 1963 and 1966. Here they are singing "Dooley".

The Dillards were to bluegrass what Bob Dylan was to folk in that they were amongst the first bluegrass groups to play with electric instruments. Dillard liked the electric sound so much that he eventually left The Dillards to tour with The Byrds. He became close with Gene Clark and in 1968 they left The Byrds to form Dillard & Clark. They recorded two albums The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark and Through the Morning, Through the Night. Neither album sold well but Dillard & Clark were an influence on country-rock acts like Gram Parsons, The Eagles and Poco and The Flying Burrito Brothers. Take a listen to "Why Not Your Baby" and you'll hear why Dillard & Clark were indeed on a fantastic expedition.

Building Closed: No Ice Cream Until Further Notice

There is a sign from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) which has been placed on the door of the ice cream stand at Great Brook Farm State Park in Carlisle about 20 miles northwest of Boston. It reads:

BUILDING CLOSED NO ICE CREAM UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

Last weekend, DCR officers shut down the popular ice cream stand and stood guard to ward off anyone crazy enough to think about buying an ice cream cone on a warm day.

The ice cream stand was shut down because its owner Mark Duffy because construction had been done without local and state permits. Duffy, who operates a dairy farm and has operated the ice cream for more than 25 years, says he has been making improvements everyday without permission.

That isn't good enough for MCR Commissioner Edward Lambert who said, "I like ice cream as much as anybody, so it pains us to even temporarily close what is an iconic property, but we have to make sure people eating ice cream there are safe."

Safe from what exactly, Lambert didn't say.

This is a classic case of, "We're from the government and we're to help." Well, their help has forced Duffy to lay off 13 high school and college students who work for him, has affected the ice cream manufacturer in Attleboro which distributes their product to him and if the shutdown lasts much longer it may force Duffy off his farm. This weekend is due to be as warm as the one we had here last weekend and Duffy is being deprived of his livelihood from an unaccountable bureaucracy which applies its authority arbitrarily and capriciously.

Masked Hooligans Shut Down University Classes in Montreal

Law students at the University of Quebec at Montreal (UQAM) had their classes shut down this morning by masked hooligans who stormed the campus forcibly removing some students from the classroom as they shouted, "Scab!!! Scab!!!"

The law students had obtained a court injunction permitting their return to class. There have been more than thirty such injunctions around the province but they have been ignored by striking students.

Last Thursday, Montreal's Metro was shut down during rush hour after several UQAM students allegedly threw smoke bombs onto the tracks at several Metro stations.

The student strike has lasted more than three months and according to Michelle Courchesne, Quebec's new Minister of Education, CLASSE (the student union) is "hardening" their demands. The Quebec Liberal government of Jean Charest is contemplating measures which would hand down heavy fines to those involved with organizing and encouraging the disruption.

But I doubt it will be enough.  The use of the Sûreté du Québec (the province's police force) will probably need to be stepped up and if that doesn't work then Charest might need to ask Ottawa to send in the military. Of course, if students rioters are killed in the course of restoring order then Canada's left-wing media will crucify the authorities. Of course, I hope it doesn't come to that but I don't see a peaceful resolution in the offing.

Kevin Hickey, R.I.P.

Former big league pitcher and coach Kevin Hickey has passed away. His cause of death is unknown but he was a diabetic and had been found unresponsive in his hotel room in Dallas prior to Opening Day last month. He was 56.

Hickey did not have a distinguished big league career except to say that it is a minor miracle that he pitched in the big leagues at all. Born on the South Side of Chicago, Hickey worked in a steel mill and his spare time played softball and semi-pro baseball. In 1977, he was one of 250 players to attend an open tryout at Comiskey Park and was the only player offered a contract by the White Sox. He made his big league debut with the Chisox in 1981.

He pitched with the White Sox through the 1983 season. That year the White Sox reached the post-season for the first time in 24 years winning the AL West by 20 games over the Kansas City Royals. It marked the first of 14 post-season appearances for manager Tony La Russa. I remember the '83 White Sox well. Ron Kittle won AL Rookie of the Year on the strength of his 35 homeruns. Greg Luzinski, Carlton Fisk and Harold Baines also supplied power. There were the Laws - Rudy and Vance (no relation). And how many people besides diehard Chisox fans remember that Jerry Dybzinski was the starting shortstop?

Then there was the pitching staff led by LaMarr Hoyt, whose 24 wins would earn him the AL Cy Young Award. Richard Dotson quietly won 22 games. The starting rotation was rounded out by Floyd Bannister, Britt Burns and 40-year old Jerry Koosman of Amazin' Mets fame. The Chisox didn't really have a closer that season. Dennis Lamp led the team with 15 saves but Salome Barojas had 12 while Juan Agosto and Dick Tidrow had seven apiece. For his part, Hickey recorded five saves in '83.

I remember Hickey because he had long hair and a moustache. He looked like a lefthanded version of LaMarr Hoyt. Most baseball fans might not remember Hickey but George Brett sure does. The three time AL batting champion and Hall of Famer was 0-for-15 lifetime against Hickey.

But then Hickey disappeared. He was released by the White Sox prior to the 1984 season but re-signed with them days later. He would be traded that summer to the New York Yankees along with pitcher Doug Drabek (who would later win the NL Cy Young Award with the Pittsburgh Pirates) as players to be named later for Roy Smalley. Hickey would bounce around in the minors with the Philadelphia Phillies, back with the White Sox and with the San Francisco Giants before signing with the Baltimore Orioles prior to the 1988 season.

I was shocked to see Hickey when he returned to the big leagues with the O's in 1989 after an absence of more than five years. His hair was much shorter but he still found a way to get lefthanded hitters out. That year the Orioles nearly went from worst to first in the AL East. Unfortunately, the Toronto Blue Jays had other ideas. Nevertheless, Hickey was back in the bigs and would remain with the O's until they released him during the 1991 season.

In 1994, Hickey got some acting work and appeared in Major League II alongside Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Corbin Bernsen and ex-big leaguers Bob Uecker and Steve Yeager. After being out of baseball for more than a decade, the White Sox hired Hickey as a part of their coaching staff as a pre-game instructor/batting practice pitcher in 2004 and was on hand in 2005 when the Chisox won their first World Series in 88 years.

Don't Blame Wrigley Field

In an op-ed in yesterday's Wall Street Journal, Rich Cohen argues that Wrigley Field should be torn down in order to put a merciful end to the Chicago Cubs' 104-year (and counting) World Series drought:

I'm a Roman, and to me, the expanse between Waveland and Addison on Chicago's North Side is Carthage. The struts and concessions, the catwalk where the late broadcaster Harry Caray once greeted me with all the fluid liquidity of an animatronic Disneyland pirate - Hello, Cubs fan! - the ramps that ascend like a ziggurat to heaven - it's a false heaven - the bases, trestles, ivy, wooden seats and bleachers, the towering center-field scoreboard - all of it must be ripped out and carried away like the holy artifacts were carried out of the temple in Jerusalem, heaped in a pile and burned. Then the ground itself must be salted, made barren, covered with a housing project, say, a Stalinist monolith, so never again will a shrine arise on that haunted block. As it was with Moses, the followers and fans, though they search, shall never find its bones.

Methinks Cohen is making a scapegoat of Wrigley. Now it's true the Cubs have never won a World Series in all the years they have played at Wrigley. But the Cubs haven't always been synonymous with futility and lovable losers. During their first thirty years at Wrigley, the Cubs were amongst the best teams in the National League. Between 1916 and 1945, the Cubs won six NL pennants. Only the New York Giants won more NL pennants during this period with seven. Of course, the Cubs went 0 for 6 in the Fall Classic during that period including The Called Shot by Babe Ruth during the 1932 World Series against the Yankees. Nevertheless, the Cubs were a perennial contender and had 14 consecutive winning seasons between 1926 and 1939.

So the Cubs trouble didn't begin with Wrigley but rather with The Curse of the Billy Goat. Before Game 4 of the 1945 World Series between the Cubs and the Detroit Tigers, Billy Goat Tavern owner William "Billy Goat" Sianis and his pet goat, Murphy, were refused admittance into Wrigley because of the goat's stench. Sianis appealed to Cubs owner Phil Wrigley to no avail. An enraged Sianis told Wrigley, "The Cubs ain't gonna win no more. The Cubs will never win a World Series so long as the goat is not allowed in Wrigley Field." The Cubs lost the '45 Series in seven games and haven't been back since.

Between 1946 and 1983, the Cubs had only eight winning seasons and the bulk of those came between 1967 and 1972 when the club was managed by Leo Durocher. The Cubs led the NL East for most of the 1969 until along came a black cat which crossed Ron Santo's path on the on deck circle. From that point forward, the New York Mets ascended to World Series glory.

Things have been better (or worse, depending on your point of view) since 1984 when the Cubs won the NL East only to lose to the San Diego Padres in the NLCS in five games after having a two games to none lead needing to win only one more. Before there was Bill Buckner, there was Leon Durham and a little spilled Gatorade. Since 1984, the Cubs have been to the post-season five times including 2003 when they were five outs away from winning their first NL pennant in 58 years. Who knew that a fly ball by Luis Castillo headed down the leftfield line would cause so much trouble?

So the next time the Cubs are in the post-season, for crying out loud, let in the Billy Goat, keep out the black cats, hide the Gatorade and publicly apologize to Steve Bartman. That would sure cost a lot less than to tear down Wrigley and build a stadium with a half a billion dollars of taxpayer money.

Beckett Turns Jeers Into Cheers

Five days ago, Boston Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett was booed off the mound after a dismal performance against the Cleveland Indians in which he gave up seven runs over two and a third innings en route to an 8-3 loss.

To read the rest of this post, please check out The Spectacle Blog.

Bush Praises Arab Spring

Former President George W. Bush made a rare appearance in Washington, D.C. today on behalf of George W. Bush Institute which promotes universal freedom and houses the "Freedom Collection", an archive of video testimonial by activists in freedom movements the world over. Amongst those who provided testimonials include the late Czech President Vaclav Havel, Liberian President Ellen Sirleaf Johnson and Kang Chol-Hwan who survived a decade in a North Korean labor camp and wrote about his experiences in the book Aquariams of Pyongyang (which I highly recommend).

To read the rest of this post, please check out The Spectacle Blog.