Patterico's Pontifications

12/14/2006

Maj. McClung Remembered

Filed under: Dog Trainer,General,War — Patterico @ 9:10 pm



Hot Air has the military’s video tribute to Maj. McClung. And L.A. Times columnist Dana Parsons, a war opponent, explains why he doesn’t see her death as a tragedy, despite his opposition to the war:

One of the irreducible elements in McClung’s life was her belief in the cause, her dedication to the mission. That’s military talk that a lot of people don’t understand, but it’s a point of view that should be draped in honor. I’m not talking about medals or other trappings, but in the honor of being true to one’s self.

In that sense, McClung’s death can’t possibly be seen as tragic. War room decisions made by people who don’t do the fighting can have elements of tragic miscalculation and warrant recriminations, but at the level of the individual soldier, how dare we minimize his or her belief in risking their lives to help others?

I won’t do it.

A conversation Parsons had with Maj McClung’s parents changed his perspective.

A deep-seated belief that she was helping strangers. A willingness to put herself on the line, so that her actions would reflect those beliefs.

That’s not my definition of tragedy.

Nicely put. Thanks to reader R.R. for the link.

L.A. Times Recycles Scorsese Interview

Filed under: Dog Trainer,General — Patterico @ 8:09 pm



The New York Post‘s Page Six reports:

IF yesterday’s “interview” with Martin Scorsese in the Los Angeles Times seemed familiar, it’s because the quotes were nearly 2 years old. Reporter Paul Lieberman couldn’t get “The Departed” director to talk to him. “Marty is giving no interviews. He is hard at work on the documentary about the Rolling Stones, and doesn’t have time,” said a pal. So, for yesterday’s piece in “The Envelope” section of the paper, Lieberman recycled quotes from his interview with Scorsese that ran on Feb. 27, 2005, when “The Aviator” was nominated for Best Picture. “It is outrageous that the L.A. Times, which likes to think it competes with the New York Times and the Washington Post, would recycle a 2-year-old interview with Marty just so it looks like they have an ‘exclusive,’ “ said Scorsese’s friend. The director, who’s been nominated five times for Best Director and never won, is said to be purposefully not campaigning this year. “He was embarrassed by all of the hoopla over ‘The Aviator’ and ‘Gangs of New York,’ ” said Leslee Dart, Scorsese’s rep. “I think this is at best dubious ethics.”

Dubious ethics? At the L.A. Times?

Get outta here!

(Thanks to reader Harold H.)

Tim Johnson in Critical Condition

Filed under: General,Politics — Patterico @ 7:52 am



Democrat Senator Tim Johnson is in critical condition after emergency brain surgery.

Best wishes to Sen. Johnson and his family. I hope he has a full recovery.

Guest Post by My Daughter Lauren

Filed under: Books,Real Life — Patterico @ 7:02 am



I asked my daughter Lauren (age 6) to write something for the site. The rules were clear: I did not get to help her with any spelling or grammatical issues. I showed her how to capitalize words on the keyboard using the “Shift” key, and set her loose.

She chose to write about the book “The Trumpet of the Swan,” by E.B. White, which I have been reading to her at night. Here is her post:

The Trumpet of the Swan. My dad says the dad’s voys silly. Loowis is a yung swan. He dose not know how to tolk. Sam Beaver was the first to see the Swans. Loowis tuged Sam’s shoe lase. Sam thoght that was strange. Loowis wans to know how to write. Sam tuk him to first grade. His teacher’s name was Mrs.Hamerbufin.

The reference to my saying the dad’s “voys” funny is to the fact that I tend to use different goofy voices when I read to the children. I enjoy doing goofy voices, and I’m an admirer of people like Hank Azaria or Harry Shearer (both of “The Simpsons”), who are really talented in this area.

My voice for the “cob” (Louis’s dad) is primarily the “Professor Frink” voice from the Simpsons, slightly refined into a pretentious elegance befitting the good-hearted but long-winded and pompous cob.

We’re only a couple of chapters away from the end, and Mrs. P. and I already read “Stuart Little” and “Charlotte’s Web” to her. That leaves no more children’s books by E.B. White to read to her, which is a minor tragedy.

I plan on starting on a regimen of Roald Dahl when the sad time arrives. But I don’t think it will be quite the same.

P.S. I’m going to bump this to the top.

Not a Study I’d Want to Conduct

Filed under: General,Humor — Patterico @ 6:57 am



There’s a joke in here somewhere, but I’m not completely sure what it is.

Ace?

P.S. I think the word “macaca” has to figure in, somehow.

P.P.S. This line from the story is one of the best lines ever, in any piece of journalism: “. . . as their penises fall short of what manufacturers had anticipated.”

Now you’ll click on the link!

Eason Jordan to Pay Michelle Malkin’s Way to Baghdad to Look for Jamil Hussein?

Filed under: Dog Trainer,General,Media Bias — Patterico @ 6:46 am



Eason Jordan — who as head of CNN appeased Saddam for years by his own admission, and then allegedly accused our military of targeting journalists — now has his own website. And Jordan has offered to have Michelle Malkin accompany him to Baghdad, and to pay her travel expenses, so they can look for Jamil Hussein.

She has accepted.

Stay tuned. Will he renege? Any way you slice it, this will be good.

P.S. I should have been on this earlier, but I don’t see any evidence that the L.A. Times has mentioned the Jamil Hussein story at all. A search for “Jamil” on the paper’s web site reveals no relevant stories whatsoever. No surprise there.


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