tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118653632009-07-10T08:04:18.627-04:00Confronting the Zeitgeist one day at a timeBill Gnadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343608982238562089billgnade@gmail.comBlogger748125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11865363.post-44285278325961782042009-07-09T07:42:00.005-04:002009-07-09T08:01:19.941-04:00

Barack Obama is too open-minded to be any earthly good. Or so one should conclude from Daniel Henninger's excellent Wonderland column, "The Dumbing Down of Democracy." Henninger's is a very important bit of commentary. You should read it immediately.Such is a man who has been weaned on moral, political and ideological relativism: Mr. Obama can't commit to an absolute even if it was absolutely

Bill Gnadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343608982238562089billgnade@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11865363.post-7801247107693882952009-07-07T09:44:00.004-04:002009-07-07T11:06:07.085-04:00

There is no time to read all the commentary about Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's decision to leave her office on July 26. Clearly there is much to say about that decision; some people in fact have much to say about Gov. Palin's every move. Even after she leaves office an abundance of jokes, sarcasm, malice, and derision will be tossed her way. Members of the vituperative, vindictive set will not

Bill Gnadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343608982238562089billgnade@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11865363.post-33310425538324617092009-07-05T13:09:00.005-04:002009-07-06T22:34:47.044-04:00

Continuing with our theme of "we will restore science to its rightful place," I would like to point readers to another Kimberley A. Strassel column. It is a dandy of a piece; Ms. Strassel has combined a rather decent string of hits of late, and this one's good for at least a couple of bases.In "The EPA Silences a Climate Skeptic," Ms. Strassel reports on the all too familiar tunes applauded by

Bill Gnadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343608982238562089billgnade@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11865363.post-85391217340907357182009-07-04T09:51:00.013-04:002009-07-04T21:10:40.439-04:00

We've been hearing a lot about false choices these days, especially from the man in the White House. Barack Obama seemingly loves mentioning the many "false choices" made by his predecessor's administration. And I have shown (see link above) that Mr. Obama fails to see the irony in his pop-pronouncements on false choices, since, according to his wife, his very career is built upon a patently

Bill Gnadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343608982238562089billgnade@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11865363.post-59530869485900803952009-07-03T07:20:00.011-04:002009-07-04T20:54:31.520-04:00

Mr. Obama is the new science guy. In fact, it's high time Bill Nye step† aside: there is a new science whiz in town, and he is the presumed leader of the free world. Not necessarily the world of free thinking, maybe not even the world of the politically free; but definitely the leader of that world which believes the best things in life should be free. (I jest, sort of.)I have talked about Mr.

Bill Gnadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343608982238562089billgnade@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11865363.post-52479695749588048742009-06-27T07:30:00.008-04:002009-07-01T22:38:04.375-04:00

Indulge me for a moment. Some of you may recall that I commented here the night of the Republican National Convention last September that Sarah Palin, even without John McCain, is a "formidable" political opponent. I offered this only a few moments after hearing Gov. Palin speak for my very first time. Among other things, I described her as"...country-girl feisty with a smile; she carries the

Bill Gnadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343608982238562089billgnade@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11865363.post-52896714574955203422009-06-26T07:15:00.009-04:002009-06-26T07:40:31.010-04:00

It's been reported that Al Gore and his friends have invested billions of dollars into "green energy" futures. A mere $50 billion or so. Like most eager investors, Al Gore and friends hope to make a renewable and sustainable killing.Everyone who has visited this site should know that I have long been a global warming skeptic. I am not "anti-science." To the contrary, I am pro-science. I just have

Bill Gnadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343608982238562089billgnade@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11865363.post-81861870821774363002009-06-16T06:40:00.005-04:002009-06-16T06:49:18.816-04:00

Had this sort of story hit the presses, had it crossed the airwaves and satellite feeds anytime between January 2001 to January 2009, we would have heard the very hills tremble with outrage. Today we hear nary a rumble, really. Or have I just grown deaf? Please read it for yourself and then tell me whether you think I need my hearing checked.

Bill Gnadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343608982238562089billgnade@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11865363.post-22644241508441434652009-06-14T09:29:00.002-04:002009-06-14T09:41:44.727-04:00

My little hiatus, or, I should say, my extended hiatus from prolific blogging has led me to some interesting places, both outside and inside the World Wide Web. One truly fascinating place inside the WWW is the essay on humanity's position in the biosphere written by George Ball titled, "The Neo-Luddites." (The essay appeared in the Wall Street Journal as "Naturalism Has Been Hijacked.")

Bill Gnadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343608982238562089billgnade@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11865363.post-59732384668143445902009-06-13T12:17:00.002-04:002009-06-13T12:24:08.887-04:00

It will only take a few minutes for you to read Victor Davis Hanson's essay in the San Francisco Chronicle, "Our Historically Challenged President." It's a few minutes you should take. (According to the Chronicle's micro-bio of Mr. Hanson, he is a classicist at Stanford University.)Question: Did George W. Bush show such incompetence with -- or disrespect towards -- history? If so, how did he

Bill Gnadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343608982238562089billgnade@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11865363.post-78355842299832481382009-06-12T08:42:00.001-04:002009-06-12T08:43:33.394-04:00

... exactly right.

Bill Gnadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343608982238562089billgnade@gmail.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11865363.post-52439693849197907642009-06-08T09:17:00.007-04:002009-06-08T09:48:13.280-04:00

What an interesting perspective Shelby Steele brings to his analysis (in today's Wall Street Journal) of Barack Obama's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court! I know, I know. You've heard it all before; sickened by the endless commentary about Ms. Sotomayor, you're eager to just move on. But I suspect that Mr. Steele's piece will, at least, give you a moment's pause.Mr.

Bill Gnadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343608982238562089billgnade@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11865363.post-90520586208037736192009-06-07T06:32:00.003-04:002009-06-08T08:56:14.711-04:00

George Will's essay, "Have We Got A Deal For You," should leave you feeling a bit alarmed. Mr. Will's topic is the government takeover of GM; his theme is that this takeover is irresponsible and an abuse, or, at best, a misuse of power, Mr. Obama's denials of government meddling notwithstanding.Writes Mr. Will:The pressure to politicize the economy is spreading. John Sweeney, head of the AFL-CIO,

Bill Gnadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343608982238562089billgnade@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11865363.post-48852292676294004412009-06-05T07:32:00.003-04:002009-06-05T08:08:20.517-04:00

This morning's title is pulled from an incredible essay written in March 2009 by Sam Schulman. I cannot overstate the power and excellence of Mr. Schulman's "President Hamlet" published in The Weekly Standard after the Obama administration's first 40 days in power. In fact, I would be understating the case if I averred that if I was a Democratic leader or operative, I would fear Mr. Schulman and

Bill Gnadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343608982238562089billgnade@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11865363.post-86017163211224820012009-06-02T07:18:00.003-04:002009-06-02T07:23:22.718-04:00

Contratimes readers should take a moment to read Sam Schulman's brilliant and original essay, "The Worst Thing About Gay Marriage: It isn't going to work."Let us know what you think (via email or in the comments below).

Bill Gnadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343608982238562089billgnade@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11865363.post-27379755334388681502009-05-29T07:49:00.005-04:002009-05-29T11:49:03.990-04:00

In yesterday's Best of the Web Today, published by the Wall Street Journal online, James Taranto addresses a new study linking obesity with racial oppression. As usual, his analysis is trenchant and pointed; the study is replete with hidden assumptions and non causa pro causa fallacies where causality and correlation are confused. Mr. Taranto ably points out many of the deficiencies of the study

Bill Gnadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343608982238562089billgnade@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11865363.post-28969923454445632292009-05-28T09:30:00.004-04:002009-05-28T11:48:38.727-04:00

The problems of the equality (to men) and nature of women have been addressed here several times, particularly in two essays regarding Lawrence Summers' maligned comments at Harvard University four years ago this month (see this essay, and this).Recall that it was asserted at Contratimes in the wake of Mr. Summers' embarrassment that men and women must be really quite different. One bit of

Bill Gnadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343608982238562089billgnade@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11865363.post-27105983531737218582009-05-25T09:11:00.004-04:002009-05-25T09:21:25.786-04:00

[Today is Memorial Day, and there is much to remember, and much for which to be grateful. Today is a Thanksgiving Day of sorts, a day of gratitude for heroism, strategic genius, strength, and even death. Not senseless death, not ruthless genius, not heroism based on lies; but the noblest acts of the human spirit, which always manifest themselves in risk and sacrifice.]You've seen the American

Bill Gnadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343608982238562089billgnade@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11865363.post-31806188476230319222009-05-23T11:58:00.007-04:002009-05-26T09:18:05.410-04:00

In a courageous demonstration of moral clarity, a Rhode Island Democratic state legislator has promised to donate $100 to charity for each second George W. Bush and Dick Cheney (et al) endure waterboarding.Hurray for speaking "truth to power"!Recall what was written here not too long ago regarding Barack Obama's infatuation with America's "ideals":Remember, waterboarding is so torturous, so

Bill Gnadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343608982238562089billgnade@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11865363.post-55647304585297995142009-05-23T10:28:00.005-04:002009-05-23T12:44:11.644-04:00

There is, not far from here, a new wind farm. (Just imagine raising wind: it costs nothing to feed but there remains quite a lot of overhead.) It is a fascinating spectacle. This writer has traveled past it several times in recent months. His one unshakeable curiosity? To get close enough to the giant windmills to "hear" them. Unfortunately, time has not allowed a scurry uphill; one can't

Bill Gnadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343608982238562089billgnade@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11865363.post-80690222143454676762009-05-16T08:22:00.003-04:002009-05-16T08:26:47.091-04:00

When reason leads a man's mind, he writes essays such as "Obama And Crimes Against Humanity."

Bill Gnadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343608982238562089billgnade@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11865363.post-46236132063238755082009-05-10T11:21:00.002-04:002009-05-10T11:25:38.265-04:00

It is rather common to think, even among Republicans, that gay marriage has little to do with anything important. All kinds of people sigh that there seem to be more important things to worry about than gay marriage, and they may be right. But it should be noted that if ANYONE were to suggest that all Americans should set aside gay marriage for now so the MORE IMPORTANT things can be addressed,

Bill Gnadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343608982238562089billgnade@gmail.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11865363.post-70327433996747621472009-05-08T12:37:00.014-04:002009-05-10T11:11:57.683-04:00

(The first of two emails to Governor Lynch of New Hampshire. Unfortunately the email field for the governor limits each comment to 800 characters, including spaces. The emails printed here are rounded out more fully, though not completely, for clarity.)Dear Governor Lynch,HB 436 -- or the same-sex marriage bill -- is just bad legislation. It should be rejected in large part because it is poorly

Bill Gnadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343608982238562089billgnade@gmail.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11865363.post-15961885018139121512009-05-07T09:15:00.008-04:002009-05-23T12:09:24.402-04:00

Perhaps the next party defection Americans will hear about is George McGovern, the once-upon-a-time "'most liberal' nominee for president in American history." Admittedly, this writer has over-stated the case. But Mr. McGovern sure sounds like a true free-marketeer in this comment:My perspective on the so-called Employee Free Choice Act is informed by life experience. After leaving the Senate in

Bill Gnadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343608982238562089billgnade@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11865363.post-68626257120032882082009-04-27T07:49:00.007-04:002009-06-08T06:41:59.176-04:00

My dear readers,Without any explanation or alerts, I closed this blog several weeks ago. Quite a few of you contacted me about gaining access to what appeared to be an invitation-only website. Unfortunately Blogger does not have a simple "Closed for Self-Reflection" sign that one can post on the front door; no amount of invitations would have helped anyone gain access here. The door was shut, and

Bill Gnadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18343608982238562089billgnade@gmail.com5