Cup o' Joel

I like ‘Star Trek.’ I love my child more.

Joel Mathis — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:06:49 +0000

This isn’t abuse, exactly, but it’s probably not good parenting: With the birth of his son 15 years ago, dedicated linguist d’Armond Speers embarked on the ultimate experiment: He spoke to him only in Klingon — the language of the alien race of “Star Trek” fame — for the first three years of his life. “I was [...]

Abortion, gay marriage and American dhimmitude

Joel Mathis — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:34:18 +0000

Ever since 9/11, conservatives of the “clash of the civilizations” stripe have had a favorite word they like to casually toss at appeasing lefties: “Dhimmi.” It’s an Arabic word that applies, basically, to lesser status of non-Muslims in Muslim lands. Any time public officials wrestle with how to accommodate Muslims in America — say, when [...]

“The Blind Side” was a great book. I won’t see the movie.

Joel Mathis — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:31:59 +0000

Michael Lewis’ “The Blind Side” is one of the better nonfiction books of the last few years. It tells the story of Michael Oher, an all-but-orphaned young man from the wrong side of the tracks in Memphis who was accepted into a private Christian school, adopted by a wealthy white family and set on the [...]

Bush Administration officials defend KSM’s New York trial

Joel Mathis — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:02:27 +0000

Why do these people hate America? One reason commissions have not worked well is that changes in constitutional, international and military laws since they were last used, during World War II, have produced great uncertainty about the commissions’ validity. This uncertainty has led to many legal challenges that will continue indefinitely — hardly an ideal situation [...]

Grannies for Peace: The Iraq War isn’t over

Joel Mathis — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:47:23 +0000

What I saw at Rittenhouse this afternoon.

Sarah Palin, sexism and how the LA Times flushed Elizabeth Snead’s rape remarks down the memory hole.

Joel Mathis — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:36:23 +0000

You’ll remember that a few days ago, I wrote about how LA Times blogger Elizabeth Snead had suggested Sarah Palin should “lie back and submit” to sexist coverage of her book campaign. It was a crassly vulgar image to use, and it incensed me so much I left a comment at Snead’s blog to that [...]

Did Texas outlaw marriage?

Joel Mathis — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:42:22 +0000

Heh: Texas may have become the largest singles meet in the nation—without anyone realizing it. Barbara Ann Radnofsky, a Democratic candidate for attorney general, says that a clause in the 2005 constitutional amendment banning gay marriage may have, in fact, banned all marriage. Subsection of B of the amendment reads, “this state or political subdivision of [...]

Fox News’ troubled relationship with the truth: Sarah Palin edition

Joel Mathis — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:47:54 +0000

Sean Hannity’s apology last week for using misleading footage seemed more smug than sincere, and now we know why: It’s apparently standard operating procedure at Fox News: Today, FOX News host Gregg Jarrett was talking about Republican Sarah Palin’s book tour and the crowd she is drawing at the start of it – no small [...]

Prediction: Obama has already lost the climate change battle

Joel Mathis — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:44:01 +0000

Why do I say that? Because of this: Bad news for polar bears: The Senate has delayed taking up climate-change legislation until “some time in the spring,” according to Majority Leader Harry Reid. It will first tackle job creation and financial regulation—signs that the body is reluctant to address the environment at a time of economic [...]

Obama: Gitmo won’t close on time

Joel Mathis — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:36:09 +0000

I guess this means I officially lose my bet with Ben Boychuk: BEIJING — President Obama directly acknowledged for the first time Wednesday that the prison facility at Guantanamo Bay will not close by the January deadline he set, but he said he hoped to still achieve that goal sometime next year. Obama refused, however, to set [...]