What Next for Lieberman?

If Senator Joe Lieberman wins election in November as an Independent, who will he caucus with? Will he still be a "de facto" Democrat, or will he turn his back on those who very weakly supported him (and those who didn't support him at all) in the primary?

No one expects Joe will turn into a Republican overnight, as he has a strong Democrat voting record, but this could be interesting.

Meanwhile, what wonderful news that voters in Georgia had the good sense to oust Cynthia McKinney from the House of Representatives. McKinney is claiming that old standby, voting irregularities, including that somehow her name was not on some ballots.

Given McKinney's past history, including claiming 9/11 was a Bush conspiracy, I think we can easily assess the validity (or not) of McKinney's claims of a rigged election.

New on DVD: Aristocrats (1999)

I first became acquainted with Stella Tillyard's ARISTOCRATS, a joint biography of England's Caroline, Emily, Louisa, and Sarah Lennox, when one of my husband's colleagues kindly sent me her copy of the book years ago with a note that she thought I'd like it. I did indeed.

Tillyard's slice of British history reads like a fascinating novel. Each of the sisters led unique and very interesting lives. (And Emily had 22 children! You read that number correctly.) I note the book is available at inexpensive prices from Amazon vendors.

The 1999 British miniseries based on the book has been released today on DVD. I enjoyed the program very much when it first aired on TV, particularly the earlier chapters. I found the tragedies of the last chapter slower going and didn't care for a different actress, Sian Phillips, playing Emily (Geraldine Somerville) in old age. (They should have used makeup instead.) On the whole, though, it was a well-done and highly entertaining show which I hope to add to my collection of British television DVDs at some point.

Stella Tillyard also wrote a wonderful book published as a companion to the miniseries. It includes a lavish number of photographs from the TV production, mixed with biographical material, and is well worth purchasing.

News Media Fakery: It Goes On and On and On...

Don't miss this post at Michelle Malkin's site. It appears that a photo of "burning Lebanon" which appeared on the cover of U.S. News and World Report was actually a burning garbage dump!

There are also serious questions about whether a Lebanese "corpse," shown in a photo published by the New York Times, was actually more than capable of walking around. Look at the photos and see what you think.

Over at Opinion Journal, James Taranto also has photos which seem to show the Associated Press used walking corpses in Lebanon. (Hat tip: Betsy's Page.)

Power Line raises questions about yet more photos, by proven faker Adnan Hajj, which at a minimum seem to have been staged with people running for dramatic effect.

There's one connecting thread between these phony photos and those already uncovered in the last few days: a hatred for Israel and the desire to incite negative public opinion against Israel's fight against Islamic terrorism.

Particularly disturbing is the fact that editors at major newspapers, magazines, and wire services are so decidedly uncurious about the work which is submitted to them for publication. Their desire to make Israel look bad is such that they are publishing myriad questionable photos without any critical examination whatsoever. All it's taken to uncover the problems is some proverbial "bloggers in pajamas" taking the time to actually look over the material and ask questions.

And yet just the other day Kathleen Carroll of the Associated Press huffed "It's hard to imagine how someone sitting in an air-conditioned office or broadcast studio many thousands of miles from the scene can decide what occurred on the ground with any degree of accuracy." That comment reminds me of the original angst and derisive comments about pajama-clad bloggers during the time of Rathergate.

The media has been caught once again attempting to create the news rather than report the news, and the coverage in Lebanon may well prove to be one more nail in the coffin of the "old media."

Update: In an update, Michelle Malkin points out that the New York Times ran a very different caption under the "corpse" photo than ran on the photographer's own website. The photographer says the man "had fallen and was hurt," which might possibly be plausible (though the photo, as Power Line notes, looks extremely staged); but the New York Times caption reads "bodies were still buried under the rubble," implying that the man in the photograph was one of them.

Late Update: But wait, there's more!

Kathleen Parker sums up the latest in "Photoshopping History."

Wednesday Update: In a fresh update, Michelle Malkin reports that Time Magazine used the same "burning garbage dump" photo as U.S. News and World Report, claiming that it was "the wreckage of a downed Israeli jet." Time has apparently admitted the error. But how did they end up using the photo in the first place? The unquestioning acceptance and use of the phony photos is so widespread it boggles the mind.

Good Blogging on Winston Churchill in America

John in Carolina recently concluded a very informative series of posts on Winston Churchill's travels in America in 1929. The final post of the series is linked above. I recommend backtracking and reading more, as they were quite interesting.

Having visited Hearst Castle last year, I particularly enjoyed Churchill's comments on William Randolph Hearst. Although, considering Churchill's family wealth and ancestral home, Blenheim Palace, I did wonder a bit at Churchill's criticism, shared in a letter to Clementine Churchill, that Hearst was "...playing with the most costly toys. A vast income always overspent: Ceaseless building & collecting not vy discriminatingly works of art." Any possible prejudice against "new money" there? Regardless of that query on my part, Churchill's thoughts make for good reading.

I should learn more about this remarkable man. There are so many parallels between the battle now being waged against terrorism and the way WWII evolved that it seems particularly timely to learn more about Churchill, who warned about appeasement in the '30s. If anyone has any particular Churchill titles they'd like to recommend in the comments, please do!

John in Carolina has also done exhaustive blogging on the (lack of) evidence in the Duke "lacrosse" case. Worth checking out.

Hmmmm...

Eleven Egyptian men entered the United States on student visas, but instead of showing up for their college classes in Montana, they disappeared.

The FBI assures us "There is no threat associated with these men. We have simply asked law enforcement's assistance in locating them so that the FBI and ICE may interview them."

And yet, ABC reports that the FBI warns law enforcement that the men are to be "approached with caution."

Are the "students" here just in time for the 5th anniversary of 9/11?

Let's hope not.

Wednesday Update: One of the students was apprehended today. The other 10 are still at large.

Update: 3 down, 8 to go.

Tonight's TV: Meerkat Manor

Tonight we watched the first three episodes of Animal Planet's "reality" animal series, MEERKAT MANOR.

Meerkats have always interested me, and when I read about this show a few weeks ago in USA TODAY, I was curious to see it. Our cable system no longer carries Animal Planet, so we have only just now started to catch up with the series, thanks to a friend who recorded it.

The show has lived up to expectations and is quite fascinating, offering plenty of drama, humor, and pathos (drat that crazy Youssarian!). Definitely worth checking out.

Super Heroes Postage Stamps

I got my first look at some of the new DC Comics Super Heroes stamps this weekend. I'm not a comics fan, but I enjoyed the stamps' colorful look and plan to buy some soon. Certain members of my family are fans of the Justice League. :)

The Crockpot, Reborn

I've owned my Rival crockpot for over 22 years, and in all that time have used it under a dozen times, mainly to make turkey soup during the holidays. I wasn't especially interested in cooking prior to a couple of years ago, and as I'm not a "morning person," the idea of putting together ingredients for a meal first thing in the morning didn't sound like much fun, either (grin).

I was inspired by the above-linked interview with Phyllis Pellman Good, co-author of the Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook, to purchase the cookbook this past weekend. Good mentioned preparing her meals between 9:00 and 10:00 at night, refrigerating them till the next morning. Being a night person, I figured I could do that with no problem, and I thought I should give the crockpot a fresh try. Yesterday I hauled it out of the back of the cupboard and gave it a thorough cleaning.

For my first attempt in the crockpot, I only used the cookbook to give me an estimated cooking time for stew meat, and I duplicated last night's dinner, which I had made Sunday on the stovetop in my trusty Le Creuset. I only had enough leftovers for a couple people, and I thought it would make a good instant comparison to prepare the same ingredients today in the crockpot.

Success!! The meat was so tender it was falling apart. Everyone tried it and liked it. And it was nice to know that Rival makes a crockpot durable enough to still be working fine over two decades after I received it!

I'm looking forward to trying some of the cookbook's recipes in the near future and adding the crockpot to the kitchen tools I use on a regular basis. I've now cleared it a spot in the front of the cupboard.

More on the Fix-It and Forget-It series from USA TODAY.

The Media Fakes It Again

It's hard to know what's real and what's been faked in the coverage of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, as evidence continues to develop (no pun intended) that the "mainstream media" has faked multiple photographs.

Michelle Malkin (above), Power Line, and Rush Limbaugh are among the many sites offering in-depth coverage. It is worthwhile to spend some time visiting these sites and absorbing the details, as a sobering picture of the bias of the news media against Israel emerges. It is deeply disturbing that due to that bias, the media is attempting to influence events and world opinion through fakery.

Members of the media have recently attempted to defend their coverage against criticism from bloggers and talk radio hosts, but methinks they doth protest too much. Editors at Reuters and elsewhere have been all too willing to let certain pictures reach print, no questions asked.

The media obviously learned nothing from Rathergate, but at some point they're going to have to figure out that they can't keep faking the news in the Age of the Internet.

Update: James Taranto of Opinion Journal summarizes some of the fake photos and captions discovered to date.

More from Jack Kelly at Real Clear Politics.

Harry Reid's "Do Nothing" Congress

John Fund at Opinion Journal on Senate Minority Leader Reid's agenda, which is simply to block legislation at every turn. Senator Reid apparently thinks that obstructionism will win votes for the Democrats in November.

This calls to mind that last month Senator Reid used a procedural maneuver to block an amendment aimed at ending "catch and release" of illegal aliens.

While I'm no fan of Senator Reid, I'm also no fan of the federal minimum wage bill and would like to see Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist unbundle his "trifecta" and have separate votes on issues like the minimum wage and the repeal of the estate tax. I suspect, however, that Frist's calculation is that if he does that and holds separate votes, we'll end up with an increase in the minimum wage, no repeal of the estate tax, and a lot of unhappy conservatives. This may be an attempt to make a higher minimum wage, which some in the Senate think necessary to win votes, more palatable to conservatives by also passing bills we support.

The Eminent Domain Decision in Ohio

Steve Greenhut has written an interesting article on the decision against eminent domain from the Ohio Supreme Court.

Hopefully the Ohio decision will serve as a precedent for other state courts, rather than the Supreme Court's infamous Kelo decision, which ignored the plain language of the Constitution.

Speaking of the Supreme Court, what's with Justice Anthony Kennedy suggesting that America has not yet "made the case" for democracy?

Tonight's Dinner: Beef with Rosemary and Red Potatoes

MEATS & POULTRY from the Best of the Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library is one of my trusted standbys. Tonight's dinner is a relatively simple but tasty meal which can be prepared in about an hour. (Note: I do find I need to cook this about twice as long as the recipe calls for...) It makes excellent leftovers.

One of my all-time favorite recipes for Roast Chicken and Gravy can be found in MEATS & POULTRY as well. I've found this book to be one of the mainstays of my cooking library.

Michael Barone: Republicans Support Israel...

...far more than Democrats.

Barone analyzes a new poll in which a majority (56 percent) of Democrats think Israel has acted improperly in defending itself against Hezbollah, while a majority (64 percent) of Republicans believe Israel's response has been correct.

Barone: "Left-wing anti-Israel sentiment is not confined to a few odd corners of the academic world; it has become a mass constituency in the Democratic Party."

And yet only 25% of American Jews voted for President Bush in 2004.

Read the whole thing, his post is filled with interesting details.

The President's Summer Reading List

It's always fun to compare "book lists" with others, and it's particularly interesting to learn what books interest the President.

President Bush is taking three books to Crawford, Texas, for his vacation: LINCOLN: A LIFE OF PURPOSE AND POWER by Richard Carwardine; LINCOLN'S GREATEST SPEECH: THE SECOND INAUGURAL by Ronald C. White Jr.; and POLIO: AN AMERICAN STORY by David M. Oshinsky.

I love American and Presidential history. What a unique experience it must be to read these books from the rare perspective of being a serving U.S. President.

College Shopping Mania, Part 2

We're back from making the rounds at Linens 'n Things and The Container Store, as well as making a stop at the USC Store at South Coast Plaza. We now have most of the dorm essentials rounded up, excepting a desk lamp and a fan.

'tis the season, and many newspapers are publishing articles on off-to-college shopping. The Associated Press has published suggestions on what students should take, leave at home, and buy once they're at college.

The Baltimore Sun gave us a good tip on a site which sells many dorm room necessities, Dorm Buys.

Another article suggests that parents don't think enough in advance about what it will be like to have their student living away at college.

Yeah, right.

More Problems at Orange Co.'s Capistrano School District

Over the last few days multiple ethical violations have been revealed to exist at the San Juan Capistrano School District here in Orange County. These revelations follow the resignation of the district superindentendent after the disclosure of a district "enemies list" containing the names of parents and teachers who signed a petition for the school board's recall.

Several relatives of school board members have been revealed to work at construction and plumbing companies which do significant business with the board. A plumbing contractor employed the son of the superintendent and the wife of the district construction manager. (The superintendent's son earned $74,000 for what was described as a "summer job.") The daughter of the school board president works at an environmental planning firm which does business with the district. None of these relationships had been publicly disclosed, and while some may not have conflicted with the letter of the law, they raise ethical questions, particularly given the district's other problems. The school board president never recused herself from voting on contracts with her daughter's firm. The construction manager never disclosed his wife's job, which may have been a violation of the law.

Additionally, the outgoing superintendent, who makes more than any other district superintendent or city manager in Orange County, is alleged to have understated his income to the media. As the Orange County Register points out, this "marks the first evidence that he may have sanctioned the release of false information."

Meanwhile the Orange County Registrar, Neil Kelley, will undergo an independent investigation over allegations that he disclosed names on recall petitions to district employees and questionably assisted the district in other ways. The registrar told the district the recall election would cost $600,000, which the district used to campaign against the recall, but when the recall effort ended, the registrar reversed course and announced the county would pay the bill.

The unsavory activities at both the district and registrar's office serve as a cautionary example for all regarding what can happen when those who supposedly serve taxpayers are more interested in looking out for themselves.

Victor Davis Hanson on Israel and Repeating History

Victor Davis Hanson writes a hard-hitting column for National Review on the lack of willingness in the west to strongly support Israel and deal with Islamic terrorism:

"Our present generation too is on the brink of moral insanity. That has never been more evident than in the last three weeks, as the West has proven utterly unable to distinguish between an attacked democracy that seeks to strike back at terrorist combatants, and terrorist aggressors who seek to kill civilians."

Hanson describes the return of Europe to the "cowardice of the 1930s," as well as certain Americans who are unwilling to "exercise moral judgment." He warns that if the world is not willing to deal with the enemy, we're looking at history repeating itself, concluding: "In short, if we wish to learn what was going on in Europe in 1938, just look around."

The Big Dig: Dollars Down the Drain

Stephen Moore at Opinion Journal on the massive amounts of waste that were part of Boston's failed "Big Dig" underground tunnel project. The Big Dig, originally budgeted at $2.5 billion, had actually cost $14.7 billion as of earlier this year, and yet it's falling apart and leaking.

It's fascinating and maddening -- two-thirds of the Big Dig was paid for with federal tax dollars, so the hard-earned money of Americans across the country has been lost to fraud and (possibly criminal) mismanagement.

One of the more mind-boggling details is the $23 million spent on bridges across the Charles River -- which were later demolished!

(Hat tip: Betsy's Page.)

Tonight's Movie: Song of the Islands (1942)

We've been enjoying something of a Betty Grable festival lately. Tonight's entry is the fairly entertaining SONG OF THE ISLANDS. At its best, the movie boasts lovely Betty Grable singing and dancing in a hula skirt and romancing hunky Victor Mature; its weak moments are painfully silly slapstick featuring Jack Oakie and Hilo Hattie.

The flimsy plot involves feuding families on a small Hawaiian island. Like other 20th Century-Fox musicals, it's filmed in dazzling color and features eye-catching costumes for Betty Grable. As with MOON OVER MIAMI, the film mixes stock footage and location longshots of doubles with close-ups of the leads against obvious back projections, which lends the film a sort of endearingly quaint quality, particularly when Betty makes her grand entrance singing the lovely title song on a boat, in front of a back projection ocean.

Betty's two luau dance numbers, choreographed by Hermes Pan, are fabulous, '40s musical escapism at its best. You can easily see why all the GI's loved her.

The film was directed by Walter Lang, who also directed Fox musical classics such as MOON OVER MIAMI, WEEK-END IN HAVANA, and STATE FAIR. SONG OF THE ISLANDS isn't the best of Grable's Fox musicals, but nonetheless it's breezy fun, with a short running time of 75-76 minutes (sources vary -- I should have timed it!).

In a 3-star review, Leonard Maltin describes the movie as "Buoyant Technicolor fluff full of engagingly silly songs." That's just about right.

SONG OF THE ISLANDS is available on VHS.

Update: This film is now available on DVD in the Fox Cinema Archives series.

Senate Reverses Course, Funds Border Fencing

The Senate apparently heard loud and clear from constituents angry about their refusal last month to fund the border fence which were part of its own immigration plan.

Yesterday 66 members of the Senate changed their votes and voted nearly $2 billion toward border fencing.

Part of the problem with last month's budget proposal was that the border fence money was going to be subtracted from other border security needs, such as border patrol agents and detention facilities. The funding voted on Wednesday comes from "emergency funds."

The new Senate vote seems to be a step in the right direction, but I'd like further assurance that this vote won't mean fewer patrol agents. In fact,
as reported in Arizona Daily Star, the Senate has voted for but not yet funded a number of other border security measures.

It's critical that those who believe in strong border security continue to keep the pressure on the Senate, as there are too many in the Senate who would be happy to revisit the 1986 amnesty plan, without accompanying changes at the borders. A "comprehensive immigration plan" can only be implemented if there is a truly comprehensive border security plan which amounts to more than talk and unfunded votes.