Friday's links and comments - 22 June 2007

Jay Nordlinger's Impromptus columns are always worth reading. The latest is no exception. Here is one slice of the column:

Relatedly: My friend Michael Walsh pointed out this, from a Reuters article: “The two men, both among the world’s longest-serving leaders . . .”

And who are the two men? Qaddafi and Mugabe. “Long-serving,” that’s what they are — and Castro is the “longest-serving” of all.

A Florence Nightingale who stays her entire career at St. Jude’s is “long-serving.” The others are long-ruling, long-oppressing, long-immiserating.

Here is the goofiest darn story I've seen in quite some time.

"I am both Muslim and Christian"

Shortly after noon on Fridays, the Rev. Ann Holmes Redding ties on a black headscarf, preparing to pray with her Muslim group on First Hill.

On Sunday mornings, Redding puts on the white collar of an Episcopal priest.

She does both, she says, because she's Christian and Muslim.

If you can make sense of her religious outlook feel free to explain it in the comments section.

You may want to reassess your long term plans based on this article.

RENOWNED British scientist Sir Isaac Newton, the father of modern physics and astronomy, predicted the world would end in 2060 in a 1704 letter that went on show in Jerusalem today.

How do you explain the mentality of animals? Our dog who is terrified of the vacuum cleaner has no fear at all of cars and will come running right in front of any vehicle that pulls in the driveway. Heck, the lawn mower doesn't bother him as much as the vacuum cleaner.

Earlier today I commented on what should get a baseball manager fired. Well, if you're a senior aide to a presidential candidate and wonder what might get you fired I imagine this has just been added to the list.

State Police are investigating one of Mitt Romney's top campaign aides for allegedly impersonating a trooper by calling a Wilmington company and threatening to cite the driver of a company van for erratic driving, according to two law enforcement sources familiar with the probe. Jay Garrity, who is director of operations on Romney's presidential campaign and a constant presence at his side, became the primary target of the investigation, according to one of the sources, after authorities traced the cellphone used to make the call back to him. The investigation comes three years after Garrity, while working for Romney in the State House, was cited for having flashing lights and other police equipment in his car without proper permits.

If you get in the news and embarrass the campaign you are not doing your job.

Ever since Michael Bloomberg announced this week that he would stop pretending to be a Republican and would instead call himself an independent rumors have been rampant that he is preparing to run for president followed by speculation over which party he would siphon votes away. Here is an article from the American Thinker which covers it fairly well. I think they are right that Bloomberg's positions line up with the Democrat platform. However, I disagree with their final analysis that he would tilt the election towards the Republican nominee. The only ones who will vote for him are those who don't mind throwing their vote away. So, in the long run only Ralph Nader will be really affected as he will half his votes.