You can fool some of the people all of the time…

Recently, a website for the Mothers Against Videogame Addiction and Violence (MAVAV) organization stirred up the debate on violent videogames. The site drew praise from family-oriented groups and ire from many video game fans.

After some investigation, these guys showed that the whole website was a school project created by a clever college student. Though all of the creator’s articles (“offline due to editing”) and facts were completely made up, many people continue to believe them. The creator mentions that he still receives e-mails of support and criticism even after revealing the hoax.

This was lifted from Moore Watch. It appears that Willamette Week is reporting that some socialists in Portland are trying to make PGE a public company. I think we all know the appropriate feeling to have about state-run utilities. Staying out of the affirmative action debacle is probably a good idea politically for the President, but I’m not sure it bodes well for making any sort of progress over the next few years. I’m hoping that SCOUS does the right thing on this one. And, lastly, it’s good to finally see some tax-cuts. Any punky undergraduate with a penchant for macroeconomics can tell you what good idea cutting taxes on people who actually pay taxes is. Fred Barnes covers it nicely over at The Weekly Standard. The yahoos (read James Carville et. al.) claiming that this is some sort of “rich only” benefit must not realize that the top 50% of tax payers, meaning half of all people who pay taxes, pay 96.1% of the total tax revenue. That leaves only 3.9% of the taxes for the bottom half of the brackets. That bottom half isn’t going to get much out of this tax break, but they don’t pay taxes to begin with. As the man says, you can’t get something for nothing in a pareto efficient economy.

Not much to say politically about campus, Winter term has just started. And Michael Savage has successfully been thrown off the air by the pack of protesting wolves. Who knows what sheep will fall victim to their next meal spiced with the flavor of hypocritical political correctness, but until then, I’ll try to entertain you all with something. I know all of you have probably given up on ever fulfilling your New Year’s Resolutions, but there is hope yet. In years prior failure might have been the end result, but after a little pep talk from me, you’ll keep strong and actually succeed in keeping with your resolutions to Spring term at the very least.

Get in Shape

Just remember readers, members of the opposite sex are attending the gym, sure you probably don’t have a chance with them if your resolutions included getting into shape but there is nothing wrong with watching them intently during your hour spent on the treadmill or dumb-bells.

Diet

The key here is cutting corners. Don’t eat fried foods, avoid the candy from the holidays. That right there cuts back on a lot of calories and allows you to consume more alcohol. Right there you can still consume an important food group and lose weight by ignoring junk foods.

Try for the A Grade

You’re on your own for this one.

Oh and as a sidenote, for those who are worried about our civil liberties being taken away by the passing of recent bills, don’t worry about it, we have the Fairfax County police to protect us. Have a drink, the cops won’t mind.

Chris Sittner

SUV drivers are supporting terrorism, says Arianna Huffington et posse. Interestingly, the inspiration for this measured, thoughtful ad campaign stems from the equally measured, thoughtful government-approved drugs/terrorism spots. And also, indirectly, the Modern Humorist “When you pirate MP3s, you’re downloading COMMUNISM!” poster.

Easterbrook is indisputably a better NFL analyst than yours truly. (Now that Rich Gannon is the league MVP, the Giants made the playoffs, and Chad Pennington is looking more and more impressive – despite the name – I’m about 0-23 in punditry. I did pick the Bengals over the Saints, but that’s more a case of a stopped clock telling the right time twice a season.) But Pete, what’s this about you not being able to correctly identify a dime package? That’s not what I’ve heard.

Stupid White Man

Wow, Michael Moore is really losing it. Look here (this link may not work) and here.

Then go read MooreWatch contributor Rachel Lucas’ psychological diagnosis: cognitive dissonance, projection and pompousassity.

Gregg Easterbrook is a senior editor of The New Republic, a contributing editor of The Atlantic Monthly and a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution. He is believed to be the first Brookings scholar ever to write a pro football column, and for my money, his weekly ESPN column is (with apologies to Olly) the best NFL column going. Each edition is a stunning piece of analysis that could only come from someone who crunches numbers for a living. This guy makes pro coaches look like flag football refs. But hey, my brother creams me at Madden because I can’t tell a dime package from a 3-4, so don’t take my word for it. (I also played 8 man football in high school, another draw back) Check it out…



“Arguably the greatest postwar achievement of the U.S. government and of the policy community is ever-cleaner air and water, accomplished amidst population and economic growth.”

This is actually from a George Will column, but he’s quoting an Easterbrook’s article in the Brookings Review. You may remember this column, which addressed the odd “What Would Jesus Drive” campaign— notable for practically making Carl Bybee shoot his wad in class. Jesus, I hated that guy…

Finally, here’s Easterbrook’s classic TNR article that makes “the case for sprawl.”

Finally, part 2, go check out the best and worst list at www.hiphopsite.com. I love this site, even if the grammar and spelling border on atrocious. But who am I to criticize grammar and spelling? As Olly pointed out at Rennie’s, I’m still overlooking “you’re” vs. “your.” But to quote Jules: “I’m trying, Ringo. I’m trying real hard.”

A 1st Amendment Must-Read

Don’t know how this slipped through the cracks, but I would surmise the holidays were to blame. But this George Will column gives hard facts and figures and new research on the role of money in politics, and no one considering themself informed should miss it.

In other news, White House Press Corps Dean Helen Thomas wrote another stinker of a column. If anyone can give me a legitimate reason she is still employed, I’ll tip my hat and say you are a better man than I, my friend. I ended up writing yet another personal letter to her describing my immense dissatisfaction with her work. Yet I imagine that alone will not persuade her to go away quietly.

Fa-Shizzle Ma-Nizzle, Bret

First of all, a big thank you to everyone who made it out for the OC get together. I know I had a great time, and judging by the volume of alcohol consumed at Rennie’s, I take it everyone else did as well. I look forward to seeing you all again. Maybe we can make this a semi-annual, quasi-regular or neo-perennial thing.

I really enjoyed this article in The Economist about the role of conspiracy theories in Middle-Eastern politics. A brief excerpt:

One fellow in a Cairo café told The Economist that the culprit was clearly not al-Qaeda, but rather something called al-Gur. Was this, perhaps, a terror network still more murderous than the Bin Laden gang? No. On closer listening, it transpired that the evil al-Gur was bent on avenging not some wicked Yankee geo-blunder, but the theft of the 2000 American presidential election. “It’s obvious,” declared the café sage. “Who else could have wanted to hurt George Bush more than his rival, the former Vice-President al-Gur?”

This cover story from Newsweek on the new Matrix movies was like a wet dream.

Electric drills through the hands? Broken bottles up the anus? A Saturday night at Jeremy Jones’ pad in Idaho? Nope… Saddam’s preferred methods of torture.

Out like platforms..

2112 … The number of unique visits to OregonCommentator.com for the month of December.

NYT At It Again …

The Times had a terrible article on what Dems are thinking of doing as they’re losing the media war, but the article is full of ridiculous assumptions and bias. Thus, the following letter I wrote the New York Rag:

It’s a shame that journalism students, a few of whom are still taught to look at the Times as the pinnacle of American journalism, now must come to the realization that the Gray Lady is facing its reputation’s Black Death. Jim Rutenberg’s article “Outflanked Democrats Wonder How to Catch Up In Media War” was both biased and intellectually dishonest. While Rutenberg lists a few prominent conservative talk show hosts, groups such as the Heritage Foundation and Fox News as conservative media assets, the story neglects to consider the very prominent view that Democrats often find cozy allies in the forms of the Times’ and the Washington Post’s editorial pages and those heading network news departments. Such an omission in discussion is damning to such a story, and the result is not a news story but a mildly interesting propaganda piece. The article itself also generally buys the Democrat premise that their ideas are still in touch with American voters while it is only the means of communication that is the problem. After Rutenberg’s story follows the Democratic premise for most of the story, a weak attempt at the end to offer an alternative view is made by quoting Sean Hannity and Bob Novak. But the author did not mention voter opinion polls (a favorite tool of newspapers when the news is good for their ideological slant) that indicate the Democratic party is temporarily out of step with the majority of Americans. The Times failed its journalistic mission by printing this article, though there are many journalism students now wondering if Mr. Raines’ reign as Activist Editor will be cause for many more such failures in the future.

Sincerely,

Bret A Jacobson

Eugene, OR