I subscribe to the SPLC’s “Nativism in the News” feature.(It used to be called “Immigration Watch” but they changed it to reflect the fact that their metier is spying on Americans, not immigrants.) This is their latest “news flash.”

“Don’t judge this book by its cover“ says Ilkka at The Fourth Checkraise.

A few years ago I read “Profiles, Probabilities, and Stereotypes,” an excellent book about why us finite beings who have to make important decisions under limited information not just necessarily need categories, generalizations and stereotypes as thinking tools, but why it is moral for them to employ them. (Even the real victims of stereotyping and prejudice usually simply can’t help but themselves stereotype others in a crudely prejudicial manner!) I picked up “In Praise of Prejudice;” by Theodore Dalrymple, an even better book about this topic, and already devoured it during the ride home. The very first sentence, “These days, there is a strong prejudice against prejudice” sarcastically cuts into the heart of the matter, and it just keeps getting better after that.

Stereotypes turn out to be mostly true–a major example of what I once called the  primary message of conservatism:“Life is not like that.” See also this 2001 article by John Derbyshire, Stereotypes Aren’t So Bad.

A reader writes:

I was talking to a friend about [George W.] Bush vs. [Bill] Clinton, and we hit a bit of an impasse as to what would constitute the more impressive liar; would it be the skillful evasion and wielding of reality or Bush’s total contempt for it? The artist of deceit or the man who constantly bludgeons obvious facts and says whatever the Hell he wants regardless of how ludicrously impossible or absurd?

Perhaps it is the case that Clinton is better at fooling all the people some of the time and Bush is better at fooling some of the people all the time. (He seems to have been put on this earth to prove that portion of the old adage to be undeniably true.)

Hillary Clinton’s campaign wasn’t very interesting, but one question I haven’t seen discussed is a detailed look at the regimen of plastic surgery, hormone supplements, Botox, make-up and/or whatever it was that had her looking quite presentable at age 60. She came pretty close to hitting the ideal midpoint between authentic and Desperate Housewifey.

I notice that John McCain has spent some time recently with the man who is perhaps his most valuable supporter, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. What do you think they talked about? Global warming? Health care finance reform? Perhaps, but, I dunno, I just have this sneaking suspicion that Arnold had some tips for his man on some amenable doctors in Brentwood who would write John prescriptions for human growth hormone and testosterone that would have him looking years younger in no time.

Personally, I don’t think McCain needs any more testosterone than he already has.

Stuff White People Like: A Definitive Guide to the Unique Taste of Millions by Christian Lander

Fifty percent new material, 224 pages, $11.20 paperback from Amazon.

War Nerd by Gary Brecher

No new material, but, hey, you can give it to somebody as a present. 328 pages, $10.85.

Obama gave a big speech on patriotism in Independence, Missouri, the equivalent of his then-much celebrated race speech in Philadelphia.

On a spring morning in April of 1775, a simple band of colonists … They did so not on behalf of a particular tribe or lineage, but on behalf of a larger idea. The idea of liberty. …

Throughout my life, I have always taken my deep and abiding love for this country as a given.

I guess this is how he would explain that there is absolutely no mention of his deep and abiding love for his country in his 442-page autobiographical “Story of Race and Inheritance:” It’s “a given.” He didn’t have any room to mention it.

Of course, nobody will ever ask him about it.

It was how I was raised;

“They are not my people.”–Stanley Ann Dunham Obama Soetoro, on why she wouldn’t attend her second husband’s business dinners with Americans.

it is what propelled me into public service;

You’re in Missouri, so show me. Show me which page of your autobiography says your entry into “public service” was motivated by patriotism rather than racialism.

it is why I am running for President. And yet, at certain times over the last sixteen months, I have found, for the first time, my patriotism challenged - at times as a result of my own carelessness, more often as a result of the desire by some to score political points and raise fears about who I am and what I stand for.

So let me say at this at outset of my remarks. I will never question the patriotism of others in this campaign. And I will not stand idly by when I hear others question mine.

Isn’t that big of Obama? He won’t question the Hanoi Hilton survivor’s patriotism if nobody will question his. What could be fairer than that?

It’s amazing all the electronic gadgets kids carry around these days . One of my high school students here in Mexico filmed me singing in class, and posted two short videos on Youtube.
The first video, entitled “The Wonderful Allan Wall Show” features me leading a rendition of the old standard “Reuben and Rachel”. You can see it here .

(more…)

Muslims consider the canine species to be unclean, and will claim that they are offended by even a mere picture of a dog, like the pup featured in police PSA in Scotland. But it’s not like the Sons of Allah are being forced to lick Fido’s bowl clean: Muslims outraged at police advert featuring cute puppy sitting in policeman’s hat (Daily Mail UK, July 1, 2008).

A postcard featuring a cute puppy sitting in a policeman’s hat advertising a Scottish police force’s new telephone number has sparked outrage from Muslims.

Tayside Police’s new non-emergency phone number has prompted complaints from members of the Islamic community.

The choice of image on the Tayside Police cards - a black dog sitting in a police officer’s hat - has now been raised with Chief Constable John Vine.

Sadly, the police department responded with predictable political correctness to the attack on British values: Apology over ‘offensive’ puppy police advert after Muslim complaints (Daily Telegraph UK, July 1, 2008). At least there was some defense heard for the friends of furry tail-waggers.

Tayside Police have admitted they should have consulted their ‘diversity’ officers before issuing the cards, but critics argued their apology was unnecessary.

Richard Cook, director of the Campaign Against Political Correctness in Scotland, said: “Britain is the greatest dog-loving country in the world.”

In fact, the very first Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was organized in England in 1824, primarly to protect carriage horses which were poorly treated at the time. So the English have historic credibility in animal welfare and certainly are fond of their dogs. They shouldn’t put that fine tradition aside in order to appease hostile Muslims.

FYI, the Tayside Pollice Department has several smile-producing pages about its doggie contingent, including a puppy training diary of Rebel the black shepard with lots of cute pictures of him as he has grown up. Plus, there is a contact page for the dog section, so you can leave a comment about the current controversy if the spirit moves you…