en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/1283078 Comments by David Kaplan http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/10/27/sacrificing-children-on-the-altar-of-feminism/#IDComment106563826 How exactly does the pro-life movement tacitly accept the notion that children are a burden? Each time I encounter a pro-life individual, they general speak of children in terms of being a "gift" and "hope" and "future". There's a big difference between calling something a "burden" and accepting that sometimes our greatest accomplishments in life come at the cost of a lot of work, sacrifice and struggle. David Kaplan Thu, 28 Oct 2010 12:38:02 +0000 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/10/27/sacrificing-children-on-the-altar-of-feminism/#IDComment106563826 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/10/21/1-24/#IDComment105303223 It's funny. The Gulf spill was tragic in the shorter term, yes. But, in the long term is was helpful. If not for the Gulf spill, they wouldn't have discovered those microbes that eat oil with the extreme efficiency like nothing else and we wouldn't have scientists now using and reproducing those microbes for cleaning up more spills. In my mind, the Earth is not a helpless rock that needs our minuscule and irrelevant contribution to keep it healthy. The Gaian principal, something I acquired in my Leftist days, understands that the Earth is a living organism with it's own ability to keep itself healthy. These microbes are a perfect example of that and yet another reason the Left needs to stop trying to control the show. Even a million leftists are no match for the power of Nature to do it's own will. Thu, 21 Oct 2010 20:29:08 +0000 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/10/21/1-24/#IDComment105303223 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/10/21/gq-accused-of-borderline-pedophilia-for-provocative-glee-photo-shoot/#IDComment105292386 I'm glad you wrote this. Regardless that many, if not most of my views are conservative or Right wing, I am still an independent and my views regarding sexuality have usually been more liberal - even libertine, sometimes. I don't believe people should have to be married to have sex and I have no problem with homosexuality in any form between consensual partners. As long as it's done responsibly and safely, it's all good. Many people engaging in roleplay in their bedroom. It's a popular pastime of American men and women to dress up as schoolgirls or cheerleaders in the privacy of their own home and act out whatever fantasies they have. This is neither pedophilia nor immoral - "rights vs. what's right". Regardless of whether someone simply dresses in a costume for roleplay or goes as far as to add lockers, desks and a chalkboard - the bottom line is that the people are still adults and have no interest in acting out their fantasies with with children. The PTC needs to lighten the hell up and find something more realistically offensive to go after. I think having media watchdogs is a good thing - but this kind of thing only pushes them to become irrelevant. Thu, 21 Oct 2010 19:16:23 +0000 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/10/21/gq-accused-of-borderline-pedophilia-for-provocative-glee-photo-shoot/#IDComment105292386 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/10/15/hissy-fit-on-the-view/#IDComment104273691 I guess Whoopi didn't find O'Reilly to be a "gas, gas, gas". So she "Jumpin' Jack Flashed" outta there! Get it?! Ha! I kill myself! Joy is just a schmuck. Sat, 16 Oct 2010 06:26:01 +0000 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/10/15/hissy-fit-on-the-view/#IDComment104273691 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/10/12/why-my-kids-dont-watch-television/#IDComment103781416 I don't own a TV. 'Nuff said. But, I do have Netflix and often enjoy movies and some TV shows. The advantage is that I can choose when and what I watch. I pay $10 a month (vs. about $60 a month for regular cable) and enjoy zero commercials, zero ads for other programs, no "surprise" scenes (I don't like gory or overly sexual content and choose my programs carefully) and - best of all - no wasted money on infomercials and paid programming. A friend of mine, who is even more selective and vigilant about what they watch than I am, subscribes to a family-friendly video service that pre-edits movies and removes gratuitous violence and sex while maintaining the plot lines. In any case, yes, I believe vigilance is important. And, there are plenty of ways to take control of your TV viewing rather than it taking control of you. Wed, 13 Oct 2010 06:56:35 +0000 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/10/12/why-my-kids-dont-watch-television/#IDComment103781416 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/10/12/atheist-richard-dawkins-fails-religion-101/#IDComment103752385 I recently had the pleasure of watching "Expelled, No Intelligence Allowed", a documentary on Intelligent Design narrated and starring Ben Stein. It was a great movie and I highly recommend it to those seeking more than the populist notion that ID is simply Creationism in disguise. Stein explores ID throughout the movie and at the end sits down for an interview with Dawkins. You're right that watching such an arrogant person squirm is worth almost any price of admission. Stein is both a cerebral intellect and passionate theist and he simply lets Dawkins hang himself with his own rope. In the movie, Dawkins even admits that Intelligent Design - albeit not the deity-type - has some potential for legitimacy. Ultimately, as atheists universally do, Dawkins acquiesce that "no one knows" where or how it all started. Then, on his atheist cue, continues with the standard rhetorical "but it can't God that started it" statement. And, on it goes. Anyway, if you haven't seen the movie, get some popcorn and enjoy it. The Dawkins/Stein finally is quite dramatic and entertaining. Wed, 13 Oct 2010 02:42:09 +0000 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/10/12/atheist-richard-dawkins-fails-religion-101/#IDComment103752385 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/10/12/david-frum-weasels-out-of-a-morally-suspect-corner-the-14-errors-in-his-mea-culpa/#IDComment103717845 Justin Beiber is a creepy, arrogant, self-inflated individual. The simple act of finding him attractive is criminal by itself. I'm kidding (no, I'm not. Beiber is a nitwit.) Anyway, after reading the posts Knepper and his behavior on other blogs I have to say that the evidence is pretty condemning. Yes, Knepper is young and yes he may have potential. But, he's not a minor and is subject to the same consequences as any adult. It seems even Frum can't argue that Knepper's actions were inappropriate. Regardless of whether Knepper is a pedophile or on his way to becoming one, I don't think apologizing for - let alone condoning - his behavior is going to help. He's clearly got the wrong attitude about sex and sexuality. And, excusing it only ends up validating his inappropriate behavior. By attacking NRB and, thus, excusing the substantive issues with Knepper's behavior, Frum is encouraging Knepper to remain unchanged. Knepper should seek help and Frum is providing justification against that. For that reason, I have to say that Frum is partly complicit in this behavior and an enabler. Knepper would do himself well to avoid Frum and people like him. Tue, 12 Oct 2010 22:06:29 +0000 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/10/12/david-frum-weasels-out-of-a-morally-suspect-corner-the-14-errors-in-his-mea-culpa/#IDComment103717845 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/10/12/the-real-reason-why-johnny-cant-read/#IDComment103714899 Yes, I know a number of ADHD adults and they are pretty smart people. I, also, am ambivalent toward labeling students - specifically when it comes to things like ADHD. I believe it's an over-diagnosed disease that, instead, punishes or creates victims out of boys because of their normal biology. Boys can be very disruptive - it's their nature. It's inappropriate to say "something's wrong with you" because of some basic, normal biology. People need to learn to cope with whatever situations life throws at them - mentally ill or not. Teachers were meant to teach academics - readin', writin' and 'rithmatic. They were never meant to be on-call psychologists or parents. Yet, many parents - and the teachers themselves - believe that's part of their role. It's not and that's why we need to remove this inappropriate enmeshment of lives between students and teachers. Bring the students back into the homes and let the parents and communities in which they live teach them - mentorship. Allow the teachers to be teachers - not psychologists or surrogate parents. As for treating and coping with mental illness - I'm a big fan of a comprehensive approach; both drugs and therapy. It's arguable which one is most effective but there's plenty of research to suggest that using both together provides the best odds for healing emotional problems. Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:46:08 +0000 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/10/12/the-real-reason-why-johnny-cant-read/#IDComment103714899 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/10/12/the-real-reason-why-johnny-cant-read/#IDComment103647069 I have to say, I started out enjoying this article - then becoming angry and irritated with it. Finally, I ended up agreeing with it but for different reasons than Mr. Rowan may expect. Yes, I do believe that there are simply bad students. More importantly I believe our academic system is simply a bad system. But, that's not where I get angry. I got angry with Mr. Rowan's accusations against those with mental disorders and the insinuation that they do it on purpose - "timing" it for maximum effect. ADHD wasn't started or diagnosed by the NEA and is, indeed, a legitimate and treatable mental illness. The NEA may have exploited it in their bureaucracy and governance of of teachers' issues. But, that doesn't negate that fact that it's a real and often debilitating brain disease. Shame on Mr. Rowan for his intolerance. The system is simply broken. But, what's broken about it? As Mr. Rowan pointed out in the case of foreign students, you get out of it what you put into it and it always take self-motivation to learn anything. There are plenty of resources and many people, myself included, will admit we learned more stuff - both academic and real-world - outside of school than in it. It's those that aren't motivated and bring everyone down - the attitude - that creates the problem. This is obviously where I start agreeing with Mr. Rowan, again. I agree that the students with poor attitudes and self-motivation need to be removed from the school to allow the motivated students to learn. But, "poor attitude and self-motivation" is a subjective term. Hell, even "ADHD" is prone to subjective interpretation of symptoms. So, what to do? Get rid of the brick and mortar school system. It's archaic and we don't need it any more. Return the kids back to their local communities and parents and allow them to be mentored. Offer comprehensive CONSULTING services from teachers via live and pre-recorded streaming video. The only brick and mortar settings should be for labs and research. Give parents back the ability and responsibility of worrying about being accountable for a child's behavior. If the child fails to meet academic and societal standards, fine or jail the parents. They are the ones who should be held accountable in the first place. And don't give me this "Poor me, poor me. I don't make enough money, can't stay home with my kid and have to work to support them!" crap. There are a million ways to circumvent that problem - mentoring and babysitting by neighbors and the elderly. And, getting rid of the booze, cigarettes, tattoos, cellphones, hair extensions, designer jeans, expensive cars, giant flat-screen TVs, etc - that'll all make it easier for you NOT to work and focus on your kids. Oh, and, ya know, that whole GETTING MARRIED TO YOUR CHILD'S FATHER thing might help, too. Anyway, is my plan perfect? Were we all born to be autodidacts? No. But those that want to learn should be given the chance to. Those that don't want to should be held accountable - along with their parents. And, again, those that can't learn or have real learning issues should NOT be punished for it or made suspect. They should be treated individually - again, something my plan would help. Tue, 12 Oct 2010 14:04:27 +0000 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/10/12/the-real-reason-why-johnny-cant-read/#IDComment103647069 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/10/10/cartoonist-ted-rall-calls-for-proletarian-dictatorship-in-the-u-s/#IDComment103461323 I'm a big fan of arguments. I don't mean the, "You suck!" kind of arguments. I mean formal, logical arguments that are open to debate. Mr. Rall makes invalid and fallacious arguments to support his conclusions. 1) Obama is the "best the system has to offer." Who says Obama is the best? You? Me? Aliens? God? "The Best" is a subjective, qualitative characteristic and not quantifiable. Clearly, many people DIDN'T feel he was the best during the 2008 elections. 2) Not going to find a president "less owned" be corporations. Again, fallacious. Since when can Mr. Rall predict the future? If he can, he would be a much more successful and relevant person right now. 3) Obama is "neither willing nor able to" accomplish stuff. That may be true. In fact, it apparently is. But, that doesn't mean that "the best" is somehow failing. It only mean Obama is failing. And, if anything, it means he wasn't "the best" and we need to look in other directions and to other people - options only a democracy would afford us - for "the best". Mon, 11 Oct 2010 12:45:06 +0000 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/10/10/cartoonist-ted-rall-calls-for-proletarian-dictatorship-in-the-u-s/#IDComment103461323 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/10/08/woman-with-crow-bar-shreds-stanford-profs-porn/#IDComment103060514 The woman who destroyed the "art" should have worn a t-shirt (turtleneck?) saying, "I'm an arteest, too." Then she could claim she was simply making a statement, that it was performance art in CONNECTION with the Enrique Chagoya's piece (sorta like those multi-panel pieces you sometimes see) and, therefore, the museum got what it paid for and is responsible for it's own damages. Clearly, Mr. Chagoya's desire when creating this piece was to illicit an emotional response from the audience. I'm sorry, but if you're going to allow pornographic images to be viewed by the general public - with no censorship - then asking the public to censor itself is as unconstitutional as the anything else. No one says you have to go to art school, smoke cloved cigarettes, swig Absythe and wear black turtlenecks to be an artist. All it takes is an idea and the tools to make it - in this case, a crowbar. Ask Stomp... they'll tell ya! Fri, 8 Oct 2010 21:03:18 +0000 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/10/08/woman-with-crow-bar-shreds-stanford-profs-porn/#IDComment103060514 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/10/04/9-progressive-gatherings-gone-terribly-horribly-wrong/#IDComment102446142 Kathy, I can relate completely to this: "I hate hippies." I was a former hippie, then a goth, now a "normal" person - whatever that is. At 19, I skipped going to "Woodstock Part 2" in the 90s and, at the time, I was disappointed. I had to work. Looking back, I find that it was the best choice I ever made. I was working in a video gaming store at the emergence of the video game boom. That experience, along with many other similar ones, have led me on a path to an extremely rewarding career and even been seen as "ubercool" by those I mentor. I doubt I would have received such accolades from 3 days of stupidity. David Tue, 5 Oct 2010 09:58:37 +0000 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/10/04/9-progressive-gatherings-gone-terribly-horribly-wrong/#IDComment102446142 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/10/04/a-tale-of-two-rallies/#IDComment102438076 Calvin, I was in D.C. this Sunday for a little patriotic tourism. I concur with "therealend", our more environmentally "conscious" (in their minds) adversaries left a disastrous mess. On the bright side, I got some great photos - including one of my foot on a a left-over pro-Socialist protest sign. Great day! David Tue, 5 Oct 2010 08:40:08 +0000 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/10/04/a-tale-of-two-rallies/#IDComment102438076 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/09/29/c-s-i-premiere-exploits-justin-bieber-to-target-tea-party-says-breitbart/#IDComment101555687 Justin Beiber is the definition of a prat. I wrote this on a music website awhile ago: First, talent wise, he sucks. Not just sucks - REALLY sucks. Other bands were well choreographed and post-production only enhanced their already significant talent. If you listen to his music (as I had the unfortunate experience of doing) you'll hear missed cues, poor tone accuracy, and a lack of range. Yes, he's just a kid, but that's no excuse. And, no amount of post-prod is going to help. There's tons of examples of young people with tremendous talent. More importantly, however, he's arrogant and it seems his personality is maligned. The other bands don't genuinely have this characteristic. Sure, they come off as cocky in their acts - but they all seem to have genuine humility in real life. This is from his YouTube bio: "An old soul is the last thing you would expect to find inside Justin Bieber. But all it takes is one listen to the 15 year-old soul-singing phenomenon to realize that he is light years ahead of his manufactured pop peers." "...light years ahead of his manufactured pop peers."??? Are you kidding me? This kid couldn't be more manufactured if they built him in a factory in Detroit. There there's... "I entered a local singing competition called Stratford Idol. The other people in the competition had been taking singing lessons and had vocal coaches. I wasnt taking it too seriously at the time, I would just sing around the house. I was only 12 and I got second place." So, not only does he see himself as some exceptional talent, he belittles those who spent their time, money, and emotion to learn how to sing. Ermmmmm.... huh?? Then, of course, there's the criticism of his photo on the cover of People magazine. He didn't like the photo and berated both the magazine and the photographer. This kid should consider himself lucky anyone's even INTERESTED in him - let alone have a cover shot in People. Finally, he got irritated and lashed out against his own fans because they got out of control and his mom fell. Uhm... hello? Maybe he should think about placing blame where it belongs - with his own security personnel and the venue that hosted him. This kid is an arrogant, talentless, unappreciative, fool. And, it's not because he's these things - there's tons of morons in the world - it's because he's in a very influential position with our kids and they're being indoctrinated by this idiotic weed of a human being. sighs.. ok.. got it out of my system. Ahhhhhh... Wed, 29 Sep 2010 21:39:26 +0000 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/09/29/c-s-i-premiere-exploits-justin-bieber-to-target-tea-party-says-breitbart/#IDComment101555687 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/09/28/would-you-want-a-former-hooker-teaching-your-children/#IDComment101388367 I don't know much about this woman's former career choices other than what I've read from this article. I think it's fair to say that much of her stripping and prostitution career was spent in Mexico. Now, Mexico isn't exactly brimming with those who administer and enforce the law ethically and even-handedly. It's quite possible that some Mexican father, in a drunken tequila induced moment of inspiration, decided to give his 13 year old son (now a "man", right?) his first "experience" with a woman. It's also quite possible that our "reformed" prostitute "teacher" decided to help "educate" the young lad for a few pesos. Is it possible? Certainly. But, we'll never know. What we do know is that she, indeed, put herself in this position where she may have had the opportunity to rape children and is now presiding over classrooms full of them. We have plenty of example of - seemingly upstanding - women providing more intimate and detailed lessons on sex-ed with their young students. Are we to expect that this unrepentant former hooker has better judgement? Obviously, she doesn't. And, who's to say she wouldn't be willing to relive the "good ol' days" she quite obviously still clings to and with one of her students? She needs to go. Tue, 28 Sep 2010 20:13:56 +0000 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/09/28/would-you-want-a-former-hooker-teaching-your-children/#IDComment101388367 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/09/23/the-era-who-shagged-me%e2%80%945-not-so-groovy-ways-the-60s-is-still-screwing-the-american-family-1/#IDComment100557463 Peace activists of the 60s - and those that revere them - still see the American troop pullout and consequential wholesale slaughter of almost 2 million South Vietnamese by Communists as a victory. That tells you all you need to know about the 60s. Thu, 23 Sep 2010 17:34:12 +0000 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/09/23/the-era-who-shagged-me%e2%80%945-not-so-groovy-ways-the-60s-is-still-screwing-the-american-family-1/#IDComment100557463 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/09/22/obamas-aunt-says-america-took-advantage-of-her-by-giving-her-free-housing-and-healthcare/#IDComment100468002 Mental illness seems to run in the family. What I find interesting is what her comments reveal about us - American society. Clearly, this women is unstable. She's living in survival mode - at least in her mind. Combine that with her lack of depth in understanding the nuances of American values and broken English- and you get a mirror of who we, as a society, are. She wouldn't say these things if she didn't feel that, somehow, it was the right thing to say. I look at our country and definitely see how it's possible to create monsters like Zeituni Onyango. Entitlement and arrogance is part of our culture. I'm looking forward to the upcoming elections and hope the (hopeful) reversal of this entitlement mentality that will result from the elections will also humble the arrogant and shameful among us. Thu, 23 Sep 2010 02:19:01 +0000 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/09/22/obamas-aunt-says-america-took-advantage-of-her-by-giving-her-free-housing-and-healthcare/#IDComment100468002 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/08/30/confronting-jew-hatred-on-daily-kos-meteor-blades-edition/#IDComment95996258 Hi Michael, Good job with this article. The "movement" didn't turn against Jews. It was hijacked by progressives who warped it. Liberalism, in the classic sense, is a good thing. John Locke's notion of the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness is as relevant today as it was in his time. What has happened is radical Leftists have indoctrinated people with so-called "liberalism". They've made liberalism less about individual freedom and more about political agendas. We're all liberals if you believe in John Locke's vision. Unfortunately, progressives and those that call themselves "liberals" and Leftists want nothing of the sort. They want people controlled through government. That's not liberalism. That's fascism. Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:22:19 +0000 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/08/30/confronting-jew-hatred-on-daily-kos-meteor-blades-edition/#IDComment95996258 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/08/24/roger-eberts-moral-and-intellectual-bankruptcy-10-ridiculous-statements-supporting-cordoba-house/#IDComment95692144 "We have a political movement in this country right now that is well within the mainstream of American politics that seek to impose it's brand of morality and faith upon others. They seek to influence and shape laws on everything from stem cell research to abortion, gay marriage to prayer in school." Is their attempts to legislate these things based on religion or ethics and scientific data? Although religious belief may inspire some to seek new laws against or for certain issues, I have yet to see anyone approach the Supreme Court with "'Cause God says so!" as a valid argument for anything. Most people who go to court over such things usually show up with tons of scientific, psychological/sociological, or legal philosophy testimony and evidence to support their, what they believe to be valid, position. Contrary to popular belief, they just don't show up thumping a bible. Sat, 28 Aug 2010 15:35:16 +0000 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/08/24/roger-eberts-moral-and-intellectual-bankruptcy-10-ridiculous-statements-supporting-cordoba-house/#IDComment95692144 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/08/24/roger-eberts-moral-and-intellectual-bankruptcy-10-ridiculous-statements-supporting-cordoba-house/#IDComment95691529 I'd also like to point out that things like the Crusades happened almost a millennium ago. Unless the Zombie Apocalypse occurs soon, most of the people that it affected are long dead. The Ground Zero Mosque affects people who are alive now and involves issues that affected everyone directly and recently. Unlike the Christians who gave up mass killings centuries ago and didn't have the moral fortitude and ethics we have today, the Islamofascists involved in some of these initiatives and who preach at many of America's mosques are on a contemporary, relevant, and murderous "crusade" as we speak. Comparing 10th Century Christians with modern day Sharia fascists is a fallacious argument. Sat, 28 Aug 2010 15:28:41 +0000 http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/08/24/roger-eberts-moral-and-intellectual-bankruptcy-10-ridiculous-statements-supporting-cordoba-house/#IDComment95691529