Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Twins clinch playoff spot




















Story.
The fluids were flying and the emotions bounced all over the Metrodome on Monday as the Twins proved they could escape from the abyss, beating Kansas City 8-1 to clinch a spot in the American League playoffs for the ninth time in club history. . .

They've used the greatest stretch of high-level play in club history to storm back from a 25-33 record and 11½ games out of first place on June 7 to earn a playoff berth in what's considered baseball's toughest division.

The Twins won 11 consecutive games once and eight in a row twice.

Let's hope that the momentum continues for another month.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

No more apologies

Anne Applebaum.
Western politicians, writers, thinkers and speakers should stop apologizing -- and start uniting. . .

[N]othing the pope has ever said comes even close to matching the vitriol, extremism and hatred that pour out of the mouths of radical imams and fanatical clerics every day, all across Europe and the Muslim world, almost none of which ever provokes any Western response at all. And maybe it's time that it should: When Saudi Arabia publishes textbooks commanding good Wahhabi Muslims to "hate" Christians, Jews and non-Wahhabi Muslims, for example, why shouldn't the Vatican, the Southern Baptists, Britain's chief rabbi and the Council on American-Islamic Relations all condemn them -- simultaneously? . . .

[I]f stray comments by Western leaders -- not to mention Western films, books, cartoons, traditions and values -- are going to inspire regular violence, I don't feel that it's asking too much for the West to quit saying sorry and unite, occasionally, in its own defense. The fanatics attacking the pope already limit the right to free speech among their own followers. I don't see why we should allow them to limit our right to free speech, too.

Amen.

(For cross-post at Centerfield and comments posted there, click here.)

Monday, September 18, 2006

Believe it or not

Just shoot me.
An arbitration panel today reinstated Cedarburg High School science teacher Robert Zellner, who was fired by the school district after it discovered he had viewed pornographic material on his school computer.

School Board President John Pendergast said the arbitrator determined that the firing was improper because the school district had only reprimanded another teacher who had viewed stock quotes from a school computer.
Via Opinion Journal.

In case you don't read the sports section . . .

. . . the Vikings are 2-0 (and playing the 2-0 Bears next week), while the Twins are pulling away in the wild card race and at the same time breathing down the Tigers' neck for the divisional title. As a sports fan, it has been quite the enjoyable September so far.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Small victory

Chafee beats back conservative challenger

This may not be a "Crashing the Gate" development for centrists, but it doesn't suck.

(For cross-post at Centerfield and comments posted there, click here.)

Friday, September 08, 2006

Sleazy politics

Here is example number 100,001 of why most people are disgusted with politics and politicians.

PROVIDENCE -- Less than a week before the Republican primary, Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee has become the target of a push poll attacking him for supporting abortion rights.

A push poll is a telephone survey in which questions are designed to weaken support for one candidate or build up support for another. The negative campaign tactic is illegal in some states, but not Rhode Island.

Chafee, who is running for a second full term, faces Cranston Mayor Stephen P. Laffey in Tuesday's Republican primary.

Several voters said yesterday that they received automated telephone calls asking whether they would vote in the primary and which candidate they would choose. Those who chose Chafee heard graphic descriptions of an abortion procedure opponents call "partial-birth abortion," which the poll said Chafee supports.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Shut up

That is what I have to say to people who criticize hostages for things they say or do while a gun is pointed at their heads. (See here.)