Does anyone read this stuff before press time?

The Chron's house editorial displays a stunningly good (for the Chron editors) understanding of economics. At least at the beginning. Unfortunately, the wheels fall off near the end, when the editorial board makes its recommendation about how Big EEEEVIL Oil can best help hurricane victims:

Houston's safety net for the neediest residents is torn and stressed — by curbs on federal and state spending and by eroded corporate giving. Now is the time for energy companies, whose profits derive from high prices that many residents can ill-afford, to meet the high post-hurricane social needs by increasing the level of their giving.

Okay, I'm listening. How, Oh Mighty Editorial Olympians, should oil companies help the downtrodden in the aftermath of Katrina?

Houston's fine arts organizations have had to tighten their belts in recent years as corporate support declined. Some, whose loss would be calamitous for a city with global ambitions, are struggling to survive. Flush energy companies have an opportunity to make up lost ground through endowments and operational funding. One way would be to subsidize the museum, theater and concert attendance of low-income families, whose members are in sore need of the inspiration and catharsis the fine arts supply.

Are these guys freaking kidding? Just about everything in that paragraph is dead wrong. Let's analyze it, sentence by sentence:

Houston's fine arts organizations have had to tighten their belts in recent years as corporate support declined.

That's crap. As the Chronicle reported in February, the Museum of Fine Arts got the biggest donation ever made to an art museum. Meanwhile, the Houston Grand Opera described its latest fundraising campaign as a "stunning success."

Some, whose loss would be calamitous for a city with global ambitions, are struggling to survive.

I guess the editors got tired of the phrase "world-class."

Flush energy companies have an opportunity to make up lost ground through endowments and operational funding.

They already do that, more than any other industry. Take a look at the donor list of any arts instutition, and its a veritable Who's Who of the Houston energy sector.

One way would be to subsidize the museum, theater and concert attendance of low-income families, whose members are in sore need of the inspiration and catharsis the fine arts supply.

How out of touch can you get? Find a low-income family who fled to Houston from Hurricane Katrina, and ask them what they need to get back on their feet. I'll bet you dollars to doughnuts that artistic catharsis doesn't crack the Top 100.

So screwed up on so many different levels...

I'm dumbfounded:

Don't let the antics of the pathetically delusional Mary Mapes distract you from the lunatics who haven't yet been canned from the network that gave us both the tinfoil-hat–wearing Walter Cronkite and the propagandizing buffoon known simply as the Dan. NewsBusters reports on a milestone in tastelessness achieved by Bruce Rheins, the producer behind CBS's coverage of the Michael Jackson trial, who has marketed a wine under the brand "Jesus Juice." The logo apparently represents a cross between Jesus Christ and Michael Jackson.

As you'll recall, "Jesus Juice" is allegedly what the King of Pop called the wine he plied little kids with before raping them.

Rheins' wife got the marketing campaign running while Jackson's child molestation case was still in court. They made Jesus Juice t-shirts and other items too. As NewsBusters observes:

Rheins's marketing of Jesus Juice wine (and apparel) raises some troubling journalistic issues since he was attempting to profit from a story which he was personally covering for the "CBS Evening News."

Romney backs off from Klan joke

This is just dumb all around:

Republican Gov. Mitt Romney was introduced as head of a state run by the "KKK ... the Kerry, Kennedy Klan" before a speech Thursday in Washington, words that sparked criticism from Massachusetts Democrats and a rebuke from Romney himself.

"It's not appropriate to joke about the Ku Klux Klan," Romney said in a phone interview from Washington after his luncheon address to the Federalist Society.

Romney branded the remarks "ill-advised" and "inappropriate."

Romney laughed along with the audience, The Boston Globe reported in a story for Friday's edition, and thanked the speaker for "a very generous introduction."

State Democratic Party chairman Phil Johnston, who has criticized Romney for making Massachusetts the butt of jokes as a liberal bastion during his out-of-state travel as he considers a run for president, said he was outraged that Romney could find any humor in the remarks referring to Sens. Edward Kennedy and John Kerry invoking the KKK.

Johnston is absolutely right. How dare this guy compare Massachusetts Democrats to the KKK? That dubious distinction goes to a certain West Virginia Democrat:

"Rather I should die a thousand times, and see Old Glory trampled in the dirt never to rise again, than to see this beloved land of ours become degraded by race mongrels, a throwback to the blackest specimen from the wilds." --Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.)

Vets to be honored at Aeros game

Thanks to ubertipster Byron for passing this one along. This is an email from Tom Stallings of the Houston Aeros:

We have our veteran's day celebration [tonight] and are hosting any active duty or reserve serviceman at our game [tonight] thanks to season ticket holder and sponsor donations. We currently have filled all requests for tickets that we know of, but have additional season ticket holders wishing to contribute. Do you know any current or distinguished retired service members who would like to attend the game [tonight] at no charge? We will be saluting veterans throughout the game.

If you know of any vet who deserves to see a free hockey game, drop Tom a line at tstallings@aeros.com.

Veterans put on parade in Downtown Houston

If you've got the day off, why not head downtown? Sure, you'll have to dodge panhandlers and MetroRail killing machines, but you'll also get a chance to honor Houston-area veterans:

On Friday, November 11, 2005, Mayor Bill White and the City of Houston will show support of the Armed Forces as we celebrate the 7th Annual Houston Salutes American Heroes Veteran’s Day Commemoration and Parade. We anticipate that thousands of members of the Houston-area military and veterans organizations will participate in the event to honor those who served our country. Commemoration at 10 a.m. in front of City Hall, parade at 11:30 a.m.

The parade will start at the corner of Smith and Texas. The Chron has a map.

It's Veterans Day!

In honor of Veteran's Day, allow me to quote from one of the great moments in American cinematic history:

We're all very different people. We're not Watusi. We're not Spartans. We're Americans! With a capital A, huh?

There's something wrong with us, something very, very wrong with us. Something seriously wrong with us. We're soldiers!

But we're American soldiers! We've been kicking ass for 200 years! We're 10 and 1!

There are a lot of things I like about writing for LST. But my favorite thing is this: I don't have to write it in Spanish, German, Japanese, Russian or Arabic. Thanks, vets, from all of us at Mattsapundit. Happy Veterans Day!

'Here's health to you and to our Corps...'

Today marks the 230th birthday of the United States Marine Corps.

On this date in 1775, the Continental Congress authorized the first units of Marines, who quickly got busy in the tyranny-overthrow business. They've been the industry leader ever since.

In 1921, Maj. Gen. John A. Lejeune, Commandant of the Marine Corps, issued Order No. 47, which is read to every Marine unit worldwide on November 10:

The following will be read to the command on the 10th of November, 1921, and hereafter on the 10th of November every year. Should the order not be received by the 10th of November, 1921, it will be read upon receipt. (1) On November 10, 1775, a Corps of Marines was created by a resolution of the Continental Congress. Since that date many thousand men have borne the name "Marine." In memory of them, it is fitting that we who are Marines should commemorate the birthday of our Corps by calling to mind the glories of its long and illustrious history. (2) The record of our Corps is one which will bear comparison with that of the most famous military organizations in the world's history. During 90 of the 146 years of its existence the Marine Corps has been in action against the Nation's foes. From the Battle of Trenton to the Argonne, Marines have won foremost honors in war, and in the long eras of tranquility at home, generation after generation of Marines have grown gray in war in both hemispheres and in every corner of the seven seas, that our country and its citizens might enjoy peace and security. (3) In every battle and skirmish since the birth of our Corps, Marines have acquitted themselves with the greatest distinction, winning new honors on each occasion until the term "Marine" has come to signify all that is highest in military efficiency and soldierly virtue. (4) This high name of distinction and soldierly repute we who are Marines today have received from those who have preceded us in the Corps. With it we have also received from them the eternal spirit which has animated our Corps from generation to generation and has been the distinguishing mark of the Marines in every age. So long as that spirit continues to flourish Marines will be found equal to every emergency in the future as they have been in the past, and the men of our Nation will regard us as worthy successors to the long line of illustrious men who have served as "Soldiers of the Sea" since the founding of the Corps.

Happy birthday, Marines!

CNN: Muslim rioters are 'African-American'

Jack Kelly over at Irish Pennants nails it:

CNN's Carol Linn is an idiot She described the two Muslim teenagers whose accidental electrocution Oct. 27th ignited the rioting in France as "African-Americans."

"It's been 11 days since two African-American teenagers were killed, electrocuted during a police chase, which prompted all of this."--CNN anchorman Carol Lin, Nov. 6

Note to CNN: Words mean things. Write that down.

Canadian psych hospital promotes patient sex

Remember all those Hollywood crazies who threatened to move to Canada if Bush won re-election? Well, maybe they were on to something:

A psychiatric hospital in Quebec has initiated a program to facilitate patient's sexual relations, by providing them with private rooms equipped with beds, television, and on-demand pornographic videos and magazines. LifeSiteNews.com spoke with University of Laval-associated Centre Hospitalier Robert-Giffard's director of communications, Catherine Lassard, who confirmed the program, emphasizing it was a hospital-initiated measure. The trial run will allow 60 patients access to the program and if successful, be made available to all 700 residents in six months time. Nicole-Gagnon, the hospital's ombudswoman and the person responsible for the program, told the Toronto Sun that "By facilitating patients' sexual relations, we want to make sex a positive rather than a negative experience."

Yeah, free on-demand porn and sex with fellow crazy people. That oughta cure 'em.

[Hat-tip: Relapsed Catholic]

Matthew F. Bramanti's Rules to Live By, #277

Any piece of content that includes the phrase "Louisville fuckin' Slugger" has a very, very good chance of not sucking.