BlogWonks

I know the man's had a stroke and the fact he's partially recovered is a blessing, but just because Dick Clark can appear on national television, doesn't mean he should. Just because someone can walk with a cane doesn't mean they should run a marathon.

Neither sleet, snow, rain nor the residual effects of a stroke can keep Dick Clark down. At least on New Year's Eve.

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest returns to ABC tonight, hosted primarily by American Idol's one-man media conglomerate. Though it's unclear how much airtime Clark, 79, will have, he's scheduled to appear for the fourth straight year and the 36th of 37 shows since it premiered in 1972.

"Dick will do the countdown and bring the ball in, and we'll do a bunch of (short segments) with him," says longtime show producer Larry Klein.

The segments were an uncomfortable watch, to say the least.

Dick, count the residual checks and watch the show from home. We have to deal with the overrated Seacrest, but we found ourselves looking at the post-stroke-Clark, understanding most of what he said, and instead of remembering him how he was, we've been given an opportunity to pity who he is now.

I know that's not a nice thing to say, but it seems that Hollywood types just don't know when to let it go.

Unlike the know-nothings protesting around the world, those directly involved on the ground know what's up and who's really to blame for the whole Israel-Gaza mess.

The bitter Israel-Hamas conflict has touched off Arab-Arab conflicts almost as bitter. Responsibility for the war in Gaza, and for the Palestinian fatalities there, was placed squarely on Hamas by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

"We called the leaders of Hamas and told them, 'Please, do not end the truce'," he said. Hamas ended a six-month truce with Israel two weeks before the Israeli attack. An Abbas aide, Nimr Hammad, termed the rocket fire into Israel reckless. "The one responsible for the massacre is Hamas," he said. "Hamas should not have given the Israelis a pretext."

This sentiment is totally opposite the perception recited by our left and other Hamas sympathizers. Bet'cha this account won't be aired on CNN or Al Jazeera.

I personally enjoy people who say unpopular things and don't give a damn about the political and/or social fallout.

Most of the people who shout about climate change have not read one article about it.
— Sammy Wilson, Ireland Environment minister

Now, there's a money quote!

Now, if only we had a Sammy Wilson or two in the Obama administration.

I may be really off the mark here, but isn't the presidential inauguration supposed to be a free event?

You could be there on Inauguration Day as Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th President.

Ten supporters will be selected between now and midnight on January 8th to join the inaugural activities. You and a guest could be flown to Washington, D.C., put up in a hotel, and be part of this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Unlike past inaugurations, this one won't be funded by lobbyists or corporations. Barack is counting on grassroots supporters like you to make this the most open and accessible Inauguration in history.

Make a donation right now to make the inauguration a success.

Guess not.

BTW— "Presidential Inaugural Committee 2009 reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend or cancel this contest."

AFTER they get the money.

For all those of us who think Al Gore leads the church of global warming hysteria, here's one that bought into the religion.

The Church of England’s Church Commissioners have gone green, investing £150 million with former US Vice-President Al Gore’s environmentally minded investment firm, Generation Investment Management.

On Nov 18 the First Church Estates Commissioner, Andreas Whittam Smith reported that in late September the Commissioners had placed the funds with Gore’s boutique management firm which follows an “environmentally sustainable global equities mandate.” Funding for the investment came from “cash and Treasury bills”, he said, and not from the sale of UK equities as initially planned.

You never know. Al Gore may continue where Bernie Madoff left off.

No, I don’t mean ’cause Mr. Hope and Change was elected. I mean like temperature-wise.

WHILE the official figures are not yet in, 2008 is widely tipped to be declared the coolest year of the century.

Whether this is a serious blow to global warming alarmists depends entirely on who you talk to.

Anyone looking for a knockout blow in the global warming debate in 2008 were sorely disappointed.

The weather refused to co-operate, offering mixed messages from record cold temperatures across North America to heatwaves across Europe and the Middle East earlier in the year.

Even in Australia yesterday there were flurries of snow on the highest peaks of a shivering Tasmania, while the north of the country sweltered in above-average temperatures.

A cool 2008 may not fit in with doomsday scenarios of some of the more extreme alarmists. But nor, meteorologists point out, does it prove the contrary, that global warming is a myth.

In Australia this year, on the most recent figures, the average temperature was 22.18C.

Last year it was 22.48C. In 2006 it was 22.28C, and in 2005 22.99C.

Senior meteorologist with the National Meteorological Centre Rod Dickson said that based on data from January to November, 2008 might be the coolest this century but it was still Australia’s 15th warmest year in the past 100 years.

Just one more nail in the coffin for the global warming whackos.

In around three weeks, Barack Obama won't have George Bush's back to piggy on. He will actually have to formulate opinions and articulate them to the general public.

The horror.

When it comes to repairing the faltering U.S. economy, Barack Obama offers vision, numbers and detail. But as Israeli bombs and Palestinian rockets explode in the Middle East, the president-elect has responded with silence.

With 20 days until he takes office, Obama is likely to encounter a region reshaped by new violence once he becomes commander in chief. But he has refused to engage in diplomatic conversation before then, insisting that to do so would undermine President Bush. "President-elect Obama is closely monitoring global events, including the situation in Gaza, but there is one president at a time," said Brooke Anderson, Obama's national security spokeswoman.

Seeing how the majority of those who support him oppose Israel, Obama is once again showing the courage of a politician who is all things to (almost) all things.

Live by the sword…?

Ain't this post-racial period great?

Bobby Rush, the former Black Panther who is now a congressman from Chicago, levelled his accusation on the CBS Early Show this morning in reaction to the letter signed by all 50 Senate Democrats declaring that they would not seat Roland Burris, the African-American that Gov. Rod Blagojevich yesterday named to take Barack Obama's Senate seat.

Popcorn, anyone?

Bill Clinton just can’t be too happy right now, because he’s got to spend New Years Eve with his own wife. Tonight will mark the first time in decades that Bill has dropped a ball with Hillary in the general vicinity in decades:

The Clintons will lead hundreds of thousands of revelers in the final 60-second countdown and push the ceremonial button that lowers the ball, ending their roller-coaster year that saw the former first lady lose to President-elect Barack Obama but be named secretary of state.

Tonight will also have a famous first: This will be the first time the Clintons have said “Should old acquaintance be forgot” where they weren’t prepping for grand jury testimony.

As for Mayor Bloomberg, he said that security will be tight in Times Square, with a large police presence and additional counterterrorism units. The Mayor has assured the city that if an Al Qaeda operative does manage to get through security, he or she won’t be smoking or eating any food containing trans fats, and if there’s a car bomb, it will be on a “green” hybrid vehicle. Whew!