Rhetorical Ammo

Irony Alert: Pipe smoking banned at pipe smoking convention

2008-05-05T08:15:00.000-07:00

A huge win for the Nanny State as pipe smokers learn they'll have to enjoy their convention without actually smoking their pipes:

ST. CHARLES, Ill., May 3 (UPI) -- The United States' largest gathering of pipe smokers is being held near Chicago but none are lighting up inside the convention center, aficionados lament.

Illinois law requires pipe smokers attending the Chicagoland International Pipe & Tobacciana Show to retreat to a tent 15 feet away from the St. Charles convention center if they want to enjoy a puff or two, the Chicago Tribune reported Saturday.

This is a case of the law protecting unsuspecting citizens who, before the "15-foot rule," might have mistakenly wandered into a PIPE SMOKERS CONVENTION not knowing that they would be subjected to actual pipe smoking. A victory for the common dolt!

Organizers had sought unsuccessfully to get an exception to the state law that went into effect this year, arguing it was essentially a private club meeting.

That argument didn't fly with anti-smoking advocates.

"This is the first time we've seen such a blatant attempt ... to actually undermine the law through legal sophistry," said Mike Grady of the American Cancer Society in Illinois. "We're very happy with the outcome. This is the perfect example that the law is being enforced."

The first time they've seen a blatant attempt to undermine the law through legal sophistry? Is that a joke? I guess that depends on what the meaning of "is" is.

Great actor, great cause

2008-05-04T09:31:00.000-07:00

Denzel Washington, who gives out annual scholarships for college students studying neuroscience, went to New York's Mount Vernon High School on Friday to talk about opportunities in the health care industry:

Washington — who won Oscars for his performances in "Training Day" (2001) and "Glory" (1989) — says actors, rappers and basketball stars get more recognition, but someone in a hospital bed is more impressed by a good doctor. He says inner-city students might not be aware of all the opportunities available, and he urged the excited Mount Vernon kids to apply for his scholarships.

It's incredibly refreshing to hear a movie star talk about the number of more achievable, and intrinsically worthwhile, opportunities outside of the world of entertainment.

Bus system blitzed in Seattle Times

2008-05-04T08:26:00.000-07:00

As Seattle's Sound Transit debates the timing of another rail-expansion bid, The Cato Institute's Randal O'Toole reminds us that our current mass-transit system--buses--are under-used:

Transit agencies that want to save energy and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions should focus on increasing bus loads or reducing the size of their buses. The average King County Metro bus has 44 seats, yet carries on average just 14 passengers. Concentrating service in areas where loads are higher, and using smaller buses in areas or at times of day where loads are lower, will do far more to save energy than building rail transit.

But the music to my ears comes later in his piece, when he confirms what I've been saying for years:

Cities that really want to save energy should focus on the form of transport people use most: automobiles. As Lave noted, "the biggest components matter most," so improving the mode that moves 95 percent of people will do far more than the mode that moves only 2 percent of people.

The most important thing cities can do is relieve congestion. The Texas Transportation Institute estimates urban congestion wastes nearly 3 billion gallons of fuel each year, in turn emitting 28 million tons of CO2. This has more than quintupled since 1982.

John Lennon imagined a world without heaven or hell, nothing to live or die for and "no religion, too." But imagine something a little more achievable: imagine a government that tried to solve real (while admittedly more pedestrian) problems, namely, traffic congestion. Not only would our lives be a little easier, but there would be less pollution. Some may say that I'm a dreamer...

Clinton to Obama: "I'm coming for you!"

2008-04-22T23:11:00.000-07:00

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania -- Fresh from her easy primary victory in Pennsylvania, US Democratic presidential candidate Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) warned Senator Obama that she will continue cutting into his lead in pledged delegates.

"And if I run into you on the campaign trail," Clinton warned during a speech to supporters, "I'm going to use my karate skills and put an end to all this hope stuff once and for all. Like this! HIYAAA!"

Sitting in the wings, former President Clinton appeared to be frightened.

Eco-friendly commuting, idea # 103

2008-04-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

Gliding across the water on the heads of four Spanish swimmers! Why didn't I think of that? Gotta love those '08 Olympics!

Natural selection in action

2008-04-14T19:49:00.000-07:00

Nature has a funny way of weeding out the gene pool. For instance, this story from the Yakima Herald:

A 20-year-old man shot himself in the groin early Sunday while trying to hide a shotgun down his pants, city police said. A news release did not describe the injury except to say that it was "serious."

Really? A shotgun blast to the family jewels is "serious"? These are the kinds of factoids that make the Yakima Herald invaluable.

The victim was being treated at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. His injuries were not expected to be life-threatening, medical officials told police.

Excellent. He's going to be okay. What a relief, especially considering that we're dealing with one of our community's most respectable citizens:

Officers responded to the 700 block of North 24th Avenue about 1:30 a.m. Sunday. They found the victim on the side of the road.
He had fired two rounds from the double-barrelled weapon, police said.
Police were continuing to investigate after they recovered the shotgun and an additional firearm reported stolen at the house where the shooting took place

That's right -- a man who tried to hide a reportedly stolen shotgun in his pants has shot himself in the groin.

Cosmic justice comes to Yakima.

Speaking of antiwar protests...

2008-03-20T09:31:00.001-07:00

Courtesy of Boing Boing: When faced with antiwar protesters, I'd like to see police deploy this weapon:

A British businessman fed up with being targeted by vandals has installed a 30-foot Roman-style catapult on the premises to hurl bucket loads of chicken manure at culprits attacking his rural offices.

Former stuntman Joe Weston-Webb thinks the vandals are in cahoots with competitors of his company, aptly named Grumpy Joe's Flooring Sales, in the River Soar valley of Nottinghamshire, England.

The defense arrangements, which include priming the catapult with chicken droppings from a nearby farm, include 32 closed-circuit TV cameras, security fencing and motion-sensor lights — all guarded by a no-nonsense sign that reads:

"WARNING: These premises are protected by smart poo ..."

Can dumb protesters be fought with smart poo? Clearly something to research.

That'll teach 'em!

2008-03-20T08:49:00.000-07:00

What better way to punish President Bush and his supporters for the war in Iraq, other than making traffic worse for one day for everybody?

About 20 protesters were arrested about a block from the U.S. Capitol after blocking traffic. In some cases, police had to drag the protesters off the street.

In Syracuse, police arrested 20 protesters who blocked traffic by creating a mock Baghdad street scene. One person dressed in camouflage lay on the ground. Another was covered in a white sheet with red markings and a woman leaned over as if grieving. They were from a group of more than 100 demonstrators who marched downtown in a steady rain over the lunch hour.

If this war continues, protesters will have no other choice but to block checkout lines at Costco and take extra time when they're in front of you at the ATM machine.

Creepy CNN site image

2008-03-13T17:50:00.000-07:00

Is it just me, or is there something odd about Larry's smile, considering the topic? This guy looks pretty enthused about going "inside the forbidden world of high-class call girls".

Prison Bake

2008-03-13T16:14:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Fark.com, this story comes to us from Denmark:

Four Danish prison guards were treated for poisoning after eating a cake laced with drugs that was baked by prisoners, Denmark's Ekstra Bladet tabloid reported on Thursday.

Apparently Denmark is home to the world's most gullible prison guards. What were they thinking? "Hey, we had to beat them with our night sticks on Monday, but on Tuesday they baked us a cake. These hardened criminals must have had a change of heart. Eat up!"

Deputy prison warden Una Jensen confirmed the cake had been baked by "one or several prisoners", hardened criminals belonging to the Black Cobra and Den Internationale Klub gangs.

"We've never experienced such a violent attack on our members," Bo Soerensen, head of the Danish prison guards' union told Ekstra Bladet. He called the drugging an "attack on the entire Danish penitentiary model and the good tradition of where guards and prisoners interact in an informal manner."

Look, I am as much as against baking dangerous cakes for prison guards as the next guy. But can this really be seen as a violent attack on all Danish prison guards? Perhaps what the gang members were really trying to do was alert us to exactly which guys aren't cut out to be keeping an eye on the place. And perhaps it's time for a say, less informal, relationship between guards and perps? Here's some free advice: if the cake says "With love, the Black Cobras" don't eat it.

Obamania hits the tabloids

2008-03-03T23:35:00.000-08:00

I've returned from the Hawaiian Islands with a frightening report on the tabloidization of American politics. First an admission: I use my wife as an excuse to, on occasion, buy copies of Us Weekly and People magazines (for her, of course). Yes, buying these magazines is the literary equivalent of rubbernecking past a grisly pileup and probably less excusable. But as far as I'm concerned if you want a front row seat from which to watch the decline of Western Civilization, pick up a copy of these magazines.

So anyway, there I am at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport with an hour to kill. I shamefully plunked down my money, opened a copy of People magazine and there, sandwiched between stories about celebrity struggles with mental illness, kidnapped coeds and bombed-out bimbo pop stars, was this:I would have written this piece a little differently. "WE TAKE HIS TEMPERATURE: SOCIALIZED MEDICINE? HOT! WAR IN IRAQ? NOT!"

This incisive piece of political journalism includes lots of hard-hitting questions, such as:So this is what it comes down to? In its battle to win over women (the primary audience for People magazine) the Obama campaign thinks that the candidate should answer the questions that American babes really want to know? Because apparently they don't want to know about winning the war on terror or fixing our entitlement programs or simplifying the tax code. They want to know:Fine. I get it. On matters of style he's no different than most heterosexual men. But should a presidential candidate lower himself to this level? Before you answer, consider Obama's Us Weekly appearance, timed perfectly with People's.Us Weekly famously features candid "just like us" celebrity photos, featuring dressed-down stars doing regular things like pumping gas or walking their dogs. Not to be outdone by Brittney, here's Barack Obama's "just like us" (not-so-candid) photo shoot:B.S. CLEANUP ON ISLE 5! How many of "us" shop with secret service agents?I for one can't wait for Senator John McCain's Us Weekly treatment: "WHAT'S HE REALLY LIKE? WE TAKE HIS TEMPERATURE: THE SURGE? HOT! MITT ROMNEY? NOT!"

Hi, I'm Ki!

2008-02-12T17:05:00.001-08:00

He's the first nonviolent, non-gender, non-racial toy. PLUS, he's got trees for legs and dolphins for arms! It's Ki, the toy your child will never ask for and never, ever play with. Find out more here.

I suppose this plush toy might be okay for girls, but what red-blooded male child would ever play with this monstrosity? The only way I can imagine a boy leeching any fun from Ki would be by feeding it to the family dog or perhaps detonating it with firecrackers. Frankly I'd like to see Ki's evil twin, who could have a head that goes supernova and man-eating sharks for arms. Now that would be cool.

Irony gets a Grammy

2008-02-11T21:07:00.000-08:00

I 'aint gonna get a haircut, no, no, no.
-Amy Winehouse

When a recording artist records the immortal words, "I 'aint gonna go to rehab," gets busted for drugs, goes to...rehab, is barred from entering the country because of her "use and abuse of narcotics" and thus accepts her Grammy via satellite for the song "Rehab," I just can't let it pass.

So I finally checked out Amy Winehouse's music for the first time on YouTube.

I'm sure my reaction was similar to the one that most Americans have had upon coming upon this crazed crooner. I thought, "Is this a joke?" Here's a lit lady mumbling something about not going to rehab because her Daddy thinks she's "fine." It's like someone found the nearest vagrant passed out in an alley, handed her a microphone and pushed her on stage (although perhaps a random hobo might actually have some talent).

I'm sure that Winehouse thinks this whole thing is hilarious. Think about it. Clearly this woman loves drugs. If she were sober for more than five minutes she'd realize that her zombie makeup, biker tats--not to mention that bird's nest of hair--make her look like a circus sideshow reject. But what a great gig she's found! She can do cocaine on stage, rake in the cash and be awarded a Grammy for her efforts. I suppose it's either that, run for the U.S. Senate or become a mayor.

There was however one great moment at this year's Grammy Awards. Decades after recording one of my favorite songs, Herbie Hancock gets a huge prize.

There is justice in the world after all.

Tuesday not so super for some saps

2008-02-06T13:51:00.000-08:00

As ABC News reports, some voters in non-super Tuesday states were mightily confused when they showed up to vote last night:

Caught up in the buzz surrounding yesterday's contests — the biggest day of primary balloting in this or any previous year — voters in states like Washington, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Virginia, which won't hold primaries until later this month, showed up at shuttered polling places and called their boards of elections to complain.

"Hello, Board of Elections? I want to complain about being shortchanged by the gene pool -- and it's your fault!"

Well, the conversations might have gone a little bit differently. But you get the idea. The story continues:

Several hundred people in Florida, mostly in Palm Beach and Orange counties, contacted their county supervisors to complain they could not vote. They actually could have voted, only a week earlier when the state held its primary on Jan. 29.

Palm Beach County, Florida? That sounds kinda familiar. But we all know that back in 2000 voters in Palm Beach were hoodwinked by evil Republicans wielding butterfly ballots rather than their own peabrains.

But I digress. Back to 2008:

"I'm hearing Super Tuesday, Super Tuesday, Super Tuesday all week and all month long. I just figured it was voting for everybody. I didn't hear anything different for Wisconsin, though I guess maybe I should have," said Ethel "Penny" Goodwin of Milwaukee, who along with half a dozen neighbors showed up at a local school yesterday at 6:30 a.m. to be first to vote.

Sorry to break it to you Penny, but it was Super Tuesday. It's you that's not so super. Or maybe I'm being unfair. Perhaps your newspaper should have printed a warning: "TUESDAY: CERTAINLY NOT, WE REPEAT, NOT SUPER IN WISCONSIN. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES GO TO A POLLING PLACE."

But wait, there's even more:

"As much as we try to let people know when to vote, people are watching the national cable networks and not paying attention to local TV and radio," said Kyle Richmond, spokesman for the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board.
"The good news is no one was disenfranchised. Anyone who wants to vote will still have the chance to," he said.

Finally a silver lining! And they say that the media only reports bad news. Dolts in Wisconsin won't be disenfranchised!

The question is which candidate will benefit?

Thoughtful political commentary from Germany

2008-02-05T15:34:00.000-08:00

A carnival float carries large papier-mache figures during the traditional Rose Monday carnival parade in Duesseldorf February 4, 2008. The Rose Monday parades in Cologne, Mainz and Duesseldorf are the highlight of the German street carnival season.

REUTERS/Ina Fassbender (GERMANY)

Future headline: Marijuana vending machine thefts outpace bank ATM thefts

2008-01-31T09:23:00.000-08:00

This "headline from the future" was prompted an actual headline from Fox News: Medical Marijuana Vending Machines Take Root in LA: Turn On, Tune In, Enter Your Pin Number.

Here's more on the story:

The city that popularized the fast food drive-thru has a new innovation: 24-hour medical marijuana vending machines.
Patients suffering from chronic pain, loss of appetite and other ailments that marijuana is said to alleviate can get their pot with a dose of convenience at the Herbal Nutrition Center, where a large machine will dole out the drug around the clock.

This got me thinking -- will the vending machines also stock Grateful Dead albums, potato chips and candy? And are they only selling marijuana? What about Crystal Meth and Crystal Meth Lite? Crack(er Jacks)? Just wondering.

The ultimate word on the Florida primary

2008-01-29T20:29:00.000-08:00

It actually came from humorist Dave Barry in today's column:

On the Democratic side, it is now clearly a two-person contest between Barack Obama and former president Bill Clinton. This is troubling to advisers for Hillary Clinton, who, as you may recall, was supposed to be the Clinton candidate this time. Hillary's people want Bill to lower his profile, but he can't stop himself. At campaign appearances he staggers onstage with Hillary advisers clinging to his ankles and as many as eight tranquilizer darts embedded in his neck. That's the kind of competitor he is.

On the Republican side it's now a dead heat between Mitt Romney and John McCain, who are both running on the platform that the other one is a lying sack of scum. Meanwhile, Rudy Giuliani's shrewd strategy of not entering the race until it was way too late continues to pay dividends in the form of several people who have told pollsters that, no matter what, they still plan to vote for Rudy in the Florida primary, even though they personally reside in New Jersey.

Classic stuff from Dave Barry.

** Tuesday Night Update ** Congratulations to Senator McCain!

Scientology Hilarity: Tom Cruise Edition

2008-01-23T20:54:00.000-08:00

I've been watching with fascination the recent controversies surrounding Tom Cruise's recently exposed Scientology videos on YouTube.

For the record I agree with the World War II historian who compares Cruise's speaking style with that of those who gave Nazi propaganda speeches. However there are some important differences. First, the Nazis believed that their racial "superiority" entitled them to control the world using any means necessary, most notably the brutal slaughter of millions. In my opinion the Church of Scientology just wants your money--and lots of it. To find out more, read this book.

Second, there was nothing funny about the Nazis (although Hogan's Heroes were hilarious.). But there is something very, very funny about Tom Cruise's rambling Scientology rants now featured on YouTube here and here. My personal favorite is when Tom talks about driving past auto accidents knowing that as a Scientologist he is "The only person who can really help." Call me crazy, but I think most people would rather wait for an EMT. The only thing worse than the thought of being stuck in a burning car is the thought of being stuck in a burning car and having to listen to Tom Cruise lecture you about the dangers of antidepressants. By the way, is there any record of Tom Cruise randomly stopping to help accident victims? Just wondering.

I'm not the only one who finds these videos hilarious. Check out Jerry O'Connell's send-up here.

Breaking news: Sasquatch found on Mars

2008-01-22T15:30:00.000-08:00

When Orbusmax.com linked to this photo today, I immediately recognized the figure in the picture. Compare and contrast the picture from Mars and the one from the infamous 1967 Patterson tape. Apparently Bigfoot has mastered space travel. What an embarrassing day for NASA!

** Update ** Anderson Cooper appears to agree with my astute observation: Sasquatchy image spotted in Mars picture

Thoughts on the Michigan Primary

2008-01-16T14:05:00.000-08:00

I knew there would be no lack of commentary on the results of the Michigan Primary and so I hadn't planned on writing about it here. But upon reading the results and watching the Clinton and Romney victory laps, I just can't hold it inside.

On the Democratic Party side it was obviously a huge win for Senator Hillary Clinton who won 55% of the vote, easily beating her closest opponent “Uncommitted.” While Uncommitted exceeded expectations, gleaning 41% of the vote, it wasn’t enough to stop the Clinton juggernaut, which had run a high volume of ads suggesting that Uncommitted was pedaling a message of false non-hope. Around 10:05pm Eastern Time on Tuesday night, Uncommitted placed a call to Senator Clinton congratulating her for her victory. Underreported was the committed vote, which gave Dennis Kucinich an impressive 4% (although some early reports suggest that hundreds of absentee ballots suspiciously disappeared from the mail rooms of several Michigan mental hospitals, triggering a request for a recount by the Kucinich camp).

To be fair, both Barack Obama and John Edwards didn’t compete in Michigan, pulling their names from the ballot as punishment for the state’s holding of the primary before February 5th, a sacred day for so many Americans. Hillary Clinton added her penalty by keeping her name on the ballot.

On the Republican side flip-flopping and pandering again paid off for Mitt Romney. Coming on the heels of his huge win of 8 delegates in the closely watched Wyoming Primary, the former Massachusetts Governor carried 49% in a state where his father served 3 terms as Governor and where his brother serves on the State Commission for Free Romney Dollars. Some observers suggested early Wednesday that Romney’s plan to personally hire each unemployed Michigander at a rate of $135 an hour might have also added to his margin of victory.

In Southfield an exuberant Romney beamed, "Tonight marks the beginning of a comeback." An earlier draft of his speech had suggested that had he not prevailed, they might as well bury him with his parents in Michigan. The campaign opted for a somewhat different tone.

"Tonight is a victory of optimism over Washington-style pessimism," Romney declared, just as a new round of his political spots began their run in South Carolina, suggesting that John McCain aims to replace each American worker with an illegal alien from Pakistan, Iran or Afghanistan.

All in all it was a very satisfying and eventful night in the world of American Politics.

3:10 to Yuma

2008-01-14T14:30:00.000-08:00

THIS AMMO 'AINT RHETORICAL!

I finally caught up with one of the best-reviewed films of 2007: "3:10 to Yuma." I rarely mention movies here, but I loved this one so why not?

I was absolutely blown away not only by the great performances by Russell Crowe and Christian Bale (one of my favorite actors) but also by the incredible dialog and visual effects.

On the downside, Peter Fonda is predictably lame but (SPOILER ALERT) is satisfyingly punished for his poor on-screen presence.

If you haven't yet had an opportunity, check out this great film.

Programming Note

2008-01-14T13:31:00.000-08:00

I've deleted most of my old posts -- mostly stuff that was tied to the news of the day. I've left some of my favorite "evergreen" blog entries. For the next few months I'll be blogging mostly about social/cultural issues and updating you, when appropriate, about what I'm up to.

You might also be interested in my new and improved website, Sytman.com. I've posted some audio there. Over the next few weeks and months I'll be posting many of my man-on-the-street interviews there as well.

Thank you for listening (for the children)

2007-11-19T22:23:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Day, 2007

Thank you to everybody who has written. It has been an incredible honor over the past 2 years to be part of your morning routines.

Most people detest getting up early in the morning, never-mind a quarter to 2am. For me it was a pleasure because I had the opportunity to welcome you to your day. Let's face it, for most of us waking up, getting the kids out the door and fighting through endless traffic tie-ups isn't the most relaxing part of life. That's why I approached the morning show with the goal of making the new day a little more fun and a lot more interesting. It's the reason that I mixed stories about dumb criminals, gender wars and "bicycle terrorists" with serious conversations about politics and policy. As I've read your many e-mails over the last few days I've been pleased to hear that many of you had come to enjoy that approach.

Now that I find myself with some free time I've been sleeping during normal hours for a change, jumping on the bed with my giggling kids and lounging on the couch, watching popcorn movies with my wonderful wife. For the first time in years I'm even reading for pleasure rather than consuming mass quantities of news. Well, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich isn't exactly light reading, but old habits die hard. Of course I've been exploring many job options as well.

The brutal reality is that broadcasters lose their jobs pretty often. It's a major occupational hazard. As the line in A League of Their Own goes, "If it were easy, everyone would do it."

I've been incredibly fortunate in my 14 years in broadcasting to have worked with amazingly talented, terrific people, from Mike Siegel, Ken Schram, to David Boze and especially Michael Medved. But most of all, I feel blessed to have been able to talk with many of you over the airwaves, on the phone, via e-mail and sometimes in person. I look forward to doing so again.

May you have a Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year!

Thanks for listening,

Dan

Goodbye for now!

2007-11-16T12:17:00.001-08:00

Thanks to all the terrific people who've listened over the years--and to all of the great people at Bonneville Seattle. See (a little) more here.

Sytman behind the golden EIB microphone

2007-08-16T15:54:00.001-07:00

As I was going through my photos today I found this photo from 1994. While visiting WABC radio with Mike Siegel, the staff was nice enough to allow me into Rush Limbaugh's personal studio for this photo. It was an exciting day, to say the least.

The horrors of the 1980s: Sytman's Hair

2007-08-16T15:32:00.000-07:00

The recent announcement that the ORIGINAL Van Halen will play Key Arena on December 3 led to the shocking news that both Teresa Joy and I were fans of the band. As promised, here's a look at what we looked liked right around 1984 -- the year the "rad" Van Halen album "1984" was released. Here I am in all my geeky glory with a nameless female relative (who's clearly afraid of being seen with me). The hair, the blubber--yuck! Then there's Teresa. That's a lot of hair -- but hey, Teresa, we asked for embarrassing photos. Still waiting...And if anyone has any pictures of Boze around 1984, feel free to send them. I won't reveal my source.

Dangerous Book for Boys

2007-04-30T05:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to buy The Dangerous Book for Boys

No-score baseball

2007-04-20T11:13:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to the latest Andrew's Dad post about no-score baseball. And---parental warning--the controversial Lenin flip-off picture is here.

Cyclo-Fascism

2007-04-06T03:38:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a piece in the San Francisco Gate, many hosts around the country--including Michael Savage--are now talking about bicycle terrorism. So I thought I would post a reminder here. I first used the terms "bicycle terrorism" and "cyclo-fascism" during the Summer of 2006 when this story broke. Remember where you heard it first!

Generation ME

2007-02-27T08:28:00.000-08:00

This morning we talked about a report on young people that shows how self-obsessed they've become:

The standardized inventory, known as the NPI, asks for responses to such statements as "If I ruled the world, it would be a better place," "I think I am a special person" and "I can live my life any way I want to."
The researchers describe their study as the largest ever of its type and say students' NPI scores have risen steadily since the current test was introduced in 1982. By 2006, they said, two-thirds of the students had above-average scores, 30 percent more than in 1982.
Narcissism can have benefits, said study co-author Keith Campbell of the University of Georgia, suggesting it could be useful in meeting new people "or auditioning on 'American Idol.' "
"Unfortunately, narcissism can also have very negative consequences for society, including the breakdown of close relationships with others," he said.
The study asserts that narcissists "are more likely to have romantic relationships that are short-lived, at risk for infidelity, lack emotional warmth, and to exhibit game-playing, dishonesty, and overcontrolling and violent behaviors."

The lead researcher, Jean Twenge, has a great book on the subject: Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled--and More Miserable Than Ever Before. Among the many fascinating parts of this book are descriptions of many of the self-esteem programs that kids are exposed to in public schools. It's a great read.

Fame Junkies: The Hidden Truths Behind America's Favorite Addiction

2007-01-31T04:04:00.000-08:00

As heard on today's program, buy Jake Tapper's great book here. I can't put it down!

770 KTTH Ratings News

2007-01-21T06:42:00.000-08:00

Blowing past most of its major competitors, 770 KTTH has risen to the top tier of Seattle/Tacoma radio ratings. Powered by an extremely successful new morning radio show--Sytman & Boze--and the already highly-rated Rush Limbaugh and Michael Medved shows, 770 KTTH is now the 6th most listened-to radio station in the Seattle/Tacoma market.

In 6th place with a 3.6 share, (Fall Arbitron, persons 12+) , KTTH surpassed other spoken-word stations, including KOMO (8th place) , KVI (tied with KWJZ for 17th) and KJR-AM (20th).

During the past year, KTTH's morning programming (6am-10am: 3 hours of Sytman & Boze and 1 hour of Rush Limbaugh), has nearly tripled its ratings in the highly-profitable and most sought-out 25-54 demographic.

Among other highlights, KTTH's mid-day ratings (10am-3pm) were the highest among all radio stations in all formats.

Hour-by hour ratings were not available to me as of Friday afternoon. I will update you as they become available.

The 10 most dangerous play things of all time

2006-12-18T10:06:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to the story Boze mentioned this morning. **DISCLAIMER: We do not recommend Radar Magazine. Not all content is for all audiences.**

That being said, here's our favorite part of the article:

1. Lawn Darts
Removable parts? Suffocation risk? Lead paint? Pussy hazards compared to the granddaddy of them all. Lawn Darts, or "Jarts," as they were marketed, would never fly in our current ultra-paranoid, safety-helmeted, Dr. Phil toy culture. Lawn darts were massive weighted spears. You threw them. They stuck where they landed. If they happened to land in your skull, well, then you should have moved. During their brief (and generally awesome) reign in 1980s suburbia, Jarts racked up 6,700 injuries and four deaths.

STOP TOSS MEASURES The lawn dart was put on the permanent no-fly list in 1988. The best part about Jarts was that they eliminated all speculation from true outdoor fun. (Is this dangerous? Hell yes, now chuck it!) And they were equal opportunity: All it took to play lawn darts was a sweaty grip. For good measure, it was also nice to have a small sibling around to stand on the other side of the house and tell you how your throw looked (and by how much you cleared the chimney).

The actual rules of lawn darts, as laid out by the manufacturer, were never important. No one is known to have used Jarts for their intended purpose. It shouldn't be surprising, then, that an accident involving a wayward spear and the semi-permeable head of a seven-year-old resulted in the toys' being banned from the market in 1988. Sadly, today's underage boys will never know the primal excitement of a summer's evening spent impaling friends before suppertime.

Incredible video and photos from animal wombs

2006-12-06T09:19:00.000-08:00

As heard on this morning's show, view a video preview and see incredible photos from the National Geographic special, "In the Animals Womb."

Quick to save lives, but not to take credit

2006-08-28T03:12:00.000-07:00

Here's a great USA Today story about a 9/11 hero, featured in the new Oliver Stone movie, who never felt the need to be recognized:

Reluctantly, after an aunt persuaded him to tell his story, Thomas stepped forward. He revealed that he was the mystery man who, with another former Marine, dug through wreckage to rescue Port Authority policemen Will Jimeno and John McLoughlin, who were pinned beneath 20 feet of rubble.

He hasn't seen World Trade Center. "I'm not ready," he says. "I don't want to relive everything."

He's not bothered that the film portrays him as a white man. "That's not an issue at all."

Who should have played him?

"I wouldn't want anyone to play me but me," he says. "No one else would grasp what happened."

Songs to make dogs happy

2006-08-25T09:13:00.000-07:00

It's Friday and I don't feel like hard-core blogging. So let's enjoy some music for the dogs. You heard it on the show (if you were up at 6am) and now you can hear it again here.

U.S. men, women still worlds apart

2006-08-18T09:54:00.000-07:00

Here's the story we talked about this morning:

Meanwhile, the Scripps Survey revealed that less than half the women would admit they had eaten food that fell on the floor. But the practice was more common among the gents -- 60 percent, in fact, wolfed down that fallen cookie, dust balls and all. A majority of the women, 64 percent, said they enjoy shopping, compared with 46 percent of the men.

Generation Me

2006-07-31T03:36:00.000-07:00

Here is some information on today's guest, Jean Twenge. There you will find a link to purchase her book.

Marines help build, save school

2006-07-19T03:41:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Barking Moonbat, here's a great story about the Marines.

Everything you think you know about illegal immigration is wrong

2006-06-25T12:54:00.000-07:00

New developments in the debate over illegal immigration have blown up two myths about the issue: that the GOP base is against comprehensive reform and that immigration--illegal and otherwise--is bad for our economy.

First, on the Republican base, a new poll commissioned by the Manhattan Institute and conducted by the Tarrance Group shows that Republican voters favor the exact kind of reform that President Bush has been pushing for:

"While likely Republican voters strongly support border enforcement, there is more support for a comprehensive immigration reform plan that provides current illegal immigrants with an opportunity for earned citizenship.
Support is much stronger among likely Republican voters for a comprehensive approach to immigration reform than an enforcement with guest workers only plan.
In fact, a comprehensive approach to immigration that includes earned legalization is supported by 75 percent of likely GOP voters while an approach that includes only tougher enforcement and a guest workers plan is supported by just 47 percent of likely GOP voters."

In other words, the Republican base favors a comprehensive "Bush Plan" over a "Tancredo Plan" which leaves out a guest worker program and totally ignores dealing with the 12 million illegal aliens currently residing here. In my view, and apparently among strong majorities of likely Republican voters, a plan that is generally called "Enforcement First" won't solve our problems relating to borders, language and culture because it does not recognize our economy's need for workers during a time when our population is aging. Any plan that does not recognize this fact of life actually encourages illegal immigration. A correct plan enforces the border while allowing a controlled number of guest workers to fill needed positions in agriculture, hospitality, construction, health care and other growing industries.

Certainly there will be charges that this is a biased poll. But the Tarrance Group is not NBC, CBS, ABC or CNN. It is a Republican polling organization hired and trusted by conservative politicians. This can be double checked by looking at their list of clients. In fact, you'll find Tom Tancredo himself on the list.

In addition, the questions do not include loaded terms like "undocumented immigrants." But please decide for yourself. You may see the summary and the complete results, including the questions posed by pollsters, on the Tarrance Group's web site.

Finally, the issue of the supposed damage that immigrants, including illegal aliens, do to our economy: An open letter to the president from 500 economists, including two Nobel Laureates, has been published by the Independent Institute. While economists are notorious for disagreeing on many key issues, here they are unified:

"Immigrants do not take American jobs. The American economy can create as many jobs as there are workers willing to work so long as labor markets remain free, flexible and open to all workers on an equal basis.

In recent decades, immigration of low-skilled workers may have lowered the wages of domestic low-skilled workers, but the effect is likely to have been small, with estimates of wage reductions for high-school dropouts ranging from eight percent to as little as zero percent.

While a small percentage of native-born Americans may be harmed by immigration, vastly more Americans benefit from the contributions that immigrants make to our economy, including lower consumer prices. As with trade in goods and services, the gains from immigration outweigh the losses. The effect of all immigration on low-skilled workers is very likely positive as many immigrants bring skills, capital and entrepreneurship to the American economy."

A bunch of liberals you say? Not so fast. The signatories include economists from conservative think tanks and universities, including John E. Calfee of the American Enterprise Institute and Gary Wolfram and Mark Steckbeck of Hillsdale College.

While Republican voters (and most Americans) are unified in their desire for stronger border enforcement, the common myth that conservatives overwhelmingly oppose comprehensive reform is not correct. On a grander scale, a fact-based analysis of the facts behind the belief that immigration is bad for our economy reveals a great deal of contrary evidence. Both commonly-stated ideas deserve closer examination by the news-media.

Low-slung, baggy pants often trip up thieves

2006-06-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

Here is the free version of the Wall Street Journal article we talked about this morning. Please, if you have any similar stories, let me know! I find all this quite funny.

America's Top Ten Driving Pet Peeves

2006-05-16T04:12:00.000-07:00

From Newsmax.com:

1. Distracted drivers talking on cell phones (Motor Mouths)
2. Slow drivers in the fast lane (Turtle Racers)
3. Pushy drivers who tailgate (Piggybackers)
4. Drivers who weave through traffic to gain one or two car lengths (Wacky Weavers)
5. Obnoxious drivers who speed up to keep you from changing lanes (Gap Snatchers)
6. Hasty drivers who change lanes without signaling (Space Invaders)
7. Road Rage (Road Ragers)
8. Motorcyclists who race down the middle of a lane, between cars (Speed Racers)
9. Women applying makeup and men shaving (Driving Divas)
10. Drivers who leave their turn signal on for miles (Morse Coders).

Your driver pet peeves are welcome here!

CEOs say how you treat a waiter can predict a lot about character

2006-04-14T04:39:00.000-07:00

As a former service industry worker, I totally agree with today's story in USA Today. It reports what CEOs believe about prospective employees:

How others treat the CEO says nothing. But how others treat the waiter is like a magical window into the soul.

College students are becoming more religious

2006-04-13T14:51:00.000-07:00

Today's Washington Times:

A full 70 percent say religion plays an important part in their lives, with a quarter saying their spirituality has increased at college. Six out of 10 say they are concerned about the moral direction of the country, according to the poll of 1,200 students from across the country, conducted March 13 to 27 and released Tuesday.

Vote on the state quarter

2006-04-10T03:20:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, the Seattle Times showed us the contenders for the new state quarter. You may vote for your favorite here.

Spider-hunting nudist ends with ring of fire

2006-04-04T09:43:00.000-07:00

Warning: Spider hunting while nude is NOT a good idea:

Ambulance workers, including a helicopter crew, were called to the scene after the man poured petrol down the hole and then lit a match in an attempt to kill the offending arachnid. "The exploding gasoline fumes left the man with burns to 18 percent of his body, on the upper leg and buttocks," the NRMA Careflight helicopter rescue service said in a statement.

Since we're on the subject of naked people, here's the story that Boze mentioned about Jungle tribesmen fleeing Marxist killers.

Kids who refuse to grow up

2006-04-03T03:37:00.000-07:00

Meet the Grups from the New York Times Magazine and "What's Happening to Boys?" from the Washington Post.

Correcting the record about illegal immigration

2006-03-30T09:18:00.000-08:00

Today I corrected the record about 2 things. First, the idea that 1/3 of prison inmates are illegal. It's not true. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics,

About 4% of State prison inmates were not U.S. citizens at year end 2001. In 1997 (the latest year available for now), Federal inmates were more likely than State (to be) Hispanic (27% vs. 17%) or noncitizens (18% vs. 5%) .

What this tells us is that although Hispanics are disproportionately represented in prison, that doesn't mean that 1/3 of inmates are illegal. I also responded to the assumption, often heard on talk radio and from folks like CNN's Lou Dobbs, that illegal immigrants cost more to society than they benefit us in financial terms. According to George Borjas, who is sited as an immigration expert by none other than "enforcement first" advocate Tom Tancredo, illegal immigrants generate more tax dollars than they consume in the form of state services:

"Although the entry of immigrants reduces the wage of comparable native workers, it produces a slight increase in the income of U.S. natives overall...immigrants also pay taxes. The present value of lifetime earnings for the typical immigrant man is $380,000. With 7.6 million working immigrants (both men and women), total earnings of immigrants are at most $2.9 trillion, of which about 40 percent, or $1.2 trillion, are paid in taxes of all forms. Because 3 percent of total revenues are allocated to cash welfare benefits, immigrants pay about $36 billion ($1.2 trillion times .03) in taxes to fund welfare programs. Comparing the $36 billion that immigrants contribute to welfare to the $56 billion they consume, immigrants consume $20 billion more over their lifetimes than they contribute. Thus, the welfare system causes U.S. natives to lose about $1.1 billion per year (in present value terms). Subtracting this $1.1 billion from the $5 billion annual increase in national income,the United States benefits from immigration, but the economic gains are small.

This isn't to say that we know for sure how much illegal immigrants cost and benefit our economy. After all, we're talking about a black market. But the assumption that they cost more than they generate in tax dollars and in income for natives is not necessarily accurate. In fact there is some evidence to the contrary. With more on financial matters, George Will points out that immigration, illegal and otherwise, helps shore up social security:

In 1940 there were 42 workers for every retiree; today there are 3.1. By 2030, when all 77 million baby boomers will have left the work force, there will be only 2.2. And that projection assumes net annual immigration, legal and illegal, of 900,000, more than double the 400,000 foreigners who, under the terms of proposed Senate legislation, could come here to work each year.

This is important because without population growth, we'll either have to raise taxes or not support future retirees who've paid into the system. Will also supports the assertion that illegal immigrants do not reduce wages overall:

Investor's Business Daily reports a new study demonstrating that "over the past 30 years rising immigration led to higher wages for U.S.-born workers. Cities that served as migrant magnets did better than others. Why? Hiring one worker creates wealth with which to hire more workers."

Whether you agree or disagree with me on illegal immigration, I think it's important that we talk about facts, not assumptions. I've posted the facts. Now let's talk about what policies will solve our problems with the southern border.

3-Strikes and you're out for those who file dangerous initiatives?

2006-03-29T09:16:00.000-08:00

Look out Tim Eyman -- some in our state would like to put you in prision for life. Today we talked about an initiative that would ban "dangerous" initiatives. According to the secretary of state:

Initiative Measure No. 922 concerns prohibiting “dangerous” initiatives and referendums.This measure would prohibit “dangerous” ballot measures, requires ponsors to research the effects of their measures, prohibit certain donations and payments, authorize criminal penalties, and authorize a 1-2% sales tax increase if necessary. Should this measure be enacted into law?

This measure would prohibit “dangerous” initiatives and referendums, and require sponsors to research the effects of measures and provide that research to state officials to determine which measures to exclude from the ballot or signature collection. It also would provide for criminal penalties and prohibit anybody convicted of violating this initiative from ever proposing another initiative or referendum, prohibit donations from “special interest groups” or non-state residents, and authorize a sales tax increase if necessary.

You may contact the sponsor, Gretchen Sand, here. Stay tuned. Tomorrow I'll post for download Gretchen's challenge for an apology from Tim Eyman.

Illegal immigration issue spells danger for GOP?

2006-03-28T09:50:00.000-08:00

Here's an interesting story on the possible political repercussions for an "enforcement only" solution to illegal immigration. For the other side, here's the David Frum blog entry that Boze mentioned today:

It is just too luridly amazing watching the Republicans on the Senate Judiciary committee vote for amnesty for illegal immigrants and a guestworker program. It's like some poli-sci experiment run amok. Here are policies opposed by close to two-thirds of the American people and by the overwhelming majority of the Republican rank-and-file ... Policies that threaten to split the party and throw away control of at least one house of Congress ... Policies that you would suppose even their advocates would recognize as politically ultra-radioactive and only to be enacted in the deepest darkest secrecy of a senatorial subcommittee 23 months before the next election.

And instead they are doing it all now, with only 8 months to go before voting day, in the full glare of publicity, at just the time and in just the way calculated to inflict maximum self-damage. Can it really all for the campaign contributions? How much are those donors giving to buy this self-immolating level of constituent service?

If you've wondered about that poll I keep mentioning--the one that shows that most GOP voters actually favor some kind of legalization plan (in spite of what Frum believes)--well, it's right here. Finally, "The Terminator" wrote about illegal immigration in today's L.A. Times. Check it out here.

Illegal immigration and guest worker links

2006-03-28T09:14:00.000-08:00

This morning I mentioned an initiative which would ban certain Washington State public services for illegal immigrants. You can read about it in the Seattle Times. Here is the information from the Secretary of State's office:

Sponsor: Mr. Robert D. Baker, PO Box 911, Mercer Island, WA, 98040. Phone: (206) 300-8682, E-mail: protectwa@hotmail.com.