Stanford's Best and Brightest

Joel Stein's article in the LA Times seems to be raising quite a ruckus on talk radio and across the blogscape. Hugh Hewitt, of course, scored the only interview that I know of with Stein yesterday. transcript can be found atRadio Blogger:

"HH: All right. Now who is your...this is a column about the troops that begins, 'I don't support our troops.' We'll get to the specifics in a second. But who is your closest family member or friend who is on active duty?
JS: That's an excellent question. I wouldn't say I have a very close friend. I would say only acquaintances. No family at all.
HH: Who are your acquaintances?
JS: There was a guy who works at Time, that's where I worked last, who quit to serve in the military.
HH: What's his name?
JS: (pause) You know, I'm blanking on his name. But your point is well taken that I don't have many people that I even know who are in the military.
HH: Do you have any, though, other than this guy at Time whose name you can't remember?
JS: Who are serving currently?
HH: Yeah.
JS: Or ever served?
HH: No, serving currently.
JS: Or only in Iraq?
HH: Active duty. Anywhere in the world.
JS: (pause) I'd say I've been pretty isolated from that."

Earlier today, Laura Ingraham speculated that the column was actually satire written by a columnist from the Weekly Standard!

Unfortunately, not true, but a great idea for the future!

Dennis and Jann's Big Adventure

They've done it! My parents have sold their lovely home in Laguna Beach and have purchased an RV to live in and travel the US. At my father's bidding, we have set up a new blog for them to chronicle their experience and to keep in touch with family and friends. Check it out and blogroll it: Dennis and Jann's Big Adventure

I can't wait to meet up with them next week in Las Vegas and who knows where as the year goes on!

Blogs Provide Most Intimate Coverage of Ariel Sharon Situation

Hugh Hewittc has linked to Mere Rhetoric, a blogger who is translating Hebrew from various sources to provide up-to-the-moment coverage of happenings in Israel and the Palestinian Areas.

Also, because they are translating direct information from Israel, it reveals a very intimate insight into the mood on the "Israeli Street". We'll be checking it out all day.

And now the big guns...

Michelle Malkin: THE MINER TRAGEDY: WHAT WENT WRONG?

We've been waiting for the most influential bloggers to start on the miner story fiasco. Here's the Great Michelle Malkin.

Take That, TIME Magazine.

The Ultra-coolSamantha Burns has the Moron of the Year award up for your voting pleasure. We here in OC don't wish to sway the voting, but we had to go with...

Blog Round-up on Miner Tragedy Reports

Here is a quick list of other blogs that posted in tral-time as Anderson Cooper was interrupted on-air by a local resident announcing that they had all gotten wrong information abot the fate of the West Virginia miners. I must say, it was a surreal moment as is relayed by these bloggers.

Looks like OC Chronicle was the first to post the news based upon a Technorati search: Technorati Search: anderson cooper

Comme Des Garcons: Oh geez, can anything be worse than this?

Not Exactly Rocket Science: So I was trying to write this Meme....

FURIOUS nads! - The Media-Made Miracle

Swanky Conservative � Blog Archive � Miners rescued - only one alive?

Blogcritics.org: Only One W. Virginia Miner Found Alive

Raines Secret Garden � PRAYERS

gigglechick.com

RoguePlanet

SharonCobb: Anderson Cooper "Stunned" Only One Miner Survived...News Wrong

Oliver's Place: Irresponsible media and the Sago Mine Collapse

sisu: Watching sausage being made

Jack Myers Media Village

BREAKING NOW... Only one survivor.

Live, now (11:48 PM)on CNN a local resident interrupted Anderson Cooper in mid-sentance to say that the CEO of the mining compay addressed the local church and said that the initial reports were not true. Only one miner has survived.

Cooper is expressing disbelief that this mis-information could occur.

Apologies for the earlier post and the e-mails I sent to many of you...

More to follow...

11:53 PM According to reports, Randal McCloy is the sole srvivor.

11:56 PM Media at its worst. Reporters shining lights and pointing their cameras and microphones in the faces of family members leaving the church in their grief. One of the men pushes a microphone from his face and the reporter puts it right back in. Why don't they leave them alone??!!

11:59 PM Fox News reports that the family members are distraght and furious, livid that they were lied to. - How does the Governor get bad information like this too?

12:07 AM Ben Hatfield, ICG President speaking now. Characterizes information as a "Mis-communication". But the mis-communication was allowed to be re-communicated across the world for three hours! "Stray cell phone communications" and "overheard conversations" from the rescue team to the command center were the cause according to Hatfield.

BELIEVE IN MIRACLES!

ANSWERED PRAYERS...

An Englishman's Castle has an early morning link from BBC on the rescue of 12 miners in West Virginia. Most East Coast blogs are asleep right now so we expect them to be hot on this one in the morning.

According to Fox News right now (10:57 PM, the 12 survivors ("The Lucky Dozen" their calling them) are being taken to St. Joseph's hospital for triage and treatment of possible hypo-thermia and carbon-monoxide poisoning.

The tears of joy on the faces of the onlookers while they cheer the ambulances are an amazing sight. God Bless all involved (He already has) and prayers for grace to the family of the one miner that did not survive.

One social/political observation:

I am struck by the words of the West Virginia Governor from earlier today when he stated with no irony or guile: "We believe miracles can happen."

This kind of earnest faith is what we Americans love and desire in our leaders. I think it is why the "intelligent", ironic and too-clever-by-half kind of leaders found on the educated left are not well liked by the majority of Americans.

UPDATE: Don Surberis the only East Coast blog still awake, apparently. He stuck a quick mention in his blog title.

Today's must read:

Thank you All Things Beautiful, this post and picture are a perfect way to start the new year.

(Nancy Pelosi has never looked better! This proves Alexandra is a TRUE artist.)

New Year, New Look.

OC Chronicle has undergone a bit of a makeover, your enthusiastic comments are appreciated.

Also, by popular demand, please click this link for photos of the OC Clan in OC, Florida, specifically: Walt Disney World! (Please note the photos with some or all of the kids asleep!)

Disney's PhotoPass Service