By Debbie Schlussel
**** SCROLL DOWN FOR NEW FUNNY VIDEO ****
And to think that I complained that the movie, “Stuck,” portrayed the Black woman who did a hit-and-run of a homeless man as a White woman. Now, life imitates art, and we have a real-life White woman–Robert Novak–hitting a homeless man and trying to flee the accident scene.
Pro-HAMAS, Pan-Islamist, faux-conservative Robert Novak hit an 86-year-old man with his car and tried to drive away. AGAIN. And Novak lied about it. He claimed that he didn’t even know he hit anyone and feels so bad, BS, etc. But a man riding his bike near the scene says that the man Novak hit ended up on his windshield and that Novak was trying to get away. The man chased Novak (who was driving a Corvette convertible) down on his bike and repeatedly urged him to return to the scene of the crime.
Hmmm . . . fleeing an accident and not facing responsibility. Novak might have killed the victim, but didn’t care and fled anyway. That’s conservative, right? Law and Order, Shmlaw and Shmorder. When you’re Bob Novak, the end always justifies the means, just like with his HAMAS heroes:

“I didn’t know I hit him. I feel terrible,” a shaken Novak told reporters from Politico and WJLA as he was returning to his car. “He’s not dead, that’s the main thing.” Novak said he was a block away from 18th and K streets Northwest, where the accident occurred, when a bicyclist stopped him and said, “You hit someone.” He said he was cited for failing to yield the right of way.
The bicyclist was David Bono, a partner at Harkins Cunningham, who was on his usual bike commute to work at 1700 K St. N.W. when he witnessed the accident.
As he traveled east on K Street, crossing 18th, Bono said a “black Corvette convertible with top closed plowed into the guy. The guy is sort of splayed onto the windshield.”
Bono said that the pedestrian, who was crossing the street on a “Walk” signal and was in the crosswalk, rolled off the windshield and that Novak then made a right into the service lane of K Street. “The car is speeding away. What’s going through my mind is, you just can’t hit a pedestrian and drive away,” Bono said.
He said he chased Novak half a block down K Street, finally caught up with him and then put his bike in front of the car to block it and called 911. Traffic immediately backed up, horns blared and commuters finally went into reverse to allow Novak to pull over.
Bono said that throughout, Novak “keeps trying to get away. He keeps trying to go.” . . .
Finally, Bono said, Novak put his head out the window of his car and motioned him over. Bono said he told him that you can’t hit a pedestrian and just drive away. He quoted Novak as responding: “I didn’t see him there.”
A concierge at 1700 K Street said that she saw a bicyclist yelling and walked outside to see what the commotion was about.
“This guy hit somebody and he won’t stop so I’m going to stay here until the police come,” Aleta Petty quoted Bono as saying, as he stood in K Street, blocking traffic. . . .
In 2001, he cursed at a pedestrian on the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and 13th streets Northwest for allegedly jaywalking.
“‘Learn to read the signs, [bodily orifice]!’ Novak snapped before speeding away,” according to an item in The Washington Post’s Reliable Source column.
Novak explained to the paper: “He was crossing on the red light. I really hate jaywalkers. I despise them. Since I don’t run the country, all I can do is yell at ’em. The other option is to run ’em over, but as a compassionate conservative, I would never do that.”
Two years later, the same column reported that Novak had gone to a racing school in Florida.
“I’ve wanted to be a racecar driver all my life, and anyone who has watched me drive can tell you that,” Novak said.

The man Novak hit is an 86-year-old homeless former Broadway Director who remains in the hospital with injuries. I hope the guy sues the HAMAS-green pants off of Novak.
And this isn’t the first time for Novak. He was sued in 2004 for the same thing.
And he almost hit me, too. When I was an intern in Washington in the late ’80s, Novak nearly ran me over, as he drove through a red light while I had the green light and was in the middle of crossing a street in Georgetown. At that time, he was driving a convertible Mercedes Benz. He didn’t apologize or care. The guy’s a scumbag.
I make no pretense of liking Novak, the self-hating, anti-Semitic former Jew (he converted to Catholicism, but Islam would have been mor apropos), who said on CNN that he supports HAMAS. That was before PAWNN–the Prince Al-Waleed News Network–a/k/a FOX News hired Novak, after CNN dumped the stale Jew-hater/Muslim-Lewinskyizer.
Also before PAWNN hired him and also when I was an intern in Washington, Novak spoke at a National Journalism Center event in which I was one of the participants. I asked him why, if he was such an anti-Communist, he would support the Communist-allied P.L.O. against Israel? I also asked him if he could cite a single other case in which he supported the Communists against non-Communists. Novak couldn’t answer the first question. As for the second, he claimed that he once supported a Turkish military junta that was Communist in nature. Sure, he did.
So, why did FOX News hire this 77-year-old has-been? Is it his views on Israel? He really doesn’t get many scoops, except the Valerie Plame thing, which he passed on for his liberal buddy, Richard Armitage. Oh, and his faux-scoop about McCain naming his Veep by this week’s end. Didn’t happen.
And why is FOX News keeping on its staff a man who would flee the scene of an accident he caused?
Well, that’s not a first for PAWNN a/k/a FOX News, either. In 2000, when Florida was having all its recount court cases, Shepard Smith purposely hit a woman’s legs with his car, so he could get a parking space she was trying to save.
Moral of the story: Don’t get anywhere within striking range of PAWNN a/k/a FOX News’ criminal drivers. They don’t stop for you, unless–in Bob Novak’s case–you’re HAMAS or Hezbollah. Or Prince Al-Waleed.
Bob Novak . . . Whatta Schmuck.
***
Watch the video of this lying scumbag:

**** UPDATE: As you know, I’m not a fan of the obnoxious Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz a/k/a “Jon Stewart,” but Barry Popik sent this video, and he’s right on the money here:

By Debbie Schlussel
Remember Benjamin Baines, Jr.?
He’s the 22-year-old man, who in February, was caught trying to smuggle a box-cutter–concealed inside a book–onto a plane at the Tampa International Airport, along with his Koran, several Islamic books, and rap lyrics he wrote.
Well, here’s more evidence we simply aren’t serious about enforcing the law. Baines was sentenced to a year of probation by Federal Judge Judge William J. Castagna (a Jimmy Carter appointee–figures)
A refresher on Baines from back in February:

When searching the backpack, a security officer found a book titled “Fear Itself.” The book was hollowed out, and the box cutter was inside.
After Baines was read his rights, he said his cousin had cut away the pages to make the hollow section in the book. Later, reports state, he said he had hollowed it out himself to hide money and marijuana from his roommates.
Baines told officers he was moving to Las Vegas and forgot the cutter was in the book.
Officers found books in the backpack titled “Muhammad in the Bible,” “The Prophet’s Prayer” and “The Noble Qur’an.” He also had a copy of the Quran and the Bible.

Jimmuh’s Judge Castagna apparently fell for Baines’ claim that he is “a good kid” who learned from his mistake and will check his bags more carefully, next time. Check out the photo above. Does it look like this was the case of innocently “forgetting” you had a knife in your bag? Hello . . .?
Yes, his mistake: he got caught. He learned: Next time, don’t get caught, and leave Koran at mosque.
Absurd.
He faced six months in jail and will now do zero. Do you think if you or I tried to smuggle a weapon into an airport and onto a plane that we’d get such light treatment?
Only if we were carrying a Koran.
Let’s hear it for yet another “successful” prosecution of the War on Terror by the Bush non-Justice Department.

By Debbie Schlussel
Also sent by reader Ari, this trailer for a scary, but really funny, new, um, movie is, hilarious (and only 47 secs):

By Debbie Schlussel
Yesterday, I cited the “Dark Knight” Joker terrorist action figure for kids as an example of “The Dark Knight” movie engaging in the marketing of terrorism and gratuitous violence as sexy for kids. Even Batman, himself–actor Christian Bale–told “Entertainment Tonight” that his young daughter’s favorite character is The Joker. Sick.
What I didn’t realize is that reader Ari had sent me this video from the humorous Cracked, making my exact point in a funny way. Must Watch. How did I miss Ari’s timely e-mail? (Sorry, Ari.) He wrote:

Here’s a GREAT parody of the violent movie being marketed to kids.

Click on over. 50 seconds makes my point.

By Debbie Schlussel
Several months ago, I told readers about “The Last Lecture,” the book Dr. Randy Pausch wrote with my friend, Jeff Zaslow of the Wall Street Journal.
Pausch was the professor who found out he was dying of pancreatic cancer, which took my father’s life, last year. He gave an hour lecture to his former college students and others at Carnegie Mellon University. In his case, it really was his “Last Lecture.” Filled with charming advice, life lessons and info about his life, Zaslow covered it in a Wall Street Journal article, and the lecture became one of the most popular viral videos on the Net. Pausch and Zaslow expanded the lecture into a book, “The Last Lecture,” which remains atop the non-fiction best-seller lists.
Sadly, today, Randy Pausch died at age 47. But his memory will live on through his kids and the advice he gave them and us in his video and book.

Jeff Zaslow sent me a copy of the book, which I read over Passover and planned to review on this site in a new book review feature. But I got busy, and didn’t get to the review, which I planned to post next week. So, now, I incorporate it herein.
“The Last Lecture” was both difficult and enjoyable for me to read. Difficult, because it discusses Pausch’s imminent death from the same incurable disease–pancreatic cancer–which took my father’s life.
Enjoyable, because it is a quick read that you can read in a couple of hours and is full of entertaining stories about Dr. Pausch and his interesting life experiences and advice.
Some of his advice is cute, other parts of it banal and obvious–but it is the stuff of old fashioned values that cannot be stressed enough to an America of declining integrity and mores. Randy Pausch tells his kids–and us–to tell the truth, practice loyalty, show appreciation, don’t be afraid to apologize, etc. And like every good father, he tells you–and his kids–to believe in your dreams and persist in pursuing them. He was a Disney Imagineer, but also a cheerfully optimistic realist.
Much of the book’s advice, though, is off the beaten path, while not being offensive to conventions. What kid wouldn’t love his parents to say: “Okay, you can color on the wall”? What kid wouldn’t find it cool that not only is his father a Trekkie, but has actually met Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner?
In “The Last Lecture,” Randy Pausch is simultaneously mindful of his brainiac former arrogance and extremely humbled by his certain death at the hands of something even arrogance will not scare off.
What do you say to your children to whom you know that you will soon be a very hazy memory at best and more likely a distant image from the past? What do you tell them in a book or in a one-hour video? How do you try to make them remember you? These are the questions that Randy Pausch faces head on, with humor, wit, and a certain immediacy.
And, instead of wallowing in self-pity or sadness, his approach is positive and cheery. (Didn’t need to know, though, that he got a vasectomy even though he knew he was dying. TMI.) It is fun to read.
It was tough for me to read the name, Robert A. Wolff, MD of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, one of the world’s top pancreatic cancer specialists. I desperately spoke with Dr. Wolff and got my father to do so, as well–in the hope that he could help extend my father’s life. Sadly, he could not. But, if, G-d forbid, you or one of your relatives is afflicted with pancreatic cancer, this is the medical professional you must consult.
It was also comforting to read about how tough the “whipple” operation for pancreatic cancer is. I was upset that my father chose to decline it, but after reading what Dr. Pausch went through in that operation–with little extension of life–it helped me understand that my father made the right decision. So, through this book, Dr. Pausch and Jeff Zaslow unwittingly gave me some comfort in mourning my father.
In the end, though we do not know this man–Randy Pausch–and his young family, we feel as if we do. And we like and care about him. We’re sad to know that soon–now, we’ve unfortunately reached that inevitable time–he will no longer be with us. And we appreciate the amazing computer programs he’s contributed to our world, even if–like me–we’re not all computer science whizzes.
Reading this book, you’re sort of in awe at the way this man faces death with a casual, cool reaction and a strong desire to make sure his young family knows years later that they were loved. We don’t see enough positive portrayals of responsible, loving, devoted fathers in our society. And Randy Pausch was very obviously one of those fathers that there are so many unsung examples of in America.
While it is Randy Pausch’s story and advice, it is evident that Jeff Zaslow became a good friend to him in his last almost year and that he helped enable him to find a source of tremendous income that will take care of his family, in addition to getting his message out to his kids and the world. I’m sure Pausch was and his family is very grateful.
I recommend you buy and read “The Last Lecture,” because you will definitely get something out of it. And that’s in addition to the basic, enjoyable entertainment value of Randy Pausch’s story.
Yes, it was his last lecture and his advice to his family. But there is plenty in it that you can proudly and should happily make yours.
Randy Pausch, Ph.D., father, teacher, valuable lecturer to America, Rest in Peace.
FOUR REAGANS

***
Watch “The Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”:

Watch a video report by Jeff Zaslow:

Watch a well done ABC News/Diane Sawyer special on “The Last Lecture.” Visit “The Last Lecture” site.
***
Because my father went through the same illness as Randy Pausch and had several months of mini-“last lectures” to me, Jeff also wrote me:

If you do write about it, you should relink to that tribute about your dad, which was so beautiful.

So, I am re-linking to my tribute to my beloved father, H.L. Schlussel, MD. Dad, I miss you so much.

By Debbie Schlussel
While I support our troops in Iraq and John McCain’s position on our presence there, one figure makes it very clear that all the Republican cheerleaders out there who proclaim that everything’s going well there, are full of it.
Yes, I supported the surge. But surge or no surge, the U.S. just launched an expanded immigration program that provides 5,000 more visas each year (in addition to the hundreds already per year) to Iraqis who can’t remain in their country because they helped America. And it expands those eligible to come here beyond the categories of interpreters, military personnel, and contractors. That’s a surge of new aliens on our shores–a surge I do NOT support.
Clearly, things are NOT better in Iraq, or these people would be able to stay in or return to Iraq. But while things are more stable there, they are NOT better. If they were, why would these people be allegedly in fear of their lives?

Waleed Wadie:
New Iraqi Immigrant to U.S. Caught in Teen Sex Sting
And many of these refugees who get here are not, in fact, those who helped America. Some are just people, who by the luck of the draw, got one of those visas. Some are America-hating, intolerant Muslims who’ve settled in Dearbornistan and who are now subsidized with food stamps, scholarships, and all the services your taxes pay for.
Still, others are like Waleed Wadie, age 29, now of Sterling Heights, Michigan–a Detroit suburb. The recent Iraqi refugee was arrested, yesterday, on charges of exposing himself online to an undercover officer he thought was an underaged teen girl. He used web cameras to show his genitalia during internet chats.
Ths is the kind of person we’ve let in on these visas–visas, the alleged purpose of which is to save “thousands” of Iraqis who can’t remain in their “peaceful,” “tolerant” country, because hatred of America is so dominant, along with the murder that accompanies it.
We don’t take even a minute’s trouble to differentiate between whom we are letting in on these visas. And we don’t ask ourselves:
If things are working so well in Iraq, why must we accept more sex offenders and extremist Muslims onto our shores?
I do not know whether Mr. Wadie is Christian or Muslim, though it does not matter. However, it is important to note that while things are allegedly so much “better,” Christians in Iraq are more endangered than ever. Clearly, things aren’t as rosy and the Bush State Department claims.
And finally, let’s see how friendly the new Shi’ite Iraqi government is with America, if and when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents follow the law and try to deport Waleed Wadie back to Iraq. Will the Al-Maliki government take him?
That will be another true measure of how things really are in Iraq and how well-advised it was to give extremist, Hezbollah-supporting Shi’ite Muslims control of the country we liberated.
We don’t take even a minute’s trouble to differentiate between whom we are letting in on these visas.

By Debbie Schlussel
One of Oprah’s fave authors, Oprah Book Club authoress Billie Letts, has a “charming” new book out . . . pimping child porn and molestation. And she even has the chutzpah to title it, “Made in the U.S.A.”
Yup, this is the kinda crap Oprah is easily convincing America’s women to read:

Do not judge Letts’ new Made in the U.S.A. (Grand Central, 355 pp., $24.99) by its summery cover illustration of lightning bugs flashing in a twilight sky.
This novel is touted as the moving tale of two children who overcome all odds to find a home – the search for home being a favorite Letts theme.

Oprah: The Dreck Girl

Instead, the story of 15-year-old Lutie McFee and her brother, Fate, 11, presents us with the death of their caretaker (the ex-girlfriend of their missing father) at the checkout line at Wal-Mart; and rum and Cokes served to Lutie by a child predator, who then gets her to pose for a porn magazine.
Lutie becomes addicted to cocaine and does a porn film, all so she can afford a home for Fate. Did we mention Lutie is raped – not once but twice – brutally beaten and slashed across the face?
Talented authors have long mined toxic home lives for insights into the inhumanity present in too many families.
But Made in the U.S.A. is a despicable example of a writer with a loyal following being inhumane to her characters – and her readers.

By Debbie Schlussel
**** UPDATE, 07/25/08: See Cracked’s funny video parody of this absurd marketing of violence and evil to young kids ****
When I reviewed “The Dark Knight“ and was asked about it last week, I told people that while I loved the new Batman movie, I was dismayed at the gratuitous violence (by the bad guy–the Joker–some of it against innocent people) in a movie aimed at and marketed to young kids.
People challenged me for examples that it’s marketed to kids (even though it’s obvious that little kids will want to see anything that’s Batman–it’s known as a kids’ superhero). Well, over the weekend in USA Weekend, there was a full-page spread from Wal-Mart of “Dark Knight” toys and capes and bat mobiles aimed at young boys. And there was this portion of the ad, in which kids are pimped on a “Dark Knight” The Joker Action Figure, complete with the hand-held rocket launcher he shoots at police and Batman.

You want your kid playing with this? As I noted, in “The Dark Knight,” the Joker murders, via stabbing or point-blank range shooting, almost 100 people, many of them innocent. And he speaks graphically of how his face was carved up and how he wants to do so with others. The Joker is a terrorist. You want your kid playing with this? Why not just buy him a Bin Laden action figure? Then you’ll be honest about what you’re really buying your kid.
The Wal-Mart ad says,

Get all the new Batman gear without having to tighten your utility belt.

How ’bout tightening your parental responsibility belt? Unfortunately, few parents actually do that, these days.
Sad. Very sad.

By Debbie Schlussel
. . . Barack Obama. Of course. Had you any doubt?

By Debbie Schlussel
On the heels of John McCain’s strong statement to Israel and the Jews that he would “not allow a second Holocaust” to happen, Barack Hussein Obama was asked whether he’d prevent a second Holocaust by reporters during his trip to Israel.
The setting for the question is notable. It was just before he made a photo op visit to “Yad VaShem,” the Holocaust museum in Israel.
What is also notable was Obama’s “response” and how it was “covered” by the Mainstream media. While the Wall Street Journal’s Jay Solomon and Cam Simpson noted the question, they did not note the response. Why not?
Well, ABC News’ Jake Tapper did, and it’s telling and frightening (thanks to my friends Sean and Frank at WCBM for the tip):

Yarmulke-wearing fraud Obama Won’t Say No to Holocaust

Upon arrival at Yad Vashem, Obama was greeted by Avner Shalev, chairman of Yad Vashem.
An Israeli journalist called out to Obama: “Can you ensure that there will be no second Holocaust?”
Obama walked into the museum’s main building without responding. . . .
In the “Hall of Remembrance,” Obama put on a white yarmulke, lit the “eternal flame” and placed a white chrysanthemum wreath on a stone slab.
Obama then went to the museum’s Janusz Korczak Plaza, where he signed the guest book.

Jake Tapper goes on to quote Obama’s BS speech about how terrible he feels about the Holocaust. Blah, blah, blah. Then, this:

Once again an Israeli journalist asked the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee how he’d help prevent a second Holocaust. “Senator can you assure Israel that there will be no second Holocaust despite Iran’s threat to wipe us off the map?” he asked.
Obama demurred, saying that it wasn’t appropriate to answer the question there.
“This is Yad Vashem!” the journalist responded.
Obama said he would answer the question at a later press availability.

And, of course, Obama never answered the question.
Disgusting. The question is a no-brainer. If you don’t have an automatic, “I will assure that there won’t be a second Holocaust,” response, then you don’t deserve to occupy a square foot of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
John McCain initiated the conversation about a second Holocaust, brining it up himself and saying he’ll assure it won’t happen. Barack Obama had to be asked, and he still couldn’t bring himself to answer.
G-d help us.
Hey, Barack Obama, don’t put on your phony white satin yarmulke again. Sadly, we know what’s inside the head it covers.