I’ve gotten some questions from people who haven’t been to Shanksville about what the memorial really looks like. Well here’s the chain-link fence portion (all photos courtesy of Pittsburgh.com). And below is a wider view of what you see as you look out at the crash site. (Those little things off to the left are the Freedom Angles, for a close-up, look here.)

Those things tacked to the fence are items of devotion, like this And then there’s the writing. When I say that it’s everywhere, this is what I mean. And you’ll see messages of thanks like this, and other messages which will break your heart:

This memorial should be left alone to live and grow, not moved aside for a federal war on terror monument.

Andrew Sullivan wants to know if there are any atheists at National Review or The Weekly Standard. I’m not sure why this matters, or who cares, but Skinner, Matus, and I are all Catholics, like Sullivan.

Over at TNR, Jeffrey Friedman has a very good piece on the liberal post-election obsession with red state hypocrisy. He debunks the hypocrisy mongering and goes on from there.

Of course, this is nothing new. If you’re interested in why, in the modern political world, hypocrisy is the last mortal sin, you might want to check out a piece I did on the subject back during Conditmania.

Reading Michael Scheuer’s Through Our Enemies’ Eyes and watching much of the liberal Western reaction to radical Islam, I’m struck by how we’re frequently told that the clash between the Islamists and the West is largely a reaction to specific American policies. Typically, the portfolio listed has to do with military bases in Saudi Arabia and support for Israel.

The liberal (and Scheuer) line tells us that we need to rethink these policies–that only when we have ceased to antagonize the Islamists will we be able to have peace with them.

Funny, that. The indispensable MEMRI has posted a transcript from Sheik Al-Qaradhawi. The sheik held forth on gay marriage on Al Jazeera three days ago. Among the highlights:

* “. . . Allah decreed that they [homosexuals] want to ruin our families. But there are strong tendencies in the West to destroy the family. An example of this is the marriage of men with men and women with women. Unfortunately, some clergymen welcome this and perform these marriage ceremonies in their churches. In addition, several Western parliaments have permitted this and issued laws about it so it has won legal recognition.”

* ” They want to make the perversion [ie homosexuality] widespread.”

If you listen carefully, you will not hear the sound of liberals suggesting that, perhaps, if we just banned gay marriage, then maybe the Islamists would leave us alone. Theirs is the love of appeasement; but it is a fickle affection.

Bonus “Islam is Peace”: The sheik also took the time to note, quite moderately:

“Out of more than 6,000 verses of the Koran, there is one verse that deals with a condescending and disobedient wife. It is said there that one of the methods of treatments is, ‘And beat them.’ This is not obligatory, but it is permitted and it does not suit all wives. All Koranic commentators agree on this. Beating does not benefit all wives, but it is suitable for some.”

Ramesh Ponnuru takes on Jody Bottum’s essay on the mythological Catholic voter. I don’t find his argument entirely convincing.

The very smart Dick Meyer has a sensible, and depressing, column about the trends of radio stations that run contests where the prizes are boob jobs. During the Christmas holidays. Lovely:

One past winner, an 18-year-old named Ashley, wrote on [morning DJ MJ Kelli’s] Web site, “When I go jogging, the guys don’t stare because my breasts aren’t big enough to flop all over the place. I want the boys to drool. . . I’m a hot piece of a–, new breasts would only double my ‘nailability.'”

What a healthy syndrome to nurture with modern marketing techniques: teenagers who think of themselves as pieces of something intent on increasing their “nailability” through surgery.

This would seem to me to be the type of cultural blight that both liberals and conservatives can get behind. (1) This isn’t the type of thing that should be on morning radio; (2) This isn’t the type of message that we should be broadcasting to women (and especially young girls)–that they aren’t good enough unless they get their breasts done.

Stumbled across this interesting blog by a soldier in Iraq; worth checking out Beef always wins.

As I mentioned yesterday, I just spent two weeks in the British Virgin Islands, which are much less touristed then their American counterparts to the west. The BVI are also said to be some of the safest islands in all of the Caribbean. Locals tend to view the USVI as crime-infested and corrupt. The capital, Charlotte-Amalie, was described to me on numerous occasions as simply “crazy” and “out-of-control.” I asked a certain Captain Mitchel if he ever sailed to St. Croix. “Nope,” he said, “unless I want to dodge bullets.”

We stayed a week on the isle of Virgin Gorda (described as resembling a “Fat Virgin” by Christopher Columbus in 1493). At the Biras Creek resort, things could not have been more tranquil, what with a maximum of 30 guests residing here at any one time. It was the perfect get-away. In fact, it is a popular spot for the likes of Morgan Freeman and Robert De Niro. Of course who else should be there during our stay but Dee Snider of Twisted Sister and his wife.

From the moment he strolled onto that sun-drenched beach, wearing his black biker spandex shorts and a New York Yankees cap and nothing else, I could tell he didn’t want to be bothered. We did exchange a friendly hello but that was it. If he had asked us if we were using a particular beach chair, I would have more than obliged by saying, “No, we’re not gonna take it. Anymore.” But it didn’t happen. He and his wife kept to themselves the entire week. And maybe they needed to, in order to work things out. In the middle of one dinner, Dee and his wife got into an argument–leading to Mrs. Snider storming out. He followed suit while everyone else watched like the voyeurs they were.

It’s all anyone talked about that night. But rest assured, they returned to the restaurant the following night holding hands. When we prepared to check out, I decided to jot down a few thanks in the Guest Book, only to find the name above mine was “Snider.” I assume his wife wrote the comment, which read (and I paraphrase), Rarely do such places deliver on their promises and meet our expectations but this place did! Thanks for a wonderful time.

I’d like to think the Sniders were able to work things out too. I’ve got great respect for the man who once took on Tipper Gore and later helped Arnold Schwarzenegger become governor of California. May the Sniders’ holiday season be merry and bright.