January 19, 2006, 8:37 a.m.
Saying what you believe, &c.

So, Mayor Nagin of New Orleans goes and talks of God's punishment, and how NOLA will again be "Chocolate City," etc. Fine. If that's what he believes, that's what he believes. I like a man who'll say what he believes, especially if he holds political office.

But then he gets some prickly press and goes and says, "Obviously, I misread the mood of people on some points."

How depressing: Nagin "misread the mood of people." How about saying what you think, to hell with what the "mood of people" is? How about seeking to affect that mood? Besides, many persons have many moods, don't they? I mean, I know individuals who can have five in a minute.

Geesh.

Oh, and, by the way, a language point: "NOLA" is how New Orleans people often refer to their city, when they're writing. (It stands for New Orleans, La.) I wasn't too crazy about seeing all those instances of "NO," in the blogosphere, back in Katrina days.

How long ago was that, anyway? Wasn't that event supposed to change our national life forever?

Wasn't 9/11?

One of the most heroic men in Cuba is Juan Carlos González Leiva, a blind lawyer, and head of the Cuban Foundation for Human Rights. I have followed his case for several years. Like the best of the men and women under totalitarian regimes, he is unbreakable, clear-minded, and inspiring.

He is also being brutally harassed by the Castro government. And he details that harassment in a statement found here, on the website called Net for Cuba. I urge one and all to read González's statement.

It would be nice if the media could get a tiny bit interested in his case (or any other Cuban case). González says in his statement, "It is important for the accredited international press in Havana to come to Ciego de Avila so that the world can see the true face of the Cuban government with its own eyes."

Yeah, that would be nice, but we don't bet the ranch.

Toward the end of his statement, González says, "Jesus Christ is with us; he is accompanying us, and he gives us victory and peace."

I repeat, Juan Carlos González Leiva is a man worth getting to know.

Speaking of people worth getting to know: I'd like to share with you a letter from a reader, which came in response to something I wrote in Impromptus. He says,

I was fortunate enough to go to California along with a few other guys from Texas to visit with some Marines a few weeks ago.

These guys were amazing young men. I got to spend a good bit of time, for example, with a guy named Col. Mike Shupp — 46 years old (looks younger), C.O. of the regiment (about 4,000 men), played a major role in the successful November 2004 Fallujah operation, an extremely bright, articulate, inspiring leader.

He mentioned how you just don't read in the U.S. press about the incredible bravery of our men over there. Told me a few stories that were straight out of Hollywood — except they're true. And he's right — you never read about it.

When I got home, I did a quick Google search and came across a few stories about guys who should be household names. Here's an example: Lt. Brian Chontosh, U.S. Marines, Navy Cross. Go here.

And so I did. And there are many Brian Chontoshes, and they are as invaluable as they are unsung.

Meanwhile, how much airtime have Cindy Sheehan, Jack Murtha, and the rest received? Can't Mike Wallace or someone like that bestir himself?

On to something lighter — but not really, because I'm talkin' golf. Had an amusing exchange with my boy Ramesh Ponnuru yesterday. He was saying how congressmen go on these junkets and play golf — which they do. I replied that they could easily do legitimate public business, while playing golf in their spare — their recreational — time.

And he said, "Oh, you're just special-pleading, because you're a golfer!"

'Tis true. (Well, really, I'm an ex-golfer.) But I got my back up a little, for this reason: Playing golf is sneered at in a way playing tennis, or racquetball, or badminton is not. I mean, you never hear someone say, "Congressman X traveled to Country Y, and you know what he did? Why, he swam!"

Okay, I'm off that high horse.

By the way, I'll repeat my opinion that "Ramesh Ponnuru" and "Michelangelo Signorile" are the two most beautiful names in journalism. (Not that Ramesh and I agree with ol' "Mike" on much.)

Many times, I've written about the strange alliance between the Left and the Islamic fundamentalists. (If you don't like "alliance," try leftist "tolerance" of Islamofascism.) David Horowitz wrote an entire book on the subject, and it's an excellent book, too: Unholy Alliance. (For my review of it, please go here.)

Well, knowing of my interest in this phenomenon, a reader sent me an amazing story: about an Egyptian cleric's decree that nudity during sexual intercourse invalidates a marriage. (Needless to say — though certainly not needless to say in this country! — the sexual intercourse is between a married couple.) That story, out of Sydney, Australia, is here.

My reader wondered what Islamic-friendly lefties would think of the Egyptian's fatwa. I think the answer is: As long as a guy is anti-Bush, he's got to have something going for him. And let us not be ethnocentrically judgmental!

Let us not, indeed.

In Tuesday's Impromptus, I praised Michael Gove, the writer and Conservative MP in Britain. I praised him, in particular, for this lovely and evocative sentence: "England may no longer be the country where old maids cycle through the mist to morning communion, but . . ."

Well, many readers wrote to say that Gove was echoing Orwell, the originator of the cycling-through-the-mist line. I have that problem: telling the difference between Orwell and Gove. And that, for sure, is the highest thing I can say about Michael Gove.

Two nights ago, the Juilliard School — in conjunction with the New York Festival of Song — staged a concert called "100 Years of Juilliard Composers in Song." As you might guess from the title, it featured a slew of composers who have passed through the Juilliard School, either as students or as teachers, in songs they have penned. The school is celebrating its centennial. For a review of that concert in today's New York Sun, please go here.

In response to Tuesday's column, a reader wrote on the subject of "fulsome." As I said, that word is now taken to mean "really, really full," when, really, it means "offensively flattering or insincere." The AP had described President Bush's praise of Angela Merkel as "fulsome." I said I doubted it.

So the reader writes, "I can recall only two instances in which President Bush was actually fulsome in his praise: at the dedication of the Clinton library, and the unveiling of the Clinton portrait. His remarks about Clinton were full of . . . er, fulsome."

That tickled me.

Okay, a few weeks ago, I wrote about the name "Kevin Pittsnogle." That name really tickled me. He's a player on the West Virginia University basketball team, and when he puts a shot in your face, you've been "Pittsnoggled." I added that I would never abandon, in my heart, Pooh Richardson, another basketball player. And then there was Mookie Wilson, of baseball. ('Sup, Mook?)

Well, these observations provoked a flood of mail, and I will print some of it — and then declare the subject closed, because, you know, the world is large, and we have only so much time.

A reader wrote, "When it comes to great sports names, my all-time favorite is Van Lingle Mungo — he pitched for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1930s."

I had nominations for God Shammgod (NBA) and many, many for Baskerville Holmes (also basketball).

In the Mookie category, many advocated Blaylock (basketball) over Wilson. I'm sticking with Wilson, myself.

A reader asked, "What do you think of the Cincinnati basketball player Jihad Muhammad?" I think people sort of stay out of his way.

Another reader said, "Speaking of hoops names, how about World B. Free, or the Lakers' Smush Parker?"

Smush Parker, I'll give you that — fantastic.

"Hey, Jay, if you like Pooh Richardson, what about Pooh Bear Williams, who played [football] for Florida State?"

"Jay, the names that have always stuck in my head are Hokie Gajan — running back for the New Orleans Saints — and Tunch Ilkin, offensive lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers. 'Gajan' sounds New Orleans, and Tunch Ilkin sounds exactly like a lineman — particularly a Steeler lineman. Then too, I have a hard time thinking of a name that could top Bronko Nagurski [an old Minnesota football Gopher]."

Two more winners: Tico Pringle (football player at Snow College in Utah) and Cornbread Maxwell (basketball).

Further on Pittsnogle: "Dear Jay: I threatened my fiancée that if WVU gets to the Final Four this year, I'm going to name our first son Pittsnogle — Pittsnogle Altmeyer."

Beautiful.

Further on Mookie Wilson: "Back in the early '80s, I was stationed on Governors Island (USCG). One night I had the TV on, with the sound off, and I was watching the Mets game. Not really knowing any of the players, I watched as a Met came up to the plate. I thought to myself, 'This must be Mookie Wilson.' Sure enough, it was. He just looked like a Mookie Wilson."

"Jay, if you didn't watch that fabulous Rose Bowl game last night, you missed another great name: Frostee Rucker. He is a defensive end for USC. I desperately hope my hometown Chiefs select him in the draft. Everybody loves a Frostee."

"My all-time favorite is Fair Hooker [NFL]."

"Jay, if you're listing names, you can't leave out the University of Tennessee's fourth-string QB, Jim Bob Cooter."

Oh, Jim Bob Cooter: too glorious for words.

"Mr. Nordlinger, my humble submissions: Razor Shines, an outfielder with the Montreal Expos; Mark Lemongello, a pitcher with the Houston Astros; and Slick Watts, a guard with the Seattle Supersonics."

Yes, Slick Watts is too cool for words.

"Jay, Scientific Mapp was a college basketball player in the '90s. He had a brother, Majestic."

"Mr. Nordlinger, the University of Nebraska recently had a basketball player named Cookie Belcher. Now, if that's not a great name, what is? Mr. Belcher went to high school in Mexico, Mo. (just up the road a piece). Don't know where he is now or what he's doing."

What he's doing is ending this Impromptus, and I thank you all.