The new shit, same as the old shit - it seems our trolls, not content with being banned from this blog, have decided to go shit elsewhere, using my name.
Oh Yay.
So, for anyone who's had some idiot crap in their comments, check the IP's. The trolls are using proxy IP's, especially from overseas. 202.57.70.*, 218.185.66.* and 202.96.161.* (Pacific Rim/Australia), 148.244.150.*, 200.13.168.* (Latin America/Caribbean), 165.247.31.* (Earthlink), 217.127.70.* and 80.32.92.* (The Netherlands), and 198.188.134.* (California University Network) are just a few of the IP's that I've banned from this site. Also, email me and let me know what IP they're using.
The last time this happened, I met some pretty cool people. I'm interested in seeing who shows up this time.
You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having both at once. - Robert A. Heinlein -
Saturday, July 10, 2004
Yawn
There's nothing so boring as being threatened by a troll. I just checked my email and found this from our pal, Michael Ross of Portland Oregon.
David, I never had any interest in you until the past couple of days.
You will get to know me better in the near future.
I promise.
What are you going to do to me, Michael? Bleed on me? What's more, sending threatening emails isn't the smartest thing in the world to do. Thanks for giving me even more evidence against you though.
And let's do some deductive reasoning, shall we? I get spammed by a troll. I take the troll's IPs, and I go to other sites who have been hit by a troll to compare IPs. We compare IP numbers, and they're the same. Hmmmmm.... So we take those IP numbers to other websites and have the owners compare them. Yep, they check out. Gee golly gosh, I wonder why?
So someone does some digging, and finds a name, address, and phone number. (That would be yours, Mike) It's not enough to just post it up, I needed some confirmation. And I got it, trust me. So there are three logical paths that I could take.
1) My troll is Michael Ross.
2) My troll is part of some troll collective who all use the same IP numbers (a definite possiblity, as proven yesterday.)
3) My troll isn't Michael Ross, but uses the exact same IP numbers in an effort to implicate Michael Ross. (Least likely)
Now, let's put aside the fact that all three points would be moot if our pal Michael Ross wasn't a fuckwitted troll who repeatedly spams websites, uses proxy IPs to get around bans, and makes an ass of himself everywhere he goes. Let's put aside the fact that our pal Micheal Ross has made enemies in several different time zones, all of whom would like to see him go away. And let's put aside the fact that all the information on Michael Ross is public information that anyone can find if they want to. We're going to work on assumption Number 3, just to give our troll a break.
I've told you this twice before, Micheal, and this is the third and last time. If you're not the troll, as you so claim, PROVE IT. Otherwise, go the fuck away and shut up. Because all I've gotten from you is hot air and bullshit, and I was tired of it days ago. Prove that you're not the troll, and I will apologise and remove your information. I'll even put up a big post that says "MICHAEL ROSS IS NOT THE TROLL". Just prove it. If you're such a big, bad computer boy, it should be simple.
Or, you could just GO THE FUCK AWAY. Because as long as you are hanging around, I'm going to assume that you really really like me, and want to be contacted by all my readers. Got it?
David, I never had any interest in you until the past couple of days.
You will get to know me better in the near future.
I promise.
What are you going to do to me, Michael? Bleed on me? What's more, sending threatening emails isn't the smartest thing in the world to do. Thanks for giving me even more evidence against you though.
And let's do some deductive reasoning, shall we? I get spammed by a troll. I take the troll's IPs, and I go to other sites who have been hit by a troll to compare IPs. We compare IP numbers, and they're the same. Hmmmmm.... So we take those IP numbers to other websites and have the owners compare them. Yep, they check out. Gee golly gosh, I wonder why?
So someone does some digging, and finds a name, address, and phone number. (That would be yours, Mike) It's not enough to just post it up, I needed some confirmation. And I got it, trust me. So there are three logical paths that I could take.
1) My troll is Michael Ross.
2) My troll is part of some troll collective who all use the same IP numbers (a definite possiblity, as proven yesterday.)
3) My troll isn't Michael Ross, but uses the exact same IP numbers in an effort to implicate Michael Ross. (Least likely)
Now, let's put aside the fact that all three points would be moot if our pal Michael Ross wasn't a fuckwitted troll who repeatedly spams websites, uses proxy IPs to get around bans, and makes an ass of himself everywhere he goes. Let's put aside the fact that our pal Micheal Ross has made enemies in several different time zones, all of whom would like to see him go away. And let's put aside the fact that all the information on Michael Ross is public information that anyone can find if they want to. We're going to work on assumption Number 3, just to give our troll a break.
I've told you this twice before, Micheal, and this is the third and last time. If you're not the troll, as you so claim, PROVE IT. Otherwise, go the fuck away and shut up. Because all I've gotten from you is hot air and bullshit, and I was tired of it days ago. Prove that you're not the troll, and I will apologise and remove your information. I'll even put up a big post that says "MICHAEL ROSS IS NOT THE TROLL". Just prove it. If you're such a big, bad computer boy, it should be simple.
Or, you could just GO THE FUCK AWAY. Because as long as you are hanging around, I'm going to assume that you really really like me, and want to be contacted by all my readers. Got it?
Friday, July 09, 2004
Unbelievable
'Cause it's one, two, threeSimply, utterly unbelievable.
What're those briefings for?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn.
You know I fought in Vietnam.
Another "I wish I'd written that" blog post.
Screw David Letterman. Screw Tina Fey and her cutesy attitude and smart ass glasses on SNL Update. Screw the New York Times and their insular editorial page. Screw Michael Moore and all those who value his "contribution to the debate". Screw Jon Stewart and his smarter than thou hipster attitude.
Screw all the news anchors, and especially Jennings and Rather. Screw CNN for paying dictators to let them stay in country all those years for the right to broadcast propaganda, just to win ratings wars and therefore charge their advertisers more money - congratulations! I'm sure it was well worth it. Did you happen to get any quotes from folks just before they were castrated, or had their arms broken, or were fed feet first into shredders? Now THAT would've been entertaining, eh what!
And that's just one tiny part. The whole thing rocks.
Screw all the news anchors, and especially Jennings and Rather. Screw CNN for paying dictators to let them stay in country all those years for the right to broadcast propaganda, just to win ratings wars and therefore charge their advertisers more money - congratulations! I'm sure it was well worth it. Did you happen to get any quotes from folks just before they were castrated, or had their arms broken, or were fed feet first into shredders? Now THAT would've been entertaining, eh what!
And that's just one tiny part. The whole thing rocks.
The Council Has Spoken
This week's winners in the Watcher of Weasel's Council are INDC Interviews "Military Families Speak Out" - Part Two by INDC Journal, and Small Party and Great Hopes by Iraq the Model. You can find all the results here.
Iraq: How are we doin?...
I am convinced that with today's Democratic party and today's biased media, we could have never won any of our previous wars. We would have given up on the Civil War before Gettysburg and we would have surrendered to the Japanese immediately after Bataan. This column puts our trials and tribulations in Iraq into perspective. It's a great read.
We are now 16 months into the Iraq war. At a similar stage in earlier American wars, how were our forces faring?
Well, at about this point in the French and Indian Wars, George Washington had been defeated and forced to surrender at Fort Necessity (he was released after being disarmed), and then disastrously beaten in a fight where his unit of 1,400 men took 900 casualties and ended up running away. (Washington himself was not injured but had two horses shot from under him, and took four bullets through his coat.)
Washington's next experience of war, in the American Revolution, began with equal tribulation. Sixteen months into his command, the American army was suffering through a series of traumatic defeats. They'd lost every single battle since the Declaration of Independence, and had depleted 90 percent of their military strength in heavy fighting. Most of the remaining soldiers declared they were going to go home when their enlistments expired, and in many parts of the new nation citizens were pledging fresh oaths of allegiance to the tyrant King George.
Sixteen months into the Civil War, a permanent breakaway of the southern states looked like imminent reality. The Union army that marched on Richmond had been beaten with tens of thousands of casualties. Robert E. Lee had launched an invasion of the north, and Washington, D.C. was on the brink of being overrun.
Sixteen months into U.S. involvement in World War II, the Japanese had taken control of all of the Pacific and Southeast Asia. Our British allies had suffered the most catastrophic defeat in their history when they lost 130,000 fighting men in Singapore. The Japanese had just as thumpingly ejected the U.S. from the Philippines, and were actually in their tenth month of occupying American soil in Alaska. It would take 1,000 American dead (far more than our total losses in Iraq to date) merely to eject the enemy from this Aleutian Island foothold over the course of a few days in the seventeenth month of the war.
At month 16 of the war in Europe, meanwhile, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Greece, Yugoslavia, and other countries had all been lost. German submarines were in the process of wiping out Atlantic shipping. And death camps like Treblinka had been opened and were in the process of killing millions. By the end of that year, 40 percent of the world's Jews, for instance, would be dead.
We are now 16 months into the Iraq war. At a similar stage in earlier American wars, how were our forces faring?
Well, at about this point in the French and Indian Wars, George Washington had been defeated and forced to surrender at Fort Necessity (he was released after being disarmed), and then disastrously beaten in a fight where his unit of 1,400 men took 900 casualties and ended up running away. (Washington himself was not injured but had two horses shot from under him, and took four bullets through his coat.)
Washington's next experience of war, in the American Revolution, began with equal tribulation. Sixteen months into his command, the American army was suffering through a series of traumatic defeats. They'd lost every single battle since the Declaration of Independence, and had depleted 90 percent of their military strength in heavy fighting. Most of the remaining soldiers declared they were going to go home when their enlistments expired, and in many parts of the new nation citizens were pledging fresh oaths of allegiance to the tyrant King George.
Sixteen months into the Civil War, a permanent breakaway of the southern states looked like imminent reality. The Union army that marched on Richmond had been beaten with tens of thousands of casualties. Robert E. Lee had launched an invasion of the north, and Washington, D.C. was on the brink of being overrun.
Sixteen months into U.S. involvement in World War II, the Japanese had taken control of all of the Pacific and Southeast Asia. Our British allies had suffered the most catastrophic defeat in their history when they lost 130,000 fighting men in Singapore. The Japanese had just as thumpingly ejected the U.S. from the Philippines, and were actually in their tenth month of occupying American soil in Alaska. It would take 1,000 American dead (far more than our total losses in Iraq to date) merely to eject the enemy from this Aleutian Island foothold over the course of a few days in the seventeenth month of the war.
At month 16 of the war in Europe, meanwhile, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Greece, Yugoslavia, and other countries had all been lost. German submarines were in the process of wiping out Atlantic shipping. And death camps like Treblinka had been opened and were in the process of killing millions. By the end of that year, 40 percent of the world's Jews, for instance, would be dead.
Light posting day
Today is yet another day where I'm running the moment I get out of bed, so don't expect too much from me. Between meetings, appointments, errands, and dealing with the girlfriend I won't be seeing much of this ol' computer.
Meanwhile, in the ongoing saga of "Mike Ross is a dipshit", he's sent out multiple emails claiming that it wasn't him that was trolling around. Boo freaking hoo, Mike. You've been such an asshole on so many sites that until you give me definitive proof, you're the only asswipe who fits the bill. Deal with it. If you can't handle your past coming up and biting you in the ass, maybe you should look at your past and make a few changes in your currant behavior. Now shut the fuck up and go away.
However, it's always nice when I get people forwarding emails with you admitting that you use proxy IPs and enjoy spamming people. And in that very same email, we have a few links that might be of interest to various people. Let's see, we have the Troll Lounge, where trolls like to brag about where they've been. Attached to the Troll Lounge is this site, Drunken Monkey Blogging, which has a blogroll that the trolls use. Included in all of this is instructions on how to troll, how to use Proxy IP's, and a list of IPs that you can use in order to spam other sites.
Just how fucking worthless are these people? I mean, their big thrill in life comes from annoying people from behind a computer screen. I can't think of anything more chickenshit and cowardly. People like Mike, or "Robert McClellan" are nothing more that slimy little fuckstains on the bedsheets of humanity, and here I see that they actually enjoy it! "Yay, look at me, I'm such a fucking worm that if people ever actually met me in real life, I'd get the living shit pounded out of me! I have enemies in four different time zones! Yay, I'm fucking worthless! Ain't it great!"
I got two words: Mentally deficient. In any case, if they're dumb enough to put this info in an email, I'm going to use it. So I'll be sitting down tonight and firing off a few letters to quite a few people.
As for mikelx and Bobby McFuckstain, just ignore them. The moment I see their comments, I'm either going to alter it, or delete it. Whatever you do don't respond, because I don't want to get the mental picture of these pimply-faced dipwads, sitting in their tighty-whities in their parent's basement with the kleenex and a jar of vasaline, giggling while they type one handed.
Meanwhile, in the ongoing saga of "Mike Ross is a dipshit", he's sent out multiple emails claiming that it wasn't him that was trolling around. Boo freaking hoo, Mike. You've been such an asshole on so many sites that until you give me definitive proof, you're the only asswipe who fits the bill. Deal with it. If you can't handle your past coming up and biting you in the ass, maybe you should look at your past and make a few changes in your currant behavior. Now shut the fuck up and go away.
However, it's always nice when I get people forwarding emails with you admitting that you use proxy IPs and enjoy spamming people. And in that very same email, we have a few links that might be of interest to various people. Let's see, we have the Troll Lounge, where trolls like to brag about where they've been. Attached to the Troll Lounge is this site, Drunken Monkey Blogging, which has a blogroll that the trolls use. Included in all of this is instructions on how to troll, how to use Proxy IP's, and a list of IPs that you can use in order to spam other sites.
Just how fucking worthless are these people? I mean, their big thrill in life comes from annoying people from behind a computer screen. I can't think of anything more chickenshit and cowardly. People like Mike, or "Robert McClellan" are nothing more that slimy little fuckstains on the bedsheets of humanity, and here I see that they actually enjoy it! "Yay, look at me, I'm such a fucking worm that if people ever actually met me in real life, I'd get the living shit pounded out of me! I have enemies in four different time zones! Yay, I'm fucking worthless! Ain't it great!"
I got two words: Mentally deficient. In any case, if they're dumb enough to put this info in an email, I'm going to use it. So I'll be sitting down tonight and firing off a few letters to quite a few people.
As for mikelx and Bobby McFuckstain, just ignore them. The moment I see their comments, I'm either going to alter it, or delete it. Whatever you do don't respond, because I don't want to get the mental picture of these pimply-faced dipwads, sitting in their tighty-whities in their parent's basement with the kleenex and a jar of vasaline, giggling while they type one handed.
Thursday, July 08, 2004
Nader got ya down? Call up your Lawyers and Have him Removed!
That's the plan of the power mad Donks of the Kerry/Edwards campaign. Democrats could be participating in a "mini-Watergate" effort to get Ralph Nader out of the presidential picture, the consumer advocate charged Thursday.
You Donks just keep telling yourselves what champions of "the little guy" your leaders are. Why let reality get in the way of your self image.
"They're hiring lawyers to go up to technicalities in places like Arizona, they infiltrated our political convention," Nader, an independent candidate for president, told FOX News on Thursday. "I spoke to John Kerry and said 'you'd better look into it because it could be a mini-Watergate, possibly."
Nader said he hasn't yet heard back from the Democratic senator from Massachusetts, who is hoping to oust President Bush from the White House in the November elections.
"This is pretty serious, when you try to lock the civil liberties of American just to get on the ballot so people can vote for the candidate of their choice," Nader continued.
Nader was denied a spot on the Arizona ballot and last Friday again accused the Democrats and Kerry of engaging in political "dirty tricks."
Just hours before the developments in Arizona, Nader complained that the Democratic Party has "stepped up its obstruction tendencies" in challenging his ballot access. The consumer advocate said he had called the Kerry campaign three times last Thursday, asking to chat with the candidate.
"We have to get a clarification if they're going to engage in dirty tricks," Nader told reporters at a news conference to criticize multinational corporations.
The Kerry campaign dismissed Nader's complaints, arguing that Democrats were following the rules when they legally challenged Nader's signatures to get on the ballot. "These are rules that have been on the books for years and they ought to be followed," said Chad Clanton, who added that the Massachusetts senator would be happy to talk to Nader.
In Arizona, supporters of Nader abandoned their effort to get the independent candidate on the presidential ballot after Democrats challenged the validity of thousands of signatures.
Nader's campaign had submitted more than 22,000 signatures to Arizona election officials June 9 -- far more than the 14,694 valid signatures required by state law to compete against President Bush and Kerry.
"They really erect all kinds of barriers blocking voices and choices," Nader told FOX News of such alleged Democratic acts.
Although he's no fan of Republicans, the GOP "don't whine and carp like the Democrats," Nader said, adding that 10 times more Democrats "deserted the party" and voted for Bush in 2000 than voted for him.
You Donks just keep telling yourselves what champions of "the little guy" your leaders are. Why let reality get in the way of your self image.
Hideaway guns
Kim du Toit has up an essay about concealable pistols that is of course worth checking out, if you're looking for something small but deadly. As for me, if I can't carry my 1911 (which happens in the summer when you can't wear the clothes to conceal it), then I carry my .38 revolver. It's small enough that a loose t-shirt will cover it, and my girlfriend can carry it in her purse.
And .38 Special wadcutters to ungodly things to human flesh.
And .38 Special wadcutters to ungodly things to human flesh.
Can we hit them now?
Seriously, can we finally just drop a MOAB on their ass?
WASHINGTON — American and Iraqi joint patrols, along with U.S. Special Operations teams, captured two men with explosives in Baghdad on Monday who identified themselves as Iranian intelligence officers, FOX News has confirmed.
Senior officials said it was previously believed that Iran had officers inside Iraq stirring up violence, but this is the first time that self-proclaimed Iranian intelligence agents have been captured within the country.
They're dicking around with UN Inspectors about their nuke facilities, they're sending men into Iraq, they're holding British sailors hostage, at what point do we finally hear President Bush say "The bombing begins in five minutes"? The more that Bush dicks around with Iran, the less his support base will support him! This is a direct attack on Iraq and America, and we can't just sit here and let it slide!
Unless we want to be seen as wishy-washy and weak. Which I'm starting to wonder about. Bush needs to get off his ass and show some leadership. He's sat back while Kerry (and now Edwards) have taken shot after shot at him. He's sat back while Donks have petitioned the FRIGGING UN to come observe our elections. Lack of action is not a strength, Mr. President. It's time you got up and moved.
Captian Ed seems to have more faith than I do right now:
Assuming this checks out -- a big assumption -- expect to see missiles flying at known nuclear sites within days in retaliation for preparing attacks on American soldiers, unless the Iranian mullahs offer a complete withdrawal of all forces on the Iran/Iraq border and renounce any further efforts to undermine Iraqi sovereignty.
We'll see what happens.
WASHINGTON — American and Iraqi joint patrols, along with U.S. Special Operations teams, captured two men with explosives in Baghdad on Monday who identified themselves as Iranian intelligence officers, FOX News has confirmed.
Senior officials said it was previously believed that Iran had officers inside Iraq stirring up violence, but this is the first time that self-proclaimed Iranian intelligence agents have been captured within the country.
They're dicking around with UN Inspectors about their nuke facilities, they're sending men into Iraq, they're holding British sailors hostage, at what point do we finally hear President Bush say "The bombing begins in five minutes"? The more that Bush dicks around with Iran, the less his support base will support him! This is a direct attack on Iraq and America, and we can't just sit here and let it slide!
Unless we want to be seen as wishy-washy and weak. Which I'm starting to wonder about. Bush needs to get off his ass and show some leadership. He's sat back while Kerry (and now Edwards) have taken shot after shot at him. He's sat back while Donks have petitioned the FRIGGING UN to come observe our elections. Lack of action is not a strength, Mr. President. It's time you got up and moved.
Captian Ed seems to have more faith than I do right now:
Assuming this checks out -- a big assumption -- expect to see missiles flying at known nuclear sites within days in retaliation for preparing attacks on American soldiers, unless the Iranian mullahs offer a complete withdrawal of all forces on the Iran/Iraq border and renounce any further efforts to undermine Iraqi sovereignty.
We'll see what happens.
Reader Mail
A reader sent me this story, which I had seen around, but didn't quite know what to say about it.
WASHINGTON – The United Nations has turned down a controversial request by nine members of the U.S. Congress to assign international observers to the U.S. presidential election in November.
The request came in the form of a letter drafted by Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, and signed by eight other members of the House.
All the signers are Democrats, by the way. Why am I not surprised?
However, the UN (showing a remarkable presence of thought) turned them down. Which is a good thing, because if I had seen any damn blue helmets at my polling place on election day, I'd have gotten my guns. So would a lot of other people I know.
By the way, if any of these congresscritters are from your state, I'd suggest getting rid of them at the first opportunity.
Besides Johnson, the other representatives signing the letter to Annan – all Democrats – were Julia Carson of Indiana; Jerrold Nadler, Edolphus Towns, Joseph Crowley and Carolyn B. Maloney, all of New York; Raul Grijalva of Arizona, Corrine Brown of Florida, Elijah E. Cummings of Maryland, Danny K. Davis of Illinois and Michael M. Honda of California.
I was actually astonished that my local lunatic, Jim McDermott, wasn't on this list. Thanks for the email, AC.
WASHINGTON – The United Nations has turned down a controversial request by nine members of the U.S. Congress to assign international observers to the U.S. presidential election in November.
The request came in the form of a letter drafted by Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, and signed by eight other members of the House.
All the signers are Democrats, by the way. Why am I not surprised?
However, the UN (showing a remarkable presence of thought) turned them down. Which is a good thing, because if I had seen any damn blue helmets at my polling place on election day, I'd have gotten my guns. So would a lot of other people I know.
By the way, if any of these congresscritters are from your state, I'd suggest getting rid of them at the first opportunity.
Besides Johnson, the other representatives signing the letter to Annan – all Democrats – were Julia Carson of Indiana; Jerrold Nadler, Edolphus Towns, Joseph Crowley and Carolyn B. Maloney, all of New York; Raul Grijalva of Arizona, Corrine Brown of Florida, Elijah E. Cummings of Maryland, Danny K. Davis of Illinois and Michael M. Honda of California.
I was actually astonished that my local lunatic, Jim McDermott, wasn't on this list. Thanks for the email, AC.
Wednesday, July 07, 2004
Errrrr....
...ever had sex with a white yet dreadlocked environmentalist ho?
Yes?
Not in front of an audience numbering a few thousand, I'd wager.
Not Safe For Work
Yes?
Not in front of an audience numbering a few thousand, I'd wager.
Not Safe For Work
Hooooo, Boy!
Mike of Cold Fury is on a roll, and the result is one big ranty goodness. I'm thinking that he sat down to type out a small entry, and ended up with one of the best summations I've seen lately.
RTWT, as they say.
RTWT, as they say.
Attention All Parents
Print out this essay from Dok Russia and give it to your kids. Or read it to them while they're in the crib. It can't be repeated too much.
So, to those young girls on the cusp of womanhood, take this advice for what it is worth:
Be virtuous, and find yourselves a dragonslayer. I am not saying be a prude.
Virtue retains it value better than either virginity or popularity.
Virtue is what cannot be savaged by the years, as beauty can.
Virtue is desired by those worth desiring.
So, to those young girls on the cusp of womanhood, take this advice for what it is worth:
Be virtuous, and find yourselves a dragonslayer. I am not saying be a prude.
Virtue retains it value better than either virginity or popularity.
Virtue is what cannot be savaged by the years, as beauty can.
Virtue is desired by those worth desiring.
More Mass Media Lies
The LA Times has been caught with it's pants down yet again.
Last Thursday we reported on Paul Bremer's inspirational farewell speech to the Iraqi people, as seen through the eyes of an Iraqi blogger. We also noted that the frequently-clueless Washington Post had denied that Bremer gave a farewell speech at all.
Now, Patrick Frey of Patterico has written us to point out that as recently as July 4, the Los Angeles Times went the Post one better, not only mis-reporting Bremer's speech, but turning their own error into a major theme of the paper's "news" report:
I won't go into the whole thing, but the question that has been on my mind for quite a while is this: Given the major screw-ups that the major media outlets have tossed up as of late, (saying that retirees are getting called up is just an example), and given how these screw-ups could be fixed by a two-minute search with Google (saying the Bremer didn't give a speech, when people who were there reported on it and blogged on it), when do we start to say that these aren't just screw-ups, but intentional misleadings?
Last Thursday we reported on Paul Bremer's inspirational farewell speech to the Iraqi people, as seen through the eyes of an Iraqi blogger. We also noted that the frequently-clueless Washington Post had denied that Bremer gave a farewell speech at all.
Now, Patrick Frey of Patterico has written us to point out that as recently as July 4, the Los Angeles Times went the Post one better, not only mis-reporting Bremer's speech, but turning their own error into a major theme of the paper's "news" report:
I won't go into the whole thing, but the question that has been on my mind for quite a while is this: Given the major screw-ups that the major media outlets have tossed up as of late, (saying that retirees are getting called up is just an example), and given how these screw-ups could be fixed by a two-minute search with Google (saying the Bremer didn't give a speech, when people who were there reported on it and blogged on it), when do we start to say that these aren't just screw-ups, but intentional misleadings?
Women in Iraq
Jason Kallini talks about women and right here.
One of the more amazing things about this war has been the totality with which the Left has been willing to whitewash the reality of Saddam's Iraq just to make it look clear that President Bush has made things worse. I hear that F9/11's pre-war scenes include no mass graves, nor rape rooms, nor plastic shredders - just a young man getting his hair cut at the barber and a loving couple dining out to candlelight.
One of the more amazing things about this war has been the totality with which the Left has been willing to whitewash the reality of Saddam's Iraq just to make it look clear that President Bush has made things worse. I hear that F9/11's pre-war scenes include no mass graves, nor rape rooms, nor plastic shredders - just a young man getting his hair cut at the barber and a loving couple dining out to candlelight.
Civility in the Blogosphere
This is topical:
danieldrezner.com :: Daniel W. Drezner :: Is civility an endangered species in the blogosphere?
I get questions about the vitriolic tone of the comment section here with some regularity, and my answer is usually the same: there's just not much that I can do about it. True, I can ban people, but that works only if they have a fixed IP address, which these days most people don't. What's more, if the ban fails, the recipient is often pissed off enough to try even harder to make a pain in the ass out of himself.Why don'tcha try a little tact in your comments, Mike?
It's also true that the problem is exponential. A year ago I got 10-20 comments on each post and had no trolls. As a result, the conversation was relatively civil. Today I get 100+ comments per post and the site has at least half a dozen trolls whose only love in life (as near as I can tell) is to start flame wars. The result is a melee....
danieldrezner.com :: Daniel W. Drezner :: Is civility an endangered species in the blogosphere?
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
What a bunch of pigs
Very rarely do I feel like I REALLY TRULY HONESTLY want to punch someone in the mouth. Read this.
How can I miss you when you won't leave?
Since Mike Ross of Portland Oregon continues to stick around, I figured that I should continue to let everyone know just who is plaguing this blog and others with his one-man comment spam operations.
Michael J Ross
19437 SE Marcia Ct
Portland, OR 97267
Phone number: (503) 657-8056
mikelx@comcast.net
You may know him as mikelx from Right Thinking, or as "Liberal Revenge" from Drumwaster's Rants. He loves to use proxy IP's, and won't stop until he shows just what a repulsive and worthless little asshat he is. And since I like to keep people informed, here's a list of all the IPs that he's used.
202.57.70.*, 218.185.66.* and 202.96.161.* (Pacific Rim/Australia), 148.244.150.* (Latin America/Caribbean), 165.247.31.* (Earthlink), 217.127.70.* and 80.32.92.* (The Netherlands), and 198.188.134.* (California University Network).
If he's used any other IP's to hit people, please, let me know. I'm making a list, and checking it twice. Right before I send it off to every IP that he's used to make an ass of himself.
I'll say it again, Mike. Go away. Don't come back.
Michael J Ross
19437 SE Marcia Ct
Portland, OR 97267
Phone number: (503) 657-8056
mikelx@comcast.net
You may know him as mikelx from Right Thinking, or as "Liberal Revenge" from Drumwaster's Rants. He loves to use proxy IP's, and won't stop until he shows just what a repulsive and worthless little asshat he is. And since I like to keep people informed, here's a list of all the IPs that he's used.
202.57.70.*, 218.185.66.* and 202.96.161.* (Pacific Rim/Australia), 148.244.150.* (Latin America/Caribbean), 165.247.31.* (Earthlink), 217.127.70.* and 80.32.92.* (The Netherlands), and 198.188.134.* (California University Network).
If he's used any other IP's to hit people, please, let me know. I'm making a list, and checking it twice. Right before I send it off to every IP that he's used to make an ass of himself.
I'll say it again, Mike. Go away. Don't come back.
Memo to al-Zarqawi
Yer screwed, bub.
A group of armed men in Iraq is threatening to kill Jordanian-born militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
The masked men appear in a videotape sent to Al-Arabiya TV, calling themselves ``Salvation Movement.'' In the video, the previously unknown group orders al-Zarqawi to leave Iraq immediately, and questions how he could justify killing innocent civilians.
Three men with rocket-propelled grenades and other weapons deliver the threats while flanked by an Iraqi flag.
One man says the group is preparing to capture or kill al-Zarqawi and those who give him shelter.
How this plays out could be interesting. Of course, the last line is telling:
U.S. officials say the Jordanian -- who is said to have links to al-Qaida -- is behind a series of deadly attacks in Iraq.
Amazing, how US Officials say that Zarqawi is behind the attacks, eh? Maybe because HE HIMSELF CLAIMED CREDIT FOR IT! Golly gee gosh, maybe that's too simplistic for the AP.
Then again, maybe the AP is a bunch of cocked-up asshats. I'm voting for the latter.
A group of armed men in Iraq is threatening to kill Jordanian-born militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
The masked men appear in a videotape sent to Al-Arabiya TV, calling themselves ``Salvation Movement.'' In the video, the previously unknown group orders al-Zarqawi to leave Iraq immediately, and questions how he could justify killing innocent civilians.
Three men with rocket-propelled grenades and other weapons deliver the threats while flanked by an Iraqi flag.
One man says the group is preparing to capture or kill al-Zarqawi and those who give him shelter.
How this plays out could be interesting. Of course, the last line is telling:
U.S. officials say the Jordanian -- who is said to have links to al-Qaida -- is behind a series of deadly attacks in Iraq.
Amazing, how US Officials say that Zarqawi is behind the attacks, eh? Maybe because HE HIMSELF CLAIMED CREDIT FOR IT! Golly gee gosh, maybe that's too simplistic for the AP.
Then again, maybe the AP is a bunch of cocked-up asshats. I'm voting for the latter.
Gun Nut Tells Savage Joke
Kim du Toit has a rather indelicately-stated joke to tell, but in so doing he states something that drives me nuts: why are there not more ballsy Conservative pundits out there? Do they not get invited to TV talk shows? I don't know, but I often wonder why no one asked, say, Senator Biden, how many Marine lives would have to be saved by the act of torturing a prisoner before he'd advocate it? 1? 100? 10,000?
NEWS FLASH!!!
Democrat Presidential Candidate seeks candidate for Vice President, decides upon Wealthy White Lawyer.
Shocking.
Shocking.
eL wAFFLER mAS gRANDE
Err, that's Spanish. Lee at Right-Thinking sez Kerry was for abortion before he was against it.
Or vice versa.
Or vice versa.
Kerry-Edwards
Yawn. Let's see, an uber-rich, two faced, hypocritical, flip-flopping, cadaverous like Northeast Liberal matched up with a greedy, money-grubbing rich trial lawyer.
Who's the "Party of the Rich" again?
Who's the "Party of the Rich" again?
Monday, July 05, 2004
Random Thoughts
When trolling websites, try to avoid websites where the people actually know each other. Because when two people get together and start comparing IP's, we find out things like this:
Michael J Ross
19437 SE Marcia Ct
Portland, OR 97267
Phone number: (503) 657-8056
mikelx@comcast.net
Who would this be, you ask? This would be the latest fucking dipshit to cut-and-paste his crap into our comments. Hi there, Mike!
Now, I am not posting this information so that you can do anything with it, I'm simply releasing the information of someone who obviously has quite a few mental problems, and should be avoided at all costs.
By the way Mike, you can keep using proxy servers, and I'll just keep deleting your comments. I'll also put your information up on a post every single day. Hell, I'll broadcast it as far and wide as I possibly can, as well as the list of proxy IP's you use. Let's see, there's 202.57.70.* and 202.96.161.* (Pacific Rim/Australia. Ooooo, fancy!), 148.244.150.*, 165.247.31.*, (Earthlink), 217.127.70.* (The Netherlands! That explains why you act so drugged out.) and 198.188.134.* (California University Network). Now, unless you're a UC student (and I don't think the UC has many campuses in Portland) I'm sure that the UC computer network wouldn't like to find out that you've been using their IP to spam other websites.
So Mike, I'll be nice this time. Go away. Don't come back.
Michael J Ross
19437 SE Marcia Ct
Portland, OR 97267
Phone number: (503) 657-8056
mikelx@comcast.net
Who would this be, you ask? This would be the latest fucking dipshit to cut-and-paste his crap into our comments. Hi there, Mike!
Now, I am not posting this information so that you can do anything with it, I'm simply releasing the information of someone who obviously has quite a few mental problems, and should be avoided at all costs.
By the way Mike, you can keep using proxy servers, and I'll just keep deleting your comments. I'll also put your information up on a post every single day. Hell, I'll broadcast it as far and wide as I possibly can, as well as the list of proxy IP's you use. Let's see, there's 202.57.70.* and 202.96.161.* (Pacific Rim/Australia. Ooooo, fancy!), 148.244.150.*, 165.247.31.*, (Earthlink), 217.127.70.* (The Netherlands! That explains why you act so drugged out.) and 198.188.134.* (California University Network). Now, unless you're a UC student (and I don't think the UC has many campuses in Portland) I'm sure that the UC computer network wouldn't like to find out that you've been using their IP to spam other websites.
So Mike, I'll be nice this time. Go away. Don't come back.
Sunday, July 04, 2004
Chainsaw Therapy
The Girlfriend and I headed out to a farm yesterday to get rid of some tension. The farm belonged to a friend of a friend, to put it rather simply. They raise rabbits, chickens, a cow or two, just a small little operation. We've had one of their rabbits for dinner before, so I kinda knew the folks, but hadn't really sat down and talked with them at all. The owners had part of a Broadleaf Maple tree come down in the last windstorm, and due to medical reasons they could cut it up with the chainsaw. They also had a few rabbits to cull.
So the girlfriend, myself, and our pal who actually knows these folks headed out to the farm yesterday. After checking the place out and seeing what needed to be done with the tree, we got to business. We also found out that the owners had bought a sheep to slaughter in addition to the rabbits, since there were going to be extra hands around to help.
So they started with the rabbits. I stuck around to watch, because I'll be doing this at some point in the future. While the girlfriend and our pal were gutting and skinning the rabbits, the owners (I'll call them J and K) got out their chainsaw and I got to work. I'll say this, that Maple was frigging HUGE! And to top it all off, there is more that needs to come down from that tree before it falls over. Can you say "Widowmaker"? I can. Unfortunately, I don't have any of the tools I would need to bring it down. Living in the city doesn't require much in the way of tree-felling equipment, ya know? So I started cutting the wood that was already down. After a while, we took a break, had some water, and then got to the sheep. They hadn't quite figured out how they were going to kill it, (They used a pellet rifle on the rabbits. Works like a charm) but some bright (not so) young man had his .45 pistol on him as any good law abiding citizen should. By the way, my .45 is now named "The Shepherd", because I'm sick and twisted like that. Heh. I also learned a few things from all of this.
1) Unlike the pigs I used to raise, who would just stiffen up and fall over when you killed them, sheep spasm. Hard. And they also kick. Stand well clear.
2) Shooting a sheep in the head and causing instant death is the preferred way to do it. Quick, painless, and humane. However, a .45 APC slug tends to liquefy anything inside the skull, which then leaks out of just about any orifice on the head. When the sheep spasms (see above), it tends to fling large amounts of blood everywhere. If you happen to be in the way of that blood, you come away looking like you have been circumcised with a chainsaw. My pants are ruined.
3) Rabbits just kick a lot when they're killed. No biggie. Hold 'em up by the scruff to avoid ruining any meat.
Once the sheep had stopped spasming, we hung it up so that they could start skinning it. After it was hoisted and hung, I went back to the chainsaw and started cutting again. Let me reiterate that this tree was HUGE! And this was just one section of it! It was easily 50 feet long, laying on the ground, and branched out from two or three points. I probably spent a couple of hours cutting this thing into large pieces. Once I got the main parts cut into 6-10 foot lengths, I noticed that the chain was starting to come loose from the saw blade. So I set it down and went to go help with the skinning. Sad to say, they didn't quite need my help. With four people there, one more set of hands would have gotten in the way. So I stood back, drank about a gallon of water (because I was sweating like mad), and watched the girlfriend, our pal, J, and K cut the sheep up. It was about 60 pounds of meat dressed out. Not bad. The total count for the day was one sheep, four rabbits, and one Raging Dave who's lower back was saying really nasty things about him.
By the way, if there are any woodworkers in the Seattle area who would like some maple wood, let me know. J and K want it gone. And there is literally tons of it.
Anyways, working for hours with a chainsaw is a great way of releasing stress. The girlfriend was happy cutting up little fuzzy things for dinner, and we came back with three rabbits for our freezer. After letting them age in there for a couple of weeks, I'll toss them in my smoker for an hour or so before I cook them up. MMMMMMmmmM!
It was a good weekend. I hope you all have a happy Fourth of July.
So the girlfriend, myself, and our pal who actually knows these folks headed out to the farm yesterday. After checking the place out and seeing what needed to be done with the tree, we got to business. We also found out that the owners had bought a sheep to slaughter in addition to the rabbits, since there were going to be extra hands around to help.
So they started with the rabbits. I stuck around to watch, because I'll be doing this at some point in the future. While the girlfriend and our pal were gutting and skinning the rabbits, the owners (I'll call them J and K) got out their chainsaw and I got to work. I'll say this, that Maple was frigging HUGE! And to top it all off, there is more that needs to come down from that tree before it falls over. Can you say "Widowmaker"? I can. Unfortunately, I don't have any of the tools I would need to bring it down. Living in the city doesn't require much in the way of tree-felling equipment, ya know? So I started cutting the wood that was already down. After a while, we took a break, had some water, and then got to the sheep. They hadn't quite figured out how they were going to kill it, (They used a pellet rifle on the rabbits. Works like a charm) but some bright (not so) young man had his .45 pistol on him as any good law abiding citizen should. By the way, my .45 is now named "The Shepherd", because I'm sick and twisted like that. Heh. I also learned a few things from all of this.
1) Unlike the pigs I used to raise, who would just stiffen up and fall over when you killed them, sheep spasm. Hard. And they also kick. Stand well clear.
2) Shooting a sheep in the head and causing instant death is the preferred way to do it. Quick, painless, and humane. However, a .45 APC slug tends to liquefy anything inside the skull, which then leaks out of just about any orifice on the head. When the sheep spasms (see above), it tends to fling large amounts of blood everywhere. If you happen to be in the way of that blood, you come away looking like you have been circumcised with a chainsaw. My pants are ruined.
3) Rabbits just kick a lot when they're killed. No biggie. Hold 'em up by the scruff to avoid ruining any meat.
Once the sheep had stopped spasming, we hung it up so that they could start skinning it. After it was hoisted and hung, I went back to the chainsaw and started cutting again. Let me reiterate that this tree was HUGE! And this was just one section of it! It was easily 50 feet long, laying on the ground, and branched out from two or three points. I probably spent a couple of hours cutting this thing into large pieces. Once I got the main parts cut into 6-10 foot lengths, I noticed that the chain was starting to come loose from the saw blade. So I set it down and went to go help with the skinning. Sad to say, they didn't quite need my help. With four people there, one more set of hands would have gotten in the way. So I stood back, drank about a gallon of water (because I was sweating like mad), and watched the girlfriend, our pal, J, and K cut the sheep up. It was about 60 pounds of meat dressed out. Not bad. The total count for the day was one sheep, four rabbits, and one Raging Dave who's lower back was saying really nasty things about him.
By the way, if there are any woodworkers in the Seattle area who would like some maple wood, let me know. J and K want it gone. And there is literally tons of it.
Anyways, working for hours with a chainsaw is a great way of releasing stress. The girlfriend was happy cutting up little fuzzy things for dinner, and we came back with three rabbits for our freezer. After letting them age in there for a couple of weeks, I'll toss them in my smoker for an hour or so before I cook them up. MMMMMMmmmM!
It was a good weekend. I hope you all have a happy Fourth of July.
Our new troll, same as the old troll
Our new favorite verbal punching bag, "Leaning Left" is none other than Little Robert McClellan, the cut-and-paste fuckwit.
Here's a clue, you dipshit... when you're spewing crap, remember that A) no one is truly anonymous on the Net, and B) LEAVING THE URL TO YOUR WORTHLESS SHITBAG SITE ON YOUR COMMENT IS A GIVEAWAY!
It's a good thing that basic body functions are pretty much automatic, because our fuckwit troll would be too stupid to remember how to take a breath.
Here's a clue, you dipshit... when you're spewing crap, remember that A) no one is truly anonymous on the Net, and B) LEAVING THE URL TO YOUR WORTHLESS SHITBAG SITE ON YOUR COMMENT IS A GIVEAWAY!
It's a good thing that basic body functions are pretty much automatic, because our fuckwit troll would be too stupid to remember how to take a breath.
At second glance, and third, and fourth....
The longer that Moore's Big Film 'o Lies is out there, the more lies are pointed out.
Via the Terpsboy.
Via the Terpsboy.
The Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen Colonies In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. --Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. --Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
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