Phase 3 in Iraq
The current choice of soft and largely civilian targets, while in the short-term horrific and depressing, is also instructive. The Baathist remnants and assorted terrorists who are now their allies have declared themselves not only enemies of the United States, but murderers of innocent Iraqis, Jordanians, and U.N. officials at large. They brag that they are driving infidels and Westerners of all stripes from sacred land. In fact, the current indiscriminate killing was a strategic mistake. It is a sign of desperation and can only unite the global community in its belief that terrorism, suicide murdering, and the agents of rogue regimes really do constitute a nexus of opposition to the forces of civilization — and must in return warrant universal resistance from the world at large.
National Review Online
Seen on Instapundit.
Also, this:
Congress likes to take credit for things that go well, and they're probably feeling left out of the spec-ops successes because they're not in the loop. But there is no demonstrable need for any such restrictions on spec-ops. No scandal, no renegade operations. Was there anything to propel this, other than Senatorial vanity? Of course: the hourly leak exchange. Leaks are the currency of politics, and the stock of staffers and members rise and fall with their ability to leak good stuff. This is one that should have been sold short.
According to a Senate Intelligence Committee source with personal knowledge of the matter, there is no pending action to extend the intelligence reporting process to special operations. The new law will simply restate the current language that dates back to 1991, which pretty much leaves spec ops alone.
False Alarm
Friday, August 22, 2003
Pros and Cons of the Patriot Act
"Some provisions open door too wide to abuses of rights of innocent people" : Click
"Look beyond misperceptions to see law that protects safety and freedoms " : Click
MegaProps to TMO: Worldcrossing
"Some provisions open door too wide to abuses of rights of innocent people" : Click
"Look beyond misperceptions to see law that protects safety and freedoms " : Click
MegaProps to TMO: Worldcrossing
20,000 Brits show up to audition for "Lapdance Island"
Men. We're pathetic!
The Sun Newspaper Online
Men. We're pathetic!
The Sun Newspaper Online
No wonder the Roadmap to Peace looks so futile
Egyptian Jurists to Sue 'The Jews' for Compensation for 'Trillions' of Tons of Gold Allegedly Stolen During Exodus from Egypt
MEMRI.com
Egyptian Jurists to Sue 'The Jews' for Compensation for 'Trillions' of Tons of Gold Allegedly Stolen During Exodus from Egypt
"...a group of Egyptians in Switzerland has opened the case of the so-called 'great exodus of the Jews from Pharaonic Egypt.' At that time, they stole from the Pharaonic Egyptians gold, jewelry, cooking utensils, silver ornaments, clothing, and more, leaving Egypt in the middle of the night with all this wealth, which today is priceless..."This is not a very long article. I suggest you read it just to observe the tenor with which the Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Al-Zaqaziq in Egypt speaks of Jewish people.
MEMRI.com
Thursday, August 21, 2003
Who Loses When Fat Cats Cannot Give Big Money to Political Parties?
Why, the party of the rich, of course! What a silly bleepin' question. Read about it here: Right-Thinking - Follow The Money.
Why, the party of the rich, of course! What a silly bleepin' question. Read about it here: Right-Thinking - Follow The Money.
Am I Missing Something?
I don't get these people. Crimillie sakes alive they act like George W. Bush is the President of Israel.
I find myself confused.
I don't get these people. Crimillie sakes alive they act like George W. Bush is the President of Israel.
I find myself confused.
Cripes. The Left Wing Media Aren't Even Thinly Veiled Anymore
Check this from the Associated Press today:
Headline: Hamas Abandons Truce After Israeli Strike
First paragraph: Palestinian militants called off a tattered two-month-old truce on Thursday after an Israeli helicopter killed a senior Hamas political leader with a volley of missiles.
Third paragraph: Israel said it could not wait for the Palestinians to act after a Hamas bus bombing that killed 20 people, including six children, in Jerusalem.
Conclusion (mine): Hamas abandoned a truce two days after they killed 20 people on a bus in Israel? What the eff?
Are today's media biased, or stupid?
Yahoo! News
UPDATE: Click me
Check this from the Associated Press today:
Headline: Hamas Abandons Truce After Israeli Strike
First paragraph: Palestinian militants called off a tattered two-month-old truce on Thursday after an Israeli helicopter killed a senior Hamas political leader with a volley of missiles.
Third paragraph: Israel said it could not wait for the Palestinians to act after a Hamas bus bombing that killed 20 people, including six children, in Jerusalem.
Conclusion (mine): Hamas abandoned a truce two days after they killed 20 people on a bus in Israel? What the eff?
Are today's media biased, or stupid?
Yahoo! News
UPDATE: Click me
Iraqi WMDs: Contradiction in the American Leftist Mind
Rightwingnews.com has a nice compendium of what Democrats were saying about Iraqi WMDs in the years and months leading up to our invasion.
Here's a quick sample:
"We are in possession of what I think to be compelling evidence that Saddam Hussein has, and has had for a number of years, a developing capacity for the production and storage of weapons of mass destruction." -- Bob Graham, December 2002
"We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction." -- Ted Kennedy, September 27, 2002
"I will be voting to give the president of the United States the authority to use force - if necessary - to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security." -- John F. Kerry, Oct 2002
"We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the mandates of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and the means of delivering them." -- Carl Levin, Sept 19, 2002
"Over the years, Iraq has worked to develop nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. During 1991 - 1994, despite Iraq's denials, U.N. inspectors discovered and dismantled a large network of nuclear facilities that Iraq was using to develop nuclear weapons. Various reports indicate that Iraq is still actively pursuing nuclear weapons capability. There is no reason to think otherwise. Beyond nuclear weapons, Iraq has actively pursued biological and chemical weapons.U.N. inspectors have said that Iraq's claims about biological weapons is neither credible nor verifiable. In 1986, Iraq used chemical weapons against Iran, and later, against its own Kurdish population. While weapons inspections have been successful in the past, there have been no inspections since the end of 1998. There can be no doubt that Iraq has continued to pursue its goal of obtaining weapons of mass destruction." -- Patty Murray, October 9, 2002
Those quotes, today, in and of themselves, are unremarkable.
What is remarkable is how American Leftists are reconciling the notion that their own Liberal representatives bought into the faulty WMD intel while claiming that President Bush lied about Iraqi WMDs. They all said the same thing. It was only Bush that lied.
For weeks American Leftists have had a difficult time countering these quotes. But now they have a new mantra: that Bush knew the intel was wrong (or "sexed up"), and that Congressional Democrats were simply fooled by it.
What makes this so contradictory is the image American Leftists have painted upon George W. Bush in their slanted and Florida2000-ired minds; they have maintained all along that Bush is incurious, intellectually superficial, and, well, dumb.
So, the question now is this:
Why is it that:
= the intelligent, inquisitive, and logical minds of the Democratic Congressional gang were fooled by the Iraqi WMD intel, yet:
= the addlebrained and thought-challenged President Bush saw through the intel?
Smart Democrats were fooled, the dumb President saw the truth.
You got that? How?
Rightwingnews.com has a nice compendium of what Democrats were saying about Iraqi WMDs in the years and months leading up to our invasion.
Here's a quick sample:
"We are in possession of what I think to be compelling evidence that Saddam Hussein has, and has had for a number of years, a developing capacity for the production and storage of weapons of mass destruction." -- Bob Graham, December 2002
"We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction." -- Ted Kennedy, September 27, 2002
"I will be voting to give the president of the United States the authority to use force - if necessary - to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security." -- John F. Kerry, Oct 2002
"We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the mandates of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and the means of delivering them." -- Carl Levin, Sept 19, 2002
"Over the years, Iraq has worked to develop nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. During 1991 - 1994, despite Iraq's denials, U.N. inspectors discovered and dismantled a large network of nuclear facilities that Iraq was using to develop nuclear weapons. Various reports indicate that Iraq is still actively pursuing nuclear weapons capability. There is no reason to think otherwise. Beyond nuclear weapons, Iraq has actively pursued biological and chemical weapons.U.N. inspectors have said that Iraq's claims about biological weapons is neither credible nor verifiable. In 1986, Iraq used chemical weapons against Iran, and later, against its own Kurdish population. While weapons inspections have been successful in the past, there have been no inspections since the end of 1998. There can be no doubt that Iraq has continued to pursue its goal of obtaining weapons of mass destruction." -- Patty Murray, October 9, 2002
Those quotes, today, in and of themselves, are unremarkable.
What is remarkable is how American Leftists are reconciling the notion that their own Liberal representatives bought into the faulty WMD intel while claiming that President Bush lied about Iraqi WMDs. They all said the same thing. It was only Bush that lied.
For weeks American Leftists have had a difficult time countering these quotes. But now they have a new mantra: that Bush knew the intel was wrong (or "sexed up"), and that Congressional Democrats were simply fooled by it.
What makes this so contradictory is the image American Leftists have painted upon George W. Bush in their slanted and Florida2000-ired minds; they have maintained all along that Bush is incurious, intellectually superficial, and, well, dumb.
So, the question now is this:
Why is it that:
= the intelligent, inquisitive, and logical minds of the Democratic Congressional gang were fooled by the Iraqi WMD intel, yet:
= the addlebrained and thought-challenged President Bush saw through the intel?
Smart Democrats were fooled, the dumb President saw the truth.
You got that? How?
The Rottweiler is Getting it Done
Are you aware that the Disputed Territories never belonged to the “Palestinians” and only came into Israeli possession as a result of the 1967 six day war in which Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon all massed forces at Israel’s border in order to “push the Jews into the sea”. The Arabs lost and Israel took control of the land.
The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler: Memo From the TrollHunter General
Must See Update: History of the Middle East Conflict
Are you aware that the Disputed Territories never belonged to the “Palestinians” and only came into Israeli possession as a result of the 1967 six day war in which Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon all massed forces at Israel’s border in order to “push the Jews into the sea”. The Arabs lost and Israel took control of the land.
The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler: Memo From the TrollHunter General
Must See Update: History of the Middle East Conflict
Where there's a need....
...some American will find a way.
Researcher Working On Medical Patch To Deliver Marijuana-Like Chemicals
...some American will find a way.
Researcher Working On Medical Patch To Deliver Marijuana-Like Chemicals
Sharpton - Shyster?
Dem Wacky Dems
Democratic presidential candidate Al Sharpton stiffed a Manhattan travel agency out of almost $200,000 after giving them "fraudulent credit-card information," the agency says in a lawsuit.
New York Post Online
Dem Wacky Dems
Democratic presidential candidate Al Sharpton stiffed a Manhattan travel agency out of almost $200,000 after giving them "fraudulent credit-card information," the agency says in a lawsuit.
New York Post Online
OK, one last post
Before I go on vacation. I was watching the news last night, and they were discussing all the reaction to President Bush's visit to the Northwest here. One woman in Portland is wondering if she should go to work or stay home and protect her property from the demonstrators.
That tells you all you need to know about those Bush Haters, doesn't it? When's the last time a group of conservatives held a riot and trashed someone else's property? It hasn't happened? Hmmmmmm....
God, I hate the politics in this place.
That tells you all you need to know about those Bush Haters, doesn't it? When's the last time a group of conservatives held a riot and trashed someone else's property? It hasn't happened? Hmmmmmm....
God, I hate the politics in this place.
Feel Good About Your American Economy...
...if you can. Lots of people are still hurting but many indicators point upwards:
Jobless Claims Fall
Equity futures ticked up slightly after the Labor Department said that initial claims fell to 386,000 in the week ended Aug. 16, down 17,000 from an upwardly revised 403,000 in the prior week and below analysts' forecasts for a total of 395,000 claims.
Yahoo! Finance
Information Technology Outlook Warming
On Aug. 19, Standard & Poor's upgraded its recommendation on the information technology sector to overweight from marketweight. S&P's economic team sees a strengthening U.S. economy over the next 12 months, with improved job figures. S&P also expects gross domestic product growth to accelerate, from an estimated 2.4% in 2003 to 4.1% in 2004, 3.9% in 2005, and 3.1% in 2006. Moreover, the expectation is for equipment investment to rise more than twice as fast as the overall economy in each of those three years. It's worth noting that S&P's annual growth forecast for IT spending -- somewhere between 8.5% and 9.5% -- is about half the rate witnessed in the boom era of the late 1990s.
BusinessWeek Online
The S&P Retail Index
Housing Starts Jump in July
Home builders don't start a house unless they are fairly confident it will sell upon or before its completion. Changes in the rate of housing starts tell us a lot about demand for homes and the outlook for the construction industry. Furthermore, each time a new home is started, construction employment rises, and income will be pumped back into the economy. Once the home is sold, it generates revenues for the home builder and a myriad of consumption opportunities for the buyer. Refrigerators, washers and dryers, furniture, and landscaping are just a few things new home buyers might spend money on, so the economic "ripple effect" can be substantial especially when you think of it in terms of a hundred thousand new households around the country doing this every month.
Econoday
...if you can. Lots of people are still hurting but many indicators point upwards:
Jobless Claims Fall
Equity futures ticked up slightly after the Labor Department said that initial claims fell to 386,000 in the week ended Aug. 16, down 17,000 from an upwardly revised 403,000 in the prior week and below analysts' forecasts for a total of 395,000 claims.
Yahoo! Finance
Information Technology Outlook Warming
On Aug. 19, Standard & Poor's upgraded its recommendation on the information technology sector to overweight from marketweight. S&P's economic team sees a strengthening U.S. economy over the next 12 months, with improved job figures. S&P also expects gross domestic product growth to accelerate, from an estimated 2.4% in 2003 to 4.1% in 2004, 3.9% in 2005, and 3.1% in 2006. Moreover, the expectation is for equipment investment to rise more than twice as fast as the overall economy in each of those three years. It's worth noting that S&P's annual growth forecast for IT spending -- somewhere between 8.5% and 9.5% -- is about half the rate witnessed in the boom era of the late 1990s.
BusinessWeek Online
The S&P Retail Index
Housing Starts Jump in July
Home builders don't start a house unless they are fairly confident it will sell upon or before its completion. Changes in the rate of housing starts tell us a lot about demand for homes and the outlook for the construction industry. Furthermore, each time a new home is started, construction employment rises, and income will be pumped back into the economy. Once the home is sold, it generates revenues for the home builder and a myriad of consumption opportunities for the buyer. Refrigerators, washers and dryers, furniture, and landscaping are just a few things new home buyers might spend money on, so the economic "ripple effect" can be substantial especially when you think of it in terms of a hundred thousand new households around the country doing this every month.
Econoday
VH1's Pop Culture Countdown - Liberal Indoctrination
My wife enjoys the "I love the 80's" and "I love the 70's" series on VH1 and as a result I've seen a few. If you haven't seen either series, here is the formula:
Pick a topic (could be Pac Man, could be a TV personality, TV show, Politician, etc).
Show TV clips and or pictures regarding topic.
Have some fool celebrities give their "thoughts" on the topic.
Move on to next topic.
I tried to forget most of the stuff I saw on "I love the 80's", but I remember the idiot celebs praising a rock star (I think it was "The Boss") for denying Ronald Reagan the use of their song during some event. He was "standing up" to Reagan. What a load!
So tonight I was subjected to listening to "I love the 70's", and the first thing I catch in a discussion of Scooby's Velma "She's so smart." followed by one of the guest celeb morons saying, "She was the Janeane Garofalo of her time." Wait! I thought they said Velma was smart? Next thing is praise for the women's liberation movement. They show a series video clips of burning under garments and marches. In one of the clips the women are carying a large banner that reads "Abortion on Demand".....it might have even said "Free Abortion on Demand". So the guest cool people say that the women's lib movement was "cool" blah blah blah and the images show "Abortion on Demand"......that's cool? Funny how it became "the right to choose"!!!! Color me infuriated!
My wife enjoys the "I love the 80's" and "I love the 70's" series on VH1 and as a result I've seen a few. If you haven't seen either series, here is the formula:
Pick a topic (could be Pac Man, could be a TV personality, TV show, Politician, etc).
Show TV clips and or pictures regarding topic.
Have some fool celebrities give their "thoughts" on the topic.
Move on to next topic.
I tried to forget most of the stuff I saw on "I love the 80's", but I remember the idiot celebs praising a rock star (I think it was "The Boss") for denying Ronald Reagan the use of their song during some event. He was "standing up" to Reagan. What a load!
So tonight I was subjected to listening to "I love the 70's", and the first thing I catch in a discussion of Scooby's Velma "She's so smart." followed by one of the guest celeb morons saying, "She was the Janeane Garofalo of her time." Wait! I thought they said Velma was smart? Next thing is praise for the women's liberation movement. They show a series video clips of burning under garments and marches. In one of the clips the women are carying a large banner that reads "Abortion on Demand".....it might have even said "Free Abortion on Demand". So the guest cool people say that the women's lib movement was "cool" blah blah blah and the images show "Abortion on Demand"......that's cool? Funny how it became "the right to choose"!!!! Color me infuriated!
Wednesday, August 20, 2003
Fewer People Consuming Left Wing "News"
I am sure we were all surprised to learn in the Aug. 11 issue of The New York Times that people are “ burned out on serious news.” How else could the bastion of establishment journalism account for the falloff in network news viewership and, unnoted in the article, the newspaper’s own decreasing circulation?
Yet the evidence is all there. People don’t care anymore. That must be why The Times’ circulation has fallen 5 percent and 1.1 million fewer households are watching network television news compared to last year at this time!
American RealPolitik: Bias-mongers On Rocks As Viewers Taste Straight News
I am sure we were all surprised to learn in the Aug. 11 issue of The New York Times that people are “ burned out on serious news.” How else could the bastion of establishment journalism account for the falloff in network news viewership and, unnoted in the article, the newspaper’s own decreasing circulation?
Yet the evidence is all there. People don’t care anymore. That must be why The Times’ circulation has fallen 5 percent and 1.1 million fewer households are watching network television news compared to last year at this time!
American RealPolitik: Bias-mongers On Rocks As Viewers Taste Straight News
Unbelievable
As a former MP (that's military police, for any British readers) this makes me sick. I honestly cannot believe that parts of America are that messed up.
And people call us paranoid about the gun-grabbers. Uh-uh. It's not paranoia when it actually happens.
(hat tip to The Rottweiler)
Anyways, I'm off once again, for a week this time. I'm visiting my brother in Boston, and I'll be taking the girlfriend who hasn't been farther East than San Antonio. Going to the Red Sox-Mariners game on Friday, and hitting the rest of New England on Monday. Needless to say, I'll be off the computer for a week. I've written a decent sized essay, which may or may not go up before I leave. After reading Bill Whittle, I'm kinda apprehensive. It's like trying to premier a musical piece, and finding out that Bach or Brams bring out their new piece right before you do. Hmph. Ah well, that's life.
Take care, and I'll see you in a week!
And people call us paranoid about the gun-grabbers. Uh-uh. It's not paranoia when it actually happens.
(hat tip to The Rottweiler)
Anyways, I'm off once again, for a week this time. I'm visiting my brother in Boston, and I'll be taking the girlfriend who hasn't been farther East than San Antonio. Going to the Red Sox-Mariners game on Friday, and hitting the rest of New England on Monday. Needless to say, I'll be off the computer for a week. I've written a decent sized essay, which may or may not go up before I leave. After reading Bill Whittle, I'm kinda apprehensive. It's like trying to premier a musical piece, and finding out that Bach or Brams bring out their new piece right before you do. Hmph. Ah well, that's life.
Take care, and I'll see you in a week!
On Dead Jews and Arab Petroluem
There's a furor going on right now over at The Rottweiler. There are some people over there who have taken the suicide bombing in Jerusalem quote personally (to say the very least). My guess is that many are Jewish and several are Israelis.
Many are unhappy with me because a) I object to the notion that President Bush and Secretary Powell have blood on their hands and b) because, pragmatically speaking, for MY country, a dozen or so deaths in the West Bank is wholly preferable to the kind of economic chaos that would result if Israel would let loose and the whole region became embroiled in full scale war.
I must admit, on the first point, that I have absolutely no comprehension whatsoever of how a rational mind concludes that the President and State Department in 2003 are culpable for deaths in a cycle of violence that has been sucking in innocents and spitting out corpses for over fifty years. My guess is that those who are lambasting Bush and Powell for Palestinian wrongdoing are anything but rational, due to their close blood, ethnic, and / or emotional ties to Israel. I understand this.
Even in my most empathetic mood though i fail to grasp how the United States can be at fault for Palestinians attacking Israel. The tenor over at the Rottweiler seems to be that Bush & Powell are holding Israel back. One fellow said "Every time Bush calls Islam a religion of peace, it makes things worse."
Can ANYONE in their right mind REALLY believe that Islamic terrorists are even AWARE of what President Bush says? Does anyone REALLY believe that moderate Muslims, upon hearing President Bush speak, decided to then take up arms against the occupying Jews?
Jeepers.
As for the final point well maybe I have been indelicate in saying so but I believe:
- total war in the Middle East would occur if Israel finally fought back full force, and I believe
- worldwide petroleum markets would melt down if total war enveloped the Middle East, and I believe
- worldwide economic distress would result from petroleum price and supply shocks, and I believe
- the next step could very well be millions of dead worldwide in the resulting economic malaise.
I don't want to see dead Israelis, either. I think Israel has been VERY restrained for the past twenty-five years. I think the Israeli-Muslim conflict ends only when there is a winner (insofar as there can be one after decades of bloodshed).
For now pragmatism tells me it is better to suffer a handful of dead in Israel and the "occupied territories" each week than it is for the worldwide economy to be stricken with oil shortages.
Finally, for the record, I never complained when Liberals said "Iraq is all about the oil". I agree. It is. When they say "No Blood for Oil!", I reply "What better reason is there?"
There's a furor going on right now over at The Rottweiler. There are some people over there who have taken the suicide bombing in Jerusalem quote personally (to say the very least). My guess is that many are Jewish and several are Israelis.
Many are unhappy with me because a) I object to the notion that President Bush and Secretary Powell have blood on their hands and b) because, pragmatically speaking, for MY country, a dozen or so deaths in the West Bank is wholly preferable to the kind of economic chaos that would result if Israel would let loose and the whole region became embroiled in full scale war.
I must admit, on the first point, that I have absolutely no comprehension whatsoever of how a rational mind concludes that the President and State Department in 2003 are culpable for deaths in a cycle of violence that has been sucking in innocents and spitting out corpses for over fifty years. My guess is that those who are lambasting Bush and Powell for Palestinian wrongdoing are anything but rational, due to their close blood, ethnic, and / or emotional ties to Israel. I understand this.
Even in my most empathetic mood though i fail to grasp how the United States can be at fault for Palestinians attacking Israel. The tenor over at the Rottweiler seems to be that Bush & Powell are holding Israel back. One fellow said "Every time Bush calls Islam a religion of peace, it makes things worse."
Can ANYONE in their right mind REALLY believe that Islamic terrorists are even AWARE of what President Bush says? Does anyone REALLY believe that moderate Muslims, upon hearing President Bush speak, decided to then take up arms against the occupying Jews?
Jeepers.
As for the final point well maybe I have been indelicate in saying so but I believe:
- total war in the Middle East would occur if Israel finally fought back full force, and I believe
- worldwide petroleum markets would melt down if total war enveloped the Middle East, and I believe
- worldwide economic distress would result from petroleum price and supply shocks, and I believe
- the next step could very well be millions of dead worldwide in the resulting economic malaise.
I don't want to see dead Israelis, either. I think Israel has been VERY restrained for the past twenty-five years. I think the Israeli-Muslim conflict ends only when there is a winner (insofar as there can be one after decades of bloodshed).
For now pragmatism tells me it is better to suffer a handful of dead in Israel and the "occupied territories" each week than it is for the worldwide economy to be stricken with oil shortages.
Finally, for the record, I never complained when Liberals said "Iraq is all about the oil". I agree. It is. When they say "No Blood for Oil!", I reply "What better reason is there?"
Another Well-Deserved Beating for The New York DNC Times
Unless you flip back to page A9 to the article entitled "The Scene: Amid Blood and Rubble, a Sense of Helplessness." This article is also filled with criticisms, such as the one attributed to "many" Iraqis that the bombing is "another sign of the poor job the occupation forces are doing providing security in a country they now nominally control." But there — tucked away nicely in the eleventh paragraph, without subheading or italics or boldface or sidebar ("too damn bad we don't have footnotes we could drop this into," you can almost hear the editors murmur) — we finally learn the key fact to answer the questions, "How could this have happened and who's to blame?"
To slam Dubya for the bombing of the Baghdad UN headquarters, NYT buries the key fact on page A9, paragraph 11
Unless you flip back to page A9 to the article entitled "The Scene: Amid Blood and Rubble, a Sense of Helplessness." This article is also filled with criticisms, such as the one attributed to "many" Iraqis that the bombing is "another sign of the poor job the occupation forces are doing providing security in a country they now nominally control." But there — tucked away nicely in the eleventh paragraph, without subheading or italics or boldface or sidebar ("too damn bad we don't have footnotes we could drop this into," you can almost hear the editors murmur) — we finally learn the key fact to answer the questions, "How could this have happened and who's to blame?"
To slam Dubya for the bombing of the Baghdad UN headquarters, NYT buries the key fact on page A9, paragraph 11
The War Against Radical Islam
Below appears a picture of Abdel-Hamid Mask, a 29-year-old Muslim cleric from the West Bank city of Hebron. It was taken, apparently, before he blew himself up aboard a Jerusalem bus earlier this week, killing 18 people, including five children.
Is there really any doubt that World War III, featuring Radical Islam on one side and the rest of us on the other, is what we are witnessing?
Below appears a picture of Abdel-Hamid Mask, a 29-year-old Muslim cleric from the West Bank city of Hebron. It was taken, apparently, before he blew himself up aboard a Jerusalem bus earlier this week, killing 18 people, including five children.
Is there really any doubt that World War III, featuring Radical Islam on one side and the rest of us on the other, is what we are witnessing?
On Anti-American Sentiment
According to recent newspaper accounts, anti-American sentiment is on the rise worldwide, even within the United States. While some of this sentiment is related to the war in Iraq and allegations of U.S. imperial ambition, this feeling has deep philosophical and empirical roots.
It is clear, or at least should be clear, that utopians apply a standard to American behavior that is neither realistic nor consistent with national achievements. Rather than apply a standard of "seeing is believing," the utopians rely on "believing is seeing," creating a Potemkin Village of the mind, a vast area of artificial conditions that invariably put the United States in a disadvantageous position and the country of choice, viz. Cuba or the former Soviet Union, in a favorable light.
Imagine There's No United States
According to recent newspaper accounts, anti-American sentiment is on the rise worldwide, even within the United States. While some of this sentiment is related to the war in Iraq and allegations of U.S. imperial ambition, this feeling has deep philosophical and empirical roots.
It is clear, or at least should be clear, that utopians apply a standard to American behavior that is neither realistic nor consistent with national achievements. Rather than apply a standard of "seeing is believing," the utopians rely on "believing is seeing," creating a Potemkin Village of the mind, a vast area of artificial conditions that invariably put the United States in a disadvantageous position and the country of choice, viz. Cuba or the former Soviet Union, in a favorable light.
Imagine There's No United States
Grid Lock
On Thursday, as states in the Northeast reeled from power outages, Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe got on the horn to current New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who in a previous life, served as key Clinton apologist and as Energy Secretary.
"They saw this as a political anvil that could be dropped on the Repubicans' head," says a DNC staffer. "With Richardson's background, he could go out there and really highlight the energy crisis created by Republicans."
I suggest, Dear Reader, that you click the following link and peruse on.
TheAmericanProwler Article
On Thursday, as states in the Northeast reeled from power outages, Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe got on the horn to current New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who in a previous life, served as key Clinton apologist and as Energy Secretary.
"They saw this as a political anvil that could be dropped on the Repubicans' head," says a DNC staffer. "With Richardson's background, he could go out there and really highlight the energy crisis created by Republicans."
I suggest, Dear Reader, that you click the following link and peruse on.
TheAmericanProwler Article
Calm in a blacked-out New York City
By all rights, yesterday's record-setting blackout that left some 50 million without electricity should have been a Maple Street moment, at least in terms of rioting and shooting, if not necessarily politically motivated hysteria. (Everyone seemed to believe early reports discounting terrorism as a cause of the energy drain.) Instead, it simply became the big story of the coming weekend, crowding out coverage of the capture a senior al Qaeda operative who was apparently recruiting new suicide pilots, news that an Alabama judge may go to jail for refusing to remove a Ten Commandments monument from a courthouse, and a growing recognition that the Fox News Channel now legally owns the expression "fair and balanced."
Indeed, the most interesting blackout-related story is the one that never happened. The sort of pandemonium, hysteria, looting, crime, and chaos that typically greets even minor football victories as well as catastrophic utility failures simply didn't materialize. This was true even in New York City, where such antisocial behavior was once seen as part of the city's very essence. Indeed, the iconic '70s Manhattan-based sitcom The Odd Couple even featured a Boy Scout punching one of the characters, among other signs of defining Big Apple vitriol. The 1981 cult classic Escape from New York was titled that way for a reason—one that no longer makes sense.
Reason: What's the lack of blackout-induced crime tell us about America?
By all rights, yesterday's record-setting blackout that left some 50 million without electricity should have been a Maple Street moment, at least in terms of rioting and shooting, if not necessarily politically motivated hysteria. (Everyone seemed to believe early reports discounting terrorism as a cause of the energy drain.) Instead, it simply became the big story of the coming weekend, crowding out coverage of the capture a senior al Qaeda operative who was apparently recruiting new suicide pilots, news that an Alabama judge may go to jail for refusing to remove a Ten Commandments monument from a courthouse, and a growing recognition that the Fox News Channel now legally owns the expression "fair and balanced."
Indeed, the most interesting blackout-related story is the one that never happened. The sort of pandemonium, hysteria, looting, crime, and chaos that typically greets even minor football victories as well as catastrophic utility failures simply didn't materialize. This was true even in New York City, where such antisocial behavior was once seen as part of the city's very essence. Indeed, the iconic '70s Manhattan-based sitcom The Odd Couple even featured a Boy Scout punching one of the characters, among other signs of defining Big Apple vitriol. The 1981 cult classic Escape from New York was titled that way for a reason—one that no longer makes sense.
Reason: What's the lack of blackout-induced crime tell us about America?
I just can't understand where those silly Conservatives keep getting their wacky ideas about "Liberal media"
Cruz Bustamante is the Lieutenant Governmor of California, and Arnold Schwarzenegger's strongest opposition in the recall race. Michelle Malkin has an excellent column today about Cruz Bustamante's radical racist past. When I say "racist", I'm not talking about the Liberal definition of that word (e.g. not naming hurricanes after black people is "racist"), I'm talking about KKK/skinhead style racist. You see, Bustamante was once a proud member of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (or MEChA), a radical Left Wing Hispanic group with a separatist agenda.
Try to imagine the kinds of headlines and criticism that a white candidate would get if he had been a member of White separatist group in college. Especially one that had publicly let the word "nigger" slip out. How many times would he have to denounce and distance himself from that group? Bustamente hasn't even done that. Will he ever have to? Probably not.
I'm sure that the mainstream media will pick up on this story any minute now (as soon as they are done trying to portray Arnold Schwarzenegger as a "racist" for voting "yes" on Proposition 187).
Any minute now....
Cruz Bustamante is the Lieutenant Governmor of California, and Arnold Schwarzenegger's strongest opposition in the recall race. Michelle Malkin has an excellent column today about Cruz Bustamante's radical racist past. When I say "racist", I'm not talking about the Liberal definition of that word (e.g. not naming hurricanes after black people is "racist"), I'm talking about KKK/skinhead style racist. You see, Bustamante was once a proud member of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (or MEChA), a radical Left Wing Hispanic group with a separatist agenda.
Try to imagine the kinds of headlines and criticism that a white candidate would get if he had been a member of White separatist group in college. Especially one that had publicly let the word "nigger" slip out. How many times would he have to denounce and distance himself from that group? Bustamente hasn't even done that. Will he ever have to? Probably not.
I'm sure that the mainstream media will pick up on this story any minute now (as soon as they are done trying to portray Arnold Schwarzenegger as a "racist" for voting "yes" on Proposition 187).
Any minute now....
The UN Bombing and the Honey Pot
Everyone here knows I subscribe to the "Honey Pot" theory of our involvement in Iraq - that the Bush Administration is literally DARING radical Islamists from across the globe to show up in Iraq and get killed.
Am I whistling in the dark? Maybe.
Do I place too much faith in the Bush Administration? Maybe.
Is it a honey pot, and is it working? Maybe:
Within our own country, every potential Howard Dean voter will declare that the U.N. headquarters bombing proves, for all time, that our occupation has failed, can never succeed, should never have been tried, and, anyway, that we're all bad people for disturbing poor, innocent dictators. Then they'll trot out the nonsense that, since Iraq has become a magnet for international terrorists, we've failed on that count, too.
On the contrary. We've taken the War Against Terror to our enemies. It's far better to draw the terrorists out of their holes in the Middle East, where we don't have to read them their rights, than to wait for them to show up in Manhattan again.
I don't like when bloggers instruct me to go read something, but I am going to do it to you.
GO READ THIS ===>> The New York Post
Everyone here knows I subscribe to the "Honey Pot" theory of our involvement in Iraq - that the Bush Administration is literally DARING radical Islamists from across the globe to show up in Iraq and get killed.
Am I whistling in the dark? Maybe.
Do I place too much faith in the Bush Administration? Maybe.
Is it a honey pot, and is it working? Maybe:
Within our own country, every potential Howard Dean voter will declare that the U.N. headquarters bombing proves, for all time, that our occupation has failed, can never succeed, should never have been tried, and, anyway, that we're all bad people for disturbing poor, innocent dictators. Then they'll trot out the nonsense that, since Iraq has become a magnet for international terrorists, we've failed on that count, too.
On the contrary. We've taken the War Against Terror to our enemies. It's far better to draw the terrorists out of their holes in the Middle East, where we don't have to read them their rights, than to wait for them to show up in Manhattan again.
I don't like when bloggers instruct me to go read something, but I am going to do it to you.
GO READ THIS ===>> The New York Post
Tuesday, August 19, 2003
The Bus Bombing in Jerusalem...
...had quite a few folks in the blogosphere entirely agitated and throughly incensed. Nowhere is that the case more than at The Rottweiler: Happy Now, Dubya, Or How Many More "Kikes" Have To Be Murdered Before You Abandon Your Terrorist-Felching Ways?
Charming, eh?
I understand the ire, I guess. I reckon if I were Jewish i'd be bloodthirsty in a big way right now (and probably for the last twenty years). But that brings me to my points for writing, which are:
a) anyone who blames a bus bombing in 2003 on a President who took office in 2001 just isn't thinking straight.
b) George W. Bush has no power in Israel except that which Israelis give him. Want Israel to go blast the Islamic hordes? Go ahead! Not prepared to do it? Blame Knesset, not the President of the United States of America.
c) Lastly, oil is the lifeblood of the world economy. The next time Israel blasts the daylights out of someone, and I mean !BLASTS SOMEONE!, like as in war with thousands dead, the entire Middle East is going to sublime. Oil will rocket to $90/barrel, gasoline will cost $5.25/gallon, and forty million Americans will lose their jobs. How's that for an alternative to twenty or so dead Israelis every month or so? I'll take the dead Jews, if the alternative is worldwide Depression.
That's callous, isn't it? Anyway, it's all damage control for American policy where Israel and her enemies are concerned. President Bush took no oath to defend Israel. I do wish we had an energy plan so ten years from now we could stand back and let the Israelis do what they've resisted for twenty years now....
My condolences to all those emotionally struck by today's events. I intend no offense with this post.
...had quite a few folks in the blogosphere entirely agitated and throughly incensed. Nowhere is that the case more than at The Rottweiler: Happy Now, Dubya, Or How Many More "Kikes" Have To Be Murdered Before You Abandon Your Terrorist-Felching Ways?
Charming, eh?
I understand the ire, I guess. I reckon if I were Jewish i'd be bloodthirsty in a big way right now (and probably for the last twenty years). But that brings me to my points for writing, which are:
a) anyone who blames a bus bombing in 2003 on a President who took office in 2001 just isn't thinking straight.
b) George W. Bush has no power in Israel except that which Israelis give him. Want Israel to go blast the Islamic hordes? Go ahead! Not prepared to do it? Blame Knesset, not the President of the United States of America.
c) Lastly, oil is the lifeblood of the world economy. The next time Israel blasts the daylights out of someone, and I mean !BLASTS SOMEONE!, like as in war with thousands dead, the entire Middle East is going to sublime. Oil will rocket to $90/barrel, gasoline will cost $5.25/gallon, and forty million Americans will lose their jobs. How's that for an alternative to twenty or so dead Israelis every month or so? I'll take the dead Jews, if the alternative is worldwide Depression.
That's callous, isn't it? Anyway, it's all damage control for American policy where Israel and her enemies are concerned. President Bush took no oath to defend Israel. I do wish we had an energy plan so ten years from now we could stand back and let the Israelis do what they've resisted for twenty years now....
My condolences to all those emotionally struck by today's events. I intend no offense with this post.
The Odd Files
Uhhhhh, it doesn't get a whole lot odder than this: Teen Dies After Prized Fish Stuck in Throat
Uhhhhh, it doesn't get a whole lot odder than this: Teen Dies After Prized Fish Stuck in Throat
"Bush Good, Saddam Bad!"
A Marine reports from Iraq, where things are far better than the media let on.
Hawken Blog - Political Discussion From Across The Spectrum
A Marine reports from Iraq, where things are far better than the media let on.
Hawken Blog - Political Discussion From Across The Spectrum
More on the Iraqi Honey Pot
Increasing numbers of Saudi Arabian Islamists are crossing the border into Iraq in preparation for a jihad, or holy war, against US and UK forces, security and Islamist sources have warned.
A senior western counter-terrorism official on Monday said the presence of foreign fighters in Iraq was "extremely worrying".
A statement purportedly from al-Qaeda was broadcast on Monday by the Arab satellite television channel al-Arabiya. It claimed the al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and the leader of the Afghanistan's ousted Taliban regime Mullah Mohammed Omar were still alive. But it also asserted that recent attacks on US forces in Iraq were the work of jihadis.
The focus of concern for US counter-terrorist officials was at first on a reconstituted Ansar al-Islam, the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group based in northern Iraq before the war. But US officials have recently acknowledged the presence of other foreign fighters in Iraq.
Paul Bremer, the US administrator in Iraq, said recent raids, including one near al-Qaim last month, uncovered fighters "carrying travel documents from a variety of countries".
Saudis in Iraq 'preparing for a holy war'
Seen on Instapundit
Increasing numbers of Saudi Arabian Islamists are crossing the border into Iraq in preparation for a jihad, or holy war, against US and UK forces, security and Islamist sources have warned.
A senior western counter-terrorism official on Monday said the presence of foreign fighters in Iraq was "extremely worrying".
A statement purportedly from al-Qaeda was broadcast on Monday by the Arab satellite television channel al-Arabiya. It claimed the al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and the leader of the Afghanistan's ousted Taliban regime Mullah Mohammed Omar were still alive. But it also asserted that recent attacks on US forces in Iraq were the work of jihadis.
The focus of concern for US counter-terrorist officials was at first on a reconstituted Ansar al-Islam, the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group based in northern Iraq before the war. But US officials have recently acknowledged the presence of other foreign fighters in Iraq.
Paul Bremer, the US administrator in Iraq, said recent raids, including one near al-Qaim last month, uncovered fighters "carrying travel documents from a variety of countries".
Saudis in Iraq 'preparing for a holy war'
Seen on Instapundit
As an add-on
To Tim's post about the camera man who died, Puggs from Random Nuclear Strikes has a great discription of what it's like to be in a tank when you see a man pointing something at you. It has a visual aid as well. Go check it out.
But wait, there's more! Found over at Right We Are, a story full of horror, irony, hipocrisy, and stench. Yes my friends, it is about the French. I don't know whether to laugh or puke.
But wait, there's more! Found over at Right We Are, a story full of horror, irony, hipocrisy, and stench. Yes my friends, it is about the French. I don't know whether to laugh or puke.
Monday, August 18, 2003
Good for a Chuckle
An old man approached the White House from the park across Pennsylvania Ave. where he'd been sitting on a park bench. He spoke to the U. S. Marine standing guard and said, "I would like to go in and meet with President Clinton."
The Marine looked at the man and said, "Sir, Mr. Clinton is no longer president and no longer resides here."
The old man said, "Okay" and walked away.
The following day, the same man approached the White House and said to the same Marine, "I would like to go in and meet with President Clinton."
The Marine again told the man, "Sir, Mr. Clinton is no longer president and no longer resides here."
The man thanked him and, again, just walked away.
The third day, the same man approached the White House and spoke to the very same U.S. Marine, saying "I would like to go in and meet with President Clinton"
The Marine, understandably agitated at this point, looked at the man and said, "Sir, this is the third day in a row you have been here asking to speak to Mr. Clinton. I've told you already that Mr. Clinton is no longer the president and no longer resides here. Don't you understand?"
The old man looked at the Marine and said, "Oh, I understand. I just love hearing it."
The Marine snapped to attention, saluted and said, "See you tomorrow".
An old man approached the White House from the park across Pennsylvania Ave. where he'd been sitting on a park bench. He spoke to the U. S. Marine standing guard and said, "I would like to go in and meet with President Clinton."
The Marine looked at the man and said, "Sir, Mr. Clinton is no longer president and no longer resides here."
The old man said, "Okay" and walked away.
The following day, the same man approached the White House and said to the same Marine, "I would like to go in and meet with President Clinton."
The Marine again told the man, "Sir, Mr. Clinton is no longer president and no longer resides here."
The man thanked him and, again, just walked away.
The third day, the same man approached the White House and spoke to the very same U.S. Marine, saying "I would like to go in and meet with President Clinton"
The Marine, understandably agitated at this point, looked at the man and said, "Sir, this is the third day in a row you have been here asking to speak to Mr. Clinton. I've told you already that Mr. Clinton is no longer the president and no longer resides here. Don't you understand?"
The old man looked at the Marine and said, "Oh, I understand. I just love hearing it."
The Marine snapped to attention, saluted and said, "See you tomorrow".
Thankfully, these folks are not charged with the responsibility of protecting America.
Yahoo! News - Amnesty Int'l Opposes Military Tribunals
Yahoo! News - Amnesty Int'l Opposes Military Tribunals
Regarding a Dead Journalist
Reuters cameraman Mazen Dana was shot dead by a US tank in Bahgdad this Sunday. Reuters paints the picture as follows:
Several international media consortiums and (Dana was Palestinian) the "Palestinian street" are not so sure. They want a full investigation into the incident. I imagine the levelheaded among them just want to know what happened, the Leftist among them imagine some hyped-up GI getting his jollies by shooting someone, and the rabid among them imagine President Bush himself ordering all Arab-looking people shot ASAP.
Below appear a few pictures. Look at them, then ask yourself if the Pentagon's version of what happened makes sense - if maybe the guys in the tank thought they were about to be fired upon with a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher or RPG.
Soldier with a Soviet-made RPG-22
The RPO-A, it should be noted, is akin to a flamethrower. I doubt whomever is fighting the US in Iraq has them. It was, however, the only picture I could find of someone holding a shoulder-mounted weapon in the same stance and angle as Dana in his picture.
So - you're in a tank. Every other day, some soldier gets killed or wounded by an RPG or other shoulder-fired rocket attack. You're looking for bad guys, and you see a man with a device on his shoulder peeking around a corner. The device has a round aperture in the front and it is pointed at you.
What do you do?
Reuters cameraman Mazen Dana was shot dead by a US tank in Bahgdad this Sunday. Reuters paints the picture as follows:
U.S. troops shot dead an award-winning Reuters cameraman while he was filming on Sunday near a U.S.-run prison on the outskirts of Baghdad.
Eyewitnesses said soldiers on an American tank shot at Mazen Dana, 43, as he filmed outside Abu Ghraib prison in western Baghdad which had earlier come under a mortar attack.
Dana's last pictures show a U.S. tank driving toward him outside the prison walls. Several shots ring out from the tank, and Dana's camera falls to the ground.
The U.S. military acknowledged on Sunday that its troops had "engaged" a Reuters cameraman, saying they had thought his camera was a rocket propelled grenade launcher.
Several international media consortiums and (Dana was Palestinian) the "Palestinian street" are not so sure. They want a full investigation into the incident. I imagine the levelheaded among them just want to know what happened, the Leftist among them imagine some hyped-up GI getting his jollies by shooting someone, and the rabid among them imagine President Bush himself ordering all Arab-looking people shot ASAP.
Below appear a few pictures. Look at them, then ask yourself if the Pentagon's version of what happened makes sense - if maybe the guys in the tank thought they were about to be fired upon with a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher or RPG.
 Dana with his camera |
 Soldier with an Eastern bloc RPO-A |
Soldier with a Soviet-made RPG-22
The RPO-A, it should be noted, is akin to a flamethrower. I doubt whomever is fighting the US in Iraq has them. It was, however, the only picture I could find of someone holding a shoulder-mounted weapon in the same stance and angle as Dana in his picture.
So - you're in a tank. Every other day, some soldier gets killed or wounded by an RPG or other shoulder-fired rocket attack. You're looking for bad guys, and you see a man with a device on his shoulder peeking around a corner. The device has a round aperture in the front and it is pointed at you.
What do you do?
Hmmmm..
Just because I haven't gotten to the news today:
I'm a protector!
Protector
The ULTIMATE personality test
brought to you by Quizilla
I might be able to post a pic of my bike later, just because I can.
I'm a protector!
Protector
The ULTIMATE personality test
brought to you by Quizilla
I might be able to post a pic of my bike later, just because I can.
"PRO NRA"
In August 2002, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles refused to give Hector Sanchez the personalized license plate that he chose -- "PRO NRA."
The Volokh Conspiracy
In August 2002, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles refused to give Hector Sanchez the personalized license plate that he chose -- "PRO NRA."
The Volokh Conspiracy
Is there a Madden curse?
Mike Vick was elated to be on the cover of the football video game Madden NFL 2004 (the titles correspond to the calendar year of each season's Super Bowl). But it's becoming an honor few may want in coming seasons.
Since Electronic Arts began putting NFL players on the cover, all four cover subjects have either had injuries or suffered a decline in performance.
ajc.com
Mike Vick was elated to be on the cover of the football video game Madden NFL 2004 (the titles correspond to the calendar year of each season's Super Bowl). But it's becoming an honor few may want in coming seasons.
Since Electronic Arts began putting NFL players on the cover, all four cover subjects have either had injuries or suffered a decline in performance.
ajc.com
Aaron On Power
Ummm... am I missing something, or is going one day a week without electricity giving me a different perspective (I'm Sabbath observant)? Now Hillary wants us to spend bazillions in order to prevent the possibility of MAYBE going 30 hours without electricity once in every 35 years? Doesn't that seem to be a bit of overkill to ensure that watching reruns of Seinfeld doesn't get interrupted?
Aaron's Rantblog, a.k.a. Aaron the Liberal Slayer.
Ummm... am I missing something, or is going one day a week without electricity giving me a different perspective (I'm Sabbath observant)? Now Hillary wants us to spend bazillions in order to prevent the possibility of MAYBE going 30 hours without electricity once in every 35 years? Doesn't that seem to be a bit of overkill to ensure that watching reruns of Seinfeld doesn't get interrupted?
Aaron's Rantblog, a.k.a. Aaron the Liberal Slayer.
How the Media Overstates the State of Affairs in Iraq
The premise of the story is that this year's date palm harvest will be a third the size of the normal harvest. He cites three reasons, all the fault of the U.S.-led invasion: not enough electricity to run irrigation pumps, less than adequate manual pollination, and the fact that the government did not spray pesticides. The numbers he uses are highly suspect, he provides no scientific basis for the alleged causes, and he provides only one relevant named source.
Instapundit.com:
The premise of the story is that this year's date palm harvest will be a third the size of the normal harvest. He cites three reasons, all the fault of the U.S.-led invasion: not enough electricity to run irrigation pumps, less than adequate manual pollination, and the fact that the government did not spray pesticides. The numbers he uses are highly suspect, he provides no scientific basis for the alleged causes, and he provides only one relevant named source.
Instapundit.com:
"Bush Aids the Taliban!"
Remember when Liberals were prancing about claiming that the Bush Administration sent over $40,000,000 to the Taliban?
Well shiver me timbers: it was all a lie.
Remember when Liberals were prancing about claiming that the Bush Administration sent over $40,000,000 to the Taliban?
Well shiver me timbers: it was all a lie.
News from Iraq
NDI’s experience of Baghdad bears little resemblance to the Baghdad of news reports.
One Hand Clapping
NDI’s experience of Baghdad bears little resemblance to the Baghdad of news reports.
One Hand Clapping
Sunday, August 17, 2003
Coulter's Got 'Em in a Headlock!
In June 2002, the liberal American Prospect magazine was hailing California as a "laboratory" for Democratic policies. With "its Democratic governor, U.S. senators, state legislature and congressional delegation," author Harold Meyerson gushed, "California is the only one of the nation's 10 largest states that is uniformly under Democratic control." In the Golden State, Meyerson said, "the next New Deal is in tryouts." (Can't you just feel the tension building?)
THE DEMOCRATS' LABORATORY: THE HOST ORGANISM DIES
In June 2002, the liberal American Prospect magazine was hailing California as a "laboratory" for Democratic policies. With "its Democratic governor, U.S. senators, state legislature and congressional delegation," author Harold Meyerson gushed, "California is the only one of the nation's 10 largest states that is uniformly under Democratic control." In the Golden State, Meyerson said, "the next New Deal is in tryouts." (Can't you just feel the tension building?)
THE DEMOCRATS' LABORATORY: THE HOST ORGANISM DIES
Did you know....
That there was such a thing as Bo Derek trading cards? Here's a sample:
Click here to see more: retroCRUSH
That there was such a thing as Bo Derek trading cards? Here's a sample:
Click here to see more: retroCRUSH
Tim's Miscellaneous Notes
If Women Ruled the World
How Grids Work
Why it takes so long to refire the grid
*** MY friend, in the power industry, suspects that in some cases utilities use the down time to make effect repairs or preventive maintenance, repairs that would cost them ten of millions if they had to electively power their equipment down.
And lastly, Americans just aren't going to Europe anymore. Next step: a Buy American Christmas. More on that later....
If Women Ruled the World
How Grids Work
Why it takes so long to refire the grid
*** MY friend, in the power industry, suspects that in some cases utilities use the down time to make effect repairs or preventive maintenance, repairs that would cost them ten of millions if they had to electively power their equipment down.
And lastly, Americans just aren't going to Europe anymore. Next step: a Buy American Christmas. More on that later....
Just a few days
Until I board a plane for Boston. I got back from the motorcycle trip yesterday, and it was a big reminder of why I love this part of the country.
We loaded up my little bike (Honda Shadow 600) and headed East. Now, I take up two-thirds of my bike's weight limit. My girlfriend caps it off. Add in 50 pounds of gear and a steep mountain pass, and you've got one dogged down bike. But we made it without a hitch. As much as I hate the politics (and quite a few of the people) in Puget Sound, the rest of the country is just breathtaking. Riding through the farmland and up mountain passes is the way traveling should be done. I was born with a wanderlust, and this trip brought it back in a big way. I shot two rolls of film, but haven't gotten them developed yet.
(side note: All you people with fancy digital cameras who take pictures and post them while on vacation, and expect me to do the same; bite me. Or buy me a digital camera)
I wish I could describe this trip, but I don't know if I have the words. There's one part of Highway 2, where you drive down a hill and through a cut, and into.... nothing. The road drops down, but for a moment you're staring at a solid cliff wall half a mile away, and it looks like you're about to go sailing into the great blue yonder. A strait canyon, half a mile wide, with cliff walls hundreds of feet high on both sides, and you're on a road right in the middle. The mountain passes were shredding clouds as we rode by, and coming off of the pass is like falling into a sea of green. You could smell the pine trees along the Wenatchee River. Coming West out of Spokane is like going through a doorway and into miles and miles of rolling farmland, tans and browns as far as you can see, with a black ribbon of road and the occasional farmhouse as the only interuptions. Words just can't do it justice, you have to see it and do it.
And if it's on a motorcycle, so much the better.
However, on to some news you can use. Courtesy of Random Nuclear Strikes, we have yet more proof that weapons, even big ones, can be dismantled and moved. I hear the gasps of disbelief on the Left, but it's true! And guess what, you numbskulled nitwits, when you give someone over a year to prepare and hide their stash, chances are you're not going to find it without some serious digging!
And for those of you who read that article and say that we shouldn't worry about North Korea yet, please stop stealing my oxygen.
And while I was perusing The Mrs., (as in du Toit) I found an article that made my blood boil. Congress, it seems, wants to restrict Special Forces Operations.
"Congress is set to impose new restrictions on the use of Special Operations Forces that for the first time will require a presidential order before deploying commandos in routine but hidden activities."
I. Am. Speechless.
"The restrictions were added to the report by members of the Senate Intelligence Committee after consultations with Stephen Cambone, the defense undersecretary for intelligence, according to current and former U.S. officials and documents obtained by The Washington Times."
I want to find those "members of the Senate Intelligence Committee" and beat them to death with their own arms, having ripped them said idiots off seconds prior! The idiocy contained herein is overwhelming! Did these worthless nutbutters actually think they were doing anything good?
"Gee Bob, how can we help our boys fight terrorists?"
"Well Chuck, hows about add one more level to their chain of command, screw with their authorization process, and demand that we be allowed to OK their plans, all while making it public!"
"Wow Bob, that sounds great!"
I think it's time the congress critters are reminded where their power comes from. I don't care who wrote this piece of crap, it needs to be removed. And the congress critter who wrote it needs to go. Republican, Donk, I don't care, the monumental stupidity of anyone who would risk our SF boys is too dangerous to be allowed to mess with the military. When time is of the essence, when lives are at risk, when the mission NEEDS to be accomplished, the last thing the SF needs is some ass-breathed shitsmear congresscritter poking their nose in, or demanding consessions before they allow the mission to proceed.
I need more coffee...... with lots of whiskey. Yeah, that's the ticket.
We loaded up my little bike (Honda Shadow 600) and headed East. Now, I take up two-thirds of my bike's weight limit. My girlfriend caps it off. Add in 50 pounds of gear and a steep mountain pass, and you've got one dogged down bike. But we made it without a hitch. As much as I hate the politics (and quite a few of the people) in Puget Sound, the rest of the country is just breathtaking. Riding through the farmland and up mountain passes is the way traveling should be done. I was born with a wanderlust, and this trip brought it back in a big way. I shot two rolls of film, but haven't gotten them developed yet.
(side note: All you people with fancy digital cameras who take pictures and post them while on vacation, and expect me to do the same; bite me. Or buy me a digital camera)
I wish I could describe this trip, but I don't know if I have the words. There's one part of Highway 2, where you drive down a hill and through a cut, and into.... nothing. The road drops down, but for a moment you're staring at a solid cliff wall half a mile away, and it looks like you're about to go sailing into the great blue yonder. A strait canyon, half a mile wide, with cliff walls hundreds of feet high on both sides, and you're on a road right in the middle. The mountain passes were shredding clouds as we rode by, and coming off of the pass is like falling into a sea of green. You could smell the pine trees along the Wenatchee River. Coming West out of Spokane is like going through a doorway and into miles and miles of rolling farmland, tans and browns as far as you can see, with a black ribbon of road and the occasional farmhouse as the only interuptions. Words just can't do it justice, you have to see it and do it.
And if it's on a motorcycle, so much the better.
However, on to some news you can use. Courtesy of Random Nuclear Strikes, we have yet more proof that weapons, even big ones, can be dismantled and moved. I hear the gasps of disbelief on the Left, but it's true! And guess what, you numbskulled nitwits, when you give someone over a year to prepare and hide their stash, chances are you're not going to find it without some serious digging!
And for those of you who read that article and say that we shouldn't worry about North Korea yet, please stop stealing my oxygen.
And while I was perusing The Mrs., (as in du Toit) I found an article that made my blood boil. Congress, it seems, wants to restrict Special Forces Operations.
"Congress is set to impose new restrictions on the use of Special Operations Forces that for the first time will require a presidential order before deploying commandos in routine but hidden activities."
I. Am. Speechless.
"The restrictions were added to the report by members of the Senate Intelligence Committee after consultations with Stephen Cambone, the defense undersecretary for intelligence, according to current and former U.S. officials and documents obtained by The Washington Times."
I want to find those "members of the Senate Intelligence Committee" and beat them to death with their own arms, having ripped them said idiots off seconds prior! The idiocy contained herein is overwhelming! Did these worthless nutbutters actually think they were doing anything good?
"Gee Bob, how can we help our boys fight terrorists?"
"Well Chuck, hows about add one more level to their chain of command, screw with their authorization process, and demand that we be allowed to OK their plans, all while making it public!"
"Wow Bob, that sounds great!"
I think it's time the congress critters are reminded where their power comes from. I don't care who wrote this piece of crap, it needs to be removed. And the congress critter who wrote it needs to go. Republican, Donk, I don't care, the monumental stupidity of anyone who would risk our SF boys is too dangerous to be allowed to mess with the military. When time is of the essence, when lives are at risk, when the mission NEEDS to be accomplished, the last thing the SF needs is some ass-breathed shitsmear congresscritter poking their nose in, or demanding consessions before they allow the mission to proceed.
I need more coffee...... with lots of whiskey. Yeah, that's the ticket.
Saturday, August 16, 2003
Ann Coulter's "Treason" - Every Liberal's Worst Nightmare
I remember reading reviews of this book on conservative blogs and comments about how "Ann Coulter gives conservatives a bad name". After reading "Treason", I must say, "The hell?!" Why does she give us a bad name? Because of "the way she says things"? Funny thing is many conservative arguments I've read in blog world are almost identical to Coulter's but not nearly as eloquent or well supported. Folks, if Coulter didn't include the fiery inferences she draws form the words and actions of America's Left over the past 50+ years, her book would read like a research paper. Her work is laden with relevant reference material strategically placed throughout in order to logically and effectively support even the wildest context she provides. Her passion is absolutely infectious!
The ACLU goes after John Ashcroft and the Patriot Act and liberal Democrats criticize President Bush for what he has done to fight terrorism at the same time they accuse him of not doing enough. Asking ourselves whose side liberals are on isn't exactly unwarranted. This current anti-American effort is nothing new for liberals, as Ann so convincingly demonstrates over and over again. What were they doing and what were they saying during Reagan's relentless struggle to win the Cold War? Did FDR or Truman take the possibility of communist spies infiltrating the U.S. government seriously? What do you know about Senator McCarthy? Is it true? "Treason" provides a detailed account of who was doing and saying what during these crucial periods in the history of the United States.
Ann has a wonderful ability to teach and inspire. I am extremely thankful that she continues to employ those gifts in service to the conservative community. It is absolutely essential that we all join her cause in debunking liberal lies and revisionist history. They have the media, the nation's universities, and history text books to perpetuate their version of history predicated on lies. We have ourselves! I ask that all who read this consider evaluating Coulter's work for themselves.
I am currently anticipating the arrival of Coulter's previous work - "Slander". If I get overly anxious, I think I'll read "Treason" again before it arrives! You can read some of Ann's columns at anncoulter.org
I remember reading reviews of this book on conservative blogs and comments about how "Ann Coulter gives conservatives a bad name". After reading "Treason", I must say, "The hell?!" Why does she give us a bad name? Because of "the way she says things"? Funny thing is many conservative arguments I've read in blog world are almost identical to Coulter's but not nearly as eloquent or well supported. Folks, if Coulter didn't include the fiery inferences she draws form the words and actions of America's Left over the past 50+ years, her book would read like a research paper. Her work is laden with relevant reference material strategically placed throughout in order to logically and effectively support even the wildest context she provides. Her passion is absolutely infectious!
The ACLU goes after John Ashcroft and the Patriot Act and liberal Democrats criticize President Bush for what he has done to fight terrorism at the same time they accuse him of not doing enough. Asking ourselves whose side liberals are on isn't exactly unwarranted. This current anti-American effort is nothing new for liberals, as Ann so convincingly demonstrates over and over again. What were they doing and what were they saying during Reagan's relentless struggle to win the Cold War? Did FDR or Truman take the possibility of communist spies infiltrating the U.S. government seriously? What do you know about Senator McCarthy? Is it true? "Treason" provides a detailed account of who was doing and saying what during these crucial periods in the history of the United States.
Ann has a wonderful ability to teach and inspire. I am extremely thankful that she continues to employ those gifts in service to the conservative community. It is absolutely essential that we all join her cause in debunking liberal lies and revisionist history. They have the media, the nation's universities, and history text books to perpetuate their version of history predicated on lies. We have ourselves! I ask that all who read this consider evaluating Coulter's work for themselves.
I am currently anticipating the arrival of Coulter's previous work - "Slander". If I get overly anxious, I think I'll read "Treason" again before it arrives! You can read some of Ann's columns at anncoulter.org
Thursday, August 14, 2003
The Threat from Old Stingers
And finally, Stingers use a three-stage solid fuel rocket motor. It also has a finite life expectancy, and the older they get, the easier it is for the fuel to crack and crumble when the missiles are moved. Know what happens if you pull the trigger on one of those babies when it's too old? Yep. Time to play "It's raining Men" and get out the hefty bags.
Capitalist Lion
Courtesy Right-Thinking
And finally, Stingers use a three-stage solid fuel rocket motor. It also has a finite life expectancy, and the older they get, the easier it is for the fuel to crack and crumble when the missiles are moved. Know what happens if you pull the trigger on one of those babies when it's too old? Yep. Time to play "It's raining Men" and get out the hefty bags.
Capitalist Lion
Courtesy Right-Thinking
World War III Update: Key al-Qaida Figure Arrested
The United States has captured an alleged al-Qaida leader described by President Bush as "one of the world's most lethal terrorists," a suspect in last year's Bali bombing and a series of deadly bombings in the Philippines.
He was identified as Riduan Isamuddin — also known as Hambali. He was said to be al-Qaida's chief representative and operational planner in Southeast Asia.
"He's a known killer who was a close associate of Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed," Bush said in announcing Hambali's capture during an appearance before U.S. military forces, many of whom just returned from Iraq (news - web sites).
A senior administration official said the suspect and his group, Jemaah Islamiya, were linked to the Bali bombing and the series of deadly attacks on churches in the Philippines.
Yahoo! News
I am reminded of Carroll O'Connor's character in Kelly's Heroes when a US force was split in half on either side of a damaged bridge and were debating on the radio whether to wait for repairs so the forces could be united again. O'Connor, playing an Army General, said: "Don't stop! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!"
The United States has captured an alleged al-Qaida leader described by President Bush as "one of the world's most lethal terrorists," a suspect in last year's Bali bombing and a series of deadly bombings in the Philippines.
He was identified as Riduan Isamuddin — also known as Hambali. He was said to be al-Qaida's chief representative and operational planner in Southeast Asia.
"He's a known killer who was a close associate of Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed," Bush said in announcing Hambali's capture during an appearance before U.S. military forces, many of whom just returned from Iraq (news - web sites).
A senior administration official said the suspect and his group, Jemaah Islamiya, were linked to the Bali bombing and the series of deadly attacks on churches in the Philippines.
Yahoo! News
I am reminded of Carroll O'Connor's character in Kelly's Heroes when a US force was split in half on either side of a damaged bridge and were debating on the radio whether to wait for repairs so the forces could be united again. O'Connor, playing an Army General, said: "Don't stop! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!"
Dell Reports Good News
Dell Inc., the No. 1 personal computer company, on Thursday reported its fifth consecutive quarter of year-on-year profit improvement and forecast stronger third-quarter sales than analysts expected.
Yahoo! News - Dell's Profit Climbs, Sales Seen Rising
Dell Inc., the No. 1 personal computer company, on Thursday reported its fifth consecutive quarter of year-on-year profit improvement and forecast stronger third-quarter sales than analysts expected.
Yahoo! News - Dell's Profit Climbs, Sales Seen Rising
Kobe Here!
Just when Kobe Bryant needs the good press that philanthropy can buy, Internal Revenue Service records show that the NBA star this year shuttered his charitable foundation, which once supported organizations emphasizing "self-respect, morals, values and structure," The Smoking Gun has learned.
Perhaps Bryant, who's facing a sexual assault charge, needed the spare cash to pay for wife Vanessa's pricey baubles.
The Smoking Gun
Just when Kobe Bryant needs the good press that philanthropy can buy, Internal Revenue Service records show that the NBA star this year shuttered his charitable foundation, which once supported organizations emphasizing "self-respect, morals, values and structure," The Smoking Gun has learned.
Perhaps Bryant, who's facing a sexual assault charge, needed the spare cash to pay for wife Vanessa's pricey baubles.
The Smoking Gun
Bringing Back DDT
Even without DDT, currently approved pesticides controlled mosquitoes moderately well last year in much of the eastern and southern United States, in spite of near-hysterical resistance to spraying by environmental activists, who have attacked the killing of mosquitoes as "disrupting the food chain." And New York's Green Party literature declared, "These diseases only kill the old and people whose health is already poor." These activists seem to regard epidemics of infectious diseases as a valid method of human population control. (Interestingly, Illinois led the nation in both West Nile infections and deaths in 2002 because government officials, bullied by radical environmentalists, rejected the widespread spraying of insecticides.)
Since the banning of DDT, insect-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue -- and now West Nile virus -- have been on the rise. (Had they been declining, activists would probably have demanded that we protect the infectious agents as endangered species.) The World Health Organization estimates that malaria kills about a million people annually, and that there are between 300 million and 500 million new cases each year.
TCS: Enviro-Sci - How Many Must Die?
Even without DDT, currently approved pesticides controlled mosquitoes moderately well last year in much of the eastern and southern United States, in spite of near-hysterical resistance to spraying by environmental activists, who have attacked the killing of mosquitoes as "disrupting the food chain." And New York's Green Party literature declared, "These diseases only kill the old and people whose health is already poor." These activists seem to regard epidemics of infectious diseases as a valid method of human population control. (Interestingly, Illinois led the nation in both West Nile infections and deaths in 2002 because government officials, bullied by radical environmentalists, rejected the widespread spraying of insecticides.)
Since the banning of DDT, insect-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue -- and now West Nile virus -- have been on the rise. (Had they been declining, activists would probably have demanded that we protect the infectious agents as endangered species.) The World Health Organization estimates that malaria kills about a million people annually, and that there are between 300 million and 500 million new cases each year.
TCS: Enviro-Sci - How Many Must Die?
Jobless Claims Rise Slightly
The number of Americans filing first-time claims for jobless benefits edged up slightly last week, the government said on Thursday in a report that nevertheless offered some hope the economy may soon start generating jobs.
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose a slim 2,000 to 398,000 in the week ending August 9, the Labor Department (news - web sites) said. The figures were close to expectations on Wall Street, where economists had expected claims to hold steady at the 390,000 level originally reported for the August 2 week.
Yahoo! News
The number of Americans filing first-time claims for jobless benefits edged up slightly last week, the government said on Thursday in a report that nevertheless offered some hope the economy may soon start generating jobs.
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose a slim 2,000 to 398,000 in the week ending August 9, the Labor Department (news - web sites) said. The figures were close to expectations on Wall Street, where economists had expected claims to hold steady at the 390,000 level originally reported for the August 2 week.
Yahoo! News
Trade Gap Narrowed
The U.S. trade deficit narrowed sharply in June, as improving economic growth overseas propelled exports to their largest monthly increase in three years and imports were unchanged, the government said on Thursday.
The smaller-than-expected trade gap totaled $39.5 billion, down from a revised estimate of $41.5 billion in May. Analysts surveyed before the report had expected the monthly trade deficit to narrow only marginally to $41.6 billion, from the Commerce Department (news - web sites)'s earlier estimate of $41.8 billion in May.
Yahoo! News
The smaller-than-expected trade gap totaled $39.5 billion, down from a revised estimate of $41.5 billion in May. Analysts surveyed before the report had expected the monthly trade deficit to narrow only marginally to $41.6 billion, from the Commerce Department (news - web sites)'s earlier estimate of $41.8 billion in May.
Yahoo! News
Wednesday, August 13, 2003
Inventing facts with only a sentence or why Ralph Nader met Pie.
Draw an unsupported conclusion and base the rest of your article on it. The author of this article seems to be projecting his anger toward Ralph Nader for "draining votes away" from Al "count every vote EXCEPT those of the men and women of our armed forces" Gore onto the motivation of the individual who PIED NADER IN THE FACE *still looking for the video clip online* :) According to the article, the dude who pied the witless Green Party guru got away. In the video I saw he pied the sucker and walked right out the door. How does the author of the article know the pie-guy's motivation? If there were a quoted battle cry, I'd just post a heads up about the incident. As the story includes the twisting of facts, I figured I'd take another shot at innaccuracy in the media.
Draw an unsupported conclusion and base the rest of your article on it. The author of this article seems to be projecting his anger toward Ralph Nader for "draining votes away" from Al "count every vote EXCEPT those of the men and women of our armed forces" Gore onto the motivation of the individual who PIED NADER IN THE FACE *still looking for the video clip online* :) According to the article, the dude who pied the witless Green Party guru got away. In the video I saw he pied the sucker and walked right out the door. How does the author of the article know the pie-guy's motivation? If there were a quoted battle cry, I'd just post a heads up about the incident. As the story includes the twisting of facts, I figured I'd take another shot at innaccuracy in the media.
Very Odd
While their wives drove Rolls-Royces and moved among Tampa's elite, Douglas S. Cone and Donald Carlson always seemed busy with business.
Cone, the 74-year-old millionaire owner of a Tampa highway construction company, was gone most weekdays.
Carlson was also frequently away from home -- an absence his family attributed to a sensitive government job that required him to travel for long stretches.
But those business trips masked a shocking secret: Douglas S. Cone was Donald Carlson. Cone lived a secret double life for nearly 30 years, raising two affluent families in lavish homes 20 miles apart -- one with his wife of 52 years and the other with a former employee.
RedNova News: Millionaire Raises Two Families 20 Miles Apart
While their wives drove Rolls-Royces and moved among Tampa's elite, Douglas S. Cone and Donald Carlson always seemed busy with business.
Cone, the 74-year-old millionaire owner of a Tampa highway construction company, was gone most weekdays.
Carlson was also frequently away from home -- an absence his family attributed to a sensitive government job that required him to travel for long stretches.
But those business trips masked a shocking secret: Douglas S. Cone was Donald Carlson. Cone lived a secret double life for nearly 30 years, raising two affluent families in lavish homes 20 miles apart -- one with his wife of 52 years and the other with a former employee.
RedNova News: Millionaire Raises Two Families 20 Miles Apart
Vacation Time
Yep, it's time to hit the road for a few days! I'll be riding the motorcycle around Washington and Idaho till Sunday, and then I'm leaving for Boston on the 21st. Light (read: non-existant) posts to be expected on days when I'm gone. Hopefully I'll have a few pics from it, although I doubt I'm going to be posting them on the site. Bandwidth, ya know!
But I won't leave you empty handed! Because two of my favorite writers have new articles up at Townhall.com, Thomas Sowell and Armstrong Williams. Go check them out. I'll see you when I get back.
But I won't leave you empty handed! Because two of my favorite writers have new articles up at Townhall.com, Thomas Sowell and Armstrong Williams. Go check them out. I'll see you when I get back.
Brickbat Alert
Emperor Misha I catches Jesse Jackson lollygagging through center ice with his head down and delivers a savage blow.
Emperor Misha I catches Jesse Jackson lollygagging through center ice with his head down and delivers a savage blow.
World War II Update: British Airways Suspends Service to Saudi Arabia
British Airways on Wednesday suspended flights to Saudi Arabia due to heightened security concerns.
Britain's Department for Transport said it had received "credible intelligence of a serious threat to U.K. aviation interests in Saudi Arabia." It did not elaborate.
The announcement came two days after Saudi officials said they broke up a terror cell plotting an attack on a British target in the kingdom.
British Airways Suspends Saudi Flights
British Airways on Wednesday suspended flights to Saudi Arabia due to heightened security concerns.
Britain's Department for Transport said it had received "credible intelligence of a serious threat to U.K. aviation interests in Saudi Arabia." It did not elaborate.
The announcement came two days after Saudi officials said they broke up a terror cell plotting an attack on a British target in the kingdom.
British Airways Suspends Saudi Flights
The Russians Understand
Check this excerpt from a story about the Brit busted while trying to buy a surface-to-air missile in New Jersey:
The missile, which was inoperable, was built in Russia specifically for the sting operation and brought to the United States aboard a ship to make the deal seem real, officials said. The investigation included the expertise of the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Secret Service.
FOXNews.com
Seems to me that World War III is in full swing, and it's Radical Islam against everyone else. Too bad so many American Leftists cannot comprehend this.
Check this excerpt from a story about the Brit busted while trying to buy a surface-to-air missile in New Jersey:
The missile, which was inoperable, was built in Russia specifically for the sting operation and brought to the United States aboard a ship to make the deal seem real, officials said. The investigation included the expertise of the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Secret Service.
FOXNews.com
Seems to me that World War III is in full swing, and it's Radical Islam against everyone else. Too bad so many American Leftists cannot comprehend this.
Guns and Kofi
As a followup to Raging Dave's literary sans lube cavity search of Kofi Anna below, see the following from Right-Thinking.
As a followup to Raging Dave's literary sans lube cavity search of Kofi Anna below, see the following from Right-Thinking.
Tuesday, August 12, 2003
UN Delenda Est
This has been all over the web today, but I just had to add my two cents.
The hipocritical, dictator controlled, incompetant, parasite infested group of lackys, turncoats, bootliickers, terrorists and racists known as the UN is about to get rid of a stash of machine guns.
That's right, folks. The UN, which as deemed us little people as not being worth to own guns, had a stash of MP-5s for Mr. Kofi Annan, who felt the need for some firepower while driving around NYC.
And I love this:
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which regulates the sale and purchase of the MP5s, originally denied the United Nations permission to purchase the guns.
......
The United Nations, aided by senior officials in the Clinton administration, persuaded the ATF to grant permission. In February 2002, the Bush administration ordered a review of the U.N. security officers' use of the weapons.
Would that be the GFW Clinton? Why, yes it would!
There's just too much irony, hipocricy, and plain foulness involved in this story to fisk it properly. Didn't someone want to move the UN to Canada? I'll join Kim du Toit in paying for a moving van. Get the hell off of our land, you slimey worthless scum!
The hipocritical, dictator controlled, incompetant, parasite infested group of lackys, turncoats, bootliickers, terrorists and racists known as the UN is about to get rid of a stash of machine guns.
That's right, folks. The UN, which as deemed us little people as not being worth to own guns, had a stash of MP-5s for Mr. Kofi Annan, who felt the need for some firepower while driving around NYC.
And I love this:
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which regulates the sale and purchase of the MP5s, originally denied the United Nations permission to purchase the guns.
......
The United Nations, aided by senior officials in the Clinton administration, persuaded the ATF to grant permission. In February 2002, the Bush administration ordered a review of the U.N. security officers' use of the weapons.
Would that be the GFW Clinton? Why, yes it would!
There's just too much irony, hipocricy, and plain foulness involved in this story to fisk it properly. Didn't someone want to move the UN to Canada? I'll join Kim du Toit in paying for a moving van. Get the hell off of our land, you slimey worthless scum!
Tumult at the Beach [UPDATE]
==this is an update from a story first posted here on 30 June 2003 ==
It is a pretty rare thing in life when you take a look around and everything adds up. Yet 'roundabout Cape Cod way these days, guess what? It all adds up:
To wit:
It is a pretty rare thing in life when you take a look around and everything adds up. Yet 'roundabout Cape Cod way these days, guess what? It all adds up:
| Old Liberal Wealth + the New Liberal Fight Against Global Warming + the Old Leftist Contempt for New Business + the New Liberal God of Regulation + the Timeless Liberal Fight to Preserve Nature ================================================== a very Instructive NIMBY Battle Amongst Massachusetts' Wealthiest |
To wit:
It reads like a summer novel. The location is one of the nation's prized resort areas, comprising Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket -- playgrounds for the wealthy and powerful.
Jim Gordon has an idea that's shaking things up in these New England communities. He's a developer who wants to use wind power to replace electric power plants and the pollution they cause.
"Wind mills are an icon on the Cape and islands," he says. "So, what we're doing is kind of going back to the future and addressing the present day problems that we have now, such as global warming and climate change, by building a clean, green, renewable energy project."
But the idea has raised a storm among some residents, because Gordon wants to build his windmills in the middle of Nantucket sound.
It really is classic. Some want more regulation, zoning the water, in effect. Some want to harvest wind to save the Earth. Some want to preserve the "treasure" of their oceanside views. Some think it will hurt fish. Some object to the fact that the developer might make money. One guy says if we don't stop global
warming, we'll lose the Cape to rising waters anyway.
My favorite parts are where the politicos and Leftist icon heavyweights chime in:
State Sen. Rob O'Leary represents the Cape Cod region. He points to a 200-foot weather tower that Gordon built in the middle of the proposed wind farm. It's half as tall as the wind turbines. O'Leary says he support wind power in principle, just not at that location.
The campaign to stop the wind farms was started by Cape Cod merchants and wealthy landowners. It's also opposed by almost every town government. Sen. Ted Kennedy, who has a home overlooking the proposed wind farm, also opposes the project. So does one of Martha's Vineyard most famous residents, former CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite.
"Our natural treasures should be off limits to industrialization, and Nantucket is one of those treasures," says Cronkite.
Read all about it: CBS News
Read as much as you want: Google: "Cape Wind"
And, now, this, today: uberNIMBY - American Leftist Style
"I'm not against wind turbines," said McCullough, who has been a full-time resident of Martha's Vineyard for 30 years. "I'm against 130 of them over 400 feet tall right smack in the middle of one of the most beautiful places in America. That's a hundred feet taller than the Capitol dome in Washington."
I don't know what I can add to that.
Celebrities Protest Massachusetts Wind Farm
Monday, August 11, 2003
Council News
The votes were tallied some time ago, but i have been too lazy to note them. Here they are:
The Watcher's Council
The Right Wing News post took first place in the non-council-member category with this entry: Some Of My Pet Peeves With The Mainstream Media.
The non-council winning entry was submitted by Commiewatch: Worker's World Party Working with North Korea.
And there's a new Watcher in town: Hawken Blog.
The votes were tallied some time ago, but i have been too lazy to note them. Here they are:
The Watcher's Council
The Right Wing News post took first place in the non-council-member category with this entry: Some Of My Pet Peeves With The Mainstream Media.
The non-council winning entry was submitted by Commiewatch: Worker's World Party Working with North Korea.
And there's a new Watcher in town: Hawken Blog.
Slackin'
I must be slacking, because I completely missed this earlier.
From Kim du Toit, via the Grouchy Old Cripple, comes a link that left me flabbergasted. This is the sort of thing that has me gritting my teeth and wondering just how stupid people can be. I should never ask that question, because the answer always seems to be:
Dumber than I ever thought possible.
That's right, folks. It's a list of congresscritters who are actually proud members of the Democratic Socialists of America. Avowed socialists, in the United States Congress. That should scare the living hell out of any person with an IQ above room temperature.
Now, the link is somewhat out of date, since it still lists Cynthia "the evil jews kicked me out" McKinney, and Earl Hilliard, who was voted out as well if my memory serves me. But look who's still in. Pelosi. Bonior. Conyers. McDermott (from Seattle, gee what a shock). Rangel. Kuchinich. These are people who follow a doctrine and ideology THAT HAS RUINED THE LIVES OF MILLIONS! Not to mention the damage to the economy that socialism causes! Oh, you don't think so? Look at France! Every time socialism has been implemented, IT HAS FAILED! And yet these worthless walking piles of wasted protoplasm, these oxygen thieves, these parasitic purveyors of poverty not only espouse it, they're trying to enforce it on our country! California has 53 seats in the House of Representatives. 11 of them are avowed socialists! That's 20% folks! Is it any wonder that Cali is going down the tubes?
I can't take it anymore. I need to take a walk to calm down. Have fun with the links.
Update: OK, I can't even take a walk anymore. Wanna know why? Because at the newspaper box I saw this article, from my dear hometown Seattle Times.
Now this hits close to home. I spent quite a few years in Coeur d'Alene, ID. My parents live there. And quite honestly, this whole issue about burning the grass seed fields has been going on for quite some time. But the bottom line is this: Get rid of the grass fields, and you get rid of $125 MILLION DOLLARS in your economy. That's a bit of cash. And who's quoted in the Times' article? One Patti Gora, of Sandpoint Idaho.
Hmmmmm, Patti Gora. Where have I heard that name before? Maybe in THIS article!
Gosh, is that the same Patti Gora, of Sandpoint Idaho, Leader of the group Safe Air For Everyone, who's quoted as being "Patti Gora, who is a board member of Save Our Summers a Washington-based group"
Wait a tic, I thought she was from Idaho? The second webpage was last updated today, August 11th, 2003! So what is it? Is she a regular Sandpoint resident, or is she a career activist in a couple of states? Or maybe she's Patti Gora, Washington State University "Academic Advisor"? Or Patti Gora, from Pullman, Washington? (scroll down to Burning Bill HB 391)
Or maybe the career activists are full of brown smelly excretement? How many businesses have to be ruined before these liberal activists are happy? How many jobs have to be lost before it's enough? How many millions of dollars have to be tossed out the window? When dealing with politicians and activists, I tend to go with my personal experience, rather than the bullshit that they toss around. And the worst time for allergies isn't the burning season in North Idaho, it's the pollen season. Yellow clouds of tree pollen everywhere. The banks of Lake Coeur d'Alene are YELLOW in the springtime, and you can see the yellow waves coming in, laden with TREE POLLEN! What shall we do now, Mrs. Gora? Cut down all the trees to make you happy? The air will be so clean!
I know that most of you don't care one whit about this, but the grass seen industry is already gone in Washington State, thanks to the actions of this woman and people like her. How many jobs did that cost? And the farmers have tried everything to avoid burning their fields. At one point, they tried using hydrocloric acid, which worked rather nicely, except that it was killing wild animals (and a few domestic ones). There's no other way to keep the fields disease free and productive other than burning them.
But why allow facts to stand in the way of political activism, right? I just wish that the tax revenue lost along with those jobs could be taken out of her salary. Her STATE "academic advisor" salary.
From Kim du Toit, via the Grouchy Old Cripple, comes a link that left me flabbergasted. This is the sort of thing that has me gritting my teeth and wondering just how stupid people can be. I should never ask that question, because the answer always seems to be:
Dumber than I ever thought possible.
That's right, folks. It's a list of congresscritters who are actually proud members of the Democratic Socialists of America. Avowed socialists, in the United States Congress. That should scare the living hell out of any person with an IQ above room temperature.
Now, the link is somewhat out of date, since it still lists Cynthia "the evil jews kicked me out" McKinney, and Earl Hilliard, who was voted out as well if my memory serves me. But look who's still in. Pelosi. Bonior. Conyers. McDermott (from Seattle, gee what a shock). Rangel. Kuchinich. These are people who follow a doctrine and ideology THAT HAS RUINED THE LIVES OF MILLIONS! Not to mention the damage to the economy that socialism causes! Oh, you don't think so? Look at France! Every time socialism has been implemented, IT HAS FAILED! And yet these worthless walking piles of wasted protoplasm, these oxygen thieves, these parasitic purveyors of poverty not only espouse it, they're trying to enforce it on our country! California has 53 seats in the House of Representatives. 11 of them are avowed socialists! That's 20% folks! Is it any wonder that Cali is going down the tubes?
I can't take it anymore. I need to take a walk to calm down. Have fun with the links.
Update: OK, I can't even take a walk anymore. Wanna know why? Because at the newspaper box I saw this article, from my dear hometown Seattle Times.
Now this hits close to home. I spent quite a few years in Coeur d'Alene, ID. My parents live there. And quite honestly, this whole issue about burning the grass seed fields has been going on for quite some time. But the bottom line is this: Get rid of the grass fields, and you get rid of $125 MILLION DOLLARS in your economy. That's a bit of cash. And who's quoted in the Times' article? One Patti Gora, of Sandpoint Idaho.
Hmmmmm, Patti Gora. Where have I heard that name before? Maybe in THIS article!
Gosh, is that the same Patti Gora, of Sandpoint Idaho, Leader of the group Safe Air For Everyone, who's quoted as being "Patti Gora, who is a board member of Save Our Summers a Washington-based group"
Wait a tic, I thought she was from Idaho? The second webpage was last updated today, August 11th, 2003! So what is it? Is she a regular Sandpoint resident, or is she a career activist in a couple of states? Or maybe she's Patti Gora, Washington State University "Academic Advisor"? Or Patti Gora, from Pullman, Washington? (scroll down to Burning Bill HB 391)
Or maybe the career activists are full of brown smelly excretement? How many businesses have to be ruined before these liberal activists are happy? How many jobs have to be lost before it's enough? How many millions of dollars have to be tossed out the window? When dealing with politicians and activists, I tend to go with my personal experience, rather than the bullshit that they toss around. And the worst time for allergies isn't the burning season in North Idaho, it's the pollen season. Yellow clouds of tree pollen everywhere. The banks of Lake Coeur d'Alene are YELLOW in the springtime, and you can see the yellow waves coming in, laden with TREE POLLEN! What shall we do now, Mrs. Gora? Cut down all the trees to make you happy? The air will be so clean!
I know that most of you don't care one whit about this, but the grass seen industry is already gone in Washington State, thanks to the actions of this woman and people like her. How many jobs did that cost? And the farmers have tried everything to avoid burning their fields. At one point, they tried using hydrocloric acid, which worked rather nicely, except that it was killing wild animals (and a few domestic ones). There's no other way to keep the fields disease free and productive other than burning them.
But why allow facts to stand in the way of political activism, right? I just wish that the tax revenue lost along with those jobs could be taken out of her salary. Her STATE "academic advisor" salary.
Mondays. Ugh.
Has everyone had their coffee yet? Because here's one to file under the "Liberal Bias? What liberal bias?" folder.
Balloon Juice rips apart the media when it comes to reporting political fundraising. And it's not pretty. Mr. Alterman? Your proctologist called......
On a side note, I've finally been reading "What Went Wrong" by Bernard Lewis. Very informative, well written, and containing information that you couldn't find if you spent a year in libraries doing research. However, it contained one quote that made me laugh. The quote is in reference to the Ottoman Sultan, Mahmud II, who was reforming his military. (pg. 133, Chapter 7)
"In all his reforms, he sought help from abroad---from the Prussians for the army, from the British for the navy, from the French for the bureaucracy."
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Balloon Juice rips apart the media when it comes to reporting political fundraising. And it's not pretty. Mr. Alterman? Your proctologist called......
On a side note, I've finally been reading "What Went Wrong" by Bernard Lewis. Very informative, well written, and containing information that you couldn't find if you spent a year in libraries doing research. However, it contained one quote that made me laugh. The quote is in reference to the Ottoman Sultan, Mahmud II, who was reforming his military. (pg. 133, Chapter 7)
"In all his reforms, he sought help from abroad---from the Prussians for the army, from the British for the navy, from the French for the bureaucracy."
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Meteor Shower - August 12 and 13
"No matter where you live, the best time to look will be just before dawn on Wednesday morning, August 13th," says Bill Cooke of NASA's Space Environments Team at the Marshall Space Flight Center. At that time, the sky overhead will be tilted into the debris stream of Comet Swift-Tuttle--the source of the Perseid meteors. Furthermore, the moon will be low in the sky before dawn.
The 2003 Perseid Meteor Shower
"No matter where you live, the best time to look will be just before dawn on Wednesday morning, August 13th," says Bill Cooke of NASA's Space Environments Team at the Marshall Space Flight Center. At that time, the sky overhead will be tilted into the debris stream of Comet Swift-Tuttle--the source of the Perseid meteors. Furthermore, the moon will be low in the sky before dawn.
The 2003 Perseid Meteor Shower
Life in Iraq - As Horrible as Big Media Claims?
There were about a million soldiers in the Iraqi army at the beginning of hostilities and most of them took off before we attacked. There are some that were very loyal to Saddam that are trying to sneak around and take potshots at us. We are cleaning them up pretty fast.
There are also thugs from other countries running around, like Iran and Syria. Well, the Iraqis hate these thugs as much as we do. So the Iraqi people are hunting them down too! I can honestly say 98% of the population of Iraq love us and they do not want us to leave...ever! They say as long as we are here they feel safe.
DefendAmerica News
Found on Instapundit.
There were about a million soldiers in the Iraqi army at the beginning of hostilities and most of them took off before we attacked. There are some that were very loyal to Saddam that are trying to sneak around and take potshots at us. We are cleaning them up pretty fast.
There are also thugs from other countries running around, like Iran and Syria. Well, the Iraqis hate these thugs as much as we do. So the Iraqi people are hunting them down too! I can honestly say 98% of the population of Iraq love us and they do not want us to leave...ever! They say as long as we are here they feel safe.
DefendAmerica News
Found on Instapundit.
Sunday, August 10, 2003
[Why the U.S. is] Discarding War's Rules
Al Qaeda destroys airplanes and buildings that it itself could not possibly build. The Palestinian Authority has failed in every field of endeavor except killing Israelis. Saddam Hussein's Iraq grew dangerous thanks to money showered on it by the West to purchase petroleum Iraqis themselves had neither located nor extracted.
How, despite their general incompetence, has this trio managed to guide the course of events as if they were powers in the traditional sense?
The cause of this anomaly, Harris replies, is that the West plays by a strict set of rules while permitting al Qaeda, the Palestinians and Saddam Hussein to play without rules. We restrain ourselves according to the standards of civilized conduct as refined over the centuries; they engage in maximal ruthlessness.
[Why the U.S. is] Discarding War's Rules - article by Daniel Pipes
Al Qaeda destroys airplanes and buildings that it itself could not possibly build. The Palestinian Authority has failed in every field of endeavor except killing Israelis. Saddam Hussein's Iraq grew dangerous thanks to money showered on it by the West to purchase petroleum Iraqis themselves had neither located nor extracted.
How, despite their general incompetence, has this trio managed to guide the course of events as if they were powers in the traditional sense?
The cause of this anomaly, Harris replies, is that the West plays by a strict set of rules while permitting al Qaeda, the Palestinians and Saddam Hussein to play without rules. We restrain ourselves according to the standards of civilized conduct as refined over the centuries; they engage in maximal ruthlessness.
[Why the U.S. is] Discarding War's Rules - article by Daniel Pipes
Confessions of an Anti-Sanctions Activist
On May 22, 2003, the United Nations (U.N.) lifted the sanctions regime it had imposed on Iraq twelve years earlier. The end of the economic embargo invites a review of the "peace" activism that was aimed at bringing down the Iraq sanctions while Saddam Hussein ruled. Anti-sanctions groups sought to relieve the suffering of the Iraqi people. In fact, they became—whether wittingly or unwittingly—mouthpieces for Saddam in the United States. I should know: I have the dubious distinction of having been one of them.
Confessions of an Anti-Sanctions Activist
On May 22, 2003, the United Nations (U.N.) lifted the sanctions regime it had imposed on Iraq twelve years earlier. The end of the economic embargo invites a review of the "peace" activism that was aimed at bringing down the Iraq sanctions while Saddam Hussein ruled. Anti-sanctions groups sought to relieve the suffering of the Iraqi people. In fact, they became—whether wittingly or unwittingly—mouthpieces for Saddam in the United States. I should know: I have the dubious distinction of having been one of them.
Confessions of an Anti-Sanctions Activist
Tolerance - Larry Flynt Style
Days after announcing his candidacy for California governor, self-described "smut peddler" Larry Flynt staged a peculiar event to rally supporters – a prayer vigil seeking the death of Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly.
The flamboyant Hustler magazine publisher called for a "National Prayer Day" service where Americans "of all denominations and faiths" could "pray to God" for the death of the "blowhard."
WorldNetDaily: Flynt holds vigil to pray for Bill O'Reilly's death
Days after announcing his candidacy for California governor, self-described "smut peddler" Larry Flynt staged a peculiar event to rally supporters – a prayer vigil seeking the death of Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly.
The flamboyant Hustler magazine publisher called for a "National Prayer Day" service where Americans "of all denominations and faiths" could "pray to God" for the death of the "blowhard."
WorldNetDaily: Flynt holds vigil to pray for Bill O'Reilly's death
I couldn't resist
Adding a few more links today. Courtesy of Lee at Right Thinking, we have a link to Tim Blair regarding a Human Shield who's adopting a baby. Why is this so interesting? Let me give you a quote.
They think she was born without limbs somewhere in the south of Iraq, a frequent occurrence where Saddam Hussein's long-term use of chemical and biological weapons against the mainly-Shiites has left many children limbless and malformed.
You get that? Because the rest of the article is the same Blame-America bullshit that we've come to expect from the press, such as "The US military doesn't seem to value Iraqi lives and not least the lives of disabled Iraqi orphans. What chance do they have?”. But hidden in the middle of it all is that particular gem. Keep that close, folks. Because as soon as the editor who let that slip into the news is found, it's not going to happen again. Remember: Saddam using chemical weapons on Shiites and causing horrible deformaties in children? A-OK, according to the Left. Removing Saddam? Baaaaaaaaad. With the mental twists these people have to make in order to justify their position, I'm surprised they can utter two sentances in a row without screaming some slogan or another.
Next up, the Libertarian Samizdata, who leads us to a site called DownsizeDC.org. It's an interesting site, but what caught my eye was this piece on the .Ponzi scheme known as Social Security.
Now, I don't know the ages of everyone on this blog, but I'm willing to bet that none of us are reaching retirement age just yet. In my case, I'll be willing to bet that Social Security will not be around by the time I get to retire. This is just one massive scheme to take our money, folks. There is no Social Security lockbox, and there never was. The SS payments are taken out of last years tax payments. There's no reserve left, benifits are decreasing, retirement age is going up, and most of the Baby Boomer generation hasn't even started drawing on it yet. The whole thing is going to collapse, and the only way to make it work is to either take more of our money, or decrease the payments going out. In short, it's shot.
And do you know who I feel sorry for? Those people who actually believed the government when it said "Don't worry! We'll take care of you!" They're stuck between a rock and a hard place, with nowhere to go. When I was growing up, we had a few older neighbors living out our way who sold their property (Around 150 acres or so) that their grandparents had farmsteaded in the late 1800's. Do you know why they sold it?
Because their Social Security payments couldn't cover the cost of property taxes.
Did I mention that I loath the whole SS racket?
They think she was born without limbs somewhere in the south of Iraq, a frequent occurrence where Saddam Hussein's long-term use of chemical and biological weapons against the mainly-Shiites has left many children limbless and malformed.
You get that? Because the rest of the article is the same Blame-America bullshit that we've come to expect from the press, such as "The US military doesn't seem to value Iraqi lives and not least the lives of disabled Iraqi orphans. What chance do they have?”. But hidden in the middle of it all is that particular gem. Keep that close, folks. Because as soon as the editor who let that slip into the news is found, it's not going to happen again. Remember: Saddam using chemical weapons on Shiites and causing horrible deformaties in children? A-OK, according to the Left. Removing Saddam? Baaaaaaaaad. With the mental twists these people have to make in order to justify their position, I'm surprised they can utter two sentances in a row without screaming some slogan or another.
Next up, the Libertarian Samizdata, who leads us to a site called DownsizeDC.org. It's an interesting site, but what caught my eye was this piece on the .Ponzi scheme known as Social Security.
Now, I don't know the ages of everyone on this blog, but I'm willing to bet that none of us are reaching retirement age just yet. In my case, I'll be willing to bet that Social Security will not be around by the time I get to retire. This is just one massive scheme to take our money, folks. There is no Social Security lockbox, and there never was. The SS payments are taken out of last years tax payments. There's no reserve left, benifits are decreasing, retirement age is going up, and most of the Baby Boomer generation hasn't even started drawing on it yet. The whole thing is going to collapse, and the only way to make it work is to either take more of our money, or decrease the payments going out. In short, it's shot.
And do you know who I feel sorry for? Those people who actually believed the government when it said "Don't worry! We'll take care of you!" They're stuck between a rock and a hard place, with nowhere to go. When I was growing up, we had a few older neighbors living out our way who sold their property (Around 150 acres or so) that their grandparents had farmsteaded in the late 1800's. Do you know why they sold it?
Because their Social Security payments couldn't cover the cost of property taxes.
Did I mention that I loath the whole SS racket?
EEEK! SQUASHED DISSENT!
Yes dear friends, yet again the EEEEEEEEEEEEvil Right-Wing KKKorporations are squashing the dissent of the valiant Left as they attempt to....
Huh? Whuzzat? Oh....
Scratch that whole Right-Wing bit. It's the NAACP who wants to muzzle one of their own. But their own isn't too happy about it. Very interesting! You know what really gets to me about the Loony Left shrieking that their dissent is being squashed? They pick a national news channel, or an international press luncheon, and give a speech saying that their free speech rights are being denied. Um, hello? Do you see the problem here? Obviously they don't, because they keep making asses of themselves.
Also in the news, Al Gore is claiming that Bush and Co. have been (yawn) misleading the country. Ok, ignoring the fact that the Donks haven't been able to pull out what they've been "mislead" about, (or they get their ass handed to them every time they try), the irony and hipocrisy involved with a member of the Clinton administration accusing Bush of "misleading" the country is so damn thick you can cut it with a knife. Note to Democrats: When accusing the Bush administration of lying, do not, I repeat DO NOT allow any member of the Clinton administration to be your spokesman. Got it? No? Typical.
Still here? Good. Here's an article from an immigration lawyer in California, discussing illegal immigration. This piece only focuses on California, but the problem of illegal immigration is widespread throughout the Southwest. I know of several hospitals who have had to close down because of unreimbursed costs of treating illegals. The costs are rising into the tens of millions of dollars, which the hospitals just can't afford. Cali isn't exactly a small issue, it's a damn big one. But the problems are spread out over several states as well.
Ready for more? The Donks are trying to find a way to attract the NASCAR crowd. Now, I don't want the conservatives to take the NASCAR crowd for granted, but the Donks? Please. Let's see, the Donks are trying to get gas engines up to tighter and tighter controls, trying to ban smoking, refuse to display the American Flag (WARNING: Barking Moonbat link!), ect., ect., ad infinitum. Have they bothered going to a NASCAR race lately? Seriously, have they?
NASCAR is pure testosteone, folks. Massive cars with more horsepower than most trucks on the road. Displays of patriotism are everywhere. I once saw a race where the crowd in the stand had a garrison flag (that's 20 feet by 38 feet, folks!) stretched over an entire section of the seats. The pit crews hold flags during the opening ceremonies, which include not just the performing of the Star Spangled Banner, but an opening invocation. And the crowds themselves are one big middle finger held up to the Surgeon General. There's more beer consumed at a race than you could ever think possible, and if the lights go out the race can continue, thanks to the glow of all the cigarettes in the stands. Remember the Dixie Chicks' remark in England? These are the people who piled up their CD's and ran a bulldozer over them after that remark. Dennis Miller made a joke about it. "I guess making disparaging remarks about the president in a foriegn country in a time of war doesn't go over well with the NASCAR crowd. Who woulda thought?"
In short, these are the people that the Donks loath. These are the people who come home from work covered in dirt, or grease, or oil. These are the people working their asses off for every dime they make, and they resent any Nanny State politician trying to take those dimes away. Religious, patriotic, independant, these are the folks that the Donks can't stand to be in the same room with. And they're trying to attract them as voters? I'll let you guess the results.
That's all for now. Enjoy!
Huh? Whuzzat? Oh....
Scratch that whole Right-Wing bit. It's the NAACP who wants to muzzle one of their own. But their own isn't too happy about it. Very interesting! You know what really gets to me about the Loony Left shrieking that their dissent is being squashed? They pick a national news channel, or an international press luncheon, and give a speech saying that their free speech rights are being denied. Um, hello? Do you see the problem here? Obviously they don't, because they keep making asses of themselves.
Also in the news, Al Gore is claiming that Bush and Co. have been (yawn) misleading the country. Ok, ignoring the fact that the Donks haven't been able to pull out what they've been "mislead" about, (or they get their ass handed to them every time they try), the irony and hipocrisy involved with a member of the Clinton administration accusing Bush of "misleading" the country is so damn thick you can cut it with a knife. Note to Democrats: When accusing the Bush administration of lying, do not, I repeat DO NOT allow any member of the Clinton administration to be your spokesman. Got it? No? Typical.
Still here? Good. Here's an article from an immigration lawyer in California, discussing illegal immigration. This piece only focuses on California, but the problem of illegal immigration is widespread throughout the Southwest. I know of several hospitals who have had to close down because of unreimbursed costs of treating illegals. The costs are rising into the tens of millions of dollars, which the hospitals just can't afford. Cali isn't exactly a small issue, it's a damn big one. But the problems are spread out over several states as well.
Ready for more? The Donks are trying to find a way to attract the NASCAR crowd. Now, I don't want the conservatives to take the NASCAR crowd for granted, but the Donks? Please. Let's see, the Donks are trying to get gas engines up to tighter and tighter controls, trying to ban smoking, refuse to display the American Flag (WARNING: Barking Moonbat link!), ect., ect., ad infinitum. Have they bothered going to a NASCAR race lately? Seriously, have they?
NASCAR is pure testosteone, folks. Massive cars with more horsepower than most trucks on the road. Displays of patriotism are everywhere. I once saw a race where the crowd in the stand had a garrison flag (that's 20 feet by 38 feet, folks!) stretched over an entire section of the seats. The pit crews hold flags during the opening ceremonies, which include not just the performing of the Star Spangled Banner, but an opening invocation. And the crowds themselves are one big middle finger held up to the Surgeon General. There's more beer consumed at a race than you could ever think possible, and if the lights go out the race can continue, thanks to the glow of all the cigarettes in the stands. Remember the Dixie Chicks' remark in England? These are the people who piled up their CD's and ran a bulldozer over them after that remark. Dennis Miller made a joke about it. "I guess making disparaging remarks about the president in a foriegn country in a time of war doesn't go over well with the NASCAR crowd. Who woulda thought?"
In short, these are the people that the Donks loath. These are the people who come home from work covered in dirt, or grease, or oil. These are the people working their asses off for every dime they make, and they resent any Nanny State politician trying to take those dimes away. Religious, patriotic, independant, these are the folks that the Donks can't stand to be in the same room with. And they're trying to attract them as voters? I'll let you guess the results.
That's all for now. Enjoy!
Saturday, August 09, 2003
Great point in a larger editorial that points out the lie in the Jackals attacks on Bush that I pointed out here a couple weeks ago. Bush never said the threat from Saddam was imminent. In fact, he said the argument against the war that relied on the belief that there was not an imminent threat was irresponsible because there can be little certainty as to when a threat becomes imminent. Any responsible national security posture in a post 9/11 world eliminates the threat before it can become imminent. Of course, the suicidal fanatics on the Left have not yet figured this out.
OpinionJournal - Featured Article: "The larger trouble with the imminence threshold is that in a post-September 11 world it is impossible to define and is therefore dangerous. When can we really say that the World Trade Center attack was 'imminent?' Perhaps even Senator Graham would agree it was imminent on September 10, when the killers partied away in Portland, Maine, but of course by then it was too late to stop it except by luck."
OpinionJournal - Featured Article: "The larger trouble with the imminence threshold is that in a post-September 11 world it is impossible to define and is therefore dangerous. When can we really say that the World Trade Center attack was 'imminent?' Perhaps even Senator Graham would agree it was imminent on September 10, when the killers partied away in Portland, Maine, but of course by then it was too late to stop it except by luck."
France is in Trouble
Things aren't going well right now in France. The economy is in the toilet, so with tax revenues down and entitlement payments up, the government is running a big deficit. This puts France in direct violation of EU guidelines.
One of the reasons is that the French tourism industry is in deep trouble, in particular because Americans have decided that they no longer want to visit. There had been hints that something like this might be coming. I predicted it in April. But just after the war, French business leaders publicly denied that there was any real chance of such a thing. After all, deep down the French and Americans are such wonderful friends. Unfortunately, that came across as "whistling past the graveyard", and in June they began to admit that there was a problem, though they still tried to portray it as being small.
Now it's beyond dispute: it is big and it is important.
USS Clueless
Of course, just about every economy in the world is sluggish. Does that effect ours?
Intriguing, isn't it, that when one mentions a poor economy in California, Leftists state that California's woes are inherited from the woes of its "parent" economy, the United States economy. But when Leftists wail and wuffle about the United States economy, they never attribute it to weakness in the world economy.
"Now why is that?" I wonder.
Things aren't going well right now in France. The economy is in the toilet, so with tax revenues down and entitlement payments up, the government is running a big deficit. This puts France in direct violation of EU guidelines.
One of the reasons is that the French tourism industry is in deep trouble, in particular because Americans have decided that they no longer want to visit. There had been hints that something like this might be coming. I predicted it in April. But just after the war, French business leaders publicly denied that there was any real chance of such a thing. After all, deep down the French and Americans are such wonderful friends. Unfortunately, that came across as "whistling past the graveyard", and in June they began to admit that there was a problem, though they still tried to portray it as being small.
Now it's beyond dispute: it is big and it is important.
USS Clueless
Of course, just about every economy in the world is sluggish. Does that effect ours?
Intriguing, isn't it, that when one mentions a poor economy in California, Leftists state that California's woes are inherited from the woes of its "parent" economy, the United States economy. But when Leftists wail and wuffle about the United States economy, they never attribute it to weakness in the world economy.
"Now why is that?" I wonder.
MoveOn Lefties express outrage...
...at things that never happened. No wonder they love the idea of a Nanny State - these extreme American Leftists just need someone to follow.
Hollywood Halfwits -> MoveOn.Org not happy at being called Pro-Saddam by WSJ
...at things that never happened. No wonder they love the idea of a Nanny State - these extreme American Leftists just need someone to follow.
Hollywood Halfwits -> MoveOn.Org not happy at being called Pro-Saddam by WSJ
Tell Me Again Why The Russians Objected
Contrary to what some in the major media have reported, not all the jets found were from the Gulf War era.
The Russian-made MiG-25 Foxbat being recovered by U.S. Air Force troops in the photos is an advanced reconnaissance version never before seen in the West and is equipped with sophisticated electronic warfare devices.
Iraqi 'Mach 3' MiG Buried in Sand
Contrary to what some in the major media have reported, not all the jets found were from the Gulf War era.
The Russian-made MiG-25 Foxbat being recovered by U.S. Air Force troops in the photos is an advanced reconnaissance version never before seen in the West and is equipped with sophisticated electronic warfare devices.
Iraqi 'Mach 3' MiG Buried in Sand
Friday, August 08, 2003
N. Korea next to hear U.S. war drum
A senior Pentagon adviser has given details of a war strategy for invading North Korea and toppling its regime within 30 to 60 days, adding muscle to a lobbying campaign by U.S. hawks urging a pre-emptive military strike against Pyongyang's nuclear facilities.
Less than four months after the end of the Iraq war, the war drums in Washington have begun pounding again. A growing number of influential U.S. leaders are talking openly of military action against North Korea to destroy its nuclear-weapons program, and even those who prefer negotiations are warning of the mounting danger of war.
The Globe and Mail
A senior Pentagon adviser has given details of a war strategy for invading North Korea and toppling its regime within 30 to 60 days, adding muscle to a lobbying campaign by U.S. hawks urging a pre-emptive military strike against Pyongyang's nuclear facilities.
Less than four months after the end of the Iraq war, the war drums in Washington have begun pounding again. A growing number of influential U.S. leaders are talking openly of military action against North Korea to destroy its nuclear-weapons program, and even those who prefer negotiations are warning of the mounting danger of war.
The Globe and Mail
Car Chases Too Dangerous
A federal appeals court has ruled that police may not use deadly force to stop someone trying to get away in a car, even if the chase itself presents a danger to public safety. It’s better, the court said, for police to just stop chasing.
Court: Car chases too dangerous
A federal appeals court has ruled that police may not use deadly force to stop someone trying to get away in a car, even if the chase itself presents a danger to public safety. It’s better, the court said, for police to just stop chasing.
Court: Car chases too dangerous
Davey Boy's Bag o' Fun!
Quite a few good articles today, several from Townhall.com. One by Rich Lowry, one by Larry Elder (which I will touch on more in a moment), one from Jonah Goldberg (Not as funny as usual, but still insightful), one from Michelle Malkin (Sexy, smart, conservative. It doesn't get any better than this, boys), and one last article by Paul Crespo, who attempts to figuratively smack President Bush upside the head. With good reason.
Now then, the article by Larry Elder on North Korea. This is one of the great hipocrisies that the Dimmy Donk Nine have been involved with. They shrieked and fumed at Bush's "unilateral" action in Iraq, (Translation: Joined by 45 different countries, but not France or Germany), but they want Bush to act unilaterally with North Korea.
After the way the Donks handled North Korea last time (Possibility of two nuclear weapons already built, in violation of every treaty they've signed with us on that topic) it still amazes me that the Donks think that they have ANY credibility left. If Clinton and Jimmah Cah-tuh hadn't screwed the pooch on this in the '90s, we wouldn't be staring at a mad, power-hungry dictator with delusions of grandure and a pudgy little finger on a big red button.
Okay, onto the blogs. Just two articles for you today, one from The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler. Short short version, the mayor of Hiroshima is pissed that the USA might be looking at R&D for tactical nukes.
Tadatoshi Akiba said Washington's apparent worship of "nuclear weapons as God" was threatening world peace
And here's where I get really mad and need to walk around to calm down.....
Akiba didn't directly criticize Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions. But he urged North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, President Bush and the heads of other nuclear-armed countries to visit Hiroshima and confront the nuclear attack's aftermath.
Right. So a sawed-off half-pint threatening everyone and their mothers with nuclear war doesn't get your ire up, but a country who wants to develop weapons to deal with said half-pint is horrible and bad? Do I have that correct, Mr. Mayor?
Must. Calm. Down...... Need. Beer. Badly.
So I figure that I'll leave that blog, and go read up on some nifty obscure firearm to calm myself down. Hey, it works for me, don't knock it! I can't afford the range fees right now, so I have to read about some WWII rifle. It's a cheap substitute, but it works. Anyways, I go over to Mr. Firearms himself, Kim du Toit, and what do I see?
Yet another blood pressure raising report on liberal idiocy.
Want to guess who it's about? Do ya? Do ya? C'mon, take a guess! Here, I'll even give you a clue!
"It has been clear for a number of years that there really is a vast right-wing conspiracy.
Anyways, I have leatherwork to finish, guns to be cleaned, a motorcycle to be covered, and my blood pressure is up to the "Dollar signs popping out of cardiologist's eyes" levels. Time for me to drink a brew, plop down on the couch, and sign off for the night.
Toodles!
Quite a few good articles today, several from Townhall.com. One by Rich Lowry, one by Larry Elder (which I will touch on more in a moment), one from Jonah Goldberg (Not as funny as usual, but still insightful), one from Michelle Malkin (Sexy, smart, conservative. It doesn't get any better than this, boys), and one last article by Paul Crespo, who attempts to figuratively smack President Bush upside the head. With good reason.
Now then, the article by Larry Elder on North Korea. This is one of the great hipocrisies that the Dimmy Donk Nine have been involved with. They shrieked and fumed at Bush's "unilateral" action in Iraq, (Translation: Joined by 45 different countries, but not France or Germany), but they want Bush to act unilaterally with North Korea.
After the way the Donks handled North Korea last time (Possibility of two nuclear weapons already built, in violation of every treaty they've signed with us on that topic) it still amazes me that the Donks think that they have ANY credibility left. If Clinton and Jimmah Cah-tuh hadn't screwed the pooch on this in the '90s, we wouldn't be staring at a mad, power-hungry dictator with delusions of grandure and a pudgy little finger on a big red button.
Okay, onto the blogs. Just two articles for you today, one from The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler. Short short version, the mayor of Hiroshima is pissed that the USA might be looking at R&D for tactical nukes.
Tadatoshi Akiba said Washington's apparent worship of "nuclear weapons as God" was threatening world peace
And here's where I get really mad and need to walk around to calm down.....
Akiba didn't directly criticize Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions. But he urged North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, President Bush and the heads of other nuclear-armed countries to visit Hiroshima and confront the nuclear attack's aftermath.
Right. So a sawed-off half-pint threatening everyone and their mothers with nuclear war doesn't get your ire up, but a country who wants to develop weapons to deal with said half-pint is horrible and bad? Do I have that correct, Mr. Mayor?
Must. Calm. Down...... Need. Beer. Badly.
So I figure that I'll leave that blog, and go read up on some nifty obscure firearm to calm myself down. Hey, it works for me, don't knock it! I can't afford the range fees right now, so I have to read about some WWII rifle. It's a cheap substitute, but it works. Anyways, I go over to Mr. Firearms himself, Kim du Toit, and what do I see?
Yet another blood pressure raising report on liberal idiocy.
Want to guess who it's about? Do ya? Do ya? C'mon, take a guess! Here, I'll even give you a clue!
"It has been clear for a number of years that there really is a vast right-wing conspiracy.
Anyways, I have leatherwork to finish, guns to be cleaned, a motorcycle to be covered, and my blood pressure is up to the "Dollar signs popping out of cardiologist's eyes" levels. Time for me to drink a brew, plop down on the couch, and sign off for the night.
Toodles!
New York Time - Duped Again
I check the Corrections section of the New York Times every couple of days, mainly for laughs. But occasionally you find something more serious, like this entry from yesterday's edition...
Power Line: New York Times Hoaxed
I check the Corrections section of the New York Times every couple of days, mainly for laughs. But occasionally you find something more serious, like this entry from yesterday's edition...
Power Line: New York Times Hoaxed
Australian Paper reports...
A high-ranking al-Qaeda operative in custody disclosed that Iraq supplied the Islamist militant group with material to build chemical and biological weapons, the White House said today.
"A senior al-Qaeda terrorist, now detained, who had been responsible for al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan, reports that al-Qaeda was intent on obtaining (weapons of mass destruction) assistance from Iraq," the White House said in a report.
Al-Qaeda chief told us Iraq supplied WMD material: US - War on Iraq - smh.com.au
A high-ranking al-Qaeda operative in custody disclosed that Iraq supplied the Islamist militant group with material to build chemical and biological weapons, the White House said today.
"A senior al-Qaeda terrorist, now detained, who had been responsible for al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan, reports that al-Qaeda was intent on obtaining (weapons of mass destruction) assistance from Iraq," the White House said in a report.
Al-Qaeda chief told us Iraq supplied WMD material: US - War on Iraq - smh.com.au
Younger Blacks Not Kneejerk Democrats
The more economically self-sufficient blacks become, the more education they get, the more successful they are, the more likely they are to reject the Democratic Party that has taken them for granted at the polls for thirty years.
Blacks are largely powerless politically, as Republicans ignore them, knowing they don't vote Republican, and Democrats assume the vote. This article quotes a couple young black folk who get it, and sooner or later it will become widespread conventional wisdom: if blacks were to vote Republican en masse, just once, their political power would increase tenfold.
Younger Blacks Tell Democrats to Take Notice
The more economically self-sufficient blacks become, the more education they get, the more successful they are, the more likely they are to reject the Democratic Party that has taken them for granted at the polls for thirty years.
Blacks are largely powerless politically, as Republicans ignore them, knowing they don't vote Republican, and Democrats assume the vote. This article quotes a couple young black folk who get it, and sooner or later it will become widespread conventional wisdom: if blacks were to vote Republican en masse, just once, their political power would increase tenfold.
Younger Blacks Tell Democrats to Take Notice
Thursday, August 07, 2003
German Schools in Trouble
It sounds like every child's dream: only 41/2 hours of school a day, no attendance taken, a free day if a teacher is sick, no punishment for playing hooky.
But this is no dream, as Germans have suddenly awakened to discover; it's the sorry state of their schools.
Germany's education system, like its economy, was once considered the pride of Europe. Worries about the stagnating economy have recently preoccupied Germans, and now they are realizing their schools are also in trouble.
Click Me
When were German schools and its economy the pride of Europe?
It sounds like every child's dream: only 41/2 hours of school a day, no attendance taken, a free day if a teacher is sick, no punishment for playing hooky.
But this is no dream, as Germans have suddenly awakened to discover; it's the sorry state of their schools.
Germany's education system, like its economy, was once considered the pride of Europe. Worries about the stagnating economy have recently preoccupied Germans, and now they are realizing their schools are also in trouble.
Click Me
When were German schools and its economy the pride of Europe?
Tim's Daily Notes
There's a New Wacko in Town The Lopsided Poopdeck
Doctor Dean Does the Dance Dean sez: "I misspoke".
What Liberal Media? Check the tone of this fawning Associated Press piece on Texas Democrats.
Absent Texas Senators Remain Steadfast
It's the Skin Color, Stupid! Al Shaprton says white newsrooms are holding him back.
Disenfranchisers-R-Us California won't open some precincts for the recall election October 7th.
Run Al Run! Cuomo sez Gore should run.
There's a New Wacko in Town The Lopsided Poopdeck
Doctor Dean Does the Dance Dean sez: "I misspoke".
What Liberal Media? Check the tone of this fawning Associated Press piece on Texas Democrats.
Absent Texas Senators Remain Steadfast
It's the Skin Color, Stupid! Al Shaprton says white newsrooms are holding him back.
Disenfranchisers-R-Us California won't open some precincts for the recall election October 7th.
Run Al Run! Cuomo sez Gore should run.
Wednesday, August 06, 2003
Dean On Civil Liberties
What indignation (and perhaps rightly so) The Patriot Act has stirred in Liberal circles! Looks like American Leftist Hero Doctor Dean had the same reaction to the events of 11 September 2001. His hindsight is uberProgressive 20/20 now though <rolling eyes/>
Dateline : Montpelier, September 14, 2001
Dean said Wednesday he believed that the attacks and their aftermath would “require a re-evaluation of the importance of some of our specific civil liberties. I think there are going to be debates about what can be said where, what can be printed where, what kind of freedom of movement people have and whether it's OK for a policeman to ask for your ID just because you're walking down the street.”
The Rutland Herald Online - Dean's comments on civil liberties cause alarm
Courtesy Instapundit
What indignation (and perhaps rightly so) The Patriot Act has stirred in Liberal circles! Looks like American Leftist Hero Doctor Dean had the same reaction to the events of 11 September 2001. His hindsight is uberProgressive 20/20 now though <rolling eyes/>
Dateline : Montpelier, September 14, 2001
Dean said Wednesday he believed that the attacks and their aftermath would “require a re-evaluation of the importance of some of our specific civil liberties. I think there are going to be debates about what can be said where, what can be printed where, what kind of freedom of movement people have and whether it's OK for a policeman to ask for your ID just because you're walking down the street.”
The Rutland Herald Online - Dean's comments on civil liberties cause alarm
Courtesy Instapundit
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