Several months ago (not sure if I posted about it here or not) I went ahead and requested the free copy of the Qur'an that CAIR was sending out. Naturally it was part of a "understand Islam" thing that stemmed from some Muslim doing something that got Jihad watchers' attention.
I requested a copy for two reasons. One, it's the word from the horse's mouth. Two, I thought it might be a good idea to see what exactly CAIR was passing off to non-Muslims as the text of the Qur'an. Clearly, if they're passing off a sterilized version, then its usefulness is as a primary source is....well.... rubbish.
So it arrived sometime just after Thanksgiving and I put it on my book shelf. I had a some time today so I pulled it down to see if any editing had taken place and so far it looks.... thoroughly sterilized. I did a quick search to locate chapter and verse coordinates for some of the more questionable passages and upon flipping to them in the CAIR provided copy, nada.
The search I've done to point is in no way conclusive or thorough, but the preliminary findings point to CAIR having edited out every anti-semitic phrase in the book.
Even if there was no anti-semitism involved in the current practice of Islam it wouldn't justify editing it out of the book. There are numerous allusions to slavery in the Christian Bible and while slavery is universally condemned in Christian countries when missionaries hand out Bibles, they don't hand out books with all references to slavery omitted.
But anti-semitism is very much a part of current Islamic practice in much of the world so to remove the passages in the Qur'an which feed into that is damning evidence of the actual reasons behind CAIR's efforts. Clearly they are less interested in providing real information than they are in dispensing propaganda.
If my future findings continue along the lines of the ones I've already made then it will be further evidence of CAIR's malign intentions. For what purpose, if not profound, could drive a person or persons to so drastically edit their holy texts?
At any rate it looks like I'm actually going to have to go out and purchase a copy of the Qur'an in order to have my primary source, but I'm not sorry I requested this one from CAIR. It too will serve as a primary source, but not in the manner in which they intended.
Infidel One, signing off.
12.17.2006
11.29.2006
Of Batman and NATO....
As an old comic book fan I grew up with an understanding of certain things. There are good guys. There are bad guys. Sometimes the good guys have to kick the bad guys asses. And most importantly when people ask "Who are you to do this?" or "Why you?" The answer is "I can distinguish right from wrong and I have the will to act." The will to act is the fundamental super power. (It's really the only one that Batman has.)
Sometimes you'll have allies. Sometimes you won't. The reasons for your company or solitude may vary, but having company or not doesn't ever absolve you of your responsibility to act.
This is really my way of saying there's nothing wrong with unilateral action.
Our reliance on NATO in Afganistan is counter productive. When I say this, I'm not talking about specific member nations, but rather NATO as a whole. Specific member nations are allies, the NATO as a whole is an institution.
As an institution NATO hangs around in Afganistan so that we can say "multi-lateral". This is because multi-lateral is supposed to be the end all be all of all things swell. It's become the goal in itself. Having NATO in Afganistan has turned out to be alot like conveening the JLA for iced mocha lattes while the Legion of Doom is out looting.
But the JLA could always depend on Batman to pick up the slack. If there was a problem that no one wanted to think about or seemed to awful to imagine, Batman would think about it. Batman would imagine it.
(In case you're not following I'm about to compare the United States to Batman).
The U.S. is (for the most part) like Batman in this little construct. We're rich, well trained, smart, our hearts are in the right places, and we're willing to think of the things that other folks aren't. Additionally we are (sometimes) gifted with a will to act that exceeds anything this world has ever known.
We're using NATO in Afganistan to let some of that will slide. NATO isn't picking up the slack.
It's nice for batman when the JLA pulls their weight. A few more shoulders to share the weight of the world is groovy sometimes. But it's not necessary. NATO doesn't want to do the work? Fine. Time for them to take a backseat then.
We can't really afford to continue to stand around with our hands on our hips begging the JLA to actually join the fight. Batman and the few allies who are willing to fight have to step up and put the bad guys down. The JLA can push the broom when we're done.
Sometimes you'll have allies. Sometimes you won't. The reasons for your company or solitude may vary, but having company or not doesn't ever absolve you of your responsibility to act.
This is really my way of saying there's nothing wrong with unilateral action.
Our reliance on NATO in Afganistan is counter productive. When I say this, I'm not talking about specific member nations, but rather NATO as a whole. Specific member nations are allies, the NATO as a whole is an institution.
As an institution NATO hangs around in Afganistan so that we can say "multi-lateral". This is because multi-lateral is supposed to be the end all be all of all things swell. It's become the goal in itself. Having NATO in Afganistan has turned out to be alot like conveening the JLA for iced mocha lattes while the Legion of Doom is out looting.
But the JLA could always depend on Batman to pick up the slack. If there was a problem that no one wanted to think about or seemed to awful to imagine, Batman would think about it. Batman would imagine it.
(In case you're not following I'm about to compare the United States to Batman).
The U.S. is (for the most part) like Batman in this little construct. We're rich, well trained, smart, our hearts are in the right places, and we're willing to think of the things that other folks aren't. Additionally we are (sometimes) gifted with a will to act that exceeds anything this world has ever known.
We're using NATO in Afganistan to let some of that will slide. NATO isn't picking up the slack.
It's nice for batman when the JLA pulls their weight. A few more shoulders to share the weight of the world is groovy sometimes. But it's not necessary. NATO doesn't want to do the work? Fine. Time for them to take a backseat then.
We can't really afford to continue to stand around with our hands on our hips begging the JLA to actually join the fight. Batman and the few allies who are willing to fight have to step up and put the bad guys down. The JLA can push the broom when we're done.
Spot of Good News....
Now I know that I've been a sporadic blogger as of late, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been paying attention. And over the past week or so, I've watched people get their panties all up in a twist over President Bush talking to Iran and Syria. Well, here it is- the end of the world.
WASHINGTON — As pressure mounts for the United States to seek direct talks on Iraq with Iran and Syria, President Bush appeared Tuesday to rule out any change in his administration's policy toward those Iraqi neighbors.
Or not. Of course it is the LA Times and this is the same President who appeared to rule out firing Rumsfeld (just before he fired him), so who's to say....
Still, I know I'm not alone in hoping that this is one story we can take to the bank.
WASHINGTON — As pressure mounts for the United States to seek direct talks on Iraq with Iran and Syria, President Bush appeared Tuesday to rule out any change in his administration's policy toward those Iraqi neighbors.
Or not. Of course it is the LA Times and this is the same President who appeared to rule out firing Rumsfeld (just before he fired him), so who's to say....
Still, I know I'm not alone in hoping that this is one story we can take to the bank.
Not Exactly Official....
...but close enough. An upcoming book lists the old home town as one of the worst.
Contrary to the city's new tourist slogan, contrary to its being named last year as one of the top 10 summer travel destinations in the world, and maybe just plain contrary, Gilmartin has proclaimed Baltimore one of "The Absolutely Worst Places to Live in America."
No surprise there. Baltimore, MD is the murder capital of the country. That's right, Charm City is one of a handful of places in this country where the homicide rate actually increases each year.
At any rate, the real gem in the article is this little diddy:
"I've got one word for this guy: Loser," she said, flipping through the pocket-sized hardback book in her office. "I think it's sad people have to sink this low to make a dollar and get something published." Gosson called the book superficial, one-sided and said it reinforced negative and outdated stereotypes.
That's from an executive director of an organization founded to promote city living. Stellar debate skills. I wonder if she made an 'L' with her thumb and index finger and held it up to her forhead when she said that. Maybe she's a product of Baltimore's brilliant public education system. But the Baltimore Sun saved the best for last.
"Besides, who wants perfection? Perfection is boring."
Call me crazy, but not being stabbed to death over a cell phone and a sandwich coming home from work sounds like the kind of boring a girl could appreciate.
Contrary to the city's new tourist slogan, contrary to its being named last year as one of the top 10 summer travel destinations in the world, and maybe just plain contrary, Gilmartin has proclaimed Baltimore one of "The Absolutely Worst Places to Live in America."
No surprise there. Baltimore, MD is the murder capital of the country. That's right, Charm City is one of a handful of places in this country where the homicide rate actually increases each year.
At any rate, the real gem in the article is this little diddy:
"I've got one word for this guy: Loser," she said, flipping through the pocket-sized hardback book in her office. "I think it's sad people have to sink this low to make a dollar and get something published." Gosson called the book superficial, one-sided and said it reinforced negative and outdated stereotypes.
That's from an executive director of an organization founded to promote city living. Stellar debate skills. I wonder if she made an 'L' with her thumb and index finger and held it up to her forhead when she said that. Maybe she's a product of Baltimore's brilliant public education system. But the Baltimore Sun saved the best for last.
"Besides, who wants perfection? Perfection is boring."
Call me crazy, but not being stabbed to death over a cell phone and a sandwich coming home from work sounds like the kind of boring a girl could appreciate.
11.16.2006
Uhggg....
If you ever had any reason to doubt the sheer partisan nature of the Pravda on the Hudson this should make the picture perfectly clear.
The same news paper that's been screaming quagmire and calling for our immediate cut and run from Iraq is now calling for more troops.
The Dem's get congress, the Hudson Pravda wants increased troop levels. Maybe the media isn't as naive as we here on the right have been saying.
But that's a mixed bag. What that means is that the liberal press has been knowingly sabotaging the war effort in a shameless attempt to manipulate the election. Do you really think that the anyone suddenly woke up this moring or yesterday morning and said "Holy crap! Jihadi's!" Of course not. To borrow from the political opposition: The MSM lied and troops died.
The Hudson Pravda engaged in a systematic campaign to destroy the resolve of the populace to continue the War for Western Civilization so the Democrats could gain control of congress.
Repugnant. Now that the Democrats have won, they seek to un-do the damage they wrought. They know how important it is that we win this war, yet they were willing to sabotage it.
Another round of cancelled subscriptions? I certainly hope so.
The same news paper that's been screaming quagmire and calling for our immediate cut and run from Iraq is now calling for more troops.
The Dem's get congress, the Hudson Pravda wants increased troop levels. Maybe the media isn't as naive as we here on the right have been saying.
But that's a mixed bag. What that means is that the liberal press has been knowingly sabotaging the war effort in a shameless attempt to manipulate the election. Do you really think that the anyone suddenly woke up this moring or yesterday morning and said "Holy crap! Jihadi's!" Of course not. To borrow from the political opposition: The MSM lied and troops died.
The Hudson Pravda engaged in a systematic campaign to destroy the resolve of the populace to continue the War for Western Civilization so the Democrats could gain control of congress.
Repugnant. Now that the Democrats have won, they seek to un-do the damage they wrought. They know how important it is that we win this war, yet they were willing to sabotage it.
Another round of cancelled subscriptions? I certainly hope so.
11.15.2006
Just In From The Translation Department....
In case you missed it, Michael Moore has a list of promises for conservatives. Of course those promises are in moon-speak so, we ran them through the ol' translator before laying them out for our loyal readers (hi, mom and dad).
1.) We will never call you "unpatriotic" because we don't really know what it means. Instead we'll call you Nazis. They tried to establish democracy in Iraq too. We think.
2.) You haven't heard the last from our activist judges.
3.) We won't spend your money and your grandchildren's money so much as give it away. Though some of it just might end up in a few freezers. Doesn't that sound balanced?
4.) After we snatch defeat from the jaws of victory we'll promptly resume hamstringing the military and the intellegence community. Viva la France deux!
5.) Under Hillary Care we'll all suffer equally. Whether rich or poor, your chances of dying while waiting for medical attention will sky rocket. The government is so swell at everything else, why shouldn't it be in charge of your health?
6.) We don't need no stinking economy. We will run with brother bear and swim with sister salmon over the crumbling remains of eeeeviiil western capitalism.
7.) Our enemies are going to have to nuke us before we decide they're worth fighting. Now that's what we call safe!
8.) We will be far too concerned with emptying your wallet and controlling your speech crime to look in your bedroom. Yet. Unless you're a Republican- then your bedroom and your families' bedrooms are totally fair game.
9.) We will promptly disarm the law abiding populace. Criminals should not be in fear while carrying out their chosen professions. Additionally the last recourse of the people against the tyrany of government is to lay down and surrender. If you cooperate with the bandits they probably won't kill you. See? Safe.
10.) So what if you have to work the register in a fast food restaurant to earn minimum wage? Everyone's entitled to whatever they want regardless of education or work ethic. In light of this we will continue all social engineering. At your expense.
11.) We encourage the practice and respect off all religions except for Christianity and Judaeism. We elevate Islam as being more equal than the others, and extremism will not be tolerated unless we have to worry about you murdering non-Jews.
12.) "We will not tolerate politicians who are corrupt and who are bought and paid for by the rich. We will go after any elected leader who puts him or herself ahead of the people. And we promise you we will go after the corrupt politicians on our side FIRST. If we fail to do this, we need you to call us on it. Simply because we are in power does not give
us the right to turn our heads the other way when our party goes astray." NOT!
1.) We will never call you "unpatriotic" because we don't really know what it means. Instead we'll call you Nazis. They tried to establish democracy in Iraq too. We think.
2.) You haven't heard the last from our activist judges.
3.) We won't spend your money and your grandchildren's money so much as give it away. Though some of it just might end up in a few freezers. Doesn't that sound balanced?
4.) After we snatch defeat from the jaws of victory we'll promptly resume hamstringing the military and the intellegence community. Viva la France deux!
5.) Under Hillary Care we'll all suffer equally. Whether rich or poor, your chances of dying while waiting for medical attention will sky rocket. The government is so swell at everything else, why shouldn't it be in charge of your health?
6.) We don't need no stinking economy. We will run with brother bear and swim with sister salmon over the crumbling remains of eeeeviiil western capitalism.
7.) Our enemies are going to have to nuke us before we decide they're worth fighting. Now that's what we call safe!
8.) We will be far too concerned with emptying your wallet and controlling your speech crime to look in your bedroom. Yet. Unless you're a Republican- then your bedroom and your families' bedrooms are totally fair game.
9.) We will promptly disarm the law abiding populace. Criminals should not be in fear while carrying out their chosen professions. Additionally the last recourse of the people against the tyrany of government is to lay down and surrender. If you cooperate with the bandits they probably won't kill you. See? Safe.
10.) So what if you have to work the register in a fast food restaurant to earn minimum wage? Everyone's entitled to whatever they want regardless of education or work ethic. In light of this we will continue all social engineering. At your expense.
11.) We encourage the practice and respect off all religions except for Christianity and Judaeism. We elevate Islam as being more equal than the others, and extremism will not be tolerated unless we have to worry about you murdering non-Jews.
12.) "We will not tolerate politicians who are corrupt and who are bought and paid for by the rich. We will go after any elected leader who puts him or herself ahead of the people. And we promise you we will go after the corrupt politicians on our side FIRST. If we fail to do this, we need you to call us on it. Simply because we are in power does not give
us the right to turn our heads the other way when our party goes astray." NOT!
11.12.2006
Another Wake Up Call
Head over to NRO and check out the link.
You criticize your history, your institutions, your churches. Why can't you realize that it has nothing to do with what you have done but with what they want."
You criticize your history, your institutions, your churches. Why can't you realize that it has nothing to do with what you have done but with what they want."
Of Elections and Name Changes....
Where to start? Well, I suppose with the name change. I'm just feeling more snarky and smarmy than angry these days.
Getting rid of Rumsfeld was a mistake as was the way in which it was done.
That said, let's talk about the election. We lost. The morning after was rainy here in Maryland, some might say appropriately. I confess, I broke my promise to myself about avoiding exit polls. I watched them all night- well, most of the night. Additionally I am embarrassed to admit that when I woke up on Wednesday morning and saw the results I had a "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" moment. You know that scene towards the end where Jimmy Stewart is on the steps of the Lincoln memorial, bags packed, ready to hop the first bus back home? Well that was me, but minus the "bus back home" bit. I was ready to toss in the towel, "If my fellow Americans lack the courage and resolve to do what's necessary then we deserve the dark world we're sure to get." In fact, embarrassed doesn't cover it. I'm deeply ashamed of my initial response.
It lasted for about a minute and a half. Then I pulled myself together, re-embraced democracy, rolled up my sleeves and committed myself to the long haul. Democracy means sometimes you're on the losing side. And the Republicans deserved to lose congress this election. The Democrats didn't really deserve to win it, but...well- as with all things it's a mixed bag.
Bill Whittle (who has a new essay out) graced us with a blog post after the election which sums up how I feel about things (post first minute and a half) quite nicely. The short of it is that a Democrat controlled congress is going to make things more difficult for us, but we still have a job to do. The fact that the mission just got harder doesn't absolve us of the responsibility to complete it. It will probably require more of us, and the price of victory probably just got higher. It's still a price worth paying, because the price of defeat is too great to fathom.
It's time to roll our sleeves up even further and dig in even deeper. It's going to take hard work, but hard work is something that Americans practically have the market cornered on. This is a nation of hard workers the likes of which the world has never seen before.
The bums got tossed on the second. There are positives that could come of that. The Republicans will (hopefully) take a second to analyze exactly why they lost. This was a wake up call that just may have helped us avoid a real disaster in '08. Additionally having gained power, I hope that the accompanying responsibility will serve to wizen the Democrats.
Don't mistake the positive tone of this post to mean that I'm not concerned. I am. However, I'm determined not to fall into the hole that caught the Democrats up. I will not be shrill or hysterical. I will not compare Nancy Pelosi to Osama Bin Laden or the Democratic Party to Al Qaida. I will keep my conversation civil and my discourse will continue to be based in fact and logic. The Democrats aren't the enemy the terrorists are and if the Democrats could see that about the Republicans we'd have an easier time of things. Hopefully control of congress will allow them to see that.
For the good of the Republican Party I'm not going to pull any punches when it comes to calling out shrill crazed members from my side of the aisle. To demonstrate this I'm going to coin a new term: Moongopher.
Moongophers are the rightwing equivalent of moonbats. They're shrill, irrational, and hysterical. Let's hope I don't have cause to use it often.
Getting rid of Rumsfeld was a mistake as was the way in which it was done.
That said, let's talk about the election. We lost. The morning after was rainy here in Maryland, some might say appropriately. I confess, I broke my promise to myself about avoiding exit polls. I watched them all night- well, most of the night. Additionally I am embarrassed to admit that when I woke up on Wednesday morning and saw the results I had a "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" moment. You know that scene towards the end where Jimmy Stewart is on the steps of the Lincoln memorial, bags packed, ready to hop the first bus back home? Well that was me, but minus the "bus back home" bit. I was ready to toss in the towel, "If my fellow Americans lack the courage and resolve to do what's necessary then we deserve the dark world we're sure to get." In fact, embarrassed doesn't cover it. I'm deeply ashamed of my initial response.
It lasted for about a minute and a half. Then I pulled myself together, re-embraced democracy, rolled up my sleeves and committed myself to the long haul. Democracy means sometimes you're on the losing side. And the Republicans deserved to lose congress this election. The Democrats didn't really deserve to win it, but...well- as with all things it's a mixed bag.
Bill Whittle (who has a new essay out) graced us with a blog post after the election which sums up how I feel about things (post first minute and a half) quite nicely. The short of it is that a Democrat controlled congress is going to make things more difficult for us, but we still have a job to do. The fact that the mission just got harder doesn't absolve us of the responsibility to complete it. It will probably require more of us, and the price of victory probably just got higher. It's still a price worth paying, because the price of defeat is too great to fathom.
It's time to roll our sleeves up even further and dig in even deeper. It's going to take hard work, but hard work is something that Americans practically have the market cornered on. This is a nation of hard workers the likes of which the world has never seen before.
The bums got tossed on the second. There are positives that could come of that. The Republicans will (hopefully) take a second to analyze exactly why they lost. This was a wake up call that just may have helped us avoid a real disaster in '08. Additionally having gained power, I hope that the accompanying responsibility will serve to wizen the Democrats.
Don't mistake the positive tone of this post to mean that I'm not concerned. I am. However, I'm determined not to fall into the hole that caught the Democrats up. I will not be shrill or hysterical. I will not compare Nancy Pelosi to Osama Bin Laden or the Democratic Party to Al Qaida. I will keep my conversation civil and my discourse will continue to be based in fact and logic. The Democrats aren't the enemy the terrorists are and if the Democrats could see that about the Republicans we'd have an easier time of things. Hopefully control of congress will allow them to see that.
For the good of the Republican Party I'm not going to pull any punches when it comes to calling out shrill crazed members from my side of the aisle. To demonstrate this I'm going to coin a new term: Moongopher.
Moongophers are the rightwing equivalent of moonbats. They're shrill, irrational, and hysterical. Let's hope I don't have cause to use it often.
8.14.2006
Looking Good....
Just finished watching the season premier of Showtime's Weeds. If you haven't seen Weeds, it's about Nancy, a suburban housewife-come widow, who takes to selling pot in order to support her family after her husband dies of a heart attack. She doesn't exactly like what she does, but she's good at it.
The show is hilarious in a bitter-sweet sort of way. Nancy's interactions with other people in the community (and often the interactions between other community members) provide most of the comedy. However Nancy's struggle to keep her family and her life from completely coming apart at the seems is the real heart of the show. It's the combination of those elements which makes Weeds a must see.
In fact, I dare you to try it. No peer pressure though. But you'll thank me later.
The show is hilarious in a bitter-sweet sort of way. Nancy's interactions with other people in the community (and often the interactions between other community members) provide most of the comedy. However Nancy's struggle to keep her family and her life from completely coming apart at the seems is the real heart of the show. It's the combination of those elements which makes Weeds a must see.
In fact, I dare you to try it. No peer pressure though. But you'll thank me later.
8.07.2006
Party Census....
So I just got this year's Republican Party Census, and true to political questionnaire form the questions are designed to ellicit the "right" answers.
Here's my favorite:
"Do you agree with President Bush's call for a comprehensive approach to immigration reform that secures our borders, meets the Nation's economic needs and protects the rights of legal immigrants while not unfairly rewarding those who came here unlawfully?"
Too bad there's no option for "I would absolutely support such a call, if President Bush made it." Seriously, how does his amnesty policy fit any of those categories? I know someone out there is bound to say "illegal immigrants do the jobs that Americans won't do.", but that's horse shit. Illegal immigrants do jobs for less money than American's and legal immigrants are willing to accept. They stunt our economy, not drive it.
Don't know if I'm going to fill it out and send it back yet. The WoT section is worth giving them feedback on, if only to make sure that at least one party is committed to our victory in this.
Here's my favorite:
"Do you agree with President Bush's call for a comprehensive approach to immigration reform that secures our borders, meets the Nation's economic needs and protects the rights of legal immigrants while not unfairly rewarding those who came here unlawfully?"
Too bad there's no option for "I would absolutely support such a call, if President Bush made it." Seriously, how does his amnesty policy fit any of those categories? I know someone out there is bound to say "illegal immigrants do the jobs that Americans won't do.", but that's horse shit. Illegal immigrants do jobs for less money than American's and legal immigrants are willing to accept. They stunt our economy, not drive it.
Don't know if I'm going to fill it out and send it back yet. The WoT section is worth giving them feedback on, if only to make sure that at least one party is committed to our victory in this.
8.05.2006
From the Front Lines....
Israeli soilders on the realities of the war....
“It was hell. They are really well trained. They’re not suckers, they know how to fight,” said one, slumped on the pavement. “You’re scared the whole time over there. We didn’t get any sleep the whole week.” There was not a voice of dissent.
This quote at the end is a real gem though....
“But what is very important is that this is a just war on our part. Because they are a bunch of f***ing terrorists.”
I think that sums it up, quite nicely.
“It was hell. They are really well trained. They’re not suckers, they know how to fight,” said one, slumped on the pavement. “You’re scared the whole time over there. We didn’t get any sleep the whole week.” There was not a voice of dissent.
This quote at the end is a real gem though....
“But what is very important is that this is a just war on our part. Because they are a bunch of f***ing terrorists.”
I think that sums it up, quite nicely.
8.03.2006
Good News Boys and Girls....
I haven't been the only blogger on.... vacation. Bill Whittle's been gone a while too. And the good news is that I'm not the only blogger who's back. That's right, Eject Eject Eject is back with all new material and Bill Whittle's talking about a new book.
He came back while I was gone, and already has a couple of new posts (including two new essays) up, so I'm just going to send you to the main page.
He came back while I was gone, and already has a couple of new posts (including two new essays) up, so I'm just going to send you to the main page.
Coverage From Israel....
Atlas has been (and still is) touring Israel and her blog is full of excellent coverage, but today she's got some great stuff from the front line.
First the North, where yesterday there were over 230 rockets were fired at civilians and two Iranian missiles made it further into Israel than ever before. With each launch the barbarians learn more. Yesterday I spent the top of the day on the Gaza border.
It's a huge post with photos and video embeds. Get the full experience.
First the North, where yesterday there were over 230 rockets were fired at civilians and two Iranian missiles made it further into Israel than ever before. With each launch the barbarians learn more. Yesterday I spent the top of the day on the Gaza border.
It's a huge post with photos and video embeds. Get the full experience.
9/11 Loose Change Guys Laughing at Flight 93
These bastards are dispicable and there's a special place in hell for the lot of them.
Hot Air has installments 2 and 3. We all have to do our part to confront this insanity. The people who create and perpetuate it are probably beyond reason, but we can help the unfortunate people they fool.
To help you help others, check out Screw Loose Change.
Hot Air has installments 2 and 3. We all have to do our part to confront this insanity. The people who create and perpetuate it are probably beyond reason, but we can help the unfortunate people they fool.
To help you help others, check out Screw Loose Change.
I, For One, Am Shocked....
...simply shocked that this didn't make the MSM. /sarcasm
When live Jews can’t be found, dead ones are targeted. In Belgium last week, the urn that contained ashes from Auschwitz was desecrated at the Brussels memorial to the 25,411 Belgian Jews deported to Nazi death camps. It was smashed and excrement smeared over it. The silence from Belgian leaders following this desecration was deafening.
Lucky for us, Charles at LGF is on the ball.
Europe's color always was collaboration.
When live Jews can’t be found, dead ones are targeted. In Belgium last week, the urn that contained ashes from Auschwitz was desecrated at the Brussels memorial to the 25,411 Belgian Jews deported to Nazi death camps. It was smashed and excrement smeared over it. The silence from Belgian leaders following this desecration was deafening.
Lucky for us, Charles at LGF is on the ball.
Europe's color always was collaboration.
Into The East River....
In standard PC lip service, the UN claims that if we don't say that the Israel- Hezbollah war is about terrorism, then it isn't about terrorism.
It’s not helpful for it again to appear to be the team that led on Iraq or even on Afghanistan. It’s not helpful to couch this war in the language of international terrorism. Hizbollah employs terrorist tactics, it is an organisation however whose roots historically are completely separate and different from Al Qaeda.
I hate terrorism as much as any decent human being, so I'll give this a shot. This war is about Happy dragon daisy pants.... Nope. Still about Israel (and the rest of Western Civilization) fighting terrorists and terrorist states for the right to exist.
I provided a link to the whole thing, but I'm not going to tell you to read it. It'd just make you gag, and you can probably guess what it's going to say anyway. I mean, it is from the UN. I just posted it because I wanted to make that snarky comment about the happy dragon daisy pants.
It’s not helpful for it again to appear to be the team that led on Iraq or even on Afghanistan. It’s not helpful to couch this war in the language of international terrorism. Hizbollah employs terrorist tactics, it is an organisation however whose roots historically are completely separate and different from Al Qaeda.
I hate terrorism as much as any decent human being, so I'll give this a shot. This war is about Happy dragon daisy pants.... Nope. Still about Israel (and the rest of Western Civilization) fighting terrorists and terrorist states for the right to exist.
I provided a link to the whole thing, but I'm not going to tell you to read it. It'd just make you gag, and you can probably guess what it's going to say anyway. I mean, it is from the UN. I just posted it because I wanted to make that snarky comment about the happy dragon daisy pants.
7.21.2006
Totally Boss
About five minutes ago the police started a raid on the house of the local hoodlum (about two doors down from me). I had kind of drifted awake and was shifting about trying to get back to sleep, when I hear someone yelling.
At first I couldn't make it out and since two about two weeks ago a group of hoodlums broke into that same house and held people at gun point, I really didn't know what was happening. Then comes this sound like an explosion and a loud flash (yep, a flash-bang). Not really knowing what the situation was, I rolled out bed, hit the floor and started checking on the people I live with.
Decided to check the windows before calling the police and saw the S.W.A.T. van.
S.W.A.T. arresting the neighborhood criminal? File that under totally boss way to start the day.
At first I couldn't make it out and since two about two weeks ago a group of hoodlums broke into that same house and held people at gun point, I really didn't know what was happening. Then comes this sound like an explosion and a loud flash (yep, a flash-bang). Not really knowing what the situation was, I rolled out bed, hit the floor and started checking on the people I live with.
Decided to check the windows before calling the police and saw the S.W.A.T. van.
S.W.A.T. arresting the neighborhood criminal? File that under totally boss way to start the day.
7.19.2006
Another Kidnapping?
This time near Tel Aviv....
Adding to the tensions were witnesses reports that an Israeli soldier was apparently kidnapped while hitchhiking north of Tel Aviv.
In light of last night's post, the above... well.... it seems that things probably are about to get a whole lot uglier.
Give 'em hell, Israel.
Adding to the tensions were witnesses reports that an Israeli soldier was apparently kidnapped while hitchhiking north of Tel Aviv.
In light of last night's post, the above... well.... it seems that things probably are about to get a whole lot uglier.
Give 'em hell, Israel.
Correcting My Oversight....
Last night's post was not the first post that I wanted to make on Israel vs Hezbollah, but I couldn't not post it after reading it. And I couldn't shake it out of my head long enough to post anything else. That being said, I have been, am still, and will continue to cheer Israel on.
Pro Israel rally at noon in DC. Maybe I'll see yall there.
Pro Israel rally at noon in DC. Maybe I'll see yall there.
7.18.2006
Tough Time Sleeping Tonight....
But then after you read this, I might not be alone. Whether or not you've heard of Hezbollah's alleged plans to hit Tel Aviv, there's little doubt with Syria and Iran pulling the strings, that if they can they will.
Evidence of Iran's contribution to Hezbollah's arsenal can be seen in the attack on the Israeli ship. So I'm not positive that Hezbollah doesn't have the capability to hit Tel Aviv.
Evidence of Iran's contribution to Hezbollah's arsenal can be seen in the attack on the Israeli ship. So I'm not positive that Hezbollah doesn't have the capability to hit Tel Aviv.
7.04.2006
Happy 4th of July, Friends
IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
-- He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
-- He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
-- He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
-- He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
-- He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
-- He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
-- He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
-- He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
-- He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
-- He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
-- He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
-- He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
-- He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
-- For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
-- For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
-- For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
-- For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
-- For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
-- For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
-- For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
-- For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
-- For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
-- He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
-- He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
-- He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
-- He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
-- He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
The 56 signatures on the Declaration appear in the positions indicated:
Column 1
Georgia:
Button Gwinnett
Lyman Hall
George Walton
Column 2
North Carolina:
William Hooper
Joseph Hewes
John Penn
South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge
Thomas Heyward, Jr.
Thomas Lynch, Jr.
Arthur Middleton
Column 3
Massachusetts:
John Hancock
Maryland:
Samuel Chase
William Paca
Thomas Stone
Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia:
George Wythe
Richard Henry Lee
Thomas Jefferson
Benjamin Harrison
Thomas Nelson, Jr.
Francis Lightfoot Lee
Carter Braxton
Column 4
Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris
Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Franklin
John Morton
George Clymer
James Smith
George Taylor
James Wilson
George Ross
Delaware:
Caesar Rodney
George Read
Thomas McKean
Column 5
New York:
William Floyd
Philip Livingston
Francis Lewis
Lewis Morris
New Jersey:
Richard Stockton
John Witherspoon
Francis Hopkinson
John Hart
Abraham Clark
Column 6
New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett
William Whipple
Massachusetts:
Samuel Adams
John Adams
Robert Treat Paine
Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins
William Ellery
Connecticut:
Roger Sherman
Samuel Huntington
William Williams
Oliver Wolcott
New Hampshire:
Matthew Thornton
6.29.2006
It Gets Better...
Israel is showing Hamas who's boss.
Hamas says Israel has declared war on the Palestinian Authority, after more than 60 senior Hamas figures, including many members of the PA government, were arrested overnight.
I mean it's not like the PA government declared war on Israel or anything..... /sarcasm.
Go get 'em IDF.
Hamas says Israel has declared war on the Palestinian Authority, after more than 60 senior Hamas figures, including many members of the PA government, were arrested overnight.
I mean it's not like the PA government declared war on Israel or anything..... /sarcasm.
Go get 'em IDF.
6.28.2006
The Gloves Have Come Way The Fuck Off.....
The leader of Hamas is responsible for the kidnapping of the Israeli soilder, so Israel is going to kill him.
Earlier, Justice Minister Haim Ramon said that Mashaal, was a target for assassination due to his ordering of the kidnapping of Shalit.
I'm not sure how stupid you have to be to keep screwing with Israel, but it's gotta be something close to "Darwin Award" level.
Earlier, Justice Minister Haim Ramon said that Mashaal, was a target for assassination due to his ordering of the kidnapping of Shalit.
I'm not sure how stupid you have to be to keep screwing with Israel, but it's gotta be something close to "Darwin Award" level.
Lights Out....
...for the Displaced Arabs.
The IDF began its "Operation Summer Rains" offensive Wednesday night with the entry of Israeli forces into southern Gaza. The stated goal: The release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit.
In addition to knocking out electricity in much of Gaza, the operation has included:
* Aerial missile attack on an electricity station south of Gaza City
* Aerial attacks on three bridges in the central Gaza Strip, over dry river beds
* Artillery fire at open areas in the southern Gaza Strip
* Entry of armored forces into the Dahaniya area, mainly the abandoned airport, where the IDF has set up a headquarters. This area represents a strategic control and observation point over the southern Gaza Strip.
Someone is going to have a very bad day. And it's all because someone hasn't learned a very important lesson: Don't fuck with Israel.
The IDF began its "Operation Summer Rains" offensive Wednesday night with the entry of Israeli forces into southern Gaza. The stated goal: The release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit.
In addition to knocking out electricity in much of Gaza, the operation has included:
* Aerial missile attack on an electricity station south of Gaza City
* Aerial attacks on three bridges in the central Gaza Strip, over dry river beds
* Artillery fire at open areas in the southern Gaza Strip
* Entry of armored forces into the Dahaniya area, mainly the abandoned airport, where the IDF has set up a headquarters. This area represents a strategic control and observation point over the southern Gaza Strip.
Someone is going to have a very bad day. And it's all because someone hasn't learned a very important lesson: Don't fuck with Israel.
6.27.2006
Well That Was Fast....
Apparently the Displaced Arabs have decided that it might be a good idea to be on the recieving end of Israeli military action.
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Egyptian- and French-led efforts to negotiate for the release of an Israeli soldier abducted by Palestinian gunmen in the Gaza Strip have failed, Israeli television reported on Tuesday.
Nobody ever said they were smart.
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Egyptian- and French-led efforts to negotiate for the release of an Israeli soldier abducted by Palestinian gunmen in the Gaza Strip have failed, Israeli television reported on Tuesday.
Nobody ever said they were smart.
Hamas Accepts Two State.....
Yeah, you read that right.
Palestinian militant group Hamas has agreed to a document backing a two-state solution to the conflict with Israel, officials say.
Of course after the abduction of Israeli tank gunner, Cpl Gilad Shalit, things weren't looking to good for the Pali's.
"The state of Israel does not negotiate with terrorists," Mr Regev insisted. "Unless he is released it is our moral obligation as a government to take action to free him."
Yeah, the Israeli army, locked, loaded, and ready to go is a damn good reason to start talking platitudes.
Still, when it comes to the promises of the Displaced Arabs, I'm not exactly holding my breath.
Palestinian militant group Hamas has agreed to a document backing a two-state solution to the conflict with Israel, officials say.
Of course after the abduction of Israeli tank gunner, Cpl Gilad Shalit, things weren't looking to good for the Pali's.
"The state of Israel does not negotiate with terrorists," Mr Regev insisted. "Unless he is released it is our moral obligation as a government to take action to free him."
Yeah, the Israeli army, locked, loaded, and ready to go is a damn good reason to start talking platitudes.
Still, when it comes to the promises of the Displaced Arabs, I'm not exactly holding my breath.
6.25.2006
Too Bad....
Well, At Least There's One....
....sane person left in San Fransisco. I give you, The Crack Emcee.
And if that made you smile, here are his archives.
And if that made you smile, here are his archives.
Treason Times....
As you can see from the title of this post, I'm pretty upset about the whole classified information thing. However I can't really weigh in right now without sounding like a nut job. That is to say, that I don't think I could fight the urge to say "Ann Coulter was right about where Tim McVeigh should've parked his truck." Also, I don't think that calling for the executions of the responsible writers and editors at the NY and LA Times is particularly rational, so I'm going to hold off until later today, and possibly even tomorrow.
6.22.2006
Well It's About Time....
I suppose the Red Cross is expecting aplause or something so here it is: three sardonic golf claps. Not a damn bit more. I'm sorry, but I just can't muster up the ability to toss out a few back-pats because the Red Cross after 60 years, couldn't find any more reasons to drag their feet on Israel's admission. I'd say "congradulations" to the Red Cross for finally doing the right thing, but this is so long over due, and that pc flag is such a slap in the face that I'm having difficulty with that too. The muslims get their cicle, the christians get their cross, but the star of David is "offensive". Bullshit. The Red Cross ought to appologize to Israel for 60 years of aiding and abetting blatant anti-semitism, but that, apparently, is too much of a step in the right direction.
Still, congradulations, Israel. You've deserved it since day one, and today you finally got it.
Still, congradulations, Israel. You've deserved it since day one, and today you finally got it.
Holy Crap....
A petition drive to push Maryland's new early voting legislation to referendum has fallen short on the first deadline.
A Republican-led petition drive to thwart Maryland's early-voting provisions hit a major snag yesterday when the state Board of Elections said the effort fell 138 signatures short of moving forward.
A Republican-led petition drive to thwart Maryland's early-voting provisions hit a major snag yesterday when the state Board of Elections said the effort fell 138 signatures short of moving forward.
The news was a blow to Marylanders for Fair Elections, a volunteer group backed by Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., who both complain that the legislature hastily enacted early voting without safeguards to prevent voter fraud. Democrats considered it a victory, calling the drive a ploy to suppress voter turnout.
What Sun (surprise, surprise) doesn't tell you is that only measures the legislation include to verify voter's identity and the number of times a voter votes are after the votes are certified. Seriously....I have nothing left to say.
Two Things....
One, you may have noticed that I have updated my link list again and I appollogize for my shameful neglegence in that arena. Getting my link list up to par is and will continue to be an on-going project. Thank you for your patience.
Two, (which is actually more important that one) Lilkes has an excellent bleat up. Oh, and I happen to know the joke to which the punchline, "death by juju", belongs. Mayhaps I'll post it here sometime. God knows, I owe any readers still with me from the first site some kind of attempt to make up for having cursed them with the knowledge of the most unfunny joke in the world.
Two, (which is actually more important that one) Lilkes has an excellent bleat up. Oh, and I happen to know the joke to which the punchline, "death by juju", belongs. Mayhaps I'll post it here sometime. God knows, I owe any readers still with me from the first site some kind of attempt to make up for having cursed them with the knowledge of the most unfunny joke in the world.
New Human Rights Commission...Same Old UN....
Atlas has an excellent post on the latest addition to the allegedly improved UN Human Rights Commission.
Go read the whole thing. Seriously, isn't it time we put that very valuable NYC realestate to good use? Let's get the UN out of our country and our country out of the UN.
While Kofi takes the time out of his busy pilfering and extorting schedule to smear Israel with the Gaza beach Pali Arab murders, see who is sitting on the *NEW*, *IMPROVED*,"human rights" (more like human deaths) council -- check this out (hat tip Norman);
The Iranian prosecutor implicated in the death of Montreal photojournalist Zahra Kazemi is part of a delegation at a new UN human rights body that was created to replace a commission widely discredited for allowing human rights abusers too much power.
Go read the whole thing. Seriously, isn't it time we put that very valuable NYC realestate to good use? Let's get the UN out of our country and our country out of the UN.
Oh, In Case You Missed It....
Charles at LGF has a pdf of the declassified WMD document.
Of course the left will attempt to bury the importance of this under questions over the timing of the release. Still, it good to have something more than a few old and under-reported news stories to shove in the faces of nay-sayers.
Of course the left will attempt to bury the importance of this under questions over the timing of the release. Still, it good to have something more than a few old and under-reported news stories to shove in the faces of nay-sayers.
6.19.2006
Attacked By An Alternate Dimension....
Well... that may be sensationalizing, but the point is that something damn odd is afoot.
Namely, that my wallet, but not my ID (which was in my wallet) has disappeared. So to summarize, my AAA card, my bank card (though there is nothing in my account), and the actual physical wallet are nowhere to be found. My driver's license was on my book shelf.
Peculiar, no?
Namely, that my wallet, but not my ID (which was in my wallet) has disappeared. So to summarize, my AAA card, my bank card (though there is nothing in my account), and the actual physical wallet are nowhere to be found. My driver's license was on my book shelf.
Peculiar, no?
6.17.2006
Because It Has to Be Done...
I give you a clean link to Hadji Girl.
and a link to the lyrics.
Also a link to Vent in which the lyrics scroll.
I don't care what the pc asshats say, that song is fuckin' funny. I wish the Sweater Kittens would put out a CD already.
and a link to the lyrics.
Also a link to Vent in which the lyrics scroll.
I don't care what the pc asshats say, that song is fuckin' funny. I wish the Sweater Kittens would put out a CD already.
6.16.2006
Saddam and the Taliban.....
Surprise! They were connected. /End sarcasm.
In this second of a three-part examination of a newly-released document captured in Iraq, Robison offers further evidence that in 1999 the Taliban welcomed "Islamic relations with Iraq" to mediate among the Taliban, the Northern Alliance and Russia, and that the Taliban reciprocated with an invitation to Iraqi officials to visit Afghanistan.
It's long, so you might want to bookmark it and read it over the duration of the weekend. But the real question is: When do you think we'll hear about it from CNN? I'm not going to hold my breath.
In this second of a three-part examination of a newly-released document captured in Iraq, Robison offers further evidence that in 1999 the Taliban welcomed "Islamic relations with Iraq" to mediate among the Taliban, the Northern Alliance and Russia, and that the Taliban reciprocated with an invitation to Iraqi officials to visit Afghanistan.
It's long, so you might want to bookmark it and read it over the duration of the weekend. But the real question is: When do you think we'll hear about it from CNN? I'm not going to hold my breath.
6.15.2006
Stealth Marxism.....
Fjordman has an excellent post.
The simple fact is that we never won the Cold War as decisively as we should have. Yes, the Berlin Wall fell, and the Soviet Union collapsed. This removed the military threat to the West, and the most hardcore, economic Marxism suffered a blow as a credible alternative. However, one of the really big mistakes we made after the Cold War ended was to declare that Socialism was now dead, and thus no longer anything to worry about. Here we are, nearly a generation later, discovering that Marxist rhetoric and thinking have penetrated every single strata of our society, from the Universities to the media. Islamic terrorism is explained as caused by “poverty, oppression and marginalization,” a classic, Marxist interpretation.
Why are you still hanging around here?? Go read the whole thing.
The simple fact is that we never won the Cold War as decisively as we should have. Yes, the Berlin Wall fell, and the Soviet Union collapsed. This removed the military threat to the West, and the most hardcore, economic Marxism suffered a blow as a credible alternative. However, one of the really big mistakes we made after the Cold War ended was to declare that Socialism was now dead, and thus no longer anything to worry about. Here we are, nearly a generation later, discovering that Marxist rhetoric and thinking have penetrated every single strata of our society, from the Universities to the media. Islamic terrorism is explained as caused by “poverty, oppression and marginalization,” a classic, Marxist interpretation.
Why are you still hanging around here?? Go read the whole thing.
6.10.2006
Oh That Liberal Media....
The AP is dispicable and shameless. This is how they slander our victory over Zarqawi:
Somthing oughta be done about this anonymous source business. Seriously, this is a joke. If it gets any worse they'll be attributing information to random tin cans with string that they find on the stree.
BAGHDAD, Iraq - An Iraqi man who was one of the first people on the scene of the U.S. airstrike targeting Abu Musab al-Zarqawi said he saw American troops beating a man who had a beard like the al-Qaida leader.
The witness, who lives near the house where al-Zarqawi spent his last days, said he saw the man lying on the ground near an irrigation canal. He was badly wounded but still alive, the man told Associated Press Television News.
U.S. troops arriving on the scene wrapped the man’s head in an Arab robe and began beating him, said the local man, who refused to give his name or show his face to the camera. His account could not be independently verified.
Somthing oughta be done about this anonymous source business. Seriously, this is a joke. If it gets any worse they'll be attributing information to random tin cans with string that they find on the stree.
The above is the text of the original story (posted by LGF), click on the story link now and suddenly that third paragraph is nowhere to be found. Too low for the AP? Who'd have thought it possible....
Not like what they left is any better, it's attributed to:
The Iraqi, identified only as Mohammed....
Well that's specific.... (/Sarcasm) the only difference is that it lacks the overt rumor-monger nature of their previous attribution.
Zarqawi Post....
Yes late, but still. Freakin' Woot.
Michelle Malkin posted a sweet video over on Vent yesterday.
Genius, pure freakin' genius.
WooHoo!
Michelle Malkin posted a sweet video over on Vent yesterday.
Genius, pure freakin' genius.
WooHoo!
6.07.2006
Couldn't Pass This Up....
I know I said that I was taking a break from the political stuff for a bit, but I couldn't not comment on this.
Yesterday the right-wing Michael Moore released her new book. Of course I mean Ann Coulter. And yes, it is typical for her work.
To promote the new book, she's been making the media circuit and naturally controversy follows in her wake.
Matt Lauer
Hannity and Colmes
Why break my vacation for this as opposed to the terrorist ring busted in Canada?
Simple, Ann Coulter is an excellent example of what's wrong with political debate in America. The solution to the left-wing pundits who use bits and pieces of truth to create a larger lie isn't to engage in our own dark magic. When our opponents trade in falsehood and untruth we have all the more obligation to deal squarely with the facts.
Ann Coulter's sensationalist tactics draw attention, but they do nothing to add to the quality of political debate.
However there is something to be said for the fact that while we have to put up with Ann Coulter, a large and vocal number of people on the right see Ann for what she is and proclaim her as such. Where as the left embrace and swoon over the likes of Michael Moore, Noam Chomsky, and Robert Fisk.
Still the most upsetting aspect of Ann Coulter is the clear intellegence and talent that she has and chooses to abuse so she can engage in a hard-liner circle jerk. Ann Coulter has the ability to be a top notch pundit providing much needed quality to political debate, instead she makes herself content to be a troll.
The by-product of this is that we lose the very real point that she was trying to make regarding the MSM treatment of wives and mothers of dead soilders who use their status as a grieving relative to speak out against the war. (How's that for a run-on sentence?) Ann Coulter is right, in so far as the MSM and a large portion of the left hold these women above reproach or debate because of their status as bereived relative. If anyone aruges, the left comes back by throwing that person's grief up as some sort of shield. "How dare you question their opinions because they lost a husband/son/daughter." However Ann Coulter's bating rhetoric tends to cause people to foam at the mouth- which is exactly what she aims to do. But she does a disservice to whatever point she makes, no matter how correct she might be.
Michelle Malkin has some additional input on the sanctity of victimhood for the left.
Yesterday the right-wing Michael Moore released her new book. Of course I mean Ann Coulter. And yes, it is typical for her work.
To promote the new book, she's been making the media circuit and naturally controversy follows in her wake.
Matt Lauer
Hannity and Colmes
Why break my vacation for this as opposed to the terrorist ring busted in Canada?
Simple, Ann Coulter is an excellent example of what's wrong with political debate in America. The solution to the left-wing pundits who use bits and pieces of truth to create a larger lie isn't to engage in our own dark magic. When our opponents trade in falsehood and untruth we have all the more obligation to deal squarely with the facts.
Ann Coulter's sensationalist tactics draw attention, but they do nothing to add to the quality of political debate.
However there is something to be said for the fact that while we have to put up with Ann Coulter, a large and vocal number of people on the right see Ann for what she is and proclaim her as such. Where as the left embrace and swoon over the likes of Michael Moore, Noam Chomsky, and Robert Fisk.
Still the most upsetting aspect of Ann Coulter is the clear intellegence and talent that she has and chooses to abuse so she can engage in a hard-liner circle jerk. Ann Coulter has the ability to be a top notch pundit providing much needed quality to political debate, instead she makes herself content to be a troll.
The by-product of this is that we lose the very real point that she was trying to make regarding the MSM treatment of wives and mothers of dead soilders who use their status as a grieving relative to speak out against the war. (How's that for a run-on sentence?) Ann Coulter is right, in so far as the MSM and a large portion of the left hold these women above reproach or debate because of their status as bereived relative. If anyone aruges, the left comes back by throwing that person's grief up as some sort of shield. "How dare you question their opinions because they lost a husband/son/daughter." However Ann Coulter's bating rhetoric tends to cause people to foam at the mouth- which is exactly what she aims to do. But she does a disservice to whatever point she makes, no matter how correct she might be.
Michelle Malkin has some additional input on the sanctity of victimhood for the left.
6.04.2006
Tonight....
I know that the rest of my office will be trying to figure out what to do now that the season finale of Desperate Housewives is over, but I'm just starting my TV watching. Tonight is the season premier of Footballer's Wives.
This show makes Desperate Housewives look like Mr. Rodgers.
If you don't know what you'll be doing at 10pm, I highly recommend BBC America. It's the least guilty, guilty pleasure you'll ever find.
This show makes Desperate Housewives look like Mr. Rodgers.
If you don't know what you'll be doing at 10pm, I highly recommend BBC America. It's the least guilty, guilty pleasure you'll ever find.
6.01.2006
Something I've Been Working On....
The New Ontology (?)
does sanity run so hard from salvation
all commitment
my thoughts singed before they can escape- through the pours in
my skull- it's a sieve. damn.
unreliable, lets everything through keeps nothing in
god never makes sterile environments
we weren't meant for serenity
we're all saints spellbound in sin
wallowing in a baptism of hedonism
the self indulgence of science's non servium
clean as the abyss- pristine
beyond sterile- god's operating room
it makes ghosts of us all
MY CARBON IS MY OWN
MY CARBON IS MY OWN
intrinsically linked to my energy
no more seperate than my hand from me- remove it
i'm incomplete- FUCK
they trade places with each other- my soul my skin my bone
my carbon is my soul
before time i was the whole of this
now i'm a fragment- i cling to what's left of me
rebel against further separation- futility
but once i was you, not in you- just you
now we're strangers, it's not entropy, just degeneration-
disassembly
we are god dying.
it's why i believe in love.
does sanity run so hard from salvation
all commitment
my thoughts singed before they can escape- through the pours in
my skull- it's a sieve. damn.
unreliable, lets everything through keeps nothing in
god never makes sterile environments
we weren't meant for serenity
we're all saints spellbound in sin
wallowing in a baptism of hedonism
the self indulgence of science's non servium
clean as the abyss- pristine
beyond sterile- god's operating room
it makes ghosts of us all
MY CARBON IS MY OWN
MY CARBON IS MY OWN
intrinsically linked to my energy
no more seperate than my hand from me- remove it
i'm incomplete- FUCK
they trade places with each other- my soul my skin my bone
my carbon is my soul
before time i was the whole of this
now i'm a fragment- i cling to what's left of me
rebel against further separation- futility
but once i was you, not in you- just you
now we're strangers, it's not entropy, just degeneration-
disassembly
we are god dying.
it's why i believe in love.
Break From Politics....
I'm a little burned out from politics right now, so I'm going to take a break. Okay, to be honest, it's more like I'm continuing my break, but I'll be posting now.
Just not about politics. Don't worry I'll come back to politics. I can't stay away forever.
Just not about politics. Don't worry I'll come back to politics. I can't stay away forever.
4.26.2006
4.24.2006
4.21.2006
Totally Not Sleeping Tonight.....
The Silent Hill movie is totally freakin boss. Fear not, there are no spoilers here....well maybe one (sort of), but you'll have to highlight it to read it and it's at the very end.
I will tell you that the movie does a good job of establishing a very creepy atmosphere. If you've ever played the games, the movie really is Silent Hill. There are a lot of things in the movie that pay homage to the games. Even down to the fact that every time Rose (Radha Mitchell) runs with a flashlight, the flashlight is pointed at the floor.
Pyramid Head is awsome.
My one complaint is that they get really caught up in explaining everything. One of the things that made the games really scary is that you went through the whole game like "wtf is that!?". At the end of the game you still didn't really know anything except that you knew a little more about not knowing anything.
Spoiler: Dude they totally got the bad bad ending.
I will tell you that the movie does a good job of establishing a very creepy atmosphere. If you've ever played the games, the movie really is Silent Hill. There are a lot of things in the movie that pay homage to the games. Even down to the fact that every time Rose (Radha Mitchell) runs with a flashlight, the flashlight is pointed at the floor.
Pyramid Head is awsome.
My one complaint is that they get really caught up in explaining everything. One of the things that made the games really scary is that you went through the whole game like "wtf is that!?". At the end of the game you still didn't really know anything except that you knew a little more about not knowing anything.
Spoiler: Dude they totally got the bad bad ending.
4.16.2006
Absolutely Worthless....
The UN elects Iran to the disarmament commission. No. Seriously.
In other business, the following delegations were elected as Vice-chairpersons, by acclamation: Chile, Uruguay and Iran. Coly Seck of Senegal was elected to serve as Rapporteur. Both the Commission Chairman and the Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs urged the speedy election of the Chairperson of Working Group I on the nuclear weapons-related item, so that deliberations could begin on Wednesday, 12 April, following the general debate.
Iran....UN Disarmament Commission.... Well, I guess if Sudan could serve on the Human Rights Commission this shouldn't be all that surprising. Still the blatant hypocrasy of this is mind numbing.
Iran's declaration that it enriched its first batch of uranium is unlikely to spur a divided U.N. Security Council to take any substantive action sooner than May on the question of Iran's nuclear ambitions, council diplomats said on Wednesday.
And it's certainly not like they're being vague about their intentions.
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reiterated Iran's goal of "wiping Israel off the map." Speaking at a conference of visiting heads of Arab terrorist groups operating in areas under Palestinian Authority control, Ahmadinejad said, "Whether you like it or not, the Zionist regime is on the road to being eliminated."
Far be it from me to accuse the UN of anti-semitism....[/sarcasm]
Still the question begs asking, what will it take before President Bush stops wagering the fate of western civilization on the UN's ability to do anything more than fester in its own corruption and cover its ass?
In other business, the following delegations were elected as Vice-chairpersons, by acclamation: Chile, Uruguay and Iran. Coly Seck of Senegal was elected to serve as Rapporteur. Both the Commission Chairman and the Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs urged the speedy election of the Chairperson of Working Group I on the nuclear weapons-related item, so that deliberations could begin on Wednesday, 12 April, following the general debate.
Iran....UN Disarmament Commission.... Well, I guess if Sudan could serve on the Human Rights Commission this shouldn't be all that surprising. Still the blatant hypocrasy of this is mind numbing.
Iran's declaration that it enriched its first batch of uranium is unlikely to spur a divided U.N. Security Council to take any substantive action sooner than May on the question of Iran's nuclear ambitions, council diplomats said on Wednesday.
And it's certainly not like they're being vague about their intentions.
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reiterated Iran's goal of "wiping Israel off the map." Speaking at a conference of visiting heads of Arab terrorist groups operating in areas under Palestinian Authority control, Ahmadinejad said, "Whether you like it or not, the Zionist regime is on the road to being eliminated."
Far be it from me to accuse the UN of anti-semitism....[/sarcasm]
Still the question begs asking, what will it take before President Bush stops wagering the fate of western civilization on the UN's ability to do anything more than fester in its own corruption and cover its ass?
4.10.2006
This Can Only End Badly....
It seems a bunch of people have decided that getting together in zombie makeup and shambling about various towns is a bright idea.
Idiots, all of them! There are large numbers of people, who's first impulse upon spotting a zombie is to destroy the brain or decapitate the thing.
This is carnage waiting to happen.
Idiots, all of them! There are large numbers of people, who's first impulse upon spotting a zombie is to destroy the brain or decapitate the thing.
This is carnage waiting to happen.
Further Decline In France....
Apparently the buck stops at Muslim boys in French public schools.
The “big brothers,” as the Islamists are known in school, enforce a strict Islamic dress code which prohibits make-up, dresses and skirts, forbid any co-educational activities and make going to the movies, the swimming pool or the gym all but impossible for Moslem girls.
The punishment for refusal to conform is often physical violence and beatings. And this, says the report, is a relatively protected environment compared to “what girls experience outside of school.” Such as forced marriages at 14 or 15.
America take note. If we don't believe in this great country and all that it stands for, if we are unwilling to defend it from those who seek to destroy it, this will be us.
You can read the full report here.
The “big brothers,” as the Islamists are known in school, enforce a strict Islamic dress code which prohibits make-up, dresses and skirts, forbid any co-educational activities and make going to the movies, the swimming pool or the gym all but impossible for Moslem girls.
The punishment for refusal to conform is often physical violence and beatings. And this, says the report, is a relatively protected environment compared to “what girls experience outside of school.” Such as forced marriages at 14 or 15.
America take note. If we don't believe in this great country and all that it stands for, if we are unwilling to defend it from those who seek to destroy it, this will be us.
You can read the full report here.
Oh, I Smell Fun....
With the demise of The Onion's late advice column it seems the The Hudson Pravda has decided to step up and fill in.
Friends, I give you, Ask The New York Times.
Michelle Malkin has a few starter questions if you can't think of any.
I've got a few as well.
John Hehman.
Democrat Recruiting Policies.
and New Iraq Documents.
Think I'll get an answer?
Friends, I give you, Ask The New York Times.
Michelle Malkin has a few starter questions if you can't think of any.
I've got a few as well.
John Hehman.
Democrat Recruiting Policies.
and New Iraq Documents.
Think I'll get an answer?
Death Cult....
You guessed it, another stampede....
A stampede at the end of a religious gathering on Sunday to mark the birth of Islam's Prophet Muhammad left at least 29 women and children dead in southern Pakistan.
But the truly revealing part comes later....
Another Dawat-e-Islami official, Hafiz Hassan Attari, lamented that "numerous innocent lives perished, (but) they embraced martyrdom and we pray for their eternal peace."
Appalling.
A stampede at the end of a religious gathering on Sunday to mark the birth of Islam's Prophet Muhammad left at least 29 women and children dead in southern Pakistan.
But the truly revealing part comes later....
Another Dawat-e-Islami official, Hafiz Hassan Attari, lamented that "numerous innocent lives perished, (but) they embraced martyrdom and we pray for their eternal peace."
Appalling.
4.09.2006
I'm A Terrible Blogger....
The Other War At Home....
Michelle Malkin has new photos of the nut jobs among us.
A girl no older than 6 had her shirt painted: “Hell, no, we won’t go. Mexicans stick together.”
I have a neat idea about how Mexicans can stick together, they can stay the hell in Mexico. You know, building a wall aint a complete cure but it'd be a start, plus we'd have something to toss their asses over when we caught 'em.
A girl no older than 6 had her shirt painted: “Hell, no, we won’t go. Mexicans stick together.”
I have a neat idea about how Mexicans can stick together, they can stay the hell in Mexico. You know, building a wall aint a complete cure but it'd be a start, plus we'd have something to toss their asses over when we caught 'em.
Elections In Italy....
Let's be real, I'd be stupid to want anyone other than incumbent PM, Berlusconi, to win. His vision regarding the WoT and opperations in Iraq are a breath of fresh air coming from contenental Europe. His openent has stated that he would take a more "Euro-centric approach". We all know what that means....
High turn out today, but the results aren't in yet. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
High turn out today, but the results aren't in yet. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Immigration Bull....
I've been silent for a bit about a few things so this is gonna be the second of a few posts tonight.
Let's talk about immigration, shall we.
Let me see if I understand this thing correctly. There are a whole shit load of folks- generally from Mexico- who slunk their asses across the U.S.-Mexican border without authorization in any way, shape, or form. Many have been here for some time, and some for not so long, but all of them are using facilities and services and services that are funded by tax paying citizens, but are not paying taxes themselves. Some of these tax paying citizens actually came from other countries, including Mexico, and they came with authorization and put in the work to be here legally.
But the ones who don't have authorization and aren't paying taxes are demanding more services and facilities from everyone who pays taxes.
Additionally, many of the people who are here illegally seem to be under the impression that the areas in which they illegally reside actually belong to Mexico.
Oh, and both sides of the aisle have decided that apart from giving the southwest to Mexico, they're basically gonna reward the illegals for being loud, unruley, and numerous.
Hmmmm.... that's alot of fuckin' crazy up there. First off, I just want to know where the hell these people get the gall to work up such a sense of entitlement. Who the hell do they think they are, that they can demand that an entire nation of people pay the way for them and their kids? How can they work up the audacity to spit in the face of every legal immigrant and every child of a legal immigrant or legal resident alien?
Additionally, I'd like to put a rest to this Mexico owned California first bullshit. The first claim to be staked out concerns this entire contenent and the immediately below it, and it belongs to the American Indians, who sure as sure as hell didn't habla Espan-fuckin-ol. (Yes, I am aware that is atrocious Spanish. It's intentional.) The next people with a claim to stake? Spain. And then we get to Mexico. Mexico lost their claim in a war, which happens to be the way the world works. If the world doesn't work that way then Mexico should give itself back to Spain instantly, who should then give Mexico to the remaining American Indians who originally occupied the area. Seeing as how the world doesn't work that way, because that would be stupid, "we were here first" needs to shut the fuck up. Not only is it stupid, it's incorrect.
Now to roast some politicians. Any Benedict Arnold who supports caving into the demands of the illegals should be run out on a rail. Such is the greatness of the disservice they propose to do the people who put them in office. They try to shuffle some song and dance about how the illegals are necessary because they do the jobs that Americans, legal resident aliens won't do. That quite frankly is a load of horse shit. They do the jobs that Americans and legal aliens would do, but the illegals do them for slave wages that Americans and legal aliens wouldn't accept. If anything they hold back our economy by devaluing the legal employee. Furthermore any Quisling even considdering giving aliens (legal or not) the ability to vote should be chased out of office. What, to them is the value of citizenship? They don't know. They can't even grasp that asses are not to be worn as hats.
By the way, if INS had any goddamn sense they'd be staking out tomorrow's protests, taking notes for later round-ups. But the odds of that happenning are about as good as my odds of being the next American Idol.
Let's talk about immigration, shall we.
Let me see if I understand this thing correctly. There are a whole shit load of folks- generally from Mexico- who slunk their asses across the U.S.-Mexican border without authorization in any way, shape, or form. Many have been here for some time, and some for not so long, but all of them are using facilities and services and services that are funded by tax paying citizens, but are not paying taxes themselves. Some of these tax paying citizens actually came from other countries, including Mexico, and they came with authorization and put in the work to be here legally.
But the ones who don't have authorization and aren't paying taxes are demanding more services and facilities from everyone who pays taxes.
Additionally, many of the people who are here illegally seem to be under the impression that the areas in which they illegally reside actually belong to Mexico.
Oh, and both sides of the aisle have decided that apart from giving the southwest to Mexico, they're basically gonna reward the illegals for being loud, unruley, and numerous.
Hmmmm.... that's alot of fuckin' crazy up there. First off, I just want to know where the hell these people get the gall to work up such a sense of entitlement. Who the hell do they think they are, that they can demand that an entire nation of people pay the way for them and their kids? How can they work up the audacity to spit in the face of every legal immigrant and every child of a legal immigrant or legal resident alien?
Additionally, I'd like to put a rest to this Mexico owned California first bullshit. The first claim to be staked out concerns this entire contenent and the immediately below it, and it belongs to the American Indians, who sure as sure as hell didn't habla Espan-fuckin-ol. (Yes, I am aware that is atrocious Spanish. It's intentional.) The next people with a claim to stake? Spain. And then we get to Mexico. Mexico lost their claim in a war, which happens to be the way the world works. If the world doesn't work that way then Mexico should give itself back to Spain instantly, who should then give Mexico to the remaining American Indians who originally occupied the area. Seeing as how the world doesn't work that way, because that would be stupid, "we were here first" needs to shut the fuck up. Not only is it stupid, it's incorrect.
Now to roast some politicians. Any Benedict Arnold who supports caving into the demands of the illegals should be run out on a rail. Such is the greatness of the disservice they propose to do the people who put them in office. They try to shuffle some song and dance about how the illegals are necessary because they do the jobs that Americans, legal resident aliens won't do. That quite frankly is a load of horse shit. They do the jobs that Americans and legal aliens would do, but the illegals do them for slave wages that Americans and legal aliens wouldn't accept. If anything they hold back our economy by devaluing the legal employee. Furthermore any Quisling even considdering giving aliens (legal or not) the ability to vote should be chased out of office. What, to them is the value of citizenship? They don't know. They can't even grasp that asses are not to be worn as hats.
By the way, if INS had any goddamn sense they'd be staking out tomorrow's protests, taking notes for later round-ups. But the odds of that happenning are about as good as my odds of being the next American Idol.
Recap....
6 games in and we're
tied with the goddamn Yankees.
Won the first two games of the season against Tampa Bay, lost the last of the three schedualed to them and all three games to Boston.
Reverse the curse my ass, they just transfered it to us. Take it from me, Beantown, yall can have your stinkin' curse back.
tied with the goddamn Yankees.
Won the first two games of the season against Tampa Bay, lost the last of the three schedualed to them and all three games to Boston.
Reverse the curse my ass, they just transfered it to us. Take it from me, Beantown, yall can have your stinkin' curse back.
4.03.2006
Home Team Takes It....
....6 to 9.
Promising start for the season. Hell, the sun even broke through the clouds a few times. The rain held off until I got home- after the close of the game.
Way to go guys. Looks like even old mother nature was a baseball fan today.
Promising start for the season. Hell, the sun even broke through the clouds a few times. The rain held off until I got home- after the close of the game.
Way to go guys. Looks like even old mother nature was a baseball fan today.
4.02.2006
They Can Rebuil You....
...Or at least they'll be able to in the future.
The Pentagon wants to get one thing straight: It is not building a "bionic" arm like the one test pilot Steve Austin got in The Six Million Dollar Man TV series more than 30 years ago.
True, the government is paying the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory $30.4 million to spearhead development of a thought-controlled mechanical arm for the growing number of soldiers who lose their own in battle or accidents.
Seems to me, that a thought controlled mechanical arm for someone who lost the one they were born with is pretty super thing.
The Pentagon wants to get one thing straight: It is not building a "bionic" arm like the one test pilot Steve Austin got in The Six Million Dollar Man TV series more than 30 years ago.
True, the government is paying the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory $30.4 million to spearhead development of a thought-controlled mechanical arm for the growing number of soldiers who lose their own in battle or accidents.
Seems to me, that a thought controlled mechanical arm for someone who lost the one they were born with is pretty super thing.
3.22.2006
Gamers Of The World Unite?
There's this thing- the Video Game Voters Network.
The Video Game Voters Network exists to empower Americans who play video games to take action against threats to this entertainment medium and to stay informed about the latest issues that could affect our choice in video game entertainment. Video games are a modern form of entertainment entitled to the same creative and free speech protections afforded by the US Constitution to older media such as movies, music, and books. So join the Video Game Voters Network and speak up for games and gamer rights.
Seems like a good idea to me.
The Video Game Voters Network exists to empower Americans who play video games to take action against threats to this entertainment medium and to stay informed about the latest issues that could affect our choice in video game entertainment. Video games are a modern form of entertainment entitled to the same creative and free speech protections afforded by the US Constitution to older media such as movies, music, and books. So join the Video Game Voters Network and speak up for games and gamer rights.
Seems like a good idea to me.
3.13.2006
Forcast....
Several years ago, before The House and before R.A.H. (or possibly right around its beginning) I started writing thesis (more or less) on ethnocide that was basically a fleshing out of something I wrote on skullcrusher.tk. It's been kind of slow going- in part because there's so much that's being put into it. It's going places I didn't even think to anticipate, but now that I'm writing just have to be visited.
All that to say that I've taken a break for the past several days and I'll be blogging sporadically for the next week or so because this thing seems to be coming into the home stretch and I want to get it done. (That's one hell of a run-on sentence.)
So the forcast for the next week or so is sporadic blogging culminating in an essay.
All that to say that I've taken a break for the past several days and I'll be blogging sporadically for the next week or so because this thing seems to be coming into the home stretch and I want to get it done. (That's one hell of a run-on sentence.)
So the forcast for the next week or so is sporadic blogging culminating in an essay.
3.09.2006
Port Deal Nixed....
This is an interesting developement. Initially I was against the port deal (admittedly a knee jerk reaction). Then I thought about things and I couldn't think of truly good reason for me to be against it. But then I learned a few things. So honestly, this seems to be the best solution.
The company said its decision was "based on an understanding that DP World will have time to affect the transfer in an orderly fashion and that DP World will not suffer economic loss."
This way whatever value the UAE has as an ally is essentially kept in tact, but they don't run our ports. It's kind of a win-win situation for us. That doesn't happen often- for anyone. Let's just hope that it's not a lie.
Michelle Malkin, who is far wiser than I, never wavered in her oppostion and has a collection of news coverage on the annoucement. One day, I'll have the wisdom to see better. For now, I'll just have to just have to study extra hard.
"Because of the strong relationship between the United Arab Emirates and the United States and to preserve that relationship, DP World has decided to transfer fully the U.S. operation of P&O Operations North America to a United States entity," DP World's chief operating officer, Edward H. Bilkey, said in a statement, read on the Senate floor by Sen. John Warner, R-Va.
The company said its decision was "based on an understanding that DP World will have time to affect the transfer in an orderly fashion and that DP World will not suffer economic loss."
This way whatever value the UAE has as an ally is essentially kept in tact, but they don't run our ports. It's kind of a win-win situation for us. That doesn't happen often- for anyone. Let's just hope that it's not a lie.
Michelle Malkin, who is far wiser than I, never wavered in her oppostion and has a collection of news coverage on the annoucement. One day, I'll have the wisdom to see better. For now, I'll just have to just have to study extra hard.
3.07.2006
Outfielder Dropped....
O's drop Hidalgo before he even played a game.
Richard Hidalgo's brief career with the Baltimore Orioles ended today before he played a single game for the team.
Hidalgo signed a minor league contract on Feb. 26, reported two days later and spent four days in uniform before leaving the team Saturday to be with his ailing wife. He never returned, and the Orioles released the frustrated outfielder today to allow him to pursue an opportunity in Japan.
Didn't they make a movie about that?
Richard Hidalgo's brief career with the Baltimore Orioles ended today before he played a single game for the team.
Hidalgo signed a minor league contract on Feb. 26, reported two days later and spent four days in uniform before leaving the team Saturday to be with his ailing wife. He never returned, and the Orioles released the frustrated outfielder today to allow him to pursue an opportunity in Japan.
Didn't they make a movie about that?
The Saudies Lied....
I for one, am shocked. Shocked I tell you. /sarcasm
Despite a promise made to Washington last November to drop its economic boycott of Israel, Saudi Arabia plans to host a major international conference next week aimed at promoting a continued trade embargo on the Jewish state, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
On November 11, the WTO's ruling general council voted to grant Saudi Arabia entry into the prestigious group, which aims to promote international free trade, after it agreed to scrap restrictions on doing business with Israel.
Well the solution to this problem is simple. Kick 'em the hell out.
Despite a promise made to Washington last November to drop its economic boycott of Israel, Saudi Arabia plans to host a major international conference next week aimed at promoting a continued trade embargo on the Jewish state, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
On November 11, the WTO's ruling general council voted to grant Saudi Arabia entry into the prestigious group, which aims to promote international free trade, after it agreed to scrap restrictions on doing business with Israel.
Well the solution to this problem is simple. Kick 'em the hell out.
3.05.2006
It Might Be Pre-Season....
...But the O's are still losing.
VIERA, Fla. // Kris Benson made his Orioles debut Sunday and the results, anyway, weren't what he was hoping for.
Benson allowed two runs and four hits in two innings as the Orioles lost to the Washington Nationals 10-6.
Hopefully he'll get things together before the season starts.
O's lose to Nats, 10-6
And surprise, surprise- the bullpen is to blame.VIERA, Fla. // Kris Benson made his Orioles debut Sunday and the results, anyway, weren't what he was hoping for.
Benson allowed two runs and four hits in two innings as the Orioles lost to the Washington Nationals 10-6.
Hopefully he'll get things together before the season starts.
3.04.2006
The Down Side of Being Aetheist....
...is that these "people" aren't going to hell.
(CBS/AP) A former tax lawyer has been captured after being indicted on charges that he paid for sex with two girls who were pimped by their mother, police said.
The mother, whose name was withheld to protect her daughters' identities, was indicted on charges of promoting prostitution and endangering a child's welfare. She was jailed on $100,000 bail.
Repulsive.
(CBS/AP) A former tax lawyer has been captured after being indicted on charges that he paid for sex with two girls who were pimped by their mother, police said.
The mother, whose name was withheld to protect her daughters' identities, was indicted on charges of promoting prostitution and endangering a child's welfare. She was jailed on $100,000 bail.
Repulsive.
Talk About An "Oops" Moment...
This guy....oh this guy.... Just see for yourself, because I have no words.
But the naming of a Nation of Islam official to a commission that fights discrimination has exploded into an election-year furor for Gov. Rod Blagojevich, putting him in the middle of a conflict among blacks, Jews and gays.
Even if Blagojevich makes his way through the racial and religious minefield this issue presents, his claim of ignorance about the appointment could reinforce his image of a detached, uninformed governor.
"No matter what he does, he's going to tick somebody off," Rick Garcia, political director of the gay rights organization Equality Illinois, said Friday. "It's completely a no-win situation."
Four Jewish members of the Governor's Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes resigned this week rather than serve alongside an aide to Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, known for his disparaging remarks about Jews, whites and gays.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - It started as a routine gubernatorial appointment to a feel-good commission - so routine that the governor says he didn't even know the details.
But the naming of a Nation of Islam official to a commission that fights discrimination has exploded into an election-year furor for Gov. Rod Blagojevich, putting him in the middle of a conflict among blacks, Jews and gays.
Even if Blagojevich makes his way through the racial and religious minefield this issue presents, his claim of ignorance about the appointment could reinforce his image of a detached, uninformed governor.
"No matter what he does, he's going to tick somebody off," Rick Garcia, political director of the gay rights organization Equality Illinois, said Friday. "It's completely a no-win situation."
Four Jewish members of the Governor's Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes resigned this week rather than serve alongside an aide to Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, known for his disparaging remarks about Jews, whites and gays.
It boggles the mind how he could have missed this. I'm speechless.
3.02.2006
I For One, Am Shocked /Sarcasm
MOSCOW (AP) - Hamas' leader made the militant Palestinian group's highest-level diplomatic trip ever Friday to hear out Russia's urging that it recognize Israel and abandon violence, but emerged showing no softening in hostility toward the Jewish state.
You mean the group who's stated purpose is to wipe Israel off the map, hasn't decided to make nice? Surely, you jest! /sarcasm
You mean the group who's stated purpose is to wipe Israel off the map, hasn't decided to make nice? Surely, you jest! /sarcasm
Trouble....
US Diplomat Killed By Homicide Bomber in Pakistan.
KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) - A suicide attacker rammed a car packed with explosives into a vehicle carrying an American diplomat in Pakistan's largest city, killing the diplomat and three other people before President Bush's visit to Pakistan. Fifty-two people were wounded.
KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) - A suicide attacker rammed a car packed with explosives into a vehicle carrying an American diplomat in Pakistan's largest city, killing the diplomat and three other people before President Bush's visit to Pakistan. Fifty-two people were wounded.
Into The East River With It....
Mark Steyn takes a look at the real UN.
In fact, however, the UN is a shamefully squalid organization whose corruption is almost impossible to exaggerate. If you think—as the media and the left do in this country—that Iraq is a God-awful mess (which it’s not), then try being the Balkans or Sudan or even Cyprus or anywhere where the problem’s been left to the United Nations. If you don’t want to bulk up your pension by skimming the Oil-for-Food program, no need to worry. Whatever your bag, the UN can find somewhere that suits—in West Africa, it’s Sex-for-Food, with aid workers demanding sexual services from locals as young as four; in Cambodia, it’s drug dealing; in Kenya, it’s the refugee extortion racket; in the Balkans, sex slaves. On a UN peace mission, everyone gets his piece.
Common....there are so many better uses for the property. UN out of US.
In fact, however, the UN is a shamefully squalid organization whose corruption is almost impossible to exaggerate. If you think—as the media and the left do in this country—that Iraq is a God-awful mess (which it’s not), then try being the Balkans or Sudan or even Cyprus or anywhere where the problem’s been left to the United Nations. If you don’t want to bulk up your pension by skimming the Oil-for-Food program, no need to worry. Whatever your bag, the UN can find somewhere that suits—in West Africa, it’s Sex-for-Food, with aid workers demanding sexual services from locals as young as four; in Cambodia, it’s drug dealing; in Kenya, it’s the refugee extortion racket; in the Balkans, sex slaves. On a UN peace mission, everyone gets his piece.
Common....there are so many better uses for the property. UN out of US.
Ultra-Mobility It Is....
At least that's what this report says about Origami.
Instead, Origami is the moniker for the first iteration of paperback-sized computers that will run Microsoft's regular Windows XP operating system, a person close to Microsoft told The Associated Press. The person, who is familiar with the plans, spoke on condition of anonymity because the information is still confidential.
You know... I want one so bad I have to wipe the drool off of my keyboard.
Instead, Origami is the moniker for the first iteration of paperback-sized computers that will run Microsoft's regular Windows XP operating system, a person close to Microsoft told The Associated Press. The person, who is familiar with the plans, spoke on condition of anonymity because the information is still confidential.
You know... I want one so bad I have to wipe the drool off of my keyboard.
Gee, Ya Think....
It seems someone's gotten the crazy idea that the U.S.-Mexican border is easy access and a security risk. /sarcasm
An agent was reporting in with a startling new find: another tunnel, this one shorter and more crudely built, but big enough to provide yet another subterranean port of entry into the USA.
"Of course they could" be used by terrorists, Marwood says of the tunnels his team unearths. "The potential is there, and that makes it unacceptable."
I'd say that it's freaking terrible that it took 9/11 to make get tough about border security, but obviously border security is still a damned joke. That is disgusting.
Of course the teams searching for these tunnels weren't created by Washington....
The team was created not on orders from Washington but out of concerns from agents. The Border Patrol officers were discovering tunnels when their trucks sunk into the dirt after the ground had collapsed over shallow passages.
Appalling. Absolutely appalling.
An agent was reporting in with a startling new find: another tunnel, this one shorter and more crudely built, but big enough to provide yet another subterranean port of entry into the USA.
"Of course they could" be used by terrorists, Marwood says of the tunnels his team unearths. "The potential is there, and that makes it unacceptable."
I'd say that it's freaking terrible that it took 9/11 to make get tough about border security, but obviously border security is still a damned joke. That is disgusting.
Of course the teams searching for these tunnels weren't created by Washington....
The team was created not on orders from Washington but out of concerns from agents. The Border Patrol officers were discovering tunnels when their trucks sunk into the dirt after the ground had collapsed over shallow passages.
Appalling. Absolutely appalling.
Awsome, Freakin' Awsome....
Dudes, seriously. Check this out. This chica is totally on point.
Atlas has a similar reaction, but far more eloquently. That is to say, she doesn't sound like a surf bum.
Atlas has a similar reaction, but far more eloquently. That is to say, she doesn't sound like a surf bum.
2.28.2006
Manifesto....
Twelve call for solidarity amongst free people to resist Islamism.
MANIFESTO: Together facing the new totalitarianism
After having overcome fascism, Nazism, and Stalinism, the world now faces a new totalitarian global threat: Islamism.
We, writers, journalists, intellectuals, call for resistance to religious totalitarianism and for the promotion of freedom, equal opportunity and secular values for all.
The recent events, which occurred after the publication of drawings of Muhammed in European newspapers, have revealed the necessity of the struggle for these universal values. This struggle will not be won by arms, but in the ideological field. It is not a clash of civilisations nor an antagonism of West and East that we are witnessing, but a global struggle that confronts democrats and theocrats.
Like all totalitarianisms, Islamism is nurtured by fears and frustrations. The hate preachers bet on these feelings in order to form battalions destined to impose a liberticidal and unegalitarian world. But we clearly and firmly state: nothing, not even despair, justifies the choice of obscurantism, totalitarianism and hatred. Islamism is a reactionary ideology which kills equality, freedom and secularism wherever it is present. Its success can only lead to a world of domination: man's domination of woman, the Islamists' domination of all the others. To counter this, we must assure universal rights to oppressed or discriminated people.
We reject « cultural relativism », which consists in accepting that men and women of Muslim culture should be deprived of the right to equality, freedom and secular values in the name of respect for cultures and traditions. We refuse to renounce our critical spirit out of fear of being accused of "Islamophobia", an unfortunate concept which confuses criticism of Islam as a religion with stigmatisation of its believers.
We plead for the universality of freedom of expression, so that a critical spirit may be exercised on all continents, against all abuses and all dogmas.
We appeal to democrats and free spirits of all countries that our century should be one of Enlightenment, not of obscurantism.
12 signatures
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Chahla Chafiq
Caroline Fourest
Bernard-Henri Lévy
Irshad Manji
Mehdi Mozaffari
Maryam Namazie
Taslima Nasreen
Salman Rushdie
Antoine Sfeir
Philippe Val
Ibn Warraq
Michelle Malkin has bios on the signitures. Though I know that Irshad Manji hosted Q-TV on PlanetOut several years back.
Atlas thinks heads are gonna roll. I suspect she's right.
2.27.2006
Origami
Conceptual on Microsoft's elusive project. Check the video.
However, according to the Journal report, the device under development would be for a broad range of uses, not solely a music player, and be modeled after Microsoft's tablet PCs that use a pen-like stylus to input information.
If the ultra-portable pc is the model Microsoft is seeking, it's certainly not going to pan out as the PSP killer. Too expensive. Still, I drool.
However, according to the Journal report, the device under development would be for a broad range of uses, not solely a music player, and be modeled after Microsoft's tablet PCs that use a pen-like stylus to input information.
If the ultra-portable pc is the model Microsoft is seeking, it's certainly not going to pan out as the PSP killer. Too expensive. Still, I drool.
This Can't Be Allowed to Happen....
It's time to rally the forces into action. This is unacceptable.
The United States will continue sending humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people even after a Hamas government is formed, a senior U.S. envoy told Palestinian leaders during the first high-level meeting between the two sides since the Islamic militant group's election victory.
Write. Write the whitehouse, write congress. We cannot finance the destruction of Israel (and ourselves).
Atlas has more.
The United States will continue sending humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people even after a Hamas government is formed, a senior U.S. envoy told Palestinian leaders during the first high-level meeting between the two sides since the Islamic militant group's election victory.
Write. Write the whitehouse, write congress. We cannot finance the destruction of Israel (and ourselves).
Atlas has more.
What The Crap....
...Seriously. What the crap is this???
Never has an article made me blink with astonishment as much as when I read in yesterday's New York Times magazine that Sayed Rahmatullah Hashemi, former ambassador-at-large for the Taliban, is now studying at Yale on a U.S. student visa.
I suspect that the same Dem's who are behaving so shamefully regarding the port deal aren't going to demand that this man's visa be revoked. Shame. The only U.S. institution this man belongs in is Gitmo.
Never has an article made me blink with astonishment as much as when I read in yesterday's New York Times magazine that Sayed Rahmatullah Hashemi, former ambassador-at-large for the Taliban, is now studying at Yale on a U.S. student visa.
I suspect that the same Dem's who are behaving so shamefully regarding the port deal aren't going to demand that this man's visa be revoked. Shame. The only U.S. institution this man belongs in is Gitmo.
2.24.2006
It Would Come From MoCo....
....Montgomery County Maryland is quite possibly the closest Maryland gets to California. They're both sanctuaries for the insane.
Middle school magnet programs in Montgomery County have traditionally operated as schools within schools, offering specialized curriculum to a few select students....
But this fall, educators decided to try a different approach. Instead of selecting a few hundred students for traditional school magnets, officials opened magnet programs at three middle schools to everyone.
As someone who had a magnet school education, I should explain that magnet schools are open to everyone. Students go through an application process, which involves submitting an application and going through at least one interview. Space is limited, and there's usually a lengthy waiting list for applicants who didn't quite make the cut.
The application process combined with the idea behind magnet schools (that students select an area they want to focus in ex. math and science, visual arts, performing arts, language emersion....) is designed to attract students who are not only gifted/talented, but motivated. I'm not really sure what more could be done to make it more open and still maintain the goals of the program.
The most laughable part of this, is that it's all being done in the name of diversity.
"In the future, where we want to move is where it's not so much identifying children as gifted and talented so much as getting them the services they need to reach their potential," said Martin Creel, director of the accelerated enriched instruction division.
Yeah, but some people have more potential than others and those people are gifted/talented. Let's face it, not everyone can be a neurologist. Though shouldn't schools be getting students what they need to reach their potential. Isn't that the goal of education. Diversity means that some students are gifted.
In Fairfax County, educators have created the Young Scholars Program, aimed at identifying kindergartners from underrepresented populations who have potential but might need extra support. The school system also has added expanded honors classes at its middle schools in hopes of giving a broader spectrum of students more opportunities, said Carol Horn, coordinator of gifted programs for the school system.
Or they could try to identify the actual causes of the "underrepresentation". Oh, but wait... that would mean they'd have to do work. Why bother to find an actual solution when you can just fling some half-assed effort around to appease the minorities.
Educators hope that the new approach will help them address why black and Hispanic students continue to lag behind white and Asian counterparts in achievement and why so few take advanced classes or are admitted into accelerated programs.
A worth while question that needs real answers, not the pointless show they're putting on.
Middle school magnet programs in Montgomery County have traditionally operated as schools within schools, offering specialized curriculum to a few select students....
But this fall, educators decided to try a different approach. Instead of selecting a few hundred students for traditional school magnets, officials opened magnet programs at three middle schools to everyone.
As someone who had a magnet school education, I should explain that magnet schools are open to everyone. Students go through an application process, which involves submitting an application and going through at least one interview. Space is limited, and there's usually a lengthy waiting list for applicants who didn't quite make the cut.
The application process combined with the idea behind magnet schools (that students select an area they want to focus in ex. math and science, visual arts, performing arts, language emersion....) is designed to attract students who are not only gifted/talented, but motivated. I'm not really sure what more could be done to make it more open and still maintain the goals of the program.
The most laughable part of this, is that it's all being done in the name of diversity.
"In the future, where we want to move is where it's not so much identifying children as gifted and talented so much as getting them the services they need to reach their potential," said Martin Creel, director of the accelerated enriched instruction division.
Yeah, but some people have more potential than others and those people are gifted/talented. Let's face it, not everyone can be a neurologist. Though shouldn't schools be getting students what they need to reach their potential. Isn't that the goal of education. Diversity means that some students are gifted.
In Fairfax County, educators have created the Young Scholars Program, aimed at identifying kindergartners from underrepresented populations who have potential but might need extra support. The school system also has added expanded honors classes at its middle schools in hopes of giving a broader spectrum of students more opportunities, said Carol Horn, coordinator of gifted programs for the school system.
Or they could try to identify the actual causes of the "underrepresentation". Oh, but wait... that would mean they'd have to do work. Why bother to find an actual solution when you can just fling some half-assed effort around to appease the minorities.
Educators hope that the new approach will help them address why black and Hispanic students continue to lag behind white and Asian counterparts in achievement and why so few take advanced classes or are admitted into accelerated programs.
A worth while question that needs real answers, not the pointless show they're putting on.
2.23.2006
Idiot Alert....
New York couple confessess via law suite to being to stupid to realize that their dog should chew food before swallowing it.
The maker of Greenies, the nation's best-selling dog treat that has been blamed by consumers in several pet deaths, plans to clarify feeding instructions and increase the print size on packaging, which included a small-print warning that gulping any item can be harmful and even fatal....
....A New York couple has filed a $5 million lawsuit against the company over the death of their miniature dachshund, Burt.
It gets better, because you know what's currently on the package?
....The directions tell owners which size Greenie is right for their pets' weight and instruct them to watch pets to ensure they chew the treat adequately.
But still too difficult to grasp.... Astonishing. I'd be embarrassed, but these asshats....
"If they did this with kids, they would be out of business," Tayman said.
I hope that doesn't mean this guy is shoving large chunks of food down his kid's throat.... Chew before you swallow. It applys to things with teeth. Dogs have teeth. Ergo, dogs should chew before they swallow. Simple, no?
The maker of Greenies, the nation's best-selling dog treat that has been blamed by consumers in several pet deaths, plans to clarify feeding instructions and increase the print size on packaging, which included a small-print warning that gulping any item can be harmful and even fatal....
....A New York couple has filed a $5 million lawsuit against the company over the death of their miniature dachshund, Burt.
It gets better, because you know what's currently on the package?
....The directions tell owners which size Greenie is right for their pets' weight and instruct them to watch pets to ensure they chew the treat adequately.
But still too difficult to grasp.... Astonishing. I'd be embarrassed, but these asshats....
"If they did this with kids, they would be out of business," Tayman said.
I hope that doesn't mean this guy is shoving large chunks of food down his kid's throat.... Chew before you swallow. It applys to things with teeth. Dogs have teeth. Ergo, dogs should chew before they swallow. Simple, no?
The U.A.E. Port Deal Post
I've been pretty silent about the U.A.E. port deal so far. Really I just wanted to evaluate my reaction and take a good look at the information out there. It's a good thing too, because I'll be the first to admit that my initial reaction was pretty damn knee jerk. In fact I think alot of people's were (and still are in some cases). Don't get me wrong, I understand their side of things, and the MSM hasn't been helping.
Their outright hatred of George W. Bush has led to blatant and unashamed fear mongering on their part.
Opposing the U.A.E.'s deal is misdirecting effort. Yes, port security is a big deal, but the opperations that the U.A.E. will have control over don't include port security. We shouldn't be focusing on what country the people who hire (many times removed) the people who load and unload containers belong to. We should focus on fixing the fact that the eigth largest port in this country seems to feel that wood blocks on poles is a valid replacement for security cameras.
It's note worthy to see the liberals line up to support what amounts to nothing more than corporate racial profiling. I'm for profiling when it makes sense, but it doesn't in this case. The U.A.E. has been named as being an important and loyal ally in the WoT, and while they may not embody all the ideals of the west, they're further along than other Arab countries. We need to support countries that have moderate practices (at least, more so than their neighbors in an effort to see them become truly moderate), not penalize them over our inability to see beyond their geographical location.
Blocking this deal blocks U.A.E. economic growth and will only serve to distance us from a good ally. Not to mention, that as beacon of freedom and success we should be encouraging the independent economic growth of other countries. Even if it's only because we'll save ourselves trouble down the line. And I don't neccessarily mean terrorism. The more successful and free other countries are, the more likely their criminals are to stay there.
Update: Pamela over at Atlas notes an interesting connection between politicians opposing the deal and campaign contributions from the International Longshoremen's Association.
Update: Michelle Malkin is on the other side on this issue, but her reaction isn't what I would call knee jerk. And I agree with her on the changes that need to be made to CFIUS.
Their outright hatred of George W. Bush has led to blatant and unashamed fear mongering on their part.
Opposing the U.A.E.'s deal is misdirecting effort. Yes, port security is a big deal, but the opperations that the U.A.E. will have control over don't include port security. We shouldn't be focusing on what country the people who hire (many times removed) the people who load and unload containers belong to. We should focus on fixing the fact that the eigth largest port in this country seems to feel that wood blocks on poles is a valid replacement for security cameras.
It's note worthy to see the liberals line up to support what amounts to nothing more than corporate racial profiling. I'm for profiling when it makes sense, but it doesn't in this case. The U.A.E. has been named as being an important and loyal ally in the WoT, and while they may not embody all the ideals of the west, they're further along than other Arab countries. We need to support countries that have moderate practices (at least, more so than their neighbors in an effort to see them become truly moderate), not penalize them over our inability to see beyond their geographical location.
Blocking this deal blocks U.A.E. economic growth and will only serve to distance us from a good ally. Not to mention, that as beacon of freedom and success we should be encouraging the independent economic growth of other countries. Even if it's only because we'll save ourselves trouble down the line. And I don't neccessarily mean terrorism. The more successful and free other countries are, the more likely their criminals are to stay there.
Update: Pamela over at Atlas notes an interesting connection between politicians opposing the deal and campaign contributions from the International Longshoremen's Association.
Update: Michelle Malkin is on the other side on this issue, but her reaction isn't what I would call knee jerk. And I agree with her on the changes that need to be made to CFIUS.
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