How Deserted Lies the City

Like the Big Dig......Just A Whoooole Lot Bigger

2008-12-08T09:15:00.000-05:00

So Barack Obama has apparently taken this FDR talk seriously enough to reveal his "21st Century New Deal", and suddenly I'm reminded of that quote...
...how does it go?...
...a "second class mind but a first class temperament"

“[W]e will launch a massive effort to make public buildings more energy-efficient. Our government now pays the highest energy bill in the world. We need to change that. We need to upgrade our federal buildings by replacing old heating systems and installing efficient light bulbs. That won’t just save you, the American taxpayer, billions of dollars each year. It will put people back to work.”

OK, OK I know it was TR not FDR but lets not ruin a good meme...

Were They Watching The Same Election As Me

2008-11-21T12:40:00.002-05:00

So, the reason John McCain lost the election wasn't because of Obama's 600 million dollar war chest, it wasn't his youth or the fact that he was a far better communicator. It wasn't because after eight years of a Republican administration the public wanted a change, or the fact that the ever tongue-tied George Bush's approval ratings are at an all time low. It wasn't because of the long unpopular war, or the fact that the media that did so much to make the war unpopular is so deeply in the pockets of the Democratic party that most of the pundits should register as paid lobbyists.
Oh yes, and that global finncial crisis had only a little to with it.
No the real problem with the Republican campaign was the overt religiosity of some of McCain's supporters....

....except of course McCain wasn't their first or even second choice in the primaries, and no, conservative social issues were'nt even particulary brought up during the election (except for opposition to gay marriage which actually succeeded wherever it was brought up) and the most famous minister in the country now is the race-baiting preacher of the Democratic candidates church.

SO you see, it all makes perfect sense.

Q: What Did You Do During The War Daddy A: Why, I Drank Egg Nog, Son

2008-11-20T12:26:00.003-05:00

While on one side of the Indian Ocean modern day pirates run amok, driving even "super powers" to distraction (since their Twenty First Century mores find it hard to deal with eighteenth Century threats) on the other side of the ocean the Australian Navy gets a Christmas holiday.
For two months.

Sliding Into First

2008-11-14T08:16:00.001-05:00

Let's see... 1,342 points since Obama was declared the winner.... comes out to 167 points a day... which means by the time he actually takes the office the Dow will be somewhere around...hmmm...-2521.

Rise of the Pinkshirts

2008-11-13T17:40:00.004-05:00

Taking a cue from another famous gay activist (I refuse to capitalize gay) sore losers are spreading their curious brand of tolerance and diversity...

On Sunday, November 9, a band of about 30 homosexuals stormed a church in Lansing, Michigan. Some were well dressed and were stationed inside Mount Hope Church, where they pretended to be normal Sunday worshippers; others were outside dressed in pink and black.
The group of self-described homosexual anarchists, Bash Back!, claims the evangelical church is guilty of “transphobia and homophobia.” The group says that it fights for "liberation," opposes "all forms of state power," and urges members not to condemn certain methods of promoting their cause "on the grounds that the State deems it to be illegal."

During the service the protesters outside the church were beating on buckets, shouting “Jesus was a homo” on a megaphone and carrying an upside-down pink cross. They distributed fliers to passersby.

And it's apparently spreading...

Another church building belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been vandalized. This incident in Sandy is the seventh in a string of vandalisms targeting the Church's chapels.

Churches in Weber and Davis counties were also hit by vandals over the weekend, raising concerns about a possible hate crime. In those incidents, vandals shattered doors and windows.

Sort of their own little Crystalnacht.

Will America Take The Plunge ?

2008-11-01T02:14:00.002-04:00

Obama Says...Paris Is Worth A Mass

2008-06-02T19:26:00.003-04:00

...or at least Washington DC is.

26°05′49.4″S 111°04′27.5″E,

2008-03-19T19:46:00.001-04:00

The grave of HMAS Sydney.

Paging Dr. Mengele...oops, Sorry, I Mean Orwell...

2008-03-19T19:32:00.005-04:00

Put young children on DNA list, urge police
· 'We must target potential offenders'
· Teachers' fury over 'dangerous' plan
Primary school children should be eligible for the DNA database if they exhibit behaviour indicating they may become criminals in later life, according to Britain's most senior police forensics expert.
////////
Last week it emerged that the number of 10 to 18-year-olds placed on the DNA database after being arrested will have reached around 1.5 million this time next year. Since 2004 police have had the power to take DNA samples from anyone over the age of 10 who is arrested, regardless of whether they are later charged, convicted, or found to be innocent.
Concern over the issue of civil liberties will be further amplified by news yesterday that commuters using Oyster smart cards could have their movements around cities secretly monitored under new counter-terrorism powers being sought by the security services.

Hi, I'm Back

2008-03-19T19:32:00.001-04:00

"To Stand Athwart History Yelling Stop...

2008-02-27T23:57:00.001-05:00

Remember There Is No Such Thing As ....

2008-02-18T11:19:00.001-05:00

...Presidents Day.

While In Richmond, Virginia Socialism Advances

2008-02-08T11:21:00.000-05:00

OK, outside of Richmond....in Henrico county to be exact.

Henrico County risks paying top dollar for land because officials are reluctant to use government authority to force owners to sell, an independent commission has concluded.

"Since the county rarely uses its power of eminent domain, informed landowners realize that the county will not condemn and they will 'game the system' to their advantage," the commission said in a report released yesterday.

So basically the land belongs first to the government and they essentialy just let you live there.

Tuckahoe District Supervisor Patricia S. O'Bannon, who had requested the commission be set up, citing an apparent pattern of the county paying high prices for land owned by developers, said she feels justified in her request.

Really.
Imagine that very high land prices in an area of very high growth and diminishing amounts of land.
Government solution: make them give it to us...

Now They're Getting Delusional Over At The Corner

2008-02-06T14:46:00.000-05:00

From John Derbyshire this morning...

"A Midwestern conservative activist "formerly of the Fred! team and now in the Romney camp" emails in to tell me something I think is likely true. Romney lost here for two reasons that are not mutually exclusive: class warfare and envy. People don't like him because he is richer, smarter, better-looking and more successful than they are, and so much so, that it is impossible for him to camouflage the difference. Oh, they will make claims such as religion or flip flops, but it's all hogwash. This is, of course, contrary to what conservatism ought to be, but it is in line with humanity as it is.

I am afraid so."

Talk about whistling past the graveyard (or is it sour grapes? You pick the homely metaphor). Their candidate isn't losing because he's seen as Northeastern Liberal who just putting on a Conservative act for the campaign.
It's not his flip flops.
It's not even his LDS faith.
No, their candidate is losing because... he's too good.

Harder To Make Up

2008-02-01T13:34:00.000-05:00

Surrogate mothers could be given up to £15,000 of Health Service money to have children for gay couples, it emerged yesterday.
An NHS trust is considering funding the service for infertile couples - whether they are heterosexual or of the same-sex.

I'd say that "same-sex couple" pretty much is the definition of "infertile."

Old Hippies To Devil Dogs: Get Lost

2008-02-01T12:47:00.000-05:00

Apparently a timetable for leaving Iraq isn't enough, now Liberals want the US armed forces out of Berkeley.
No road side bombs as of yet...

...the Berkeley City Council, which voted 6-3 Tuesday night to tell the U.S. Marines that its Shattuck Avenue recruiting station "is not welcome in the city, and if recruiters choose to stay, they do so as uninvited and unwelcome intruders."
....
In a separate item, the council voted 8-1 to give Code Pink a designated parking space in front of the recruiting station once a week for six months and a free sound permit for protesting once a week from noon to 4 p.m.
....
An employee of a nearby business who asked not to be identified said Wednesday the elderly Code Pink protesters are aggressive, take up parking spaces, block the sidewalk with their yoga moves, smoke in the doorways, and are noisy.

...and here are some words of wisdom from City Council member Maxwell Anderson...

Anderson, a former Marine who said he was "drummed out" of the corps when he took a stand against the Vietnam War, said he'd love to see the Marines high tale it out of town.

"We are confronted with an organization that can spend billions of dollars on propaganda," Anderson said. "This is not Okinawa here; we're involved in a naked act of aggression. If we can provide a space for ordinary people to express themselves against this kind of barbarity, then we should be doing it."

...and here is how to get in touch with the histrionic Councilman Anderson,
...sorry I'm sure I meant to say Council Person.

Hard To Make Up

2008-02-01T09:16:00.000-05:00

From the Daily Mail....

The Department for Children, Schools and Families commissioned Stonewall to write the guidance jointly with lobby group Education Action Challenging Homophobia.

It says that pupils aged four to seven should "understand that not all pupils have a mum and a dad" and learn about different family structures.

Advice to teachers of 11 to 14-year-olds states: "Schools should make efforts to talk inclusively about same-sex parents, for example, avoid assuming all pupils will have a "mum and dad".

"When schools discuss marriage, they may also discuss civil partnership and adoption rights for gay people."

In a section on engaging with parents, it asks schools: "Do you talk about 'parents' instead of assuming all pupils have 'mum or a dad'?"

The advice goes on to urge teachers to challenge every derogatory use of the word gay to avert homophobic attitudes.

....wait for it....

The guidance - produced for the Government by gay rights group Stonewall - will be formally launched today by Schools Secretary Ed Balls.

OK, I thought it was funny.

The New Bishop Laud...

2008-01-31T09:26:00.000-05:00

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has called for new laws to protect religious sensibilities that would punish “thoughtless and cruel” styles of speaking.

Dr Williams, who has seen his own Anglican Communion riven by fierce invective over homosexuality, said the current blasphemy law was “unworkable” and he had no objection to its repeal.

But whatever replaces it should “send a signal” about what was acceptable.

This should be done by “stigmatising and punishing extreme behaviours” that have the effect of silencing argument.

So watch those ears....

What Did I Tell You

2008-01-30T09:46:00.000-05:00

TOPEKA, Kan. - Gov. Kathleen Sebelius on Tuesday endorsed Barack Obama for president, a Super Tuesday boost in a GOP-leaning state that Democrats hope to reclaim in the White House campaign.
ooooooooooooooooo
Sebelius has impressed Democrats nationally by election success, and party leaders let her give the Democratic response Monday night to Bush's State of the Union address.

She is coming off a year as head of the Democratic Governors Association, a group that Bill Clinton once led. The governor made Democrats' lists of potential vice presidential running mates for nominee John Kerry in 2004, and while there's less of the same talk this year, she is seen as possible Cabinet appointee in a Democratic administration.

I however seem to remember this little moment which the AP (shocker!!) fails to mention...

Paging Dr. Mengele V

2008-01-29T11:05:00.000-05:00

The latest in our series...

Smokers, heavy drinkers, the obese and the elderly should be barred from receiving some operations, according to doctors, with most saying the health service cannot afford to provide free care to everyone.
Fertility treatment and "social" abortions are also on the list of procedures that many doctors say should not be funded by the state.

And what on earth is a "social abortion"?

Knowing Someone From The Company They Keep

2008-01-29T11:01:00.000-05:00

.....or in this case from those that praise them.

Just as I start warming up to McCain(out of desperation more than anything else) we have the endorsement from the New York Times and now the support of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch which damns him with.....

Perhaps his most courageous political stand in the current campaign is his moderate view on immigration reform. Here is a senator from a border state who joined with Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., and others to defy reactionary forces by sponsoring a comprehensive and compassionate immigration reform bill. That the bill failed is not the fault of Mr. McCain.

...and apparently he's smarter than the average conservative...

He has little patience with the scientific know-nothings of the modern right, having long ago recognized the threat of global warming and — despite his long pro-life voting record — the promise of embryonic stem cell research.

Notice the use of the word "promise", as in it doesn't actually work but it's a convenient brickbat to beat Republicans until a Democrat takes office then the press can safely forget it "promise".

And what is the deal with big city papers and Giuliani.
First the New York Times...

The real Mr. Giuliani, whom many New Yorkers came to know and mistrust, is a narrow, obsessively secretive, vindictive man who saw no need to limit police power.
...Mr. Giuliani’s arrogance and bad judgment are breathtaking.

...now the Post-Dispatch...

We find former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani to be cravenly narrow and mean.

Maybe somebody needs to buy the Editorial staff of the Post-Dispatch a dictionary, because mine says that "cravenly" is the adverb form of craven which means..."cowardly; contemptibly timid; pusillanimous".

I'd call Giuliani a lot of things, a coward isn't one of them.

The Millstone In The Democratic Party's Eye...

2008-01-28T09:02:00.000-05:00

....is that they (and their water carriers in the press) are overlooking how race is going to doom their chances at the polls this year.

The reality is that either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama is going to be their nominee and either one of them alienates an important part of the Democratic base.

If Hillary gets the nod Black voters will stay home in droves driven away by what is perceived as the racist way the Clintons went after the first Black candidate to have snowball's chance of getting near the Presidency; especially if she keeps getting ahead of him in the delegate count while he keeps winning a plurality of the votes. (more on that later)

And if Obama gets the nod, the truth is, a significant number of the white working class will not vote for a Black man. A young Black man. A young Black man named Barrak Hussein Obama. Maybe a Morgan Freeman look a like would have a chance but (sorry George Stephanopoulos) all those millions of Whites still in a swoon over the likes of JFK and LBJ (and especially older voters still thinking fondly of Truman and Roosevelt) will not push the button for a Black man. A young Black man. A young Black man named Barack Hussein Obama.

Enlightened residents of Manhattan and Georgetown not withstanding, just because some people think all Republicans are plutocrats or religious fanatics doesn't mean they have suddenly become color blind.

Is It Me? (pt. II) .....

2008-01-18T09:13:00.000-05:00

.....or is the Democratic race starting to resemble James Watts famous (OK, infamous) line.

...so does that make John Edwards the "cripple."

Is it Me ?.....

2008-01-18T08:08:00.000-05:00

......or is David Letterman starting to look like the town crank.

As well as sounding like one.

Or maybe An Enemy Of The People.

Seeing The World Through PC Glasses, Or.....

2008-01-17T12:14:00.000-05:00

.......all the news that's fit to print. And I do mean fit.

An interesting science piece from the New York Times on the theory(attacked over the last couple decades) that the crew of Columbus' ships contracted syphilis from the natives of the New World and brought it back to the Old.

Even more interesting is the titles of the piece, "Genetic Study Bolsters The Columbus Link To Syphilis".

Almost makes ol' Christopher seem like some fifteenth century Typhoid Mary doesn't it ?

.....and a quick little search of the article reveals that words "native", "Native American", and "Indian"(that last one isn't surprising) appear....absolutely....no where.

Are They After Huckabee Because He's An Evangelical ?

2008-01-15T11:45:00.000-05:00

Of course they are.
And I support Thompson.

I might... I might take the protestations of the members of CMSM (that's Conservative Mainstream Media) that they're actually so concerned about Huckabee's conservative credentials if so many of them where not trumpeting the candidacies of those Conservative titans....... Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney.

Case in point. To paint Huckabee as some strangely Christian-Democrat type of Republican while whistling past the pro Big Government records of Giuliani and Romney is to seriously stretch the credulity of the politically informed.

As for him raising taxes in Arkansas......folks, it's Arkansas, maybe they needed more revenue.

And I thought Conservatives were in favor of handing back more responsibility to the states?

The Shia Sunni Frission...

2007-12-29T08:20:00.000-05:00

....in Bahrain reignites.

Bahrain has been hit by rioting in majority Shia areas for a fifth consecutive day, according to local press reports.

Where The War Against Christmas Gets Serious

2007-12-27T19:33:00.000-05:00

Curfews have been imposed in four districts in the Indian state of Orissa after rioters attacked churches, police stations and homes. The violence started with a fight over Christmas decorations.

Officials in Orissa say hundreds of armed security personnel have been sent to the tribal-dominated Kandhamal district, following a rampage that saw the torching of about 12 churches, attacks on police and offices of charitable organizations. At least one person was killed in the violence.

Authorities say a prominent conservative Hindu figure, 80-year-old Swami Laxmananda Saraswati, was attacked on his way to a town where gunfire had broken out over the installation of public Christmas decorations. Hindu mobs took to the streets to protest the assault on the official of the VHP, the acronym for the World Hindu Council. The VHP is active in the area trying to convert Christians to Hinduism.

Convert ?!

So that's the word for it now.

Special Sci-fi Christmas Eve Post

2007-12-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

It might not be a miraculous star but the conjunction of the full moon and Mars last night as clouds raced by at high speed was a sight to see, and I tried to immortalize the event as best I could.

And now to test your geek powers the Sci Fi Sounds Quiz.

I'm proud to say I scored a 92.

At least I guess I'm proud...

Has Anyone Else Noticed....

2007-12-22T09:44:00.000-05:00

.......how the Corner over at National Review Online has become the "all anti-Huckabee all the time" blog?

Apparently he's both a divisive force in the Republican party and not a real conservative.

Not a real conservative like those stalwarts Romney and Giuliani that is.

A Dead Tree Tradition Continues...

2007-12-22T08:18:00.000-05:00

Time magazine continues our media's fascination with strong men(as long as they don't have a capital R tacked on to the end of their names) by making Vladimer "Just be happy I don't cut off your beard" Putin their Man Of The Year.

But who can be surprised.....they gave it to Stalin.....twice.

Light Bulb Update....

2007-12-20T12:17:00.000-05:00

The strange world of the light bulb to the south....

CARACAS, Venezuela: President Hugo Chavez said Friday that his Cuba-inspired light bulb giveaway program, which aims to improve energy efficiency, will mean big energy savings for his oil-rich nation.

"They'll say Chavez has gone crazy — that he's going around giving out light bulbs," Chavez said in a televised speech.

...and then there is spreading the Revolucion through light bulbs...see Guyana...

THE countrywide programme to replace high energy consumption bulbs with others that utilise less current has reached Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne).
...The project, which has already covered Linden, Bartica, Kwakwani and Aroaima, follows acceptance, last January, of an offer by Cuban President Fidel Castro to President Bharrat Jagdeo, for Cuba to help Guyana reduce its electricity needs for lighting.
Cuba is providing the Chinese made bulbs

...which sometimes gets complicated...see Jamaica

The Auditor General and Contractor General have been called in to investigate the expenditure of $114 million and the commitment to pay another $162 million in connection with the light bulb distribution project carried out with the help of the Cuban Government.
The Minister in charge of the Telecommunications sector Clive Mullings made the announcement in the House of Representatives Tuesday as he raised issues about the conduct of the programme and one of the ministers associated with it.
Under the programme some four million florescent bulbs were to be distributed as part of an effort to encourage energy saving habits among Jamaicans.

Congress Follows The Path of The EU....And Cuba

2007-12-20T12:04:00.000-05:00

President Bush is expect to sign the law passed today that would effectively ban the incandescent light bulb over the next few years.
I gave my two cents on this issue back when the Australians did the same thing in February.......but my favorite part of the article bears repeating....

Cuba's Fidel Castro launched a similar program two years ago, sending youth brigades into homes and switching out regular bulbs for energy-saving ones to help battle electrical blackouts around the island.

And for those of you who need the help,....Parliament to the rescue!

MPs have been issued with a 10-point guide on what to do if they find a broken light bulb in Parliament.

When Is A Former Evangelical Minister Not Very Evangelical

2007-12-07T13:38:00.000-05:00

Apparently whenever he starts talking about the "universe."
Michael Dowd, author of Thank God for Evolution! How the Marriage of Science and Religion Will Transform Your Life and Our World, does a Q and A with Wired and gets a reasonably warm reception from the technology magazine with his view that "a holy understanding of evolution will usher the world's religions into their greatness in the 21st century."

Though how actual Evangelicals will feel about comments like...

creativity didn't exist at the beginning of time, making everything like a potter makes a pot, but exists through the universe in a nested sense. God, Goddess, Allah -- they're just proper names for that ultimate reality. God is a sacred proper name for 'largest nesting doll.' You may choose to call it by another name. Many people just call it the universe.

Evolution helps us understand the challenges of life. Why do we struggle with what we struggle with? Traditional religion says it's the Fall, it's original sin. But from an evolutionary theology perspective, original sin is a way of talking about what we call animal instincts.

Take testosterone: The more a person has, the more a person tends to take risks and think about sex. If people think they have sex on the brain because their great-great-grandmother ate an apple, or because they're fundamentally flawed, then they won't be able to live with integrity. Evolutionary psychology gives us a way of understanding our true nature. It makes it easier for us to live.

Making it "easier for us to live."
I wasn't aware that was the point behind Christianity.
Any type of Christianity.

As for "Rev" Dowd being a "former Evangelical minister" I think his bio at Wikipedia sheds a little light on that...

During the 1980s and 90s, Michael pastored three United Church of Christ congregations, worked with Unitarian Universalist, Jewish, Roman Catholic, Protestant, New Thought (???) and Evangelical leaders across America on environmental, peace, and justice issues, and he managed government-funded Sustainable Lifestyle Campaigns on both coasts.

Ahhh, the fierce Evangelicals of....the United Church of Christ.

Lest We Forget...

2007-12-07T13:08:00.001-05:00

No Sin For Us.... We're Evolved

2007-12-07T12:57:00.000-05:00

Richard Dawkins, Britain's modern day prophet of militant atheism (or is that militant prophet of modern day atheism) informs all us little, provincial people how adultery is as proper as opposable thumbs...

Only a person infected by the sort of sanctimonious self-righteousness that religion uniquely inspires would apply the meaningless word 'sin' to private sexual behavior.

What is even more shocking is that the fully evolved Prof. is married to none other than Lalla Ward aka Romana the Gallifrean companion of the Fourth Doctor.

Which leads us to two interesting points...
1) There are only about 83 people in the entire British Isles and they are all connected by about 3 degrees of separation.
2) Oh what a fall....from Tom Baker to Richard Dawkins.

The LA Times Goes After CNN...

2007-12-05T12:08:00.000-05:00

Not just goes after the network but calls it corrupt......not for stacking the deck with dubious questioners during the recent Republican debate, but for asking too many questions about immigration.
You see for the Times the immigration question is a non issue and so for CNN to take it so seriously must mean that the network has some dark hidden motive; in this case the answer is........Lou Dobbs.

The answer is that CNN's most popular news-oriented personality, Lou Dobbs, has made opposition to illegal immigration and free trade the centerpiece of his neonativist/neopopulist platform. In fact, Dobbs led into Wednesday's debate with a good solid dose of immigrant bashing. His network is in a desperate ratings battle with Fox News and, in a critical prime-time slot, with MSNBC's Keith Olbermann. So, what's good for Dobbs is good for CNN.

Not that the vetting issue wasn't brought up...

Beside considerations like these, CNN's incompetent failure to weed out Democratically connected questioners pales.

See, there you go....one sentence in a piece of over 1200 words.

The "Clueless European Of The Year" Race Just Got Tighter...

2007-12-04T11:52:00.000-05:00

From Spiegel Online of November 30 we have the curious case of the dog that barked in the night, but which no one would believe was a dog.

With the number of homophobic attacks rising in the Dutch metropolis, Amsterdam officials are commissioning a study to determine why Moroccan men are targeting the city's gays.
......
This month, Mayor Job Cohen commissioned the University of Amsterdam to conduct a study on the motives behind the hate crimes. Half of the crimes were committed by men of Moroccan origin and researchers believe they felt stigmatized by society and responded by attacking people they felt were lower on the social ladder. Another working theory is that the attackers may be struggling with their own sexual identity(?!?!?).

Hmmmm. The mystery of it all.

H/Tip Five Feet Of Fury

And The Bound Set Of American Heritage Magazines....

2007-11-29T10:24:00.000-05:00

....goes to....Lou Lumenick of the New York Post, one of those highly trained professional journalists with the layers of professional fact checkers who apparently have never heard of one of the major political parties of American history.

Bill Donohue of the Catholic League has been publicizing the movie by claiming it's an anti-religious tract, as much as it pains me to say so, this self-appointed no-nothing may actually have something of a point.

So says Lou Lumenick.

Self-appointed journalist.

Just In Time For Christmas

2007-11-29T10:16:00.000-05:00

As a British teacher rots in a Sudanese prison awaiting her 40 lashes (shades of Prisoner of the Mahdi) for the horrific crime of naming a teddy Mohammed, Hollywood timely as always presents an allegorical children's tale about the evils of......Christianity.

Though some think the film isn't anti-Christian enough...

'It was clear right from the start that the makers of this film intended to take out the anti-religious elements of Pullman's book,' said Terry Sanderson, president of the society. 'In doing that they are taking the heart out of it, losing the point of it, castrating it. It seems that religion has now completely conquered America's cultural life and it is much the poorer for it. What a shame that we have to endure such censorship here too.'

Maybe Someone Is In Need Of A Little Avian Diversity Training

2007-11-28T15:18:00.000-05:00

From close to home....

CHESTER, Va. (AP) - Federal agriculture officials are working to disband hundreds of black vultures that have caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage in Chesterfield County.

The birds scratch and defecate on parked vehicles at the Dutch Gap boat landing on the James River, and cause problems at the nearby Dominion Virginia Power Chesterfield Power Station.

But has the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries gone too far...

...harassed the Dutch Gap vultures using pyrotechnics, paintball guns, shooting, and effigies, but this effort failed to permanently disperse the birds.

One has to wonder whether White vultures would be treated the same way.

What Happens When...

2007-11-27T18:06:00.001-05:00

....one nut gets the "whip" hand in a local school district in Ohio....

The internationally acclaimed play - Agatha Christie's "Ten Little Indians" - was to be performed by students at Lakota East High School this weekend.

But Gary Hines, president of the local NAACP branch, recently complained to Lakota officials that the play, based on Christie's 1939 mystery novel, was inappropriate for a school production.
,,,,
"The original title was 'Ten Little (N - - - - - -),' and it is important to say that because that was the actual title," Hines said Monday.

The title of the international bestseller was widely changed after 1939, and school theater productions in America have performed the murder mystery play as either "Ten Little Indians" or "And Then There Were None" for decades since.

Hines claims that a lack of racial diversity among Lakota's students and teachers allowed the play to be chosen despite the history surrounding its original title.

Apparently this a case of a dog returning to his vomit...

In 2002, Hines accused Lakota schools of widespread, systemic racism and recommended that more than 2,000 Lakota employees be required to enroll in diversity and cultural sensitivity training similar to what was offered by his company. He promised to compile a report months later detailing his accusations against the schools but never produced a document.

Ohhh, you see...

...Hines, who operates GPH Consultants - a diversity training company - in West Chester Township,

In fact, am I allowed to say "whip" hand ?
Or do I need training ?

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand...

2007-11-08T23:51:00.000-05:00

Cool new poster from the Young America's Foundation featuring everybody's favorite motorcyclin' diarist (and cold blooded executioner.)

When The Scimitar Meets The Internet

2007-11-07T13:17:00.000-05:00

What happens to you when you oppose the afore mentioned biggest mosque in Europe?

You get love letters from the "not so assimilated" of Britain.

A leading opponent of plans to build Europe's largest mosque in east London has seen a chilling "obituary" for him posted on the internet.

The film on video-sharing website YouTube is entitled In memory of Councillor Alan Craig and contains pictures of him with his wife and two young daughters.

It was apparently posted in retaliation f0r his opposition to the mosque.

Hat tip Brussels Journal

Update: The video is still up at YouTube !!!

Note To Harry Smith: Mother Nature Is No Respecter Of Property Lines

2007-11-06T11:42:00.000-05:00

From Newsbusters...

On Monday’s CBS "Early Show," co-host Harry Smith interviewed New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg. The liberal mayor has followed in the footsteps of Al Gore and implored the government to take action to address an impending environmental crisis, saying "We need to do something now." To match Bloomberg’s alarmist rhetoric, Smith added "Manhattan will be underwater by 2050."

Is the comment really that "alarmist"? After all Manhattan is an island in the estuary of a major river, wouldn't some major shoreline changes take place by 2050 which is four hundred years after the original settlement of the island by Westerners?
Why is it that the self described Environmentalists, the people who are supposed to be so in tune with nature, that insist nature stand absolutely still and a safe distance from their property?

Snitch On A Conservative Or.....

2007-10-26T10:45:00.000-04:00

....."Help, I have a 'protected condition' ".

The College of William and Mary goes further down the drain thanks to President "Hey what is that cross doing in that chapel?" Nichols. This time it's with the installation of a bias reporting system that if it had been installed by the federal government to track terrorists we would be hearing how it what a massive affront to our civil liberties it is...

The Bias Reporting System was established to assist members of the William and Mary community who have been affected by incidents involving bias related to race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or other protected conditions. The system provides multiple modes (multiple modes?) of reporting to include personal contact, online form, or faxed form. Confidentiality will be honored unless reporting individual provides contact information.

.... since they're only going after non-Lefties we can all sleep peaceful at night.

Hey, that's an idea...maybe if enough people of "protected condition" are themselves reported than the system will have a complete shutdown....sort of like Robbie the Robot at the end of Forbidden Planet.

Do Neocons Hate....

2007-10-26T10:14:00.000-04:00

...........mutants!?
Yes, according to the people at Cox Cable who put this up as the description of X-Men II.

"...a right wing militarist pursues the mutants."

So what is Dick Cheney up to these days?

Why The Animal Rights Nuts...

2007-10-25T12:00:00.000-04:00

...are just one soy-milk latte away from being Nazis.

Doris Lessing...

2007-10-23T11:11:00.000-04:00

....auditions for the revised edition of Paul Johnson's Intellectuals.

Shame On You J. K. Rowling...

2007-10-23T10:50:00.000-04:00

..... for taking a mentor-student (or even a substitute father-son) relationship and now making it look somewhat creepy in retrospect.
So why did you retcon your work to fit the agenda that....

...There are not enough gay characters in literature,...especially in children’s books, which reinforces the view that being gay is unusual and not normal.

...maybe she's just listened to Stephen Fry read the stories one too many times.

And for of those of you who can laugh at the whole situation.... IMAO.

The Perils Of Genealogy....

2007-10-19T15:10:00.000-04:00

...or the math of two politicians' "relationship."

It would not make the happiest of family reunions. Barack Obama, the young, charming, anti-war presidential hopeful, is an eighth cousin of Vice-President Dick Cheney, the older, whiter, irascible warrior-politician.

The link between the two men was discovered by Lynne Cheney, the vice-president's wife, while researching her ancestry for a memoir about growing up in Wyoming.

But...... there is the little fact of what it really means to be eighth cousins. An eighth cousin is someone with whom you share a great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandparent.
That's seven greats.
Now to figure out how many "seven greats" grandparents you have you just use the trick of the powers of two, using your parents as 2 to the 1st power and going up from there. So the number of your "seven greats" grandparent is 2 to the 9th or.........512.
And consider Obama and Cheney each had 512 ancestors of the 9th generation.

Of course remembering Barak Obama's mother is white, it is not quite as strange as it seems...

A Few Good Blogs On Global Security....

2007-10-18T00:47:00.000-04:00

....in the new century ( can I call it "new" if it's seven years old already?)...

Global Guerrillas
"Networked tribes, infrastructure disruption, and the emerging bazaar of violence. An open notebook on the first epochal war of the 21st Century."

Coming Anarchy
How can you not like guys named "Curzon", "Younghusband" and "Chirol" ?
OK, I admit it, I had to look up Chirol.

Pacific Empire
Wisdom from the Antipodes.

I Also Fight For Truth,Justice, And The American Way...

2007-10-16T19:03:00.000-04:00

Hey, I scored a 10 out of 10 on this week's O'quiz....

7 Years

2007-10-12T18:08:00.000-04:00

The Navy has provided these names of the killed in the attack on the USS Cole:

Chief Petty Officer Richard Costelow, Morrisville, Pennsylvania.

Signalman Seaman Recruit Cheron Luis Gunn, Rex, Georgia.

Seaman James Rodrick McDaniels, Norfolk, Virginia.

Seaman Recruit Lakiba Nicole Palmer, San Diego, California.

Operations Specialist 2nd Class Timothy Lamont Saunders, Ringgold, Virginia.

Ensign Andrew Triplett, Macon, Mississippi.

Seaman Apprentice Craig Bryan Wibberley, Williamsport, Maryland.

Hull Maintenance Technician 3rd Class, Kenneth Eugene Clodfelter, Mechanicsville, Virginia.

Mess Management Specialist Seaman Lakeina Monique Francis, Woodleaf, North Carolina.

Information Systems Technician Seaman Timothy Lee Gauna, Rice, Texas

Engineman 2nd Class Mark Ian Nieto, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

Electronics Warfare Technician 3rd Class Ronald Scott Owens, Vero Beach, Florida.

Engineman Fireman Joshua Langdon Parlett, Churchville, Maryland.

Fireman Apprentice Patrick Howard Roy, Cornwall on Hudson, New York.

Electronics Warfare Technician 2nd Class Kevin Shawn Rux, Portland, North Dakota.

Mess Management Specialist 3rd Class Ronchester Mananga Santiago, Kingsville, Texas

Fireman Gary Graham Swenchonis Jr., Rockport, Texas

The Great Commission Or The Great Omission II...

2007-10-12T14:22:00.000-04:00

....OK, maybe some of those basic tenets of the New Testament aren't as well known as I had thought; from Five Feet Of Fury (formerly Relapsed Catholic)...

Ann Coulter says Jews have to become Christians to get to heaven or something. All very Protestant sounding ("perfecting", "perfection" something something -- one of those Protestant words like "depravity" and "election" that I'm not clear on, I guess). I'm not Jewish either, so I don't have a gut reaction.

This may not be official Catholic teaching, but I believe Jews get special salvation treatment and don't have to convert. As well, the Church teaches that "those who, without knowing of the Church but acting under the inspiration of grace, seek God sincerely and strive to fulfill his will, are saved even if they have not been baptized"; that "baptism by desire", although very rare, exists -- basically there seems to be more wiggle room than we give God credit for...

I guess all that "...way, the truth and the light" and "no man comes to the Father but through the Son" stuff isn't clear enough... even though Christ was directing his words directly at Jews at the time.
But I suppose that doesn't cut it compared to the latest Papal pronuncimento...

From The Great Commission to the Great Omissionnn..s....Or What Happens...

2007-10-12T13:41:00.000-04:00

....you try to talk about the most basic concept of the New Testament to a member of today's celebrity intelligentsia......and what's amazing is that people will think Ann is being bigoted rather than realizing how provincial Deutsch is in his typical Hollywood way.

DEUTSCH: Christian -- so we should be Christian? It would be better if we were all Christian?

COULTER: Yes.

DEUTSCH: We should all be Christian?

COULTER: Yes. Would you like to come to church with me, Donny?

DEUTSCH: So I should not be a Jew, I should be a Christian, and this would be a better place?

++++++

DEUTSCH: That isn't what I said, but you said I should not -- we should just throw Judaism away and we should all be Christians, then, or --

COULTER: Yeah.

DEUTSCH: Really?

COULTER: Well, it's a lot easier. It's kind of a fast track.

DEUTSCH: Really?

COULTER: Yeah. You have to obey.

DEUTSCH: You can't possibly believe that.

COULTER: Yes.

DEUTSCH: You can't possibly -- you're too educated, you can't -- you're like my friend in --

COULTER: Do you know what Christianity is? We believe your religion, but you have to obey.

DEUTSCH: No, no, no, but I mean --

COULTER: We have the fast-track program.

DEUTSCH: Why don't I put you with the head of Iran? I mean, come on. You can't believe that.

COULTER: The head of Iran is not a Christian.

DEUTSCH: No, but in fact, "Let's wipe Israel" --

COULTER: I don't know if you've been paying attention.

Ann, they never are...

Will Be On Hiatus Until October 15

2007-09-29T20:07:00.000-04:00

The sporadic posting of late is the result of the successful sale of my home, and the resultant packing up of everything I have ever owned.
So to save the nerves from complete collapse no more posting till the middle of October.

The Treason Of The Intellectuals

2007-09-24T12:50:00.000-04:00

So essentially Columbia University is tolerant of anyone's viewpoint, up to and including Adolf Hitler,......with the sole exception of the United States Armed Forces.

UPDATE:There's Conservative...

2007-09-22T10:51:00.000-04:00

The Christian arranged marriage website that I mentioned earlier is a hoax ( I took the thing with a grain of salt with when I should have used a spoonful).

(CBS) DENVER A Web site that purported to set up arranged marriages between older men and underage girls for a price is a hoax according to CBS station KCNC-TV in Denver.

The Web site, marryourdaughter.com, generated about 50 million page views in just a couple of weeks, according to its founder. Along with the page views came thousands of angry emails to the Web site and radio stations from coast to coast that fell for the prank.

........

After being confronted by KCNC-TV, Ordover admitted it was all a prank. He called it an experiment in "viral politics." Ordover said he created the site to draw attention to inconsistencies in state marriage laws.

Motermouth Moran Strikes Again

2007-09-22T10:38:00.000-04:00

Virgina's politicians are getting way too much attention over the last few year for asinine comments.

And what season would be complete without the DC/NOVA press struggling to deal with Northern Virginia's most prominent Democratic officeholder adding another item to his gaffe que.

...the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) "has pushed this war from the beginning . . . They are so well organized, and their members are extraordinarily powerful -- most of them are quite wealthy -- they have been able to exert power."

The Not Ready For Middle America Emmys

2007-09-18T11:57:00.000-04:00

Short of Noam Chomsky doing a reading of his collected works could the Emmy Awards have skewed anymore to the Left?

1) Al Gore wins an Emmy. 'Nuff said.

2) The Daily Show wins the award for "best variety program." Variety apparently does not refer to its political leanings.

3) D-List star Kathy Griffin and her "suck it, Jesus" comment. Maybe "D-List" stands for "damned and goin' to hell ?"

4) Sally Field managed to be both profane and foolish. According to her,"If the mothers ruled the world, there would be no [GD] wars in the first place."
So do you think Lady Thatcher watches much American TV.

5)David "blackout" Chase gave us,"And, hell, let's face it, if the world and this nation was run by gangsters" — Chase paused and shrugged, as the audience laughed — "maybe it is."

That is why The Sopranos was know as such a hilarious show.

There's Conservative....

2007-09-15T12:26:00.000-04:00

.....and then there's creepy Taliban conservative.

i.e. Marry Our Daughter...

Marry Our Daughter is an introduction service assisting those following the Biblical tradition of arranging marriages for their daughters.

Those who wish to list their Daughters with our site should click on SIGN UP OUR DAUGHTER on our main page for a form to fill out.

Those who wish to propose to a specific Daughter should click on the PROPOSE button on the Daughter’s INFO CARD.

Q: WHAT IS A BRIDE PRICE?
A: The bride price is an ancient custom, somewhat like a dowry. A man wishing to marry a woman would offer her family a Bride Price in cash or kind, or sometimes offer to work for their family.

...which I hope is a joke, but I don't think it is.

Dearborn Nights

2007-09-13T11:51:00.000-04:00

A 26-year-old Dearborn resident, Houssein Zorkot, was arraigned in 19th District Court Tuesday on several felony charges, including carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent.

Zorkot, a third-year medical student at Wayne State University, was allegedly armed with an AK-47 assault rifle and dressed in black clothing with camouflage paint covering his face when he was arrested Saturday in Hemlock Park.

Now repeat after me,......Doing. Jobs. Americans. Will. Not. Do.

Hat tip National Terror Response Center.

UPDATE: From Spero News....

Zorkot maintains a website in which he offers photos of himself and family members in Lebanon, along with photos of the now-deceased Iranian strongman and Muslim mullah, the Ayatollah Ruhallah Khomeini, as well as leaders of the Hezbollah terrorist organization.

Moron Of The Week (Or Zero Tolerance For Dummies)

2007-09-13T10:01:00.000-04:00

Students at North Carolina school not allowed to wear American flag apparel on September 11...

SAMPSON COUNTY, N.C. – On the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, students at one high school were not allowed to wear clothes with an American flag.

Under a new school rule, students at Hobbton High School are not allowed to wear items with flags, from any country, including the United States.

The dilemma...

The superintendent of schools in Sampson County calls the situation unfortunate, but says educators didn’t want to be forced to pick and choose which flags should be permissible.

Oh, I don't know, how about choosing the flag of the country we actually live in.

Can We Not Expel This Poisonous Dwarf From The House....

2007-09-12T10:55:00.000-04:00

....if we can't arrest him outright. I'm talking about Denis Kucinich and his Anti-American tour of the Middle East which however did not include Iraq, because he says..... ''I don't want to bless that occupation with my presence.''
Bathist run Syria however is just dandy.

A little background....

Section 3. Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.

The Congress shall have power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.

Dhue Left

2007-09-11T08:39:00.000-04:00

Fox News' Laurie Dhue gives us here take on the plight of poor ole' Larry Craig during an episode of the erstwhile comedy-drama Geraldo At Large.

But I think the sad part about all this is that Larry Craig had to go to a public place — if it’s true, if he is gay — he had to go to a public place, and that’s the shame of homosexuality in this country right, today — at least the shame that the Republican Party puts on it.”

Let's examine this odd sentence piece by piece.

1) The "shame" which has lain on homosexuality throughout Judeo-Christian history we suddenly find has been placed on it.........by the Republican Party.

2) The "sad part" of the story is apparently not a married man trying to engage in anonymous sex with a member of his own gender.
No, it's the fact that he chose an airport restroom.

3) "He had to go to a public place." Ms. Dhue it is here that I would like to inform you of a little thing we have in this part of the country (and I hear elsewhere) called the......Motel.
You see it's a combination of the word "motor" and the word "hotel."

ACLU Chief Sentenced For Downloading Child Rape Movies

2007-09-10T11:04:00.000-04:00

Charles Rust-Tierney, 52, of Arlington, Virginia has been sentenced in his child pornography case. Rust-Tierney, from 1993 to 2005 head of the Virginia ACLU and long time opponent of filters on library computers, was given 7 years in minimum security prison, 1 year less than the federal minimum guideline.
You see belonging to the ACLU gets you brownie points in the Peoples Republic of Alexandria even after you've purchased "child pornography of the most abhorrent kind," even spending hundreds of dollars downloading images of the sexual torture of small children.
According to Rust-Tierney "he downloaded child porn to escape 'despair' in his personal life."

Why only 7 years?
Because according to Judge T.S. Ellis III Rust-Tierney had led "an otherwise exemplary life."
Yeah, yeah, and Hitler liked dogs.

Is Bin laden A Registered Democrat?

2007-09-10T11:02:00.000-04:00

At the very least he appears to be frequenting Daily Kos.

He says to the American people, "you made one of your greatest mistakes, in that you neither brought to account nor punished those who waged this war, not even the most violent of its murderers, [former Defense Secretary Donald] Rumsfeld…”

"You permitted Bush to complete his first term, and stranger still, chose him for a second term, which gave him a clear mandate from you -- with your full knowledge and consent -- to continue to murder our people in Iraq and Afghanistan. Then you claim to be innocent! The innocence of yours is like my innocence of the blood of your sons on the 11th -- were I to claim such a thing."

Bin Laden says President Bush's words echo "neoconservatives like Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Richard Perle."

...but then...

He also speaks to recent issues grabbing headlines in the United States, referring to "the reeling of many of you under the burden of interest-related debts, insane taxes and real estate mortgages; global warming and its woes..."

"To conclude," bin Laden says, "I invite you to embrace Islam." He goes on to say: "There are no taxes in Islam, but rather there is a limited Zakaat [alms] totaling 2.5 percent."

How do you say wonk in Arabic.

The Man Who Wants To Be Commander In Chief And What He Thinks About The "Crime" Of Illegal Immigration

2007-09-08T13:02:00.000-04:00

GLENN: Right. But isn't illegal immigration a crime in and of itself?

GIULIANI: No.

GLENN: Aren't you saying —

GIULIANI: Glenn —

GLENN: You're protecting criminals by saying that being treated as a criminal is unfair.

GIULIANI: Glenn, it's not a crime. I know that's very hard for people to understand, but it's not a federal crime.

GLENN: It's a misdemeanor but if you've been nailed, it is a crime. If you've been nailed, ship back and come back, it is a crime.

GIULIANI: Glenn, being an illegal immigrant, the 400,000 were not prosecuted for crimes by the federal government, nor could they be. I was U.S. attorney in the southern district of New York. So believe me, I know this. In fact, when you throw an immigrant out of the country, it's not a criminal proceeding. It's a civil proceeding.

GLENN: Is it —

GIULIANI: One of the things that congress wanted to do a year ago is to make it a crime, which indicates that it isn't.

GLENN: Should it be?

GIULIANI: Should it be? No, it shouldn't be because the government wouldn't be able to prosecute it. We couldn't prosecute 12 million people. We have only 2 million people in jail right now for all the crimes that are committed in the country, 2.5 million. If you were to make it a crime, you would have to take the resources of the criminal justice system and increase it by about 6. In other words, you'd have to take all the 800,000 police, and who knows how many police we would have to have.

GLENN: So what's your solution?

GIULIANI: My solution is close the border to illegal immigration.

....And Paging George Orwell....

2007-09-05T15:25:00.000-04:00

OK, maybe I'm over using the "paging" line, but in this case...

The entire UK population and every visitor to Britain should be put on the national DNA database, a top judge said today.

Lord Justice Sedley, one of England's most experienced appeal court judges, described the country's current system as "indefensible".

"We have a situation where if you happen to have been in the hands of the police, then your DNA is on permanent record. If you haven't, it isn't ... that's broadly the picture," Sir Stephen Sedley told the BBC.

"We have a situation where if you happen to have been in the hands of the police, then your DNA is on permanent record. If you haven't, it isn't."
Isn't that the way it's supposed to be?

....but don't worry....

He said that expanding the existing database to cover the whole population had "serious but manageable implications".

But he warned that putting everybody's DNA on file should be "for the absolutely rigorously restricted purpose of crime detection and prevention".

Oh good, there's a politically correct angle...

Figures compiled from Home Office statistics and census data show almost 40% of black men have their DNA profile on the database. That compares with 13% of Asian men and 9% of white men.

Keith Jarrett, president of the Black Police Association, said the current system was "untenable" and backed the call for a universal database.

"You can't have a system where so many black youths who have done nothing wrong are perhaps going to the police station for elimination from a crime and find that their DNA is on the database," he said.

Paging Dr. Mengele IV

2007-09-05T15:21:00.000-04:00

Animal-human hybrid embryos could be created in British laboratories within months after the fertility regulator gave the controversial research its blessing.

Two teams of scientists are poised to start making cow-human hybrids for research into incurable diseases - with at least one project starting by the end of the year.

A shortage of human eggs has led scientists to apply for permission to make hybrid embryos from human skin cells and animal eggs, such as cow eggs, which are plentiful in slaughterhouses.

The process involves removing the genetic material from the animal egg and replacing it with human DNA.

After being kick-started by an electric current, the egg would develop into an embryo from which stem cells - the body's master cells - can be harvested.

A bit too Dr. Frankenstein for my taste.

Somtimes "No Comment" Is Better

2007-09-03T10:39:00.000-04:00

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: There's a rallying moment in The Brave One when you stick a gun in a bad guy's face and say, ''I want my dog back.'' How are you going to feel about the audience cheering on your character as she starts hunting people down?

JODIE FOSTER: It's shameful, but that's human and that's who we are as human beings. There will be unsophisticated people who see a sophisticated movie.

Jodie also goes on to share with us how...

I don't believe that any gun should be in the hand of a thinking, feeling, breathing human being.

Unless of course it's one of those corporate security types hired either directly by stars or by film studios and production companies. No doubt to protect them from the "unsophisticated."

De Palma II

2007-09-03T09:58:00.000-04:00

A second thought on Brian De Palma's hit piece against the US military. If the plot is as clear as the ones for his last two movies......theres not a thing to worry about.

On another note, does De Palma have a weird fixation about graphic violence to women ?
He has given us...
The Black Dahlia
Casualties Of War
Body Double
Dressed To Kill
Carrie

Brian De Palma...

2007-09-03T09:36:00.000-04:00

...never happier then when painting the American Soldier as a Brutish Killer.

VENICE (Reuters) - A new film about the real-life rape and killing of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl by U.S. soldiers who also murdered her family stunned the Venice festival, with shocking images that left some viewers in tears.

"Redacted", by U.S. director Brian De Palma, is one of at least eight American films on the war in Iraq due for release in the next few months and the first of two movies on the conflict screening in Venice's main competition.

Inspired by one of the most serious crimes committed by American soldiers in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, it is a harrowing indictment of the conflict and spares the audience no brutality to get its message across.

And In case you're wondering how objective it is....

The movie is an attempt to bring the reality of what is happening in Iraq to the American people," he told reporters after a press screening.

"The pictures are what will stop the war. One only hopes that these images will get the public incensed enough to motivate their Congressmen to vote against this war," he said.

Too bad De Palma couldn't do some ambulance chasing movie making back when Saddam Hussein was in power, then maybe we could have gotten a movie documenting his human rights abuses.....but I suppose that wouldn't have fit the meme.

I suppose I shouldn't hold my breath waiting for his shocking expose on the world of beheaders and suicide bombers; apparently the only ugly faces that ever need mirrors held up to them are American ones.

And if that were not enough who else's fingers do we find all over this project but America's favorite Leftie billionaire.
No not George Soros. I'm talking about the one who actually makes Soros look like he has gravitas.
None other then Mark Cuban, the Charlie Sheen of billionaires.

Cuban has decided that De Palma’s film “Redacted” must be seen as the cornerstone of his and De Palma’s self-declared anti-victory campaign against America and her troops fighing in Iraq. Cuban’s company Magnolia Pictures will be bringing this propganda campaign to a theater near you this winter. According to a source close to Cuban, the decision for Magnolia to develop, finance and distribute the film was personally made by Çuban. Cuban has a full producer credit on the film, and DePalma shot it on HiDef video at Cuban’s request, in order for it to qualify as fodder for Cuban’s hi-def cable channel. So far neither he or DePalma have explained how they can be “bringing the truth of the Iraq war to the American people”, as Louie DePalma has said, when neither of them have ever been to Iraq, filmed any of “Redacted” in Iraq, or spent one minute with any soldier in Iraq.

South Korea: The Spain Of East Asia

2007-09-01T11:07:00.000-04:00

South Korea has its "blink" moment and says the heck with it...

SPIN BOLDAK (Reuters) - South Korea paid Afghanistan's Taliban more than $20 million to release 19 missionaries they were holding hostage, a senior insurgent leader said on Saturday, vowing to use the funds to buy arms and mount suicide attacks.
/////
The Taliban decided to free the hostages after Seoul agreed to pull all its nationals out of the central Asian country. They dropped their main demand that a group of prisoners held by the Afghan government be set free.

Reading The International Wire Services For Laughs

2007-09-01T10:23:00.000-04:00

From Agence France-Presse...

Fri Aug 31, 9:31 AM ET

MOSCOW (AFP) - Russia plans to send a manned mission to the Moon by 2025 and wants to build a permanent base there shortly after, the head of Russian space agency Roskosmos said Friday.

"According to our estimates we will be ready for a manned flight to the Moon in 2025," Anatoly Perminov told reporters. An "inhabited station" could be built there between 2027 and 2032, he said.

The only moon landing in history is NASA's Apollo expedition in 1968.

Happy 1st Birthday

2007-09-01T10:15:00.001-04:00

I can't believe I've been doing this for one year. It seems both shorter and longer.

Cool Fridays: The 90th Anniversary Of The Birth Of Most Influential Artist In Comics History

2007-08-31T11:26:00.000-04:00

The "King". No not that one.
Jack Kirby born Jacob Kurtzberg, August 28 1917-February 6 1994

The Professional Peace Movement......Another Leg Of The Neo-Marxist Stool

2007-08-30T10:02:00.000-04:00

An interesting piece from the City Journal via Arts & Letters Daily about Peace Studies and the movements founder Norwegian professor Johan Galtung. A priceless study of a fellow traveler and his love affair with the totalitarian.

You Need To Give Up Your SUVs.....

2007-08-30T09:56:00.000-04:00

........,but John Edwards has earned the right to his 28,800 sq ft "home."

"I think Americans are actually willing to sacrifice," Edwards said Tuesday during a forum held by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. "One of the things they should be asked to do is drive more fuel efficient vehicles."

The former North Carolina senator was asked specifically if he would tell them to give up their SUVs, he said, "Yes."

*******

Edwards was asked during his appearance how he explained the contradiction of asking Americans to sacrifice while he's living in a 28,000-square-foot (2,600-square-meter) mansion.

He said he came from nothing, worked hard all his life, has always supported workers and fought big corporations as a lawyer.
(cue violins)
"I have no apologies whatsoever for what I've done with my life," he said to loud cheers. "My entire life has been about the same cause, which is making sure wherever you come from, whatever your family is, whatever the color of your skin, you get a real chance to do something great in this country."

Persecution Of Christians.....In Colorado

2007-08-29T10:49:00.000-04:00

Denver, CO - Today, Liberty Counsel filed suit against Lewis Palmer School District on behalf of Erica Corder, a high school valedictorian who was forced to publicly apologize for sharing her Christian faith at graduation. Erica was one of fifteen valedictorians from the Lewis-Palmer High School class of 2006. For the past year, she has been the subject of criticism because the school continues to portray her as a student who engaged in improper conduct because she mentioned Jesus Christ during her speech.

Before graduation in May 2006, Principal Mark Brewer informed the valedictorians that they could choose one student to speak, or that all of them could deliver a 30-second graduation message. The students chose to have all fifteen valedictorians participate and chose a general topic for each speaker. Erica and one other student were chosen to give concluding messages. Each valedictorian orally presented a proposed speech to the principal before graduation.

During her 30-second message Erica spoke about her faith in Jesus Christ. Afterwards, she was escorted to see the assistant principal, who said she would not receive her diploma because of the speech she had given. Principal Brewer later indicated that her comments were "immature." He said that she could only receive her diploma if she apologized to the school community. Erica prepared a statement saying the message was her own and was not endorsed by the principal. Brewer insisted that she include the words: "I realize that, had I asked ahead of time, I would not have been allowed to say what I did." Erica complied because she feared the school would withhold her diploma. She was also afraid that the school would put disciplinary notes in her file and would generate negative publicity, which could prevent her from becoming a school teacher. Principal Brewer sent out Erica's message in an e-mail to the entire high school community. Soon after, Erica received her diploma.

"I think that's the right thing to do as of right now," **

2007-08-29T09:33:00.000-04:00

Will Surry county Commonwealth's Attorney Gerald G. Poindexter prosecute Michael Vick for the dog-fighting and dog killing which is a felony in Virginia?
According to him...

"My intention is to vindicate the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the people of Surry County based on what we believe happened in Surry County," said Gerald G. Poindexter, the commonwealth's attorney in the rural jurisdiction near Vick's home town of Newport News. He said the case "likely will be presented" to a local grand jury on Sept. 25, the next time it meets.

Yet from what I've seen of the county residents' responses to this crime on the local news , and from what I know of the demography of the area, is there any point in even bringing this to trial?

Also, are we to believe in a small, overwhelmingly rural county (pop. 7,119) that it wasn't common knowledge what it's most prominent recent resident was doing?

Can a prosecutor ask for a trial to be moved in a dog-fighting case?

**

Chris Mathews Recognizes The Evil Of The Gay "Lifestyle"

2007-08-29T09:31:00.000-04:00

Idaho Senator Larry Craig, cultural warrior of the right, stands naked tonight, exposed as both a sexual deviant and a world-class hypocrite.

British Invasion

2007-08-28T13:48:00.000-04:00

Gordon Ramsey tries to cook his own goose...

“Hell’s Kitchen” star Gordon Ramsay broke his silence on a lawsuit accusing the perfectionist chef of faking scenes in a New York eatery for his upcoming Fox reality show.

“I would never-ever-ever dream of setting anything up,” Mr. Ramsay said by phone from London on Friday. “I want to sleep at night. We were issued a writ because, God bless America, if the toilet paper is not thick enough and you come out with a rash on your ass [you’ll get sued].”
///////
“Trying to say I set up a wobbly chair,” Mr. Ramsay said, his voice full of disgust at the lawsuit. “This is supposed to be the most powerful nation in the world, not the most pathetic.”

I'm growing increasingly tired of American networks and producers hiring British "celebrities" to come over here and insult Americans.

Restless Leg Sufferers Beware

2007-08-28T13:03:00.000-04:00

Hidden amongst the Larry Craig Restroom scandal is this little piece of information...

Roll Call, citing the report, said Sgt. Dave Karsnia made the arrest after an encounter in which he was seated in a stall next to a stall occupied by Craig. Karsnia described Craig tapping his foot, which Karsnia said he "recognized as a signal used by persons wishing to engage in lewd conduct."

The Immigration Sex Scandal

2007-08-27T09:55:00.000-04:00

Anne Coulter in her latest column enumerates some of the extracurricular activities of that "wretched refuse of your teeming shore", and so I took the time to Google the names of the suspects for some more information.

Jose Carranza:

NEWARK, N.J. — A Peruvian national in the U.S. illegally and who was previously charged with raping a 5-year-old girl pleaded not guilty Friday in the execution-style slayings of three young college students, a day after he surrendered to the Newark mayor

Ruben Hernandez-Juarez:

INDIANTOWN — A 52-year-old illegal immigrant has been arrested and charged with sexual battery on a child after allegedly molesting a 6-year-old boy, according to Martin County Sheriff’s Office reports.

Ruben Hernandez-Juarez, who lived in the 15800 block of Southwest Osceola Street in Indiantown, was arrested Tuesday for the alleged incident, which occurred on Sunday, according to reports.

The arresting detective requested Hernandez-Juarez be held without bail because he is an illegal resident.

Alejandro Bautista:

COOK COUNTY - An undocumented immigrant who pleaded guilty Monday to molesting the two teenage sons of a church couple who befriended him drew a sharp rebuke from the judge who sentenced him to 6 years in prison.

Lucio Sanchez-Martinez:

HURON -- A man suspected of being an illegal alien was charged with gross sexual imposition after he was accused of entering an apartment and lying down next to and touching the thigh of a sleeping 8-year-old girl, according to Huron police.

Lucio Sanchez-Martinez, 32, also was charged with entering the apartment where the girl lived with her father and two other children, said Huron police Chief Randy Glovinsk

She even forgot one...

Alvaro Vargas:

A man who authorities say is an illegal immigrant has been charged with rape and sexual abuse.

Officials with the Franklin County Sheriff's Office said 38-year-old Alvaro Vargas, 203 Califas Road, Russellville, was arrested Monday and charged with first-degree rape, first-degree sexual abuse and second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument.

If you check these stories the thing that stands out the most(at least to me) is that they are all from the past 10 days.

Now imagine if that there had been that many sexual assault stories about Catholic priests in the same time period.
Can you imagine the hue and cry from the Mainstream Media ?

A Foxx Is Not Man's Best Friend Best Friend

2007-08-25T17:11:00.001-04:00

Words of wisdom from actor and part-time cultural anthropologist Jamie Foxx...

“It’s a cultural thing … I used to see dogs fighting in the neighbourhood all the time … Mike probably just didn’t read his handbook on what not to do as a black star.

Is there anything that a prominent Black man can do that will lead to him being criticized by another prominent Black man?

Oh, I know, join the Republican Party.

Not Like A Stonewall

2007-08-25T10:26:00.000-04:00

The Senior Senator from Virginia, John Warner (RINO) calls for a "cut and run" just as major figures in the Democratic party start coming around to holding on and fighting it out.
This might include Hillary Clinton..... no one can tell.

Of course the Telegraph has invented a new Senator, David Warner.

Isn't There Any Sweeping Up To Be Done In Mexico?

2007-08-24T15:48:00.000-04:00

Here's a head scratcher...

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A Mexican Senate committee passed a measure Wednesday urging President Felipe Calderon to send a diplomatic note to the United States protesting the deportation of an illegal migrant who took refuge in a Chicago church for a year.
/////
Elvira Arellano, 32, became an activist and a national symbol for illegal immigrant parents by defying her deportation order and speaking out from her sanctuary in the Adalberto United Methodist Church. She announced last week that she was leaving to try to lobby U.S. lawmakers for immigration reform.

On Sunday, shortly after she spoke at a rally in a Los Angeles church, she was arrested and deported to Tijuana, across the border from San Diego.

So the Mexican Senate is honoring a woman whose chief claim to fame is her apparent desperate desire to leave Mexico by any means necessary.

A Man Called Rage

2007-08-24T10:52:00.000-04:00

More on the local color that Somalis are bringing to the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area.
Michelle Malkin references " Kitty Genovese Syndrome" but it seem more like "Taliban Syndome" if you ask me.

The Pacific Northwest....

2007-08-24T10:31:00.000-04:00

......does it yet again....

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is refusing to run the photos of two men the FBI is seeking to question in connection with suspicious behavior aboard a Puget Sound ferry - behavior that could be a precursor to a terror plot, or could be nothing nefarious at all.

Here is their explanation of their "tough call".

Running Out Of bounds

2007-08-24T10:07:00.000-04:00

Football goes from enabling dog killers to enabling baby killers.

NFL Team Financing the Abortion Business

Noteworthy: The Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation recently awarded a $30,000 donation to Planned Parenthood of Northeast Florida. Check out this article, complete with quotes from the Executive Director of the Foundation being supportive of “prevention programs” – not “abortion programs”. Don't expect the article to tell you why the 12-year-old expansion team finds it appropriate to fund the most notorious abortion provider — providing more than 250,000 abortions each year — in the United States. Surely there are other organizations with superior prevention programs in northeastern Florida which would sincerely appreciate a $30,000 donation from the Foundation.

Scarey Values

2007-08-22T13:38:00.000-04:00

Michelle Obama, the wife of Senator Barak Obama is letting her opinion fly on...family values !?

Telling her audience that her husband bucked the fears of running for the highest office, she managed to get a few licks in at Hillary Clinton, his biggest obstale to the presidential nomination from the Democrats.

Michelle said, "I am tired of being afraid . . . I don't want my girls to live in a country that is based on fear." Michelle hammered the point that family values ruled the Obama house, and added "if you can't run your own house, you can't run the White House."

But what actually are the tenets that she extols, are they the same as the ones that we see extolled on the website of the church the Obama family belongs to in Chicago; a church which pledges its members, among other things, to....

11. Pledge allegiance to all Black leadership who espouse and embrace the Black Value System
12. Personal commitment to embracement of the Black Value System.

And for all those people out there trumpeting Obama as some champion of the Middle Class there is this little nugget....

Disavowal of the Pursuit of “Middleclassness”

Classic methodology on control of captives teaches that captors must keep the captive ignorant educationally, but trained sufficiently well to serve the system. Also, the captors must be able to identify the “talented tenth” of those subjugated, especially those who show promise of providing the kind of leadership that might threaten the captor’s control.

Those so identified as separated from the rest of the people by:

Killing them off directly, and/or fostering a social system that encourages them to kill off one another.

Placing them in concentration camps, and/or structuring an economic environment that induces captive youth to fill the jails and prisons.

Seducing them into a socioeconomic class system which while training them to earn more dollars, hypnotizes them into believing they are better than others and teaches them to think in terms of “we” and “they” instead of “us”

Der Sturmer couldn't have said it better.

“He hates the army. The only reason he joined was because he wanted to have more experience to write about.”

2007-08-20T11:35:00.000-04:00

Nepotism, shoddy management, ideological blinders and gay-bashing, the sad story of The New Republic and the Scott Thomas Beauchamp Affair

Giuliani Defends Us....?

2007-08-20T10:48:00.000-04:00

While many people find these warm and fuzzy statements about immigration (and even illegal immigration) disturbing, it's his reaction to the 1997 Empire State Building shootings carried out by a disgruntled Palestinian (is there any other kind) immigrant that is much more telling...

''Something has got to be done to stop the flow of guns into this city,'' said Morris Gurley, co-founder of the National Victim Center, a crime-victims advocacy and support group.

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, also taking a turn at the lectern, echoed that appeal. He said that in many states, it was much easier to get a license for a gun than it was to get a license for a car, and that while both instruments have the power to kill, only one is designed for that purpose.

Along with other speakers, Mr. Giuliani called for people to put pressure on lawmakers in other states and in Washington to restrict the number of guns and to monitor more strictly the backgrounds, temperaments and intentions of those who possess them.

So when face with terrorism committed by a radicalized Arab immigrant Rudy took the typical New York Liberal position and downplayed all factors (Giuliani: a "man who had many, many enemies in his mind") but the "illegal gun" angle.

Cool Fridays: August 17th Edition

2007-08-17T10:56:00.000-04:00

The dragons from Korea...

So When Is Franklin Foer Going To Apologize ??

2007-08-16T10:56:00.000-04:00

"My magazine this last week has been subject of basically a smear job by the Weekly Standard and a lot of the conservative blogosphere over a piece that we published from a soldier in Iraq, which we have gone back and re-reported and it turned out to be aside from one mistake to be the case and I just wish that there was, and this sounds like a trite mainstream media criticism, but that those in the blogosphere who kind of move from one reckless allegation to another reckless allegation for once apologize when they get something wrong.”

More Adventure In Ecumenicism

2007-08-16T10:34:00.000-04:00

The Bishop of Breda, Tiny Muskens, wants people to start calling God Allah. He says the Netherlands should look to Indonesia, where the Christian churches already pray to Allah. It is also common in the Arab world: Christian and Muslim Arabs use the words God and Allah interchangeably.

Speaking on the Dutch TV programme Network on Monday evening, Bishop Muskens (pictured) says it could take another 100 years but eventually the name Allah will be used by Dutch churches. And that will promote rapprochement between the two religions.

The Catholics are still behind in the Islamic bidding war, falling behind those Episcopal priests who are actually becoming Muslims.

Two Magic Bullets

2007-08-16T10:30:00.000-04:00

Conservatives may very well be at war with Science but at least we know the difference between a spent and a unspent shell casing.

I Was Just Thinking

2007-08-15T11:35:00.000-04:00

Do you realize if we stopped wasting so much money on the Space Shuttle and the Global Space Station (or whatever it's called...how about "federally subsidized housing in orbit"?) imagine how much money we would have to build giant transforming robots.
Discuss it among your selves.