ISRAEL last night threatened to assassinate Palestinian Prime Minister Ismael Haniyeh if Hamas militants did not release a captured Israeli soldier unharmed.
It came as Israeli military officials readied a second invasion force for a huge offensive into Gaza.
One would think the Palestinian government is beginning to lose credibility with the world as they sign a deal to recognize Israel one day, then do an about-face and refuse to recognize them on the next.
A Hamas spokesman said the group would never recognise Israel, in spite of a deal its leaders signed this week offering implicit recognition of the Jewish state in return for easing an economic blockade.
Israel claims it has intelligence about the area where Corporal Shalit is held, but has been unable to pinpoint the exact location. Mr Olmert said the military would leave the strip if he was unconditionally and safely returned.
Egypt and the neighbouring Arab states of Jordan and Lebanon fear a war between Israel and the Palestinians could lead to uprisings within their own borders, which house many Palestinian refugees.
Israeli warplanes struck the Palestinian Interior Ministry early Friday, setting it ablaze as Arab leaders tried to forge a deal that would halt the Israeli offensive and free a 19-year-old soldier held by gunmen allied with the ruling Islamic Hamas.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said militants agreed to a conditional release of the kidnapped soldier but that Israel had yet to accept their terms, which he did not specify. Israel said it was not familiar with any such offer.
Israel said the crisis will end when Cpl. Gilad Shalit is released.
And they mean what they say.
Moved the movie to the excerpt.
Guess where you can get videos for your website now? GOP.com. Like this one I just put up.
Nifty, huh?
There, now I can go another month or two without posting.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert doesn't believe in negotiating with terrorists for the return of one of his soldiers. In a display that must be comforting to the young, captive IDF corporal, Israeli aircraft have destroyed bridges out of Gaza and most recently a power station that provides electricity to 65 percent of the Palestinian occupied region as part of a military campaign intended to persuade Hamas to release Cpl. Gilad Shalit.
RAFAH, Gaza Strip - Israel kept up the pressure on Palestinian militants to release a captive Israeli soldier Wednesday, sending its warplanes to bomb a Hamas training camp after knocking out electricity and water supplies for most of the 1.3 million residents of the Gaza Strip.
Palestinians dug in behind walls and embankments, preparing for a major strike after Israel sent in troops and tanks, and bombarded bridges and a power station.
The Palestinians have mastered the art of playing the victim. They're the little kid who slaps you when the teacher's not looking, and gets you in trouble when she turns around. No doubt the world will soon condemn Israel for the lengths her armed forces are going to bring back one of their own.
News just in...the Flag Amendment just failed by one vote in the Senate. One vote.
A constitutional amendment to ban flag desecration died in a Senate cliffhanger Tuesday, a single vote short of the support needed to send it to the states for ratification and four months before voters elect a new Congress.
Senate supporters said the flag amounts to a national monument in cloth that represents freedom and the sacrifice of American troops.
Among possible presidential contenders in 2008, six voted yes: Democrat Evan Bayh of Indiana and Republicans George Allen of Virginia, Sam Brownback of Kansas, Frist, Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, and John McCain of Arizona. Five, all Democrats, voted no: Joseph Biden of Delaware, Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, Russell Feingold of Wisconsin, John Kerry of Massachusetts.
In honor of our flag, the poem, My Name is Old Glory, by Howard Schnauber, is linked for your inspiration and edification. Long may she wave.
The east coast is being drenched with heavy rains; some federal buildings had to shut down temporarily in D.C.
With rain falling again, cleanup crews were busy Tuesday piling sandbags and pumping water from the basement of the Internal Revenue Service building and from steam tunnels under the city after days of heavy rain flooded the capital.
The more than 7 inches of rain fell on the nation's capital in a 24-hour period Sunday and Monday, shutting down several federal buildings and closing some of the city's busiest tourist attractions just days before the Fourth of July weekend, and forecasters warned that more rain was likely every day this week.
[For an inspirational reprise, here is Danjel Bout's first-hand Iraqi war experience about the compassion and caring of the military in a little girl's life. Bout blogged about his Iraq experience at 365 and a Wakeup. ]
October 17, 2005
Life
Bitter are the tears of a child: Sweeten them.
Deep are the thoughts of a child: Quiet them.
Sharp is the grief of a child: Take it from him.
Soft is the heart of a child: Do not harden it.
- Pamela Glenconner
Last night a grain of hot metal tumbled through the air, a swift manmade meteor crashing through the heavens. The statistical chances of this solitary round impacting one the scattered buildings was negligible, and the chances of it actually injuring someone were almost infinitesimal. But in stark defiance to all known laws of probability, this small sliver of dead steel plummeted downward, downward, downward… until its path intersected a house. And then it continued on, tunneling its way into a little girl sitting down for the celebration of Ishtar. The round smashed into the girls head, its sheer velocity driving it on a merciless path through her neck and into her chest. Left alone she would have died in less than five minutes, her death throes painting the kitchen with bright spatters of arterial blood.
But she wasn’t left alone. Instead her father picked up his beloved daughter and carried her trembling form out into the dusty street. As he stumbled outside the door, blinded by the agony only a parent can know, his movements were tracked by two sets of practiced eyes. Those eyes belonged to our two battle seasoned medics, who had heard the painful cacophony and leapt to action as surely as if someone had bellowed out their names. The medics assessed the situation in less then a second, and then without pause they both set out at a dead sprint. In those first terrible seconds they recognized how grave the girls condition was, and passing the information to one of our platoon sergeants. While they struggled to stabilize their patient the little girl continued emptying her precious life into the street. As the medics labored under the harsh light of their LED flashlights, SSG Rock was making coordinations with a MEDEVAC helicopter for immediate pickup. Fortunately they didn’t have to wait long.
Mala survived long enough to make it onto the medevac bird, and then she left our protectorship. When the helicopter whisked her away at full combat power she disappeared from sight, but not from our memory. The minute we arrived back in the barracks the commander jumped on the line and made a call to the CASH (Army Combat Hospital) to find out if Mala was still alive. The nurse on the other end of the line told him that Mala was in surgery, and that we could call back at midnight to find out if she’d survived the surgery. The last couple days had wore us to the bone, but instead of succumbing to sleep the company leadership waited for the time to crawl by. The evening quietly slipped by, the small coffee pot set up in our command post straining to keep up with this sudden spike in demand. The coffee was hot and nourishing, but it did little to lift the tension that fogged the room. A little before midnight, unable to wait any longer we made a second call to the CASH. In a cool, professional tone the nurse on duty told us that Mala was in ICU. Something about our tone must have hinted at the storm of emotion on our end of the line, and taking pity she added “she is going to make it”. As the news spread though the barracks everyone breathed a deep sigh of relief. Then, with our concern slaked we all crawled into our bunks to get some desperately needed rest.
The next morning brought even better news. The bullet had broken her jaw and nicked her carotid artery, but despite the agonizing injuries she was awake and alert. Hearing this news we decided that instead of our usual patrol we would return to Mala’s home and escort her family to the CASH. Although it was still early in the morning when we arrived at the small home Mala’s extended family told us her parents were already making their way to the CASH to see their daughter. We loaded into HMMWVs and made our way to the IZ, hoping to link up with Mala and her family. As we entered the hospital there was no sign of the family, but when we got to the ICU ward we found Mala’s family anxiously waiting for her in the hallway. They were as silent and grave as marble statues. That all changed the moment they recognized us. In an instant they had returned to life, and they started to shower us with blessings and tear filled praise. We looked around sheepishly, uncomfortable with this sudden outpouring of praise. A few of the soldiers looked through the ICU door to see Mala for themselves, seeing instead her father anxiously signaling for us to join him. We walked over to Mala’s father, and as we did Mala came into sight in the hospital bed behind him. She was awake, and as we walked up she gave us a tired, thin smile. We had brought some stuffed animals along to cheer up the antiseptic sterility of the room, and her eyes flared with joy when we placed them at the foot of her bed. As we were arranging the stuffed animals SGT James T., the medic that had worked so hard to save little Mala, came into the room. Although the young sergeant was making an earnest attempt to maintain some semblance of medical detachment he beamed like a new father at the birth of his first child. Mala didn’t recognize him, but he wasn’t looking for praise or thanks. He just wanted to know that his little patient would survive her terrible wounds. We didn’t want to tire out Mala by extending our stay, and once we were convinced she was going to make it we left the room. We said our goodbyes to the grateful family, made our way to the vehicles, and returned to the FOB.
Ten years from now our unit will have long since passed out of local memory, the desert swallowing any physical trace of our year in the Land of the Two Rivers. But there will be one living, beating heart that will bear testament to our company’s mission and the good we tried to do. And right now that somehow seems enough.
Posted by thunder6 at 16:25 | Permalink | Comments (53) | TrackBack (9)
More breaking news on Ward Churchill's possible and hopeful termination as a college professor at the University of Colorado.
They wanted to make one thing very clear:
The content and rhetoric of Professor Churchill’s essay on 9/11 and other works that we examined were protected by the First Amendment.
On to the reasons stated for the recommendation to terminate:
Allegations regarding research misconduct, including plagiarism, fabrication and misuse of others ‘ work, had sufficient merit to warrant further inquiry, and they were referred to the Standing Committee on Research Misconduct.
It appears that lying to gain employment is no big deal. But lying for credibility and 'scholarship' are verboten:
Questions raised about Professor Churchill’s possible misrepresentation of his ethnicity in order to gain employment advantage were reviewed, resulting in a finding of no action warranted. However, questions raised in regard to the allegation of misrepresentation of ethnicity to gain credibility and an audience for scholarship were also reviewed, and the Committee felt that such misrepresentation might constitute research misconduct and failure to meet the standards of professional integrity.
The chancellor is making it painstakingly clear that this is not an issue of free speech, but of responsibility and integrity. Hopefully there is enough chain mail around this recommendation to deflect the expected lawsuit by Churchill.
Just when we think it's the end of the matter, it's not:
Now, let me briefly explain the process as we go forward. Professor Churchill may request within 10 days to have President Brown or me forward this recommendation to the Faculty Senate Committee on Privilege and Tenure. If Professor Churchill does so, a special panel will then conduct hearings about this matter and make a recommendation to the president about whether the grounds for dismissal are supported. The handout you received outlines more detail about this process.
Pull up a chair, this is going to take awhile. It wouldn't surprise me if we had a twist ending to this by the "special panel" that Churchill no doubt will invoke; they may not see his behavior as research misconduct, but merely as misguided and well-intentioned. Slap on the wrist, and Interim Chancellor DiStefano will be off the hook.
Tip: LGF
By a 5-to-4 vote, the justices said the Kansas Supreme Court incorrectly interpreted the Eighth Amendment's protection against cruel and unusual punishment to strike down the state's death penalty statute.
The dissenters, the four liberal members of the high court, bitterly complained about the decision.
Liberals bitterly complaining...and this is news?
I guess murderers will have to stand the tiny burning sensation before they pay the ultimate price for their heinous crimes.
Browsing my archives while I was supposed to be working, I found this photo and had to share it with those who have not been acquainted with Portia Rediscovered for very long.
Here's the story:
For Christmas of 2003, my parents bought me the hugely popular Ann Coulter action figure. It didn't arrive until sometime around February due to demand.
Just after I had received it in the mail, I attended a going away party for two of my Marine Corps friends who were being deployed for their second tour in Iraq. When they saw my doll, and we began to listen to her soundbites, they joked about taking something like that to Iraq. I decided they could take mine, but only if they took pictures of her at various landmarks throughout their deployment.
Much to my surprise, they actually did. This is Ann standing by while Sgt. Anthony Roth registered to vote (in either Kuwait or Iraq.)
Ann went MIA within a month or two of their being gone. While we'll never know what happened to her, and I still have yet to replace her, she served her country well. RIP Little Ann, wherever you are.
Here are some more photos of the boys with Ann:
Ann on her way to Iraq.
In the Sandbox at last.
I have some other classics somewhere in my pc. I might post them some other time. In one of them, the boys actually dressed her up in a flight suit with aviator sun glasses. Now, where did I put them...
Almost as if he had read NasaNerd's anti-epic interview of the Swiss and French soccer teams, The Weekly Standard's Jonathan V. Last explains to the masses the reasons why American's aren't giddy Europeans when it comes to soccer:
Why don't we like soccer? We all play it when we're young. According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, more than 17 million Americans played soccer in 2006, putting it just behind basketball and football in team sports popularity. And in those other sports, you don't even get orange slices at halftime...
But there is one obstacle to soccer acceptance that seems insurmountable: the flop-'n'-bawl.
Turn on a World Cup game, and within 15 minutes you'll see a grown man fall to the ground, clutch his leg and writhe in agony after being tapped on the shoulder by an opposing player. Soccer players do this routinely in an attempt to get the referees to call foul. If the ref doesn't immediately bite, the player gets up and moves along.
Making a show of your physical vulnerability runs counter to every impulse in American sports. And pretending to be hurt simply compounds the outrage.
So, it's settled. Read the rest of his anti-soccer thesis here.
CNN's headline this morning was the indictment of seven terrorists in Miami.
A federal indictment against seven men revealed Friday details of what the government said was a plan intended to "kill all the devils we can."
The mission was intended to be "as good or greater than 9/11," beginning with the destruction of Chicago's Sears Tower, according to court documents obtained Friday by CNN.
Named in the grand jury indictment is Narseal Batiste, who allegedly told a federal undercover agent, who he thought was a member of al Qaeda, that he was organizing a mission to build an Islamic army to wage a jihad in the United States.
Not good news to read first thing in the morning, but hopefully news that will shake America out of its slumber regarding the war on terrorism. Radical Islamic imams and clerics have made it very clear they would like to see the west Islamized.
He said he still hoped that one day the United States would be a Muslim country ruled by Islamic law, "not by violent means, but by persuasion."
"Every Muslim who is honest would say, I would like to see America become a Muslim country," he said. "I think it would help people, and if I didn't believe that, I wouldn't be a Muslim. Because Islam helped me as a person, and it's helped a lot of people in my community."
In the meantime, using the Establishment Clause as their jack hammer, the ACLU has aggressively pursued the obliteration of tiny obscure crosses from county seals, demands to take down crosses from landmarks (San Diego) and cleanse the U.S. from any historical contact with Christianity. You'd think they would be more concerned with a religion amongst us with fantical followers who actually killed close to 3,000 people on 9/11, and is plotting to do more of the same in order to establish their religion.
Update: June 27, 2006: The "terrorist" part of this story turns out to be a tempest in a teapot. These were not radical Islamists, but more like a rag-tag cult of jihadi wannabe's.
Tip: LGF
So which is it. Does the media report the news or create it? ABC has a presupposition they're trying to prove by casting a very wide net. A global net.
Al Gore's hot air theorum is being supported by ABC, but they need your help.
Maybe we should help them. Got any global warming stories from your backyard?
We can all become part of Gore's professional scientific team on the imminent destruction of our planet.
But share your stories here first.
Update: As I have asked for your personal global warming stories, it's only fair to jump in and start things off.
We are currently in the midst of landscaping both back and front yards and I noticed a very profound phenomenon. When the weather is unusually hot, I mean warm, it takes more water to keep the plants happy and thriving. Using Al Gore's algorithm for analyzing this data, this situation foreshadows dire consequences: no more water for people.
I was reading about the English soccer fans being attacked by hooligans, and I thought, hooligans, what an interesting word that we never use here in the U.S. Those using it would be sued by the ACLU as being too inflammatory and offensive. So we use 'gangs' instead. Less provocative.
Anyway, I looked it up on my trusty merriamwebster.com and interestingly enough under the definition of 'hooligan' are Google ads, and the ads were:
Germany 2006; Poland Soccer Team; Soccer Bracelet; Youth Soccer; Used Cars and Trucks.
So it seems the word hooligan is directly linked to soccer. And used cars and trucks; which no doubt could be an ad for those whose cars were burned by Paris hooligans . Except the article calls the Paris hooligans youths.
This was getting fun. So I entered 'liberal' and guess what the Google ads were?
Hilarious Anti-Bush Gear; Liberal T-Shirts; Anti-Bush Shirts & Gear.
Let's see what Google ads were for the word 'conservative':
Conservative Party, Conservative Blacks, Conservative Book Club.
How about: Truth is Inconvenient for Liberals; Global Warming's Just Hot Air; No Hilary! in '08? Still too soon for any conclusions, but this doesn't look very even-handed to me.
On a roll now.
Typed in 'homophobia' and Google comes up with:
God Loves & Accepts Gays; God Accepts you "As Is"; God & Homosexuality.
'Marriage':
Georgia Divorce & Custody; Marriage; L.A. Psychotherapist.
That last ad cracked me up. If you're married you need therapy? No ads for "God Instituted Marriage" or, "God loves married people"?
'Sharia': Webster had no definition, but Google still took advantage and ran three ads -
Guidance Financial Group (Get competitive Islamic home financing...); Afghanistan Peacebuilding; Free Ringtones for your cell phone.
No idea what ringtones have to do with shari'a.
'Insurgents':
Replace Bush, Is Bush Doing a Good Job?; Iraq War.
Well, I could do this alll morning, but more important tasks are calling.
(Trackbacks being stubborn: MBMc of Port McClellan weighs in with his Best of the Blogosphere and links to this humble port.)
My beloved and sorely missed readers and commenters,
I am utterly drowning in duties and deadlines that must be met before I begin graduate school. I miss blogging like crazy, but it's just not going to be possible in the next few days.
Of course, every time I post something pathetic like this I find that all of the sudden I have loads of free time to blog. I hope that's the case this time.
I'll be back as soon as I'm able. But please, show Mutti love and leave some comments. She's blogging like the wind on my behalf. And if you haven't read NasaNerd's interview of the French and Swiss soccer teams, please, scroll down and see what you're missing.
Be back soon!
The estranged (and sometimes strange) blog marm
This just in: the bodies of the two kidnapped GI's have been found.
Of course the terrorists follow Geneva Convention rules.
An Iraqi military official said Tuesday that the bodies of two missing U.S. soldiers showed signs of torture, and that men appeared to have been killed "in a barbaric way." Also, the umbrella group for Iraqi insurgents claimed responsibility for the soldiers' deaths.
One more example of the 7th century mentality of these evil people.
"We give the good news ... to the Islamic nation that we have carried God's verdict by slaughtering the two captured crusaders," said a statement in the name of the Mujahedeen Shura Council, which groups five insurgent organizations including al-Qaida in Iraq.
Time for our military to give some "good news" to the terrorists. May it be swift and sure.
Our heart-felt prayers are with the families of these brave young men.
Update: Within minutes of copying the text of the Shura Council statement, it was mysteriously deleted from the news story which you can continue reading here.
BAGHDAD, Iraq - An Iraqi military official said Tuesday that the bodies of two missing U.S. soldiers showed signs of torture, and that men appeared to have been killed "in a barbaric way." Also, the umbrella group for Iraqi insurgents claimed responsibility for the soldiers' deaths.
"We give the good news ... to the Islamic nation that we have carried God's verdict by slaughtering the two captured crusaders," said a statement in the name of the Mujahedeen Shura Council, which groups five insurgent organizations including al-Qaida in Iraq.
At a news briefing, U.S. Maj. Gen. William Caldwell declined to identify the two men until their families could be notified.
Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, 23, of Houston, and Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker, 25, of Madras, Ore., disappeared after an insurgent attack Friday at a checkpoint by a Euphrates River canal south of Baghdad. Spc. David J. Babineau, 25, of Springfield, Mass., was killed.
The checkpoint was in the Sunni Arab region known as the "Triangle of Death" because of frequent ambushes there of U.S. soldiers and Iraqi troops.
The three men were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division from Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
"The news is going to be heartbreaking for my family," Menchaca's uncle, Ken MacKenzie, told NBC's "Today" show.
He said the United States should have paid a ransom for the two soldiers from money seized from Saddam Hussein.
"I think the U.S. was too slow to react to this," MacKenzie said. "Because the U.S. did not have a plan in place, my nephew has paid with his life."
The director of the Iraqi defense military's operation room, Maj. Gen. Abdul-Aziz Mohammed, said the two bodies were found on a street near the town Youssifiyah, close to the scene of the attack. The U.S. military could not confirm that account.
Caldwell, the chief U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, said details of what happened to the two missing soldiers and about the bodies found would be released later Tuesday after the families of the soldiers were informed.
"Until we know the families have been both briefed and have been fully informed ... it would be inappropriate," he said.
A search involving more than 8,000 Iraqi and American troops turned up nothing over the weekend, but troops searching for the soldiers killed three suspected insurgents and detained 34 in fighting that also left seven U.S. servicemen wounded, Caldwell said.
A farmer claiming to have witnessed the attack told The Associated Press on Sunday that insurgents swarmed the checkpoint, killing the driver of a Humvee before taking two of his comrades captive.
Ahmed Khalaf Falah said three Humvees were manning a checkpoint when they came under fire from many directions. Two Humvees went after the assailants but the third was ambushed before it could move.
He said seven masked gunmen, one carrying a heavy machine gun, killed the driver of the third vehicle and took the two other U.S. soldiers captive. His account could not be verified independently.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari also said the soldiers appeared to have been taken prisoner by insurgents.
The military said Saturday that soldiers at a nearby checkpoint heard small-arms fire and explosions during the attack at 7:15 p.m. Friday, and a quick-reaction force reached the scene within 15 minutes. The force found one soldier dead but no signs of the other two.
___
Associated Press writer Ryan Lenz contributed to this report from Balad, Iraq.
Man is neither master of his life nor of his fate. He can but offer to his fellow men his efforts to diminish human suffering; he can but offer to God his indomitable faith in the growth of liberty. —Victor Hugo
Fitting words for a Monday evening.
The trial of a 20th century monster is nearing an end.
The prosecutor asked for the death penalty for Saddam Hussein and two of his co-defendants, saying in closing arguments Monday that the former Iraqi leader and his regime committed crimes against humanity in a "revenge" attack on Shiite civilians in the 1980s.
Anything less would be a travesty and miscarriage of justice.
Bill Whittle, author of Silent America, is coming out with another book entitled An American Civilization. He has posted the introduction called "Rafts" on his website and it is exquisite reading. Whittle expertly weaves Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, Shakespeare and modern day politics into a banquet of soul food. He is a Michelangelo with words.
A sampling for your reading pleasure:
There are two traditions that I remember clearly. First, the young male leads – Peter Pan, say – were invariably played by hot young women in tights, leaving eight year old boys watching swordfights, rooting for Peter or Puss in Boots, while in the deep back of the mind some faint but growing voice was whispering under all that cheering, saying but look at those legs! That was confusing.
What wasn’t confusing was the audience participation. Children and parents were encouraged to hiss loudly when Captain Hook entered the stage, to shout warnings of ambush and hiding places. It was a loud, screaming, cheering, full-on blast.
...enter Noam Chomsky:
There was a time when intellectual meant someone who uses reason and intellect. Today, people who call themselves intellectuals are in a form of mental death spiral: they search for, and find, those index cards that support their world view, and clutch little red books like rosaries in the face of all external evidence. They are ruled by appeals to authority. Their self-image and sense of emotional well-being trumps any and all objective evidence to the contrary.
How many students today believe what they believe because they met someone who knew a guy whose girlfriend turned him on to an article by Noam Chomsky? Noam Chomsky predicted, in his even, intellectual, authoritative, tenured manner, that if the US went to war in Afghanistan after 9/11, the result would be 3 million Afghan casualties. How many of these students who worship St. Noam independently ask themselves why he had come up 2,999,500 bodies short? Noam is not wrong by a factor of one or two; Noam is not wrong by an order of magnitude. Noam is not wrong by a factor of a hundred to one. Noam is wrong by more than three orders of magnitude. Noam is wrong by a factor of 6,000 to one. Noam says the reef is three miles off the port bow, when in fact it is barely ten feet away. That’s six thousand to one. Noam says the ocean is a thousand feet deep when in fact the keel has been ripped out and is sitting on the sandbar back yonder: that’s a 6,000-to-one error. Extrapolating this accuracy rate, if Noam writes 6,000 pages on the evil of the United States, how many pages of truth might there by in such a twenty-volume set?
Tip: LGF
Over 700 peacefully protested Ahmadinejab's denial of the Holocaust.
Demonstrators waved Israeli flags at the rally outside the Alt Oper opera house in Germany's financial capital. Some held up signs reading "Support Israel Now!" and "Israel has the right to exist."
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has caused international outrage by dismissing the Holocaust as a myth and questioning Israel's right to exist.
This wasn't the only protest:
An estimated 1,200 people, many of them German Jews, demonstrated against Ahmadinejad before Iran's loss to Mexico in its opening World Cup game in Nuremberg last Sunday. Iran played Portugal on Saturday.
At least they lost. May be time to send Nasa Nerd in for more interviews.
If you are the parent of a child in need of special pediatric care, CHLA is the place. CHLA touched our lives when Peter (NasaNerd) was hit by a car two days after his eleventh birthday. Their trauma unit and six hours in surgery with two different teams of surgeons saved his life.
CHLA has successfully separated 10-month old conjoined twins. The Fierros family will now join in the multiplied thousands of other families who have also been blessed by the work at CHLA:
Regina and Renata Salinas Fierros were "doing great" after doctors separated the 10-month-old conjoined twins and rebuilt their bodies during a daylong operation, a hospital spokeswoman said Thursday.
Thank you, CHLA.
As a result of al-Zarqawi's death, our military has carried out 452 raids killing 104 insurgents.
Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, said the raids were carried out nationwide and led to the discovery of 28 significant arms caches.
He said 255 of the raids were joint operations, while 143 were carried out by Iraqi forces alone. The raids also resulted in the captures of 759 "anti-Iraqi elements."
The intelligence gained from Zarqawi's death has been enormous.
Iraq's national security adviser said Thursday a "huge treasure" of documents and computer records was seized after the raid on terror leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's hideout, giving the Iraqi government the upper hand in its fight against Al Qaeda in Iraq
This is good news.
LGF linked to a brilliant essay by Norwegian blogger, Fjordman, entitled: Political Correctness — The Revenge of Marxism. For some reason I could not link directly to the essay, so scroll down when you get to LGF.
Much of the political Left is simply engaged in outing their opponents as evil, instead of rationally arguing against their ideas. Attaching labels such as “racist” or even “Fascist” to anyone criticizing massive immigration or Multiculturalism has become so common that Norwegian anti-Islamists have coined a new word for it: “Hitling,” which could be roughly translated to English as “to make like Hitler.” The logic behind “hitling” is a bit like this: “You have a beard. Adolf Hitler had facial hair, too, so you must be like Hitler. Adolf Hitler liked dogs. You have pets, too, you must be like Hitler. Adolf Hitler was a vegetarian. You like carrots, you are just like Hitler.”
Any “right-winger” can be slimed with such accusations. Curiously enough, the reverse is almost never true. Although Marxism may have killed 100 million people during the 20th century and failed in every single society in which it has ever been tried out, there seems to be little stigma attached to being a Leftist. The fact that Leftists can get away with this and claim to hold the moral high ground amply demonstrates that we didn’t win the Cold War. We let our guard down after the fall of the Berlin Wall and never properly denounced the ideology behind it. This is now coming back to haunt us.
One member of an anti-immigration party in Britain stated that to be called racist in 21st-century Britain is “the same as being branded a witch in the Middle Ages.” He’s probably right, which means that anti-racism has quite literally become a modern witch-hunt.
Political Correctness “wants to change behavior, thought, even the words we use. To a significant extent, it already has.” “Whoever or whatever controls language also controls thought.
This must-read will be well worth your time.
If anyone really wants to know the reason why I'm not "into" anime as a few of my friends....
I like bathing...
Nasa Nerd here with your on the spot World Cup coverage.
I had the privilege to interview some of the French and Swiss players during yesterdays match. Here is the transcript:
The Transcript as follows:
NasaNerd: Good afternoon, sir!
French Player: Who ze 'ell ar yu?
(At this point, I noticed this might be harder than I thought. The French player was standing, in the middle of the field, smoking a cigarette)
NN: I'm NasaNerd. I post on a blog in America.
FP: Screw America. Wat do yu wont?
(He said, inhaling, then blowing the smoke in my face)
NN: **Cough** Well, I wanted to find out how the game was going.
(He looked at me for a second, then guffawed)
FP: Idiot! 'Ow do yu sink eet ees going? We ar tied. Nil - Nil.
(By this time, a few of his French teammates had set up lawn chairs. A "winemaid" had since brought him a chardonay. He sipped it in contempt, watching as I scribbled notes in my PDA)
NN: I see. Is there any reason for this?
(I said, looking around)
FP: Capitalist pigdog. We refuse to play. Eet ees not...French. We do not bow to zee will of zee wurld.
(At once, he threw his wine in my face. When I opened my eyes again, he was lighting another cigarette and had a fresh glass of wine in his hand. I simply brushed myself off, and walked over to the Swiss.)
NN: Excuse me! Can I have a minute of your time?
(The Swiss were all standing in a circle, talking.)
Swiss captain: Can I help you?
(He seemed sincere, but there was something amiss.)
NN: Yes, I'd like to ask you a few questions about this match.
SC: Oh, please. Anything you need to know.
(My eyes darted from player to player as I realized they were all looking at me)
NN: Oh...kay...Well, How do you think the game is going so far?
SC: Swimmingly. I mean, as football matches go. We don't actually swim, you know. That would be called waterpolo. Do you want us to play waterpolo?
(I began to scribble more notes into my PDA as he talked. I paused, hearing his comment and looked up)
NN: No, no. That's fine...but if you think it's going well, why hasn't anyone scored yet? You're not winning.
SC: Oh, no. We don't win. We're neutral. We don't care who wins, we just like to watch.
NN: But, you're playing...right now...who are you watching?
SC: The fans, of course!
(Suddenly, by happenstance, the ball landed just a few feet behind me. I noticed all the Swiss players' eyes fixated on it. I was hoping they would do something but it only came out like this...)
SC: Oh! Is that the ball behind you? Is it yours? We can hold it for you if you like. We'll take really good care of it.
NN: No...I believe you're supposed to pla-
SC: It's ok. If it's yours, we won't tell anyone. If anyone asks, we'll just deny that it exists.
What else was there to say but..)
NN: Um...alright. Keep it for me, will ya?
(Before I could even finish the sentence, three Swiss players had taken the ball back to the circle and were kicking it between them, discreetly, of course)
NN: Oh, and if you could, keep it in that net over there?
(I turned, and pointed at the French goalkeeper, who was now laying on a massage table with a small asian woman walking over his back.)
SC: Keep what?
(I turned and the ball was gone.)
NN: The ball. The ball you just took.
SC: We didn't take anything. Look. Nothing there.
(Dumbfounded, I took my leave.)
Leading scientists from all over the world are not impressed with Gore's end-of-the-world hysteria.
Professor Bob Carter of the Marine Geophysical Laboratory at James Cook University, in Australia gives what, for many Canadians, is a surprising assessment: "Gore's circumstantial arguments are so weak that they are pathetic. It is simply incredible that they, and his film, are commanding public attention."
Professor Carter doesn't mince words when it comes to Gore's so-called team of scientists:
Carter is one of hundreds of highly qualified non-governmental, non-industry, non-lobby group climate experts who contest the hypothesis that human emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) are causing significant global climate change. "Climate experts" is the operative term here. Why? Because what Gore's "majority of scientists" think is immaterial when only a very small fraction of them actually work in the climate field.
While Gore would have us believe his snake-oil version about global warming, another leading expert from Canada's Carelton University, gives an actual scientific reason for global warming:
Patterson concluded his testimony by explaining what his research and "hundreds of other studies" reveal: on all time scales, there is very good correlation between Earth's temperature and natural celestial phenomena such changes in the brightness of the Sun.
Sweden's Dr. Wibjorn Karlen:
The Antarctica has survived warm and cold events over millions of years. A meltdown is simply not a realistic scenario in the foreseeable future.
Carter's conclusion sums it up nicely:
Carter does not pull his punches about Gore's activism, "The man is an embarrassment to US science and its many fine practitioners, a lot of whom know (but feel unable to state publicly) that his propaganda crusade is mostly based on junk science."
The entire article is worth reading
Tip: Drudge
AFP reports that Democrats are in disarray as Bush basks in glow of Iraq trip.
Senator John Kerry:
"No matter how brave our soldiers are, no matter how valiant, no matter what their caring ... our soldiers cannot bring democracy to Iraq at the barrel of a gun," Kerry said Tuesday at a gathering of progressive Democrats.
"The Iraqis themselves must build democracy. And it will never be done if Iraqis' leaders are unwilling to make the compromises necessary that that requires."
What does that mean?
It's amazing the man ever served a day in the US Military.
For Hilary's commentary and the rest of the story, go here.
The U.N., who turns a blind eye to the human rights violations of most African and Middle Eastern countries, is encouraging the US to close Guantanamo. The same folks who brought us the "Oil for Food" scandal find it unacceptable that terrorists or those suspected of aiding terrorist would commit suicide under our watch.
GENEVA (AFP) - Five UN human rights experts joined mounting protests against the US prison camp at Guantanamo Bay in the wake of the suicide of three inmates, saying the controversial facility should be shut down.
"The simultaneous suicide of three detainees in the Guantanamo military base on June 10 was to a certain extent foreseeable in light of the harsh and prolonged conditions of their detention, and reinforces the need for the urgent closure of the detention center," they said.
If only they felt this about our underperforming public schools.
It would have been entertaining to have seen the U.N. express concern over Nazi suicides during WWII, given the chance.
Rummaging through my copy of C.S. Lewis's Miracles, I found a piece of paper I must have used as a bookmark. On it is written a priceless, but up until this point, largely forgotten memory.
The summer before last I had the remarkable opportunity to travel in and around England with a group of C.S. Lewis scholars, budding scholars and enthusiasts alike. It was a fantastic group, comprised of Christians from every denomination and non-Christians, middle-Americans and the coastal folks, middle aged and teens (or one of them). But what would any traveling group be without its resident "weird guy?"
Ours was no exception. We'll call him Pious. And Pious was, well, just that. Only Brother Pious was of a different Christian order, a far more mystical and secluded one. His demeanor was nice enough. He wasn't unfriendly, nor was he terribly congenial. He had a typical Irish complexion with bright blue eyes, that so help me God, glowed. And come to think of it, hardly blinked.
He was a studied man with a voice quite similar to that of Gilligan's Island's Mr. Howell. Imagine every cliched, rich, country club white man's voice and multiply it exponentially, and you've got Pious. Add to this his extreme case of aloofness bordering on plain arrogance, and you've got one interesting mix of a human being. He kept mostly to himself or to the one-on-one conversations with our leading Lewis expert. But every once in a while, he'd venture to speak to us mortals. This was one such time.
On our way through the Cotswolds, one of our group mentioned that he had a jazz tune stuck in his head, and that no matter what he tried it wouldn't leave him. Pious puffed up his chest, and with his glowing, unblinking eyes pompously informed us, "My life...is a liturgy." (Picture that snobby, pregnant pause loving voice.) "Yes, well, I have this Jesus theme that runs through my head. When I start to day dream, I have this prayer that comes from my head. It's not as distracting as a tune--that keeps you from your focus." Thank you, for that.
Apparently, I learned to trail closely behind Brother Pious--anxiously awaiting, with pen and paper, his next social faux pas that would inevitably offend or just baffle the sensibilities of all surrounding parties.
This is what I found in my Miracles book.
You can be sure to find the cockroaches of humanity coming out with their hands out whenever the government is handing out free money. We're not talking about those who lost everything to Katrina and Rita. We're talking about a vile form of human who stole this money and used it for things like sex-change operations. You know the type; they'd steal a wallet from an accident victim. Which is exactly what they did.
The government doled out as much as $1.4 billion in bogus assistance to victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, getting hoodwinked to pay for season football tickets, a tropical vacation and even a divorce lawyer, congressional investigators have found.
The GAO concluded that as much as 16 percent of the billions of dollars in FEMA help to individuals after the two hurricanes was unwarranted.
Remember those handy debit cards FEMA handed out? Here's how they were spent:
_an all-inclusive, one-week Caribbean vacation in the Punta Cana resort in the Dominican Republic.
_five season tickets to New Orleans Saints professional football games.
_adult erotica products in Houston and "Girls Gone Wild" videos in Santa Monica, Calif.
_Dom Perignon champagne and other alcoholic beverages in San Antonio.
_a divorce lawyer's services in Houston.
One of the reasons for this debacle? No one bothered to check ID's. That's been taboo for some time now; we don't want to insult and offend people by making sure they are who they say they are. Wouldn't be pc.
"Our forensic audit and investigative work showed that improper and potentially fraudulent payments occurred mainly because FEMA did not validate the identity of the registrant, the physical location of the damaged address, and ownership and occupancy of all registrants at the time of registration," GAO officials said.
Read the whole story here.
KABC news spoke of the possibility of Ward Churchill being fired. It's about time. LGF is carrying the story:
A University of Colorado committee recommended on Tuesday firing a professor who called some of the World Trade Center victims "little Eichmanns," citing repeated research misconduct.
Ward Churchill, a tenured professor of ethnic studies, denied the allegations. He has vowed to fight his dismissal with a lawsuit.
The university alleges misconduct (translate: creating a fabricated Native American pedigree out of whole cloth) and plagiarism. The man is a fraud and a liar. Doesn't belong anywhere near kids posing as an "educator".
The article is here.
Finally, a horrible educational situation that didn't happen in California.
An Ohio teacher has been fired for reading students' thoughts on other students. Apparently, the thoughts weren't happy ones.
Larry Knapp says the Edgewood district let him go last week after receiving complaints about the incident. Knapp says some of the essays were embarrassing or hurtful.
Johnson had asked students to write about what classmates might be doing 20 years from now.
This is ridiculous. Let's not punish the students for writing such things. Let's fire the teacher for reading them.
Although my preface was that of relief that it hadn't happened in Sunny SoCal, that's not all true. It just hasn't made the papers. A local teacher at a private school near me was recently fired three weeks before the school's end because one of her students kept provoking her and provoking her and the teacher finally held her end of a promise to punish the student. (Nothing physically harmful to the student, of course.) The student's parent, who has had it in for this teacher since day one, complained and got this otherwise excellent teacher fired. Not only has this hurt the teacher, but the other students in the class who loved her are really upset over having her one day and seeing her pack up her desk the next.
This is a new generation. If my teachers told my parents I was misbehaving, my parents didn't even question the teacher. I just got punished. Certainly this new crop of parents don't understand what a horrible lesson they're teaching their children: that authority is always wrong, and you're always the victim.
Much to the chagrin of every liberal, Bush-hater everywhere, Karl Rove will not be indicted.
You can almost hear the cries of anguish in the City of Angels.
Update: Not quite a year ago, he was The Infallible Mr. Rove. Now he's been vindicated. I wait, with baited breath, for the waves of apologies from those who would have him hanged.
Still waiting...
Still waiting...
President Bush makes another surprise, and somewhat dangerous, move in an unannounced visit to Iraq. Less than a week after our forces eliminated al-Zarqawi, the president drops in to meet with the Iraqi Prime Minister.
AP reports:
Bush met with al-Maliki in the heavily fortified green zone at a palace once used by Saddam Hussein but which now serves temporarily as the U.S. Embassy.
"Good to see you," exclaimed al-Maliki, who didn't know Bush was in Baghdad until five minutes before they met.
The rest is here.
I'm not incredibly well versed in the history of the Vietnam war, but did any of our standing presidents during that time ever visit our troops during that campaign? I don't recall reading about Nixon or LBJ making surprise visits. But I could be wrong.
Your "What?!?!" moment of the day:
The most humane preferred-to-murderers-everywhere method of execution is now under attack by the left. That's right: The Supreme Court is allowing a challenge to the constitutionality of the lethal injection.
AP reports:
In an unanimous decision, the court allowed those condemned to die to make last-minute claims that the chemicals used are too painful — and therefore amount to cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Constitution's Eighth Amendment.
Nevermind that these men are sentenced for heinous crimes against humanity. It burns their arms! Something must be done.
The winner in the case was Florida death row inmate Clarence Hill, who was strapped to a gurney with lines running into his arms to deliver the drugs when the Supreme Court in January intervened and blocked the execution.
Hill, convicted of killing a police officer, had run out of regular appeals so he went to court using a civil rights law claiming that his constitutional rights would be violated by Florida's lethal injection drug protocol. The court's decision renews his bid to have Florida change its chemical combination.
Kennedy said that Hill is not claiming that he cannot be executed, only that he should not be forced into a painful execution.
This is so unbelievable. Thank God we have justices like Kennedy who value the life of the victim over that of the murderer who took it. Oh wait...
Okay, people. New word: Humuhumunukunukuapuaa
Try defining that without a dictionary or online search engine.
What/Who/Where is it?
Prize TBD. (Fresh out of ideas.)
Update on last contest: Dan, who officially has been named the winner, has graciously accepted his win but has no desire to read the Dowd book. (Heaven only knows why.) Lilo? It's all you...
House Democrats from the Tri-State area, want Coulter to apologize for her comments about the 9/11 widow of New Jersey. In fact, they've even signed a form letter demanding it.
Did Ann cross the line? Absolutely. Is her basic premise wrong? Nope. Should she apologize? Only after the House Dems ask Ward Churchill his colleagues to apologize for equating the widows' husbands to Nazi Jew killers.
This site feels no need to defend her actions. In fact, this site thinks she needs to tone it down so as not to become those whom she criticizes. But Ann's a tough chick. She started it. She can hold her own.
Hat tip: Hot Air
BBC News reports that US Military doctors are currently performing an autopsy on Zarqawi's body, to determine the actual cause of death.
William Caldwell, a senior spokesman for the US-led coalition, said in Baghdad, "We are doing the autopsy to see how he actually died."
I believe that cause can be found here.
Evidently AP writer Patrick Quinn cannot help himself. Portia posted earlier that no doubt Quinn would be asked to write Zarqawi's epitaph; this latest article is not only a retool of his previous article, but written without any verifiable evidence. But nowadays that's acceptable journalism.
'Witnesses' who come forward against the U.S. military obviously makes journalists such as Quinn slaver.
The man, who lived near the scene of the bombing, claimed in an interview with AP Television News to have seen U.S. soldiers beating an injured man resembling al-Zarqawi until blood flowed from the man's nose.
Does this even sound plausible?
But Ahmed told AP Television News that a bearded man was still alive and was lying next to an irrigation canal. He claimed that U.S. troops wrapped a traditional Arab robe, known as a dishdasha, over the bearded man's head and beat him. His account could not be independently verified.
AP ceases to be newsworthy with accounts such as this; instead becoming a mere gossip rag on the par of the Enquirer. "Have you heard the latest?...I can't be 100% sure but enquiring minds want to know."
Don't be surprised if AP writer Patrick Quinn is asked to write Zarqawi's epitaph. The latest article on Zarqawi's last moments, written by the aforementioned author and suspected terrorist sympathizer is entitled, "A dying al-Zarqawi tried to get away." I couldn't not click on this link.
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Abu Musab al-Zarqawi could barely speak, but he struggled and tried to get away from American soldiers as he lay dying on a stretcher in the ruins of his hideout.
Cry me a river. Quinn does, however, start to redeem his seeming lack of objectivity in the third paragraph:
For three years, al-Zarqawi orchestrated horrific acts of violence guided by his extremist vision of jihad, or holy war — first against the U.S. soldiers he considered occupiers of Arab lands, then against the Shiites he considered infidels.
Which begs the question, why the flowery opening?
The article does sort of address some other questions regarding the possibility of survival in such an air raid.
Caldwell also said experts told him it is not unheard of for people to survive a blast of that magnitude.
Some bloggers have noted that the bombs used have a different effect than precision bombs, which could have contributed to his fleeting survival. Others also cite the differences in housing structures--that the homes in Iraq are reenforced with concrete, even in their ceilings, unlike American homes.
All the same, one of the most brutal, vicious, despicable, former human beings will never murder or maim or behead again.
The latest out of radical Islam?
"Watching the World Cup may cause you to be condemned to eternal torment."
Little Green Footballs has the video and transcript. Honestly, you have to watch this. It's short and completely worth it to see the ridiculous "logic" of this imam. Absolutely classic.
Apparently, the man lived through the impact of two 500 lb. bombs dropped on his safehouse. But not for very long:
"He was conscious initially, according to the U.S. forces that physically saw him," Caldwell told Fox. "He obviously had some kind of visual recognition of who they were because he attempted to roll off the stretcher, as I am told, and get away, realizing it was U.S. military....but he died almost immediately thereafter from the wounds he'd received from this airstrike."
I find it a bit strange that he was even in enough of one piece to be found conscious at the site, let alone have the strength to mutter gibberish at our forces. Nonetheless, oh to have heard what the troops said to him in the last waking moments of his sick life.
Many thanks to RealClearPolitics for linking to this humble site with their BuzzTracker.
It seems NJ lawmakers are asking booksellers to stop selling Ann Coulter's new book "Godless" because of her caustic remarks about the four widows from 9/11 who have used their loss as a political platform.
I think Ann crossed the line of civility in her personal remarks aimed at the four widows, but to have lawmakers calling for booksellers to take her books off the shelf? Seems their selective memories forgot about the 1st Amendment.
When Ward Churchill called all of the victims of 9/11 "little Eichmanns", most of the furor was coming from the right. I don't recall Hillary calling a press conference or other liberal lawmakers demanding his resignation because of his spewed vitriol. Not to mention his vitriol was funded by the taxpayer . We're still waiting for the final verdict on Ward's speech. As a private citizen, Ann is at the mercy of the consumer. You don't like what she says, don't buy her book.
If you're on the left it's called free speech:
"The committee was created last year, after Churchill’s comments shortly after 9/11, in which he compared victims in the World Trade Center to “little Eichmanns,” set off a nationwide furor. A Colorado panel concluded last year that however offensive those remarks may have been, they were protected speech."
If you're on the right, it needs to be censored:
Assemblywomen Joan M. Quigley, D-Hudson, and Linda Stender, D-Union, on Thursday called on New Jerseyans to stop buying the book, "Godless: The Church of Liberalism," and for retailers in the state to stop selling it.
Fox News:
"We want to give you the joyous news of the martyrdom of the mujahed sheik Abu Musab al-Zarqawi," said the statement, signed by "Abu Abdel-Rahman al-Iraqi," identified as the deputy "emir" or leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq.
Portia's dad puts it in perspective:
"Zarqawi's death is a win-win situation --- his people are celebrating and so are we!"
Hotel offers Blackberry Detox:
CHICAGO (Reuters) - BlackBerry addicts have a crack at freedom when they check into one Chicago hotel: the manager will put the communications devices and others like them under lock and key for guests who want a break.
"I was really addicted to my BlackBerry. I had an obsession with e-mail," he told Reuters. "Morning and night. There came a time when I didn't think it was healthy ... I quit cold turkey."
The popular hand-held devices [are] sometimes called "CrackBerries" because users become so reliant on them.
So...any takers? Come on, I know most of you are attached at the hip to yours.
Here's more about the help you too can get.
I was gonna let this story go and move on to other things, but this is just about one of the coolest opening lines I've read in a long time:
AP - 53 minutes ago BAGHDAD, Iraq - Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the most-wanted terrorist in Iraq who waged a bloody campaign of beheadings and suicide bombings, was killed when U.S. warplanes dropped 500-pound bombs on his isolated safehouse, officials said Thursday.
Reuters reports that many Iraqis are overjoyed with the death of al-Zarqawi:
"I hope his death will be a new page for Iraq," said baker Zuhair Yassin, 25. "He can burn in hell."
"I'm overjoyed. God willing this will be the end of all terrorists. I hope Iraq can now begin to stabilize now this pig is dead," said Qeysar Ahmed, a Baghdad shop owner as he watched Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki make the announcement in a televised news conference accompanied by U.S. officials.
Of course, Reuters wouldn't be Reuters without throwing some cold water on the efforts of our men in uniform.
Some experts on Islamist groups have accused the United States of playing up the role of Zarqawi in Iraq to exaggerate America's successes in Iraq.
The MSM can try and rain on this parade as much as they'd like. The fact is a brutal terrorist thug is dead. The world is a better place today.
Terrorist leader al-Zarqawi was killed by a U.S. bombing strike.
Loud applause broke out as al-Maliki, flanked by U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and U.S. Gen. George Casey, the top commander in Iraq, made the announcement at a news conference in Baghdad Thursday that Zarqawi was "terminated."
God bless our military.
It appears there is some contention as to the real meaning of the word hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia.
Dan has some stiff competition from Lilo. How now are we to decide who gets the coveted copy of Dowd's book?
Of course, Sam also offers up an excellent definition.
With 99% of precincts reporting, it appears that Portia's candidates did great. Tony Strickland beat out sleezy Abel Maldonado, who ran some of the most offensive ads attacking not only Mr. Strickland but his wife as well. While the race was close, I have a feeling that many Republicans were even more swayed toward Strickland after hearing Maldanado's reprehensible campaign ads.
Neither of the propositions passed. Our paychecks have been spared from yet one other empty bond, for now. Poor Rob Reiner.
It appears that Phil Angelides will be the democratic candidate running against Schwarzenegger for the governor's office.
For full election results, go here.
While I'm on the wrong coast to really care about this, thought I'd point out (since this is election central) that some other Californian is out covering the elections today. Check out California Conservative, especially all the answers. Um, and I guess, the boss's guide (and lookie in the comments).
What's really sad about this is the prediction of the lowest turnout expected for statewide vote. With California seemingly giving Arizona and Nevada it's money.
Lorrie Byrd with the hat-tip action at Wizbang Politics.
My friend and frequent commenter Shira Rawlinson has taken issue with some of the candidate recommendations on this site.
As Shira is incredibly in-the-know, and I am not, go with whatever the woman says. She's dating Tom McClintock's finance manager and would know far more about the candidates that I could claim to.
Shira, I'm glad you weighed in here. I was shooting blind on a lot of these candidates, which I should have made a little more clear. Libs might say I was "pulling a Cheney." I just went with endorsements. Bad Portia...
Quick note: I have not personally researched many of these candidates, but trustworthy conservatives are backing them so they're going on this site.
Statewide Ballot:
Vote NO on every Proposition. That is, unless you would enjoy seeing less money on your paychecks.
Governor: Arnold Schwarzenegger
United States Senate: Dick Mountjoy
Lt. Governor of California: Senator Tom McClintock
State Controller: Assemblyman Tony Strickland
Sec. of State: Democrat running unopposed. Leave this one blank.
State Treasurer: Claude Parrish
Attorney General: Chuck Poochigian
Insurance Commissioner: No recommendation. Another candidate I don't support is running unopposed. (Where are the conservatives, for cryin' out loud?)
Board of Equalization, Dist 1: unopposed Republican
Board of Equalization, Dist 2: Bill Leonard
Board of Equalization, District 3: According to conservatives, either would be a good choice. Michelle Steele or Ray Haynes.
Board of Equalization, Dist 4: Glen Forsch
Superintendant of Public Instruction: Since you can't vote for me, the Republicans support Diane Lenning, apparently. I'm not sure about anyone running for this, but I'll go with her for this non-partisan office.
Judicial Candidates:
The California Republican Lawyers Association has their official endorsements up at this site. Their site is still under construction. Not good timing.
For Los Angeles candidates, Robyn Nordell has a comprehensive list of conservatives to vote for.
However, Portia parts ways with her recommendation for Supervisor 3rd District (occupied presently by Zev Yaroslovsky...you may remember him from his crusade to tear the cross of the L.A. County seal). We here at Portia Rediscovered strongly endorse Randolph Springer. However, he may split the vote. I'll get back to you on this one...
That's the best we can do for now.
Portia Rediscovered's Word of the Day is: hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia.
First one to define the aforementioned tongue twister gets my copy of Maureen Dowd's Are Men Necessary? torn apart by vicious right wing editing and commentary marks inside. (If you're unfamiliar with my relationship with this book, click here for insight.)
Contest Rules:
1. Authors on this site are exempt from said contest.
2. Looking up the word to define it, while completely expected, is for amateurs. Just an FYI.
3. If someone already defines it but you genuinely knew it without the help of a dictionary, I'll come up with a second place prize.
...come on people, I'm practically giving this away....
President Reagan at the Republican National Convention in the summer of 1984:
The poet called Miss Liberty's torch, "the lamp beside the golden door." Well, that was the entrance to America, and it still is. And now you really know why we're here tonight.
The glistening hope of that lamp is still ours. Every promise every opportunity is still golden in this land. And through that golden door our children can walk into tomorrow with the knowledge that no one can be denied the promise that is America.
Her heart is full; her torch is still golden, her future bright. She has arms big enough to comfort and strong enough to support, for the strength in her arms is the strength of her people. She will carry on in the eighties unafraid, unashamed, and unsurpassed.
In this springtime of hope, some lights seem eternal; America's is.
RNC speech, August 23, 1984
The Great Communicator he was.
Today marks the second anniversary of President Ronald Reagan's passing. The women of Cotillion have decided to dedicate posts to one of the greatest presidents of the 20th century.
I was born five days after President Reagan took office and the day our hostages in Iran came home. Ronald Reagan was an epic figure in my childhood, so much so that whenever I would hyperbolize how much I liked something I would say it was my most favorite thing "in the whole wide world of President Reagan." Three years old, already a staunch conservative.
Sorely missed, he was truly a figure of grace, confidence and optimism who set a tremendous example of American leadership.
It was leadership here at home that gave us strong American influence abroad, and the collapse of imperial Communism. Great nations have responsibilities to lead, and we should always be cautious of those who would lower our profile, because they might just wind up lowering our flag.
~President Reagan, RNC Annual Gala, Feb. 3, 1994
Cross posted at MacStansbury.org.
Mike McClellan, over at Port McClellan (no relation), has a rather amusing and terrifying story about Hugo Chavez's latest shenanigans. The man who would be Castro, or Ahmadinejab, has fostered quite a friendship with another kindred spirit: "the notorious Venezuelan killer "Carlos" Ilich Ramirez Sanchez."
Aside from this news, I do have some good news to report on: I spelled Ahmadinejab's name right the first try...no google necessary.
Forget political discourse and debate. That is from a bygone era. What we have now are liberal lunatics who use physical threats against conservatives and elected officials.
It all seemed to start in the mid-90's with Alec Baldwin's threat on national tv to drag Henry Hyde and his family out in the street and shoot them all. He was only "joking" of course.
When an elected official talks about a senator shooting Bush between the eyes, he either needs to be arrested or put in a straight jacket. Or both.
New York State Comptroller Alan Hevesi was caught on video saying:
"The man who, how do I phrase this diplomatically, who will put a bullet between the president's eyes if he could get away with it. The toughest senator, the best representative. A great, great member of the Congress of the United States."
The above referenced senator who would put this bullet between Bush's eyes is none other than Charles Schumer.
And in usual liberal leftist fashion, here comes the lame excuse:
"Comptroller Hevesi was trying to make a point," Heller said. "He went way too far, and it was inappropriate and wrong. He has apologized to both the senator and the president, and we believe that ends the matter."
The end of the matter?? I certainly hope not. After Hevesi is arraigned on making terrorist threats to the POTUS, he needs to be fired.
Tip: Drudge
Kenya passes laws to fight "epidemic of rape."
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya has passed new laws intended to stem the country's "epidemic of rape" and other sexual offences but women's rights groups expressed outrage on Thursday saying protections for married women were dropped.
One woman is raped every 30 seconds in Kenya, according to the government, and the local media regularly run stories of fathers violating small daughters, sometimes leaving them dead.
Kenya's outdated rape laws were introduced in 1930 under British colonial rule and have changed little since.
After months of debate and controversy, including walk outs by women parliamentarians, Kenya passed its first sexual offences law late on Wednesday introducing sentences from five years to life in prison for sex offenders.
The new law also introduced offences for child prostitution, sex tourism and trafficking, which had previously not been outlined in law.
Five years. Hmm. They also left some other important offenses out of the bill:
"It is not what we bargained for. We were not happy with the removal of female circumcision and marital rape from the bill," Jane Onyango, chair of the International Federation of Women Lawyers, told Reuters.
It's astounding when one considers how much money our government, the British government, international agencies and Hollywood bleeding hearts just dump into these corrupt governments, somehow more than wishfully thinking that giving thugs money will filter down to starving, kidnapped children and AIDS babies.
The rest of the story is here.
For all our legal system's faults, this certainly makes one happy to live in America.