baldilocks

The Kerry Reflex

Medals or Ribbons? SUV or hybrid? Foreign car or domestic? Vietnam, good or bad? Who cares? What John Kerry’s answers are to any of these questions aren’t his main problem; it’s how he answers. Yes, boys and girls, 'how' matters just as much as ‘what,’ often more.

My observation: instead of answering a given question truthfully and taking the accolades or lumps for that answer, John Kerry attempts to spot-calculate which answer will accrue to him the most votes. He takes a mental poll for everything. So when he gets asked stupid, insignificant crap regarding his/somebody else’s medals/ribbons,* his mental poll reflex sends out conflicting information at any given time. Why? Times change, and his answers, his truth, must change with them.

Doesn’t the idea of having a guy like that as president—especially during wartime—just give you a warm fuzzy feeling? Me neither. Little things, big things, you know.

“You don’t have to fall in love. You just have to fall in line.”
--attributed to Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) regarding Senator Kerry in this very fiskable article by Tina Brown

All’s fair in war and getting rid of Bush, I guess. Brrrrr.

What makes my blood run even colder is the fact that many people, many voters have no problem with a person who can’t even tell the straight unweasel-worded truth about his car. People have become used to those who create their own "truths." I haven't. I keep many miles between me and those who believe their own lies, even if I'm related to them. (Okay, especially if I'm related to them.)

Of course, we've had such people in the White House before and the republic survived. But if such a blatant liar about stupid stuff has been in the Oval Office, I'll have to do my research because I don't know about it. (And no. The president's WMD issue isn't a lie. It is a mistake. Perhaps.)

(See John Donovan's well-taken reasons for not trusting John Kerry. It's one of the big things: abandoning those he chose to lead.)

*Some ribbons have corresponding medals, some do not.

Progress Report

From the founder of Spirit of America:

Greetings,

Today we delivered the equipment that will be used to equip Iraqi-owned
and operated television stations in Al Anbar province. On Saturday,
May 1 the Marines will fly the equipment from March Air Force Base to
Iraq. This initiative and the original request is described here. We try hard to
provide rapid response to requests we receive. Here is the timeline
of this project:

April 8: SoA receives Marines request for television equipment.
April 14: SoA posts the request on our Web site and begins fundraising.
April 29: SoA delivers $82,687 of TV studio equipment to Camp
Pendleton.
April 29: Marines pack donated equipment and prepare for shipment to
Iraq.
May 1: Marines fly equipment to Iraq.

This rapid turnaround makes a difference.

Please check Friday's Wall St. Journal, Dan Henninger talks about
Spirit of America in his column on the editorial. You can find it
online here.
(Subscription required)

We have received $1,532,931 in donations in the last two weeks. Contributions from 7,438 donors have been made to every request and
every area of Spirit of America's operations. I can't begin to
describe the effects this generosity will have on the ground in Iraq
and Afghanistan - both in helping the people of those countries and in
supporting the hard work of those serving there.

You can find more on what's happened and what next at:
Spirit of America blog. As promised, we have an
accounting of how the money was spent on the first phase of the
Marines TV request.

All the best,
Jim Hake

Born of the Spirit

I doubt that the perps in the post below this are one of these guys.

Via Chicago Tribune: A religious rite of passage on the battlefield - Marine Sgt. Andrew Jones, 25, of Sullivan, Ind., is baptized Wednesday in Fallujah, Iraq, by Lt. Scott Radetski, a Navy chaplain, in an improvised pool of cardboard boxes containing Meals Ready to Eat. Jones and three others asked for the rite after three comrades died, including two in the courtyard--"the middle of hell," as one of the GIs called it--where the ceremony took place. (Los Angeles Times photo by Rick Loomis)

(Thanks to BlackFive)

Prisoners Tortured

No DSL yet. The area servers are down.

If this is true—and it appears it is, the perpetrators should be imprisoned and, if they killed prisoner, executed. Oh not just for the torture and humiliation, but for the propaganda victory they likely have handed to the enemy; for the new enemies they’ve likely created. And yes, John, they’ve tarnished us all.

In Order To Serve You Mo' Betta

DSL will be installed around here; by 12AM at the latest. Speed, gotta love it.

Shop 'Til You Drop

I guess Islamists can’t take a joke.

Terror Warning for L.A. Shopping Malls

I despise shopping anyway.

Apology

I’d like to apologize for posting this joke due to its off-color nature and NOT because it is “racist,” as a commenter contended. I am a Christian and sometimes the old life spills onto the new.

That said, in light of the injuries that Muslims have inflicted on my country, my father’s country, Tanzania, Israel, Spain, Indonesia, Australia, the Philippines and on and on, if the only retaliation to them and theirs is to be the butt of some rude jokes, they should face Mecca and give thanks to whomever it is that they’re calling God.

Anti-Terror Measure

Someone creative…er…gentleman sent Amy Ridenour this suggestion for rooting out the terrorists in our midst.

We all know that it is a sin for an Islamic male to see any woman other than his wife naked, and that he must commit suicide if he does. So this Sunday at 4:00 PM Eastern time all American women are asked to walk out of their house completely naked to help weed out any neighborhood terrorists. Circling your block for one hour is recommended for this Antiterrorist effort.

All men are to position themselves in lawn chairs in front of their house to prove they are not terrorists, and to demonstrate that they think it's okay to see nude women other than their wife and to show support for all American women. And since the Koran also does not approve of alcohol, a cold six-pack at your side is further proof of your anti-terrorist sentiment.

The American Government appreciates your efforts to root out terrorists and applauds your participation in this anti-terrorist activity.

God bless America!

No comment. And no.

Time is Short

Lots of creative ways out there to make money for the troops.

Hugh Hewitt joins the Fighting Fusileers and is auctioning airtime (via Smash)! No blogger could resist that!

Smash is auctioning his Iraq memorabilia.

Right Wingin’ It’s donating to the SOA for trackbacks. Here’s one.

Aaron’s offering some cool patriotic items.

Beth’s got airline tickets!

Da Goddess has slinky stuff, as a goddess might.

Triticale has material for the Sci-fi fan in your life.

And more….

You know what time it is.

Here are the Fighting Fusileers:

The Imperial Armorer She Who Will Be Obeyed The Imperial Animatrix Right Wingin-it! Loyal Reader Calliope! Un-named Left-of-Center Blogger Not Appearing in this blogroll* Triticale Darthvob A Soldiers Blog Practical Penumbra Road Warrior Rules for Survival Brain Shavings The Bejus Pundit! Blackfive - The Paratrooper of Love! Technicalities The Anti-Idotarian Rottweiler Democrats Give Conservatives Indigestion Bloodletting The Politburo Diktat The Mudville Gazette Geeklog The Common Virtue The Ghost of a Flea Grim's Hall Feste, A Foolsblog! LC Glen, Imperial Longbowman Dawn L, the Non-Commenting Commenter! Loyal Reader "Brass" Loyal Reader "Bill" (Constructive credit for already donating) Marine Corps Moms Colorado Psycho Wasted Electrons Citizen Smash A Special Kind of Stupid Aaron's Rantblog Da Goddess Uruloki's Lair The Cool Blue Blog e-Claire Baldilocks Straight White Guy Knowledge is Power Ben's World Mollbot TacJammer The Laughing Wolf Merde in France Hugh Hewitt

Well Met

You may have noticed that I now look suspiciously like a bag of Kenyan coffee with an elephant on it; the latter a commentary on my party affiliation, rather than my weight (hopefully).

That picture was created by Aaron, the Liberal Slayer, Bear Flag Leaguer in good standing and a nice, friendly guy, nom de guerre and riotously hawkish site notwithstanding.

Other Bear Flag members that I met this weekend for the first time:

Citizen and Mrs. Smash
The Interocitor
The purveyor of SoCal Law Blog
The Window Manager

Still others that were there this weekend but whom I had met before:

The Master of None
Xrlq
Patterico (and Mrs. Patterico)
Ith and Nin of Absinthe&Cookies

Conspicuously absent were:

Calblog(gers)
Right on the Left Beach
BoifromTroy
King Buzz (okay, so he’s 3000 miles away and busy defending the country)
And all the Others!!! Maybe next time. (Understandable that Northern Californians were missing.)

Good conversation and good kosher food were had by all. Pictures are forthcoming (maybe).

The Real Ones

Men and women, that is.

Spirit of America fundraisers:

Marine Corps Moms. Mmmm, biscotti!

E-Claire is auctioning some beautiful pictures.

Remember, it ends on Thursday, April 29th. Here’s another of the worthwhile endeavors of the Few Good Men (and Women).

U.S. Air Force Chaplains Gary Garvey and Lonnie Baker seek assistance to expand their efforts to help children in schools and orphanages in Kirkuk Iraq. Chaplain Garvey writes, "You just cannot believe the poverty here in Kirkuk. While the land is rich with oil all of the control and oil revenues have gone to Baghdad. Most of the Iraqi folks here have nothing. We have targeted schools and mud-hutted areas.

"The amount of poverty and desperation after the Hussein regime is legion. Hopefully kids will grow up in this free Iraq because we were here. Kids just love to hear you talk and sing and know that you care about them. We will help them again in the future.[SNIP]

"Americans in uniform delivering supplies to schools and orphanages demonstrates that Americans care about helping Iraqis move toward a brighter future. Americans are willing and able to invest in that future through a commitment to their children's' education and well being now. Let's give our servicemen the supplies that are most needed for them to help Iraqi children. If we don't who will? There is no one else."

Read on and if you’re so inclined,

Somwhere [sic] Over the Rainbow

Yes. Yours.

(Thanks to Xrlq)

My Congressional Representative

Oh my.

“I have to march because my mother could not have an abortion.”

--US Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif) at Pro-Abortion Rally Sunday, April 25

(Thanks to Lucianne)

The Truth is Out There on DVD

One of the Fighting Fusileers for Freedom, the owner of The Cool Blue Blog, is auctioning off “Way Cool X-Files Complete Season 4 to the individual who pledges the most money to Spirit of America by Tuesday at 6pm.” Here’s your chance to give, get and feel good.

One of the endeavors of our Marines and Seebees: help to buy tools for Iraqi tradesmen:

U.S. Marines and SeaBees are training Iraqi men as carpenters, electricians, plumbers and masons. Donated tools will be presented as gifts of friendship when they complete trade school. Your contribution will support Iraqis who are working with the Marines to improve their country.

So...

(Thanks to Emperor Misha I)

Bring the Counterpoint

I’d stake something precious on the assertion that there are a lot of stories belonging to ladies and gentlemen serving in Iraq and Afghanistan that are equally as moving as that of Pat Tillman. Help make their time a little easier and help them win the information war as well as the shooting one.

Measuring Up

Around the Internet, I see a recurrent theme among men in commenting on the death of Pat Tillman: “I wish I were half the man that he was.” So be half the man that he was, then; plus some, if you can. You’re still alive and have the chance to do so. I’m not necessarily saying that you should run out and join the military and volunteer for Ranger school as Mr. Tillman did. I am saying that there are many other ways to be a real man and if you want to do it, stop talking about it and get on with it. Be advised, however, that to be the type of man that he appears to have been requires faith, integrity, strength and, yes, some sacrifice. Lunch isn’t free, not unless it’s day-old and spoiled.

Aaron, the Liberal Slayer speaks of “get laid politics,” the feminist politics to which too many men fall victim in order to keep peace and piece in their homes. To take a stand, follow through on that stand and be the leader in the home, church, synagogue and society when the well-being of all of the above are at stake requires some testicular fortitude. Some guys just are too afraid to stand up to the ovarian fortitude that’s been nurtured by feminism--for good and ill--in the last forty plus years. The owner of those ovaries might walk out the door.

Psst! Acting from fear is unmanly. It’s unwomanly for that matter.

I submit that the type of woman that wants to hinder the existence and propagation of real men, you don’t want anyway. Not ultimately. Not in the long-run. (Of course, if you’re thinking about the short-run type of woman, this post isn’t for you.)

Doing what is right in the face of fear is a defining quality of a real man. Risk is an ever-present factor in such a man’s life, as the Tillman family and hundreds of other families have found out over the past three years. However, great rewards almost always are accompanied by such risks. For real men, “getting laid” is the least of his rewards, both earthly and heavenly speaking. I don’t know of any real man that’s wanting for the companionship of a real woman, should he so desire it. Such men have the added perks of self-respect, peer-respect and countless others. What's not to covet? So after you dry your eyes over the Fallen, go out and Just Do It.™

Be the man--loyal, honest, tough, tender--that you want to be. Don’t let anyone stand in your way, including the women in your life. If you guys want to give Pat Tillman a fitting memorial, I’d say that’s it.

Boy, the NFL peacocks are going to look pretty lame this year, by comparison. That is as it should be.

Not The End

Goodbye, Pat. For now.

PHOENIX — Former NFL defense back Pat Tillman (search) died while serving as an Army ranger in Afghanistan, several news organizations reported Friday. [SNIP]

Tillman shocked fans when he turned down a $3.6 million contract with the [Arizona] Cardinals to be an Army ranger.

UPDATE: "There is in Pat Tillman's example, in his unexpected choice of duty to his country over the riches and other comforts of celebrity, and in his humility, such an inspiration to all of us to reclaim the essential public-spiritedness of Americans that many of us, in low moments, had worried was no longer our common distinguishing trait." --Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz

Spirit of America

I love this.

The good people at Castle Argghh!! have recruited me for the Spirit of America campaign—gotta love that military jargon. I’m a member of the Fighting Fusileers for Freedom. We’re in a friendly competition with Dean Esmay’s Liberty Alliance and Michele Catalano’s Victory Coalition , taken over by Kevin Alyward.

What’s all about? Why to help the troops, of course. Its mission:

Our mission is to expand the abilities of Americans serving abroad to improve the quality of life of people at the grass roots level. Our objectives are to:
• Increase the reach, scale and impact of the informal humanitarian activities that take place on the front lines in troubled regions.
• Contribute charitable goods that can have a positive, practical and timely impact in the local communities where American personnel are involved.
• Improve foreign perceptions of the American people and our presence abroad.

Please check out the rest of its function and, if you see fit, contribute. The donation button, on the right of this page, will look like this when I install it:

In the meantime, use the SOA link above.

No Quiche-Eaters

Thanks for the link, Ilyka, and the implied compliment.

As for the subject matter, however, as they say in my neighboring environs, “I ain’t even trippin.’”

Having been in the military, I was around a larger cross-section of men than the average woman and from that I’ve come to this earth-shaking conclusion: men and women are different. Live it, learn it, love it. Or at least accept it. Their respective attention is drawn by different things. Those things may overlap in some areas and be divergent in others, but, on average, the difference is in evidence plainly enough.

Our wonderful guys are visual creatures. That’s why their heads reflexively turn when something pretty walks by, not because they’re going to leave you for said pretty something. I, for one, like them that way. You average guy has a tendency to give precedence to a pretty female face framed by long, beautiful hair over a hard masculine one with short hair? Well, duh. (Keep in mind that these words are coming from a woman who has her head shaved every so often.) If a guy likes me for my face—or other stuff--I’m certainly not going to wish it were otherwise. However, if said gentleman thinks that there’s nothing behind my outer self, he’s in for an awakening. Whether it’s a rude one or not is not my problem.

Speaking of men and their manliness, this morning Dennis Prager mentioned this fantastic article, written by Florida minister Doug Giles, about why more women attend church than men.

Lose the Church’s “I’m in therapy for ever” feel. Yes, yes, we’re all a work in progress but the co-dependant, extended womb the Church has wrongfully created has allowed congregants to not get a life because of some difficult doo-doo in their lives. Sure life’s hard, little Sally, and the sooner, we celebrate the struggle the quicker we will draw men back to our houses of worship. [SNIP]

One last word for the young Christian man: Do you want to grow up quickly? Then leave mommy’s familiar, safe haven and venture out into the danger zone. As Leon Podles said, Go find your Holy Grail; go meet the strange, meet the unfamiliar. Protect people; lead people; rescue people. Fight inequities and absurdities. Beware, young man, of parents and pastors who want to ‘mother’ you. Avoid the secure; Fear over-protection; and happily accept the masculine task of the patriarch, the prophet, the warrior and wild man.

I’d been thinking the same thing for some time now. Oh and, btw, Pastor Giles is rather easy on the eyes. :-D He even uses a slang word for men that I’ve used in the past. See if you can spot it.

Women: men are not large, hairier versions of us. If a woman wants that, she should try an “alternative lifestyle.” Not down with that? Me neither. So stop complaining when guys act like guys and not like your best girlfriend.

Safety Not First

North Korea trains collide and go up in a fireball.

How hard is it to figure out what happened there? Neglect anything and it will come back to bite you in the butt. Hard.

The Chernobyl example: communist maintenance and safety methods--among other communist things--equal lots of dead people.

Such Violence!

I did not even know that I was on this poll until reader Wes Jackson told me. Personally I’d pick Mrs. du Toit. I was Air Force, you know. :-) This sort of thing, however, is more my forte...

...preferably with a blunt instrument. Can't mess up my hands, you know. However, I'd never bring a club to a gunfight.

All kidding aside, you have to push really hard to get me to that point.

Answers

Here, I invited all comers to ask me any three questions. I've provided some results and have discovered that I'm kind of boring. I like it that way, however. (See questions to Darmon C. Thornton and his answers here.)

Evil Days

Evil, runnin` through our brain,
we and evil`s about the same.

--Evil, Earth, Wind and Fire

The next few days will be the anniversaries/remembrances of several events that will “live in infamy:”

The Holocaust

The Oklahoma City Bombing

The birth of Adolph Hitler

The Columbine Massacre

What to say? Nothing, except to acknowledge that evil exists. The real question remains: what to do? How do humans beings not taken by evil oppose it? I humbly submit two general methods: 1) keep watch for it, in ourselves as well as in others and 2) once evil is exposed for what it is, don’t minimize it, kowtow to it, euphemize it or appease it. (Okay, that’s more than two.) Try any of the latter and evil will only devour you and those you love in the end. Seek it out and bring justice to it, if necessary. The Israelis (and their immediate ancestors) have learned this the hard way.

What's the point in having these “celebrations” of evil if no one learns from them? Bowing our heads in sorrow and remembering the innocent Fallen is noble and necessary, but if—after we raise our heads and dry our tears--we don’t do something to stop the purveyors of evil, then what the flock is the point?

Oppose evil or at least get out of the way of those who are doing so. Is that too much to ask?

Monday Morning Meme

If Darmon can do it, so can I. I’ll answer and post any three questions asked of me, provided they're not too personal. (If they are, I let you know, nicely even. No harm in trying.) Go and do likewise in your own rented space.

Spain Bends Over

Slink back to your country--forsaking your agreement, your promise, your honor—and see if it keeps them from attempting to turn you into Muslims, dhimmis or corpses.

(Thanks to LGF)

Boom Times Two

Cox & Forkum--what a serendipitous pairing of names, that--chronicle the Israelis' excellent progress in their personal War on Terror(ists).

A Battle in the War

Now here’s some unabashed spinning from me. We'll see how accurate it is as time goes by and more facts are revealed.

In Kosovo, UN “peacekeepers” from Jordan likely got tired of a few of us mouthy American women and shot at them, killing two. Their sistren had the last word, however. One Jordanian was killed and the rest are in custody.

Voice of America and Reuters say it was the result of an argument about Iraq.

But the New York Times (registration required) says that the UN claims that no words were exchanged between the two groups before the exchange of gunfire.

You know what I think. “Put a burka on ‘em or a bullet in ‘em,” likely went through those minds. Something to look forward to, should an appeasement government be elected.

"Oh not right away and not all at once, to be sure." --Khan Noonian Singh, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

(Thanks to GreyHawk)

Loose Cannon

I never thought that I’d be thinking about telling someone to “go back to Africa,” unless it was my father.

"I can't believe my family left Africa and came to this country," [Teresa, wife of two Johns] Heinz Kerry complained to the New York Post's Cindy Adams.

Teresa's tirade continued, "I can't believe I married a second politician." Then referring to her first husband, the late Sen. John Heinz, she blasted: "I can't believe I married the first politician. He wasn't one when we met."

She cleaned that one up quick.

Is Teresa Heinz Kerry purposely trying to sabotage John Kerry's chances of becoming the POTUS? Or does she think that she has enough money to do and say what she pleases? One wonders whether Mrs. Heinz Kerry is secretly working for the Republicans. John Heinz (her late husband) was a Republican US senator from Pennsylvania, after all. Or maybe there’s a less tin-foilish answer to this riddle: she has no desire to be the First Lady. I can’t say that I blame her.

Bet John Kerry is wishing for a Stepford-Teresa right about now. (Link inserted for you younguns. A 2004 remake is set starring Nicole Kidman)

UPDATE: Aaron posts the entire interview, to give the statements more context.

Um...

Kilt-Wearing Marine Plays Bagpipes on Battlefield in Iraq During Siege in Fallujah

Gotta love it!

(Thanks to Lucianne)

She's Had Enough

Ms. Catalano, you're not alone.

As someone who comes from a long line of crazy broads depression-prone women (men too; sorry Mom, it had to be said), I can relate. I have my bouts with it, un-medicated, as I have for years (used to self-medicate, but that went out the door with the cigarettes).

There’s at least one bi-polar in my maternal line—boy, is that one a broom-rider--and all of us have experienced some chronic depression of varying degrees. Of course, over the years, more than a few have speculated that the broom was my primary form of transportation also.

For me, it’s there, always there: the rage, the sadness. Just don’t talk to me. The sound of your voice is infuriating (especially if it’s higher in tone). However, I seem to have developed a trick that none of my relatives seem to have: I can become rather detached from my emotions, as if I’m a separate person watch the other me get PO’d, frightened, upset. Some have called it cold-bloodedness.

I had been offered anti-depressants by a psychologist I was seeing. My response was, “not only no, but Hell no.” From what I had seen of those who’d been taking anti-depressants, it seemed to take care of one set of neuroses while introducing yet another, weirder set. To put it bluntly, everyone I knew that took those things seemed crazier taking them than they had been before. Anti-depressants disconnected some chains of logic in some people, or so it seemed to me. I suppose those things help some people function, get them through the day and/or keep them from murdering someone. I just can’t see myself taking them.

It’s said that depression is a chemical deficiency. I suppose that explains why, sometimes, exercise alleviates it, as it does with me, to a point. As I turn up the intensity during the walk/run/lift, I can feel whatever dark mood I woke up with lift off of me. The blood is flowing, the sluggish system begins to run smoothly. If I miss one, however, don’t talk to me until noon.

So I’m stuck with the neuroses with which I’m familiar and will continue to forego the Paxil-induced ones that Michele has described as having one’s emotions “too under wrap.” (Having observed enough folks on similar meds, I would describe the phenomenon as what I naturally do myself: disconnect from emotions. Except that the anti-depressants seem to go overboard in this area, as some meds are wont to do.) I’m totally un-medicated, unless you count caffeine. I exercise, I meditate, I wrestle my demons into submission and, best and most of all, I pray.

Be well, Michele.

Wrong Answer

Oh really?

"She [9/11 Commission Panelist Jamie Gorelick] is in my mind one of the finest members of the commission, one of the hardest working member of the commission and, by the way, one of the most non-partisan and bi-partisan members of the [9/11] commission," panel Chairman Thomas Kean (search), the former Republican governor of New Jersey, told reporters Wednesday. "So people ought to stay out of our business."

Um, can you say non sequitur? “Stay out of our business” is the wrong response to the people regarding actions of a governmental hearing and its members’ possible conflicts of interest, sir. You remember 'we the people', don't you?

Gorelick, former assistant attorney general under the Clinton Administration, is a signatory on the 1995 law that prevented the FBI and the CIA from exchanging information. This law, considered to have been a hindrance to tracking terrorists in the United States, was rescinded by the Patriot Act as a result of the attacks on 9/11. So, Gorelick may indeed be a fine member of the commission and one of the hardest working members of the commission and, by the way, one of the most non-partisan and bi-partisan members of the 9/11 commission, but she still has a conflict of interest in this matter and should resign from the panel.

The Bucks Stop There

Air America was shut down in its LA and Chicago markets yesterday.

Arthur Liu, owner of Multicultural Radio Broadcasting, which owns Air America affiliates WNTD-950 AM in Chicago and KBLA-1580 AM in Los Angeles, said Air America bounced a check and owes him more than $1 million.

Air America and Multicultural had entered into a time brokerage agreement in which the network was essentially renting Multicultural's airtime, Liu said.

"They bounced a check today," Liu said. "It's a default. They have paid only a very small portion of what they owe us." Liu declined to say how much Multicultural is owed, but did say he is holding $1 million in checks that Air America has asked the company not to cash.

One the basic rules of capitalism: no rubber checks. I found that out early. And why aren’t all those rich leftists helping out their ideological brethren?

"They've been saying, 'We're going to get you the money' for the past two months," Liu said, referring to a security deposit that he said Air America was supposed to have prepaid in advance of its launch. "They're not honoring our agreement."

Sounds like my old tenants.

Oh and don’t you just love this title?

Liberal radio stations silenced

…as if Multicultural Radio Broadcasting were violating Air America’s rights by expecting to get paid.

In fairness, however, the chairman of Air America says that Mr. Liu's allegation is false:

"That is an outright lie," said Evan Cohen, Air America's chairman, in a statement. "Multicultural Radio Broadcasting's conduct in this matter has been disgraceful.... [I]t is a clear violation of their contractual obligations."

Air America filed a complaint today in New York state Supreme Court charging Multicultural with breaching their contract and seeking an injunction to force Multicultural to restore the Air America broadcast on both stations.

Hints for Air America: the drama is happening a little early and you haven't even nailed your format. Try ground up, not top down. Making it entertaining helps also; obnoxious plus dumb do not equal entertaining. And no, I'm not laughing with the proverbial Schadenfreude, not yet. Having all views represented in a medium is a Good Thing.™

So is getting paid. In cash.

(Thanks to Dale Franks)

Getting Ready for Our Date (King Buzz)

Unfortunately, I missed the President's news conference last night and had only been able to hear and read news summaries and editorial commenting from either side of the aisle (including what's been written here). What I heard and read were a lot of things which are not really substantive and objective concerns of mine. So, I decided to quickly read the text posted at the White House website. My main interest was to understand what the President is telling the American people about the transition of power in Iraq and "The Date" - June 30th.

Below are the primary comments from the President:

"One central commitment of that mission is the transfer of sovereignty back to the Iraqi people. We have set a deadline of June 30th. It is important that we meet that deadline. As a proud and independent people, Iraqis do not support an indefinite occupation -- and neither does America…Were the coalition to step back from the June 30th pledge, many Iraqis would question our intentions and feel their hopes betrayed. And those in Iraq who trade in hatred and conspiracy theories would find a larger audience and gain a stronger hand. We will not step back from our pledge. On June 30th, Iraqi sovereignty will be placed in Iraqi hands."

This is true. President Bush did set a deadline of June 30th. What factors were key in choosing that date, I have no way of knowing. However, it is clearly a date set into a concrete calendar and not a date tied to any pre-existing conditions on the ground. In other words, it has nothing to do with how secure and stable the environment is nor does it have anything to do with how advanced or firm the planning is for the transitional government. This concerns me.

"The nation of Iraq is moving toward self-rule, and Iraqis and Americans will see evidence in the months to come. On June 30th, when the flag of free Iraq is raised, Iraqi officials will assume full responsibility for the ministries of government. On that day, the transitional administrative law, including a bill of rights that is unprecedented in the Arab world, will take full effect. The United States, and all the nations of our coalition, will establish normal diplomatic relations with the Iraqi government. An American embassy will open, and an American ambassador will be posted."

In other words, there is not currently evidence of Iraq moving towards self-rule, but be prepared for some pomp and circumstance on June 30th. The clear implication is that Iraq is regaining its sovereignty on June 30th and we will become welcome guests of a legitimate and sovereign Iraqi government. The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) Hq will become the largest embassy in the history of the world. The Iraqi security forces (such that they are) will become junior members of our military Coalition and fall underneath the command of our top general. Perceptions of this are likely to be colored by the beholder's level of faith in the current administration. As a point of reference, I'd like to put forward a definition of sovereignty that I found on the web.

SOVEREIGNTY. The union and exercise of all human power possessed in a state; it is a combination of all power; it is the power to do everything in a state without accountability; to make laws, to execute and to apply them: to impose and collect taxes, and, levy, contributions; to make war or peace; to form treaties of alliance or of commerce with foreign nations, and the like.

This is not a definition that will apply to Iraq after June 30th. Do I expect that Iraq is, in fact, ready for this kind of sovereignty? Absolutely not. Based on what I saw in the streets of Baghdad and on what I saw and heard in the CPA Hq, the Coalition military Hq, and Iraqi ministries, I do not believe Iraq is even remotely close to being ready for this kind of sovereignty.

I've previously stated on this site that the June 30th transfer date is either a tremendous gamble or a tremendous farce. The gamble would be if the U.S. is actually handing sovereignty over to the Iraqi people. However, I think it is pretty clear that it is a show. I'm sure it will be very clear to the group of Iraqis that "accept" sovereignty from the Coalition, that they will not be free to make any decisions to which we are opposed.

Despite the fact that Iraq is clearly not ready to be a sovereign democratic nation on June 30th, I am not criticizing sticking to that date. The President is correct is saying that we cannot change the June 30th date now without significant negative backlash on the streets. The President has made our bed and now we have to sleep in it with the Iraqis for a long time to come. Get familiar with the odors…and just leave the billion dollar bills on the nightstand.

Re-cap

More on the press conference: this is the part I wanted to make sure I got down, word-for-word.

The violence we are seeing in Iraq is familiar. The terrorist who takes hostages, or plants a roadside bomb near Baghdad is serving the same ideology of murder that kills innocent people on trains in Madrid, and murders children on buses in Jerusalem, and blows up a nightclub in Bali, and cuts the throat of a young reporter for being a Jew.

We've seen the same ideology of murder in the killing of 241 Marines in Beirut, the first attack on the World Trade Center, in the destruction of two embassies in Africa, in the attack on the USS Cole, and in the merciless horror inflicted upon thousands of innocent men and women and children on September the 11th, 2001.

None of these acts is the work of a religion; all are the work of a fanatical, political ideology. The servants of this ideology seek tyranny in the Middle East and beyond. They seek to oppress and persecute women. They seek the death of Jews and Christians, and every Muslim who desires peace over theocratic terror.

This is what it’s all about. The rest of the dance with a hostile press was fun, but trivial. "Say you're sorry!" Whatever. Words are nice, but, to paraphase St. Paul, words without action are dead.

Words are definitely useful, but as with any other tool, the wielder must know when it's time to switch to an even more useful one, say, diplomacy by other means. Let the terrorists be 'sorry,' one way or the other.

I say end this avalanche of words (the 9/11 Commission and the rest of the useless carping), and let those who are willing to act continue to do so.

CORRECTION: The article cites the number of press conferences listed for the last five presidents up to this point in their presidencies (nearly four years in), not the total numbers for each.

Perspective

Da-yum.

(Thanks to the Commissar for the reminder)

Press Conference

Worst:

The president needs a new hair stylist. And some sleep. And what is up with that tie?

Best (that I remember):

“Freedom isn’t our gift to the world. It’s the Almighty’s gift to the world."

“We're doing the right thing . . . I don't make decisions based on polls.”

“Never allow our youngsters to die in vain.”

Funny:

The curled, sneering, sweating upper lip on the reporter who asked why President Bush and Vice President Cheney were appearing together before the 9/11 Commission.

George W. Bush is no glib-tongue communicator, no Condi Rice. He misspeaks and stumbles over words. However, as he mentioned, when he says something he means it. (It sounded like he might have had occasion to use that line more than once in the past twenty years or so.) To use an LOTR metaphor, who would you rather have in the breach? Samwise Gamgee or Grima Wormtongue?

*****

I just saw a news report with the statistic that this was only the president’s twelfth news conference. Contrast that with his father’s 75 (the most of the last five presidents, even Reagan and Clinton). I think that this is a mistake on his part. This format isn’t his strong suit, however I think that his unwillingness to talk directly to the press contributes to their antipathy towards him. It’s a mutual contempt society there. I’m not saying that contempt isn't justified (on his part), but throwing red meat to the vultures is part of the unwritten job description. And, during a time of war, it's essential to "buck up the troops," and not just the real ones.

All in all, however, this was a good, genuine give-and-take from the president, even in the face of a hostile question or two.

It Comes To This

This tears it. They're nuts.

Somebody's getting a Secret Service proctological exam.

(Thanks to LGF)

Senility

Somebody, clue this old man in…

Most of the reporting from Iraq is about death and destruction. We don't learn much about what our soldiers in Iraq are thinking or doing. There's no Ernie Pyle to tell us, and, if there were, the military would make it difficult or impossible for him to let us know.

Milblogs might send him into fits. But then he'd just deny reality, as he does here:

We speak of them as if they volunteered to risk their lives to save ours, but there isn't much voluntary about what most of them have done. A relatively small number are professional soldiers. During the last few years, when millions of jobs disappeared, many young people, desperate for some income, enlisted in the Army. About 40 percent of our soldiers in Iraq enlisted in the National Guard or the Army Reserve to pick up some extra money and never thought they'd be called on to fight. They want to come home.

Yeah. Right. We’re all too ignorant to know that a military’s purpose is to fight wars.

If someone loved you, Mr. Rooney, they’d stop you from drooling in public.

(Thanks to Lex Communis)

Effective Methods

Yeah, sure. (Hey, Bob Kerrey! Hostage taking is an example of a tactic.)

Americans
South Koreans (released)
Japanese
Chinese, Nepalese, Pakistanis and several others (including a Canadian “mistaken for an Israeli,” as if any Israeli didn’t have sense enough to stay away from Iraq)
And now, Russians

So the Iraqi opposition, insurgents, rebels, or whatever you want to call them, are trying to:

a) Start their own version of the UN.
b) Collect members of all the ethnicities in the world in preparation for a Noah-like flood.
c) Get cooking tips to start a Russian/Korea/Japanese/ American restaurant in the heart of Baghdad (mmmmm to all of that).
d) In light of their last “acquisition,” commit suicide.
e) All of the above along with more stupid "objectives"

Pick one.

(Thanks to Command Post)

Nominally Speaking

Dean linked to a post regarding name changing by women upon marriage. My own thoughts on the subject have a couple of unique twists to it.

Anyone who’s been reading for a few months might be familiar with the Name Follies:
being born with a Chinese-sounding last name without being born with a Chinese appearance.

As I’ve mentioned several times, my father is Kenyan and, having the kind of last name that I do, is an anomaly among black Americans, most of whom have European last names.

The thing that many Americans—black and white—tend to forget is why this is so.* Hint: it’s not from excessive intermarriage between the descendants of African and European immigrants.

Now I’m not one to wield American slavery as a weapon with which to bludgeon the descendents of slave-owners over the head, so don't get any underwear into wads that you may have to pick out of uncomfortable places. This isn’t about blame, but about facts. Fact: black Americans have inherited European surnames usually because of slavery. Fact: forbidding a group of humans the use of any totems of their culture, including the very names with which they were born, makes them better slaves. (Think about this the next time some polemicist begins to rant on the non-existence of legacies of American slavery or, conversely, some bogus legacy of same.) This is why one sees few, if any, West African traditions passed from the "old country," (also likely unknown) unlike, say, those Americans who are descended from Italian immigrants.

By no doing of my own, I was born without this legacy. As I got older and began to understand that I had something rare and what it meant, I began to cherish it.

That said, I did take the name of my ex-husband when got married. Why? Ironically, it was because of the uniqueness of my own last name in my own family: my parents divorced early and my father went back to his country. When my mother remarried, I was the only one in the family with my last name. In my new family, I didn’t want this for myself or for my prospective children. (This is an American cultural bias on my part, to be sure. See the above post, “Funny You Don’t Look Chinese” for information on how the Luo—my tribal brethren—name their children.)

However, as things happen, my ex and I never had any children and, after our divorce, I shed his name like a gangrenous arm and returned to the legal use of my maiden name.

Were I to marry again, would I change it? I’m not sure. When I returned to the use of my maiden name, it was like seeing an old friend that I hadn’t realized how much I cherished until it was gone. Additionally, it took the Air Force three years to figure out that I had gone back to my maiden name (and this was in the computer age). I’m not sure that I want all of that fit-pitching that I did to count for naught.

Likely, however, I’d go the hyphen or double name route. Though it’s unlikely that I’d have any children at this late stage in the game, a sense of family is more important to me than some point of pride; families have the same name. You can’t sleep with your lineage. Okay well you can, but I'm sure the phrase "cold comfort" is a familiar one.

*The adherents to the Nation of Islam did not forget this and this is what the X—as in Malcolm X--is all about, X signifying the unknown last name of the first African slave “imported” in a given black American’s lineage.

Crazy Man or Son of God?

“Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33)

Jesus said unto them, “If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from the God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.” (John 8:42)

Said by Jesus:

“And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you.” (John 16:23)

Foretelling of his execution and resurrection:

Then saith Jesus unto them, “All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.

“But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.” (Matthew 26: 31-32)

The chief priests and elders come to arrest Jesus. After Peter cuts off the ear of the servant of the high priest and Jesus heals the ear, he says to Peter:

“Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?” (Matthew 26:53)

Sounds like Jesus thought that he was Someone Extremely Important, more than just your average Old Testament prophet.

For a guy to believe such things about himself, he had to be either a raging delusional whack-job or who he claimed to be, no in-betweens. For the rest of us, it’s our job to look at the evidence and decide which is true.

(Thanks to Dr. Gene Scott)

Hot News Flash

All that declassification song-and-dance for this:

The following is a redacted text of the presidential daily briefing from August 6, 2001:

Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S.

Clandestine, foreign government, and media reports indicate Bin Ladin since 1997' has wanted to conduct terrorist attacks in the US. Bin Ladin implied in US television interviews in 1997 and 1998 that his followers would follow the example of World Trade Center bomber Ramzi Yousef and "bring the fighting to America."

After US missile strikes on his base in Afghanistan in 1998, Bin Ladin told followers he wanted to retaliate in Washington, according to a [deleted text] service. An Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ) operative told an [deleted text] service at the same time that Bin Ladin was planning to exploit the operative's access to the US to mount a terrorist strike.

The millennium plotting in Canada in 1999 may have been part of Bin Ladin's first serious attempt to implement a terrorist strike in the US. Convicted plotter Ahmed Ressam has told the FBI that he conceived the idea to attack Los Angeles International Airport himself, but that Bin Ladin lieutenant Abu Zubaydah encouraged him and helped facilitate the operation. Ressam also said that in 1998 Abu Zubaydah was planning his own US attack.

Ressam says Bin Ladin was aware of the Los Angeles operation.

Although Bin Ladin has not succeeded, his attacks against the US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 demonstrate that he prepares operations years in advance and is not deterred by setbacks. Bin Ladin associates surveilled our Embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam as early as 1993, and some members of the Nairobi cell planning the bombings were arrested and deported in 1997.

Al-Qa'ida members — including some who are US citizens — have resided in or traveled to the US for years, and the group apparently maintains a support structure that could aid attacks. Two al-Qa'ida members found guilty in the conspiracy to bomb our Embassies in East Africa were US citizens, and a senior EIJ member lived in California in the mid-1990s.

A clandestine source said in 1998 that a Bin Ladin cell in New York was recruiting Muslim-American youth for attacks.

We have not been able to corroborate some of the more sensational threat reporting, such as that from a [deleted text] service in 1998 saying that Bin Ladin wanted to hijack a US aircraft to gain the release of "Blind Shaykh" 'Umar' Abd aI-Rahman and other US-held extremists.

Nevertheless, FBI information since that time indicates patterns of suspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations for hijackings or other types of attacks, including recent surveillance of federal buildings in New York.

The FBI is conducting approximately 70 full field investigations throughout the US that it considers Bin Ladin-related. CIA and the FBI are investigating a call to our Embassy in the UAE in May saying that a group of Bin Ladin supporters was in the US planning attacks
with explosives.

Sheesh! Ya think?

And I suppose that the US was supposed to make a preemptive strike based on the above information.

So I guess the Bush Administration will get whacked for not making a preemptive strike (Afghanistan) while he's getting whacked for making one (Iraq). Except the latter really isn't a preemptive strike since the president said that the "threat was imminent." Except for the fact that the president actually said that "we cannot wait until the threat is imminent." Except for ....(keep peeling that onion).

Am I hammering my point home too hard?

(Thanks to California Yankee)

Preemption Is Wrong, Except When It's Not

My point, illustrated here.

AN ALTERNATIVE HISTORY: washington, april 9, 2004. A hush fell over the city as George W. Bush today became the first president of the United States ever to be removed from office by impeachment. Meeting late into the night, the Senate unanimously voted to convict Bush following a trial on his bill of impeachment from the House.

Moments after being sworn in as the 44th president, Dick Cheney said that disgraced former national security adviser Condoleezza Rice would be turned over to the Hague for trial in the International Court of Justice as a war criminal. Cheney said Washington would "firmly resist" international demands that Bush be extradited for prosecution as well.

On August 7, 2001, Bush had ordered the United States military to stage an all-out attack on alleged terrorist camps in Afghanistan. Thousands of U.S. special forces units parachuted into this neutral country, while air strikes targeted the Afghan government and its supporting military. Pentagon units seized abandoned Soviet air bases throughout Afghanistan, while establishing support bases in nearby nations such as Uzbekistan. Simultaneously, FBI agents throughout the United States staged raids in which dozens of men accused of terrorism were taken prisoner.

Reaction was swift and furious. Florida Senator Bob Graham said Bush had "brought shame to the United States with his paranoid delusions about so-called terror networks." British Prime Minister Tony Blair accused the United States of "an inexcusable act of conquest in plain violation of international law." White House chief counterterrorism advisor Richard Clarke immediately resigned in protest of "a disgusting exercise in over-kill."

There's more. Pay special attention to the last line.

An unbelievable scenario? I’d say that it’s just about as unbelievable as holding the 9/11 Commission hearings in the midst of a war and in the months before a presidential election.

For some on the Left, there is nothing that the Bush Administration could have done to satisfy them. Regardless of the subject, policy, undertaking, utterance, anything that comes from the present administration will be designated as wrong by some on the Left; and not just wrong, but Evil.

Accept it. I have.

(Thanks to John Hawkins)

Straight Out

La Shawn Barber, in her excellent post, running up to the Rice testimony before the 9/11 Commission, drops this little grenade in its midst: “Liberals should just be honest and admit their agenda is not about blacks or women or ‘the poor.’ It's about the propagation of an ungodly worldview by any means necessary.”

What she said.

A Desire for Wisdom and Truth (King Buzz)

Baldilocks guest blogger, King Buzz, here again.

These are difficult days for our troops in Iraq. I've only been gone from there for a month, but when I left, it was clear things would be taking a turn for the worse. While it may seem wrong to question what we're doing when our troops are dying their, we have to be informed and thoughtful citizens and follow that up with communication to our elected representatives.

My problems with the occupation strategy are difficult to articulate without having them sound like direct personal criticisms of specific administration officials. It isn't appropriate to go into that, but I'll be honest and say that I feel some anger and frustration in my heart. However, that is emotional and not constructive, especially in light of what is happening on the ground right now. We need to support our troops, but we also need to express to our political leaders the course of action we would like to see taken which is the best for those troops and for our country as a whole.

First of all, what options are actually available? Occupying a country and working towards a transition to a democratic government where there is no democratic tradition is extraordinarily complex. Basically, though, the courses of action can be boiled down to three options - 1) do more, 2) do the same, or 3) do less. I believe we have to do more - send more money, more troops, and take more time by clearly spelling out a more realistic transition period that is closer to five years instead of June.

Earlier, when I wrote about my opposition to the occupation strategy, I said that I was opposed to it based on the principle of judiciousness; that I did not feel that wisdom and truth were being employed. I won't speak to the potential motivations or rationales for that, because it is a subjective matter on which no one except those involved can speak with certainty. But, I don't believe that an accurate accounting of the current and future time and costs have been made clear to the American people.

Part of the reason for that is deficit spending and tax cuts. I believe it creates an illusion for the average person on the street that we're not pouring many billions upon billions of dollars into Iraq, which we are. I'm no economist, but I'm sure we cannot do this for long. The bill will come due.

When I left Iraq last month, the major rotation to replace troops who had been deployed for over a year was underway. As I attended planning meetings at CJTF-7 headquarters, it was clearly stated that a smaller and less capable force was replacing the main part of the experienced invasion force, even though the security situation was not improving. As I attended meetings with Coalition Provisional Authority personnel, they universally expressed frustration and uncertainty of how the turn-over could possibly be accomplished by 30 June. As I worked with senior Iraqi Ministry personnel in the appointed transition government, they were intending on jumping ship before the end of June. The current plan does not jive with the reality.

If we were to fail or quit what we've started in Iraq, the world will be a much more dangerous place than it was when Saddam ruled Iraq. Because we cannot fail, we must spend more money, more time and more blood. Those of you who scoff when someone mentions reinstituting the draft, reconsider your derision. The fact that those troops who've been in Iraq longer than a year are now being kept longer (again) and some units that have just returned are facing redeployment to Iraq again, you're likely to see some serious retention problems. Those of you are anticipating a repeat of tax refunds, forget it. Expect the opposite.

In fact, if you really want to see us succeed in Iraq, write your elected officials and ask for the draft to be brought back and your taxes to be raised in order to achieve victory in Iraq. Don't just "say" you support the troops, send them your money and be prepared to send them your kids.

Thoughts on Rice Testimony

Jamie Gorelick didn't come off well gesturing her hand while Dr. Rice was answering her question. Either you want a real answer to you question or you don't, Ms. Gorelick. I can guess the solution to that dilemma.

Why did the members of the commission badger a Bush advisor about responding to the attack on the USS Cole? That happened during the Clinton Administration.

If eighteen-year-old GIs, straight out of high school are expected to grasp the difference between tactics and strategy, surely Senator Bob Kerrey (an ex-GI himself) doesn’t require a seminar to understand the difference. Or does he?

“Answer the question!” “Senator, there is—“ “We don’t have time for one of your long answers, Doctor Clarke.” "Ewwww!" Okay she didn't say the last part.

Did Dr. Rice slip the silk-handled stiletto sweetly into Bob Kerrey’s chest regarding his own words on Iraq or what? It was the only time I laughed out loud.

Senator Thompson wondered whether the administration was short-changing attention to dangers other than Al Qaeda; Iranian nuclear ambitions, for example. Dr. Rice gave him a negative in her poised, even manner that’s typical for her.

My answer would have been: “Well if I didn’t have to waste my time talking to you clowns, I could be doing my job right now.” That’s why I’d never make in politics.

Dr. Rice, I salute you, Madam.

The Rice Commission

Brava. She owned 'em. More later. My gym time was delayed.

Eye Opener

Dr. Condoleezza Rice will have her public say regarding 9/11 tomorrow at 6AM PST. Don’t miss it.

APB on a Hero

Reader Michelle W. asks:

Do you have any recent information on LTC Allen B. West?

I Googled the presumably retired Lieutenant Colonel West and came up with nothing more recent than December of last year. Does anyone know how the good colonel is doing? Blackfive? Spoons?

No doubt, LTC West is the type that doesn't see himself as a hero, but he fits the bill.

UPDATE: Marty provides this interview with LTC West from February of this year. LTC West: "I am not a victim." :-)

Flying High Here

Venomous Kate asks us to fly the flag for an Air Force Base in Iraq. It seems that they’ve been ordered to take down their flag to keep from “offending the Iraqis.” I’m more than happy to oblige.