baldilocks

Our Canadian Friends

On CSPAN today, a segment of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s (CBC) The National was shown. (Paul tells me that this is the CBC’s nightly news show.) Its subject was to contrast Canadian and American society and attitudes—broadcasted in honor of President Bush’s state visit, obviously.

At the outset, the narrator says this about the visit: “American President George W. Bush finally, finally [bold mine] visits Canada,” conveniently leaving out the fact that President Bush had visited Canada twice to attend summits and had planned a state visit early in 2003. The proposed visit was abruptly cancelled after a spokeswoman for then Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien referred to the president as a moron and the PM refused to accept her resignation.

(The present-day Canadian PM, Paul Martin, however, apparently knows what side his bread is buttered on. Or maybe he just understands common courtesy better than some other members of the Canadian government. When Canadian Parliamentarian Carolyn Parrish made her ridiculous anti-Bush statement—stepping on a Bush doll for publicity (and protest) purposes--Prime Minister Martin had her ejected from their Liberal Party Caucus.)

Further on into the program, the narrator uses the unintentionally funny metaphor of Canada’s National Circus School (“It’s simply called ‘Cirque,’ the French word,” said the narrator proudly), to represent the beauty of being Canadian: pliant, flexible and--ta-da!--international. (Several nations have representatives among the student body. This fact is presented as if a given student body at any American university is composed solely of WASPy Americans.) Viva la Diversidad!

Canadians are more “citizens of the world,” asserted the narrator; they are cosmopolitans, who thrive in the big cities where diversity rules. Americans abandon their cities and even their suburbs when “people they don’t like” move there. Canadians trust their government and give it a great deal of power over their lives. Americans are suspicious of too much government and keep it weak.

The results of two polls were given. The first: do you believe that the father is the “master” [quotes mine] of the household? 50% of Americans polled said ‘yes,’ while only 20% of Canadians did so. The second: do you attend religious services at least once a week? The results were roughly identical.

In short, the narrator happily concludes that Canadians are more like Europeans than their American neighbors.

Well. If the majority of Canadian attitudes are accurately portrayed by this segment, then I agree. And it's--to borrow a phrase--a *good* thing.

I found myself cracking up during the intro as the narrator expounded in solemn tones on this seemingly serious subject as the camera repeatedly zoomed in on the crotches of the open-legged circus students. A metaphor for how different many Canadians are from many Americans? You’d better believe it. Americans aren’t willing to twist themselves into unnatural positions to please the likes of French President Jacques Chirac, nor are we going to “lie back, spread ‘em and ‘enjoy’ it” by letting those who want to terrorize this country into submission do so.

My Canadian friends, if this is the type of propaganda you get day in and day out, you need FoxNews badly. That’s not to say that they don’t dish out their own brand of propaganda on occasion, however, a little alternate viewpoint never hurt anyone.

Additionally, the gnashing of Canadian teeth--at least the leftist ones--should be entertaining. (Fox invades Canada at first of the upcoming year).

UPDATE: Paul corrects the facts regarding the Parrish incident. Parrish wasn't ejected from the Liberal Caucus for her little stunt. She was booted for criticizing PM Martin.

He Shoots, He Scores

It appears that a man surnamed Jordan has always been a team-player. So has his “little” brother, Michael.

Command Sgt. Maj. James R. Jordan asked to stay in the Army for a year beyond his mandatory retirement date so he could complete a deployment to Iraq with the 35th Signal Brigade. [SNIP]

Like his younger brother, retired basketball star Michael Jordan, James Jordan loves his job, believes in helping his team, expects maximum effort from those around him, and will leave on his own terms.

The sergeant major stands 5-foot-7. His brother is about 6-foot-6. At Fort Bragg, the older brother has kept a low profile and avoided calling attention to his family connection.

Command Sgt. Maj. Jordan and about 500 soldiers of the brigade are scheduled to depart today for a year in Iraq.

God go with you, CSM Jordan.

(Thanks to Many, Many People)

Snarkage

Here’s a hint, Bill Maher: never “date” anyone who calls herself “Coco.”

(Thanks to Tim Blair)

AFTERTHOUGHT: In the Smoking Gun missive, Mr. Maher is referred to as a "confirmed bachelor." Doesn't that phrase indicate that a given man bats for the other team? Unless there's something about "Coco"...

(Okay, I'm feeling mean today.)

Brotherhood Blogging

Is Alberto Gonzales--mentioned in the last post as President Bush’s pick for Attorney General—a La Raza member? La Shawn provides some answers and commentary.

Cobb presents the Thanksgiving Cuteness Factor and then gets even more serious about images.

Michael K. reports that the NAACP came out to slam radio host John Sylvester and his characterization of Dr. Condoleezza Rice as an “Aunt Jemima.” There’s an appropriate graphic to go along with the post. (Good going, Mr. Mfume.)

Yes, Virginia. There are fine, upstanding men who happen to play in the NBA.

Samantha tells of a riot. Where? In Ephesus.

Molotov (Shay Riley) has many fascinating posts on Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the Somali-born Dutch parliamentarian, who, as an ex-Muslim, fears suffering the same fate as murdered Dutch filmmaker, Theo Van Gogh. Here’s Molotov’s latest on Ms. Ali.

Avery notes that it’s easy to throw historical stones at those who actually had to deal with Jim Crow.

I love fish too, PETA. Especially baked with lemon on top.

And just when some nice was said here about the NAACP, Scott reports on two of the organization’s more characteristic actions.

"Why Didn't We Think of This?"

President Bush has picked Kellogg CEO Carlos Gutierrez as John Evans’ replacement for Secretary of commerce.

Mr. Gutierrez is an American of Cuban descent, but spent much of his young adulthood in Mexico. He started out as a truck-driver in Mexico City’s Kellogg subsidiary.

Gutierrez, Kellogg's CEO since April 1999, is credited with shaping a major corporate and marketing overhaul at Kellogg, narrowing the company's primary focus to cereal and wholesome snacks and reducing the company's debt. Under Gutierrez, Kellogg's net sales rose from $6.2 billion in 1999 to $8.8 billion last year, a 43 percent increase. Earnings per share increased 131 percent, from 83 cents to $1.92, and cash flow went up 82 percent, from $529 million to $961 million.

Quite impressive.

It was rather humorous to hear Democrat pundit Bob Bechel dismiss Mr. Gutierrez as a “cereal salesman” on FoxNews this morning. Ah, yes. Between the nod to Mr. Gutierrez and that to Alberto Gonzales as the president’s choice for Attorney General, one wonders how long it will be before the cries of “Uncle Tomás” will be heard throughout the land. (A week or so ago, the Onion had this Onion-like headline: “Ashcroft Loses Job to a Mexican.” LOL!)

Spirit of America: Giving

John of Arrgghhh!!! again rallies his troops—The Fighting Fusileers--for Spirit of America’s Friends of Iraq Blogger Challenge. I raise my hand.

(Click the picture to donate.)

Here's one of the projects that your donations will help spur to success.

Iraq's Universities are in desperate need. During the third stage of looting after the fall of the regime, they were stripped of texts, lab equipment, language materials, audio visual equipment, and just about every other educational tool.

What does your donation buy?
Donations to this project will be used for purchasing texts and equipment, as well as staffing the project with people that will help to gather, warehouse, and distribute materials for what will be a very large undertaking to ensure the success of this project and of Iraq's future educated classes.

Beautiful Day

Don’t you know tomorrow’s sun could be shining on your grave?
--D’Angelo, Great Day in the Morning

Thanksgiving Day generally ranks right there at the top of American holidays, if only for the good food and the four-day weekend. I had once said that the only two holidays that I liked were Independence Day and Easter, but Thanksgiving Day must be added to that list. The first two are days of gratitude: for living in this great country and for the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but the latter represent gratitude for everything. A good family, many good friends, good mental/physical health, etc. are blessings from God.

And, of course, there is the gratitude for those who voluntarily put their lives on the line in the hope of preserving all of these blessings, save one. You know who they are.

With that, I point to this article in American Thinker, penned by a USAFR tanker pilot.

Please hug and embrace your loved ones a little closer and know that there are men out there that are defending you and trying to make this a better world. Please pray for their families and when you hear the latest statistic's and numbers of our soldiers killed in combat, please remember this story. It is the only way that I know to more personalize these figures and have them truly mean something to us all.

Breath, walk, eat, drink, smile, laugh and joke today. It's the prerogative of free men and women to do these things and more. But when you thank God for your food today, don't forget to thank Him for all of those countless things that He provides without you noticing.

For All Have Sinned

It’s interesting that the man who is alleged to have thrown the cup of liquid into Ron Artest’s face, reigniting the Auburn Hills dust-up, probably has a longer rap sheet than Ron Artest, Jermaine O’Neal and Stephen Jackson combined.

Green has several criminal convictions, including felony assault with intent to do great bodily harm. Green was not supposed to drink alcohol as a condition of his probation, [Oakland County Prosecutor David] Gorcyca said. He has three drunken-driving convictions, Gorcyca said.

Of course, this does not excuse the subsequent actions of the three NBA players and they have gotten and will get what they deserve. However, Mr. Green’s record does give some context to the episode: a man with demonstrable self-control issues provokes other men with same.

It also casts an ironic light on the commenters in the appropriate Daily Recycler video post, in which one "towering intellect" (among dozens of others) points to the NBA players’ actions as “typical n*gger behavior” (Mr. Green is white.)

Rather Anticlimactic

Dan Rather is leaving CBS in March. ::yawn:: It’s not exactly an admission of guilt. Wasn’t that the plan even before Memo-gate?

More Than A Notion (Updated)

Many black people (and not a few white liberals) have, unwittingly, been indoctrinated by those who are the real enemies of upwardly mobile black people.  Note this anecdote reported by James Taranto:

We were en route to Shea Stadium along with fellow conservative commentator Joel Mowbray, and our driver was a youngish Haitian woman who had her radio tuned to Air America. Mowbray started a political discussion with her, and she told him that she doesn't like Republicans because "they hate black people."

"Does President Bush hate Condi Rice and Colin Powell?" Mowbray asked, to which she replied that Rice and Powell aren't "really black" because they "don't think like black people."

The idea that black people are supposed to think in a certain way is, of course, a racist assumption in itself. But what's most interesting about this exchange is that our driver had in effect redefined race so that it has nothing to do with race.

Oh, how many times have I been involved in similar conversations before, with me as the target!  Usually, if this “accusation” is hurled at me by another black person, I’m not above playing dirty, whipping out the “African card.”  Turnabout is fair play.

And, yes it is a dirty accusation.  Don’t think so?  Well, for demonstration purposes, try taking this little quiz:  of the following two groups of people, which collectively displays the most demonstrably “black thought processes?”  Individually, which ones are most likely to be thought of as “not really black?”

Group One

• Mike Tyson
• Colin Ferguson
• Li'l Kim
• Robert Mugabe
• Mel Reynolds
• R. Kelly
• Eminem (just kidding)

 

Group Two

• David Robinson
• Manute Bol*
• Walter Williams
• Bill Cosby
• Oprah Winfrey
• Peter Kirsanow
• Larry Elder

No need to post your results.  Simply consider why those blacks who have been accused of bad behavior or demonstrate questionable character do not have their “blackness” questioned, but those who are conservative and/or preach the virtues of hard work do.

*Mr.  Bol, who is of the beleaguered Dinka tribe of Sudan, has had a run of very bad luck.  Read this article.

(Thanks to Booker Rising)

UPDATE: Moxie gets the point.

UPDATE:  Here's a little "black thought process" that would have liberals of any stripe quaking in their boots. Heh.

Real Danger

Right now, I’m listening to Hugh Hewitt read this article aloud on KRLA. Somehow, the brawling basketball players and fans seem so….small.

Most Wonderful Time of The Year

It's that time again. Wizbang is hosting the 2004 Weblog Awards. Vote your conscience!

There are thirty-three(!) categories.

The Brawl That Never Was

Back in the day, when OJ was still admired, when network anchors were trusted father figures and when yours truly was still a size six, the best televised NBA 'fight' occurred, IMO.

It involved the Showtime-Era Lakers (of course), specifically Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, along with some nameless player from an Eastern Conference team.

Kareem had a reputation for taking no crap from anyone. After being man-handled and derided for being soft in the early part of his career—for a man over seven feet, he was relatively slender and for a professional athlete, relatively taciturn—he began to take up martial arts and build up his naturally slender body.

Normally rather cool-headed, he would occasionally lose his temper, often with ample justification. (I recall seeing a photo of his arms after one particular game: both arms were covered with bloody scratches.) After the infamous Kent Benson incident—in which Kareem sucker-punched Benson after being doubled-over by a Benson elbow to the midsection—the attempted intimidation of “the Big Fella” ceased.

Magic, on the other hand, had a reputation of being more of a lover than a fighter (in his case, most unfortunately). Though I fuzzily recall Magic being involved in at least one brawl, for the most part, he would back down, even if severely provoked.

On the day I was watching, some young player, smaller than the 6’9” Magic, pushed the latter in the chest: ample provocation for a serious smack-down. But Magic declined the invite. He held up his hands in the surrender mode and could be heard speaking to the other player: “Man, what’s wrong with you? I’m not here to fight.” So what does the guy do? He pushes Magic again!

But before Magic could respond, a purple, gold and brown blur sped into the picture and the incident was over.

In the replay, the camera is pulled back to catch the entire incident. Kareem was standing about twenty feet behind Magic observing the developing situation. Somewhere in the midst of the second push, Kareem took about two steps to end up beside Magic. He shoved Magic behind him as if Magic had weighed one hundred pounds. Then he bent down and put his nose about a fraction of an inch away from that of the other player.

This time it was the other player who held his hands up in surrender, while taking a couple of steps backward just to avoid misunderstanding.

No fans were harmed in the outcome of that incident. :-)

Sometimes Things Do Go Right

Usually, organizations--governmental and otherwise--only receive publicity when they screw up. With that in mind, I like to give the city of Inglewood a pat on the back for a job well done.

With the flu vaccine shortage, it’s been tough going to find one, as everyone knows. As more and shots are being released, there have been doses given out to those over 65 and those with weakened immune systems.

Several weeks back, I took my great-aunt (83) to a LA county library location, where 100 doses of the vaccine were being offered to the afore-mentioned groups. We got there a half an hour before the start time and, already, there were more than 100 people in line. I had never seen so many wheelchairs, walkers and canes in one place in my life. And all who were not in wheelchairs were forced to stand outside in the hot sun.

Determining that she would be unlikely to get a shot that day, my aunt told me to forget about it. Later on, we heard on the local news that many of those same seniors and sick people had passed out in the heat.

A week later, KCAL9 News reported that more shots would be offered on November 13th and 20th at designated locations in the Southern California area. After searching the KCAL website, we picked one in Inglewood and drove to the site yesterday morning--the Curtis Tucker Health Care Center--arriving some two hours before the start time, just to be on the safe side.

What a difference a little forethought makes! Signs directing motorists to the proper place were posted blocks away. The very-courteous and competent personnel were present at that early hour and were able to direct the patients to the waiting area. Instead of forcing frail seniors and sick people to stand around, the administration of the center set up roughly 150 chairs--protected from the elements by canvas tarps--outside the entrance. Each patient was given a number and, when the number of patients equaled the number of doses, subsequent patients were turned away, so that they wouldn’t wait around for nothing. (My aunt received her shot and was duly impressed also.)

Knowing a little bit about having to immunize large amounts of people under government auspices, I was very impressed by these good people. My clinic was never run as smoothly as that one (and, yes, I was the boss). Congratulations, Inglewood!

Fight Night (Updated)

Well. I just saw something that I never thought I’d see in American professional sports: an all-out brawl between the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons, the Indiana Pacers and the fans in the Auburn Hills Arena (Detroit 45 miles north of Detroit; thanks, Solomon).

Beer, punches, bodies and epithets were flying all over the place. Blame the Pistons’ Ben Wallace for the first shot, but blame all of the others for their equal or worse lack of self-control.

Los Angeles KCAL9’s Pat Harvey suggested that both teams—all of whom violated the NBA’s up-off-the-bench rule—be suspended for the year.

I agree. Punish the guilty: both the players and the fans.

Don’t let our sports icons and fans become like those of the Europeans.

AFTERTHOUGHT: In addition to the season-long team suspension, fine all the players that were off the bench for $200,000, whether they make 600K or 16 million a year; and ban all the involved fans from any NBA games for two years. Prosecute the guilty, both player and fan alike.

Yes, all these clowns ticked me straight off. Grow up, "gentlemen."

UPDATE: The full report, so far. I would have linked to the Daily Recycler for the video, but the Ku Klux Klan seems to have invaded the comments section for the post. Somebody call Orkin.

This incident is what I get for ripping on Spanish soccer fans the other day. ;-)

(Thanks to Roger L. Simon)

UPDATE: Four players are suspended for the foreseeable future.

NEW YORK - Indiana's Ron Artest, Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson, and Detroit's Ben Wallace were suspended indefinitely by the NBA on Saturday for taking part in one of the ugliest brawls in U.S. sports history, a fight with fans that commissioner David Stern called "shocking, repulsive and inexcusable."

Good, but there must be someway in which Detroit fans can also feel the pain.

Reading the article further, Artest sounds like a candidate for a lifetime NBA ban.

UPDATE: The verdict: Artest suspended for 30 games, O'Neal and Jackson for 20 and Wallace for 5. The first three got off light, but Wallace's suspension was heavier than he deserved, in my opinion. After all, the sort of thing he did happens all the time in the NBA with the offending player usually being ejected from the game or being suspended for one game at most, along with being fined. True, his action was (arguably) the catalyst for the brawl. But how was he to know that the Piston fans and the three Pacers were going to lose their collective minds?

CORRECTION: Artest: rest of the season; Jackson: 30 games; O'Neal: 25; Wallace: 6.

Additional suspensions:

...Pacers guard Anthony Johnson got five games...[SNIP]

Four players were suspended for a game apiece: Indiana's Reggie Miller, and Detroit's Chauncey Billups, Elden Campbell and Derrick Coleman.

Saving Private Ryan

First of all, I suggest that, if you haven’t watched the movie in a while, watch it again. Even after a dozen viewings, it’s rough going, and that’s not even a reference to the first bloody D-Day sequences.

In the comments to the 3-D Warriors post, reader CitadelGrad disputes my recollection of the plot. Little did I know that this dispute has been a long-running one among fans of the movie.

Laβ es uns beendigt.*

Es ist einfach für dich. Viel einfach.

Sorry, Marine, but I think that “Steamboat Willie” (Jörg Stadler) and the German who shoots Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) are the same person. The German, however, who kills Private Mellish (Adam Goldberg) is a different person. Recall that Corporal Upham (the translator; Jeremy Davies) could have saved Private Mellish. The latter even calls out to Upham several times, during Mellish’s battle with the German. Upham, however, cowers just around the corner on the stairs. After the German takes Mellish out with a knife to the heart, he saunters down the stairs past the still-cowering Upham, deeming—correctly—that Upham is no threat to him.

Just as the German reaches the bottom of the stairs, there is a full-on close-up of him as he looks around to see if the coast is clear. Different actor (probably Erich Redman, billed as German #1); smaller nose, no dimples, unlike Mr. Stadler.

Near the end of the movie, five Germans are the on the attack as Upham observes them--hidden, but close. His recognition of “Steamboat Willie” is obvious and, as it turns out, it is Willie who takes out Captain Miller. Upham sense of outrage overcomes his fear and he confronts the entire squad, forcing them to cease-fire and surrender.

Ich kenne den Soldaten.

Ich kenne den Mann.

Upham!

Upham takes Willie out with one bullet, then allows the others to escape.

Haut ab!

VERSCHWINDET!!

Even if the man Upham shot had not been Willie, but had been Mellish’s killer, the assertion still stands, however, that Upham committed a war crime: one cheered by movie-goers nearly the world over. And why? Because no real blood was shed. It was all make-believe.

(Cast information courtesy of the ever-handy Internet Movie Database)

ADDENDUM: I would like to thank CitadelGrad, however, for forcing me to watch the movie again. The difference of opinion was minor. It needs to be seen again and held up against the context of real-world events. Additionally, and again, very minor, I enjoy doing movie reviews.

*Not sure which verb was used: beenden or beendigen. Blame it on my deteriorating German. (Native Germans can feel free to give corrections.)

Cowards' Mindset

Oh those Spaniards, the very flower of enlightened Europe!

LONDON, Nov 18 (Reuters) - British ministers have condemned the 'disgraceful' racial abuse of England's black players during Wednesday's friendly international against Spain in Madrid and demanded that soccer authorities take action.

Monkey noises were heard when Ashley Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips touched the ball during England's 1-0 defeat and chants of 'If you are not f**king black, jump up and down' rang out from the 55,000 crowd at Real Madrid's Bernabeu stadium.

How much more cultured they are than us poor, provincial racist Americans! (Could you imagine such a chant being raised in, say, the Georgia Dome?)

I’m fairly certain, however, that a player of Arab descent would never be treated in this manner. Not since March 11, 2004, at any rate.

Of course I’m not suggesting that the black British soccer players should blow the Spaniards up. I do, however, find it interesting that the Spaniards felt so secure in the knowledge that such men would not resort to such drastic methods of revenge.

Secure enough to come up with a number of creative ways to call the players nigg*rs to their face.

So we see now how it works, Spain. Racially harass talented men who may be better than your own soccer players. You know they won't hurt you (well, probably not). But roll over and play nice for other men who murder hundreds and maim thousands of your citizens. Got it.

I would assume that there will be no "raghead" chants in Madrid when, say, Jordan's team comes to play ball.

(Thanks to Deacon at Powerline, who links to more articles on the subject)

3-D Warriors (Updated)

Random thought about the Marine-shooting-the-terrorist controversy: Does anyone remember one of the subplots of the WWII movie Saving Private Ryan?

I do. If you recall, the task force sent to find Private Ryan captures a surrendering German soldier. Most of the group want to shoot him, but the translator says “no” and begs Captain Miller to let the German go, which he does. Later on, the same German soldier ends up rejoining the Wehrmacht and killing Captain Miller. (The translator kills the German this time, though he is, again, surrendering.)

Was this a depiction of a war crime? Probably. However, I remember everyone in the theater shouting, “Hell, yeah!” or thereabouts.

What’s changed? Here's what: it’s okay for folks to live vicariously through celluloid warriors, but when real ones make tough decisions—not totally out of revenge, as in the movie, but for practical and situational purposes—it’s a little too tough for the squeamish to take. By the way, if you *are* squeamish, you might not want to know what the real-life military man went through to get him to the point in which he found himself on that fateful day in the Fallujah “mosque.”

Note to MSM: the marine did not shoot a prisoner!

UPDATE: Holy Moly! A Corner- and an Instalanche! Welcome, but know that there is some dispute as to how the pertinent scenes in Saving Private Ryan occurred. After some personal fact-checking, there will be an update to the original post, one way or the other.

Additionally, according to some interpretations of the Geneva Convention, the "insurgents" in the room *were* prisoners because they were presumably unarmed. I think, however, that an injured enemy who has shown a willingness to blow himself up and take his foes with him does not fall into the unarmed category. This, of course, is where the real and the practical overrule the technical.

Paper Tigers (Mostly)

Nairobi, Kenya, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- U.N. Security Council members have arrived in Nairobi for a two-day meeting devoted to the conflicts engulfing Sudan, including the western Darfur region.[SNIP]

Council members voiced their concern over findings of the secretary-general's latest report on the situation in Africa's largest country, as well as the deteriorating security and humanitarian situations.

They have reiterated support for the Africa Union in the Darfur crisis and the union's decision to enlarge its mission in the region, urging all parties in the conflict to cooperate with the AU to ensue a secure and stable environment.

Yes, let’s stop the slaughter of people with more words of concern. That will make the murderers tremble in their boots; just like all the other times.

Surely, the “Security” Council will make a side trip to Mombasa for some fun at the beach. Just so the trip isn't wasted.

Moving On

Crooked diplomats.

Interesting architecture.

Poopy meetings.

Whiny ignoramuses.

Fishy theories.

And the French president.

And I thought that, after the election, there’d be a dearth of interesting news. Seems like an overload.

(Thanks to too many websites to name)

Soldiers (and Marines, etc.) Make Friends

My government mole, Ron, sends me evidence of another well-progressing battle in Iraq (third-hand via a soldier): the battle for hearts and minds.

Back Field in Motion (Updated)

Yes, like every other group, black women aren’t monolithic cookie cutter copies of each other. And just to illustrate that axiom--at a time when the first black American woman ever is nominated to be Secretary of State--another black woman makes history.

Anchor/reporter Sharon Reed appeared seminude and nude although the camera caught her from afar and from the rear in a heavily promoted story on WOIO Channel 19's 11 p.m. newscast Monday. Reed participated in Spencer Tunick's nude photo installation in downtown Cleveland in June, and narrated a first-person story. [SNIP]

Glimpses of Reed taking off her bra drew in the highest audience for the 11 p.m. newscast in the station's history. November is one of the "sweeps" months when audiences are measured to set advertising rates.

Ms. Reed and her news director, Steve Doerr, were just interviewed by FoxNews’ David Asman. The lady in question seemed to have a chip on her shoulder however, at Mr. Asman’s incredulity at the stunt and his understandable question: why? As the interview progressed, Ms. Reed’s voice rose and her hostility to the interviewer became more and more visible, finally culminating in this outburst: “I’ve had it up to here with the news media elites telling me what I can and cannot do!” Yes, the side-to-side neck action was seen; both the words and the "talk to the hand" public persona were revealing, if you'll pardon the pun.

Welcome to adulthood, Ms. Reed. Don’t get mad at Mr. Asman because he can’t understand why you got used. Look in the mirror for the culprit.

Oh and guys? You're going to have find those pictures of the lovely Ms. Reed on your own. ;-)

UPDATE: More from Black Informant, Expertise and Booker Rising; the latter two contain a photo of Ms. Reed.

UPDATE: Those of you Googling for those pictures can go to the shameless Wizbang.

My traffic is waning. Hmmm. Maybe I oughta pose... (Just kidding, Mom!)

Well Said

Age and human folly, compounded by ignorance and arrogance, are a fatal combination.

--Paul Johnson in the Introduction to Art: A New History (I’m expanding my reading horizons.)

Also giving practical words of wisdom--in this case to the distaff contingent--is Right Thinking Girl. A sample:

9. Take a yoga class on the off chance that concentrating on your breathing really will bring you inner peace.

10. Inner peace is over-rated. Look for whatever makes you happy, even if it makes you crazy.
…

13. Know when to listen and when not to listen.

…

18. If you absolutely must write a love letter, write it then put it away for three days. Go back to it. If anything seems embarrassing or off to you, throw it away. Only the most certain among us should actually send a love letter. It's much easier to call; there's no paper trail and they can't prove anything.

...

23. Never take naps for granted.

...

35. Never attribute to the mundane what can be attributed to the divine.

You know what to do.

Message in Fallujah

From Doc Russia:

(Thanks to reader Stinkerr)

Mission Not Accomplished

Theirs, that is.

Iraq’s most feared terror leader told insurgents in an audiotape found Monday on an Islamic Web site that the Americans will move on other guerrilla strongholds after Fallujah and urged the guerrillas to strike first.

The speaker, identified as Abu Musab al-Zarqawi — the man whose followers are blamed for deadly bombings and the beheadings of foreign hostages — said [blah, blah, blah, yadda, yadda, yadda]

Feared by whom? A coward who can't stand and face the "martyr's death" at the hands of the "infidel Americans," but lets his more stupid followers do it? A coward who murders unarmed foreigners and his more reasonable kinsmen to boot? Whatever.

(Thanks to Jeff Quinton)

Iron Lady Moves Up

Whiplash!

Secretary of State Colin Powell, Secretary of Education Rod Paige, Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman, and Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham are out, and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice moves into General Powell’s place!

Of course, it isn’t news that the general likely wouldn’t hang around for the president’s second term, but still, things are moving fast in the new administration.

SOS Condi; I like it. And I bet that the Europeans (excluding the British) will just hate having to deal with yet another tough woman (I’m thinking of Margaret Thatcher). Hating the situation even more will be the Arab states, who deem the place of both women and blacks to be dead, if in the way, or under the Arab male boot, if not. (Carry a sidearm, Doc.)

Those of us who pay attention to such things know that this type of personnel change is nothing new for a presidential second term (see Clinton, Reagan and especially Nixon). However, with the stakes so high, it will make for interesting professional and non-professional commentary to see the effect that these changes have on the stated Bush Administration goals, not to mention the presidential election of 2008.

Someone on another blog suggested that Bill Cosby (PhD. Ed.) be asked to take the Secretary of Education spot. Would that be a hoot?

Welcome to America

It appears that Cuba isn’t the island paradise that certain American entertainers would have us believe.

Members of the Cuban dance company Havana Night Club, stand together after a rehearsal in Havana,July 13, 2004. Forty-four dancers, singers and musicians of the company performing in Las Vegas, will seek asylum in the United States in one of the largest mass defections by Cuban artists. According to the company's founder and creator Nicole Durr, who was expelled from Cuba in August, the company members were told they would have no future as performers when they returned to Cuba, which has led them to defect. Cuba's government reluctantly gave the company permits to travel to the U.S. in August to perform at Las Vegas' legendary Stardust Casino after the troupe defied its instructions not to apply for U.S. visas.

Perhaps Fidel Castro would settle for a trade. Any suggestions?

UPDATE: More from Val.

In the News

The Daily Mirror’s Sunday version (you remember that fine, upstanding publication, right?) reports that one of those heartless, war-crime prone US Marines has shot a “noncombatant.” Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t it a mere ten days ago when the Daily Mirror featured a headline which denigrated the intelligence of some (updated) 60 million Americans for *not* voting for a man who is an admitted war criminal?

Conversely, is there anything on the Mirror site about this Blackwater redux? Couldn’t find a word.

FALLUJAH, Iraq (AFP) - The body of a blonde-haired woman with her legs and arms cut off and throat slit was found lying on the street in Fallujah, a notorious enclave for hostage-takers, marines said.

"It is definitely a Caucasian woman with long blonde hair," said a military official, who cut open a cover that had been over the corpse.

The gruesome discovery was made as the marines moved through the south of Fallujah, hunting out the remaining die-hard rebels after a week of fierce fighting to regain control of the city.

"It is a female... missing all four appendages, with a slashed throat and disembowled, she has been dead for a while but only in this location for a day or two," said Benjamin Finnell, a hospital apprentice with the Navy Corps, who had inspected the body.

An AFP photographer embedded with the marines said the woman was wearing a blue dress and her face was completely disfigured. [SNIP]

Sweeps of rubble-strewn neighbourhoods in Fallujah have already uncovered a grisly underworld of hostage slaughterhouses, prisons and torture chambers as well as the corpses of Iraqis who had been executed, marines say.[SNIP]

Two foreign women have been abducted in Iraq (news - web sites) and remain missing.
One, Teresa Borcz, 54, a Pole, has blonde hair, the other, British aid worker Margaret Hassan, 59, has chestnut-coloured hair.

Borcz, married to an Iraqi and a resident in Iraq for 30 years, was abducted late last month. She has appeared in two video cassettes appealing to the Polish government to help her but her fate is unknown.
Hassan, the Iraqi head of relief agency CARE International, was kidnapped on her way to work in Baghdad on October 19 and has appeared in three videos.

She also holds Iraqi citizenship after marrying an Iraq and is a long-term resident of the country.

Nothing so dangerous to jihadis as a couple of middle-aged women.

Pray for the souls of these women and all other hostages. Also pray for the souls of the Marines that have to look on such horrific sights, not to mention the sights of their comrades killed in action.

Consider how we Americans would be reacting now, however, were headless bodies showing up all over this country in 2004.

Whenever such atrocities are reported, one is forced to conclude that Islamists would have begun to perpetrate this type of jihad here in the states, had we not acted forcefully in the wake of 9/11 and gone on to take out one of the most well-financed supporters of terrorism—via the UN’s Oil for “Food” program--Saddam Hussein. Heck, from 1979 to 2001, Islamists continued to up the ante in the scope of its attacks on the “Great Satan,” with a few dips in intensity every now and then for diversity's sake. Funny how the attacks of terrorists on Americans now seem, well, concentrated. Could that have--wait for it--been the plan all along?

*****

Meanwhile the purposeful, systematic slaughter--if you can call it that--of thousands of men, women and children continues in Sudan. However, an unlikely coalition pushes for financial divestment of retirement funds from the country. Heartening to behold.

WASHINGTON - Black activists and religious groups are pressing public pension funds to divest a purported $91 billion in holdings of companies operating in oil-rich Sudan.[SNIP]

Activists, including members of the Congressional Black Caucus, are making the case that public pension funds should sell investments in companies that do business in nations charged with sponsoring terrorism.
"This issue has captured the moral center of the vast majority of the people in this country," the Rev. Walter Fauntroy said. The former congressional delegate for the District of Columbia was a leader of the successful South Africa divestment campaign in the 1980s. [SNIP]

The campaign also includes the American Jewish Committee, Christian Solidarity International, the Salvation Army and other groups.

No American companies hold investments in Sudan. Some corporations from other countries do, however. Guess which ones. Okay, I’ll tell you.

The group's leaders cited the German equipment maker Siemens, the French oil giant Total, the Swiss-based engineering firm Asea Brown Boveri, Talisman Oil of Canada and PetroChina.

In This Corner

Michael King finds this ad at craiglist’s NYC bulletin board:

I would like to fight a Bush supporter to vent my anger. If you are one, have a fiery streek [sic], please contact me so we can meet and physically fight. I would like to beat the shit out of you.

Oh please let some big tough Marine answer this ad! Actually, Solomon—well-trained in hand-to-hand combat and about the size of a human freight train--is thinking about masquerading as a Bush-supporter for the task.

How charitable of you, Solomon, helping out a stranger and all. :-) However, don't forget that capitalist streak. Sell tickets. You’ll be able to retire.

Wanna be a Watcher?

The Watcher’s Council is looking for a new member. If you’re interested, follow the directions located in this link.

Woman Warrior

Angela Winters reminds us--via columnist Gregory Kane--that, way back when, there was a woman warrior fighting for one of the most just of causes.

Yes, it was Harriet Tubman, who in June of 1863 guided three steam-powered Union gunboats as they churned 25 miles up the Combahee River in South Carolina during the Civil War. Tubman told the pilots of the boats how to avoid the mines Confederate forces had placed in the river.

When Tubman and some 150 black soldiers of the Second South Carolina Regiment landed, they stole or destroyed thousands of dollars worth of crops and livestock, burned houses, barns and plantations and made off with 750 slaves who would no longer serve the Confederate war effort.

Although a Col. James Montgomery was in command of the troops, it’s Tubman who has only recently received proper credit for leading the Combahee River expedition. “On June 1, 1863,” writes Kate Clifford Larson in a recent biography, “Tubman became the first woman to plan and execute an armed expedition during the Civil War. Acting as an adviser to Montgomery, Tubman led a raid from Port Royal to the interior…”

But Tubman did more than just lead the raid and serve as an adviser to Montgomery. She and her network of spies carefully scouted the region of the Combahee River where Union troops landed. That’s how she knew where the mines were in the river and the lay of the land that allowed the mass escape of slaves.

One More Veteran Story

Read this one. You won't be sorry. Be sure the kleenex is handy, however.

The First "Lady" That Might Have Been

Poor, pitiful Teresa Heinz Kerry, or so Melissa Henneberger laments.

But now that I see that the end of the campaign is not the end of the Teresa trashing—

Darn right it isn't.

with some commentators all but blaming her outright for her husband’s loss—I have to wonder whether even a moderate amount of woman isn’t too much for America.

No, one is not. America does, however, appreciate a woman who doesn’t call those who don’t agree with her husband’s views (whatever they may be) “idiots.”

(I assume, for the record, that Laura Bush is a lot of woman, too, though she’d never let us see that, apparently with good reason.)

Mrs. Bush knows that she isn’t the POTUS, nor was she running for the position. Mrs. Bush also has enough class to brush off insults to her person, like the one from this same Mrs. Heinz Kerry. Showing self-control is a characteristic of “a-lot-of-woman.” It’s certainly far more difficult than telling a reporter who asks an honest question to “shove it.” (And don’t I know it.)

President Hillary? We’re not even ready for a First Lady who deviates from the script—or, heaven forfend, has a little bit of a mouth on her.

The thing is that a *president* is expected to expound on things presidential. A *first lady* (or a prospective first husband) isn’t the president. A married couple aren’t composed of the same two people, in spite of the Clintonian concept of a co-presidency. Were I married to a surgeon, not being a doctor myself, I seriously doubt that I would be allowed to sub for him in surgery. Just a hunch.

Yet in the main, Heinz Kerry’s remarks were only shocking in contrast to the overprocessed and infantilizing blah-blah that characterize most political speech.

See the “shove it” incident.

By the end of the campaign, her approval ratings were in the range normally reserved for the defrocked and the deposed. And why is that? Does America really hate women that much?

How did Teresa Heinz Kerry magically morph into representing all women in America? My mother is only a few years younger than Heinz Kerry. She tough, smart and speaks her mind, but one thing she never is: rude (unlike me.) (Mom also doesn’t suck on gin-soaked raisins.) THK didn’t catch it because she’s some flocking symbol of all American womanhood. She caught because she could barely conceal her disdain for those of us required to work for a living. Rudeness and condescension do not get a pass just because one is rich, female and married to a man running for president. Being polite isn’t too much to ask of a public figure, regardless of gender.

And to the last moment of the campaign, she was true to herself in a way that few of us dare. When speaking to a friend about her critics in the press a few months back, she said, “If I do what they want me to do, there will be nothing left of me.” She never let that happen.

One is forced to asked how much of *her* there was in the first place.

Only after she was widowed did she go to work full-time, running the Heinz family philanthropies.

Where do I sign up for this tough job?

Perhaps most unforgivably, she is unself-consciously sexy at 66 and not unaware of her power as a woman.

Er, I suppose that first part is a matter of opinion. However, those that really are comfortably with whatever level of attractiveness they may posses usually don’t need to trumpet it to the world. If they’re that all-fired gorgeous, the world certainly knows it.“Power as a woman?” Haven’t we gotten past that “I am Woman, Hear me Roar” stage? I know a few raving loons and a few straight-up banshees. I suppose that if they had a billion dollars and had a husband running for president, their lunatic banshee-ness would be called powerful. Then, again, there may be some truth in that naming. There is indeed power in the decibel area.

She was running behind schedule that day, and the mostly female crowd waiting for her was restive. There is only so much multitasking that can be accomplished on a folding chair when the speaker has already run 90 minutes late, and many women were murmuring about the children they had to pick up and jobs they had to get back to.

The ultimate expression of rudeness is to disregard the time of another.

Instead, when she did arrive, she was perfectly composed and offering no excuses. Me voila, my fellow Americans, now deal with it.

Ms. Henneberger makes my point, inadvertently, to be sure. How inconsiderate.

I’m only sorry we won’t have the chance to get over the jolt.

Well that makes one of us. THK gives us lunatic banshees a bad name. :-)

Round Thing in Your Face

Dean reports on the newest trend in mannequins.

And every black woman (and black man)* in America says, "what's your point?" (Not to you, Dean.)

"J.Lo was the first to stress that women shouldn’t be afraid to show their curves, and the popularity of rap made that shape more acceptable," said Critchfield.

Not.

Just as long as the jeans *actually do* fit.

*And Cubans too. :-)

UPDATE: Cobb tells the secret.

All Your Sleepwear Are Belong to Us

The Great Cartographer has a new layout of the bourgeoisie (and you *know* I had to look that one up).

An Epitaph? (Updated)

Boy, they sure do know how to serve up an insult in a certain part of the world. I've never heard "the dozens" played like this.

The Syrian defense minister called Arafat the "son of sixty thousand whores."

Even Arafat’s kinsmen knew what he was.  But I guess that he served their purpose: the attempted destruction of Israel.

*****

Apparently, Arafat was something of an inventor (subscription required).

"I invented the hijackings [of passenger planes]," Arafat bragged when I [former Romanian intelligence chief Ion Mihai Pacepa, who defected to America in 1978] first met him at his PLO headquarters in Beirut in the early 1970s. He gestured toward the little red flags pinned on a wall map of the world that labeled Israel as "Palestine." "There they all are!" he told me, proudly. The dubious honor of inventing hijacking actually goes to the KGB, which first hijacked a U.S. passenger plane in 1960 to Communist Cuba. Arafat's innovation was the suicide bomber, a terror concept that would come to full flower on 9/11.

Nothing like leaving a legacy.

(Thanks to Roger L. Simon and Fausta)

UPDATE:  Did you all see that wild scene in Ramallah? Jeeps ramming the crowd, the crowd looking as though it was about to do a Khomeini. There were so many wild, crazy jihadis working themselves up into a frenzy that the original two-hour funeral was cancelled; they just said a couple of prayers and dropped the guy in the ground. It was interesting to note the Palestinian and French flags flying together.

Can you imagine what this would have been like had the Israelis been dumb enough to let Arafat be buried in Jerusalem?

UPDATE: Ah, here's the great terrorist getting a boost from his friends, the French military.

Not Coasting

As the Rodney Dangerfield (RIP) of the military, the Coast Guard’s mission, feats and history are far less known and celebrated than those of the other services.

Among many other life-saving duties, here's what the Coast Guard does.

United States Coast Guard (USCG) branch of the armed forces of the United States. The USCG protects the public, the environment, and U.S. economic interests in the nation’s ports and waterways, along its coastlines, and in international waters. The organization consists of 36,000 active-duty men and women, 8,000 reservists, 32,000 auxiliary volunteers, and 6,300 civilian employees. In peacetime the USCG operates under the direction of the Department of Homeland Security. During times of war or by direction of the president, the USCG serves as part of the U.S. Navy and operates in any maritime region as required to protect national security. [SNIP]

The Coast Guard’s duties include ensuring the safety of recreational and commercial boaters in U.S. waters, protecting the country’s marine environment, and helping protect the nation’s ports and coastal areas from terrorist attack.

(All emphasis mine)

In other words, the Coasties are on the frontlines of that other theater of operations for Islamists—good work if they can get it—in the War on Terrorists.

So, if you run into a Coast Guardsman (or woman), don’t forget to thank him/her, buy lunch or an adult beverage of choice. They have our backs Over Here. You can see what they look like here. (Were the photo not in frames, I would have posted it.)

Thank you Coast Guard, and all the rest, for guarding us while we sleep. And thank you to all those who have wished me Happy Veteran's Day.

Army of Fewer (Updated)

These days, it’s difficult to find a famous person who is willing to answer the call of military service. Granted, some on this list were drafted. However, others were not, including, most notably, Clark Gable.
Too old for World War II’s draft, he enlisted in the Army nonetheless. Here are a few other famous people who have served in the US Army.

Actors

James Doohan

Charlton Heston

Ice-T (a volunteer)

Athletes

Joe Louis (who is buried at Arlington; Ronald Reagan waived the criteria for internment)

Willie Mays

And, of course, Pat Tillman.

And, try as I might, I was unable to find any notable female athletes/actors who had served in the military, though Carole Lombard (Gable’s wife) was close. She died in a plane crash during a tour to sell war bonds.

UPDATE: Reader Jeffrey Boullier reminds me that Julia Child (RIP) served in the OSS. Jeffrey says that she had wanted to enlist as a WAC, but was considered too tall (6'2") if you can believe that.

UPDATE: Reader David C. informs me that James Doohan actually served in the Royal Canadian Artillery. It was my intention to highlight facts about the American Army here and in the other Veteran's Day posts, but "Scotty" stays. BTW, Mr. Doohan lost the middle finger of his right hand on D-Day. IMDb says that this can be seen in two Star Trek episodes: "The Trouble with Tribbles" and "Cats Paw." So much for my observation abilities.

Love ya, Scotty.

Tech Note

As mentioned in an earlier post, Typepad has some cool new editing tools.  There are some annoying bugs, however.  For example, the program will spontaneously alter the HTML of images and insert unnecessary placename tags, which alter the line spacing.  (Many minutes have to be spent deleting these last.)  I have a pending ticket with Typepad's outstanding Help Service, however, so I'm sure they'll iron out the bugs quickly or assist this HTML novice in a work-around.  In the meantime, if you notice FUBAR image dimensions or line spacing here, you now know what the deal is.

Platz der Luftbrücke

Anyone who has been to Air Force Basic Training, Officer Training School or has studied for Air Force enlisted promotion knows the story of the first major successful Air Force operation after the service’s separation from the Army:  the Berlin Airlift. Of course, being Air Force myself and having been stationed in Berlin, I got tired of hearing about the "great AF victory," and after a few months in country this statue became nearly invisible to me. (That’s my former residence behind the trees.)

 

Platz der Luftbrücke (Airlift Plaza; literally Air-bridge Plaza) is a monument to “Operation Vittles” (1948-1949), in which the United States Air Force transported all manner of supplies to West Berliners in the wake of the Soviet Union’s road and rail blockade of the city. For a full history of the chain of events, go here.

Remember that West Berlin was surrounded by Soviet-occupied territory on all sides. Basically, the Soviets were attempting to starve the West Berliners out in order to make a clean sweep of the territory. They wanted revenge and reparation for the Nazi's carnage. Our forces didn’t allow it to happen, however. Additinally, of course, the United Kingdom, France, Australia,Canada, South Africa and New Zealand joined with us in keeping the residents supplied; yet another "Coalition of the Willing."

Ultimately, 277,804 flights would be made and 2,325,809 tons of food and supplies would be delivered to Berlin.

This operation is considered the first victory in World War III (the Cold War). Here’s a link giving the RAF’s perspective of the events in discussion.

Veteran's Day

Happy Veteran’s Day to all my old friends, new ones, the ones I don’t know, to the guys and girls putting it on the line right now and most especially to those who have fallen in the line of duty.

Blackfive has two great on-going series entitled “Someone You Should Know” and “Showdown.” The first chronicles the extraordinary lives (and deaths) of today’s military heroes and the second updates the Marines' sojourn in Fallujah, so I’m not going to step into his territory.

Keeping with the theme of yesterday’s last post, I’d like to give a few tidbits of the history of each service. Bear with me and feel free to correct me if I get some things wrong.

Oh, and by the way, Arafat is still in stable condition.  Would that it were so with all terrorists.

The History of (Non)Appeasement

One of our most revered American presidents knew that once you tried something and it doesn’t work, you don’t keep trying that same thing over and over again.

The Internet is a wonderful antidote to a substandard formal education. Before my wide-scale surfing, I had heard of the Barbary Pirates, but knew nothing substantial about them other than that they were, well, pirates.

Since the onset of the War on Terrorists, I’ve seen analogies pop up here and there, comparing the Barbary Pirates to the Islamists of today. Prior, I had no idea that the Barbary Pirates were Muslims, nor that it was the decisive action of an earlier American president—Thomas Jefferson—that hastened their end. Get this: TJ attempted to build an international coalition to convince an unconventional adversary that their terrorism against American citizens was no longer worth the trouble. Sheesh, I’ve never heard of such a thing! /sarcasm

Who Sees the World?

Again over at Vodkapundit, Will Collier (via one of his commenters, David), points out that it is often the typical Republican-red stater who has served in the military and, therefore, has had more opportunities to “seen the world.” Not just for a summer or during class break, but for two to three years at a stretch. So much for the concept of the American yokel who votes Republican and couldn’t find anything on a map past his/her trailer park.

Killing People and Breaking Things for 229 Years

On a day when many Marines are doing some of the toughest work that they do, it’s nice to be able to say Happy 229^th birthday to them. There are several very articulate present and former Marines at Greyhawk’s Milblogs (Greyhawk is also in Iraq). Go see what they have to say. Who knew Jarheads could write? (Just a little inter-service ribbing, folks.) Semper Fidelis and thank you, Rough Men and Women.

Just So No Yanks are Involved

When you're not American, who cares when you shoot the natives?

At least 85 civilians have been killed in three days of government air strikes on rebel targets…

Fallujah?  Nope.  In Ivory Coast.  Eh, none of us filthy, imperialistic Americans were imposing democracy on anyone, so the world yawns.

French forces opened fire Tuesday as protesters massed between the Ivory Coast president's home and an evacuation post for foreigners.

French military officials said they were assessing the events, and refused immediate comment.

At least four days of confrontations have killed at least 20 other people, wounded 700 and shut down cocoa exports from the world's largest producer.

No Blood for Truffles!

AFTERTHOUGHT:  BTW, It seems that I missed the story in which Jacques Chirac went to the UN, hat in hand, humbly begging the Security Council's permission for this little African adventure.  Anyone else catch it?

Wow! Fifteen Years

Vodkapundit reminds us that today is the fifteenth anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall. I had been stationed in Berlin for three years and had returned to the states a mere month before this tremendous crack in the seemingly-unshakable Soviet edifice. As we know, the rest of the Warsaw Pact would follow and, not long afterward, the Soviet Union would be no more.

The lessons are many, but here are some simple ones:

• Sometimes people can free themselves; on other occasions, they may need help.
• A bully will talk a lot, but if you’re tougher and more tenacious than he is, he will go only so far.
• Never spend more than you can afford.
• Never leave town right before the fun starts (okay, that's my personal lesson). :-)

Here’s to more liberty.

(Old Berlin map found here.)

UPDATE: One night in Berlin.

No More Hiding

Some of our countrymen want us to lose in Iraq.

Most military members saw through the media’s condescension toward them and most voted for President Bush. As a result, some reporters are no longer bothering to hide their contempt toward the rough men (and women).

This morning, I watched a reporter badger a Lieutenant General over US casualties during a Pentagon news conference on the progress of the Fallujah battle. The reporter (Charlie-something) attempted to bully the general—heh--into giving a fixed number of casualties. That Charlie was unsuccessful is a given. That the attempt was pathetic was also a given.

It was also the very first question asked. Charlie didn’t care about winning, about our troops, nor about the Iraqi people. With his faux outrage, he *does* “care” about those dead American bodies, however. Well, he’s not alone in this world: our enemies care about dead American bodies as well.

UPDATE: Yep.  They sneer at real military men and women but will actually fawn over the words of that great military strategist, the well-informed Madonna (or whatever name she's using).

"Global terror is in California. There's global terror everywhere and it's absurd to think you can get it by going to one country and dropping tons of bombs on innocent people."

Shut up, you no-singing, brainless, never-was!  I'm willing to bet that John Kerry wishes that people like you had kept your mouths shut as well.

(Thanks to Jim at Bill's place)

UPDATE: The "Charlie-something" mentioned above is Charlie Aldinger of Reuters.

(Thanks to FoxNews)

Papa Said There'd be Days Like This

I am now the chairman of a national campaign to pass a constitutional amendment to take the right to vote away from born-again Christians. [enthusiastic audience applause] Just a little project of mine. My feeling is that born-again people are citizens of heaven, that is where there citizenship is, [laughter] is in heaven, it's not here among us in America.

--Garrison Keillor

But this type of joke doesn’t just spring up out of nowhere. Christian hatred by the media elites has always bubbled under the surface. But, since the election, it has sprung forth in full from the foaming mouths and keyboards of our intellectual betters.

It’s unnerving to witness, but not surprising.

If some of these people had read the book recently, they’d know that their behavior and attitude towards God was predicted quite some time ago.

(Thanks to Powerline)

UPDATE: I wanna party in Jesusland!

Giving

Several months back, I posted about one of my neighbors, a seventy-ish black man who flew the American flag in front of his house at all times. Recently, I noticed that his flag was becoming tattered and faded. Apparently, he noticed it as well, because he took it down.

About a week ago, as I was walking around in the local Air Force Base Exchange, I happened to walk by the American flag display and a thought popped into my mind: “Mr. Leo needs a new flag.” So I bought him one. 

I kept the new flag in the car in case of one of the frequent occasions that I would see Mr. Leo outside when coming out of the house on my way somewhere. Today was the day. I saw him, hailed him and told him that I had something for him.

When I handed him the flag, I saw something that I had never seen on Mr. Leo’s face: a very wide smile and barely-checked tears.

Giving is its own reward.

Am I feeling good about it?  Oh, yes, but not because I gave, but because my giving made a difference, if only to bring forth that seldom-seen smile.  Smiles are indications of deeper things in the long run.

That smile was a better gift than the flag.

Offward Christian Soldiers

Francis W. Porretto gives perspective to the recent controversy regarding the implementation of creation "science" instruction in Wisconsin public schools.

The government-run schools were originally chartered for the express purpose of teaching the young American what he needed to know to be a good, responsible citizen. That was a relatively short list of purely practical competences:

• Basic English-language literacy.
• Basic numeracy.
• The history of the country and its civic and legal structure.
• Self-control in group situations.
• Sense enough to be able to pour piss out of a boot without consulting the directions engraved on the heel.

While the first four abilities are extremely important, the last—common sense--is absolutely essential to life and, from personal observation, is becoming less common in recent times.

I do, however, agree with John Cole (and Francis) on the subject.  Creationism isn’t science in that it cannot be verified using the scientific method-–some have said the same about evolutionary theory--and shouldn’t be taught under that category.    History, literature or theology would be a more appropriate category for such instruction.

See non-believers? We Christians don't want to indoctrinate your heathen children, regardless of of what Jesus-haters across the land claim.