November 30, 2005

An Answer to MoveOn.org

By now, most of you know that MoveOn.org pulled an ad they were airing over Thanksgiving because they inaccurately portrayed British soldiers as American soldiers in Iraq. Click here to see the ad storyboarded along with the article on CNS News.

Even if they had used American soldiers in the ad, it was still in extremely poor taste. But since when has the left let that sort of thing get in the way of their rhetoric?

I decided to create my own "ad" in the same style. Of course, mine is in storyboard form like the re-creation on CNS News, as I cannot actually create a television ad here in my humble home--but the sentiment is there. There's more than one way to tell a story!

Ready?

Read More "An Answer to MoveOn.org"

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I Live in the Nation's Wealthiest State...Big Deal

Connecticut is now considered the country's wealthiest state, with the median household income of $56,409. The country's average is $43,318.

What the article doesn't mention is the price of living. The national median home price is $187,500. The median price for a home in Connecticut is $219,900.

Don't pack your duds for that move to Connecticut just yet!

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November 29, 2005

Kidnapped in Iraq

Al-Jazeera broadcast an insurgent video Tuesday showing four peace activists taken hostage in Iraq, with a previously unknown group claiming responsibility for the kidnappings.

I'm sorry that they were kidnapped and I hope they are rescued alive. However, why are we surprised this happened? It's bad enough that Iraqis who join the army and the police, as well as average Iraqi citizens, must fear for their lives via carbombings and execution-style murders. But these so-called Western peace activists go into the middle of a warzone and expect to be left alone by a bunch of people who consider their very existence to be an abomination to the "true faith"? When will lefties understand that Islamofascists don't want anything to do with Westerners, peaceful or no, and they will fight until they have either won or been pulverized?

These are the same sort of people who demonize the American military for making a few captured al Qaeda operatives and other scum stand in a corner for a few hours or get a little chilly with the hope of getting information that will save not only American lives but the lives other Westerners, as well as Middle Easterners who want nothing to do with the likes of al Qaeda. Would the American military start lopping off heads to make their point? I don't think so.

It's a hard way to learn a lesson. Unfortunately, some people still refuse to listen to teacher.

More on this topic from:

Mein Blogovault
Third Wave Dave
Marathon Pundit

Related:
The Bernoulli Effect on Urban Myths of the Iraq War
The Museum of Leftwing Lunacy on Only Liberals...

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Birthday Wishes

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It's the Economy, Stupid!

Yes, it's the economy...the economy that everyone thinks is in the toilet. Well it's not:

The U.S. economy has been surprisingly resilient this year and is expected to grow by 3.6 percent in 2005 despite the difficulties posed by both oil prices and hurricanes -- the latter cutting 0.5 percentage points from growth on an annual basis in the second half of the year.

Overall activity is expected to return to trend in early 2006 and then be somewhat higher, taking growth for the full year to 3.5 percent, 20 basis points higher than the 3.3 percent forecast by the OECD in its last report in May.

That's not all:

Business spending is also growing quickly, unemployment has dropped toward its equilibrium level and export growth is being supported by the respending of higher oil revenues by oil producers.

The Bush administration needs to be tooting its horn not only on the Iraqi front, but the economic front as well. Come on, guys!

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Lieberman: Spread the Word

Senator Joe Lieberman (D-CT) has just returned from Iraq, and wants President Bush to outline the successes he saw firsthand when Bush gives the nation a progress report on Wednesday.

"We do have a strategy," he said. "We do have a plan. I saw a strategy that's being implemented."

What is some of that good news?

"The Iraqi Security Forces are fighting hard. They're fighting well. They are not cracking under pressure, as you see in some armies, and they are making a tremendous contribution," Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, deputy director, plans and strategy, U.S. Army Central Command, told a Heritage Foundation forum Monday.

And:

The senator said he hopes Bush will emphasize details of progress Wednesday.

"There are more cars on the street and an amazing number of satellite dishes on rooftops," the senator said, "and what seems like millions of cellphones.

"Most exciting is the political stuff. ... There is a campaign going on there for the Dec. 15 National Assembly elections and there are a lot of independent television stations and newspapers covering it."

Yes, there is good news in Iraq...and if the White House doesn't promote it, who will? Certainly not the Democrats, who are hoping to use the quagmire they are trying to create as a way to gain seats in Congress next year. Certainly not the MSM, which, despite vehement protestations of neutrality, despises George W. Bush and anything he promotes, especially the war in Iraq.

Earlier this month, Bush and Cheney finally began speaking out against those idjits who have tried to make it seem like the White House pulled a fast one on the vote to go to war. (How is it that a man the left deems mentally deficient was able to fool so many progressive intellects? Is he stupid or does he have an evil brilliance? Please let us know; you can't have it both ways.)

Let's hope Bush takes Lieberman's advice and continues to promote the positives in Iraq. What has he got to lose?

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Homeless Die in France

People walk past as a homeless person takes cover from the cold on a Paris sidewalk November 28, 2005, as six homeless have died in France since the arrival of winter temperatures. French authorities have raised their weather alert in 31 departments and asked for increased vigilance to the homeless in Paris.

I thought this sort of thing didn't occur in a socialist utopia!

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That Was Disgusting...And Pointless!

Ugh! I just spent the last half hour digging through three bags of trash in the garage (when I could have been sleeping) looking for the December train pass I thought I had inadvertently thrown out...only to discover it a few minutes ago in a stack of bills on my desk.

Now I know what a private detective feels like, and I didn't even get paid for my labors! I'm going to bed now.

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November 28, 2005

Ted Rall's Gall

The disgusting drawing you'll see by clicking here at Michelle Malkin's blog is by that radical leftwing darling Ted Rall, a man who calls himself a cartoonist. For more on Rall's political views (or is that "spews"?), see Discover the Network.

What a pathetic little parasite.

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Annoying Gnat Buzzes Around Hillary

That's about all I think about this guy:

A former Green Party member who advocates an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq says he will challenge incumbent Hillary Rodham Clinton for the 2006 Democratic nomination for Senate.

"She's in favor of the war and in favor of continuing the occupation," Steven Greenfield, a professional saxophone player, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from his New Paltz home.

Believe me, I am hoping there's a (preferably Republican) candidate who can knock Her Royal C (that moniker stolen from Kitty) out of the park, but I don't think this unknown musician from New Paltz is going to be the one. All he'll do is siphon a few votes away from any serious contenders, and possibly offer some amusing sound bites.

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November 27, 2005

Sheehan: Only the Lonely...

Heh...this was welcome news upon my return:

Photographs published by wire services including the Associated Press and Reuters depict a lonely "Peace Mom" in a virtually empty tent awaiting those seeking her autograph on her new book, "Not One More Mother's Child."

The Washington Post reported the scene this way: "Sheehan found herself addressing a crowd of only about 100 on Saturday afternoon. The large tent where supporters had erected a stage hung with the banner 'Speak Truth to Power' was only partially full. Earlier, Sheehan signed copies of her new book for an even smaller crowd."

...

"What if Cindy had a book signing and no one came?" asks one poster in an online messageboard. "Well we know what happened. No one cares about her but the press. Cindy is finished."

"Frankly I'm amazed the DNC/AP allowed these photos to see the light of day," writes another. "Usually their photogs do their (unlevel) best to angle their cameras and crop their pictures to make Mother Sheehan always appear to be at the center of a worshipful swarm. I'm afraid someone is going to be in hot water for letting us glimpse the truth."

Here are a couple of theories, and I think they both come into play here: one, people are simply sick of this woman using her son's unfortunate death to spread her "America sucks" message. Two, on this Thanksgiving weekend, most of us were spending the weekend with family and friends, giving thanks for what we have. It's too bad Cindy seems to have forgotten what she still has--her health and the rest of her family come to mind. But perhaps she's alienated too many family members? Maybe hanging out in a tent in Crawford was a better choice than having a Swanson dinner alone in front of the TV set...

I'd call Cindy "Con-dy" except for the fact that some people would think I was running down Condi Rice. In any case, Sheehan's next stop is probably one of those reality shows for has-beens, such as Britain's "I'm a Celebrity--Get Me Out of Here." But will she go home and pay attention to the rest of the family she seems to have forgotten? Don't bet the farm yet.

tagged: cindy sheehan anti-war iraq bush sheehan

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November 26, 2005

Lack of Blogging AGAIN...

Sorry for the lack of blogging...my father has been in town, and now I'm getting ready to head up to Providence, RI. My youngest is in the AYFC Regional Cheer Championships tomorrow. I should get back to regular blogging on Monday.

I hope none of you ate too much on Thursday...enjoy the leftovers! (No leftovers at my house; we had our feast at my sister's place.)

I'll let you know how my daughter's team does!

UPDATE: It's 7pm on Sunday, and we got back from Providence about an hour ago. My daughter's team placed second in their cheer division! This qualifies them to attend the national competition in Tucson next week, although the parents voted ahead of time not to go if the girls qualified due to the expense involved. The girls had a great time, and we are all really proud of them!

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November 24, 2005

Happy Thanksgiving!

May it be a wonderful day for you and your family.

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November 23, 2005

On a Somber Anniversary (A Day Late)

Shame on me for not seeing this wonderful post by Gary over at Ex Donkey yesterday on the anniversary of the death of JFK. Gary, a former Democrat, had this to say:

I don't mean to paint this whole generation with a broad stroke. There are plenty among them who served their country, who hold dearly the principles on which this country was founded and who raised their children to appreciate the value of the freedoms we all take so much for granted.

But while the men and women whose life experiences were formed by the era of WWII can be easily regarded as "the Greatest Generation", I dare say that many of their children have tainted their own age-cohorts as "the Worst Generation". These are the people that are trying to run our country into the ground because while they love the idea of their country, they hate it the way it is. They blame America for all the misfortunes in the world and believe that any attack we receive is one that we brought upon ourselves. Fortunately, there are enough of them who understand all too clearly the enemy we now face.

Do you want to see more? Go there NOW!

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Reasons to be Thankful

As we approach the annual Thanksgiving holiday here in America, here are a few reasons I personally am thankful this year:

-My family and I are healthy
-I am gainfully employed at a reputable company and am beginning to crawl out of debt (I may gripe about work, but I am thankful for it nonetheless!).
-My car still runs.
-My cat has managed not to get run over by a car.
-My children are doing well in school.
-I have many wonderful friends.
-I live in the greatest country in the world.
-Our men and women in uniform are putting their lives on the line overseas to keep us here at home safe.
-We have a president and administration that worries more about what's right for America than being popular (kind of like responsible parents).

There's a lot more, but it would take me longer than I have to list it. What are you thankful for this year?

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November 22, 2005

Wilson on Iraq: Better There Than Here

Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM) knows what's what in Iraq:

Released on 11/18/05

After September 11, 2001, we made a decision to play offense in fighting the
war on terror, to track down enemies who would kill Americans and give them
no place to hide. Our troops are doing a fantastic job, and terrorists know
they have no hope of defeating our troops in the field. They know that the
center of gravity in their fight is to undermine the will of the American
people.

I would rather have American soldiers hunting down terrorists over there,
than have American firefighters and police officers responding to attacks
here at home.

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Michael Moore: America's New Energy Source

Michael Moore should be designated as America's new energy source, because the hot gases blowing forth from his piehole seem to be unlimited in quantity.

This past weekend, Moore was given an award...and not just any award (click below to read more).

Read More "Michael Moore: America's New Energy Source"

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Mutton Dressed as Lamb: Myrna Blyth on MoDo

Myrna Blyth isn't too impressed with Maureen Dowd these days:

Yet whenever I see Maureen on TV, that wonderful old English phrase "Mutton dressed as lamb" pops into my mind. And, note to her stylist: That little shell she was wearing under her jacket on Chris Matthews was much too tight. It pulled so much it made her look round-shouldered!

...

But it isn't only that this 53-year-old mutton is shopping in the wrong boutiques; what's really striking is that Maureen acts so lamb-like in these interviews, gamboling and simpering, giggling and flirting and telling everyone she is "such a ditz." To the New York magazine reporter, she admitted that she is always losing cell phones and laptops — just the kind of behavior a mother would find intolerable in any child older than 16.

Rrrowr! Here's more:

The point of her book, she says, is that feminism has failed because men don't want smart women — and that nowadays women don't want to achieve but only want to be some man's stay-at-home trophy wife.

Of course, as Howard Fineman noted somewhat gingerly on Chris Matthews — he obviously didn't want to get between Maureen and her theory — today in America, both spouses often have to work for economic reasons. And, of course, all statistics show that most educated men marry equally educated women. Nowadays when a woman decides to stay home it is usually because both husband and wife agree that it is the better way to raise the children.

But how would Maureen, unmarried and childless, with a high-paying job and a string of boyfriends that has included a movie star, a top television writer and producer, and a couple of top editors, really know about the financial or family concerns of most women in this country?

What indeed? I'll take Myrna Blyth over Maureen Dowd any day. She's smart, funny, and not afraid to act her age.

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Michael Bowers: Don't Let 'em Take the Car!

Michael Bowers, columnist for The Star, thinks that liberal gun grabbers have their eyes on your car next.

You see, the car shares many characteristics of the gun, that other invention which is so loathed by the progressive. He dislikes the car for two main reasons:

*First, just like the gun, the car can be expensive. I suspect many a progressive has trouble affording the car he really wants, because he works for a nonprofit Bush-bashing group, rather than a company that actually manufactures a useful product. Why should greedy conservatives get all the heated leather seats?

This is the gripe of the broke progressive.

*Second, just like the gun, the car provides the ordinary citizen extraordinary empowerment. As Stephen Moore wrote recently in the Wall Street Journal, it's a lot harder for the government to manipulate the working man when he can travel anywhere he wants to, at any time, for any reason.

This is the gripe of the wealthy progressive.

Read it all here. It's funny...but also has a scarily truthful ring to it.

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November 21, 2005

Nancy Johnson: A Race to Watch in 2006

According to the DC-based Cook Political Report, Congresswoman Nancy Johnson (R-CT), who is up for re-election in 2006, will be one of the ones to watch:

“If you’re looking for a canary-in-a-coal-mine race, this is one,� said Amy Walter, who tracks House races for the organization. “If all of a sudden you see Nancy Johnson slip, it’s a sign other Republicans in similar districts should be concerned.�

It seems the Democrats are sharpening their knives. Because President Bush has not been performing well in the polls (as if polls mean everything), they think that all Republicans are in jeopardy. Of course, the MSM has jumped on the "slaughterhouse" theme for next year's election. They'd like nothing better than for their predictions to come true.

Nancy Johnson is a 12-term Republican in a very blue state. The majority of people in Connecticut's 5th district (mine) must think she's doing a fine job if she's been voted in this many times.

Nonetheless, I'll be keeping my eye on Nancy Johnson in the coming year.

tagged: 2006

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LaShaun Fossett's Ass of the Day

Click here. (Actually, he posted this yesterday, but I only just read it.)

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Dare to Ask the Question

Teflon over at Molten Thought dares to do the unthinkable--he questions the patriotism of some of our fine politicians:

Any American who puts partisan politics or globalist fantasies above the interests of their own country is a creature to be despised and shunned. They are not patriotic Americans. I question whether they might even be called Americans. I prefer parasites: bloodsucking vermin who strengthen themselves only by weakening their host.

Hot stuff? You bet. Read it all here, then pass it on!

h/t: Brainster

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Albright: All the Answers

"I'm gonna party like it's 1999." Well, that's what it feels like whenever Newsweek or another MSM outlet goes running to Madeleine Albright for all of the answers on our current foreign policy. In a recent hurlworthy interview with Newsweek, Ms. Albright shared her pearls of wisdom regarding the situation in Iraq. Of course, she had little, if anything, good to say. Here are a few highlights:

NEWSWEEK: Is there a conflict between key democratic rights—particularly in the area of women’s rights—and the cultural dictates of Islam?
Madeleine Albright: Islam itself and the Qur'an are not actually antiwoman. [The Prophet] Mohammed was married to a businesswoman. It is more the culture of particular Arab countries and not Islam. And I think that what we all have to do is make clear that women’s rights do not undermine anybody’s system. It’s a matter of empowering women, so that societies are actually more stable, not less stable.

She makes it sound so simple! "What we all have to do is make clear that women's rights do not undermine anybody's system." Albright is obviously missing the point. Radical Islamists believes that women have no rights whatsoever. That is one of the cornerstones of their belief system. Hearing platitudes from the U.S., whose culture is considered evil by Islamists, say that women's rights won't undermine radical Islam is like Heidi Fleiss telling the Catholic Church that a little extramarital sex isn't going to undermine anything they believe in either.

NW: What will it take for Iraq to make the next step from holding basic elections to a full-fledged independent democratic state?
MA: It’s very hard for people to exercise their democratic rights anywhere when they are terrified and there are suicide bombings and a general sense of chaos. Also, when the economic situation is so dire. So everything goes together. There has to be an improvement in the security situation, the reconstruction efforts have to be such that they provide people with jobs and [a] sense of the future and then democracy can flourish. While people did turn out to vote, which I think is quite remarkable, it’s very difficult when the situation in the security arena is so tenuous.

It's also very hard to exercise democratic rights when one doesn't have any, as under Saddam Hussein's rule. Sure it was remarkable that people actually turned out to vote despite all of violence. Think about it: Approximately 60% of eligible voters (including women) turned out for January's election, and 63% voted for the constitution back in October. This is amidst the constant threat of bombings and other violence by those who see democracy as evil. Compare this with the turnout for the recent U.S. presidential election--which, according to this graph, was about the same as the first Iraqi turnout. Considering American voters don't have to dodge bullets and bombs, shouldn't our voting citizens turn out in higher numbers? Albright's backhanded compliment to the Iraqis does them no favors.

NW: The report says that “the U.S. has done a poor job of explaining its policies in the region and spreading its message about democracy and reform.� In September, President Bush sent Karen Hughes, the recently appointed under secretary of State for public diplomacy, on a listening tour of several Muslim countries. What was she able to accomplish, and what do you think should be the next step?
MA: It was clearly a very first voyage of hers into this arena, but it didn’t strike me as a particularly great success. I think it’s very important that this post has been filled with somebody of such high rank and visibility, but it’s a hard job, and you have to go into societies and have some sensitivity for the various issues.

But did she accomplish anything? What should be the next step? Albright neatly sidesteps the question.

Read the entire interview for yourself. It's almost as if Albright was still on the Clinton administration's payroll. Get ready to do the Time Warp...

tagged: madeleine

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November 20, 2005

Just In Time for Holiday Shopping!

What a great gift to give the moonbats on your Christmas list:

Now [Cindy Sheehan's] journal entries are in her book, "Not One More Mother's Child," to be released Wednesday. The paperback also contains some of her speeches to peace groups earlier this year, letters to politicians and writings since leaving Crawford.

The book is filled with priceless observations like the following:

"The Camp Casey movement will not die until we have a genuine accounting of the truth and until our troops are brought home," she wrote. "Get used to it, George. We are not going away."

Of course she's not going away. She has books to sell!

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November 19, 2005

I'm Off...

to an all-day Girl Scout event with my oldest. Enjoy the day!

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November 18, 2005

If at First You Don't Succeed...

From Reuters:

Special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald said in court filings that the ongoing CIA leak investigation will involve proceedings before a new grand jury, a possible sign he could seek new charges in the case.

In filings obtained by Reuters on Friday, Fitzgerald said "the investigation is continuing" and that "the investigation will involve proceedings before a different grand jury than the grand jury which returned the indictment" against Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby.

Looks like Fitzgerald is trading in his bamboo fishing pole for an expensive rod and reel.

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Senatorial Ego Trip Now Underway

According to Drudge, Arlen Specter (RINO-PA) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) want buildings named after themselves!

The 2006 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee Conference Report (109-300) names two new buildings at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) after the Chairman, Senator Arlen Specter, and Ranking Democratic Member, Senator Tom Harkin.

The building with the new visitors center would be named after Senator Harkin.

The Headquarters and Emergency Operations Center Building (Building 21) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was to be renamed as the Arlen Specter Headquarters and Emergency Operations Center.

And guess who was on the committee?

Naming Porta Potties after these two jokers would be more appropriate. Unfortunately for them, there are Senate rules forbidding such a folly, and the report was given the royal flush.

Can it get any more ridiculous on the Hill?

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November 16, 2005

An Open Letter to Bill Clinton

Dear Mr. Clinton,

Please note the salutation. I didn’t address you as Mr. President, or President Clinton, because you are no longer the president. And as such, it is distressing to hear you making proclamations like your most recent one to students in Dubai:

"Saddam is gone. It's a good thing, but I don't agree with what was done…It was a big mistake. The American government made several errors ... one of which is how easy it would be to get rid of Saddam and how hard it would be to unite the country."

Yes, you also said that our presence there had some good consequences, such as the recent elections and the new constitution. But you’re a savvy politician, and you know which statements would get the most weight in the press.

You had your turn as president, Mr. Clinton, and now it’s someone else’s turn. While there is no written policy on the subject, there is an unwritten one that former presidents do not publicly criticize the current one. George H.W. Bush could have said plenty about you and your wishy-washy foreign policy but, as a gentleman with class, refrained from doing so. (This hasn’t stopped Jimmy Carter either, and shame on him as well.)

Whether or not we should have gone into Iraq is a moot point. We are there now, and it behooves us as a nation to stand behind not only our president, but the troops he sent into battle to do a job and do it to the best of their ability. Belittling their reason for being there is not supporting our troops—it’s pandering to the anti-Bush press, both domestic and foreign, and it gives those who fight against us reason to hope that they may still prevail.

Do the country a favor, Mr. Clinton. Keep your opinions on how the current administration is running the show to yourself. And, please remember that not all of us are among your fans.

Yours,

Blogmeister USA

tagged: bill iraq

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More on French Rioting

How's this for a theory?

PARIS (Reuters) - Polygamy may have been a factor behind the unprecedented wave of riots that swept France over the past three weeks, senior conservative politicians said on Wednesday.

Bernard Accoyer, leader of the Union for a Popular Majority (UMP) in the National Assembly lower house of parliament, told French radio that children from large polygamous families had problems integrating into mainstream society.

The Financial Times quoted Employment Minister Gerard Larcher as saying large polygamous families sometimes led to anti-social behavior by youths who lacked a father figure and made employers reluctant to hire them.

And I thought it was the failed socialism model. You know, when employers hire as few people as possible because of the tremendous expense involved if they end up letting them go...and so those at the bottom of the skills and economic ladder (i.e. Muslim immigrants) are passed over.

But what do I know? I'm just a dumb American.

Meanwhile, it seems that the Muslim rioters were integrated a little more than we thought:

PARIS (AP) - The torching of thousands of cars by restive suburban youths across France in the last few weeks has drawn worldwide attention, but it's a tactic with a long tradition in this country.

Whether for revenge, crime or simply for sport, French youths have been setting cars aflame for decades.

...

Setting cars afire has a symbolic impact, [criminologist Alain] Bauer said.

"In France, a car is like a jewel," he said. "You use it not only to work but as a representation of your social status."

There's nothing like absorbing the best of what a culture has to offer.

tagged: france french muslims

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November 15, 2005

All Aboard the SF Moonbat Trolley

From Newmax's The Left Coast Report (sent via e-mail; will be archived here soon):

Once you've disarmed honest citizens and evicted the military, what do you do for an encore?

Well, one San Francisco supervisor thinks you try going after the host of the #1 cable show in America.

Three days after the election, San Francisco Supervisor Chris Daly told a CBS television affiliate that he planned on introducing a resolution demanding that Fox News executives fire Bill O'Reilly.

What had O'Reilly done to put the supervisor in such a snit? He expressed his outrage at the city's proposition to ban public schools from allowing military recruiters from public school campuses.

On his radio show, O'Reilly suggested that San Francisco should not get any federal funds. "If al-Qaida comes in here and blows you up, we're not going to do anything about it," said O'Reilly.

"We're going to say [to the terrorists], 'Look, every other place in America is off-limits to you, except San Francisco. You want to blow up the Coit Tower, go ahead,'" said "The Factor" host.

"I was outraged," Daly huffed. "To green-light terrorist attacks and violence shows a lot of hate, not a lot of humanity. It's un-American."

I'll tell you what's un-American: sponsoring a proposition (that looney voters passed) violating a bonafide Second Amendment right to legally bear arms. (This right is actually in the Constitution, unlike SF Mayor Gavin Newsom's contention that free wireless Internet access is a fundamental right.)

Of course, they also don't want any military recruiting in SF either, nor do they want military ships in their harbor, even those that are no longer active and will serve as a memorial only. What happens when policies such as these are questioned or criticized? The old un-American slur gets trotted out.

Instead of trying to get Bill O'Reilly fired (which would have happened a million times over already if everyone who was offended by him had their way) and calling him un-American, why doesn't Chris Daly rebut what O'Reilly was saying with facts? That San Francisco is actually a better, safer place to live without the right to own a gun legally and with a ban on military recruiting?

Right. That's what I thought. And if, God forbid, there is a crisis requiring military intervention in San Francisco, I predict there's going to be plenty of yelling and finger pointing if the troops don't arrive within nanoseconds. (Did I offend by saying God and San Franciso in the same sentence?)

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These Folks Say "No" to the Death Penalty

On Sunday, 50 people attended a rally on the steps of the capitol building in Hartford, supporting an end to the death penalty. They talked about the 1,000 people who have been executed since the death penalty was brought back in 1976. (It's interesting that the victims of murder have no place here.)

"Imagine if you will what that will sound like if every bell in the state were to ring in unison," [Robert Nave] said. "Hundreds of thousands of murders have plagued our streets. Not only are we breeding and nurturing a culture of violence, we are handpicking a select few to target for extinction to satisfy our anger and lust for vengeance."

Handpicking? That sounds like prosecutors are trawling the streets and choosing death penalty candidates at random. To qualify for the death penalty you must be accused of murder in the first degree--and even then not everyone is tried with that punishment as the outcome.

Elizabeth Brancato, whose own mother was murdered over 20 years ago, had this to say of the families of death row inmates:

"Their pain and anguish is just as deep as the family of murder victims," she said. "We perpetuate the violence. The world will never be peaceful until we eliminate all violence. I urge everyone to do something each week to work toward abolishing the death penalty. We are all responsible for the world we live in."

The world will never be peaceful until we eliminate all violence. With all due respect to Ms. Brancato, whose life was directly touched by violence, that's a true statment--but a naive one. By eliminating the death penalty we don't stop all other violence. Sure we are all responsible for the world we live in, but what about the responsibility of the murderers? How do they take responsibility? They deliberately take the life of someone else out of greed, anger or sheer malice, and the rest of us are supposed to stand by and say, "We need to take the feelings of his family into account." Did he take his family's feelings into account? The feelings of his victim's family?

Obviously I am pro-death penalty, and the platitudes offered by the people attending this rally certainly aren't enough to change my mind. Unless a "violence gene" is discovered and eradicated from every person alive today and born in the years to come, violence will unfortunately be a part of our society. To blame the death penalty for it is ridiculous, as murder certainly didn't stop while there was no death penalty.

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November 14, 2005

Bush Fights Back: It's About Time

Finally, President Bush throws the ball squarely back in the Dems' court:

"Some Democrats who voted to authorize the use of force are now rewriting the past," Bush said. "They're playing politics with this issue and they are sending mixed signals to our troops and the enemy. That is irresponsible."

The Democrats want to have their cake and eat it too. Unfortunately, those crumbs have a way of leaving a messy trail. They also put a lot of stock in the 24-hour news cycle, which whisks one headline out and another one faster than Paris Hilton switches boyfriends.

Fortunately there's an alternative to the MSM...and we aren't letting those who were in favor of going into Iraq forget what it is they really said.

More on this subject:

Ex-Donkey Blog here and here

Mark at Decision '08 discusses the Democrats' revisionist shenanigans

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Michael Newdow is At It Again!

.

Stop the ACLU has a post on the latest Newdow lunacy--his intent to file suit to have the motto "In God We Trust" removed from federal currency. Jay says:

It wasn’t enough to take God out of the pledge of Alligience. This man thinks his views trump all. He goes and creates a phony Church so he can claim religious persecution. He is truly a joke, but one we should all take serious (sic.), because he is doing tremendous damage to our Nation’s heritage. The attempt to erase and rewrite history is succeeding in America. The secular cleansing is approved of by the activist Courts. This is bound to go all the way to the Supreme Court. Let’s hope the new make up of the Court slaps this idiot back down where he belongs. Church of True Science…give me a break. What's next, the Declaration of Independence being unconstitutional? Perhaps they will give him a file so he can start removing the references himself, one coin at at time.

As my friend Rachel wondered, "Why do we allow idiots like this to get this far?"

This one's going to be big, folks. Don't you doubt it for a moment.

h/t: The Museum of Leftwing Lunacy

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Al Gore Finally Loses It

Well that's it, folks. Send the men with the little white coats right on over to Al Gore's house because he could use a little rest at Shady Acres. In spite of his new business venture, Gore still thinks the environment is his key to greatness.

The refusal of the US and Australia to sign the Kyoto pact that Gore helped draft clearly annoys the former US vice-president. He draws parallels between those who dispute global warming, and its investment implications, with Neville Chamberlain and others who wanted to appease the Nazis before World War II.

Why is it that when the left wants to make a point that they compare anyone who disagrees with them to the Nazis? Not only is it incorrect most of the time, but it's such a tired cliche that even if it were true, it loses any meaning that it might have once had.

Winston Churchill warned in the 1930s that a storm was gathering and democratic nations would be forced to "sip from the bitter cup" until they reasserted their moral authority.

"The time of half-measure has passed. We are entering a period of consequences," says Gore, quoting Churchill.

Al Gore quoting Winston Churchill is like Paris Hilton quoting Shakespeare--it doesn't quite work.

"What changed in the US with hurricane Katrina was a feeling that we have entered a period of consequences and that bitter cup will be offered to us again and again until we exert our moral authority and respond appropriately," he says. "I don't want to diminish the threat of terrorism at all, it is extremely serious, but on a long-term global basis, global warming is the most serious problem we are facing."

What exactly does he mean by the term moral authority? It's not clear, but it's one of those feel-good terms that make us all sit up a little taller. "Moral authority?" you may be thinking. "That's right, I need to do something about that." Also, his using the term, "I don't want to diminish the threat of terrorism...but..." means that yes, he does want to diminish it. To Al, the unproven hypothesis of global warming being the fault of humans is definitely more important than terrorism.

This is the man who claims that it's the Republicans who invent phony crises in order to win approval for their agenda. Seems to me there are others out there ready to create phony crises in order to win approval. At least we know the terrorists are real...

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November 13, 2005

Republicans Need Not Apply?

I've been looking for a new job. Why? After all, my current job isn't terrible, and there's plenty of room for growth within the company. However, the commute is killing me (2.5 hours each way). Plus, my husband has a new job that takes him 50 miles in the other direction, and I would like to be closer in case there's a problem with the kids during the day.

I've been sending out resumes left and right, and have had a couple of those initial screening phone calls, but that's it. I am looking both in my current field and in the field I hope to be in--education. I received my teaching certification in the spring of 2004. So what is it? Is it the economy? My skill set? Or something else?

My mother and one of my sisters are absolutely convinced that my blogging activities are holding me back. They think that prospective employers receive my resume, punch my name into a search engine, and come across all of my blog writings. (I'm not using my entire name now, but I was in the past--and once on the Web, always on the Web.) I never blog about my company (why bite the hand that feeds you?), so why would prospective employers care?

As you may or may not know, I live in the Northeast--Connecticut, to be exact. And this area of the country is not exactly known for its conservative politics. There are conservatives scattered around but overall, it's a haven for liberals.

Unless I'm applying to work for a Senator or Congressman, my politics shouldn't matter. An interview should be based upon my experience and qualifications for the job. But if my mother and sister are correct, then those who are looking me up and deciding not to have me in for an interview because I hold conservative views are a bunch of hypocrites. Under the EOE law, no one may be discriminated against because of color, religion, etc. Why wouldn't the same be true for political persuasion?

I'm not entirely convinced of their theory, but what do some of my readers think? Could this be true, or are my mom and sister (my sister hasn't had to look for a job in almost 15 years) simply making me paranoid???

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November 11, 2005

Starbucks Recruiters Welcome

On the Camp Katrina blog (which I highly recommend you check out if you haven't already), Phil points out that a high school board is considering allowing Starbucks to train students and teachers in how to run a successful coffee business.

Meanwhile, Phil also points out that some high schools are doing all they can to kick military recruiters off their campuses.

Spc. Van Treuren is a coffee-loving conservative, but this is ridiculousness in its rawest and most unabashed form, Katrina Campers. While recruiters are being marched out the back doors of our nation's institutions of learning, the barristas are marching in through the front.

Someday soon, our nation may not be able to defend itself . . . but at least it will be able to make a mean cup of Joe.

Yup. Also, I wonder what would happend if McDonald's was to make the same proposal? Somehow I doubt they'd even merit any consideration, considering how some who moan and groan about the "McDonaldization" of the world don't complain about the "Starbucksization" of the world. After all, coffee from Seattle is the embodiment of everything good in America, while burgers from the Midwest are the embodiment of everything bad in America. Right?

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Regarding Oil Profits

Recently, executives of oil companies defended their recent spate of high profits in the wake of high prices for consumers as a result of this year's hurricane season.

The executives blamed the Gulf Coast hurricanes, which shut down refineries, and global forces, including rising crude-oil prices. They argued that their business is cyclical, citing weak profits in the late 1990s.

ExxonMobil CEO Lee Raymond told a joint hearing of the Senate Energy and Commerce committees, "There are ups, and there are downs. Our job is to manage for the long term."

But some senators weren't buying it.

"Most consumers find (the prices) terribly unfair," said Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D. "Talk is cheap."

What's wrong with this argument? Oil companies have a commodity that a lot of people want--oil for heating and energy. Sometimes that commodity is in short supply, and as is normal in a market economy, prices go up when supplies run low. It can happen with any commodity, including food.

So now we have senators accusing the oil companies of charging unfair prices while oil execs say they aren't being unfair, and that their profits aren't as big as we might think. We also have senators accusing the oil companies of not building more refineries, but the reason they aren't being built isn't necessarily greed on the part of the oil guys:

[G]etting an oil refinery built is next to impossible, hence the 30-year construction drought. There will always be environmental activists who fight any new proposed refinery, regardless of where it might be located and how environmentally safe it is. And our environmental rules give them the upper hand.

Is it fair for oil companies to be making money while we have to pay more at the pump? Frankly, fair doesn't come into it. Oil companies are in business to make money. They have something we want, and they set their prices according to supply, demand, and what the market will bear. Oil companies have profited from modern society's dependence upon oil, and as long as capitalism is not outlawed, then there is nothing wrong with it. Sure it sucks...but that's life.

The senate jumping in and whining about unfair prices has nothing to do with the reality of the situation--but they do it to make themselves look good to their constituents.

How many times do you hear a kid whining about something not being fair, and then his parents tell him, "Life isn't fair." That's true. And whining about unfair gas prices isn't an argument, it's a way to deflect attention away from the fact that the argument doesn't hold water.

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November 10, 2005

Light Blogging Today...

I have a crazy day today, so don't expect a lot from me. Check out the fine links and blogs in my side bar and of course, take a moment and vote in my "celebrity" poll!

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November 09, 2005

The Plame Game: Was Fitzgerald Thorough?

Newsmax raises the question on special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's thoroughness in questioning witnesses in his investigation of "Plamegate":

Was the identity of Joseph Wilson's wife Valerie Plame really a deep dark secret before she was "outed" by columnist Robert Novak in July 2003?

The number of witnesses now saying "No" has climbed to four - and none of them have apparently been interviewed by Fitzgerald's investigators.

It may not seem like a big deal that only four people are saying nay--but if Fitzgerald is ignoring their potential testimony, why?

A lot of credence is being given to the two or so neighbors who say they didn't know about Plame's employment status. Be honest, though: how many of you know what all of your neighbors do? I myself am only friendly with a couple of my neighbors, and couldn't tell you what the rest of them did for a living if my life depended on it. Unlike times gone by, most Americans don't get to know their neighbors beyond the friendly wave as we drive by on our way elsewhere.

Just a little food for thought.

Tagged: valerie patrick plamegate

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Go On and VOTE!

Yes I know the election is over, but it's not over at the Museum of Leftwing Lunacy. Click here, and at the top of the site is their poll: Who's the Biggest Liberal?

Let me tell you, I had great difficulty in choosing. All of the candidates listed deserve #1 status, but as I had to pick, I went with Teddy "You're On Your Own, MJ" Kennedy.

So get on over and vote...and be sure to tell your friends!

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On France Bashing

My friend Joe over at Geosciblog has this to say about what's becoming an American pastime:

France-bashing has been an ongoing endeavor for many, at least in my case, it is not because of the enjoyment, but out of a sense of frustration. France doesn't seem (on a national level) to be able to say to itself "OK, that didn't work, let's try something with a track record of success." If France had more tangible successes upon which to stand, we might tolerate their arrogance a little more. I am not making any blanket condemnations of all French citizens, but France itself has readily (if unwittingly) nurtured the stereotypes. Though socialism sounds good, it has a long history of stifling creativity and creating decades of misery (or in France's case, centuries of weakness). For wealth to spread throughout the society, it has to be nurtured and allowed to grow.

Read it all, and you'll soon discover why Joe is one my favorite bloggers.

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King of Pop Bids America Adieu

Via Breitbart:

Michael Jackson will come back to the United States, but it's unlikely the King of Pop would ever make it his home again, says his father.

"He'll come back to visit, but not to stay, not to live," Joseph Jackson told The Associated Press in a recent interview.

Jackson said his son, who was acquitted in June of child molestation, has received lots of threats in the United States. The superstar now lives in Bahrain and his lawyers have said that he no longer considers his Neverland Ranch in California as his home.

Let's see: Michael Jackson, Johnny Depp, Madonna, and Gwyneth Paltrow have all decided to make their homes in other countries. Who else would you like to see the back end of? Participate in my poll in the sidebar!

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November 08, 2005

Barenaked Ladies...The Real Deal

This smacks more of exhibitionism than actually "making a difference":

SACRAMENTO — Police arrested two members of an organization called Breasts Not Bombs after they removed their tops during a protest on the steps of the state Capitol on Monday afternoon.

The women, who were protesting Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's ballot measures for today's special election, took off their shirts despite warnings from the California Highway Patrol last week that doing so would lead to their arrests — and possibly their inclusion on the state's list of sex offenders. A federal judge Friday refused to grant a request from Breasts Not Bombs to block the police from arresting topless protesters.

Some on the left think that boobs (the biological kind), not civilized discourse and the exchange of ideas, is the answer. Do they think that by letting their mammaries hang out that their opponents will be so enamored by the sight that they'll just roll over? Puh-leeze.

All I can say is...ewww.

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Where Are the Protesters About This?

From the Washington Post:

A Chinese court on Tuesday sentenced a Protestant minister, his wife and her brother to prison terms of up to three years for illegally printing Bibles and other Christian publications, one of their lawyers said.

While I often see and hear of concern regarding the Chinese government's oppression of Buddhists and followers of Falun Gong (those folks are on the streets of New York daily right in front of my office building), I have yet to hear of much outcry regarding the jailing of Chinese for Christian activities.

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I Came in Third...

...in the latest GOP and the City caption contest. Click here to see my entry and the others in the top five. Finally, I'm a winner of something other than discount coins at the Big Y supermarket!

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French Attitude to Blame for Riots?

Jacques Chirac has admitted privately that the failure of France to accept Islamic immigrants played a part in the current rioting.

Chirac, in private comments more conciliatory than his warnings Sunday that rioters would be caught and punished, acknowledged in a meeting Monday with Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga that France has not integrated immigrant youths, she said.

Chirac deplored the "ghettoization of youths of African or North African origin" and recognized "the incapacity of French society to fully accept them," said Vike-Freiberga.

France "has not done everything possible for these youths, supported them so they feel understood, heard and respected," Vike-Freiberga quoted Chirac as saying.

Meanwhile, French tourism (which accounts for nearly 7 percent of France's GDP), faces a crisis as well. Twelve countries, including the United States, have issued warnings to their citizens who plan on traveling to France, although none have actually recommended outright avoidance.

France's tourism minister complained that the media is blowing the unrest out of proportion:

"You get the impression that France is awash with flames and blood, which is not at all the case," said the minister, Leon Bertrand. "You cannot deny the images, but there are images and images."

That's rich, considering how French television covered the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It's okay for France to pass judgment, but no one has the right to judge France.

Some things never change.

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November 07, 2005

Seven Things I'd Rather Talk About Than...Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Aniston, America's sweetheart, is quoted in Newsweek regarding the seven things she would rather talk about than the men in her life. Click here to read them, if you have the stomach for it. Frankly, there are seven things I'd rather talk about than Ms. Aniston:

1. Flossing my teeth: The debate of name brand vs. store brand floss and mint flavor vs. cinnamon rages on.
2. Which septic company to use. Hey, if they're going to stink up the place for an hour or so, you should only work with the best!
3. Paper or plastic?
4. One or two ply toilet tissue? In a related issue, should the roll be installed with the paper hanging over or under?
5. Now that the holidays are close at hand, which is better: jellied cranberry sauce or traditional?
6. Do people really prefer Stove Top Stuffing instead of potatoes?
7. Whatever happened to the Ty-D-Bowl Man?

Tagged: jennifer

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France Burns While Chirac Offers Platitudes

For nearly two weeks, Muslim youths have been rioting in Parisian suburbs, and the incidents are spreading like wildfire (pardon the cliche).

Speaking of cliches, what is French president Jacques Chirac doing about it?

"The law must have the last word," Chirac said in his first public address on the violence. France is determined "to be stronger than those who want to sow violence or fear, and they will be arrested, judged and punished."

And it's taken nearly two weeks for this wisdom to come out of his mouth? I might have expected more out of a mime.

Chirac said France was determined to promote "respect for all, justice and equal opportunities." Violence has been concentrated in poor suburbs with large immigrant populations.

"But there is a precondition, a priority, I repeat," he said. "That is the restoring of security and public order."

Respect for all...that's nice. But obviously the respect the French are showing their immigrant population isn't exactly bowling them over. This is where the policies of multiculturalism are hitting the fan. By not actively trying to get these people involved in mainstream French culture to begin with, the French government pretty much shot itself in the foot.

This begs another question: why does immigration in France and other European countries seem to be so difficult? After all, here in America, while there are always a few malcontents running around, we don't usually see this kind of widespread rioting by one group of people for such a prolonged time.

Here's my theory: America is a country of immigrants. It's much easier to consider oneself an American, and be considered an American, because everyone and their predecessors came from somewhere else. Yes, the initial group of settlers in this country came from England, but soon after there were immigrants from other countries. And while (unfortunately) it was because of slavery that black people first came to this country, we have had racial diversity for all of our existence. It hasn't been without its flaws, but think about it--how long has such diversity been around for France and other European countries? It's much more difficult to immigrate to a European country and call yourself French, German, Spanish, etcetera, because until maybe 40 or 50 years ago, those countries were mostly made up of people of the same ethnic and social backgrounds. Here in America, diversity has been around from nearly day one. We're used to it. (Again, we're not perfect, but we continue to work on it.)

While Chirac bleats about respect and justice, the Muslim rioters aren't listening. They haven't been listening for a long time, because they have been disenfranchised (a popular phrase on the left) for much of their existence in France and they're ready for a change.

Forget about arresting them. Police involvement obviously isn't enough. It's time to bring in the French troops (such as they are) and use martial force to stop the rioters in their tracks. Only then can they sit down and talk about it, something the French love to do.

I'll be surprised if they take this route, however. After all, this is France we're talking about. They like to think they are above such "cowboy" tactics that us uncouth Americans are more likely to utilize, and think that the mere suggestion of "truth and justice" will win the day. (As if the rest of us have forgotten the way the French Revolution was conducted!) Chirac has been quoted as saying, "The construction of Europe is an art. It is the art of the possible." More like impossible, the way the French are bungling it.

As John Ruberry over at Marathon Pundit told me, "It's getting worse." And I don't see it getting better any time soon.

*Hugh Hewitt weighs in.

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November 06, 2005

A Man in Her Room Woke Miss Dowd

This is a new version of the old limerick "A Mouse in her Room Woke Miss Dowd", dedicated to the woman who thinks all men want is Mommy.

A man in her room woke Miss Dowd;
She was blissful and shouted out loud,
"I want Mommy!" he cried--
She dismissed him and sighed,
Then called the next one in the crowd.

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CBS and the Jesus Juice Connection

Apparently some who work at CBS don't worry about a little thing called "conflict of interest." From Newsbusters:

A CBS producer who led the network's coverage of the recent Michael Jackson trial has been marketing a brand of wine under the label "Jesus Juice," complete with a logo of a Christ figure sporting a Jacksonesque red glove, fedora hat, white socks, and penny loafers

NewsBusters.org has learned that Bruce Rheins, a high-level producer for such shows as the "CBS Evening News", and his wife, Dawn Westlake, began preparations for their marketing campaign while the Jackson case was still in court, registering a U.S. trademark for the words "Jesus Juice" in January of 2004, days after word got out that Jackson allegedly referred to wine by that term in attempting to seduce young boys.

Not only is he not worried about conflict of interest, but he doesn't seem to be concerned with good taste, either. Forget about offending Christians, as PC rules don't apply for them.

That a CBS News producer saw it as appropriate to put his name on something that many would consider to be offensive is also problematic. How can viewers trust CBS's reports on religious or cultural issues when one of its top producers is creating anti-Christian spoofs and attempting to profit from them?

That's a good question. What's next? O.J. brand gloves? The slogan could be, "Beat the rap just like the pros!"

Rheins is well aware of accusations of bias. On his personal site, the producer seems to take pleasure in seeing others accuse him of being unfair.

"Everyone thinks I am purposely biased against them. Yet they sure watch my work closely, to make sure I don't upset their world view. I take comfort in this inadvertent power I seem to have in their lives."

Emphasis mine. That pretty much sums it up, don't you think? And this is the kind of "unbiased" journalist we have in a high position at a major news outlet. Tell me, how many times have we heard about a conflict of interest between VP Dick Cheney and Halliburton by the MSM? Puh-leeze.

Thanks to Kitty for the tip!

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November 05, 2005

Proof that Multiculturalism Doesn't Work

Yet the New York Times and other MSM outlets have headlines such as Riots Spread from Paris to Other French Cities and refer to the rioters as simply "immigrants"--leaving out the "Muslim" part. After all, it's not PC to point the finger of blame a group with protected status, even though they're the ones at fault.

Click on these links for more:

Moonbattery: Multiculturalism Blossoms in France

Michelle Malkin: What's French for "Hell Breaking Loose?"

Tinkerty Tonk: Out of Control

The Bernoulli Effect: Is the Era of Appeasement Over?

And, for laughs and giggles:

Independent Sources: Islamic Vogue

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November 04, 2005

Hilarious!

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Who Would Jesus Bomb?

Reading this post on Marathon Pundit about a "peace rally" in Chicago the other day, I begin to wonder about some people's mental capacities.

According to the post, a song was being promoted with the lyrics, "Who would Jesus bomb? Yeah, who would Jesus kill?"

First of all, people who protest the current administration are usually the ones who denounce any kind of religious relationship between the public and private sectors. Bringing Jesus, therefore Christianity, into the equation is a poorly masked attempt to make Christians feel guilty if they support the war in Iraq. After all, one of Jesus' teachings to His followers was to "turn the other cheek."

Secondly, it's obvious that those who are blabbing this drivel really know nothing about the concept of Christ and who He is. (Note: I am not a scholar of the Bible; my comments here are based on my understanding of Christianity via my experience through my church.) Think about it:

Who is Jesus? Christians believe He is the Son of God. While He walked the Earth in a man's body over 2,000 years ago, as the son of God He was not flawed in the way that us mortal humans are. Because we are flawed, we are not without sin. We make mistakes in our earthly existence and turn to our religion for salvation in the hereafter. No matter how much we may strive, we will never truly be without sin. Being the Son of God, and having made the sacrifice He did for us, Jesus cannot be categorized in this way.

So, to ask to question, "Who would Jesus bomb?" makes no sense. It's an extremely cheap shot that has no merit whatsoever.

Now some of you may be asking, "What's the big deal?" And I'm not usually one to go preaching...my religious beliefs are mainly a private matter. However, when I hear of this sort of thing at a rally where people are shouting "F*ck Bush" and playing a song called "Bomb the White House," it's automatically suspect in my mind. (And saying you aren't "represented" by the crowd is no excuse; if that's true, what are you doing there in the first place?)

/rant

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Andy Rooney: Negro OK

On Drudge right now, there's a quote by Andy Rooney from this morning's Imus show:

I have a problem with the term African American...The word negro is a perfectly good word. There is nothing wrong with that.

Will he be forced to apologize? Or will he get the usual "get out of PC purgatory free" pass for liberals? (I know I'm not holding my breath.)

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November 03, 2005

Underreported or Bogus?

According to a group called Project Censored, the mainstream media ignored or underreported some major stories last year. No, they're not talking about our troops building schools and restoring water and power in Iraq. The stories they're worried about include the following:

Media Coverage Fails on Iraq: Fallujah and the Civilian Death Toll

Les Roberts, an investigator with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, conducted a rigorous inquiry into pre- and post-invasion mortality in Iraq, sneaking into Iraq by lying flat on the bed of an SUV and training observers on the scene. The results were published in the Lancet , a prestigious peer-reviewed British medical journal, on Oct. 29, 2004--just four days prior to the U.S. presidential elections. Roberts and his team (including researchers from Columbia University and from Al-Mustansiriya University, in Baghdad) concluded that "the death toll associated with the invasion and occupation of Iraq is probably about 100,000 people, and may be much higher."

That sounds horrendous indeed. Why didn't we hear more about it? Well, Slate.com takes a stab at it:

Readers who are accustomed to perusing statistical documents know what the set of numbers in the parentheses means. For the other 99.9 percent of you, I'll spell it out in plain English—which, disturbingly, the study never does. It means that the authors are 95 percent confident that the war-caused deaths totaled some number between 8,000 and 194,000. (The number cited in plain language—98,000—is roughly at the halfway point in this absurdly vast range.)

This isn't an estimate. It's a dart board.

But wait, there are more underreported stories to discover...

Read More "Underreported or Bogus?"

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What I'm Reading Now!

I just picked up Peter Schweizer's new book Do As I Say, Not As I Do: Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy. I could have bought it on Amazon, but I'm a "get it now" kind of gal, and wanted a copy to read on the train. And, as I got to Grand Central a few minutes earlier than usual, I stopped by Posman Books in the terminal to buy it.

According to Newsmax, the book is currently #6 on Amazon, but you wouldn't know it to walk into Posman's. Upon walking in, one sees a wall display of new fiction and non-fiction. Al Franken's new book is prominently displayed, but Schweizer's is nowhere to be seen. With only a few minutes to spare (I wanted to actually get a seat on the train) I cruised the stacks, looking for the book. Finally, I found it. And I mean it. The lone copy was tucked into the Current Events section near the rear of the store. I guess it's not bound to be a hot seller in liberal-laden New York City.

The book itself is an easy but entertaining read. What sets this book apart from a book by say, Al Franken, is that Schweizer isn't out to humiliate those he profiles in a personal way and take mean-spirited swipes at them. Rather, his goal is to see if prominent liberals who espouse public policies such as affirmative action, no school vouchers, and high taxes for the rich abide by such principles in their private lives. What you read in the book is illuminating.

Leading liberals who are profiled include Nancy Pelosi, Ted Kennedy, Ralph Nader, Noam Chomsky, Hilary Clinton and Gloria Steinem. I'm about halfway through and am thoroughly enjoying it.

If you get a chance, read it...and let the howling begin!

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November 02, 2005

Ain't It the Truth?

A friend of mine sent this via e-mail, and I simply had to share it. You'll find yourself laughing while nodding in agreement to most (if not all) of them. Enjoy!

1. Now that food has replaced sex in my life, I can't even get into my own pants.

2. Marriage changes passion. Suddenly you're in bed with a relative.

3. I saw a woman wearing a sweat shirt wit h "Guess" on it. So I said "Implants?" She hit me.

4. I don't do drugs. I get the same effect just standing up fast.

5. Sign in a Chinese Pet Store: "Buy one dog, get one flea..."

6. I live in my own little world. But it's OK. They know me here.

7. I got a sweater for Christmas. I really wanted a screamer or a moaner.

8. If flying is so! safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?

9. I don't approve of political jokes. I've seen too many of them get elected.

10. There are two sides to every divorce: Yours and Shithead's.

11. I love being married. It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.

12. I am a nobody, and nobody is perfect; therefore, I am perfect.

13. Everyday I beat my own previous record for number of consecutive days I have stayed alive.

14. How come we choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America?

15. Isn't having a smoking section in! a restaurant like having a peeing section in a swimming pool?

16. Why is it that most nudists are people you don't want to see naked?

17. Snowmen fall from Heaven unassembled.

18. Every time I walk into a singles bar I can hear Mom's wise words: "Don't pick that up, you don't know where it's been!"

19. A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...but, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn...that was fun!"-

20. I signed up for an exercise class and was told to wear loose-fitting clothing. If I HAD any loose-fitting clothing, I wouldn't have signed up in the first place!
21. When I was young we used to go "skinny dipping," now I just "chunky dunk."

22. The worst thing about accidents in the kitchen is eating them.

23. Don't argue with an idiot; people watching may not be able to tell the difference.

24. Wouldn't it be nice if whenever we messed up our life we could simply press 'Ctrl Alt Delete' and start all over?

25. Stress is when you wake up screaming and then you realize you haven't
fallen asleep yet.

26. My husband says I never listen to him (at least I think that's what he said). ;

27. Just remember...if the world didn't suck, we'd all fall off.
28. Why is it that our children can't read a Bible in school, but they can in prison?

29. If raising children was going to be easy, it never would have started with something called LABOR!

30. Wouldn't you know it...Brain cells come and brain cells go, but FAT cells live forever.

31. Why do I have to swear on the Bible in court when the Ten Commandments cannot be displayed in a federal building?
32. Bumper sticker of the year: If you can read this, thank a teacher....and since it's in English, thank a soldier."

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November 01, 2005

Sowell on Libby: Gone Fishin'

The erudite Thomas Sowell discusses the recent indictment against Lewis "Scooter" Libby:

It is one thing to tell the world the name of some C.I.A. agent operating in Iran or North Korea, for that agent may never come back alive as a result of being outed. It is something else to say that Joe Wilson got the assignment to go to Niger because his wife sits behind a desk at C.I.A. headquarters in Virginia.

Put bluntly, too often the authorization of an investigation is essentially a fishing license to enable the prosecutor to find something to prosecute, whether or not he can get evidence to prosecute the crime he was supposed to be investigating.

I love this man! Read it all.

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Mark Steyn: It CAN Happen Here...

Brilliant as always:

What's the bigger threat? A globalisation that exports cheeseburgers and pop songs or a globalisation that exports the fiercest and unhealthiest aspects of its culture? Far too many American conservatives still think the dragons are at the far fringes of the map - that, in the 21st century, America can be a 19th-century republic untroubled by the world's pathogens because of its sheer distance from them.

What indeed?

(Note: The Telegraph link above requires registration, but it's free.)

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Al Qaeda Isn't in Iraq...Is It? (Or, What Media Bias?)

For those Michael Moore-ites who claim that al Qaeda isn't in Iraq, please keep reading:

BAGHDAD, Iraq – A Saudi-born member of al Qaeda involved in smuggling foreign fighters into Iraq was killed Oct. 29 as he attempted to flee Coalition Forces.

Multiple intelligence sources and tips from concerned citizens led Coalition Forces to a location near Ubaydi where a senior Saudi al Qaeda foreign fighter facilitator known as Sa’ud (aka Abu Sa’ud) would be located. Upon arrival at the location, Coalition Forces attempted to secure the vehicle containing Sa’ud and other terrorists when the driver tried to escape. Coalition Forces shot at the vehicle, killing Abu Sa’ud and three unknown terrorists.

Abu Sa’ud, a Saudi extremist, was a senior al Qaeda terrorist who funneled foreign fighters and suicide bombers into Iraq. Intelligence sources believe that Sa’ud recently arrived from Saudi Arabia to shore up the leadership of al Qaeda in Iraq foreign fighter and terrorists cells whose previous leaders have been captured or killed in recent months.

Coalition Forces were informed that an alleged meeting was being arranged in the coming days in which Sa’ud was to take control of foreign fighter facilitation in the al Qaim and Husaybah region. It was also believed that Sa’ud would take on a more active role in the planning and execution of operations against Coalition Forces.

All emphasis mine. It's getting so hot for al Qaeda in Iraq that even the guys they send in to replace the middlemen who were killed are being killed.

What's really upsetting about this is that I haven't seen a single headline about this from the usual MSM sources. I saw several outlets refer to a soldier who died from a roadside bomb yesterday, and FOXNews has an article about increased success in finding IEDs before they detonate, but nothing about this guy.(Please let me know if you see something I haven't.)

This should be top news, but it's buried beneath the usual gloom and doom. What media bias? It's in the news you don't hear as much as the news you do.

h/t: husband-dude

Tagged: iraq

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Malkin's New Book Takes On Liberal Crackpots

Michelle Malkin puts her writing skills (and her sanity) to the test in a new book entitled Unhinged: Exposing Liberals Gone Wild. The theme?

I'll probably have to say this a million times, and those predisposed to attack the book (without reading it, natch) will ignore it, but I do not argue that we on the Right have never gone overboard in political word or deed. The book is about turning MSM conventional wisdom on its head and showing that the standard caricature of conservatives as angry/racist/bigoted/violence-prone crackpots is a much better description of today's unhinged liberals than of us.

You can say that again.

If you click here you can see some hilarious mug shots (that didn't make it into the book) of nutty libs who threw food at conservative speakers, harrassed drivers with Bush bumper stickers, and so on.

I'm definitely looking forward to reading this one.

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