Monday, January 29, 2007

Sad day for horse lovers, race lovers, animal lovers and generally those people that love winners.
Barbaro euthanized Monday morning

KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. -- So many people felt a stake in Barbaro's recovery. They imagined his pain, grimaced each time he faltered, took heart as each day passed and he was still alive, making painfully slow progress.

The 2006 Kentucky Derby winner's fight for survival was their fight, a symbol of strength, courage and comfort -- and, more than anything else, a source of inspiration.

Forde: Harsh Reality

Pat Forde

Barbaro's epic struggle to survive captured America's heart. But his death leaves horse racing with an opportunity to honor his legacy with some reform. Story

He was, after all, winner of the world's most famous race, in a sport desperate for a superstar. For months he seemed, remarkably, to take everything that came at him: good and bad.

Finally, it was too much.

Barbaro was euthanized Monday after complications from his gruesome breakdown at last year's Preakness, ending an eight-month ordeal that made him even more of a hero than he was as a champion on the track.

"Certainly, grief is the price we all pay for love," co-owner Gretchen Jackson said.

A series of ailments -- including laminitis in the left rear hoof, an abscess in the right rear hoof, as well as new laminitis in both front feet -- proved too much for the gallant colt. Barbaro was given a heavy dose of a tranquilizer and an overdose of an anesthetic and put down at 10:30 a.m.


I have never like the practice of putting down horses, but I havn't followed this story enough to form an opinion over whether the horse was seriously suffering or if treatment simply wasn't working.
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Reason
Yes everyone else has already posted this, but I had a physical today and rough day at work, so I didn't get to do it earlier (heh).

Seems that the Iraqis are trying to step up. Granted they had to get help, but in a fight this size thats not necessarily a bad thing right now. (of course, the key is how will they handle it when we leave)

Iraqi army kills leader of Shiite cult

By KIM GAMEL, Associated Press Writer 4 minutes ago

BAGHDAD, Iraq -

News | News Photos | Images | Web

Iraq's army announced Monday it killed the leader of a heavily armed cult of messianic Shiites called "the Soldiers of Heaven" in a fierce gunbattle aimed at foiling a plot to attack leading Shiite clerics and pilgrims in the southern city of Najaf on the holiest day of the Shiite calendar.

Senior Iraqi security officers said that as part of the plot, three gunmen were captured in Najaf after renting a hotel room in front of the office of Iraq's most senior Shiite spiritual leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, with plans to attack it.

The fierce 24-hour battle was ultimately won by Iraqi troops supported by U.S. and British jets and American ground forces, but the ability of a splinter group little known in Iraq to rally hundreds of heavily armed fighters was a reminder of the potential for chaos and havoc emerging seemingly out of nowhere. Members of the group, which included women and children, planned to disguise themselves as pilgrims and kill as many leading clerics as possible, said Maj. Gen. Othman al-Ghanemi, the Iraqi commander in charge of the Najaf region. (link)


Also, I would like to point out to any of the 'cut-and-run' or redeploy or whatever you call it crowd the easiest way and fastest to end the U.S. intervention in Iraq is to get the Iraqi Government to ask us to leave. All the protesters and feckless Senators need to simply convince Maliki to ask Bush to pull the troops out and per our agreement and the U.N. mandate, we will simply leave. That would be much easier than Hillary Clinton claiming that it is irresponsible to not pull the troops out before the next President (wonder who she's voting for?) is sworn in.
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Reason to fight

Friday, January 26, 2007

My Plan

Everyone (except the democrats) has a plan, so here's my plan to fix the country.

Iraq: Educate people on what the surge (and the relaxing of the R.O.E) is really intended to do. Most people don't realize that 20k more troops in Baghdad effectively DOUBLES the presence there. They see 20k extra troop and simply add it to the total, not realizing there are only 18k or so in Baghdad now. (Probably because this is never hardly ever mentioned by the MSM)

Economy: Nothing, tell the government to keep it's paws off. The economy runs like a dream until politicians decide to fix it (minimum wage hikes, tax hikes)

ILLEGAL Immigration: Start enforcing 30 years of laws (hard I know, they're only laws) and erect the damn fence already :)

Now to the actual contry itself:

Disband all political parties. Let people run as actual people and make laws and run the country as such. If you get a majority of like-minded people in Congress to go along with your bill, you make a law. Stop requiring one to be a 'Rethug' or a 'moonbat' to play the game.

Get rid of all minorities. Not the people that make them up (blood-thirsty aren't you?), the tags themselves. Everytime you point to a person or a group and label them, you make them different. When something or someone is different, discrimination will follow (human nature and all that). You can start by getting rid of the despicable hyphen. If you're American, be American.

These things would go a long way (imo) to fixing the major things wrong with this country. Along with other adjustments in politics:

Terms of service: President 6 years, no re-election. Half of a 4 year term (first) for a President is spent campaigning for the next term, the second term is spent trying to kiss the history writers behinds.

Who can be President: Not a big change except. Elected officials that want to run for the offices of President or V-P must RESIGN their current positions. What do Senators actually do when they run for higher office? (or Governors for that matter) Nothing, ask the people of Mass., or North Carolina what KEdwards did during 2003 and 04. Ask the people of New York what they think Hillary will do for their state now that 'her name is in the hat'. (not to pick on liberals here, but I've actually talked to people from those states :)

Make Bills contain the laws that are intended. Limit amendments to a specified small number. After Congress approves the measure and the President, then have the PEOPLE (you know the ones that 'run the country') vote on said bills. I realize we live in a Representative Democracy and not a true democracy, but if a law will have that much of an impact (tax, criminal, freedom-type) then the people should be the final arbitrators.

Supreme court: Term-limits. Anyone who gets a position-for-life is automatically suspect of fueling their own agenda (yes even the ones I agree with). There is no balance to the Supreme Court, they are the law (and not just arbiters of said laws).

Lower courts: All should be elected instead of 'given'.

These are simply some of my opinions on things that are wrong and should be fixed. I did not get into social issues such as spending, abortion, drugs, legal ages, etc. I am pro-life, pro-guns, anti-tax, anti-earmarks, anti-drugs, believe that one age should determine legality for everything and believe in G-d. So you can make what you will of that part.
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No Reason

Where's the fence already?

In the boo-freaking-hoo department comes a nice little tale from North Carolina about 'immigrants' afraid of going to work for fear of arrest. Of course, the illegal immigrants that were arrested and being deported might have something to do with that. Why would 'immigrants' fear being arrested? (think on that long and hard)

Scared Smithfield workers stay home


TAR HEEL The 21 Smithfield Packing Co. employees arrested by immigration officials while they worked Wednesday are in the process of being deported.

The 20 men and one woman arrested were moved Thursday from the Mecklenburg County Jail to Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Ga., nearly 700 miles from Tar Heel.

Meanwhile, church officials within the region’s Hispanic community and spokespeople with the United Food & Commercial Workers union said the workers’ families didn’t know where they were and other immigrant workers were terrified of more arrests.

Production at the plant was substantially diminished Thursday as workers stayed away.

“There are hundreds of immigrant families who will have to decide, ‘Do I show up to work (Friday) and risk being arrested by immigration?’” said Eduardo Pena, a spokesman for the union, which became an unofficial hub of information for workers Thursday, he said.

The workers are going through “removal proceedings,” said Marc Raimondi, a spokesman with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Washington

Nowhere in this story does the author say illegal immigrants, so you can guess what the problem is? It's the government (ICE) and the plant /sarc. If people are given 60 days to fix a social security issue, it shouldn't be that hard (IF you are here legally that is) and should be corrected. The fact is that the 21 that were arrested did not fix their problems (or couldn't) and more will likely follow (along with terminations from the plant for employees not correcting in the allotted 60 days). Only at the end of the piece do you see someone saying anything about illegal activities:
“You feel sorry for the individuals, but at the same time, Smithfield would be crazy to employ illegally when the federal government is cracking down,” Huestess said. “They’ll find 500 new people.”
Elsewhere you get the feeling that this is all a misunderstanding and government crack-down. You can see the way the hispanic community feels on the issue and the way the author frames the issue in a few telling quotes such as:
“There are hundreds of immigrant families who will have to decide, ‘Do I show up to work (Friday) and risk being arrested by immigration?’” said Eduardo Pena, a spokesman for the union, which became an unofficial hub of information for workers Thursday, he said.
Now do you think the LEGAL immigrants are having the same tough time to decide on whether to show up? The people with their social security cards (or working papers) in order? I'd bet no, but of course, in this story (and much of the press) we don't hear that there are two distinct groups of people involved in immigration. No wonder immigration is such a screwed up issue; no one on the left wants to admit that we even have illegal immigration.

Open trackback weekend from Nathan Bradfield via StoptheACLU. Go visit others tracking.
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Reason to man the borders
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Being a Democrat

I've seen this before but thought I would steal the post from Stop the ACLU on how to be a good Democrat. It's funny and for the most part true (sadly).

To be a good Democrat…

by @ 6:50 am. Filed under News, Humor

1. You have to be against capital punishment, but support abortion on demand.

2. You have to believe that businesses create oppression and governments
create prosperity.

3. You have to believe that guns in the hands of law-abiding Americans
are more of a threat than U.S. nuclear weapons technology in the hands
of Chinese and North Korean communists.

4. You have to believe that there was no art before Federal funding.

5. You have to believe that global temperatures are less affected by
cyclical documented changes in the earth’s climate and more affected by
soccer moms driving SUV’s.

6. You have to believe that gender roles are artificial but being
homosexual is natural.

7. You have to believe that the AIDS virus is spread by a lack of
federal funding.

8. You have to believe that the same teacher who can’t teach fourth
graders how to read is somehow qualified to teach those same kids about sex.

9. You have to believe that hunters don’t care about nature, but loony
activists who have never been outside of San Francisco do.

10. You have to believe that self-esteem is more important than actually
doing something to earn it.

11. You have to believe that Mel Gibson spent $25 million of his own
money to make The Passion of the Christ for financial gain only.

12. You have to believe the NRA is bad because it supports certain parts
of the Constitution, while the ACLU is good because it supports certain
parts of the Constitution.

13. You have to believe that taxes are too low, but ATM fees are too high.

14. You have to believe that Margaret Sanger and Gloria Steinem are more
important to American history than Thomas Jefferson, Gen. Robert E. Lee,
Thomas Edison and A.G. Bell.

15. You have to believe that standardized tests are racist, but racial
quotas and set-asides are not.

16. You have to believe that Hillary Clinton is normal and is a very nice person.

17. You have to believe that the only reason socialism hasn’t worked
anywhere it’s been tried is because the right people haven’t been in charge.

18. You have to believe conservatives telling the truth belong in jail,
but a liar and a sex offender belonged in the White House.

19. You have to believe that homosexual parades displaying drag,
transvestites, and bestiality should be constitutionally protected, and
manger scenes at Christmas should be illegal.

20. You have to believe that illegal Democratic Party funding by the
Chinese Government is somehow in the best interest to the United States.

21. You have to believe that this message is a part of a vast, right wing conspiracy.

22. You have to believe that it’s okay to give Federal workers off for
Christmas Day but it’s not okay to say “Merry Christmas.”

Got this via forwarded email and got a chuckle or two, so I thought I’d share.

Of course there are some people that don't fit the bill here, just like there are conservatives that aren't like me or whatever. Generalizations aren't normally that good, but this is funny and generally it fits with most 'high-profile' leftists.
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Reason to smile
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Thursday, January 25, 2007

Whats a mahdi?

Via HotAir comes this nice little clip (nsfw language) showing U.S. forces engaging the Mahdi army in Baghdad. Nice little clip.



Warning: Language content (mature)

Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy

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Reason to fight

The Pledge

Victory trumps party!

6684 people have signed The Pledge thus far. Will you?


If the United States Senate passes a resolution, non-binding or otherwise, that criticizes the commitment of additional troops to Iraq that General Petraeus has asked for and that the president has pledged, and if the Senate does so after the testimony of General Petraeus on January 23 that such a resolution will be an encouragement to the enemy, I will not contribute to any Republican senator who voted for the resolution. Further, if any Republican senator who votes for such a resolution is a candidate for re-election in 2008, I will not contribute to the National Republican Senatorial Committee unless the Chairman of that Committee, Senator Ensign, commits in writing that none of the funds of the NRSC will go to support the re-election of any senator supporting the non-binding resolution. (link)


I signed the pledge and I hope everyone will.
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Reason

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

I watched the SoTU address last night (while watching basketball I'll admit) and this is closest to how I perceived it.
Victory vs. ‘A Proper Conclusion’

President Bush gave us much to consider last night in his seventh State of the Union address. – new healthcare initiatives, a bold challenge to decrease our energy consumption, an expansion of the American military, a call for comprehensive immigration reform and so on.

All of these issues are important and pressing, and my hope is that the new congress can work in concert with the President to achieve meaningful results in each area.

Towards this end, the President struck the proper tone with the new Democrat Congressional majority; in equal parts congratulatory and cooperative.

However, the central issue of this speech and his presidency is, of course, Iraq.

Though I do not wish to belabor any of the oft argued points on the subject, there was one thing that stood out about last night’s proceedings.

Go on over to Tom's site and read the rest. Then read the comments. I bet you quarter to a dollar you can guess who the moonbats are in the comments :)
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Reason amongst the dhimmikrauts

Oops

Illinois Bar Owner Convicted of Videotaping Women in Bathroom, Tanning Booth

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

PONTIAC, Ill. — A man was convicted of secretly videotaping women at his bar as they used the bathroom and a tanning booth.

A judge hearing the case without a jury convicted William Lutson on Tuesday after reviewing 90 minutes of videotape from cameras hidden in a light fixture over a toilet and in a laundry basket at the Grand Ole Bar in Chatsworth.

Prosecutors said Lutson, 57, secretly recorded at least 12 women at the central Illinois bar in July 2005. Lutson never testified and his lawyer, Lance Cagle, never explained why his client hid cameras, which were hooked up to a recorder in Lutson's living quarters nearby.

Some of the women were minors, prosecutors said.

"They were videoed, transmitted and recorded all without consent, permission or authority," prosecutor Carey Luckman said. "Each of these women expressed their disbelief, the shock ..."

Lutson is scheduled for sentencing March 24 on four felonies and 20 misdemeanors. Each felony carries a maximum five-year sentence. Each misdemeanor carries a sentence of up to a year and a $2,500 fine. (link)

I hope this guy gets the maximum. People like this are the ones that need removed from society.
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Reason not to pee?

Monday, January 22, 2007

What a bargain

Outrage Alert!

From Ms. Underestimated via TexasFred:

Angry Kitty

This has also been verified by Snopes. Not that they’re the be-all/end-all, but to me if it’s made it to Snopes, at least some verification has been done on the subject.

Folks, this is a call to arms, so to speak, on this matter. Boycott doesn’t even cut it. We need to make sure this business has NO business, no customers who want to buy from them anymore, and all the negative publicity they can get. Are you ready to get busy on this one? It’s already starting. (link)


Want to know what's got the kitty so mad? Read the link. It is indeed an outrage, but typical of left-affiliated businesses.

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Reason to close

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Peyton

It's about time. When my 'boys couldn't go to the Super Bowl, I just hoped that the patriots would be put out. When San Diego BLEW the game (interception, 4th down and run back which is fumbled) then it was up to Peyton and the Colts.

Everyone that follows sports knows the story. Peyton can't win the big game, will never go to the Super Bowl, etc. Brady, 12-1 in the playoffs, Mr. Comeback, Mr. Untouchable, etc.

It was a great game. Even watching it split-screen while my daughter watched Spongebob Squarepants (no joke). Early it's 21-3 pats after Peyton throws a pick-6, most think game over. But not this time. Patiently the colts offense found a rhythm and the defense did just enough to slow the Brady-machine. Congrats to Peyton and the Indianapolis Colts.

Manning finally wins big one, leads Colts to Super Bowl

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- A comeback, a drive, a legacy. And yes -- finally -- Peyton Manning gets his Super Bowl trip, too.

Football's most prolific quarterback put on a show for the ages Sunday, rallying the Indianapolis Colts from 18 points down and driving them 80 yards for the winning score in a wildly entertaining 38-34 victory over the New England Patriots.

In his nine years in the league, Manning has never played in a game like this AFC championship contest. He threw for 349 yards and one touchdown and brought his team back from a 21-3 deficit. (link)


I knew for a fact that Indy would win this game after I read this post recently at TownHall: (link) Thanks for the help Dean :)
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Reason to celebrate
In the about time department:
Iraqi leader drops protection of militiaAP
A policeman stands guard in front of a burning minibus shortly after a bomb attack in Baghdad, January 21, 2007. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani
Reuters Photo: A policeman stands guard in front of a burning minibus shortly after a bomb attack...

By STEVEN R. HURST, Associated Press Writer
59 minutes ago

BAGHDAD, Iraq -

Iraq's prime minister has dropped his protection of an anti-American cleric's Shiite militia after U.S. intelligence convinced him the group was infiltrated by death squads, two officials said Sunday.

In a desperate bid to fend off an all-out American offensive, the radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr last Friday ordered the 30 lawmakers and six Cabinet ministers under his control to end their nearly

two-month boycott of the government. They were back at their jobs Sunday.

Al-Sadr had already ordered his militia fighters not to display their weapons. They have not, however, ceded control of the formerly mixed neighborhoods they have captured, killing Sunnis or forcing them to abandon their homes and businesses. (link)

This is bad news for the democrats militias and good news for the people that actually want to see the Iraqi government work. There is no doubt that the U.S. forces can defeat any militia that you put against it, provided that they can actually fight it.

I'll expect outrage from the left sometime soon for this latest development in the civil war secretarian violence.
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Reason to shoot

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Yet another case of muslims forewarning their victims. Of course, like all the other times that the RoP'ers state that they want to kill all the infidels, this report will be called a lie or that it misconstrues what Omar really said.

The world is simply in 'cover-up' mode in regards to the Islamic threat it faces. There is a reason that every terrorist act you see/read/hear about has a jidahdi involved, it should ring bells that this is the only religion that is using terror to intimidate and kill their enemies.

Yet, in this country and most of the civilized world, you'll find 'appeasers' who like to point out that Christians used to be violent or some such thing. What they don't say or even realize is that the problem isn't 700 years ago, it's TODAY.

Muslims in police will rise up, Bakri insists
By Mike Hirst and Adam Lusher, Sunday Telegraph
Last Updated: 12:02am GMT 21/01/2007

Moderate British Muslims in the police, Armed Forces and Civil Service will one day revolt against the system to "crush it from within", according to Omar Bakri Mohammed, the notorious Islamic extremist.


Omar Bakri Mohammed
Omar Bakri Mohammed claimed that the world was a better place after the July 7 bombings in London

In claims condemned as a cynical attempt to create division, the co-founder of the extremist al-Muhajiroun group said that Britain was "digging a deep hole" for itself by allowing Muslims into the Services and Whitehall.

Speaking exclusively to The Sunday Telegraph in Lebanon, where he moved in August 2005 — at about the time it emerged the British authorities might charge him with incitement to treason — he claimed police officers, soldiers and civil servants would one day become radicalised.

"When you start to ask Muslims to join your Army and your police you are making a grave mistake. That British Muslim who joins the police today will one day read the Koran and will have an awakening," he said.

"Those moderates are one day going to be practising Muslims. Now what happens if they are British police or in the Army and they have weapons? How much information do they have about you that they will use to serve the global struggle? (link)

The media (and most leftys) will simply right off this report and this man's warnings. That is scary and sad. They need to start taking the 'extremists' position very seriously. These are the people that influence what the rest of the muslims think, act and feel. These are the people that hold prayers every week and tell their congregations to kill the infidels.

These are the Enemies of Our Way of Life. And the Democrats help them every chance they get.
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Reason to seethe

Friday, January 19, 2007

News from Life

I havn't posted much lately and for those that wonder...

If you know me (from FCA or whatever) then you'll be familiar with the names. If not, you should be able to follow along :)


The past couple of days (and upcoming days) have been 'moving days'. Falen and the lil rabbit have moved out. This has been coming for awhile so, while not unexpected, still is devastating. We have been together for over five years and this new arrangement will take some getting used to.

While we are still sociable (no bad blood or whatnot) we are in two distinct addresses now. While my income hasn't changed any, my bills have jumped alot. If anyone wants to help out, click the donate button. Thanks in advance if anyone does :)

I will get back to regular posting when 1) something catches my eye enough to post it or 2) everything settles down.

Thanks for visiting.

Lord Nazh
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Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Prayers

There are plenty of people that I disagree with in the blogosphere. Mostly lefties and their ilk, but some center and right-ofs also. There's not too many that I disagree more with than Jane Hamsher at Firedoglake. (except maybe the kossacks)

This, however, transcends all the petty politics of anyone. (h/t Townhall's MKH)

Loser Winner">

Loser Winner"> Three Time Loser Winner

cad6f03c-3622-4210-8057-eac5a734040f.gif

There just didn't seem to be any other way to explain why I'm not going to be present for the first two weeks of the Libby trial so I decided to resort to the truth.

As someone who has devoted years to building this blog around coverage of the CIA leak investigation, it's going to be really rough to sit on the sidelines for the first two weeks while Marcy, Christy, Pach and others cover the trial in person. I've been working for months now to obtain a press pass and set up the "Plame House" in Washington DC as a central place for bloggers to stay and share information amongst ourselves as we cover the trial. When I received (with the help of Arianna Huffington and Rachel Sklar of the Huffington Post) the only press pass awarded to a blogger to be in the actual courtroom, I was blown away. And as you might well imagine, it would have to be something pretty serious to keep me away for even a moment.

In mid-December I was diagnosed with breast cancer for the third time. It's a bit more serious this time and treatment is going to have to be more extensive. I owe a huge debt of thanks to all the folks on the blog who have stepped in and allowed me time to investigate treatment options with many physicians and make an informed decision on that front. In addition to regulars like Christy, Pach and TRex who have taken over many of my duties, I also need to express my thanks to commenters like Scarecrow, Looseheadprop, Peterr, Hugh and Oilfieldguy who have done incredible work posting so that I could take this time off. Guest posters like Taylor Marsh, Swopa, Steve Gilliard, Watertiger, Howie Klein and others have also pitched in, and no amount of words can thank the incredible RGB, our site administrator, who has taken it upon himself to coordinate all these disparate elements on the fly. It's been a daunting task and he has managed it spectacularly. (link)


As I said, I don't agree with the left (and Hamsher) on much of anything, but everyone pray for her. Beating cancer is not impossible (my mother did it) but beating it three times has got to be hard. We wish her a speedy recovery and all the best for the future.
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Reason for prayer

'Freedom' in Canada and 25peeps.com

I had a link on but it seems to have left the board. I'm not sure who put it there, but thanks for the thought and click the pic and maybe I'll get back on there.

News on freedom in Canada.
Curb violent music, videos, coalition urges
January 17, 2007

Education Reporter
Citing the “negative impact of violent media” on young people, a coalition of educators and parents today called on Ottawa and Queen’s Park to help make things safer.

Saying repeated studies conclude there’s a “causal connection” between the violence children see on television, hear in music or are exposed to over the Internet and their aggressive behaviour, professor Peter Jaffe of the University of Western Ontario said a lot more needs to be done to mitigate it.

The group wants the federal government to amend the Criminal Code to give women and girls protection under the public incitement of hatred law. They also called for changes to the Broadcasting Act to prevent television and radio stations from airing violent and adult-oriented programs before 9 p.m.

And, the group also wants the provinces to introduce and age-based classification system for pre-recorded music like the one that exists for films and video games.

“There is no question that parents and professionals who work with children are adolescents are gravely concerned about the potential harmful effects of media violence,” Jaffe, an education professor who works in the university’s Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children. (link)



Seems the land of the 'eh' and hockey is not the land of freedom. A friend of mine won't like this, especially since he detest the 'loss of freedoms' in this country (as of yet he hasn't told me one freedom I've lost, but I'm waiting).
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Reason not to head north heh

Monday, January 15, 2007

Pakistan and TWoT

Since the time of Pakistan's 'peace-treaty' with terrorists, many people have been worried about what will happen in Afghanistan and the world with the killers being allowed free rein in their own little neighborhood.

Pakistan has co-operated in the past on missions to attack the terrorists, but you still never knew really where they stood. The news today is heartening in that aspect, although it won't answer all the nagging little questions, it does help.

Pakistan Hits Al Qaeda Hideouts Near Afghan Border

Monday, January 15, 2007

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistani troops destroyed three suspected Al Qaeda hideouts near the Afghan border, killing several members of the terror group, the army said Tuesday.

The military carried out the operation in South Waziristan tribal region after receiving information that 25 to 30 Al Qaeda members were hiding there, said army spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan.

"We believed several of them were killed, but we don't have a body count," he said.

Sultan said some of terror group members at the sites were foreigners, but "no high-value target was believed to be there."

Sultan said the destroyed Al Qaeda hideouts were located in an isolated area near the village of Zaoola, located in the general area where the government in September had signed a controversial peace deal with tribal elders to halt military operations against militants.

In return, the local militants and tribal elders at the time had promised that they would neither shelter any foreign militants, nor they would target Pakistani security forces and pro-government elders. (link)



If the bad guys aren't safe in Pakistan's hinterlands, where are they safe at? (besides Europe of course) Maybe soon, the world will start pitching in and we can get to a decent 'terrorist-free' level of living. Just don't make any large wagers on it.
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Reason to cheer

Words for Peace

Seems that the Spanish have finally figured out a universal truth:

Zapatero admits 'clear mistake' in trying to negotiate with Eta

By Elizabeth Nash in Madrid

Published: 16 January 2007

Spain's Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, has issued a remarkable apology for putting his faith in the peace process with Basque separatists, after a deadly car bombing that has caused outrage.

With Spain divided as never before over how to deal with armed Basque separatists following a bomb that killed two people in Madrid, shattering immediate hopes for peace, Mr Zapatero faced hostile opposition in his first parliamentary appearance since the blast. The premier admitted that he had made a "clear mistake" in his policy towards Eta.

"I want to recognise the clear mistake I made before the Spanish people, " he said in apparent recognition that he is now fighting for his political future. He was referring to his statement 24 hours before the bombing on 30 December that within a year Spain would be nearer an end to terrorism. "Eta, with its brutal attack, broke negotiations ... it chose the path of terror."

In 40 years of fighting Basque terrorism, no Spanish government has been harmed so badly by Eta's armed action as Mr Zapatero's since the attack at Madrid's Barajas airport. Yesterday's confrontation may signal the start of his political decline.

Mr Zapatero recognised the strength of feeling against him by proposing to establish a "great democratic national consensus ... to confront together the challenge of terrorism". He did not rule out future talks with Eta, but stressed: "There'll be no dialogue with violence: never, never."(link)


I highlighted that last line to show the truth they have discovered. Hard to believe that the man who's only path to victory in the election was dialogue with terrorists and pulling out of Iraq would make this statement. There's a big percentage of people that don't seem to believe him and I can't blame them. Spain (along with France and Germany) have talked to terrorists for years, they are paying for that now. Hopefully they will finally understand why they are called terrorists.

Head over to Autone's site as he compares Spain to Dems (hehTM)
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Reason for hope?

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Tired of speaking to computers?

Just thought I would share this with the people that havn't seen it yet. It is a database on how to get to speak to a human with 500 companies you call with toll-free numbers.

I've only tried 3 or so and they've all worked, so I can't guarantee that all of them do, but if I had to bet I'd say they will.

gethuman.comgethuman 500 database

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Reason for voice

Saturday, January 13, 2007

Acts of War (one-way?)

A little war talk over at the Washington Monthly. Kevin Drum posts about the attack on the Iranian consulate (note: not a consulate) in Iraq and quotes Andy McCarthy talking about it being an act of war.

ACT OF WAR....The big buzz today is that war with Syria and Iran is all but imminent. Over at The Corner, Andy McCarthy seems to be pretty happy about this:

With that in mind, the raid on the Iranian consulate in Iraq's Kurdish region has to be welcome news. We would certainly regard that as an act of war if the tables were turned.

Points for honesty, I guess. But what if it doesn't work? What provocation will we dream up next to ensure that we get the war conservatives so desperately want?

UPDATE: Nope, it turns out it wasn't a consulate. I guess we'll have to try something else after all.(link)

Notice how Drum states, "I guess we'll have to try something else..." {ellipsis mine-LN} on the fact that it wasn't a consulate (and therefore may not be an act of war). What Drum and his commenters (especially Blue_idiot_in_a_red_state) fails to remember (or is it this just not in their 'history') is that in 1979 the Iranians stormed the U.S. consulate and took people hostage. Now this is indeed an act of war and has never been answered.

Also, we have Iranian weapons in the hands of people in Iraq shooting at our soldiers, Iranian guardsmen (Quds) training terrorist to shoot at our soldiers (they stop being insurgents and become terrorist when they target civilians, think about it idiots). So now we have 3 acts of war (yes there are more over the intervening years, but I think this is enough to illustrate) against the U.S. by Iran. Where are the posts from Drum and tWM posters (and commenters) belaying that fact?

There won't be any. To those people, the U.S. is wrong (always) and no matter what any other country does, it is our fault if we do anything back except roll over and play France.

Read a few left-wing sites, in almost every thread there will be at least 1 (if not many) comments saying that '..so and so right-winger... should enlist and grow some... etc.), the ironic fact that these people say this from there home and not in the military is just ... lost?

Hi to the tWM readers/commenters who click here :) feel free to spit in my comments.
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Reason to fear the left in power
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Iraq

Democrats and other anti-war 'activists' need to take note. You guys are talking/protesting the wrong government. You guys need to direct your actions toward the Iraqi government, as soon as they say go, we go.

Kurdish General Training Troops for Baghdad Mission; Iraq's P.M. Says He Backs Bush Plan

Saturday, January 13, 2007

KIRKUK, Iraq — An Iraqi army brigade based in the northern Kurdish region is undergoing intensive training in urban combat and will be dispatched to Baghdad as part of a new joint U.S.-Iraqi security drive in the sprawling and violence-ridden city, the commander said Saturday.

The brigade is one of two coming from the Kurdish region and a third brigade will come from southern Iraq. The second Kurdish brigade will come from the northern city of Sulaimaniyah.

"We will head to Baghdad soon. We have 3,000 soldiers who are currently undergoing intensive training especially in urban combat and how the army should act inside a city," said Brig. Gen. Nazir Assem Korran, commander of the 1st Infantry Brigade, 2nd Division of the Iraqi army that is based in the city of Irbil.

Click here for more news on Iraq.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, in his first comments on the new Bush administration plan for restoring security in Baghdad, said the proposal was "identical to our strategy and intentions."

Al-Maliki, however, continued to avoid naming the Mahdi Army Shiite militia of one of his key supporters as a target of the military operations to cleanse the capital of Sunni insurgents and Shiite militia gunmen and death squads.(link)


As long as the Iraqi government wants us there and W is in the whitehouse, we'll be there. Democrats on Capitol Hill won't pull funding and risk votes in '08 (just look at their promises vs their actions, they are looking ahead, not worrying about today). So you're only chance to end this war early is to get the Iraqi government to say it's over.

Note: Nifong got his wish and is pulled from the Duke (no)Rape Case.

Sports: Anyone that watched the Ohio State - Tennessee game, tell me how the OSU guy walks out of bounds (at the end of the game) and there is no call?
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Reason for ire

Friday, January 12, 2007

Panache

The greatest put-down on the 'net that I've been a personal witness to.
  1. “So a pathetic fucked-up black stripper with a couple of kids gets hired by some all american white boys-all I have no doubt from “good families” - and somehow your gloating over whatever went down gets tied up by by you and your peanut gallery of whiteboy dimwits with Glenn Greenwald?”

    The use of the racist term “White boy” twice in one paragraph? In a post accusing the proprietor of the site of racism?!? Wow. Got Irony? Don’t worry, though - what you lack in a sense of the absurd, you more than make up for in your lack of coherence.

    Let’s look past your virulent racism to the predicate conditions in your …um … statement. Parsing your words, you seem to think that all this case revolves around is a mercantile exchange between individuals of different races. Why their race would matter to you I’ve no idea. Oh wait, I do: it’s because you’re a racist.

    Moving on from that unhappy fact (I recommend Samuel Clemens to combat your peculiar instit- er, malady), and looking deeper at the case we find that it’s not *at all* about mercantilism – it’s about a rape charge that, according to the evidence in the public domain, is fraudulent - or, as you so pithily put it - “…whatever went down…”

    Seeing how rape is a charge that, should it be well-founded, is fraught not only with steep criminal, but also steep social and moral penalties, it is only proper that the false accuser be subject to those same social and moral (and legal – but let’s not hold our breaths) penalties. If it comes out, as I believe it will, that she has played fast and loose with – among other things – the truth, then it will be only just that she be mocked and publicly scorned for her actions. And the truth is leaking out; hence the scorning is commencing.

    Greenwald gets dragged into this because:

    a. He’s guilty of multiple counts of public douchebaggery, and as such should be mocked whenever possible.

    b. He’s the most perfect example of “un-credible-ness” in the known blogosphere, therefore he’s used as a superlative to compare to something so completely unbelievable you’d have to be a leftist to even *begin* to think it was true.

    As an aside – it’s perfectly delicious how you drag in “…with a couple of kids…” as though this is some sort of marker in her favor.

    Now, I’m all for reproductive freedom – everyone should be able to have kids. But the fact that she’s a prostitute and a drug addict who choose to have children at a young age should not ennoble her in anyone’s mind.

    While we’re on the topic, the notion that many of her supporters have that this woman is somehow not responsible for her situation in life, or it’s the fault of some ephemeral force of society, is absurd (see: 88, Statement of the). She made the choices that led her to the failure to live a good and decent life. She keeps making the same choices and they (surprise!) keep leading her to the same failures. That’s not the “White Boys” fault.

    ”The boorishness, vulgarity and racism gets to be a bit much.”

    Stop engaging in it, then.

    ”And then you still waste time with Jamil Hussein.”

    Create your own blog, and then you can write about whatever you want, and you can even dictate the content. Meanwhile, if it’s such a “waste [of] time” to deal with the Jamil/AP story, why do you bother to read and/or comment on it? Why not simply read the headlines of the posts and say to yourself, “My goodness, that silly Patterico is yapping about that story again, I think I’ll go down to the corner store and pickup a case of 40’s with my welfare check.”

    “I wish you had something more than your ego in mind when you posted here. You’re an expert, why not behave like one?”

    Ah yes – you knew P’s state of mind when he posted did you? Can you also read my mind; can you tell what I’m thinking of you right this very moment?

    ”Why make the choice for narcissism.”

    Because narcissism is the new black this year?

    “You’re a big fish in your own pond.”

    Patterico is the *only* fish in this pond. He pays the bills, he decides the topics of discussion. Here’s an idea: you could start your own blog and you could title it “Crackheads for Defending Spurious Rape Charges Against White Boys.” That’s just a suggestion, of course – I’m sure you could come up with something more elegant.

    “This site could have been more.”

    Yes, it could have: it could have had trolls that make at least a modicum of sense. Thanks for queering *that*.

    ”ban me if you want. It’s a serious question”

    When will you learn that off-point, imbecilic postings do not an argument make?

    It’s a serious question.

    Comment by Abraxas — 1/12/2007 @ 1:50 pm


Since Patterico needs readers (give him some slack, he's new) [heh], I'll post just the response, you'll have to jump over and read the comments (at least) to see what this response was too (although Abraxas did quote most of them). [link] While you are there, if you havn't read any of Patterico's items before (tell me you have??) then please, look around, it's a very good site that usually is busy fisking the LA Times.
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Reason to hide in shame

Life and terrorism

I seem to have some very serious MAJOR personal issues going on right now, so my posting will necessarily slow down. Hopefully Thai or EMB can jump in and fill-in for me.

I will still be posting, but it may (and probably will) drop to 1 - 2 items a day, everyday for a good while. For those that know me personally, send an email and we'll discuss it, I am not going to air dirty laundry or personal issues (such as this) over the 'net at least until the conclusion of such.

Rocket attacks and 'cease-fires':(link)

Jan. 12, 2007 16:38 | Updated Jan. 12, 2007 18:04
Four Kassams hit W. Negev; IDF troops find two bombs
By JPOST.COM STAFF

Kassam rockets were fired at Friday from the Gaza Strip at southern Israel, as IDF troops operating in Gaza and the West Bank discovered and safely detonated two bombs.

Four Kassams landed in the western Negev on Friday afternoon. No one was wounded and no damage resulted from any of the hits.

An police sapper carries the remains of a rocket that landed in a field near Sderot, despite a declaration of a cease-fire.
Photo: AP
Notice the caption on the A(w/t)P photo? When will it occur to them that a 'cease-fire' by terrorist organizations is meaningless? What will the headlines be when/if Israel retaliates to these attacks? I'll bet that the press will brand Israel the aggressor for violating the cease-fire hehTM

Time for Friday free-for-all again over at Jay's place ~Stop the Aclu go visit, give him some love.
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Reason amongst the infidels

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Judgement in terror

Slow day for me, worked off midnights last night and slept alot today. Then I had to do some family business and watched a movie. So I thought I'd post a little snippet and probably head off to bed.

News | 12.01.2007 | 02:00

Lebanese face life for German bomb plot

A judge in a Beirut court has laid charges against six Lebanese men in connection with attempts to blow up two German trains last summer. The judge recommended life sentences with hard labour for all six suspects, five of which are in Lebanese custody. The other suspect, who is in German custody, is to be tried in absentia. Under Lebanese law, the accused can not be extradited to be put on trial in Germany. The charges stem from the discovery of home-made bombs placed on two trains in the western-German state of North-Rhine Westphalia last July. Both were defective and failed to go off.(link)

Justice is a fickle thing, but at least someone has the insight to enact HARSH penalties for terrorism (unlike the 15 years the last newsmonger got).

It's also nice to see Lebanese courts still hold to law instead of hizballah.
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Reason to incarcerate

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Liberal Ass of All-Time award

There's been alot of posts lately about the worst liberal of '06 (and worst dressed, worst conservative, worst etc.); but this clown takes the prize for all-time worst. His name is John Seery and he is a regular poster at the Huffington Post (or Puffington Host as it is called on the right).

Blog Index RSS
01.10.2007

Predict the Number of Troops Killed in the Next Year! (13 comments )

READ MORE: United States, Iraq

How many U.S. troops will be killed in Iraq in the next year?

Submit your best estimate here.

The Bush administration won't dare go public with such hard and somber calculations about expected casualties--which would help weigh the costs of this renewed war effort. So I figure conscientious HuffPo readers will step into that breach.

I'll keep track--our memories are long--and we'll notify the "winner" one year from today.

I'm not sure, however, what you'll win, or even if you could call it a victory. But Americans like to play to win, we've been told. And it doesn't take much of a sacrifice to ponder the possibility of someone else's death.

Not even the commenters at HuffPo like this one. Shows just how crass you can be if the left doesn't like your idea. People wonder exactly why people on the right call them unpatriotic and claim they want the U.S. to lose (in anything), yet the put out junk like this.
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Reason seems to be missing
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Teacher

There is simply something seriously wrong with some people. This 'teacher' is in jail for having sex with a student. Not a high-school student, a 13-year old student. The judge dismisses most of her 8 year sentence on the grounds that she simply leave the boy and his family alone and what does she do?

Teacher's obsession costs her two more years in jail

Associated Press

McMINNVILLE, Tenn. — A former teacher serving an eight-year prison sentence for having sex with a 13-year-old student agreed Wednesday to serve two more years for sending him nude photos of herself.

Pamela Rogers pleaded guilty to two counts of solicitation of sexual exploitation of a minor. She admitted sending the photos, and investigators allege she also received photos and videos from the boy, now 15.

“She had become obsessed with him,” her lawyer, Peter Strianse said. “I think she is over that.”

Ms. Rogers, 29, was arrested in February 2005 and pleaded no contest to having sexual intercourse and oral sex with the student. A judge suspended most of her eight-year sentence on the condition that she not contact the student or his family or use the Internet. (link)

Now that's a decent looking woman (sigh). Of course there are going to be plenty of 'I wish I had a teacher like that' comments (the only comment on the site is one) and such from the people reading about this. However, as much as men and boys dream of things like this, it doesn't make it right. If the woman is a 'sex-addict' she should have simply had more sex with (gasp) her husband? or any of the millions of adults NOT in her class.

For any teacher to have sex with their students is simply wrong, no matter the gender or how appealing the person is.
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Reason for outrage
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As the war turns


If you are searching flights to amsterdam on the malaysian airlines, you might just not make it. You stand a higher chance of getting las vegas flights on the midwest airlines instead. This is just like expecting travel lodge where even travel trailers are a rare sight.


Finally getting serious with the militias?

Iraq PM tells Shiite militias to give up

1/10/2007, 7:05 p.m. ET
By STEVEN R. HURST and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA
The Associated Press

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — Iraq's prime minister has told Shiite militiamen to surrender their arms or face an all-out assault by U.S.-backed Iraqi forces, senior Iraqi officials said Wednesday, as President Bush said he will commit an additional 21,500 American combat troops to the war.

Under pressure from the U.S., Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has agreed to crack down on fighters controlled by his most powerful political ally, Muqtada al-Sadr, a radical Shiite cleric, according to officials. Previously, al-Maliki had resisted the move.

"Prime Minister al-Maliki has told everyone that there will be no escape from attack," a senior Shiite legislator and close al-Maliki adviser said. "The government has told the Sadrists: 'If we want to build a state we have no other choice but to attack armed groups.'"(link)

It seems that finally Al-Maliki is strong enough (or perceives he is) to tell Al-Sadr to go rot. For any 'nation-building' to have any chance of success, the government of Iraq must be totally involved and this looks like a promising step. Of course there have been other steps that didn't pan out, but I'll be optimistic on this one until I see the results.

If nothing else, the Iraqi government's intention to allow attacks against the militias may cut down on the violence that the everyday Iraqi faces, as the militias will become defensive. They cannot stand against the U.S. backed Iraqi forces if the latter is given the green light to go all out.

The Anchoress is tieing up all the loose ends on the surge and reactions to (against) it.
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Reason for optimism
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U.S. blasting terrorists in Africa

Islamists in Somalia continue to be hit by American forces. For the third day, American forces are bombing suspected Al-Qaeda terrorists in Somalia near Kenya.

AP Al-Qaida chief in Somalia may be dead
A civilian, center, walks past two Ethiopian soldiers, left, and Somali government forces on a truck with a mounted gun outside Villa Somalia housing President Abdullahi Yusuf, in the Somali capital, Mogadishu Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2007. Two U.S. airstrikes in Somalia killed large numbers of Islamic extremists, government officials and witnesses said Tuesday. The targets were suspects in the bombings of two U.S. embassies in East Africa in 1998. President Abdullahi Yusuf told journalists in the capital, Mogadishu, that the U.S. 'has a right to bombard terrorist suspects who attacked its embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.'  Monday, Yusuf had entered the restive capital for the first time since his election. (AP Photo/Mohamed Sheikh Nor)
AP Photo: A civilian, center, walks past two Ethiopian soldiers, left, and Somali government forces on a...

By SALAD DUHUL, Associated Press Writer 33 minutes ago

MOGADISHU, Somalia - A senior al-Qaida suspect wanted for bombing American embassies in East Africa was killed in a U.S. airstrike, a Somali official said Wednesday, a report that if confirmed would mean the end of an eight-year hunt for a top target of Washington's war on terrorism.

In Washington, U.S. government officials

said they had no reason to believe that the suspect, Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, had been killed. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the information's sensitivity.

The report came as U.S forces apparently launched a third day of airstrikes in southern Somalia. At least four separate strikes were reported around Ras Kamboni, on the Somali coast near the Kenyan border. Witnesses said an AC-130 gunship attacked a suspected al-Qaida training camp. (link)

If the politics of Iraq won't let us destroy the terrorists there (and that seems to be changing somewhat) at least we can hunt them somewhere. The Somalis, Ethiopians and the U.S. forces in Somalia are having great success in routing the Islamist terrorists.

Of course, when you set out to do something and then use the force necessary to do it, the job is much easier than trying to do the same job with a 'U.N.' approach. When you aren't burdened down with the french reaction to your plans/actions, they seem to work so much better.

Now if we could get the same kind of action going in Iraq and (next) Iran, the world will be a better place, at least for a little while.
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Reason for optimism

Tuesday Night Video

Tuesday Night Video. Something different this week, instead of Vidilife, I'm going to link to Glumbert for the Video. They don't have an embed option (and I don't want to just steal it) so you'll have to follow the link.

Laughter

This is hands down the funniest video I've seen in a long time. I'm still laughing.
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Reason to cry
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Tuesday, January 9, 2007

The Surge

I am working tonight so I won't be able to catch the President's message on the Iraqi war. I can look at the online news however and I see this.

Tuesday, January 09, 2007
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush's new Iraq plan will call for all Iraqi provinces to be under Iraqi control by November 2007, a U.S. official tells CNN.

Bush will also call for 20,000 additional forces to be sent to the war-torn country. Most would be sent to Baghdad, but 4,000 would be sent to the Anbar Province, the official said.

The official also said the first additional forces would go into Iraq by the end of this month.

-- CNN White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux


November of '07 would give the U.S. and Iraqi forces just enough time to clean up the streets of Baghdad and Anbar, IF they are serious about it. They must fight the insurgents (Al-Sadr especially) and not fight with diplomacy but weapons. The surge may or may not be a good idea, but the message it sends to the insurgent groups is a good one. It tells them that we will do what we say, no matter what. Hopefully now the Iraqi government will become more self-governing and not operate on the whims of the death squards and anti-US clerics.

No matter what happens though, the Democrats will be upset about it. Of course now they are backing off the 'no funding' approach and looking at a non-binding resolution that says simply: "We don't approve, but you're the boss". G-d how Kos will love that.
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Reason amongst the dhimmikrauts
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Jimmy Carter - Quite possibly the WORST President in U.S. History

Well, life has been a whirlwind for me since I last posted and Nazh has been kidding me on when I'll get off the Hollywood-kick so here goes...

Ok - the question was raised last month (if I remember correctly) about Jimmy Carter. At the time I said he was the main reason why we have the problems in the Middle East (M.E.) we have today. Lets take a gander into why I believe that.

Lets look at the current trouble spots in the M.E. (the French call it the Levant). Lebanon... Gaza... West Bank ... Iraq ... Syria. If you look closely, what country has a hand in each one being as much trouble as they are? One guess... Please? One tiny guess... Ok give up??

The answer is

IRAN !!!

Yes, thats right ... I-R-A-N !!!

"Now Thai", you tell me, " Iran can't possibly be the puppeteer could it".

Yes... it can and it is.

Iran is providing materiel support (rockets, guns) and funding to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

As for Gaza, in the story below it reveals that Iran has ties with Hamas.

http://www.upi.com/InternationalIntelligence/view.php?StoryID=20061227-082153-2822r

Note the last paragraph [emphasis mine];

Conversely, Iran is honing its retaliatory capabilities. Several hundred Hamas operatives recently left Gaza for Iran for special training by Revolutionary Guards, according to Israeli intelligence. Iran has also re-equipped Hezbollah in Lebanon with thousands of missiles and rockets to replace those fired at Israeli targets for 34 days last summer.

Same with the West Bank and Syria is in Iran's back pocket as everyone knows.

As for Iraq, Iran is providing funding and training for the groups fomenting the violence and continues to do so in an effort to fight a proxy war against us and sap our nation's will (think of what we did to the Soviets in Afghanistan in the Cold War )

"But Thai", you say, "Even if true, Iran is governed by a bunch of fanatical Shiite rulers who have always been against us."

To that I say...

NOT TRUE !!!

Iran was our ALLY for over 30 years before the revolution came in the late 70's. I'm going to let that sink in again and in case anyone missed it I'll say it again.

Iran

was

our

ALLY !!!

There was probably no bigger U.S. supporter in the Middle East than the Shah. And Jimmy Carter basically pissed on him when it counted and pissed away an extremely valuable ally and quite possibly doomed the rest of the Middle East in the process.

Remember that during the Cold War, we had Israel, Turkey and Iran as pro-Western M.E. countries that joined us as "listening posts" and bulwarks against the growing threat of the Soviet Empire.

The Shah was a loyal American friend and was trying to modernize his country. Was he entirely "clean" as a ruler? No. M.E. countries to this very day display an affinity for a "strongman" to run them. He was, in the words of, former Sec. of State, Alexander Haig more of an;

"essentially benevolent despot who was a good friend of the United States, an implacable enemy of the Left and an obstacle to the religious right."
Carter was offended that the Shah's governance didn't look exactly like America's so threatened to cut off aid to Iran unless the Shah went through with certain "reforms"., These reforms led to an impression that he was "weak". And in the M.E. you do not want to be perceived as the "weak horse". So what did militant religious leaders and students, who were offended by the Shah's push to modernize, do? They plotted a revolution.
Now this revolution erupted when the Shah came to the U.S. to visit and while he was here the revolution could've still been put down by the Shah's government. Carter told the Shah to basically "do nothing" and so he did just that. His reasoning was that the "American government has never let us down" and he had no reason to believe it would this time either.
The Shah made one crucial mistake... he trusted Jimmy Carter.
Jimmy Carter did what he always did when confronted with evil... NOTHING !!!
He stated that this was a problem " for the Iranians to decide" and that it had nothing to do with the U.S. He basically believed that there was no difference in the way the Shah ran the country and the way this new rabble threatened to run it. Even though the revolution's sponsors quickly shouted that they would "export the revolution to the four reaches of the earth". We immediately "recognized" the new militant government in the most shameless display of appeasement in my lifetime.
What happened then? Anyone know??
That's right... we were rebuffed by the new revolutionaries as former "friends of the Shah".
In fact, quite alot of people in Iran were executed as former friends and government workers
Instead what happened was that the Ayatollah Komeini came to power and his son then took over our embassy. We then had the indignity of watching our soldiers and embassy personnel being paraded, blindfolded, in front of the TV cameras.
So what the Carter administration perceived as purely an "Iranian" matter, the rest of the world saw as a U.S. defeat (anyone see shades of this today in Iraq with Dems saying this is purely an Iraqi matter now and the Repubs saying that if we leave now we will be seen as defeated?).
Later the Ayatollah would expound that he had expected the U.S. to militarily come to the aid of the Shah and help the Iranian military and government tamp out the revolution. When that initial fear had passed and Carter blinked, the Ayatollah proclaim that "American can do nothing to us". That same thinking stayed with Iran's leadership and is still on display today.
Reagan said it best when he said this;
"Our government's decision to piously stand by while he [the Shah] was forced from office led to the establishment of a despotic regime in Tehran that was far more evil and far more tyrranical than the one it replaced. And as I was to learn through personal experience, it left a legacy of problems that would haunr our country for years to come"
I can go on and on about how this lead to Iraq declaring war on Iran and how the West supported Iraq in its war on Iran in the 80's, but that wouldn't leave more stories for next time would it?
Suffice to say... the Appeaser-in-Chief... Mr. Jimmy Carter... is quite possibly one of our worst presidents. We went from having a strong moderate ally in the M.E. to that country being a hostile, anti-American supporter of terrorism (in fact it is THE chief supporter of terrorism). All because Jimmy did nothing. Remember, appeasement isn't just a one-time thing. It doesn't just happen and then everyone forgets about it after you've gone from the world stage. It stays with people and causes more problems as it rolls on. Think of the harmless little snowball as it rolls down the mountain of snow. As it keeps rolling it gathers more mass and speed and eventually is a juggernaut too big to stop.
When all one had to do at the beginning was smash it with your boot.
Too bad that Carter's idea of a proper foreign policy response (the "boot") to an invasion of one country (Afghanistan) by another ( the Soviet Union) was to boycott the Olympics.
BTW- this is all for now and I'll have more on Jimmy in the coming weeks. I will be getting into how an ex-president should and should not act and how his "outreach" and "peace efforts" always seem to favor Arabic countries and why that is (think - financial reasons). And of course his lovely deal he worked out with the N. Koreans in the 90's so that they would give up nukes.
That sure worked out well.
Way to go Jimmy !!!
P.S. - my next post is on Global Warming and then the one after that will deal with a bit of Hollywood "goings-on" (sorry Nazh, I just can't resist).

{no problem, I get lonely on here by myself-LN}
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Warzone

 Recently played a few games on Caldera (warzone) and then... Lots of luck in this one, but satisfying