South Park is in the house:
The "most punk-rock thing you can do in L.A.," says the Comedy Channel star, is to "say 'George Bush is f- awesome' instead of talking about how lame it is that he's fighting for oil."
Brave man....
And while we're on the subject, note the Washington Post's gleeful response to the "death" of Marvel's Captain America:
...the death of the only comic-book superhero who still wore the Stars and Stripes seems to be worthy of pause in the blur of pop culture.
...In comics, things got edgier, meaner, grimmer. Violence became more realistic, with more consequences. Superman died, Batman broke his back, Spider-Man took off his mask. The good guys were flawed.
....The battle for American ideals had changed, and so, we learned yesterday, had the means of menace and treachery.
Dear Steve Rogers and the mythical mid-century America -- its front porches, decency and good manners -- are dead.
I'm not gonna get worked up over a fictional death, but I would like to debate WaPost staffer Neely Tucker's assertion that "decency" and "good manners" are dead (and apparently never existed). I see plenty of both on a daily basis here in the alleged mean streets of Manhattan; but I suppose these are non-values to the left - radical activism tinged with politically correct violence, I reckon, trumps decency and good manners every day.
But I'll give Mr. Tucker a break as well - I don't see his byline much; and I suppose he has to suck up and toe the political line his corporation has set down....that's good toadying, son!
วันพฤหัสบดี, มีนาคม 08, 2550
วันพุธ, มีนาคม 07, 2550
Rudy Giuliani - Marching to Destiny
Yeah, you'd better believe it...this blog is gonna follow our candidate closely as he ascends to the presidency, while exposing the Hillary/Obama cabel as the worthless and weak alternative that they are. But right now, it's all about Mr. Giuliani - let's go to Austin Bay, as he gives us Rudy Rising, on the campaign trail:
Speaking at a fund raiser in Brentwood last night, Rudy Giuliani defined his terms, “I don’t call it ‘The War on Terror,’ I call it ‘The Terrorists War Against Us.’ ”
That line forms the center of Rudy Giuliani’s evolving stump speech. The crowd who had gathered to hear and take the measure of the man reacted with an unrestrained applause had the rowdy feel of a Fourth of July celebration at a Brooklyn fire station.
But we were a continent away from Brooklyn. Last night’s locale for “America’s Mayor” was the elegant marble foyer of Ambassador and Mrs. Rockwell Schnabel’s Brentwood estate...
In introducing Giuliani Ambassador Schnabel cast him as “John Wayne with a soul, a heart, and a conviction….” It was a sentiment that resonated with the assembled. And Giuliani did not disappoint them.
“But we are not a country moving in the wrong direction or sliding down hill. The truth is we are the strongest country on earth, the strongest military power without a rival, the strongest economy on earth. The strongest democracy on earth. You have more freedom than anyone has ever had. No one has ever had more freedom than Americans. This is the greatest country in the world and the greatest country the world has ever known. We must be proud of that. We must solve our problems based on our understanding strengths, not our weaknesses.”
Good stuff, and a great antidote to the negativity oozing out of the pores of every Democrat. Gates of Vienna reprints an article by City Journal’s Steven Malanga, who discusses the New York City mayoral tenure of Giuliani:
In New York, where generations of liberal policy had produced a city in which one in seven citizens lived off government benefits, in which lawbreakers whose actions diminished everyone else’s quality of life were routinely ignored or excused, in which the rights of those who broke the law were often defended vigorously over the rights of those who adhered to it, Giuliani’s prescriptions for an urban revival based on shared civic values seemed unrealistic to some and dangerous to others. The head of the local American Civil Liberties Union chapter described Giuliani’s ideas on respect for authority and the law as “frightening” and “scary.”
But New Yorkers who had watched their city deteriorate were more frightened of life under an outdated and ineffective liberal agenda. Giuliani rode to victory in 1993 with heavy support from the same white ethnic Democratic voters who, nearly a decade earlier, had crossed party lines even in liberal New York to vote for Ronald Reagan
To those of us who observed Giuliani from the beginning, it was astonishing how fully he followed through on his conservative principles once elected, no matter how much he upset elite opinion, no matter how often radical advocates took to the streets in protest, no matter how many veiled (and not so veiled) threats that incendiary figures like Al Sharpton made against him, and no matter how often the New York Times fulminated against his policies. In particular, offended by the notion that people should be treated differently and demand privileges based on the color of their skin, Giuliani was fearless in confronting racial extortionists like Sharpton. Early in his tenure, he startled the city when he refused to meet with Sharpton and other black activists after a confrontation between police and black Muslims at a Harlem mosque. And though activists claimed that Giuliani inflamed racial tensions with such actions, there were no incidents during his tenure comparable with the disgraceful Crown Heights riot under Dinkins, in which the police let blacks terrorize Orthodox Jews for several days in a Brooklyn neighborhood.
And this is why those who dismiss Rudy as a 9/11-type "one-trick pony" are miscalculating on a grand scale. The more people see Rudy, hear Rudy, and learn of his record as mayor of the city that was left virtually ungovernable by his predecessor, the more they will stand behind him. And abortion, gay rights issues, and drag queens will cease to matter as people realize one important fact: The man governs as an ironclad conservative.
America, meet your next President!
Speaking at a fund raiser in Brentwood last night, Rudy Giuliani defined his terms, “I don’t call it ‘The War on Terror,’ I call it ‘The Terrorists War Against Us.’ ”
That line forms the center of Rudy Giuliani’s evolving stump speech. The crowd who had gathered to hear and take the measure of the man reacted with an unrestrained applause had the rowdy feel of a Fourth of July celebration at a Brooklyn fire station.
But we were a continent away from Brooklyn. Last night’s locale for “America’s Mayor” was the elegant marble foyer of Ambassador and Mrs. Rockwell Schnabel’s Brentwood estate...
In introducing Giuliani Ambassador Schnabel cast him as “John Wayne with a soul, a heart, and a conviction….” It was a sentiment that resonated with the assembled. And Giuliani did not disappoint them.
“But we are not a country moving in the wrong direction or sliding down hill. The truth is we are the strongest country on earth, the strongest military power without a rival, the strongest economy on earth. The strongest democracy on earth. You have more freedom than anyone has ever had. No one has ever had more freedom than Americans. This is the greatest country in the world and the greatest country the world has ever known. We must be proud of that. We must solve our problems based on our understanding strengths, not our weaknesses.”
Good stuff, and a great antidote to the negativity oozing out of the pores of every Democrat. Gates of Vienna reprints an article by City Journal’s Steven Malanga, who discusses the New York City mayoral tenure of Giuliani:
In New York, where generations of liberal policy had produced a city in which one in seven citizens lived off government benefits, in which lawbreakers whose actions diminished everyone else’s quality of life were routinely ignored or excused, in which the rights of those who broke the law were often defended vigorously over the rights of those who adhered to it, Giuliani’s prescriptions for an urban revival based on shared civic values seemed unrealistic to some and dangerous to others. The head of the local American Civil Liberties Union chapter described Giuliani’s ideas on respect for authority and the law as “frightening” and “scary.”
But New Yorkers who had watched their city deteriorate were more frightened of life under an outdated and ineffective liberal agenda. Giuliani rode to victory in 1993 with heavy support from the same white ethnic Democratic voters who, nearly a decade earlier, had crossed party lines even in liberal New York to vote for Ronald Reagan
To those of us who observed Giuliani from the beginning, it was astonishing how fully he followed through on his conservative principles once elected, no matter how much he upset elite opinion, no matter how often radical advocates took to the streets in protest, no matter how many veiled (and not so veiled) threats that incendiary figures like Al Sharpton made against him, and no matter how often the New York Times fulminated against his policies. In particular, offended by the notion that people should be treated differently and demand privileges based on the color of their skin, Giuliani was fearless in confronting racial extortionists like Sharpton. Early in his tenure, he startled the city when he refused to meet with Sharpton and other black activists after a confrontation between police and black Muslims at a Harlem mosque. And though activists claimed that Giuliani inflamed racial tensions with such actions, there were no incidents during his tenure comparable with the disgraceful Crown Heights riot under Dinkins, in which the police let blacks terrorize Orthodox Jews for several days in a Brooklyn neighborhood.
And this is why those who dismiss Rudy as a 9/11-type "one-trick pony" are miscalculating on a grand scale. The more people see Rudy, hear Rudy, and learn of his record as mayor of the city that was left virtually ungovernable by his predecessor, the more they will stand behind him. And abortion, gay rights issues, and drag queens will cease to matter as people realize one important fact: The man governs as an ironclad conservative.
America, meet your next President!
วันอังคาร, มีนาคม 06, 2550
Killer Green!
From the New York Post:
LET 'em die - just don't mess with our perfect view. That's the message from New York environmentalists who've prevented the construction of cell-phone towers along Interstate 87 in the Adirondacks.
Without the towers, the semi-rural area is largely a "dead zone" for cell service - which, when you throw in severe winter weather, can make even minor highway accidents life-threatening.
In late January, it cost 63-year-old Alfred Langner his life. Along with his wife Barbara, Langner was stranded for 32 hours at sub-zero temperature after their car went off the Northway, and Barbara couldn't call for help.
Two weeks later, the same "dead zone" may have taken another life. Canadian truck driver Stewart Crookes' rig slid off the Northway during a snowstorm. He got out to inspect the damage - and suffered a heart attack. His wife's cell-phone calls failed, so she flagged down other motorists to call for help when they were in areas with coverage. An ambulance didn't arrive until 90 minutes after Crookes had collapsed - by which time he was dead.
Despite these tragedies, regional environmental groups like the Adirondack Council still oppose the construction of adequate cell-phone towers, arguing that the towers would despoil the natural beauty of the area. They don't seem to mind sacrificing a few lives to their ideal.
They like to call themselves "progressives", but the enviorn"mental"ists are hell-bent on sending society careening backwards. Cutting off humanity from help so that a view may be perfectly preserved? Perfectly logical to the Greenies; and the deaths that result from their actions are consequences that they feel are worth the cost. I wonder if anyone has asked the survivors of the deceased their opinions...
And speaking of "worth the cost"....do you want to know why solar energy is a rich man's fantasy solution? Check it out - even in New Jersey, home of some of the highest priced kilowatt/hours in the country, solar power is a ridiculously expensive alternative:
In New Jersey, for example, a 10-kilowatt residential solar system is estimated to cost about $77,500. After a state rebate of $38,000 and a $2,000 federal tax credit, the out-of-pocket cost to the homeowner is $37,500. That will provide an estimated annual savings of $1,500 on electricity bills.
The payback period for such a system is roughly 25 years at current utility rates, according to estimates provided by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
Yeah, OK - this insanely inefficient system is what the left is trying to force upon us. Of course, there is zero chance that anyone will come up with anything more effective than solar power in the next quarter-century, right? C'mon, it's not as if Americans are known for innovation or anything...
And in the meanwhile, the Killer Greens have their way in the Adirondacks, and while folks die all around them, they pat themselves on the back...can't wait until they can foist their policies upon the rest of us!
For some extra giggles, here's Teddy Kennedy, limousine liberal extraordinaire, giving us more of the same...
LET 'em die - just don't mess with our perfect view. That's the message from New York environmentalists who've prevented the construction of cell-phone towers along Interstate 87 in the Adirondacks.
Without the towers, the semi-rural area is largely a "dead zone" for cell service - which, when you throw in severe winter weather, can make even minor highway accidents life-threatening.
In late January, it cost 63-year-old Alfred Langner his life. Along with his wife Barbara, Langner was stranded for 32 hours at sub-zero temperature after their car went off the Northway, and Barbara couldn't call for help.
Two weeks later, the same "dead zone" may have taken another life. Canadian truck driver Stewart Crookes' rig slid off the Northway during a snowstorm. He got out to inspect the damage - and suffered a heart attack. His wife's cell-phone calls failed, so she flagged down other motorists to call for help when they were in areas with coverage. An ambulance didn't arrive until 90 minutes after Crookes had collapsed - by which time he was dead.
Despite these tragedies, regional environmental groups like the Adirondack Council still oppose the construction of adequate cell-phone towers, arguing that the towers would despoil the natural beauty of the area. They don't seem to mind sacrificing a few lives to their ideal.
They like to call themselves "progressives", but the enviorn"mental"ists are hell-bent on sending society careening backwards. Cutting off humanity from help so that a view may be perfectly preserved? Perfectly logical to the Greenies; and the deaths that result from their actions are consequences that they feel are worth the cost. I wonder if anyone has asked the survivors of the deceased their opinions...
And speaking of "worth the cost"....do you want to know why solar energy is a rich man's fantasy solution? Check it out - even in New Jersey, home of some of the highest priced kilowatt/hours in the country, solar power is a ridiculously expensive alternative:
In New Jersey, for example, a 10-kilowatt residential solar system is estimated to cost about $77,500. After a state rebate of $38,000 and a $2,000 federal tax credit, the out-of-pocket cost to the homeowner is $37,500. That will provide an estimated annual savings of $1,500 on electricity bills.
The payback period for such a system is roughly 25 years at current utility rates, according to estimates provided by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
Yeah, OK - this insanely inefficient system is what the left is trying to force upon us. Of course, there is zero chance that anyone will come up with anything more effective than solar power in the next quarter-century, right? C'mon, it's not as if Americans are known for innovation or anything...
And in the meanwhile, the Killer Greens have their way in the Adirondacks, and while folks die all around them, they pat themselves on the back...can't wait until they can foist their policies upon the rest of us!
For some extra giggles, here's Teddy Kennedy, limousine liberal extraordinaire, giving us more of the same...
วันอาทิตย์, มีนาคม 04, 2550
Poor Al Gore...
...a victim of his own genius:
The man who was prescient on climate change, the Internet, terrorism and Iraq admitted that maybe his problem had been that he was too far ahead of the curve. He realized at a conference that “there’re ideas that are mature, ideas that are maturing, ideas that are past their prime and a category called `predawn.’
"And all of a sudden it hit me,” he told John Heilemann of New York magazine last year. “Most of my political career was spent investing in predawn ideas! I thought, Oh, that’s where I went wrong."
Thank you for gracing us with your existence, Goracle, and we flagellate ourselves for not accepting your wisdom unquestionably...it's from a Maureen Dowd column, in which she wets herself thinking of the possibilities of a Gore presidency, both past and future, while snarking at the administration like a Kos newbie. Thank God that Times Select generally keeps this high-schoolish blather behind an overpriced firewall...
วันเสาร์, มีนาคม 03, 2550
Calling all 9-11 Conspiracy Theorists !
If you think the destruction of the World Trade Center was an "inside job"; then perhaps you can help investigate this military catastrophe - sure, it happened a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, but the expertise and insight you applied to uncover the hidden secrets of the 9/11 attacks may be useful in helping answer the questions posed here:
Why was the rebel pilot who supposedly destroyed the Death Star reported to be on the Death Star days, maybe hours, prior to its destruction? Why was he allowed to escape, and why were several individuals dressed in Stormtrooper uniforms seen helping him?
How could a single missile destroy a battle station the size of a moon? No records, anywhere, show that any battle station or capital ship has ever been destroyed by a single missile. Furthermore, analysis of the tape of the last moments of the Death Star show numerous small explosions along its surface, prior to it exploding completely! Why does all evidence indicate that strategically placed explosives, not a single missile, is what destroyed the Death Star?
Why did Grand Moff Tarkin refuse to deploy the station’s large fleet of TIE Fighters until it was too late? Was he acting on orders from somebody to not shoot down the rebel attack force? If so, who, and why?
Why has there not been an investigation into allegations that Darth Vader, the second-ranking member of the Imperial Government, is in fact the father of the pilot who allegedly destroyed the Death Star?
Why did Lord Vader decide to break all protocols and personally pilot a lightly armored TIE Fighter? Conveniently, this placed Lord Vader outside of the Death Star when it was destroyed, where he was also conveniently able to escape from a large-sized rebel fleet that had just routed the Imperial forces. Why would Lord Vader, one of the highest ranking members of the Imperial Government, suddenly decide to fly away from the Death Star in the middle of a battle? Did he know something that the rest of the Imperial Navy didn’t?
And really, isn't one man's "rebel" just another man's "terrorist"?
This conspiracy needs to be uncovered, and only those "truthers" who have unveiled the Bush / Mossad /Freemason plot behind the attacks of September 11th are qualified to take on an investigation of this scope...
Links here, and here....
Why was the rebel pilot who supposedly destroyed the Death Star reported to be on the Death Star days, maybe hours, prior to its destruction? Why was he allowed to escape, and why were several individuals dressed in Stormtrooper uniforms seen helping him?
How could a single missile destroy a battle station the size of a moon? No records, anywhere, show that any battle station or capital ship has ever been destroyed by a single missile. Furthermore, analysis of the tape of the last moments of the Death Star show numerous small explosions along its surface, prior to it exploding completely! Why does all evidence indicate that strategically placed explosives, not a single missile, is what destroyed the Death Star?
Why did Grand Moff Tarkin refuse to deploy the station’s large fleet of TIE Fighters until it was too late? Was he acting on orders from somebody to not shoot down the rebel attack force? If so, who, and why?
Why has there not been an investigation into allegations that Darth Vader, the second-ranking member of the Imperial Government, is in fact the father of the pilot who allegedly destroyed the Death Star?
Why did Lord Vader decide to break all protocols and personally pilot a lightly armored TIE Fighter? Conveniently, this placed Lord Vader outside of the Death Star when it was destroyed, where he was also conveniently able to escape from a large-sized rebel fleet that had just routed the Imperial forces. Why would Lord Vader, one of the highest ranking members of the Imperial Government, suddenly decide to fly away from the Death Star in the middle of a battle? Did he know something that the rest of the Imperial Navy didn’t?
And really, isn't one man's "rebel" just another man's "terrorist"?
This conspiracy needs to be uncovered, and only those "truthers" who have unveiled the Bush / Mossad /Freemason plot behind the attacks of September 11th are qualified to take on an investigation of this scope...
Links here, and here....
Anyone around here speak French?
This blog seems pretty intense - ANTISEMITISME - with what appears to be some passionate writing and some good examples of those loving Arabic editorial cartoons. Alas, save for a few insults, I know very little French, but for those that can plow their way through it, I would recommend a walk over....
And I guess since we are doing some Saturday morning anti-Semitism, let's go to Augean Stables, where there is a reference to the Alvin Rosenfeld essay on "The New Anti-Semitism" (the same one that got WaPost columnist Richard Cohen so upset that he felt the need to retaliate by...calling all Republicans homophobes?). Some insight into what Rosenfeld calls "rhetorical violence":
Among others on the left, though, an often strident anti-Zionism is part of the ideological package that gives them their political identity. Their inclination to liken Israel to Nazi Germany and white-ruled South Africa–and their frequent excoriations of the Jewish state as guilty of “racism,” “apartheid,” “ethnic cleansing,” “war crimes,” and “genocide” draw from a common lexicon of hyperbolically corrosive speech and have helped to fashion an intellectual and political climate that encourages the demonization of Israel and its supporters.
Seems like he's describing Jimmy Carter, although it can apply to many in the Democratic party, as well as to their heroes in Europe. The language above is often used but rarely condemned; politicians know what purpose it serves, and they support that purpose. Perhaps overtly they don't wish for the destructions of Israel or worldwide Jewry, but they do know that these words galvanize their supporters, and they will offer no rebuke, only weak excuses. Again, just ask Carter, or the Democratic Congressional delegation from Michigan...they'll deny the intent of the words while defending their deployment; and that is all one needs know about their true aims and intentions....
And I guess since we are doing some Saturday morning anti-Semitism, let's go to Augean Stables, where there is a reference to the Alvin Rosenfeld essay on "The New Anti-Semitism" (the same one that got WaPost columnist Richard Cohen so upset that he felt the need to retaliate by...calling all Republicans homophobes?). Some insight into what Rosenfeld calls "rhetorical violence":
Among others on the left, though, an often strident anti-Zionism is part of the ideological package that gives them their political identity. Their inclination to liken Israel to Nazi Germany and white-ruled South Africa–and their frequent excoriations of the Jewish state as guilty of “racism,” “apartheid,” “ethnic cleansing,” “war crimes,” and “genocide” draw from a common lexicon of hyperbolically corrosive speech and have helped to fashion an intellectual and political climate that encourages the demonization of Israel and its supporters.
Seems like he's describing Jimmy Carter, although it can apply to many in the Democratic party, as well as to their heroes in Europe. The language above is often used but rarely condemned; politicians know what purpose it serves, and they support that purpose. Perhaps overtly they don't wish for the destructions of Israel or worldwide Jewry, but they do know that these words galvanize their supporters, and they will offer no rebuke, only weak excuses. Again, just ask Carter, or the Democratic Congressional delegation from Michigan...they'll deny the intent of the words while defending their deployment; and that is all one needs know about their true aims and intentions....
วันศุกร์, มีนาคม 02, 2550
The BBC, Raping the Enviornment...
...well, they do it to the truth, why not to the air we breathe? I wouldn't go so hard on them if they weren't so worked up about Kyoto, global warming, and all the other scare tactics the liberals use in an attempt to bring about a poorer, more destitute planet.
So while the BBC is beating off to Al Gore, and beating up on America, remember the following stats, brought to us by Biased BBC:
I put in a FOI request asking about the air miles the BBC fly, the carbon that this produces, and how the BBC offsets this. Get ready for some amazing numbers (all relate to the last reporting year):
Total UK domestic flights: 17 million miles
Total European flights: 14 million miles
Other flights: 94 million miles
Total air miles: 125 million
Total cost: £15,147,000
TOTAL CO2 EMISSIONS: 25,676,000 Kgs
TOTAL CO2 OFFSET: 0 kgs. Yes, 0 Kg.
The FOI document is here.
The BBC does have a lot in common with their reckless energy-wasting buddy Al Gore, I'd reckon...
Privitations for thee, but not for me...
So while the BBC is beating off to Al Gore, and beating up on America, remember the following stats, brought to us by Biased BBC:
I put in a FOI request asking about the air miles the BBC fly, the carbon that this produces, and how the BBC offsets this. Get ready for some amazing numbers (all relate to the last reporting year):
Total UK domestic flights: 17 million miles
Total European flights: 14 million miles
Other flights: 94 million miles
Total air miles: 125 million
Total cost: £15,147,000
TOTAL CO2 EMISSIONS: 25,676,000 Kgs
TOTAL CO2 OFFSET: 0 kgs. Yes, 0 Kg.
The FOI document is here.
The BBC does have a lot in common with their reckless energy-wasting buddy Al Gore, I'd reckon...
Privitations for thee, but not for me...
National Geographic = Holocaust Deniers ?
Well, since the Boston Globe’s Ellen Goodman compared folks whom insist that more research be done into the global warming phenomenon to Holocaust deniers, we must assume that she now puts National Geographic into the same category. For you see, they had the nerve to report the following:
Simultaneous warming on Earth and Mars suggests that our planet's recent climate changes have a natural—and not a human- induced—cause…
Mars, too, appears to be enjoying more mild and balmy temperatures.
In 2005 data from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor and Odyssey missions revealed that the carbon dioxide "ice caps" near Mars's south pole had been diminishing for three summers in a row.
Habibullo Abdussamatov, head of the St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory in Russia, says the Mars data is evidence that the current global warming on Earth is being caused by changes in the sun.
"The long-term increase in solar irradiance is heating both Earth and Mars," he said.
Abdussamatov believes that changes in the sun's heat output can account for almost all the climate changes we see on both planets.
Mars and Earth, for instance, have experienced periodic ice ages throughout their histories….
But the Goracle should feel no fear, because he has some backup:
"His views are completely at odds with the mainstream scientific opinion," said Colin Wilson, a planetary physicist at England's Oxford University.
Well, why should anyone consider any ideas that are outside of “mainstream opinion”? C’mon - Copernicus, Galileo, Einstein, and Hawking ? Deniers, all of them! I mean, wasn’t the flat earth, with a universe that dutifully circled it, a better place – without all those silly equations and quantum theories to concern ourselves with? Apparently, Goodman and the Goracle must believe so, since we are not permitted to question their science as they lead us back down the road to the Dark Ages...
Bob Krumm has some alternative theories (over-useage of the infamous Illudium Q35 Explosive Space Modulator, perhaps?) for Martian global warming, with photos…!
UPDATE: Another ally of the Goodman/Goracle cabal has appeared in the form of David Ignatius, who again orders those whom dare question liberal scientific research to clam up, because:
The scientific debate about whether there is a global warming problem is pretty much over….Skeptical researchers will continue to question the data, but this isn't a "call both sides for comment" issue anymore. For mainstream science, it's settled.
So another open-minded liberal has now declared he won’t even listen to any dissenting scientific data on the global warming issue. Nice attitude to have on-staff of a major metropolitan newspaper…unless, of course, he’s just signing on to company policy...
Simultaneous warming on Earth and Mars suggests that our planet's recent climate changes have a natural—and not a human- induced—cause…
Mars, too, appears to be enjoying more mild and balmy temperatures.
In 2005 data from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor and Odyssey missions revealed that the carbon dioxide "ice caps" near Mars's south pole had been diminishing for three summers in a row.
Habibullo Abdussamatov, head of the St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory in Russia, says the Mars data is evidence that the current global warming on Earth is being caused by changes in the sun.
"The long-term increase in solar irradiance is heating both Earth and Mars," he said.
Abdussamatov believes that changes in the sun's heat output can account for almost all the climate changes we see on both planets.
Mars and Earth, for instance, have experienced periodic ice ages throughout their histories….
But the Goracle should feel no fear, because he has some backup:
"His views are completely at odds with the mainstream scientific opinion," said Colin Wilson, a planetary physicist at England's Oxford University.
Well, why should anyone consider any ideas that are outside of “mainstream opinion”? C’mon - Copernicus, Galileo, Einstein, and Hawking ? Deniers, all of them! I mean, wasn’t the flat earth, with a universe that dutifully circled it, a better place – without all those silly equations and quantum theories to concern ourselves with? Apparently, Goodman and the Goracle must believe so, since we are not permitted to question their science as they lead us back down the road to the Dark Ages...
Bob Krumm has some alternative theories (over-useage of the infamous Illudium Q35 Explosive Space Modulator, perhaps?) for Martian global warming, with photos…!
UPDATE: Another ally of the Goodman/Goracle cabal has appeared in the form of David Ignatius, who again orders those whom dare question liberal scientific research to clam up, because:
The scientific debate about whether there is a global warming problem is pretty much over….Skeptical researchers will continue to question the data, but this isn't a "call both sides for comment" issue anymore. For mainstream science, it's settled.
So another open-minded liberal has now declared he won’t even listen to any dissenting scientific data on the global warming issue. Nice attitude to have on-staff of a major metropolitan newspaper…unless, of course, he’s just signing on to company policy...
วันพฤหัสบดี, มีนาคม 01, 2550
The Goracle Derides our Truth-Handling !
We can't handle the truth! So the "Goracle" tells us how it is - through a paid spokeswoman, I mean...
Following criticism by a conservative group of Al Gore's large home energy consumption, a Gore spokeswoman defended the former vice president's lifestyle, saying he invests in enough renewable energy to make up for the home's power consumption.
Kreider said Gore purchases enough energy from renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and methane gas to balance 100 percent of his electricity costs.
Gore, who also owns a home in the Washington area, has said he leads a "carbon-neutral lifestyle." To balance out other carbon emissions, the Gores invest money in projects to reduce energy consumption, Kreider said.
And for all of us poor schmucks who can't afford to "purchase" or "invest" to "balance" from renewable energy sources in order to live a guiltless, blameless life while we jet across the globe? Well, for us there's always taxed-to-$4- gasoline, mandatory overpriced flourescent lights, and surcharged SUV's to look forward to..after all, we must bear our burden...
Following criticism by a conservative group of Al Gore's large home energy consumption, a Gore spokeswoman defended the former vice president's lifestyle, saying he invests in enough renewable energy to make up for the home's power consumption.
Kreider said Gore purchases enough energy from renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and methane gas to balance 100 percent of his electricity costs.
Gore, who also owns a home in the Washington area, has said he leads a "carbon-neutral lifestyle." To balance out other carbon emissions, the Gores invest money in projects to reduce energy consumption, Kreider said.
And for all of us poor schmucks who can't afford to "purchase" or "invest" to "balance" from renewable energy sources in order to live a guiltless, blameless life while we jet across the globe? Well, for us there's always taxed-to-$4- gasoline, mandatory overpriced flourescent lights, and surcharged SUV's to look forward to..after all, we must bear our burden...
วันอังคาร, กุมภาพันธ์ 27, 2550
There is No Sacrifice Too Great for the Proletariat !
Sweet Jeebus, we can't even pay our bills, and they're drinking Royal Crown Cola!
Lucky the "Goracle" can afford to pay the bills; must be that fat cash he makes jetting around the globe, telling us we all suck. And yet:
Last night, Al Gore’s global-warming documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, collected an Oscar for best documentary feature, but the Tennessee Center for Policy Research has found that Gore deserves a gold statue for hypocrisy.
Gore’s mansion, [20-room, eight-bathroom] located in the posh Belle Meade area of Nashville, consumes more electricity every month than the average American household uses in an entire year, according to the Nashville Electric Service (NES).
In his documentary, the former Vice President calls on Americans to conserve energy by reducing electricity consumption at home.
The average household in America consumes 10,656 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, according to the Department of Energy. In 2006, Gore devoured nearly 221,000 kWh—more than 20 times the national average.
Since the release of An Inconvenient Truth, Gore’s energy consumption has increased from an average of 16,200 kWh per month in 2005, to 18,400 kWh per month in 2006.
Thanks to Say Anything for the link.
So this is interesting - does Gore want us to cut back on our energy usage so he has more to himself?
Maybe all this enviorn-"mental"-ism is just some kind of psychological blowback; some guilt reaction to what he, The Goracle, has done to singlehandedly help wreck the ecosphere?
If that's the case, then what does all his flying around in private jets (which in one round trip equals the output of 10 SUVs for a year) signify in all this? Besides sheer hypocrisy, of course...
Ah, I don't know...but when the Goracle breaks out of his jet habit, and into a rickshaw, then I might start to take him seriously...
UPDATE: Richard Cohen moans Big Al's name softly, and with delight, but does have his concerns:
....maybe he will become shrill....
Dude! Go for one of those hearing tests! Ever hear five long fingernails scraped slowly, but with purpose, over a blackboard? Next to Gore's voice, that's the singing of summer swallows! And you are afraid he may become shrill?
Ah, love is blind...and deaf too, apparently...
Lucky the "Goracle" can afford to pay the bills; must be that fat cash he makes jetting around the globe, telling us we all suck. And yet:
Last night, Al Gore’s global-warming documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, collected an Oscar for best documentary feature, but the Tennessee Center for Policy Research has found that Gore deserves a gold statue for hypocrisy.
Gore’s mansion, [20-room, eight-bathroom] located in the posh Belle Meade area of Nashville, consumes more electricity every month than the average American household uses in an entire year, according to the Nashville Electric Service (NES).
In his documentary, the former Vice President calls on Americans to conserve energy by reducing electricity consumption at home.
The average household in America consumes 10,656 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, according to the Department of Energy. In 2006, Gore devoured nearly 221,000 kWh—more than 20 times the national average.
Since the release of An Inconvenient Truth, Gore’s energy consumption has increased from an average of 16,200 kWh per month in 2005, to 18,400 kWh per month in 2006.
Thanks to Say Anything for the link.
So this is interesting - does Gore want us to cut back on our energy usage so he has more to himself?
Maybe all this enviorn-"mental"-ism is just some kind of psychological blowback; some guilt reaction to what he, The Goracle, has done to singlehandedly help wreck the ecosphere?
If that's the case, then what does all his flying around in private jets (which in one round trip equals the output of 10 SUVs for a year) signify in all this? Besides sheer hypocrisy, of course...
Ah, I don't know...but when the Goracle breaks out of his jet habit, and into a rickshaw, then I might start to take him seriously...
UPDATE: Richard Cohen moans Big Al's name softly, and with delight, but does have his concerns:
....maybe he will become shrill....
Dude! Go for one of those hearing tests! Ever hear five long fingernails scraped slowly, but with purpose, over a blackboard? Next to Gore's voice, that's the singing of summer swallows! And you are afraid he may become shrill?
Ah, love is blind...and deaf too, apparently...
วันจันทร์, กุมภาพันธ์ 26, 2550
Apologist for Evil
New Jersey local newsrag The Asbury Park Press reprints a column from Gannett News Services' official apologist for Cuba, one Mr. DeWayne Wickham. He tells a tale of Cuba that even the boldest propoganda artist would hesitate to spin; I've highlighted some of the more incredible statements and qoutes:
More than six months after Cuban President Fidel Castro "temporarily" ceded power to brother Raul, Cuba appears to be running on autopilot.
The Galiano shopping district in Central Havana has a steady flow of Cubans. Some have money to spend in the "dollar stores" that offer high-priced consumer goods. But most are there simply to window shop or buy whatever they can afford in the poorly stocked pesos stores where most Cubans shop.
The food shortages, the power blackouts, the desire for a better conditions and the widespread disdain among Cubans for the long-running American economic embargo are all part of the matrix of life in this country.
Castro, the world's longest ruling head of government, may be in failing health, but that hasn't put this nation in a tailspin, as many in Washington and Miami had hoped.
"The Cuban revolution is completely transcendental," Ruben Remigio Ferro, the head of Cuba's Supreme Court, told me. "The revolution is bigger than Fidel. It won't end when Fidel's life ends."
Based on Wicky's biography, he likes to sit down and dine with despots, so this bit of boot-lickery is no surprise:
In February 1999, Wickham traveled to Cuba and had a 6-hour dinner meeting with Fidel Castro. A year later he returned to Cuba and met with Cuban people to gauge the impact of the U.S. embargo.
Ready for some reality, Wicky? You'll get it, via Daimination!...here's your "transcendant revolution", jerk:
...when independent librarians are sent to the gulags, certain confiscated books — and sometimes all books in their libraries — are ordered incinerated by the presiding judge. A biography of Martin Luther King was sent to the flames because, said the judge, it "is based on ideas that could be used to promote social disorder and civil disobedience." And the nonviolent King's own books have been burned.
Even works by Jose Marti, the 19th-century organizer of Cuban independence, have been incinerated. Maybe because of the pamphlet he wrote during his exile in Spain, planning the liberation of his homeland. Marti's pamphlet was about the horrors of political imprisonment in Cuba under a pre-Castro dictator.
Among thousands of other incinerated "subversive" books and pamphlets are those books by George Orwell, Pope John Paul II, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (particularly dangerous) and reports by Human Rights Watch.
But hey! They can window-shop at the dollar stores! So life is good, and all problems can be traced back to the damned Yankees, huh?
I feel for the Cubans; but boy oh boy, apologists like Wicky here are not helping them whatsoever...
More than six months after Cuban President Fidel Castro "temporarily" ceded power to brother Raul, Cuba appears to be running on autopilot.
The Galiano shopping district in Central Havana has a steady flow of Cubans. Some have money to spend in the "dollar stores" that offer high-priced consumer goods. But most are there simply to window shop or buy whatever they can afford in the poorly stocked pesos stores where most Cubans shop.
The food shortages, the power blackouts, the desire for a better conditions and the widespread disdain among Cubans for the long-running American economic embargo are all part of the matrix of life in this country.
Castro, the world's longest ruling head of government, may be in failing health, but that hasn't put this nation in a tailspin, as many in Washington and Miami had hoped.
"The Cuban revolution is completely transcendental," Ruben Remigio Ferro, the head of Cuba's Supreme Court, told me. "The revolution is bigger than Fidel. It won't end when Fidel's life ends."
Based on Wicky's biography, he likes to sit down and dine with despots, so this bit of boot-lickery is no surprise:
In February 1999, Wickham traveled to Cuba and had a 6-hour dinner meeting with Fidel Castro. A year later he returned to Cuba and met with Cuban people to gauge the impact of the U.S. embargo.
Ready for some reality, Wicky? You'll get it, via Daimination!...here's your "transcendant revolution", jerk:
...when independent librarians are sent to the gulags, certain confiscated books — and sometimes all books in their libraries — are ordered incinerated by the presiding judge. A biography of Martin Luther King was sent to the flames because, said the judge, it "is based on ideas that could be used to promote social disorder and civil disobedience." And the nonviolent King's own books have been burned.
Even works by Jose Marti, the 19th-century organizer of Cuban independence, have been incinerated. Maybe because of the pamphlet he wrote during his exile in Spain, planning the liberation of his homeland. Marti's pamphlet was about the horrors of political imprisonment in Cuba under a pre-Castro dictator.
Among thousands of other incinerated "subversive" books and pamphlets are those books by George Orwell, Pope John Paul II, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (particularly dangerous) and reports by Human Rights Watch.
But hey! They can window-shop at the dollar stores! So life is good, and all problems can be traced back to the damned Yankees, huh?
I feel for the Cubans; but boy oh boy, apologists like Wicky here are not helping them whatsoever...
วันอาทิตย์, กุมภาพันธ์ 25, 2550
Anti-Semites Protest Play about...Anti-Semites?
From today's New York Post:
THE Jewish Theater of New York... is in hot water again. The Polish Embassy is up in arms over its upcoming "Last Jew in Europe," Tuvia Tenenbom's tragicomedy about "closet Jews living in a present-day Poland where anti-Semitism is rampant and calls to send Jews to gas chambers go unchallenged."
The embassy says the play could turn American Jews against the Poles and claims that some of the anti-Semitic graffiti photographed in Lodz to publicize the production might have been created by theater staffers.
Tenenbom, whose play opens March 4, calls the charges "wholly insulting and quite unproductive . . . the most horrific of anti-Semitic slurs can be seen today in almost every street in Lodz."
Seems like the Polish Embassy is more concerned about perception than reality; or just afraid of what the infamous Jewish/Zionist lobby might do to their U.S. aid packages should this information get into wider circulation...
Well, there is some documentation here and here, but it dates back a few years. Read here for a slightly more positive outlook...
Yet whom could deny that the "Last Jew..." doesn't sound like an European snuff fantasy flick?
THE Jewish Theater of New York... is in hot water again. The Polish Embassy is up in arms over its upcoming "Last Jew in Europe," Tuvia Tenenbom's tragicomedy about "closet Jews living in a present-day Poland where anti-Semitism is rampant and calls to send Jews to gas chambers go unchallenged."
The embassy says the play could turn American Jews against the Poles and claims that some of the anti-Semitic graffiti photographed in Lodz to publicize the production might have been created by theater staffers.
Tenenbom, whose play opens March 4, calls the charges "wholly insulting and quite unproductive . . . the most horrific of anti-Semitic slurs can be seen today in almost every street in Lodz."
Seems like the Polish Embassy is more concerned about perception than reality; or just afraid of what the infamous Jewish/Zionist lobby might do to their U.S. aid packages should this information get into wider circulation...
Well, there is some documentation here and here, but it dates back a few years. Read here for a slightly more positive outlook...
Yet whom could deny that the "Last Jew..." doesn't sound like an European snuff fantasy flick?
Heroes of the Left - Part XVII
Presenting President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe (the BBC kvells here, British ministers kneel here, even the Voice of America throws softballs)...:
Zimbabwe is reaching the endgame, witnessing the last, desperate throes of a regime that has destroyed one of Africa's few successful economies, plunged millions of people into grinding poverty and led to the deaths of tens of thousands from malnutrition and lack of medical care.
The world's worst hyperinflation is spiralling out of control, bringing shortages of food, fuel, medication and electricity....
Mugabe blames sanctions, drought and former colonizer Britain for the collapse of an economy based on exports of a wealth of agricultural and mineral products.
Others blame land grabs over the past several years in which Mugabe encouraged blacks to violently force out most of the 5,000 white commercial farmers who owned 40 per cent of all agricultural land and produced 75 per cent of agricultural output.
White farmers had employed the country's largest workforce and their ejection led to the displacement of 300,000 families. The farms, most given to Mugabe relatives, allies and cronies, lie fallow today and Zimbabwe does not have the foreign currency to import food.
The World Bank estimates it would take more than 20 years for Zimbabwe's economy to return to levels in 1980, when the country was considered the breadbasket of the region.
The rate of hyperinflation – running at near 1,600 per cent – that economists say soon will be represented by an upright line on a graph has the country in revolt. The number of Zimbabwe dollars that bought a three-bedroom house with a swimming pool and tennis court in 1990 will buy a brick today.
A lifetime public worker's monthly pension can't buy a loaf of bread...
My God, how many more liberal victories can the world absorb?
Toronto Star link via Damian Penny , who posits a few different ends for Mr. Mugabe...
Zimbabwe is reaching the endgame, witnessing the last, desperate throes of a regime that has destroyed one of Africa's few successful economies, plunged millions of people into grinding poverty and led to the deaths of tens of thousands from malnutrition and lack of medical care.
The world's worst hyperinflation is spiralling out of control, bringing shortages of food, fuel, medication and electricity....
Mugabe blames sanctions, drought and former colonizer Britain for the collapse of an economy based on exports of a wealth of agricultural and mineral products.
Others blame land grabs over the past several years in which Mugabe encouraged blacks to violently force out most of the 5,000 white commercial farmers who owned 40 per cent of all agricultural land and produced 75 per cent of agricultural output.
White farmers had employed the country's largest workforce and their ejection led to the displacement of 300,000 families. The farms, most given to Mugabe relatives, allies and cronies, lie fallow today and Zimbabwe does not have the foreign currency to import food.
The World Bank estimates it would take more than 20 years for Zimbabwe's economy to return to levels in 1980, when the country was considered the breadbasket of the region.
The rate of hyperinflation – running at near 1,600 per cent – that economists say soon will be represented by an upright line on a graph has the country in revolt. The number of Zimbabwe dollars that bought a three-bedroom house with a swimming pool and tennis court in 1990 will buy a brick today.
A lifetime public worker's monthly pension can't buy a loaf of bread...
My God, how many more liberal victories can the world absorb?
Toronto Star link via Damian Penny , who posits a few different ends for Mr. Mugabe...
วันเสาร์, กุมภาพันธ์ 24, 2550
The Threat of Empty Threats
An unusual perspective from inside Iran...from that country's Persian-language Ayande-Nou newspaper, we see an editorial expressing grave concern about the aggressive path Iran's leadership is taking, and the possible consequences:
Given the present circumstances, wisdom and expediency require taking steps in a more reasonable and well-thought-out manner. We should neither exaggerate our abilities nor belittle those of the enemy. As a famous proverb says, "there is no small enemy." Over recent months the trend of developments has been noteworthy.
....our officials said that the issue would not be put on the Security Council agenda; but then it was. In the third phase, our officials said that the U.N. would be unable to pass a resolution headlined "5+1=0;" and yet such a resolution was passed [5+1 is in reference to the sponsors of the Security Council resolution].
Rather than trying to wisely diminish the threat, reduce hostilities and increase our small number of allies, we chose an easier way: to sloganeer and withstand the consequences. And finally, they [Iranian officials] described the resolution as a piece of mere trash paper.
But in our country, the overwhelming message of Iranian politics is that there's no need to worry. Some people say that no one can do a damned thing and that in a nuclear confrontation, America will suffer a defeat.
Interestingly, while all attempts have been made to prove that Iran's nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, our security and military officials talk of nuclear war and Iran's victory in such a war.
Just like Don Quixote , we continue to appear optimistic and disseminate information based on this vision, trying in vain to keep the morale of the people high. But it's clear that if we fail to inspect the chess board precisely; if we lack a clear understanding of the existing atmosphere; if we entertain optimism destined to lead to crisis and misunderstanding, then we will lose the game.
A well thought-out and logical analysis - of course, if the Democrats had their way, a binding resolution would pass outlawing any measures of force against Iran, and the concerns listed above would cease to be an issue, and Iran could go happily along its way, building nukes and whistling down the road to their long-dreamed of Holocaust sequel. All the while stringing along fools like Bill Richardson (linked above), who claim we need to address Iran by "speaking credibly from a position of strength", while damning the very strength he claims we need to succeed (a Mitt Romney-type flip, but since Richardson is a Democrat, the media just waves his stupidity through).
Given the present circumstances, wisdom and expediency require taking steps in a more reasonable and well-thought-out manner. We should neither exaggerate our abilities nor belittle those of the enemy. As a famous proverb says, "there is no small enemy." Over recent months the trend of developments has been noteworthy.
....our officials said that the issue would not be put on the Security Council agenda; but then it was. In the third phase, our officials said that the U.N. would be unable to pass a resolution headlined "5+1=0;" and yet such a resolution was passed [5+1 is in reference to the sponsors of the Security Council resolution].
Rather than trying to wisely diminish the threat, reduce hostilities and increase our small number of allies, we chose an easier way: to sloganeer and withstand the consequences. And finally, they [Iranian officials] described the resolution as a piece of mere trash paper.
But in our country, the overwhelming message of Iranian politics is that there's no need to worry. Some people say that no one can do a damned thing and that in a nuclear confrontation, America will suffer a defeat.
Interestingly, while all attempts have been made to prove that Iran's nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, our security and military officials talk of nuclear war and Iran's victory in such a war.
Just like Don Quixote , we continue to appear optimistic and disseminate information based on this vision, trying in vain to keep the morale of the people high. But it's clear that if we fail to inspect the chess board precisely; if we lack a clear understanding of the existing atmosphere; if we entertain optimism destined to lead to crisis and misunderstanding, then we will lose the game.
A well thought-out and logical analysis - of course, if the Democrats had their way, a binding resolution would pass outlawing any measures of force against Iran, and the concerns listed above would cease to be an issue, and Iran could go happily along its way, building nukes and whistling down the road to their long-dreamed of Holocaust sequel. All the while stringing along fools like Bill Richardson (linked above), who claim we need to address Iran by "speaking credibly from a position of strength", while damning the very strength he claims we need to succeed (a Mitt Romney-type flip, but since Richardson is a Democrat, the media just waves his stupidity through).
And yet, unlike Nazi Germany, there seems to be very little public support among the Persian population for the planned Juden-free World Domination that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seeks....it seems like the tension in Iran is bubbling right below the surface....
UPDATE: Here's an example of the empty boasting that our editorial writer above speaks of:
"We do not see America in a position to impose another crisis on its tax payers inside America by starting another war in the region," Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told reporters.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran has prepared itself for any possibility, but insists on constructive cooperation, Mottaki said.
You insist? Well, we'll see....and whose threat is emptier, Mottaki's or Richardson's?
UPDATE II: Richardson, in the Washington Post Op-ed linked above, makes the following false claim:
No nation has ever been forced to renounce nuclear weapons, but many have chosen to do so.
Well, one could say that the Germans were pretty knee-deep in nuclear weapon design/manufacture in the latter days of WWII; and only the carpet-bombing of the German nation prevented a Nazi Nuke. One could also say that while Libya gave up their nuclear weapons program peacefully a few years back, it was only after Gaddafi saw Afghanistan and Iraq overrun by American troops did the lessons that Ronald Reagan taught him in the early '80's resurface.
But why let troublesome things like facts get in the way of a faulty arguement? And who is the media to correct a Democrat, anyway?
UPDATE III: Credit where it is due, always - editorial from Iran via Watching America, an invaluable site for assessing the foreign media's role in anti-Americanism.
วันศุกร์, กุมภาพันธ์ 23, 2550
It Ain't All Bad...
Just trying to provide a little balance in my tiny corner of the 'sphere...
Supporters of US Vice President Dick Cheney hold a banner outside the hotel where he delivered his Australian American Leadership Dialogue in Sydney. Cheney on Saturday met Australian Prime Minister John Howard, one of Washington's staunchest allies, for talks likely to focus on troop deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
วันพฤหัสบดี, กุมภาพันธ์ 22, 2550
Misleading Headline Alert!
This is ridiculous:
Iraq war protests grow before Cheney's Australia trip
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Anti-Iraq war protesters briefly scuffled with police in Sydney on Thursday ahead of a visit by Vice President Dick Cheney, underlining divisions within one of Washington's firmest allies over the unpopular war.
Wow! A scuffle! Must have been some protest, right?
A police spokeswoman said seven people were arrested when police barred up to 200 Stop the War Coalition protesters from marching through Australia's largest city, demanding Prime Minister John Howard pull troops out of Iraq.
200 people? In Australia's largest city? And the protests are growing? Where were they held last week, in the trunk of a frickin' Prius?
Now watch Reuters spin the other way:
Italy president in crisis talks after Prodi quits
Italy's president holds crisis talks with political leaders on Thursday to see if Romano Prodi, who resigned as prime minister after nine months in power, can still head a government or must be replaced.
Prodi, who won the narrowest election in Italy's post-war history last year, quit on Wednesday after he was defeated in the Senate on foreign policy -- a constant source of friction in his nine-party, Catholics-to-communists coalition
But wasn't Prodi a hardcore liberal - an anti-Iraq, pro-EU, pro-appeasemtn, anti-American candidate? What "foreign policy" issues was he smacked down over?
Beats me - 17 paragraphs follow the two I just reprinted, and none of them reveal a hint over what the divisions were....
What is Reuters hiding?
Iraq war protests grow before Cheney's Australia trip
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Anti-Iraq war protesters briefly scuffled with police in Sydney on Thursday ahead of a visit by Vice President Dick Cheney, underlining divisions within one of Washington's firmest allies over the unpopular war.
Wow! A scuffle! Must have been some protest, right?
A police spokeswoman said seven people were arrested when police barred up to 200 Stop the War Coalition protesters from marching through Australia's largest city, demanding Prime Minister John Howard pull troops out of Iraq.
200 people? In Australia's largest city? And the protests are growing? Where were they held last week, in the trunk of a frickin' Prius?
Now watch Reuters spin the other way:
Italy president in crisis talks after Prodi quits
Italy's president holds crisis talks with political leaders on Thursday to see if Romano Prodi, who resigned as prime minister after nine months in power, can still head a government or must be replaced.
Prodi, who won the narrowest election in Italy's post-war history last year, quit on Wednesday after he was defeated in the Senate on foreign policy -- a constant source of friction in his nine-party, Catholics-to-communists coalition
But wasn't Prodi a hardcore liberal - an anti-Iraq, pro-EU, pro-appeasemtn, anti-American candidate? What "foreign policy" issues was he smacked down over?
Beats me - 17 paragraphs follow the two I just reprinted, and none of them reveal a hint over what the divisions were....
What is Reuters hiding?
วันพุธ, กุมภาพันธ์ 21, 2550
The Media and Mitt Romney
The media (or is it primarily the Washington Post?) has been going after Mr. Romney with a vengeance lately - yesterday we posted on a Richard Cohen- penned screed bashing Mitt for his evolving positions (although my post was mainly focused on Cohen's free use of hate-speech); today the WaPost backs him up with a column by Ruth Marcus, who recites an anecdote from over two years ago:
Precisely two years ago, Mitt Romney, then the governor of Massachusetts but already eyeing a 2008 presidential bid, sat in the coffee shop of a Washington hotel, doing his best not to explain his views on abortion.....
She goes on to mock what may very well be some convoluted reasoning, and concludes thusly:
Those considering Romney in 2008 have reason to wonder what a politician who admits so freely to...manipulation is willing to do to win their votes.
Again, not necessarily an unfair statement - but only if evenly applied. How about applying the same standards to Hillary Clinton and her "evolving" poistions on the war, which seem to mutate with each passing day and every new public opinion poll?
Or to John Edwards - the media gushes over his tax-raising health care plan, but never mentions, you know, that multi-millionaire ambulance-chasing lawyers like Edwards have caused the very crisis in healthcare that he/they now claim needs "fixing". At the very least, his new $6 million dollar family compund should be featured (and not in the "Home" section, either!).
And how about Obama - can someone tell me why the media is refusing to question his inexplicable taunts of some of our staunchest overseas allies (messing with John Howard and the Aussies? are you kidding?), and his child-like view of the world in general? Or perhaps he is their idealistic "JFK" for 2008 (see Kerry, John)...and if you want to talk religion( as everyone wants to do with Mitt), perhaps someone could explore Obama's devotion to the quite non-traditional church he belongs to on Chicago's South Side. Maybe Obama's positions have not changed much (started stupid, stayed same), but since he has far less experience than one pilloried ex-Vice President known as J. Danforth Quayle, one would expect a bit more scrutiny...
Again, this blog is not huge on Mitt Romney (we've already endorsed Rudy), and if we were to offer any advice, it would be to...be yourself, a moderate Republican, and see where the chips fall in '08. Don't listen to the pundits that tell you that you need to position yourself "here" or "there" to win votes; the man who is true to himself will gain more supporters than any artifically endorsed positioning.
But my point remains - if you are going to pound Mitt for position shifts, then do the same for the Democratic candidates, or don't do it at all. Otherwise, you may come across as politically biased (and we know that isn't true!), or as just another anti-Mormonite....
Precisely two years ago, Mitt Romney, then the governor of Massachusetts but already eyeing a 2008 presidential bid, sat in the coffee shop of a Washington hotel, doing his best not to explain his views on abortion.....
She goes on to mock what may very well be some convoluted reasoning, and concludes thusly:
Those considering Romney in 2008 have reason to wonder what a politician who admits so freely to...manipulation is willing to do to win their votes.
Again, not necessarily an unfair statement - but only if evenly applied. How about applying the same standards to Hillary Clinton and her "evolving" poistions on the war, which seem to mutate with each passing day and every new public opinion poll?
Or to John Edwards - the media gushes over his tax-raising health care plan, but never mentions, you know, that multi-millionaire ambulance-chasing lawyers like Edwards have caused the very crisis in healthcare that he/they now claim needs "fixing". At the very least, his new $6 million dollar family compund should be featured (and not in the "Home" section, either!).
And how about Obama - can someone tell me why the media is refusing to question his inexplicable taunts of some of our staunchest overseas allies (messing with John Howard and the Aussies? are you kidding?), and his child-like view of the world in general? Or perhaps he is their idealistic "JFK" for 2008 (see Kerry, John)...and if you want to talk religion( as everyone wants to do with Mitt), perhaps someone could explore Obama's devotion to the quite non-traditional church he belongs to on Chicago's South Side. Maybe Obama's positions have not changed much (started stupid, stayed same), but since he has far less experience than one pilloried ex-Vice President known as J. Danforth Quayle, one would expect a bit more scrutiny...
Again, this blog is not huge on Mitt Romney (we've already endorsed Rudy), and if we were to offer any advice, it would be to...be yourself, a moderate Republican, and see where the chips fall in '08. Don't listen to the pundits that tell you that you need to position yourself "here" or "there" to win votes; the man who is true to himself will gain more supporters than any artifically endorsed positioning.
But my point remains - if you are going to pound Mitt for position shifts, then do the same for the Democratic candidates, or don't do it at all. Otherwise, you may come across as politically biased (and we know that isn't true!), or as just another anti-Mormonite....
วันอังคาร, กุมภาพันธ์ 20, 2550
Insult !
Mr. Richard Cohen goes after Republicans with a hateful slur while writing an article trashing Mitt Romney:
....And in a letter written in 1994 to the Log Cabin Republicans, he looked forward to the day when gays and lesbians could serve "openly and honestly in our nation's military." That day will not come should he become president, he has said recently. Peering into the homophobic heart of GOP primary voters, Romney now thinks gays ought to stay in the closet. He has changed his mind.
F*ck you, Cohen. How dare you use a general slur like "homophobic" against everyone who dares to thwart your will and vote in the Republican primaries? Can I expect you use the phrase "terror-appeasing" to describe every Democratic voter that trudges to the polls to vote for their favorite surrender-monkey?
Making this all the more unbelieveable is that Cohen has complained about being called an anti-Semite after writing a few columns on the need for Israel to cease to exist. Yet he turns around and charges, with no apparent irony(or basis in fact), all Republicans with hate crimes.
Here's his whining about the backlash he suffered, incidentally:
So it comes as a surprise that has the force of a mugging to be accused of aiding the very people I so hate -- of being an abettor of something called "The New Anti-Semitism."
....Certain prominent American Jews -- the historian Tony Judt, the playwright Tony Kushner, the poet Adrienne Rich and I, among others -- were charged with aiding anti-Semitism with our writings. We were, in other words, enablers. As if that was not bad enough, Shulamit Reinharz, a Brandeis University professor and a columnist for a Jewish weekly, dispensed totally with Rosenfeld's qualification. She told the Boston Globe that all of us mentioned in the AJC report are just plain anti-Semites.
Well, Cohen, it has hit me with the force of a mugging that I am labeled as a "homophobe" because I share different views than you about overt homosexuality's place in society. Seems like you can't take it, yet continue to dish it out furiously. If you don't like labels, than don't apply them to others, especially folk you do not know, or apprently even care to understand. Or does your left-of-center hatred of all things rightward simply blind you to the world you are creating with your incindenary columns?
Read the article - he bashes poor Mitt Romney for "flip-flops" that Hillary Clinton has been commiting on a daily basis since she began running for president (in 2000?) but apparently gets a pass for... not to mention the potshots he takes at Romney's commitment to his religion.
Cohen is pathetic, and as I said in the post linked above, more than a bit sick, and more than a bit racist....
UPDATE: If Richard Cohen wasn't such a left-wing self-loathing Jew, maybe he'd have the courage to go after this guy. Based on his comments, he's one of the people you "so hate". Or is that hatred only reserved for American conservatives?
....And in a letter written in 1994 to the Log Cabin Republicans, he looked forward to the day when gays and lesbians could serve "openly and honestly in our nation's military." That day will not come should he become president, he has said recently. Peering into the homophobic heart of GOP primary voters, Romney now thinks gays ought to stay in the closet. He has changed his mind.
F*ck you, Cohen. How dare you use a general slur like "homophobic" against everyone who dares to thwart your will and vote in the Republican primaries? Can I expect you use the phrase "terror-appeasing" to describe every Democratic voter that trudges to the polls to vote for their favorite surrender-monkey?
Making this all the more unbelieveable is that Cohen has complained about being called an anti-Semite after writing a few columns on the need for Israel to cease to exist. Yet he turns around and charges, with no apparent irony(or basis in fact), all Republicans with hate crimes.
Here's his whining about the backlash he suffered, incidentally:
So it comes as a surprise that has the force of a mugging to be accused of aiding the very people I so hate -- of being an abettor of something called "The New Anti-Semitism."
....Certain prominent American Jews -- the historian Tony Judt, the playwright Tony Kushner, the poet Adrienne Rich and I, among others -- were charged with aiding anti-Semitism with our writings. We were, in other words, enablers. As if that was not bad enough, Shulamit Reinharz, a Brandeis University professor and a columnist for a Jewish weekly, dispensed totally with Rosenfeld's qualification. She told the Boston Globe that all of us mentioned in the AJC report are just plain anti-Semites.
Well, Cohen, it has hit me with the force of a mugging that I am labeled as a "homophobe" because I share different views than you about overt homosexuality's place in society. Seems like you can't take it, yet continue to dish it out furiously. If you don't like labels, than don't apply them to others, especially folk you do not know, or apprently even care to understand. Or does your left-of-center hatred of all things rightward simply blind you to the world you are creating with your incindenary columns?
Read the article - he bashes poor Mitt Romney for "flip-flops" that Hillary Clinton has been commiting on a daily basis since she began running for president (in 2000?) but apparently gets a pass for... not to mention the potshots he takes at Romney's commitment to his religion.
Cohen is pathetic, and as I said in the post linked above, more than a bit sick, and more than a bit racist....
UPDATE: If Richard Cohen wasn't such a left-wing self-loathing Jew, maybe he'd have the courage to go after this guy. Based on his comments, he's one of the people you "so hate". Or is that hatred only reserved for American conservatives?
วันจันทร์, กุมภาพันธ์ 19, 2550
The Visions and Prophecies of George Washington
Something spooky for President's Day....as written in George Washington's memoirs, and thus recorded at the Library of Congress - a vision presented to him in the cold days of 1777:
"This afternoon, as I was sitting at this table engaged in preparing a dispatch, something seemed to disturb me. Looking up, I beheld standing opposite me a singularly beautiful female. S o astonished was I, for I had given strict orders not to be disturbed, that it was some moments before I found language to inquire the cause of her presence. A second, a third and even a fourth time did I repeat my question, but received no answer from my mysterious visitor except a slight raising of her eyes....All I could do was to gaze steadily, vacantly at my unknown visitor...Gradually the surrounding atmosphere seemed as if it had become filled with sensations, and luminous....
"....`Son of the Republic' said the same mysterious voice as before, `look and learn,' At that moment I beheld a dark, shadowy being, like an angel, standing, or rather floating in mid-air, between Europe and America. Dipping water out of the ocean in the hollow of each hand, he sprinkled some upon America with his right hand, while with his left hand he cast some on Europe. Immediately a cloud raised from these countries, and joined in mid-ocean. For a while it remained stationary, and then moved slowly westward, until it enveloped America in its murky folds. Sharp flashes of lightning gleamed through it at intervals, and I heard the smothered groans and cries of the American people.
"A second time the angel dipped water from the ocean, and sprinkled it out as before. The dark cloud was then drawn back to the ocean, in whose heaving billows it sank from view..."
"And again I heard the mysterious voice saying, `Son of the Republic, look and learn.' At this the dark, shadowy angel placed a trumpet to his mouth, and blew three distinct blasts; and taking water from the ocean, he sprinkled it upon Europe, Asia and Africa. Then my eyes beheld a fearful scene: from each of these countries arose thick, black clouds that were soon joined into one.
Throughout this mass there gleamed a dark red light by which I saw hordes of armed men, who, moving with the cloud, marched by land and sailed by sea to America. Our country was enveloped in this volume of cloud, and I saw these vast armies devastate the whole country and burn the villages, towns and cities that I beheld springing up. As my ears listened to the thundering of the cannon, clashing of swords, and the shouts and cries of millions in mortal combat, I heard again the mysterious voice saying, `Son of the Republic, look and learn.' When the voice had ceased, the dark shadowy angel placed his trumpet once more to his mouth, and blew a long and fearful blast...
"The scene instantly began to fade and dissolve, and I at last saw nothing but the rising, curling vapor I at first beheld. This also disappearing, I found myself once more gazing upon the mysterious visitor, who, in the same voice I had heard before, said, `Son of the Republic, what you have seen is thus interpreted: three great perils will come upon the Republic. The most fearful is the third, but in this greatest conflict the whole world united shall not prevail against her. Let every child of the Republic learn to live for his God, his land and the Union. With these words the vision vanished, and I started from my seat and felt that I had seen a vision wherein had been shown to me the birth, progress and destiny of the United States."
Is it just me, or is the great General's apocalyptic vision of a "third peril" one that seems as if it could befall us at any minute?
Or do all whom ever live, believe that their times are the end times?
"This afternoon, as I was sitting at this table engaged in preparing a dispatch, something seemed to disturb me. Looking up, I beheld standing opposite me a singularly beautiful female. S o astonished was I, for I had given strict orders not to be disturbed, that it was some moments before I found language to inquire the cause of her presence. A second, a third and even a fourth time did I repeat my question, but received no answer from my mysterious visitor except a slight raising of her eyes....All I could do was to gaze steadily, vacantly at my unknown visitor...Gradually the surrounding atmosphere seemed as if it had become filled with sensations, and luminous....
"....`Son of the Republic' said the same mysterious voice as before, `look and learn,' At that moment I beheld a dark, shadowy being, like an angel, standing, or rather floating in mid-air, between Europe and America. Dipping water out of the ocean in the hollow of each hand, he sprinkled some upon America with his right hand, while with his left hand he cast some on Europe. Immediately a cloud raised from these countries, and joined in mid-ocean. For a while it remained stationary, and then moved slowly westward, until it enveloped America in its murky folds. Sharp flashes of lightning gleamed through it at intervals, and I heard the smothered groans and cries of the American people.
"A second time the angel dipped water from the ocean, and sprinkled it out as before. The dark cloud was then drawn back to the ocean, in whose heaving billows it sank from view..."
"And again I heard the mysterious voice saying, `Son of the Republic, look and learn.' At this the dark, shadowy angel placed a trumpet to his mouth, and blew three distinct blasts; and taking water from the ocean, he sprinkled it upon Europe, Asia and Africa. Then my eyes beheld a fearful scene: from each of these countries arose thick, black clouds that were soon joined into one.
Throughout this mass there gleamed a dark red light by which I saw hordes of armed men, who, moving with the cloud, marched by land and sailed by sea to America. Our country was enveloped in this volume of cloud, and I saw these vast armies devastate the whole country and burn the villages, towns and cities that I beheld springing up. As my ears listened to the thundering of the cannon, clashing of swords, and the shouts and cries of millions in mortal combat, I heard again the mysterious voice saying, `Son of the Republic, look and learn.' When the voice had ceased, the dark shadowy angel placed his trumpet once more to his mouth, and blew a long and fearful blast...
"The scene instantly began to fade and dissolve, and I at last saw nothing but the rising, curling vapor I at first beheld. This also disappearing, I found myself once more gazing upon the mysterious visitor, who, in the same voice I had heard before, said, `Son of the Republic, what you have seen is thus interpreted: three great perils will come upon the Republic. The most fearful is the third, but in this greatest conflict the whole world united shall not prevail against her. Let every child of the Republic learn to live for his God, his land and the Union. With these words the vision vanished, and I started from my seat and felt that I had seen a vision wherein had been shown to me the birth, progress and destiny of the United States."
Is it just me, or is the great General's apocalyptic vision of a "third peril" one that seems as if it could befall us at any minute?
Or do all whom ever live, believe that their times are the end times?
วันอาทิตย์, กุมภาพันธ์ 18, 2550
Ru-dee! Ru-dee! Ru-dee...!
New York, circa 1992, was considered, literally, an "ungovernable" city (made all the worse so by the disasterous reign of former mayor David Dinkins). Enter stage right one Rudy Giuliani, and watch a city often compared (negatively) against third-world nations become a low-crime, business-friendly, family-themed Disneyland of the Northeast. Any wonder why he's looking like the most likely candidate in the field to be taking the oath in January '09? George Will:
....for many months commentators have said that when the Republican base learns the facts about Rudy Giuliani's personal life (an annulled first marriage, a messy divorce, then a third marriage) and views on social issues (for abortion rights, gay rights and gun control, in each case with limits), support for him will evaporate. But such commentary is becoming self-refuting. The insistent reiteration of it during Giuliani's coast-to-coast campaigning is telling activist Republicans -- the sort of people who read political commentary -- the facts about Giuliani. And so far those facts are not causing a recoil from him: According to the USA Today-Gallup poll, his lead over John McCain has grown from 31 percent to 27 percent in November to 40-24 today.
And despite the media's attempt to portray all conservatives as "Christofascists" (sorry, John Edwards!), Will explains the nuance that the MSM is too thick to grasp:
People for whom opposition to abortion is very important might, however, think that in wartime it is not supremely important...
More on Rudy's accomplishments in an essay by Steven Malanga in today's New York Post:
NOT since Teddy Roosevelt took on Tammany Hall a century ago has a New York politician closely linked to urban reform looked like presidential timber...
He ran New York with a conservative's priorities - and delivered reform to a degree unprecedented in modern U.S. history. All while facing perhaps the only American media and political establishment even more liberal than the national one.
Over the last century, millions of people from all over the world have come to New York City," Giuliani once observed. "They didn't come here to be taken care of and to be dependent on city government. They came here for the freedom to take care of themselves....
TO those of us who observed Giuliani from the beginning, it was astonishing how fully he followed through on his conservative principles once elected - no matter how much he upset elite opinion, no matter how often radical advocates took to the streets in protest, no matter how many veiled (and not so veiled) threats that incendiary figures like Al Sharpton made against him and no matter how often The New York Times fulminated against his policies.
And while another canard in the anybody-but-Rudy campaign is that "no blacks will ever vote for him", one important fact should be made crystal clear:
For Giuliani, "the most fundamental of civil rights is the guarantee that government can give you a reasonable degree of safety."
Giuliani was responsible for:
...a historic drop in crime far beyond what anyone could have imagined - with total crime down by some 64 percent during the Giuliani years, and murder (the most reliable crime statistic) down 67 percent, from 1,960 in 1992 to 640 in Giuliani's last year.
How many of those 1300 lives saved annually were black? How much did Rudy's crackdown on crime actually improve the quality of life for all black citizens of New York, the segment most likely to be a crime victim in the pre-Rudy years? My bet (hope might be a better word) is that some black leaders will wake up to this and support Rudy, rather than falling back on annual Democratic assurances of renewed race-grievances and additional job-training centers...Sharpton, in eight years of battling with Rudy Giuliani, was never able to get the upper hand on him; why would anybody follow his lead now?
Now, together with me...Ru-dee! Ru-dee! Ru-dee!
....for many months commentators have said that when the Republican base learns the facts about Rudy Giuliani's personal life (an annulled first marriage, a messy divorce, then a third marriage) and views on social issues (for abortion rights, gay rights and gun control, in each case with limits), support for him will evaporate. But such commentary is becoming self-refuting. The insistent reiteration of it during Giuliani's coast-to-coast campaigning is telling activist Republicans -- the sort of people who read political commentary -- the facts about Giuliani. And so far those facts are not causing a recoil from him: According to the USA Today-Gallup poll, his lead over John McCain has grown from 31 percent to 27 percent in November to 40-24 today.
And despite the media's attempt to portray all conservatives as "Christofascists" (sorry, John Edwards!), Will explains the nuance that the MSM is too thick to grasp:
People for whom opposition to abortion is very important might, however, think that in wartime it is not supremely important...
More on Rudy's accomplishments in an essay by Steven Malanga in today's New York Post:
NOT since Teddy Roosevelt took on Tammany Hall a century ago has a New York politician closely linked to urban reform looked like presidential timber...
He ran New York with a conservative's priorities - and delivered reform to a degree unprecedented in modern U.S. history. All while facing perhaps the only American media and political establishment even more liberal than the national one.
Over the last century, millions of people from all over the world have come to New York City," Giuliani once observed. "They didn't come here to be taken care of and to be dependent on city government. They came here for the freedom to take care of themselves....
TO those of us who observed Giuliani from the beginning, it was astonishing how fully he followed through on his conservative principles once elected - no matter how much he upset elite opinion, no matter how often radical advocates took to the streets in protest, no matter how many veiled (and not so veiled) threats that incendiary figures like Al Sharpton made against him and no matter how often The New York Times fulminated against his policies.
And while another canard in the anybody-but-Rudy campaign is that "no blacks will ever vote for him", one important fact should be made crystal clear:
For Giuliani, "the most fundamental of civil rights is the guarantee that government can give you a reasonable degree of safety."
Giuliani was responsible for:
...a historic drop in crime far beyond what anyone could have imagined - with total crime down by some 64 percent during the Giuliani years, and murder (the most reliable crime statistic) down 67 percent, from 1,960 in 1992 to 640 in Giuliani's last year.
How many of those 1300 lives saved annually were black? How much did Rudy's crackdown on crime actually improve the quality of life for all black citizens of New York, the segment most likely to be a crime victim in the pre-Rudy years? My bet (hope might be a better word) is that some black leaders will wake up to this and support Rudy, rather than falling back on annual Democratic assurances of renewed race-grievances and additional job-training centers...Sharpton, in eight years of battling with Rudy Giuliani, was never able to get the upper hand on him; why would anybody follow his lead now?
Now, together with me...Ru-dee! Ru-dee! Ru-dee!
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