Letter from George Bush

One of the posters on Conflicting Views ( link on sidebar ) , Bonaparte , posted this satirical letter today . What do you think about it ? I think it is funny and a great response to the critics of our "treatment" of the incarcerated extremists .

Letter from George Bush............
A Lady liberal wrote a lot of letters to the White House complaining about the treatment captive insurgent terrorists being held in Guantanamo Bay. She received back the following reply:

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, D.C. 20016

Dear Concerned Citizen,

Thank you for your recent letter roundly criticizing our treatment of the Taliban and Al Quada detainees currently being held at Guantanamo Bay,Cuba.

Our administration takes these matters seriously and your opinion was heard loud and clear here in Washington.

You'll be pleased to learn that, thanks to the concerns of citizens like yourself, we are creating a new division of the Terrorist Retraining Program to be called the "Liberals Accept Responsibility for Killers" program, or LARK for short.

In accordance with the guidelines of this new program, we have decided to place one terrorist under your personal care.

Your personal detainee has been selected and scheduled for transportation under heavily armed guard to your residence next Monday.

Ali Mohammed Ahmed bin Mahmud (you can just call him Ahmed) is to be cared for pursuant to the standards you personally demanded in your letter of complaint. It will likely be necessary for you to hire some assistant caretakers. We will conduct weekly inspections to ensure that your standards of care for Ahmed are commensurate with those you so strongly recommended in your letter. Although Ahmed is a sociopath and extremely violent, we hope that your sensitivity to what you described as his "attitudinal problem" will help him overcome these character flaws. Perhaps you are correct in describing these problems as mere cultural differences. We understand that you plan to offer counselling and home schooling.

Your adopted terrorist is extremely proficient in hand-to-hand combat and can extinguish human life with such simple items as a pencil or nail clippers. We advise that you do not ask him to demonstrate these skills at your next yoga group. He is also expert at making a wide variety of explosive devices from common household products, so you may wish to keep those items locked up, unless (in your opinion) this might offend him.

Ahmed will not wish to interact with you or your daughters (except sexually) since he views all females as a subhuman form of property. This is a particularly sensitive subject for him and he has been known to show violent tendencies around women who fail to comply with the new dress code that he will recommend as more appropriate attire.

I'm sure you will come to enjoy the anonymity offered by the burka -- over time.

Just remember that it is all part of "respecting his culture and his religious beliefs". Wasn't that how you put it?

Thanks again for your letter. We truly appreciate it when folks like you keep us informed of the proper way to do our job. You take good care of Ahmed - and remember, we'll be watching.

Good luck!

Cordially, your friend,

GEORGE W. BUSH

More on the Cop Killer

The Mexican consulate hired an attorney to represent a man accused of killing a Houston police officer, KPRC Local 2 reported.

Juan Quintero, 32, was in court Friday. The Mexican consulate asked the judge to have its lawyer represent Quintero.

Quintero is an illegal immigrant who was deported in 1999 but sneaked back into the country, according to authorities.

Houston police officer Rodney Johnson, 40, was shot and killed during a traffic stop in the 9300 block of Randolph Street near Braniff Street on Sept. 21.

Investigators said Quintero shot Johnson four times in the head while sitting in the back of the officer's patrol car.

Quintero has a criminal past, including the sexual abuse of a child in 1996.

FromClick2Houston.com

Houston cop killer situation

I need to get more info on this case before I make any more comments than this ---
The killer , who is an illegal immigrant , was assigned two attorneys by the judge since he is too poor to afford legal representation .
NOW - the Mexican government has hired an attorney for him , and my question is going to be - why does our tax money need to be spent on attorneys if he has a whole government behind him ?

More to come ..........

Reid Got $1M in Land Sale

Democrats often complain of Republicans playing fast and loose with money and influence . Seems Reid might be guilty of the same shenanigans himself .
read this exclusive AP story in My Way News .

Partisan/bipartisan

Partisan - When Republicans don't agree with Dimocrats.

Bi-partisan - When Republicans agree with Dimocrats.

Principled opposition - When Dimocrats don't agree with Republicans.

I "borrowed" this from Grouchy Old Cripple .
Things have been this way in Congress for a long time . And both parties follow these definitions unfortunately . Liberals especially like to label things they don't like "partisan" , as if Republicans should always agree with Democrats . The two-party system doesn't seem to exist in their minds . Seldom is any true bi-partisan effort seen .
I would like to see some real co-operation sometime . I am afraid the Republicans are going to find themselves in a bind soon if the Democrats make any gains in the mid-term elections . Since neither side wants to work together , a split Congress is going to be our fate for at least 2 more years .

So- Mexico doesn't like the FENCE ?

Mexican leaders are thinking about taking the fence issue to the UN ! How do they think our building a fence is something the UN should have any say about ? They don't want the free flow of Mexicans stemmed , mainly because of the $$ sent back home by the illegals . It is a major part of the Mexican economy after all . They will do nothing to slow or stop this , so we must .
This article in The Washington Post reveals their hopes that the UN will stop the FENCE . Hell , the UN can't stop anything without half a dozen or more "Resolutions" that only waste time and never seem to have any effect .

But Ruben Aguilar, the spokesman for Mexican President Vicente Fox, said Thursday that Mexico had ruled out that possibility. He added he was "confident" the additional fencing would never become a reality because an immigration accord would eventually replace it.

What accord might be reached is unknown , since Mexico wants almost free passage for workers , rather than any plan that makes any sense to most Americans . I say we need as many obstacles to illegal immigration as we can use , and even the Dept. of Homeland security's " virtual fence" earlier proposed would not be enough .

THIS IS JUST CRAZY !!!

A mother used her own baby as a weapon in a domestic dispute ! "...swinging the infant through the air and striking her boyfriend with the child ..."
The baby boy suffered a cracked skull . What thought process made her think that was something to do ?
Read about it in this article from Breitbart.com .

Vacation

My wife and I both have been ( and still are ) on vacation , so not much posting lately because we have been doing lots of things together and going places . Today we went to a Sysco Food Service show in Houston . She is a cafeteria manager . We sampled many different foods and such and walked a lot .

Friday we are going to Round Top , Tx. , for the annual antique weekend that happens there and in the surrounding towns each year . I hope to find more old tools for the collection and to sell .

I will get back to politics soon .

Film of 9-11 bombers

Five years after 9-11 a film of Mohammed Atta , and other members of the group has surfaced , showing them at Bin Laden's Afghanistan headquarters . This Sunday Times article has a link to the video .
It is the first time that a videotape has appeared of Mohammed Atta — who flew an American Airlines plane into the north tower of the World Trade Center — at a training camp in Afghanistan. It fills in a significant gap in the timing of the build-up to the attacks on the United States.

Dates on the tape show Atta was filmed on January 18, 2000, together with Ziad Jarrah, the pilot of United Airlines flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania after the passengers apparently stormed the flight deck.

The Sunday Times has obtained a copy of the video through a previously tested channel. The tape has no soundtrack and a US source said lip readers had tried without success to decipher what was being said.

Link here .

Bush lied ?

I know we all have heard the rebuttals , but here is a montage of others who also lied , if Bush did .

Ugly reality of the Left

This is from Alain's Newsletter admittedly conservative , christian , and politically active . I was led here by a post by Drnaline , a poster at Conflicting Views an ever increasingly popular political discussion forum .

Meanwhile, as a result of that now infamous interview with Fox reporter Chris Wallace, former President Bill Clinton further exemplified the ugly reality of the American left.

During his two terms in office, Clinton did indeed diligently pursue those he considered his enemies, though their ranks were almost entirely comprised of Conservative and Christian political organizations whom he hounded with the full power of the FBI and IRS.

This is exactly why Americans should watch closely as the Left spews their hatred for Bush and Republicans . The voting public should be aware of the real agenda of the Left , and hopefuly refrain from voting for them .

Condi Blasts Clinton !

After his interview with Wallace , in which Clinton got angry for being asked a question he didn't want to answer ( and never did answer , by the way ) , the fur began to fly !
Conoleeza Rice made several responses to Clinton's claims in this
Article reported by The New York Post Online Edition .
Clinton supporters are crowing over his "handling" of Wallace , but he has done himself no good at all . Liars continue to lie , especially when cornered as Clinton was . Angry , red-faced , and overbearing in response to civil questioning is central to his character and that of many liberals .

NIE report says we are not safer?

Recent media reports that intelligence agencies say we are not safer now than before 9-11 are all over the place in the last few days . We would be wise to reserve judgement on this subject . We don't have the complete report to read and discuss , only parts and pieces promoted mainly by opponents of the administration .
Read this article from MyWaynews.com .
"The New York Times' characterization of the NIE is not representative of the complete document," said White House spokesman Peter Watkins.

He declined to comment on information contained in the classified document.

U.S. intelligence chief John Negroponte said news reports on the NIE characterize "only a small handful" of the conclusions from a broad strategic assessment of global terrorism.

"The conclusions of the intelligence community are designed to be comprehensive and viewing them through the narrow prism of a fraction of judgments distorts the broad framework they create," Negroponte said in a statement.

Negroponte said the analysis found that if the U.S. effort to establish a stable government in Iraq succeeded, jihadists would be weakened and "fewer jihadists will leave Iraq determined to carry on the fight elsewhere."

Hezbollah rearmed, Nasrallah tells rally

What did I say just a few weeks ago ? The end of the "unfortunate incidents" in southern Lebanon would give Hezbollah time to rearm themselves and get ready to fight again . The UN peace-keeping effort has only done just that , given them the opportunity to retrench .
Read this in The Boston Globe .

No army in the world will be able to make us drop the weapons from our hands! Nasrallah shouted.

More Unbelievable !!

Clinton faults Bush for inaction on bin Laden !
From Reuters comes an article in which it is reported that Clinton faults Bush for INACTION on Bin Laden , and defends his own efforts to capture or kill him !

Now if you want to criticize me for one thing, you can criticize me for this: after the Cole, I had battle plans drawn to go into Afghanistan, overthrow the Taliban and launch a full-scale attack search for bin Laden. But we needed basing rights in Uzbekistan -- which we got after 9/11,... Clinton said.

What a crock ! Twisting of truths to cover for his own failures is what I call it .

Now , today we are hearing that Bin Laden MAY have died last month from typhoid fever in Afghanistan . This article , also from Reuters tells us that we cannot confirm such reports .
The French regional daily L'Est Republicain reported that, according to a French secret service report, Saudi Arabia is convinced bin Laden died of typhoid in Pakistan in late August. The French government has said it could not confirm the report and would investigate the intelligence leak .

Unbelievable !

Charlie Rangel and Nancy Pelosi speak out against Chavez ?

RANGEL: AN ATTACK ON BUSH IS AN ATTACK ON ALL AMERICANS... 'You do not come into my country, my congressional district, and you do not condemn my president. If there is any criticism of President Bush, it should be restricted to Americans, whether they voted for him or not. I just want to make it abundantly clear to Hugo Chavez or any other president, do not come to the United States and think because we have problems with our president that any foreigner can come to our country and not think that Americans do not feel offended when you offend our Chief of State'...

"Hugo Chavez fancies himself a modern day Simon Bolivar but all he is an everyday thug," House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said at a news conference, referring to Chavez' comments in a U.N. General Assembly speech on Wednesday.

"Hugo Chavez abused the privilege that he had, speaking at the United Nations," said Pelosi, a frequent Bush critic. "He demeaned himself and he demeaned Venezuela."

And unless I missed it somehow , the Bush administration has been quiet about the statements of Chavez at the UN .
We are constantly offended by statements by Chavez , Ahmadinejad , and others , but we don't go to their countries and plan their destruction , nor demean their leaders and politicians . If any leader or plain citizen of the US did so , he would be at least thrown out , or more likely thrown in jail or killed immediately . They do that to their own citizens that oppose their policies already . What would we expect from them in a case like this ?

Where is the Bush response to Chavez , et al ? Bolton ( mild-mannerdly at that ) did make a statement soon after Chavez's speech , but it was in the vein of : " ..won't stoop to his level " ( paraphrasing here ) , and is not enough response in my opinion .

Have you seen the Other Iraq?

Heard about this on Michael Medved's radio show .
The Other Iraq - Iraqi-Kurdistan

Take a look at this article about their ad campaigns . They actually thank us for our involvement in Iraq and the Middle east , and celebrating Democracy . Unlike other Iraquis . This is the goal of our efforts in the war on terror , to build democracy in that part of the world .

Talking to a Wall ?

Bush calls on Middle East to reject extremism
"President Bush on Tuesday called for Muslims and other residents of the Middle East to reject extremism and empower "voices of moderation," offering the latest defense of his "freedom agenda" that has rankled allies abroad and drawn criticism from Democrats at home."

"In a speech at the opening of the annual U.N. General Assembly debate, Bush singled out Iran, Syria and militia groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas as obstacles to reform and supporters of terrorism, vowing again that Iran must not be allowed to pursue nuclear weapons."

"Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, in a speech Tuesday evening, lashed out at the U.S and Israel, accusing both nations of using the Security Council as an instrument of oppression."

"Ahmadinejad, who was not present for Bush's address, condemned the U.S. for acting as "judge, jury and executioner" on Iran's nuclear program, which he defended as "transparent, peaceful and under the watchful eyes" of U.N. inspectors."

Here are people who have for many years called for the destruction of Israel , converting the West to Islam "by the sword" , and daily kill their own people with suicide bombs , claiming they are "peaceful" and that we are the terrorists !
How many westerners have worn and detonated bombs?
How many westerners have bombed embassies ?
How many westerners have sent planes into buildings with the intent of killing ?
How many westerners have publicly cut off the heads of enemies ?

Time to move the Mississippi ?

Another result of the destruction caused by Katrina is a revisiting of plans that have been brought up in the past .
"Scientists have long said the only way to restore Louisiana’s vanishing wetlands is to undo the elaborate levee system that controls the Mississippi River, not with the small projects that have been tried here and there, but with a massive diversion that would send the muddy river flooding wholesale into the state’s sediment-starved marshes."

Vincent Laforet for The New York Times
Many scientists advocate diverting the Mississippi River below New Orleans, where towns like Pilottown, above, sit along the delta.
And most of them have long dismissed the idea as impractical, unaffordable and lethal to the region’s economy. Now, they are reconsidering. In fact, when a group of researchers convened last April to consider the fate of the Louisiana coast, their recommendation was unanimous: divert the river.

Far from rejecting the idea, state officials have embraced it, motivated not just by the lessons of Hurricane Katrina but also by growing fears that global climate change will bring rising seas, accelerating land loss and worse weather."

I think this may be just the thing for Louisiana . It COULD be a project that helps rejuvenate the state , if it can be done without pork politics getting in the way , but that might be impossible in Louisiana .
Get people working again , rebuild the landscape , and hopefully make a start toward alleviating the effect of future storms and subsidence . It will take a long time and cost a lot of money .

Another site to visit

My friend Boss has started a new forum for street cruisers of all types .
American Muscle-Street Cruizin'
From Camaros to Chargers to Mustangs and everything else in between. Got an American car or truck? Whether its showroom new or a pile of parts this is the spot to cruize into with general talk , tuner info , pics , and good friendly fun . His site is only a few days old and has already begun to be a site to check out . Includes bike discussions , and so far these haven't been limited to only American bikes . All are welcome at Street Cruizin .
Look for the link on the left sidebar , or click HERE .

Talk Like a Pirate Day 9-19-2006

Tuesday September 19th 2006 is Talk Like a Pirate Day! Talk Like a Pirate Day only comes once a year (on September 19th), this year it falls on a Tuesday. If you’re not ready yet, you can learn more about this international holiday on the About TLAPD page or practice some phrases from the PiratePhrases page. After all, you don’t want to be handed the BlackSpot when the holiday is over!


Look here , matey AAAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHH!
Here is an animated pirate translator

Old Clinton joke

I don't have anything better to post right now , so here is an old Bill Clinton joke for you .
It doesn't matter what party you belong to -- this is

hilarious.

From a show on Canadian TV there was a black comedian who

said he misses Bill Clinton.

"Yep, that's right - I miss Bill Clinton! He was the

closest thing

we ever got to having a black man as President.

Number 1 - He played the sax.

Number 2 - He smoked weed.


Number 3 - He had his way with ugly white women."



Even now? Look at him ... his wife works, and he don't!

And, he gets a check from the government every month.

Manufacturers announced today that they will be stocking

America's shelves this week with "Clinton Soup," in honour

of one of the nations' most distinguished men. It consists

primarily of a weenie in hot water.

Chrysler Corporation is adding a new car to its line to

honour Bill Clinton. The Dodge Drafter will be built in

Canada.

When asked what he thought about foreign affairs, Clinton

replied, "I don't know, I never had one."

The Clinton revised judicial oath: "I solemnly swear to tell the


truth as I know it, the whole truth as I believe it to be, and

nothing but what I think you need to know."

Clinton will be recorded in history as the only President

to do Hanky Panky between Bushes."

---ya gotta love it.

Observation

"The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue."
Author unknown

Housebreakers

A friend sent me this in an email . I don't know the source to give credit where it is due , but if anyone knows who originated it , I will certainly thank them for the thought .

Let's say I break into your house

A lady wrote the best letter in the Editorials in ages!! It
explains
things better than all the baloney you hear on TV.

Recently large demonstrations have taken place across the country
protesting the fact that Congress is finally addressing the issue
of illegal immigration. Certain people are angry that the US might
protect
its own borders, might make it harder to sneak into this country
and, once here, to stay indefinitely. Let me see if I correctly
understand the thinking behind these protests.
Let's say I break into your house. Let's say that when you discover
me in your house, you insist that I leave. But I say, "I've made all
the beds
and washed the dishes and did the laundry and swept the floors;
I've
done all the things you don't like to do. I'm hard-working and
honest (except for when I broke into your house).

According to the protesters, not only must you let me stay, you

must add me to your family's insurance plan, educate my kids, and
provide other
benefits to me and to my family (my husband will do your yard work
because he too is hard-working and honest, except for that breaking
in part).
If you try to call the police or force me out, I will call my
friends
who will picket your house carrying signs that proclaim my right to be
there.
It's only fair, after all, because you have a nicer house than I
do,and
I'm just trying to better myself. I'm hard-working and honest, um,
except
for well, you know.
And what a deal it is for me!! I live in your house, contributing
only
a fraction of the cost of my keep, and there is nothing you can do
about it
without being accused of selfishness, prejudice and being an
anti-housebreaker. Oh yeah, and I want you to learn my language
so you can communicate with me
Why can't people see how ridiculous this is?! Only in America....if
you agree, pass it on (in English). Share it if you see the value
of it as a good simile.
If not , blow it off along with your future
Social Security funds.

Why would we care what Sean Penn thinks ? Or the Dixie Chicks ?

At the Toronto Film Festival , where the new Bush Assassination film , a remake of "All the King's Men " is being featured , Sean Penn asked photographers to stop taking pictures so he could hear questions about the film . My question is - why does anyone care what Sean Penn says ? I respect his right to voice his opinion and have his stance politically , but I don't see him as someone profound or even newsworthy as a writer ( though he has been known to write freelance from time to time ) . Actors CAN make good politicians , since being a good actor might serve one well in public life , but simply because Penn is a good actor and quite popular is no reason to advance his opinions over other better public figures .

At the press conference, a reporter returned to the notion of Bush as a good politician, and Penn said the definition has changed -- much as it has for "good actor" which now means, he said, "contest winner" (he is an Academy Award winner himself).

"So that's the level of politician I think he's good at," Penn said. "Out of context, he's Beelzebub -- and a dumb one."

Another query: Could he name a good politician? Penn said he wasn't about to "rattle off the cliches....It should be obvious, those people who sacrificed of their talents and their commitment to their country or their people . . . we know who they are and they're not currently in the White House."

Penn has written several freelance articles for the San Francisco Chronicle in recent years.
Taken from the journal
Editor and Publisher .

In the same vein , Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks can't even keep her language civil when discussing Bush . This degree of unfounded hatred is likely to be part of a leaning away from the Left by mainstream Americans , who should be tired of it by now , and will surely be tired of it by 2008 .

Here is Maines' comment in Toronto -from Entertainment Weekly
The international press won't get their first look at the documentary Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing until its gala premiere at the Toronto Film Festival tonight. But EW.com got an early look at the sure-to-be-controversial doc in Los Angeles and can attest that the film will continue to bring the (ex?) country trio more plaudits from progressives and further condemnation from conservatives. And if you think singer Natalie Maines had some harsh words for President Bush in public, wait till you hear what she had to say about him behind the scenes.

In one memorable scene, Maines watches news footage of the president being interviewed about the furor that followed the singer's on-stage comment that she was ''ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas,'' which resulted in the group being dropped from most radio stations, as well as protests and plummeting sales. ''The Dixie Chicks are free to speak their mind,'' Bush told Tom Brokaw at the time, adding, ''They shouldn't have their feelings hurt just because some people don't want to buy their records when they speak out. You know, freedom is a two-way street.''

After watching this footage, Maines repeats the president's comment about how the group shouldn't have their ''feelings hurt,'' incredulous, and then says, ''What a dumb f---.'' She then looks into the camera, as if addressing Bush, and reiterates, ''You're a dumb f---.''

This stuff is all the Left is spouting these days - nothing about ways to solve problems or how they would run the country . Maybe they will be hoisted by their own petard .

Searching for the Truth

" I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crises. The great point is to bring them the real facts. "
Abraham Lincoln
16th president of US (1809 - 1865)


I quote Lincoln here because the American people need the truth now , more than ever . Yesterday's 9-11 memorials , the ABC docudrama , and President Bush's speech last night caused me and many to ask ; Are we getting the truth ?

If you read my ramblings here you see that I think we are , but the reality is that many Americans are not . Just this morning I heard that the campus newspaper at The University of Houston ( where my son just enrolled as a junior ) offered as counterpoint to the ABC movie , a free viewing of Fahrenheit 911 . The reasoning was that students need to see a balance of viewpoints . I will agree that this is true
, but I wonder how many students are encouraged by Academia to accept F-911 as the truth , rather than an opportunity to weigh the "facts" presented by both sides in the matter . Many of the students get their news only from the campus paper , and might be misled .

Debate and discussion is essential to Democracy ; they are cornerstones of freedom ! Curious people must be willing to think , to venture , and to express themselves as they discuss issues with classmates and family . Clear thinking is required so that as discussion continues , understanding increases . Clear thinking about what is to be said results in better understanding in the mind of the speaker and the listener . Reactions from the people addressed are a way of testing one's own ideas . Many a position has changed after due consideration and clear thought preceding discussion and debate . Spouting a hard line talking point from either side without reseach and consideration is fatally flawed . Both sides must be understood in the beginning , that is why debate classes require debaters to argue both sides of a question . It may not be done this way now , but years ago debaters had to prepare to debate from yay or nay , and did not know until the beginning which argument they would have to take in the debate .

I think Bush was spot on with his speech last night and covered all the bases as he wove the present into the past while memorializing 9-11 .

Democrat politicising the memorial

In Arlington , Democrat Representative Jim Moran ruined his speech by politicising the memorial with comments about Bush policy . These guys just don't know when to curb their hatred for our President .

U.S. Rep. Jim Moran, D-8th, lauded the “perfect professionalism” of Arlington's public-safety personnel, who responded to the Pentagon after the crash and won worldwide accolades for containing the damage with no additional loss of life.

He also praised the community-wide outreach effort that occurred after the attacks.

“Arlington has woven together the fabric of a community that can't be torn apart,” he said.

But Moran then maneuvered into more sensitive ground, suggesting that the country was not safer and intimating that the Bush administration's foreign policy was headed in the wrong directions.

“More people hate us,” Moran said, a comment that drew an outburst from the crowd.

“My brother died on 9/11 - don't make this political,” a woman in audience cried out.

Moran continued, calling on the nation to address the root causes of terrorism by the 10th anniversary of the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center.

From
The Sun Gazette Newspapers - Arlington

Moment of Silence

I am watching the presentation at Ground Zero , and the national Moment of Silence commemorating the Attack on our country on 9-11-2001 .
I hope all will respect this memorial .

This made me wake up !

I have been busy this week making a temporary transition to working a dayshift . I will be back in circulation next week , so all THREE of my regular readers can enjoy my Random Views .
However , I just saw this comment on Drudge and it made me have to post tonight .

"As the fifth anniversary approached, the 9/11 Scholars for Truth is urging Congress to reopen the investigation claiming they have amassed a wealth of scientific evidence to prove their version of the terror attacks."

This is from an Article
in The Daily Mail about a bunch of academics that have claimed the 911 attacks were a set up designed to get us into war with Iraq and then Iran ! These misguided people are the ones "teaching" in our colleges and universities ! We need to be sure and help our college-age children to take in as much information as possible and then sift out the crap the liberals feed them in the course of "higher education" !!
Last year my #2 son was struggling to write a paper for a class about "bias" in the media . His professor had given them a list of sources for facts on the subject . HAH ! A bunch of left-leaning scholars was all he suggested , so Patrick and I searched for more balanced articles and he presented a paper that was clear and concise . The professor did pass him , but I bet he didn't like it ! The community college my son was attending still recognizes a student's work when done properly , without forcing a biased approach , thank God !
End of rant .

Poor between the ears !

Disgruntled Truck Driver has hit the nail on the head ! He tells us some of his own story about being poor , and relates it to the plight of some of the New Orleans evacuees who are "poor between the ears" , and may never improve due to their mind-set rather than the opportunities awaiting them if they would try to rebuild their lives without government hand outs . This attitude of being "owed" help is what is holding them back . The TV is now showing stories about evacuees that have relocated and gone on with their lives in another city . Many will not return to NOLA , finally seeing that the welfare mind-set has held them back for generations . I wish more would try to bootstrap themselves .


Trail-mix says -
" I submit to you, that those people could be provided with everything the Government has given them for the next 20 years and at the end, they would still be victims. They have not learned the lesson that I have learned. That's why I say, "Being poor has nothing to do with what's in your wallet. "

Ain't this the shits ?

I hope this is a spoof , but I wouldn't put it past Tom Cruise to have sanctioned this stunt . With the purported goal of auctioning this off on Ebay for a good cause ( The March of Dimes ) , a casting of his daughter's first bowel movement has supposedly been made in bronze !! It is being shown at the Capla Kesting Gallery in Brooklyn .

Court decision could shake the IRS

This story from Townhall.comwas brought to my attention by Drnaline on Conflictingviews.com .
Wonder if the ruling will stand and help in the efforts to curb the IRS and get us closer to a national sales tax ?

Here is a small part of the article by Bruce Bartlett at Townhall .
"Last week, a federal appeals court in Washington handed down an important decision relating to the definition of income for tax purposes. What is important about the decision is that it is the first one in decades saying that the Constitution itself limits what the government may tax. If upheld by the Supreme Court, it could significantly alter tax policy and possibly open the door to radical reform.

In the case, a woman named Marrita Murphy was awarded a legal settlement that included compensation for physical injury and emotional distress. The former has always been tax-exempt, just as insurance settlements are. Obviously, it makes no sense to tax as income the payment for a loss that only makes one whole again. One is not being made better off, and therefore there is no income. But under current law, compensation for non-physical injuries are taxed. "

Tell them , Condi !

In a speech to Legionnaires , Condi Rice said :
"Sept. 11, 2001, transformed America's foreign policy. The country's security is inextricably linked to spreading freedom and democracy in the Middle East. Otherwise, America runs the risk of leaving the kind of totalitarian vacuum that allowed the Taliban to flourish in Afghanistan and made that country the launching pad for 19 hijackers.
News from Iraq is "disheartening." But the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are making progress. Thousands of citizens of both countries have voted in elections and volunteered for military service.
The war on terror is a continuation of America's historical struggle for democracy - including World War II, the Korean and Vietnam wars and both Gulf wars. Americans need to be patient and steadfast. History will prove that the Bush Administration's crusade for democracy was a success. "

Read the article from The Salt Lake Tribune
HERE .

Kerry has nothing new

He just won't give up !

John Kerry lost to Bush last time and now he is considering another run at the Presidency , but he doesn't have any plans to announce . He has just reiterated charges of election fraud from 2004 .
Here he is as seen on Breitbart.com in an article by David Hammer of AP .

"Sen. John Kerry didn't contest the results at the time, but now that he's considering another run for the White House, he's alleging election improprieties by the Ohio Republican who oversaw the deciding vote in 2004.
An e-mail will be sent to 100,000 Democratic donors Tuesday asking them to support U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland for governor of Ohio. The bulk of the e-mail criticizes Strickland's opponent, GOP Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, for his dual role in 2004 as President Bush's honorary Ohio campaign co-chairman and the state's top election official.

"He used the power of his state office to try to intimidate Ohioans and suppress the Democratic vote," said Kerry's e-mail.

Kerry, D-Mass., conceded the election when he lost Ohio and its 20 electoral votes. A recount requested by minor-party candidates showed Bush won by about 118,000 votes out of 5.5 million cast. But Kerry's e-mail says Blackwell "used his office to abuse our democracy and threaten basic voting rights."

Multiple lawsuits by outside groups were unsuccessful in challenging Ohio's 2004 election. One case filed by the League of Women Voters is still in U.S. District Court in Toledo. It claims Ohio's election system discriminates against minority voters. "

Do you see the Democrats saying anything about how they will solve our problems ?

I will keep asking these questions until someone can convince me that Democrats will be better at governing than Republicans .

The "scandal" that distracted Washington

Read this from Christopher Hitchens of Slate.com .
The ridiculous end to the scandal that distracted Washington.
By Christopher Hitchens
Posted Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2006, at 1:02 PM ET

"I had a feeling that I might slightly regret the title ("Case Closed") of my July 25 column on the Niger uranium story. I have now presented thousands of words of evidence and argument to the effect that, yes, the Saddam Hussein regime did send an important Iraqi nuclear diplomat to Niger in early 1999. And I have not so far received any rebuttal from any source on this crucial point of contention. But there was always another layer to the Joseph Wilson fantasy. Easy enough as it was to prove that he had completely missed the West African evidence that was staring him in the face, there remained the charge that his nonreport on a real threat had led to a government-sponsored vendetta against him and his wife, Valerie Plame."

So , you see that the whole thing was cobbled together by Bush bashers , even some from within the administration who were opposed to going to war . This is the kind of stuff that Democrats have been doing all along in their attempts to discredit Bush and his administration , rather than working together with them to support our struggle against a foe that is determined to kill us all in the long run .

The anti-Bushies have no plan for how to run the country . They have only one goal , and that is to get rid of Bush . They will not pay attention to anything else before the elections in November , and really not much until the elections in 2008 .

I do not understand how anyone can support a group that has no plan to fix all the problems they say Bush has caused .

Random notes

Are you noticing how well the U.N. is handling the Iran nuke fiasco? Are you noticing how well the U.N. is handling the Israel - Hezbollah re-arming?

The U.N. is who the Democrats want us to get approval from to protect ourselves.

Get ready for the onslaught of Democrat/media Bush bashing on the Katrina anniversary!

No solutions, no agenda other than Bush bashing. Is that who you want leading the country?

Stay in Iraq , or pull out ?

This is only one of many comments posted in response to Nick Anderson's cartoon in The Houston Chronicle August 22 , 2006 .

These people have been fighting and killing each other for century after century. The west, about 100 years ago, for the most part with a hope for peace, tried to stop the killing. The radical segments at the ends of all the different groups saw this as interference, which it was interfering with their killing.
Israel was created in 1937, but only following WW2 did France and Great Britain see a chance to look like good guys and get rid of a money-hole problem by deeding back land to assorted individuals/governments/religions and be done with it. The Jews saw a place the could gather without fear of another Hitler (and Stalin, if they could get out before being shot), and they took it saying NEVER AGAIN!!!!
So using an old Arab saying, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend," even if that brings together other enemies but at least of the same basic religion. The West was now the enemy and the terror war against it began. Oddly the "freedom" of the 1960s and 1970s has been used as proof by Islamics that we ARE the Godless Satan and tha they don't hate the people of the West, just everything for which we stand.

As to your artwork friend, my eye sees the explosions in Iran being topped with mushroom clouds. The gloves are coming off. The West is beginning to see we are 60 years into World War 3.


Posted by: Lazarus at August 23, 2006 03:07 AM

Just for fun

Here is a pic of my wife and my older son and his dog during last year's Rita Escape .

Here is a pic of my wife and my older son , and his dog , taken last year during the Rita Escape .

Here is a pic of my wife and my older son , and his dog , taken last year during the Rita Escape .

I wish we could use or would use our superior firepower in our War On Terror !
I think that if Israel had done so recently , some semblance of order would be forthcoming in the Middle East .
Call me a war-monger if you wish .

Air America

If the Left represents Americans as they claim , why can't they keep Air America on the air so the message can get out ?
They constantly complain about the grip Conservative talk radio has on listeners , insisting that they are the real voice of Americans . Here is proof that they are not .
" Brent Bozell, founder and president of the Media Research Center, issued the following statement about Air America’s imminent collapse:

“Air America’s failure is further proof that liberalism does not sell in the marketplace,” Bozell said. “Failure in New York City – the epicenter of intellectual liberalism – means, to paraphrase Frank Sinatra, if you can’t make it there you can’t make it anywhere.”



“If this had been Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity, the liberal media would be salivating at a conservative’s demise. Instead, they remain silent as Al Franken and his flagship station sink into nothingness.”

“For whom does the bell toll? It tolls for Air America,” he concluded."
He was talking about the move of Air America from a powerful station in NY to an AM band , much less powerful transmitter in NY . , where fewer listeners would be able to pick up the signal .

This should not happen !!

Black students ordered to give up seats to whites
There is no excuse for this kind of thing anywhere , especially in the US !!
Seems a school bus driver decided she needed to make some black kids give up their seats and move to THE BACK OF THE BUS !
HERE is the story from the Shreveport ( Louisiana ) Times .
Part of the story -"COUSHATTA -- Nine black children attending Red River Elementary School were directed last week to the back of the school bus by a white driver who designated the front seats for white children.

The situation has outraged relatives of the black children who have filed a complaint with school officials."
I would hope the driver is terminated and the school board gets a handle on this soon . Granted , she has supporters who say she was only trying to keep order on a crowded bus in a district with plenty of over-crowding problems to work out . Still , there must have been a better way to do it .

"The Marines got here first"

A former Marine captured a robber at a 7-11 after the robber hit a female sales clerk . The man had gone out without paying and the clerk had followed him , then he attacked her . The Marine came out and summarily captured him . A former Army guy asked him if he needed help . The Marine's reply was " The Marines got here first ."
From Deseretnews.com

"I grabbed him, threw him on the ground, put his hands behind his back, sat on him and waited for the cops to come," Sjostrom said.
In just a matter of a few seconds Sjostrom had the man pinned. When the man realized he had no chance, Sjostrom said he became "pretty quiet."
"Anybody would have done the same thing," he said. "Another guy in the store said he was in the Army and asked if I needed any help."
With a grin, Sjostrom replied to the man, "The Marines got here first."


Proper military training was evident in this case . Even though police don't encourage such actions , sometimes such is the best way , otherwise the criminal may have injured the clerk further and probably gotten away to do the same another day .

More disrespect of UN resolution

"Daily Syrian convoys resupplying Hizbullah via Bekaa Valley"

Here is more evidence that the resolution will not work . This is going on now , and will continue .
From Geostrategy-direct.com

Not politics tonight

I am not talking politics tonight because everything to be said is being said by better bloggers than me . I could just "borrow" from them and fill space , but I see too much of that already .
THIS is the subject for tonight .
From The Australian News comes an article on Pluto , it's planetary status , and the naming of several new "Plutons" .
Pluto was discovered almost 75 years ago and named a planet then . We have all grown up knowing Pluto , but now , if the Planet Definition Commitee decides to change things , Pluto will no longer be a planet at all . This is odd to me . I guess my mind just doesn't want to adjust to redefinition .

"The new draft defnition states that two conditions must be satisfied for an object to be called a "planet": it must orbit a star and it must be big enough for its own gravity to pull it into a spherical shape."
"The committee's resolution - presented yesterday at the International Astronomical Union meeting in the Czech capital of Prague - will be voted on next week by the members of the 9000-strong IAU. Australia has 200 members of the IAU, who will help decide if the new definitions stick.

If it's passed, original committee member Chris Tinney - an astronomer with the Anglo-Australian Observatory in Sydney - will be delighted.

"I will be deliriously happy when I no longer have to spend a moment of my time worrying about the definition of the word 'planet'," Dr Tinney said last year when The Australian flagged the upcoming resolution." said Dr. Tinney .



I always thought Pluto fit that description .

UPDATE _ 8-26-2006
Now they have decided ! Pluto is a "drawf planet" , because it has not cleared its area of orbit . In other words it has not succeeded in gobbling up other planetoids in its path .
Here is the newsfrom the International Astronomic Union (IAU).

Failure ?

Both sides in the recent unpleasantness in Lebanon have claimed victory , and each has been deemed a failure .
Consider this from Wikipedia -
Failure
We see things as we want to see them , so both sides are correct in the assessment of the war . Too bad innocent civilians pay a large price when factions wage war .
These conflicts have raged for centuries and seem to have the longevity of Methuselah .

Here is what I posted Thursday -

"Officials of the Shiite militia told reporters in Lebanon yesterday that they had no intention of disarming but would melt into the population and not flaunt their weaponry, much as they had before.

They also said the Lebanese army had agreed not to diligently search for Hezbollah weapons caches."
Now we see this -

The Israelis said that "the aim of the operation had been to disrupt terrorist activities against Israel and to prevent arms from being transported to Hezbollah from Iran and Syria." Any such resupply effort would itself violate the cease-fire resolution passed last Monday by the UN Security Council.
In The Herald Tribune!

According to the UN , Israel has no right to stop rearmament of Hezbollah , despite the UN resolution saying they must disarm , and that Lebanon must disarm them .
Israel apparently has info that arms shipments were being brought in in a smuggling operation . A direct violation of the cease-fire much more damaging than Israel attacking the smugglers .
Do we see any change in the inneffective UN ?

Failure

This is unbelievable !
Brought to my attention by a friend on My Old Truck .
I will make no comment , I will wait to see if any reader has a comment on this .
Just Google "failure" , and tell me what you see and what you think .

Not over yet

Reported in the Toronto Star

Israel warns that the war is not over yet . This is exactly what I was saying a few days ago . Hezbollah will not agree to , nor comply with , any plan short of destroying Israel . We are also told that Iran and Syria are already re-arming the minitants . Does this surprise anyone ?

"Officials of the Shiite militia told reporters in Lebanon yesterday that they had no intention of disarming but would melt into the population and not flaunt their weaponry, much as they had before."

They also said the Lebanese army had agreed not to diligently search for Hezbollah weapons caches.

"Just like in the past, Hezbollah had no visible military presence and there will not be any visible presence now," Sheik Nabil Kaouk said in Tyre yesterday.
'
Find the full article HERE

Possible Overeaction ?

FBI finds no terrorist link to 3 with supply of phones
By Jerry Seper
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
August 15, 2006


"The FBI yesterday said it had no information to link three Texas men to any known terrorist group after their arrest Friday in Michigan on state terrorism-related charges after they were found in possession of 1,000 untraceable cellular phones. "

I will spin this a little - I would rather have overeaction than no action . We can't overlook any possible threat .

Any doubts the terrorist are among us ?

Here is more proof that the radical Muslims are here and trying to set up more terror attacks in the US . These guys had plans for using cell phones to activate bombs , and maps of Walmart stores for some reason , guess they figured everyone goes to Wally-world and they could maximize the effect of a bomb there . Other thoughts are that terrorists are targetting bridges also .
Another concern is the support Hezbollah has in Dearborn , Michigan , home of a large Lebanese population , another group that apparently has not embraced American values while realizing the American dream .
HERE is the story from Canada Free Press

Cease-fire in effect

From From The Chicago Tribune comes the news that a cease-fire is in effect between Israel and Hezbollah this morning and so far is generally working . Some clashes have occured but "peace" in the south of Lebanon wiil hold for a few days , if you ask my opinion .
Of course Hezbollah says they will continue to fight as long as Israel has forces in the region , and Israel says they will defend themselves if attacked .
So , we have a situation in a virtual pressure cooker that WILL certainly fail soon , in my opinion , since the whole operation depends on Lebanon sending troops to the south , and UN Peace-keeping arriving there . Anyone who believes Hezbollah will be patient is misleading themselves . Their plan to disrupt any peace is stock-in-trade with them , it would never serve their interests to stay paeceful , nor to live up to an agreement .

Cease Fire ?? U N Resolution 1701

"The UN Security Council (...)unanimously approved a French-American resolution to end the month-long fighting in Lebanon and deploy 15,000 UN troops to stabilize the southern part of the country.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan was tasked with working out an exact timetable for ending hostilities with the governments of Lebanon and Israel. Annan said he would be in touch with both sides this weekend.

The resolution calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities between the Israeli military and Hizbollah guerillas followed by the deployment of 15,000 Lebanese troops along with the UN force to southern Lebanon to wrestle control of the region away from the Shiite militant group.

Under the resolution, Israeli forces will withdraw from Lebanon as the international force and Lebanese troops take their positions.

Israel and the Lebanese government, which communicates with Hizbollah, have agreed to the resolution and are expected to approve it at cabinet meetings over the weekend."
From Bangkok Post

OK , an agreement may be reached this weekend between Israel and Lebanon . So what ? Lebanon has not been able to control Hezbollah for years , who thinks they can do so now with the help of 15,000 U N troops ? The success of U N Peacekeeping forces is suspect as it is , and even less successful in Southern Lebanon . They sometimes appeared to be fraternizing with Hezbollah , though that may have been a ploy by the terrorists to draw fire from Israel in order to damage the peacekeeping effort .

I don't see much result coming from this agreement , it is not designed to disarm Hezbollah , only to keep them from obtaining more armament , something no one has been able to do to this day .

You can read the Resolution HERE , taken from BBC News

Read THIS from my blog buddy Disgruntled Truck Driver

Have you seen these men ?

UPDATE 8-14
All the missing "students" have been rounded up now .


Finally we have pictures of the men missing from New York ! Why did it take so long ?
And names - with passport numbers .
1. IBRAHIM, EL SAYED AHMED ELSAYED;
DOB OF 4/29/1986, PASSPORT 954757
2. EL DESSOUKI, ESLAM IBRAHIM MOHAMED;
DOB OF 02/21/1985, PASSPORT 1002756
3. EL BAHNASAWI, ALAA ABD EL FATTAH ALI;
DOB OF 04/02/1986, PASSPORT 934679
4. ABD ALLA, MOHAMED RAGAB MOHAMED;
DOB OF 02/15/1984, PASSPORT 860972
5. EL LAKET, AHMED REFAAT SAAD EL MOGHAZI;
DOB OF 09/01/1986, PASSPORT 943306
6. EL ELA, AHMED MOHAMED MOHAMED ABOU;
DOB OF 02/02/1985, PASSPORT 595081
7. EL MOGHAZY, MOHAMED IBRAHIM ELSAYED;
DOB OF 08/08/1986, PASSPORT 861073
8. ABDOU, EBRAHIM MABROUK MOUSTAFA;
DOB OF 02/25/1984, PASSPORT 828682
9. EL GAFARY, MOUSTAFA WAGDY MOUSTAFA;
DOB OF 07/01/1988, PASSPORT 861673
10. MARAY, MOHAMED SALEH AHMED;
DOB OF 09/12/1985, PASSPORT 862634
11. EL SHENAWY, MOHAMED IBRAHIM FOUAAD;
DOB OF 08/12/1988, PASSPORT 862534

Terror Plot

Blowing up planes
You won't find links to articles or news stories in this post . This is extemporaneous and from the heart .
I am now convinced that we are truly at war with radical Islam after the plot broken in London to blow up aircraft destined for the US . I knew this already , but many of us haven't recognized the threat .
Our media , parts of our government , political hacks , and celebrities have been telling us the opposite . How much proof do we need ?
Iran's statements , Hezbollah's actions , Al Queda's stance , ad infinitum , are proof that WE are the target of their hatred .
They have openly stated their goal is to conquer the world , even to the extent of eliminating not only Israel , but all western entities , and they will not hesitate to use any means to that end .
Iran needs just a little more time to develop nuclear weapons and a delivery system . They MUST be stopped . North Korea will not be far behind ( you see , I am not limiting this to Islamic radical elements ) , as well as some elements of Indonesia and Micronesia .


When will the naysayers and appeasers get the message ???

Independant Lieberman

Randomview
Sen. Joseph Lieberman conceded to cable executive Ned Lamont in the Democratic primary for the Connecticut Senate nomination Tuesday night but vowed to run as an "independent Democrat" this fall.
I think he will succeed due to the qualities of the other candidates .
The Grouchy Old Cripple's favorite congresscritter also lost .

Fake Bush "to-do" list

List

No Smoking

Hasty Jury ??
Can you believe this ? Lawyers for a death row inmate are basing an appeal on a judge's refusal to allow smoking during deliberations ! Say the lack of smoke breaks made the jury come to a hasty decision !
The worst part is that it has made it to the Ohio Supreme Court !
Read about it on Yahoo News

Sheehan's back !

Cindy Sheehan
Peace activist Sheehan must have finally realized that the President was leaving Crawford before she set up at her new property in Crawford , bought with collusion with Gold Star Mothers . She returned to the scene of her protests early .
At an appearance there , she was confronted by at least one discordant voice , that of William McGlothlin of Arkansas . He interrupted her speech with this :
" I believe Bush is doing what he should be doing," McGlothlin said. "Freedom of speech is good until it gets out of whack."
Sheehan's people asked him to leave .
Here is the story from Breitbart.com

Staged ?

Qana
Is it possible the Qana incident was staged by Hezbollah ? Of course it is , and Ynet.com has an article that shows how it could have been done , and well might have been done . Israel is still investigating since the collapse apparently came hours after the bombing raid .
read THIS from Ynetnews.com .

What kind of English do you speak ?

Your Linguistic Profile:

60% General American English

25% Dixie

5% Upper Midwestern

5% Yankee

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Disgruntled Truck Driver for President !

Trail Mix
My blog friend Trail Mix has announced his candidacy for President ! I certainly support him . He shows more common sense than any other candidate yet , and is less hated than Hillary Clinton !
Support him in this endeavor ! He has begun outlining his agenda items and will certainly be a better President than most others .
His Big Tent Party and it's agenda

The Dirty Truth about Kyoto

More reasons why US didn't sign on
NEW YORK (Fortune) -- "The green fundamentalists have never been shy about casting the first stone.

If the world fries because of climate change, they thunder, it will be America's fault. Or, more specifically, George W.'s, because he took the Kyoto Protocol out of the desk drawer where Bill Clinton had stashed it for several years, and definitively binned it."
Read This
From Fortune
See , the greenies want to blame Bush and the US for something that WILL fail , and IS failing . These results are just about what was projected by the US in the first place , and some of the signers of the Kyoto Protocol are now realizing the consequences of following flawed science blindly .

Castro -Fidel or Raul - any difference?

Read this from Reuters
Will this make any difference ! I don't think so , but I am not up on the subject as much as I should be . Anyone have comments ?
"Castro announcement that he was handing over power provisionally to his younger brother and designated successor Raul Castro while he underwent surgery was greeted by Cuban exiles in Miami as a signal of his imminent demise. "

Enemies get together

Chavez and Iran
One of the avowed enemies of the US in our own hemisphere and one of them in the Middle East have proven to me that they are true enemies of ours .
This is from Breitbart.com --
" Iran awarded Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez its highest state medal on Sunday for supporting Tehran in its nuclear standoff with the international community, while Chavez urged the world to rise up and defeat the U.S., state-run media in both countries reported.

The leftist Venezuelan leader also condemned Israel for what he called the "terrorism" and "madness" of its attacks in Lebanon, Venezuelan state television reported.

'Let's save the human race, let's finish off the U.S. empire," Chavez said. "This (task) must be assumed with strength by the majority of the peoples of the world.'"

Source -Chavez receives Iran's highest honor

Cease Fire ??

Israel agrees to 48 Hr ceasefire
At the moment , Israel has ceased air strikes only , full ceasefire may follow , this after the loss of quite a few civilians in an air raid that hit a building in Qana , near a known launch site of rockets into Israel . The citizens knew about the danger , but did not leave , even though Israel had leafletted the area , nor reveal that Hezbollah fighters have hidden among them for a long time . Fox has shown photos showing Hezbollah members training in the midst of Lebanese citizens prior to the beginning of hostilities .In addition , unconfirmed Israeli sources say the building collapsed hours after the attack , either due to damage or possibly due to explosives stored in the building .

This ceasefire is unilateral actually , since Hezbollah will certainly be the first to violate it .
Israel insists that Lebanon must work toward disarming Hezbollah , and that seems unlikely , since they neither have the military strength , nor the will to do so .

Cindy " Rolling Faster " Sheehan

Sheehan has purchased property in Crawford , Tx. to make a home for her continuing comedy protest aginst the war in Iraq . Don't you think this was orchestrated by her rich supporters ?
Sheehan said she used insurance money received from her son Casey's death .
She is scheduled to be in Crawford August 16th , and will demand a meeting with President Bush again .
What she failed to do was check George's schedule !!
The President is scheduled to be in Crawford for the first 2 weeks of August , and will likely be gone when she arrives .
Maybe she DID check that schedule and will insist the President is avoiding her .AP article on MSNBC.MSN.com>

THIS JUST IN !!
Apparently the seller didn't know Sheehan and her group were the buyers !!
FORMER OWNER: "We were duped, we were deceived. We had no idea. It was an individual person that purchased it, and we were just led to believe that this person was a hurricane Katrina evacuee, and he wanted to purchase this land to build a home on."

Curiouser and curiouser in my opinion !

Enablers

Lebanon's Past and Future

When you were a child , did you see , or grow up in , a home where the parents or caretakers took little or no responsibility for the children's problems or behaviour ? Did the parents support the behaviour of one child over another regardless of how destructive it was ?
They were ENABLERS .
An enabler bases his actions on manipulation and dishonesty that hurts others in both obvious and subtle ways .
Syria and Iran are not only backing Hezbollah monetarily and materially , they are the main ENABLERS of Hezbollah's misdeeds and virulence .
Any chance to prevent a repeat of Lebanon's history since 1978 depends on how the world deals with the ENABLERS ; Iran , Syria , the UN , and the left in the US and Europe .

Kofi Annan's true colors

Not hard to believe this !
Kofi Annan has shown his true colors now , as if we didn't already know . He has issued a statment suggesting that Israel intentionally targeted the UN Peacekeeper's post in a bombing raid in South Lebanon . Is he unaware of the policy of the terrorists to station themselves close to such places in hopes that they won't get bombed , or at the least when they do and innocents are killed and wounded , they can use it against Israel ?
Read about it here from the Reuters Alert Net .
And read this from Wizbang .

All this attention to an accidental situation hides the fact that Hezbollah fired scores , if not dozens of rockets into Israel during the same time period . It is well known that they have little or no tracking capabilties for their rockets and kill or maim many innocents themselves ( and by design , I might add ! ).
The UN , by acting this way is legitimizing terrorism , and do we think they will be fair if they are set up to organize a full peace-keeping force in the area ?
Read this from The Chicago Tribune :
"Part of the goal of organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas is to gain moral legitimacy for their terrorist tactics by having them equated with the conventional military tactics used by democratic regimes. Only the morally obtuse--or perverse--cannot recognize the difference between a terrorist group that targets civilian population centers with anti-personnel weapons designed to maximize civilian casualties and a democracy that seeks to prevent terrorism by employing smart bombs designed to minimize civilian casualties.".."Annan knows better than to suggest a moral equivalence. He is fully aware of the tactic employed by terrorists of launching their rockets from, and hiding behind, civilian shields, so as to make democracies have to kill some civilians to get at the terrorists."

That tells us the tale in a nutshell ! Source-
Chicago Tribune

Civilian Casualties in Lebanon

Disgruntled Truck Driver has much to say about Israel being given all the blame for civilian casualties in Lebanon . He makes some strong points that I can certainly agree with .
He says --
"Who's fault is it when civilians die in the war on terror?
As a former Military man, I oppose the indiscriminate killing of civilians. The Military signs the dotted line and by doing so you know you are making yourself a target of every enemy of your country. This is a part of excepting the paycheck, it's that simple.

However, Israel is being attacked for a number of things during this conflict, not the least of which is the killing of Lebanese civilians. However, what these critics refuse to acknowledge is the fact that Lebanese civilians are not dying because Israel is targeting them, they are dying by design. Hezbollah is intentionally hiding among the civilian population and advertising every civilian death, while downplaying the deaths of their own fellow terrorists.

The fact is we live in the information age and civilian deaths make the news and every one of them is used to attack Israel. Israel is doing an outstanding job winning the fight, but they are and will continue to lose the propaganda battle. Why? Because hating Israel is completely acceptable among the Liberals.

When a terrorists intentionally kill civilians, the Liberals justify it as an "act of desperation"! Yet, when a uniformed Military does the same even when unintentional, they are crucified as "Baby killers" by those same Liberals! This is the ingrained double standard of Liberalism.

Liberals preach that we should be accepting of Muslims, while at the same time attacking Jews! No group of people in the history of the world have suffered as many violent deaths as the Jews, yet they get no sympathy from the people that claim to be the most "sympathetic".

While I am on the subject, why do Liberals think we shouldn't bomb a Mosque that has terrorists shooting and attacking from within it? Is a Mosque still considered "Holy" if it is being used as a sniper tower? Give me a friggin' break!

I am so sick of Liberal Hypocrisy!!!!!!!!!! "

Mary Jo Kopechne

Does Teddy think about this ?

Yesterday would have been Mary Jo's 66th birthday .
This could be similar to what she might say from the grave .
" I was a young member of a team of people helping the Democrat campaigns , attending a party with movers and shakers of the party . Partying with the rising star of the party was sort of a dream of mine . We had been drinking for a while and Teddy offered to drive me back to my motel . Somehow we drove off a bridge into a pond . The car ended up upside down in the water ,and Teddy was able to get out , but I wasn't .I don't know if he dived back in to try to rescue me or not , but he did leave , so I thought he would go get help . As I lay trapped in the car underwater , he swam away , got out , and went back to where the party was . I am sure he passed at least one opportunity to phone for help on his way . He didn't even call from the party location . He also tried to get someone to lie about who was driving the car .
The police found the car and then called him . He had not even called them in the morning ! By then , of course , I had drowned .
Teddy has since risen to near the top of the Democrat Party despite this and other incidents in his past . At least this one has kept him from ever running for President !
I wonder if Teddy ever thinks about what he did to me?
I DOUBT IT !!! "


( Disclaimer: I made this up from things I have read and researched , it is NOT a quote from Mary Jo ! )

Finally !

Arab states blaming Iran
"Key Arab governments have taken the rare step of publicly blaming Hezbollah for the growing violence in the Middle East underscoring their growing fear of the group's main sponsor, Iran.

Saudi Arabia, supported by Jordan, Egypt, several Persian Gulf States and the Palestinian Authority, chastised Hezbollah for "unexpected, inappropriate and irresponsible acts" during an emergency Arab League summit in Cairo on Saturday."
This is from an article in The Hamilton Spectator which can be read

HERE

Bush Bashing

Dan Quayle walks out on Mellencamp concert
It seems Dan Quayle was not happy with John Cougar Mellencamp bashing President Bush !
Read the story from MercuryNews.com
I don't avoid talent because of political views , but maybe more people ought to send a message to the performers that bash our President , they are NOT political insiders , and NOT reporters , they are performers ! They should stick to music , movies , or athletics .

Did anyone hear this?

Call to New Orleans
"You're alive. Do something. The directive in life, the moral imperative was so uncomplicated. It could be expressed in single words, not complete sentences. It sounded like this: Look. Listen. Choose. Act."
Barbara Hall, A Summons to New Orleans, 2000

Doesn't seem so , quite a few have done little to attempt a return to New Orleans and help rebuild . Many of the workers are Mexican immigrants , not former residents . Why can't they go and work there , even live in the trailers and tents the immigrants are living in ?
Also , SOME of them are adding to the crime stats of the cities they retreated to in the evacuation .

Press 1 for English

John Wayne

Rolling Fast ?

Cindy Sheehan's fast against war
"The hunger strike will see at least four activists, Sheehan, veteran comedian and peace campaigner Dick Gregory, former army colonel Ann Wright and environmental campaigner Diane Wilson launch serious, long-term fasts.

"I don't know how long I can fast, but I am making this open-ended," said Wilson.

Other supporters, including Penn, Sarandon, novelist Alice Walker and actor Danny Glover will join a "rolling" fast, a relay in which 2,700 activists pledge to refuse food for at least 24 hours, and then hand over to a comrade.

Though the anti-war movement is trying hard to puncture public perceptions, some experts believe such protests have little impact on how Americans view foreign wars.

This was snipped from Breitbart.com

I agree they won't have any effect on the war effort , I really think they are hurting their cause with these protests .

7-7

London Bombings
Today is the first anniversary of the London train and bus bombings . We should remember this day just as we should remember 9-11 , and remember them forever .

Patriotism

Calvin Coolidge
" Patriotism is easy to understand in America . It means looking out for yourself by looking out for your country . "

Fourth of July

My Pledge
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

And my Anthem
The Defense of Fort McHenry
by Francis Scott Key
20 September 1814


Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, now conceals, now discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! O long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wiped out their foul footstep's pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner forever shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Trust The Times ?

Bill O'Reilly
"Who do you trust to keep you safe - The New York Times or the Bush administration? You make the call."

O'Reilly made some statements to the Boston Herald - read themHere

Blog link

Disgruntled Truck Driver
I like this guy !
HERE

Terrorists Among Us

Bomb Plot Squashed

These people are among us and determined to kill us ! I am glad our security people are doing their job .

"Seven people have been arrested in connection with a plot to attack buildings across the US, a law enforcement official says."From Aljazeera - read it here

Father's Day

Father's day , 2006
Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there . Remember , any guy can be a father , but it takes a real man to be a DAD !
My own father is gone but not forgotten !

An Inconvenient Truth

Al Gore's movie
Al Gore's movie is in a theatre near you . Will you go to see it ?
I will wait until someone puts it on video or it shows on TV , mostly because I just don't go to movies , but also because I am not interested in his theories .
I have read some reviews , from both perspectives , and think it is a blatant distortion of facts and use of "junk science" , and is a scare tactic of the Liberal and Progressive factions of politics .
About the "science" ; he says "The evidence is overwhelming and undeniable ." But read from Junkscience.com :
"Well, I heard that carbon dioxide is bad -- it's pollution, isn't it?
There seem to be a few things that your informant forgot to tell you -- like carbon dioxide being an essential trace gas that underpins the bulk of the global food web. Estimates vary, but somewhere around 15% seems to be the common number cited for the increase in global food crop yields due to aerial fertilization with increased carbon dioxide since 1950. This increase has both helped avoid a Malthusian disaster and preserved or returned enormous tracts of marginal land as wildlife habitat that would otherwise have had to be put under the plow in an attempt to feed the growing global population. Commercial growers deliberately generate CO2 and increase its levels in agricultural greenhouses to between 700ppmv and 1,000ppmv to increase productivity and improve the water efficiency of food crops far beyond those in the somewhat carbon-starved open atmosphere. CO2 feeds the forests, grows more usable lumber in timber lots meaning there is less pressure to cut old growth or push into "natural" wildlife habitat, makes plants more water efficient helping to beat back the encroaching deserts in Africa and Asia and generally increases bio-productivity. If it's "pollution," then it's pollution the natural world exploits extremely well and to great profit. Doesn't sound too bad to us. "

There is plenty more info in the above article , and I think some reading of it and some further study of real science might be "inconvenient truth " for Gore and his followers .Read it here

Wisdom from Hillary ?

Clinton urged Party unity
"If we're going to win in November then we have to be smarter, tougher and better prepared than our opponents," she said.

"One thing they do know how to do is win and we have to reach out to people who may not be able to agree with us."
Mrs. Clinton made this statement during discussions about Democrat disarray within the party as President Bush's numbers slowly rise .

Hurricane season warning from my sister

Warning for Houstonians ( and others in hurricane territory )
"I am sending this to some of my family who can pass it on to their sister and mom, and to some of my Alabama friends as well as others who will heed the warnings!
Wineva

To: ex-Houstonians, present Houstonians, and future Houstonians or those
who know a Houstonian:

We're about to enter the peak of the hurricane season, which starts June
1 and ends November 30. Any day now, you're going to turn on the TV and
see a weather person pointing to some radar blob out in the Gulf of Mexico ( we just had the first hurricane near Florida) and making two basic meteorological points:

(1) There is no need to panic.
(2) We could all be killed.

Yes, hurricane season is an exciting time to be in Houston. If you're
new to the area, you're probably wondering what you need to do to prepare for
the possibility that we'll get hit by "the big one.''

Based on our experiences, we recommend that you follow this simple
three-step hurricane preparedness plan:

STEP 1. Buy enough food and bottled water to last your family for at
least three days.

STEP 2. Put these supplies into your car.

STEP 3. Drive to Nebraska and remain there until Thanksgiving.

Unfortunately, statistics show that most people will not follow this
sensible plan. Most people will foolishly stay here in Houston.

We'll start with one of the most important hurricane preparedness items:

HOMEOWNERS' INSURANCE: If you own a home, you must have hurricane
insurance. Fortunately, this insurance is cheap and easy to get, as long
as your home meets two basic requirements:

(1) It is reasonably well-built, and
(2) It is located in Nebraska.

Unfortunately, if your home is located in Houston, or any other area that
might actually be hit by a hurricane, most insurance companies would prefer
not to sell you hurricane insurance, because then they might be required to
pay YOU money, and that is certainly not why they got into the insurance
business in the first place.

So you'll have to scrounge around for an insurance company, which will
charge you an annual premium roughly equal to the replacement value of your
house. At any moment, this company can drop you like used dental floss.

Since Hurricane Alicia, I have had an estimated 27 different
home-insurance companies. This week, I'm covered by the Bob and Big Stan
Insurance Company, under a policy which states that, in addition to my
premium, Bob and Big Stan are entitled, on demand, to my kidneys.

SHUTTERS: Your house should have hurricane shutters on all the windows,
all the doors, and -- if it's a major hurricane -- all the toilets. There
are several types of shutters, with advantages and disadvantages:

Plywood shutters: The advantage is that, because you make them yourself,
they're cheap. The disadvantage is that, because you make them yourself,
they will fall off.

Sheet-metal shutters: The advantage is that these work well, once you
get
them all up. The disadvantage is that once you get them all up, your hands
will be useless bleeding stumps, and it will be December.

Roll-down shutters: The advantages are that they're very easy to use,
and
will definitely protect your house. The disadvantage is that you will have
to sell your house to pay for them.

"Hurricane-proof'' windows: These are the newest wrinkle in hurricane
protection: They look like ordinary windows, but they can withstand
hurricane winds! You can be sure of this, because the salesman says so. He
lives in Nebraska.

"Hurricane Proofing Your Property: As the hurricane approaches, check
your yard for movable objects like barbecue grills, planters, patio
furniture, visiting relatives, etc.; you should, as a precaution, throw
these items into your swimming pool (if you don't have a swimming pool, you
should have one built immediately). Otherwise, the hurricane winds will
turn these objects into deadly missiles.

EVACUATION ROUTE: If you live in a low-lying area, you should have an
evacuation route planned out. (To determine whether you live in a low-lying
area, look at your driver's license; if it says "Houston" you live in a
low-lying area.) The purpose of having an evacuation route is to avoid being
trapped in your home when a major storm hits. Instead, you will be trapped
in a gigantic traffic jam several miles from your home, along with two
hundred thousand other evacuees. So, as a bonus, you will not be lonely.

HURRICANE SUPPLIES: If you don't evacuate, you will need a mess of
supplies. Do not buy them now! Houston tradition requires that you wait
until the last possible minute, then go to the supermarket and get into
vicious fights with strangers over who gets the last can of SPAM. In
addition to food and water, you will need the following supplies:

23 flashlights. At least $167 worth of batteries that turn out, when the
power goes out, to be the wrong size for the flashlights.

Bleach. (No, I don't know what the bleach is for. NOBODY knows what the
bleach is for. But it's traditional, so GET some!)

A 55-gallon drum of underarm deodorant.

A big knife that you can strap to your leg. (This will be useless in a
hurricane, but it looks cool.)

A large quantity of raw chicken, to placate the alligators. (Ask anybody
who went through Alicia; after the hurricane, there WILL be irate
alligators.)

$35,000 in cash or diamonds so that, after the hurricane passes, you can
buy a generator from a man with no discernible teeth.

Of course these are just basic precautions. As the hurricane draws near,
it is vitally important that you keep abreast of the situation by turning on
your television and watching TV reporters in rain slickers stand right next
to the ocean and tell you over and over how vitally important it is for
everybody to stay away from the ocean.

Good luck and remember: It's great living in paradise! Those of you who
aren't here yet you should come. Really!"







Rev. Wineva Hankamer
Strawbridge UMC
5629 Kingwood Drive
Kingwood, TX 77345
281-360-4500
Cell 713 315-7593

Pack Rat

Pack Rat
I saw this poem on the Old Tools Digest , submitted by Bill Taggart .
Written in a children's book by Jack Prelutsky , "Zoo Doings "

The Pack Rat

The pack rat's day is spent at play
Collecting useless stuff.
No matter what the pack rat's got,
He's never got enough.

Nails and tacks and wire and wax,
A knife, a fork, a feather,
Large or tiny, dull or shiny,
Tin or bone or leather.

Sticks and socks and spoons and rocks
And nuts that squirrels lose,
Rings and strings, peculiar things
A rat could never use.

The pack rat saves and stores in caves
Strange treasures smooth and knobby.
It's not from greed nor out of need,
He does it as his hobby.

Don't Touch This Switch !

Terry Pratchett
"Some humans would do anything to see if it was possible... If you put a large switch in some cave somewhere, with a sign on it saying "End-of-the-World Switch. PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH," the paint wouldn't even have time to dry."
Terry Pratchett, Thief of Time

I have been reading Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels lately . Excellent satirical stories !

To Hell with 666!

D-Day 6-6-1944

We should be observing D-Day today , the day in history that the Allies stormed the beaches at Normandy to begin the end of WWII !
In just a couple of months we lost over 50,000 troops .
In modern America we spend too much time and money on trivial matters such as movies , rock stars , and things like Y2K and 666 .
wiki here

A Quote for Today

Randomview
"When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt."
Henry J. Kaiser
US industrialist (1882 - 1967)

A Quote for the Day

Democracy
"The difference between a democracy and a dictatorship is that in a democracy you vote first and take orders later; in a dictatorship you don't have to waste your time voting."

Charles Bukowski (1920 - 1994)