Ahmed Deedat.

Many of you may know who the character Ahmed Deedat is. Ahmed Deedat was a Muslim from South Africa whose mission was to refute Christianity. He wrote a series of books and the books more often than not, were examples of what some people may call offensive. Of course we trot out the old cliche about oxes being gored (oh-oh, are oxes cows? Did I just cheese off the Hindus?). Quite clearly the Muslims did not care about the sensibilities of people who follow other religions when reading Ahmed Deedat's bunk.

In fact, this website outlines examples of Ahmed Deedat pushing things so far as to almost fall under prosecution and deportation for his outrageous statements against Christianity. However, the form of response most often documented are two. Oral & written rebuttal and prayer. True, the website I direct you to contemplates a freedom of speech checkmark, but the fact is such checkmarks (AFAIK) are not implemented in Australia and throughout most of the Western World.

I have a book by Mr. Deedat. I found it on my desk at the UAEU one day. I took it, and looked it over understanding what it was. I have no idea where it is now a days. It could be at my parents home, it could be with me, it could be in bookshelf somewhere, it could be at a used bookstore, it could be in a box in a dank basement.

Funny, Islamic polemicists can slur Christians and our Bible all they want, but when a little harmless cartoon is drawn of their prophet how they squeal. Like little children running to hide behind their mommy's skirt.

Freedom of speech is about offensive speech. Everyone supports "she's a nice day out hey and so?" Does that help a drunk who needs to be told they are a drunk and needs help? Does that help a student understand they are a failure and will continue to be one until they start to study? Does that correct a boss who is about to take the company to ruin? Does that help a government about to take a nation on a wrong course? (Hehehe, lefty don't go there, keep it on topic and that is something we should agree on).

Administrative Secrecy.

One common criticism of President Bush's administration is its secrecy. This was one of the left's official talking points after the VP's hunting accident. Even without the hunting accident the left and the MSM have been fond of accusing the President and his administration of excessive secrecy.

They seem to claim this right to know everything. Now, we have laws on the books that spell out what an executive can keep secret and what they can not. These laws as we know exist in almost all levels of our government. This is not necessarily a bad thing but I hardly think it a dictate as important as the left and the MSM make it out to be. The implication of many of those claiming excessive secrecy is it is somehow unconstitutional, they say the people have a right to know.

I disagree with that assessment. We do not have a right to know everything. Desires are not necessarily rights, and too many confuse desires with rights. If a reporter can not find out what he wants to know well too bad, this does not mean the people withholding the knowledge are bad or acting with malevolent intent. Of course, if someone does leak the wanted information to the reporter than the reporter is within his/her rights to publish the information regardless of national security or other implications.

The difference is between knowing and publishing. If you know you are in your rights to publish if you don't know it isn't a right to know.

I will follow up on this theme today with a review of a National Journal article pointed out by Austin Bay.

Not an Eight-Ball But...

Still worthy of comment.

My son was an ecologist, perhaps because he loved Mother Nature and her creatures. He and his two young sons (probably around age 8) enjoyed walking through the prairies and woods together sharing Mother Nature's many gifts.

When his boys were older, he took them camping and hiking in the mountains, where Mother Nature is at her best.

They loved sharing these experiences together and developed a warm and loving relationship (or "bonding," if you will) without firing a shot.

Nancy Elliott, Neenah

Source: The Appleton Post Crescent - Letters: Father-son bonding doesn't require guns Well, Yippy skippy for your son. I don't begrudge your son raising his children the way he wants, but we don't need your condescending oh so superior attitude. I too have a warm and loving relationship with my father and brother and WE DID FIRE GUNS.

I need to come up with some sort of award to grant to those such as Ms. Elliot.

BoingBoing got Boinged!

Michelle Malkin reports another website is on the UAE black list. This blog is BoingBoing

Well when Michelle was notified that she was on the Etisalat blacklist I provided a little instruction on one way to dodge the proxy server when wanting to browse the web. Again it was for text rich sites as it involved a text browser.

Here are the directions for Running Around a Proxy Server. BTW, I had thought I had wound up on Etisalat's blacklist but I received a UAE visit today. I think the Cartoon Conflagration is subsiding.

Whats Up Here.

Well,

I have paying quite a bit of attention to events in the Philippines and have not really blogged on anything happening here in the good ole USofA.

Well, not too much is new. The port sale continues to be demagogued. The cartoon conflagration still continues. My local newspaper finally got around to devoting some editorial attention to it, they had a representative from the local Islamic society write on it and yes, they want to add items to the freedom of speech checklist. The paper also had someone write in defense of freedom of expression.

The freedom we have to criticize Islam is returned to you my Muslim neighbors and gives you the right to criticize Christianity.

Other than that things are fairly humdrum. I have a hard time getting worked up about state politics and right now the only thing really significant is one crook in Madison is prosecuting another crook.

What else is there? I met Wayne from Babylonandon last Saturday evening. Him and his wife came up for the baptism of the daughter of a common friend. What a beautiful bass voice he has.

I had to turn Michael Salvage today. What is with him? One of the radio station plays and advert with him defending Rush Limbaugh, but usually I hear him knocking Rush and referring to him as Hush Bimbaugh. Hehehe, Salvage thinks the port deal is bad and Rush is fairly neutral on the subject. Oh well we all know who #1 is, right? It isn't Salvage who I think we can safely say is the male equivalent of Ann Coulter. Again of all the right wing commentators and talk show hosts I read and listen to its Coulter and Salvage I disagree with the most. However, my disagreement is hardly 100%.

Anyway I am working on modifying some shopping cart software so ttyl.

No March.

Well from the perspective we have (at least those of us stateside) not too much is new in the Philippines. Of course, things have been happening one famous/infamous figure Gregario "Gringo" Honasan is being charged with rebellion and attempting a Coup d'eat.

Those of you who have been following Philippino politics or at least Philippino news for sometime know the name of Gregario "Gringo" Honasan. This is not the first time he has been mixed up in coup attempts and will probably not be the last. In fact he once described himself as: resident adviser on failed coup attempts (INQ7 - Ex-colonel Honasan broke hearts, bodies).

Anyway, in a blog yesterday entitled Next Move I wondered about the reports of a mob gathering at the University of the Philippines Diliman. I asked about this on a few Philippino blogs and the question was studiously ignored. Well a quick review of my usual sources on the unfolding story seem to indicate this mob never marched or they dispersed after hearing the standoff with the Marines came to an end.

None the less this story is not over and one wonders will it ever end as long as President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is in office? Or will there be agitation until she steps down, her term is done (IIRC her term ends in 2010 and she runs into the term limit as well), or...I will not say, but I leave the task of listing the grim and obvious third possibility to you dear readers?

People I know in the Philippines are disgusted by all of this and in fact are studiously avoiding following the events. Like most people they have businesses to run and things to do and the shenanigans of those struggling and holding onto Malacañang do very little for them but to depress the business climate.

6:00 am Monday Morning.

As of the time of this posting it 6:00 am Monday Morning in the Philippines. I think the news from the Philippines will start to pick up again shortly.

However, the Empress and I are going to some friends for dinner and a visit. When we get home there should be plenty for me to blog about. However, as I said earlier I have been getting most of my info from INQ7 at http://www.inq7.net/ and the following blogs:
http://philippinecommentary.blogspot.com/ (Philippine Commentary)
and

http://fallbackbelmont.blogspot.com/ (The Belmont Club)
and
http://pajamasmedia.com/ (Pajamas Media) has been paying attention to the rapidly developing situation in Manila.

Next Move?

Well, the standoff between the Philippino Government and the rebellious marines (at least they were insubordinate) is over and it sounds like those civilian opposed to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (PGMA) dispersed.

However, during the standoff it was reported by that students and others wanting to see PGMA step down (or be removed) from office were gathering at the University of the Philippines - Diliman campus. At the time of the initial reports of this gathering the opposition at UP-Diliman were claiming they had about 1,000 people ready to go and they believed by the time all the other groups arrived they would be about 15,000 strong.

UP students marching to Fort Bonifacio
By INQ7.net

MANDALUYONG CITY--Student activists and militant groups are now gathering at the University of the Philippines Oblation in Diliman, Quezon City, as they prepare to march to Fort Bonifacio.

Inquirer columnist and UP professor Randy David is leading the rally, according to a report from GMA-7 radio station dzBB.

A crowd reportedly numbering 1, 000 has already gathered in front of the UP Oblation. The marchers are still waiting to link up with other activists, and have estimated that they will muster a force of 15, 000.

David and the protesters have vowed not to hold and attend classes at the university until President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is removed from power.

Source: INQ7 - Running Account However, the UPD protesters will not march until the morn:

Inquirer columnist and UP professor Randy David told dzBB in a separate interview that it is unlikely they will move tonight because of the dangers of marching in darkness. He said they will continue gathering rallyists tonight before marching in full force in the morning.

Source: INQ7 - Running Account

Now, a later report on INQ7 (see the links above) informs us the civilians have broken up but I have heard nothing not even speculation on the other websites. All signs point to a march Monday morning in the Philippines (Sunday evening US) and my guess is there will be some hardcore agitators there who will be doing their dangdest to provoke the police and military into using lethal force.

Resolved?

The Marine aspect of the Marine Rebellion in Manila appears to be resolved. Brig. General Nelson Allaga has declared his command of the Marines and in a media appearance with Col. Ariel Querubin he says the situation is resolved. Col. Querubin was not speaking to the media and Gen. Nelson did not disclose what (or if any actions) were being contemplated against Col. Querubin.

Now it remains to be seen if the crowd is done with this situation or not.

An Eight-Ball for Today!

Here is a quote from George W. Bush:

"Now, by the way, any time you hear the United States government talking about wiretap, it requires — a wiretap requires a court order. Nothing has changed, by the way. When we're talking about chasing down terrorists, we're talking about getting a court order before we do so. It's important for our fellow citizens to understand, when you think Patriot Act, constitutional guarantees are in place when it comes to doing what is necessary to protect our homeland, because we value the Constitution." — April 20, 2004

Richard M. Nixon:

"On May 22, I stated in very specific terms and I state again to every one of you listening tonight these facts — I had no prior knowledge of the Watergate break-in; I neither took part in nor knew about any of the subsequent cover-up activities; I neither authorized nor encouraged subordinates to engage in illegal or improper campaign tactics. That was and that is the simple truth." Aug. 15, 1973.

Bill Clinton:

"As you know, in a deposition in January, I was asked questions about my relationship with Monica Lewinsky. While my answers were legally accurate, I did not volunteer information. Indeed, I did have a relationship with Miss Lewinsky that was not appropriate. In fact, it was wrong. It constituted a critical lapse in judgment and a personal failure on my part for which I am solely and completely responsible." Aug. 17, 1998.

Two of these individuals were impeached for lying. Why not the third? Is our privacy not as important as political tricks or sexual inappropriateness?

I submit that mine is and I'm outraged Congress has not begun proceedings in what is a textbook case of malfeasance while in the office of the president of the United States.

Steven Heminger, Freedom

Source: The Appleton Post Crescent Letter to the Editor by Steven Heminger Ahh, the sound of barking moonbat. The truth is Mr. Hemminger you point out no lie by George W. Bush. I ask you Mr. Heminger, why does the government ESPECIALLY in a state of war require a warrant to tap the conversations of foreign based terrorists? Does it really make a difference if those foreign based terrorists are talking to someone in the United States?

Fortunate for the United States and the rest of the West the likes of Mr. Heminger were few. Otherwise plotters such as these could well have been succesful in their plots.

Congratulations Mr. Heminger you have broke up Fran Bubolz's streak of two consecutive Eight-Balls. Yes, Mr. Heminger you are the wiener of todays' Eight-Ball Award!


Mr. Heminger's Coveted Eight-Ball Award

The Latest Unrest In Manila.

Is unfolding as I type this blog to you. Here are some resources I have found to keep you current on the situation.

One is the highly estimable (and former resident of Wisconsin) Rizalist at Philippine Commentary, where he is updating his readers in the comments. (be aware Rizalist is definitely opposed to PGMA and wants her to leave office) Another source for up to the minute updates is The INQ7 Newspaper.

I will add sources as I discover them. Another blogger who has been covering this situation from afar is Austin Bay, though it has been some time he has updated this blog. Perhaps Mr. Bay will start a new blog on the latest events.

To summarize for you dear readers the situation is a Filipino Marine Colonel and supporters have created a standoff between forces loyal to the President. Marine Colonel Ariel Querubin is protesting the arrest of his superior officer. Forces loyal to PGMA have sealed off the fort and are not allowing anymore civilians to approach. Reportedly former President Corazon Aquino and a handful of her supporters are on the way in an attempt to join the rebellious marines. No sign of former President Fidel Villamor Ramos is being reported (nor statements by said former president).

Update:
Will do as Rizalist does and post updates in the comments section. Please note, that in my comments section the MOST RECENT comments appear at the top!

July 21, 2009 -- The V in Fidel V Ramos is for Valdez, not Villamor as I write above.

Old News But Relevant.

The story about Richard Clarke leaking some vital information about Osama Bin Laden is finally getting some attention. However, it is being used as a club to beat up on the Dubai Ports World deal. The story goes like this.

The CIA had a fairly good fix on Osama Bin Laden (OBL) and was going to thump him. A plane from the UAE was spotted at the location of where OBL was, so the thumping was called off (why? Anyone who associates themselves with terror leaders such as OBL should know he is targeted and that such targeting may include large quantities of non-discriminatory explosives). Richard Clarke with permission of the CIA (the CIA disputes this claiming they never gave Mr. Clarke license to discuss the matter) talks to two UAE figures. One of them was Sheik (say it shake) Mohammed Bin Zayed of Abu Dhabi UAE Chief and Sheik Mohammed Bin Rashid ruler of Dubai. The story then reports then goes onto to note that the UAE Chief of Staff was indeed hunting in Afghanistan at the time of the contemplated attack.

Okay, we have two separate figures here. Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid of Dubai and Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed of Abu Dhabi. It sounds like if anyone tipped off Osama Bin Laden it was Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed of Abu Dhabi. So what you say, it proves the UAE is hostile to the US. Well, this is like saying since Governor Doyle of Wisconsin (a wholely owned subsidiary of the Teacher's Industrial complex ) opposes school choice than so too does Karl Rove and hence the United States of America.

For the story I relate see this Free Republic reprint of a Human Events article.

The ChiComs run a US port, why not Dubai?

Hey Hannity!

Why might moderate Arab nations hesitate and throw some $$ at various terrorist organizations? Because they don't have confidence we will stand up with and for them.

If they don't recognize Israel now, why do you think slapping them will coax them into it?

Our Port Security Secrets

Are safer with Dubai Ports World than with the New York Times.

Hannity is Real Annoying!

More about the Ports deal and how Hannity is so wrong about it.

I can sympathize with Leftists. When you don't agree with what Hannity says he is
extremely annoying.

Talking about repeating of talking points. He says the UK did not recognize the Taliban nor provided channels for 9/11 logistics. Again, is it beyond people's comprehension that bad things that happen in a given nation does not come close to meaning that nation's government is in on it?

So? Richard Reid, the Brits harbor radical Islamic Imans, of course the UK gave rise to two sets of tube bombers.

You know, lets talk about what is happening now, not what happened yesterday.

Yeah the UAE does not recognize Israel. Perhaps we should cease using the UAE as a port of call for our Navy, perhaps we should stop using their airbases.

IIRC it was in the movie about the stripper that was dating the Governor of LA (the younger of the Longs). The Gov was talking about blacks and said "We have to stop kicking them in the day and sleeping with them at night." No doubt!

At least as far as moderate Arabic nations go, ones that are cooperative in the War on Terror why don't we stop kicking them by day and sleeping with them at night.

This Guy Does the Impossible.

Follow this link to Filipinas Magazine bring up the current issue of magazine and select page 50.

On page 50 is a column by Rene Ciria-Cruz does the impossible. What is it he does that is impossible you ask? He makes Maureen Dowd look smart!

A Coup in Progress?

Reports are flying all over that a coup is in progress in the Philippines. Reports seem to indicate President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's (PGMA) government is weathering the storm. Multiple blogs are covering the events.

Bob at Mindanao Blog reports on a minor anti-PGMA protest in Davao City. Wretchard at The Belmont Club spends two blogs noting that PGMA has declared a state of emergency in the Philippines. Of course, Rizalist at Philippine Commentary is in the thick of things and is liveblogging it all. His latest blog is one noting that former President Corazon Aquino is asking PGMA to resign. Ha! President Aquino was quite ineffectual in power and survived multiple coup attempts.

The Philippine Peso is now declining in value and the latest I saw it was at 52.150 Pesos/$. If the coup attempts do bring down PGMA then expect that peso to fall further. I was thinking of buying pesos and hedging by buying puts enough to cover my $ at a sell price of about 65 Pesos/$. That plan did not materialize.

Philippine Commentary also relates a statement from the US Embassy. About what one would expect a drab statement urging all involved to forego violence and work things out by the rule of law. The problem is the anti-PGMA side sees that the rule of law is not being followed by PGMA and her aides, so they feel why the heck should they. This is doubly true of the NPA who have never had much thought for non-violence.

My own take is that PGMA should stay in office till the end of her term, but corruption and scandal are as close to her as they were to Erap.

Update:
8:44am CST Friday (2/24/06) 14:51 GMT (2/24/2006)
A contact of mine in the Philippines is not happy with events. The economy in the Philippines shows definite signs of life and the politicos are messing it up.

So You Have a Penpal From the Philippines?

Yesterday I wrote a note warning those from the Philippines about getting involved with their penpal & internet friends. Not to tell them don't do it but to be careful and aware of the hazards and the differences between our ways of life. Now I reverse it.

Again, I know many couples who met this way and they have happy marriages but I have seen people who lost quite a bit of money to those with ulterior motives. Again always remember, it is much easier to put up and keep up false pretenses via letters & the internet and during the brief time you might actually meet face to face.

I don't want to say don't do it, but do it with your eyes open and please, please, please, do not blind yourself.

1. Philippinos have very tight family ties. Expect to help in the support of mother, father, grandfathers, grandmothers, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews etc.


2. At Christmas time even though their family is far away they are still important. Be ready to send money for Christmas.


3. If you are in a cold climate, try to bring them to the States in the late spring or summer. This gives them the chance to slowly adjust to winter. Make sure they have enough winter clothes and tell them when (at first) they need to wear warm clothes.


4. Start up a savings fund to fund a trip back home on a regular basis


5. You may feel poor but in relation to many in the Philippines your well off.


6. Understand they have different tastes in food. Locate all the Asian foodstores in your area and try to find the nearest Filipino food store.


7. Re-read the above item, and learn about tuyo or dried fish. It has a powerful odor that lingers after cooking. They like it, deal with it! I used to be an ex-pat and after missing my friends and family the 3rd item on my miss-list was good ole American food.


8. Try to locate your nearest Filipino association and get involved. Introduce your Filipino spouse when they arrive. This helps, they can help a lot with getting your spouse over culture shock and adjusted to the climate.


9. It would be a good idea to learn the language and the culture from which your spouse is coming from. Culturally speaking the Philippines has much we are familiar with but just as much that is not familiar to us.

Don't Blind Yourself

If your "spouse to be" in the Philippines keeps asking for money. Money for this, money for that, money for the other thing etc beware. Yes, some in the Philippines are desperate and may be taking advantage of you as a gold mine. Don't blind yourself with "romantic fantasies" there is a possibility your penpal is stringing you along just to get money or to get in the US. I have seen these cases firsthand.

Again let me reiterate. I am not saying don't pursue your relationship with your penpal from the Philippines, I am saying do it with your eyes open.

If your spouse from the Philippines is good you have found a jewel beyond worth do likewise and be a jewel beyond worth to your spouse!

Ports Confusion.

I overheard someone today casting the ports problem as the UAE was taking over port security. WRONG! US Department of Homeland Security, Customs, and The Coast Guard will continue to be in charge of US port security at all ports. Day to day operations will remain with the respective port authorities.

My understanding is the UAE company is purchasing a British company that owns the ports. Essentially the only difference will be who collects the rent.

Update:
According To Special Report With Britt Hume the UAE's Port World will run the day to day operations. Still, they will have nothing to do with port security.

So You Have an American Penpal.

As you may or may not know my wife is from the Philippines. We met the old-fashioned way at the church in the city in which we were living. We dated, got engaged, and then got married. It was bound to happen along those lines since very few single American or British women attended the Church let alone were active participants in Church centered activities.

Since The Empress and I have been together here in the USA and have reached out to others from the Philippines in our locale I have made some general observations and I want to share those with the world. Most of you who regularly read this blog will not be interested in it and I hope to attract Philippinas who have an American penpal and are looking at marrying that American.

The intention is to open their eyes a bit.

Now before I dive into the meat of this let me be perfectly clear. The Empress and I have many friends who met via the penpal/internet route. They are wonderful couples and are in perfectly happy marriages. Both partners in the marriage likewise, are wonderful people and it is a privilege to know them.

However, there is a possibility the person you are corresponding with is dangerous. We saw this situation once. The woman came over with her young sons and the man she was going to hookup with beat her and basically was not looking for a wife but for a sex & house slave.

With the internet/penpal situation it is too easy to convincingly portray yourself as someone you are not. Always remember that.

Some things to note about American life very different from Philippino life.

• Yes, our incomes are greater so too is our cost of living. When thinking of costs in America go to the nearest Shoemart and price out imported goods that will get you close. For example a pair of jeans (maong) will run you about 2,000 pesos minimum. A quick bite to eat at McDonalds will run roughly 400 pesos. A kilo of chicken will also probably run around 300-350 pesos etc.


• The climate. In most of the nation the climate is way different from the Philippines. Winters no matter where you are (except for Hawaii and South Florida) are likely to be colder than what you are used to, especially in the northeren regions where they will be like nothing you can imagine (don't worry you can deal with it but be ready for it).


• Rice is not a common staple in our diets. Go to the in-laws or friends and most likely there will be no rice for you.


• Forget about having a katulong unless your penpal is extremely wealthy.


• Families are not so tight as they are in the Philippines. Children are encouraged to leave their parent's house from 18-22 years of age. There are exceptions.


• There is very little public transportation and taxis are very expensive.


• You will eventually learn to drive a car.


• Americans have an independent nature. We are taught to do for ourselves and this independence is in our bones until the day we die.


• Unless you are moving to a large city (Chicago, LA, New York City) many of the food items you like will be hard or impossible to find in your hometown.


• Don't expect your penpal to be as religious as you.


• We are quite a bit more informal when it comes to addressing elders/parents/supreiors etc

I am sure this is not a complete list and I will add to it as I come up with more.

Please recall I am not saying do not pursue your penpal/internet relationship I am saying enter it with your eyes wide open. I would also advise you to have a plan in case the situation is bad, be able to get away and go home in case you penpal/internet partner is bad (and by bad I don't mean that he is not as rich as you thought he was).

The Evils of Publicly Financing Campaigns.

Are highlighted in the Brussels Journal in a blog not having anything to do with campaign law.

The Belgian authorities are currently also prosecuting Daniel Féret, the leader of the Belgian Front National, a party which has 8% of the votes in Wallonia, the French-speaking part of Belgium. The public prosecutor is demanding a one-year jail sentence for Mr Féret and the outlawing of his party. Two years ago the CEOOR obtained a conviction of the Vlaams Blok, the largest party in Flanders, Belgium's Dutch-speaking north, where it polled 25% of the votes. The party was disbanded after having been declared "a criminal organisation." It has since been reestablished as Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) and is currently the largest party in Belgium. Recently, the CEOOR opened an investigation against it for "islamophobia," threatening to deprive it of its funding. [emphasis added]

Source: The Brussels Journal - The Quislings of Eurabia Paul Belien writes a very stirring piece on the European press and elite. However, that is not what I want to talk about.

See the highlighted portion of the quote. Notice how since a political party is dependant on the government for its funding the government actually controls the party. So, if you are a diehard leftist that wants publicly financed campaigns you had better think about it. It would be nothing for some nameless unaccountable buearucrat to yank the party's funding.

Go read Paul's blog since it contains a very passionate chiding of the European press and elite. They fancy themselves brave and imagine themselves fighting against an intolerant rabble. Of course, when an intolerant rabble really appears and threatens the established liberal policies with violence what do they do? They give in.

Vietnam, Somalia, and Iraq.

Quite often on this blog I have argued we need to avoid another Somalia. By that I mean an retreat in shame in fear of the Islamists. That is why we have to see the job through to the end in Iraq. Many may say (and convincingly so) who gives a rat's @$$, if retreat is the right thing then do it and to perfidy what the Islamists think.

Well, Powerline Blog has the answer to those folks.

The Muslim victory in Somalia over the America has profound implications ideologically, politically, and psychologically that will require lengthy studies. You have the duty to record notes about these implications and keep them until it is time to study them in depth. Just the same, there is an important observation that we must not ignore, which is that the Americans were not defeated militarily in Somalia. Effective human and economic losses were not inflicted on them. All that happened was that the Somali battle revealed many of their psychological, political, and perhaps military weaknesses.

The Somali experience confirmed the spurious nature of American power and that it has not recovered from the Vietnam complex. It fears getting bogged down in a real war that would reveal its psychological collapse at the level of personnel and leadership. Since Vietnam America has been seeking easy battles that are completely guaranteed.

Source: Powerline Blog - The Lessons al Qaeda Learned From Somalia That is from a translated letter captured from the terrorists.

Here is how Powerline finishes their blog:

Like it or not, that's what the terrorists think when we cut and run. And, of course, the jury is still out on whether their diagnosis of American power will turn out to be accurate.

Source: Powerline Blog - The Lessons al Qaeda Learned From Somalia That is it does make a difference, the retreat from Somalia convinced the terrorists we were weak and would capitulate when things got tough. Unfortunately, they may be correct.

Some Things To Consider & The Port Deal.

The Geography

Maps courtesy of www.theodora.com/maps used with permission.
Study the above map. See the UAE in blue? Now, also consider the location of Saudia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Yemen, Bahrain, Iraq, and Iran. The only nations that can not have their shipping shut down by Iran are Saudia Arabia and Oman and Yemen.

Now, recall the majority of people on the Gulf are Sunni Muslims and in Iran they are Shia (Bahrain is Sunni ruled but has a Shia majority), that is there is a natural and profound antagonism between the two sets. Not only is there the religious difference but there are territory conflicts. Iran and the UAE have a territory conflict over some islands in the Persian Gulf. So, this adds to the tension.

Iran: The Boogeyman

Now, we know Iran is trying its best to obtain nuclear weapons. The Arabian Peninsula nations do not want that to happen anymore than we do (and I would urge them to forget about trying to make the Mideast Nuclear free in an attempt to disarm Israel, this is being too clever by half) as Iran would get even more pushy.

Now, Iran's trump card is it can easily shut down shipping going in and out of the Persian Gulf and can make shipping difficult all the way out the Indian Ocean. Of course, we would not allow for that but it would take some time to take care of. Of course, everyone thinks "Oh no! The world loses access to oil".

Oil is a Two Edged Sword

Oil is of course the most important thing flowing out of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman into the Indian Ocean. Now, we have the memories of the oil embargoes from the '70s. Now, the oil nations are solely dependent on one product for their income and that is the oil. So if oil isn't getting to market they are not getting money to run their nations and to buy their Mercedes with. In the past when oil price was low the governments of the Persian Gulf region were cutting budgets, instituting taxes (usually on expatriates). These nations are very dependent on oil revenue and it would hit them very hard if they could not deliver their oil to market.

Also, remember oil is a commodity. While there are differences in oil from place to place remember it all goes into one big pot and oil consuming nations draw from that pot. They don't buy from a particular nation. Even the oil pumped in our nation goes into that pot it doesn't just stay here in the USA.

Good or Bad?

Before we pass judgment on the Port deal we need to consider all of the above plus some point raised by James Robbins at NRO.

• December 2004: Dubai was the first government in the region to sign on to the U.S. Container Security Initiative to screen all containers heading for the United States for security risks.



• May 2005: Dubai signed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy to bar passage of nuclear material from passing through its ports, and install radiation-detecting equipment.

Source: National Review Online - Port Insecurity? (On the Dubai port deal.) - James S. Robbins Of course critics point out two of the 9/11-19 came from the UAE (but I would remind 19 of 19 lived here in the USA prior to the 9/11) and there are other negatives.

On the whole this is not so simple as the critics make it out to be.

A few more things. It is US Customs and Security who is responsible for security. All other ports in the world are not run or owned by any US company.

I put all the above together and believe there is much more incentive for the UAE to do things right and not to allow themselves to be used as conduits of terror. I have little problem with the deal.

Alas, the deal may be good but it makes for bad press and is easily demagogued.

A Coup in the Works?

The Oakwood Motel in Makati Manila Philippines. Read on for its significance. The date on the photo should read 01/08/2006.

A lot of nervousness in official circles in the Philippines.

It all started out early this morning. Michelle Malkin reporting on an explosion on the Malaca˜ang (the Philippino Whitehouse) grounds. No one was killed or injured in the blast, it seemed to be a warning.

The explosion was ``an expression of our determination and will to end the illegitimate and corrupt administration,'' of President Gloria Arroyo, according to a fax received at the palace press office. The senders said they were made of two groups, the Young Officers Union and the Reformist Armed Forces of the Philippines,...

Source: Bloomberg - Purported Philippine Military Group Says Responsible for Blast The story then goes on to note the Peso tooks its biggest drop since January 20.

Now, DJB over at Philippine Commentary has been keeping us up to the minute on what is happening in Manila. He passes on this ominous note

BREAKING (0655) I just heard Lt. Larry San Juan, one of the four escaped Oakwood Mutineers talking to radio anchor Eli Saludar (RMN News) on AM Radio in Manila. He is asking residents of the area around Malacanang to "move out temporarily of their homes" this coming Friday...This follows an explosion in a garbage can just outside Malacanang Palace around noon yesterday and persistent rumors. Two organizations, the Young Officers Union-New Generation (YOUNG) and the Reformed Armed Forces of the Philippines (RAFP) Nothing however, happened during last Saturday's homecoming in Baguio City of the Philippine Military Academy...and the radio announcer just hopes civilians are kept out of whatever now happens.

It's bright and hazy in the Archipelago at the moment, a thick fog covers the City of Manila away to the eastwards towards the Antipolo hills...early morning traffic is already building up from the honking sounds...

Source: Philippine Commentary - Philippine Coup Rumors Intensifying In an update DJB reports Lt. San Juan was arrested shortly after the broadcast and an instigator of one successful coup plot and many failed ones (wow, a failed coup plotter who is not only alive but still in the government) thinks there is little chance of an actual coup being pulled off.

Philippino military cadets marching to lunch. The date on the picture should read 01/06/2006.

Energy Breakthrough?

A curious report on today's speech by President Bush:

Saying the nation is on the verge of technological breakthroughs that would "startle" most Americans, President Bush on Monday outlined his energy proposals to help wean the country off foreign oil.

Less than half the crude oil used by refineries is produced in the United States, while 60 percent comes from foreign nations, Bush said during the first stop on a two-day trip to talk about energy.

Source: The Associated Press via My Way News - [President] Bush: U.S. on Verge of Energy Breakthrough (DEB RIECHMANN) I am doubtful if it is going to be a real breakthrough. The plural is used and my guess each is more a step than a leap that is the breakthroughs are evolutionary in nature and not revolutionary.

People don't realize how energy hungry our society is. Yes, our vehicles consume a large percentage of that but everything not done by human hands (and even that comes with an external energy cost, ie producing food) requires energy. Not only energy but chemicals.

A large number of chemicals used to make our lives what they are, are derived from petroleum.

None the less. I am more confident we can wean ourselves off of the petroleum habit than many Middle Eastern nations can wean themselves off of petroleum dollars (or petroleum euros).

President Bush was at a battery plant that produces batteries for hybrid cars. I'm very doubtful of hybrid cars.

Running Around Proxy Servers.

Michelle Malkin reports

A number of readers overseas have e-mailed that my blog is now inaccessible in the United Arab Emirates. B. writes:...

Source: Michelle Malkin - BANNED IN THE UAE Well, there is a fairly simple way to do an end run around proxy servers, it works well especially when you want to access banned text rich sites such as Michelle's website.

You will need a bit of technical expertise but not too much.

First
Surf the net and subscribe to an ISP in a liberated nation. You will probably want to find a service near your home but if you are a resident of the oppressive nation just find an ISP in a nation that does not censor. The remote ISP must also allow shell access and have some sort of text based web browser you can run when logged on.

Subscribe to that ISP then you have an ISP account in two places. The ISP you use to normally access the Internet and surf and a remote account.

Second
Fire up Telnet. What is Telnet? Telnet is a program you use to connect and interact with remote computers. Every Windows system I have worked with has a version of Telnet. Bring up the start menu, select run, and then in the entry box type telnet myisp.com,where myisp.com is the address of the remote ISP you subscribed to in step 1 above, and click okay. A telnet client will appear and should connect to your remote ISP. This may take a bit of time.

Third
You will be asked to provide your username and your password. Type them in.

Fourth
Now, type "lynx" (or whatever the name of the text based web browser is) and lynx should appear. To go to Michelle's website type the command g and then the website you want to visit: http://www.michellemalkin.com/ and then Lynx will go and fetch the requested page (in this case Michelle's front page).

Yes, you will not have access to the fancy graphics but you can't get them the normal way. If you really need to see a picture Lynx gives you the ability to download it and then you can use another internet protocol named FTP to transfer that image from the remote server to your local machine to view it.

Complicated? Sorta, but if you really want to read banned websites from nations that censor said websites learn it.

Update:

1. 7:51 pm CST 2/20/2006.

Welcome PJ Media readers. Here is a link to the whole blog, please check it out! Thanks for stopping by!

2. 7:10 am CST 3/12/2006.

An anonymous commentator informs us:
Hi,

on a side note: If you are confronted with a system "spying" on your internet use, the telnet program should not be your first choice.

With telnet your login information (username and password) are transmitted in plain through the network - ready for everyone "in between" to read. So is the very content you are accessing. Although the privacy part might not be interesting to you, the nasty things someone can do with your account will be.

If supported by the ISP you should use a SSH connection, although this requires additional software on windows computers (try a search for PuTTY). This gives you a secure channel for communication as everything is encrypted.
Source: Comment on Running Around Proxy Servers
Good point, go out and find PuTTY for your Windows system. If you run linux you already have a SSH client. I have seen it myself, with telnet your ID & password are sent unencrypted and easy for spyware to intercept and read. Thanks for the tip/reminder Anonymous!

Who Programs The Left?

Listening to the snippets of the weekend talks shows on Rush Limbaugh got me to wondering.

The left accuses us (right-wing bloggers and supporters of the Administration) of being Rove programmed robots. Well, after hearing an identical phrase uttered multiple times by different people on the left got me to wondering who programs the leftist robots. Indeed, who?

BTW the phrase was "penchant for secrecy".

These Guys Are Smart?

On CNN's RELIABLE SOURCES, WASHINGTON POST reporter Dana Milbank fretted that the White House is exploiting the public's growing disdain for the mainstream media. "Of course they succeed," Milbank said of Bush aides. "The press always looks awful. They will once again make us look awful."

Source: The Drudge Report - MAIN PRESS PLANS ANOTHER WEEK OF CHENEY SHOOTING COVERAGE How oblivious to reality is that statement?

Dana Milbank is the moron reporter who shows up on a national talk show in hunting garb, to poke fun at Vice President Cheney. Is Milbank completely clueless? The VP accidentally shot another person, the press continues to shoot themselves.

How Stupid.

We were and the Iranians are.

Reports have it the Iran has essentially banned referring to danishes (the sweet treat that goes great w/coffee) as danishes. What is the term? Roses of Mohammed.

That is just as dumb as Freedom Fries.

Keep warm it is like -14° F where I am at.

Update for the Fahrenheit challenged -14° F == -25.5° Centigrade.

Terri's Website is Updated.

Terri McCormick for Congress! Check it out!

A Coronation.

WHBY out of Appleton had a story today that John Gard has been selected by the bigs in the Republican Party to run for the open 8th District Representative Seat. Rick Wiley out of the Republican Party of Wisconsin confirmed that to be the case. With Dick Cheney coming to fundraise for John Gard it was obvious.

I have always said whoever runs for an office is more the business of the political party than anyone elses. I guess anyway one looks at it the party bigs are choosing John Gard. Unfortunately, I am concerned John Gard's party affiliation is more in the Government party than the Republican party.

I guess with the Democrats placing so much emphasis on winning this seat it will naturally draw attention from the Republican Party as well.

The Ghost of Quisling.

Lives on in Europe, but now Quisling submits to the Sharia. Norway's capital is not in Oslo but in Doha.

To many, this sounded outrageous. But on February 10, in Oslo, came a dramatic capitulation that seemed a classic case of sharia in action. For days, Velbjørn Selbekk, editor of the tiny Christian periodical Magazinet – the first publication to reprint the now-famous Muhammed cartoons from the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten – had firmly resisted pressure by Muslim extremists (who made death threats) and by the Norwegian establishment (which urged him to give in). But then, on that morning – the day before a planned mass demonstration against the cartoons – Norway’s Minister of Labor and Social Inclusion, Bjarne Håkon Hanssen, hastily called a press conference at a major government office building in Oslo.

There, to the astonishment of his supporters, Selbekk issued an abject apology for reprinting the cartoons. At his side, accepting his act of contrition on behalf of 46 Muslim organizations and asking that all threats now be withdrawn, was Mohammed Hamdan, head of Norway’s Islamic Council. In attendance were members of the Norwegian cabinet and the largest assemblage of imams in Norway's history. It was a picture right out of a sharia courtroom: the dhimmi prostrating himself before the Muslim leader, and the leader pardoning him – and, for good measure, declaring Selbekk to be henceforth under his protection, as if it were he, Hamdan, and not the Norwegian police, that held in his hands the security of citizens in Norway.

Selbekk, in his prepared remarks, leaned heavily on the usual soothing multicultural language, including the word "understanding." It was clear that Selbekk had indeed come to an understanding: he understood that if he didn't relent, he risked physical harm. He also spoke of "respect" – a word that in this context must surely have been understood by the imams to refer not to a volitional regard for a social equal but to the obligatory deference of a repentant infidel. As for Handam, he noted that "Selbekk has children the same age as my own. I want my children and his children to grow up together, live together in peace, and be friends." This was rather chilling, given that Selbekk’s family, too, had been under threat.

The Norwegian government hailed this "reconciliation." Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, who had faced off with Selbekk in several TV debates when the latter had been defending free speech, now congratulated him for his apology, which he characterized, grotesquely, as an act of "responsibility" that displayed "integrity and courage." Norway’s imams were ecstatic: one said that "the fact that Norwegians have apologized gives Norway…a higher status than before." And Aftenposten, Norway’s newspaper of record, cheered Selbekk’s action, while denying that it constituted an admission that he had no right to publish the cartoons. Alas, Selbekk’s surrender plainly represented a giant step toward a purely theoretical "freedom of speech" – a "freedom" of which fewer and fewer Norwegians, after this officially sanctioned act of national humiliation, will dare to avail themselves.

On Tuesday, as if Norway hadn't already been disgraced enough, an official Norwegian delegation met in Qatar with Muslim leader Yusuf al Qaradawi (who has defended suicide bombers and the murder of Jewish women and children) and implored him to accept Selbekk's apology for the cartoons. Lucky them: he did. "To meet Yusuf al-Qaradawi under the present circumstances," the Norwegian-Iraqi writer Walid al-Kubaisi told Aftenposten yesterday, "is tantamount to granting extreme Islamists and defenders of terror a right of joint consultation regarding how Norway should be governed." Yep.

Source: Bruce Bawer Commentary - February 15, 2006

Why is it people must practice responsible journalism when it comes to issues dealing with Islam but nowhere else?

There is an irony in this. As I write I have Mozart's "The Abduction from the Seraglio" playing. In brief the opera is the story of a Spanish nobleman rescues his love and friends from slavery in Turkey. Now, we have European nations willingly entering slavery to Islam.

Your Speech Checklist.

With all the exceptions being added to the idea of free speech we had all better start carrying a freedom of speech checklist such as the one pictured here. Before you talk or write consult your checklist and if you can not check off every item

STICK A SOCK IN IT!

BTW the above image was cobbled together by myself. If you wish to use it, feel free provided you link back to this blog and attribute it to Marcus Aurelius of Blogger Beer.

A Few Days Old But Good!

Cox and Forkum as usual come up with a good picture of what is happening with the Cartoon Conflagration.

Fran's Followup. Another Eight-Ball!

I should think about limiting Eight-Ball prizes to one per person-month. Right now there is no such limit so Fran Bubolz the winner of the Eight-Ball on Tuesday February 14 follows up with a call and wins his third Eight-Ball award! Congratulations Fran!

Fran's winning entry is actually a call this time, but it is every bit as ignorant and batty as his letters.

ART ATTACK: Freedom of speech doesn't include the right to yell, "Fire!" in a crowded assembly. There are slander and libel laws, too. Some speech is not free. The Danish cartoons gave radicals throughout the world an excuse for using and enjoying murder and mayhem. Did their vulgar, trivializing disrespect of Muslim beliefs accomplish anything positive? Was it worth it, boys?



Fran Bubolz, Appleton

Source: The Appleton Post Crescent - It's Your Call (Art Attack) Mr. Bubolz clearly shows his ignorance of the entire chain of events. I like this statement: "...gave radicals throughout the world and excuse for using and enjoying murder and mayhem." Since when do they need an excuse? The piglet over to the right is an excuse.

Mr. Bubolz one question for you. What was your reaction to Piss Christ? How about the image of the Virgin Mary created with elephant dung? Were those overreactions by far right Christian conservatives? Do you whine about freedom of speech every time you or the left is criticized?

You see Mr. Bubolz the cartoon conflagration is about much more than a set of silly cartoons. It is about our freedom of the press and expression. It is about censorship, it is about ourselves and our press agencies taking orders from Mecca.

I hope your Arabic lessons are going well dhimmi!


Congratulations on your third Eight-Ball Award Mr. Bubolz!

Again.

I was hoping to move away from the Cartoon Conflagrationa but a comment on my blog titled 1000 Swedes Ran Through the Weeds elicited a comment from a Swede.

His retort was essentially two pronged.

I.) Your stance is hypocritical
A.) The Janet Jackson Tittie Expo at the Superbowl
B.) The Response to those Who Criticize the WMD in Iraq Claims.
C.) Blasphemous Depictions of Christ Get Similar treatment.

Points A & C are legitimate issues for discussion. However, all three are attempts to deflect the discussion away from the central point. The second point is silliness pure and simple. Critics are themselve open to counter-criticism. I don't recall violence being threatened to those who disputed claims of Iraqi WMD (which recall was a claim which most every intelligence agency in the world believed to be the case). Those who criticize must be prepared to be criticized, what is that saying about those who live glass houeses?

BTW, Pete's note about Greece wannting to prosecute a man for a cartoon ridiculing Jesus Christ is well taken and I would urge Greece to repeal the law in play here. This is the proper response, not to excuse oppression because of oppression elsewhere.

II.) The Cartoons Are Offensive.

Yes they are. Look over the left of my blog, see Piglet? That too is offensive to Muslims. My Christianity is offensive to many Muslims, my taste for bratwurst and Old Style is offensive to Muslims. Am I too stop indulging myself in those tastes for fear of offending Muslims?

Mr. Peter Towers of Sweden, where does it stop?

One last comment. Yes, the people of Iran and Syria all look poor and impoverished. However, they are not that bad off. They all look pretty vigorous to me, maybe they don't have a TV in every room in their house but poor they are not.

As much as I detest Larry Flynt he sum it up very well. Freedom of speech and expression are worthless if they do not include the freedom to offend.

No Phones Allowed.

Way to go NPA! You destroy a phone tower and cut off all the people who depend on that tower for phone service. That will win you friends!

For those of you not familiar with the acronymn NPA it is New People's Army which is a band of commie thugs in the Philippines. They hold a fair amount of power here and there. They usually hold enough power in those places to extort business owners and travellers. It seems one of my travels in the Philippines our jeepney was stopped by an NPA checkpoint. The driver paid them the squeeze and we were allowed to go our way.

In the Philippines most people do not have landlines. Now most everyone has cell phones. Cell phone towers are easier to provide service to a great number of people than it is to string wire to each and every house in that area. So, the NPA is hurting Globe a tiny bit and the residents of that area a whole lot.

Keep it up!

gotta run!

HIPAA

The Health Information Portability and Accountability Act widely known as HIPAA. HIPAA is the reason you have to read through and sign off on umpteen forms talking about privacy whenever you get medical treatment (or anything to do with healthcare). HIPAA's main concern is laying out data standards so medical information can be more easily shared.

However, since your medical information can be more easily shared and disseminated the government put privacy standards into the act. This is why your practicioners may have remodeled their front desks, so as to make the viewing of medical information that pops up on a receptionists screen harder for the casual observer to view. This is why we have to read and sign all of those extra forms. This is why we have to jump through an extra ring or two when requesting our medical records be sent somewhere.

Why does Mr. Harry Whittington's case all of a sudden demand zero privacy? Yes, I get it, he was involved in an accident instigated by the Vice President. Still, why?

The press is upset. They make it seem as if they have a RIGHT to know (especially the Washington D.C. press corps). Sorry people, you have no right to know anything! IIRC it was on Britt Hume's the factor last night where someone said ever since Watergate the Washington D.C. press corps treats everything as a potential coverup of government wrongdoing. This case underlines everything.

I Can Not Believe We Agree!

What do you think of the situation of the Danish cartoons?

It's scary, to say the least. Freedom of speech is involved in this, and I've always been an absolutist when it comes to free speech, even in countries that don't have it. I don't think you're really free unless you do have freedom of speech and freedom of religion and civil liberties. If you pull any one of those out, it's like a domino effect. I can understand why a lot of people are afraid, but if they thought a little harder about the issues themselves and asked if they wanted to live in a country of tyranny I don't think anyone would. I think Americans are just reacting without thinking.

Freedom of speech is only important if you're gonna offend someone; if you're not gonna offend someone, you don't need free speech.

Canonist - Larry Flynt on the Danish Cartoons Larry Flynt is a reprehensible person and the smut he peddles is destructive, but he is 100% right on in what he says above. I can not believe I find myself giving that man high-fives but here it is!

HT: Little Green Footballs.

Avery vs. Manitowoc County Sheriff Settled.

Accused murderer Steven Avery has settled his civil lawsuit against Manitowoc County. Avery ws asking for 36 million dollars... after being wrongly imprisoned for a 1985 rape he didn't commit.

Source: WGBA-TV Homepage - Avery Civil Suit Settled Another report said they settled for $400,000 nowhere near the $36 million Mr. Avery was asking for. Of that $400,000 Mr. Avery is getting $240,000 and the rest to attorneys and other costs.

With Mr. Avery's continuing legal troubles I am sure lawyers will quickly gobble up the $240,000 that he is getting.

Idiots!

Apparently Justice Scalia called idiots those who view the Constitution of the United States as a living document.

While the label is impolitic I have to side with Scalia on the underlying issue.

The claim of the living constitution proponents is our society is a changing one and the Constitution must change with the times. Yes, and the Founding Fathers accounted for that fact by creating an amendment process. This way the Constitution can be added to or subtracted from as societies changing needs demand.

What the living constitution proponents really want is a constitution that suits their personal political goals rather than that of the societies.

A Word To All News Outlets.

Please do not announce any Olympic Results until after the events are televised!

Blogger.

Is messing over itself again.

It had a real long streak of no problems but it seems like running up to last weekend's upgrade and the upgrades aftermath there have been a lot of problems.

Oh well, its a free service and you all know what they say about cheap thigns.

3rd Person.

Ever read Manolo's shoe blog? He writes in third person so instead of saying "I like that pair of shoes" Manolo writes "The Manolo likes those shoes". What a hoot!

There is something about writing in that style (and reading) that amuses me quite a bit. Don't worry Marcus Aurelius will not refer to himself in that style here! However, in one of my other writing ventures I am starting to use that!

A Two Time Winner.

Today's Eight-Ball Wiener is a two time wiener. Yes, Fran Bubolz you win again, Fran won his first Eight-Ball award back on May 5, 2005 and he wins again today!.

Letters: American values ignored as profit seems to rule all

Taxpayers, you're paying Halliburton several times what its services to our forces in Iraq are worth. It's then bringing in young workers from poor countries to do the work at far below our minimum wage. They have no benefits, live in crowded barracks and are given poor, usually cold food. They're forbidden to use American facilities. Most didn't even know what country they'd be working in till they got there.

Source: Appleton Post Crescent Letter to the Editor - Letters: American values ignored as profit seems to rule all (Fran Bubolz) Ah yes, the old leftist whipping boy Haliburton. Funny how the leftoids never whined about Haliburton during the Clinton years.

As far as using "young workers from poor countries to do the work at far below our minimum wage." Well, I bet those young workers are using those wages to support families at home (not just wife and children, but wife, children, mother, father, brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews), and saving those wages to get a home or start a business back in their homelands. Our minimum wage earner brings in more wealth per hour than a lot of those workers would in a day back in their homeland. I have seen it first hand.

Guess who's making a ton of money off their misery? Our moral, born-again administration looks the other way.

If these dishonorable hypocrites have ever read the words of the God they pretend to worship, they've failed to understand and live up to them. We're all heirs to the hatred for us that's growing in the world.

And if they feign ignorance of these practices, they're even more incompetent and stupid than we previously thought.

Source: Appleton Post Crescent Letter to the Editor - Letters: American values ignored as profit seems to rule all (Fran Bubolz) Ah, the old leftist attack on the faith of President Bush. In fact, in his previous award Fran attacked the Republicans in the Wisconsin legislature with the same language. I'll grant he is more than a one trick pony, but those tricks are awful easy.

You see, it should not be the govt.s business to dictate how Haliburton does business. Obviously Haliburton does have to comply with certain laws and rules but what Mr. Bubolz is going way beyond that and attacking the fundamental concept of all businesses that of trying to make a profit.

On the homefront, an EPA ruling being touted prohibits testing pesticides on humans. At the end, in fine print, are listed the exceptions, including "abused or neglected" children and children from countries not having a prohibiting law. What have we become?

Fran Bubolz,

Appleton

Source: Appleton Post Crescent Letter to the Editor - Letters: American values ignored as profit seems to rule all (Fran Bubolz)The claim that he makes in the last paragraph show him for what he is a stark raving mad nut! Mr. Bubolz provide documentation supporting your claim or be considered a leftist whack-job.

In the end all I have to say is Congratulations on your second Eight-Ball Mr. Bubolz!



Congratulations Mr. Bubolz on your second Eight-Ball award!

30 Pieces of Silver.

Michelle Malkin asks how much Emir Gore received for his speech at the Jeddah Economic Forum.

I bet it was 30 pieces of silver.

Ann Dean?

Recently at the CPAC conference in Washington D.C. Ann Coulter gave a talk. In that talk she used some epithets targeting Arabs. I will not repeat the epithet here read this for a complete accounting of the story by The American Mind's Sean. Sean also follows up here and he also reports on it at the Badger Blog Alliance.

Now, I generally enjoy Ann's commentary. Not universally though. For example I can not think of a single column from Jonah Goldberg that I refused to keep reading, but there are quite a few Coulter columns I could not finish because of the nastiness of them.

Sean's commentary, if you did not read them, are negative on Ann Coulter and he is not alone in the right wing blogosphere on that count. Michelle Malkin takes Ann to task as well (and links to The American Mind).

Ann Coulter you may recall used to contribute to National Review but her first post-9/11 column was too much and NR discontinued running Ann's columns.

Now, I recognize the need for those of us on the right to disavow those whose remarks and commentary discredit our causes. Like we call on the left to disavow Howard Dean when he gives credibility to the whack-job conspiracy theory that President Bush was in on planning 9/11. Certainly, reasonable people on the left recognize such commentary turns people off.

Well, if the left has their whack-jobs then so must we and we certainly do. Many of them are quite recognizable as whack-jobs and the right disowns them completely. For example Fred Phelps and David Duke (funny, how these two characters often find themselves on the same side of today's debates with whack-job leftists) are two clear examples.

Now, the question before us is Ann Coulter such a figure? I say no she is not. I say she is about on par with Howard Dean (as you can see above). HowDea says some outrageous things and I think it was unwise for the left to put him in charge of the DNC and from all reports DNC fundraising is way behind GOP fundraising (however, we know the leftists will make this up with various 527 organizations) and way down from previous years.

Similarly, I would not put Ann Coulter in charge of any official GOP organization. But, she is still very popular with hardcore conservatives. I was looking at various conservative figures and she commands the highest speaking fees of pretty much all of them.

I have a love/hate relationship with Ann Coulter.

Al Al-Arabee.

My oh my. Many people in this nation are very suspicious of our close ties to Saudi Arabia and what does Algae (aka Al Gore) do? He stands up in front of a predominantly Saudi audience in Saudia Arabia (at a conference the Danish were disinvited from the conference) and bashes the USofA.

Here is Powerline's take.

Here is Michelle Malkin's report.

I wonder why he did it? Was he promised an emirate in the global caliphate? Forget president Gore, he is now Emir Gore.

Donehill Skiing.

The Downhill Skiing event is done. Bode Miller and Darren Rahlves did not bring home any metal.

The winner France's Antoine Deneriaz skied a near perfect race. The first jump known as the Angel Jump was giving the racers problems and second place Michael Walchhofer (Austria) caught incredible air and nearly lost it (his left leg pulled away from his body and his ski started to rotate but he made a good recovery). NBC did a simulcast of the Walchhofer and Deneriaz and the difference off of that first jump was HUGE. Yes, when recreational skiing air is fun, but when racing catching air stretches you out which slows you down. Serious air is for freestyle skiers and snowboarders.

I knew the outcome due to a stupid browser automatically loading up the news (at my brother's place) but I still loved watching the event. When watching the skiing my legs and body move along with the skiers almost involuntarily.

The picture above is of Bode Miller.

Good luck the US Men's Ski team in the remainder of the events. The Super-G, the Giant Slalom, the Slalom, and the freestyle.

Akron OH Cartoon Conflagration.

The Media Pundit has the details on the story. Apparently the cartoonist is taking a shot primarily at CNN but of course since Mohammed is referred to the IslamoCensors don't like it and are applying heat to the paper and the cartoonist to apologize.

Again the protesters completely miss the point of the cartoon which is to criticize CNN. Of course, other religious leaders have joined hands with the IslamoCensors.

HT: Michelle Malkin.

Election Year 2006.

Here in the state of Wisconsin we are in an interesting election year.

The top of our ticket this year is our governor's race. Diamond Jim Doyle (D) is the incumbent and beat out Scott McCallum (R) in 2002. McCallum lost a lot of support because he took a very tough fiscal stand and was impolitic about it. Also, McCallum was finishing out Tommy Thompson's last term who went to Washington D.C. to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services in W's administration.

There are two Republican contenders. The first is Mark Green who is currently the representative for the 8th Congressional District of Wisconsin. Mark Green has done a good job and served in that job since 1998. Mark is known well the whole state over and has an excellent team put together for his bid.

The other Republican contender is Scott Walker. Scott Walker currently serves as the Milwaukee County Executive, which is no small feat for a Republican. Scott's strength lay in his name recognition in the Milwaukee area which is traditionally very friendly to Democrats.

In addition we have Paul Bucher and JB Van Hollen fighting for the GOP nomination to run against incumbent Peg Lautenschlagger for Wisconsin Attorney General.


Well, this leaves an opening in the 8th District. Who is running for the 8th district? We have two Republicans and three Democrats. Terri McCormick who is currently the Wisconsin 56th Assembly District representative and John Gard. Of the two John Gard probably has the better chance of winning the nomination as he has Mark Green's support and is currently the speaker of the Assembly so he has a lot more free press than Terri does. We will see, I support Terri in her bid.

There are three Democrats who have declared interest in the 8th District race. The first is Nancy Nusbaum, the second is Jaimie Wall, and the third is Dr. Steve Kagen.

This also leaves and opening for a new 56th Assembly District representative. More on that as it becomes clear to me.

Jimmy Carter's Warrantless Prosecution.

The worst president in US history (i.e. Jimmy Carter) was also a fan of warrantless surveillance of people within the United States.

HT: to Powerline. The case dating back to 1977 involved two people, one man known as David Truong and the other Ronald Humphrey. Their goal was to pass information to the Vietnamese during the Paris Peace Negotiations in 1977. The courier that Truong used in Paris to pass the information to the Vietnamese was a CIA agent. This instigated warrantless (though approved by the attorney general Griffin Bell. (details of the case were obtained from and may be found on pages 9 & 10 of George P. Varghese's A SENSE OF PURPOSE: THE ROLE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT IN FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE SURVEILLANCE a document that appears hostile to the government).

In the end the Truong's conviction was upheld by the courts. My understanding of the situation though is this case was decided incorrectly. The USA was not in a state of war with Vietnam and hence the case should have been treated more as a criminal case.

However, this shows that Jimmy Carter's bleating at the King funeral is rank hypocrisy.

There exists an important difference between then and now. Then we were not at war, now we are at war and there are hostile entities determined to attack the United States of America. The NSA wiretaps as long as they are targeting foreign agents or agents acting on behalf of hostile entities are completely legal.

We come back to the hot war of WWII. Our nation monitored Japanese communications of all sorts and was listening to the Japanese diplomatic talk real time (i.e. we had cracked their diplomatic codes), was that unconstitutional? Should FDR have sought a warrant for that? Its absurd and that is what the shriekers are yelling for now.

1000 Swedes Ran Through the Weeds...

100 Swedes ran through the weeds by the fear on one Muslim. The real ditty is 1000 Swedes ran through the weeds by the fear of one Norwegian, but the Norwegians are not any better than the Swedes these days.

Paul Belien at The Brussel's Journal calls out the Swedish and the Norwegian governments

Vikings. Once they were brave. Today some are brave and some are cowards. The brave ones are the Danish and the Icelanders, the cowards the Norwegians and the Swedish (at least where the governments are concerned).

Yesterday the Swedish government shut down a website because it had published Muhammad cartoons. Has Stockholm ever shut down a website because it posted Jesus cartoons? No, it hasn’t. During the past week a number of appeasing Western governments have said that they are not happy with papers and websites republishing the Danish Muhammad cartoons, but Sweden is the first Western country to exercise censorship.

Source: Brussel's Journal - Send a Message to the Swedish (Paul Belien)

Paul is spot on here. What is wrong with the Swedes and the Norwegians they can not defend freedom of expression and speech? I hope they don't eat a lot of pork since having pork around is offensive to Muslims.

You know, being a guest in a Muslim country I would hope all civilized people would respect their norms and customs. When I was invited to stay in the house of a local in Salalah Oman, I declined. Why? Because we had pork and liquor with us (all within the laws of Oman) and I did not want to bring those items into his house and offend his Islamic family's sensibilities. Being a guest in a Muslim country I would not display those cartoons.

With that said, all we want is reciprocal consideration for our norms and mores. Unfortunately, nations like Norway and Sweeden are now taking their orders from Cairo and Doha rather than Stockholm and Oslo.

The Complete Set of 12.

Below is a gallery of the "Dirty Dozen" cartoons the cartoons published in the Jyllands-Posten depicting the prophet Mohammed. Human Events has the same gallery with links to see each one full sized. Check it out!

Its Worse Than I Thought In Europe.

Reading The Brussel's Journal one finds some very disturbing trends.

The government of Slovakia has fallen after criticism by a European Union committee that it protects Catholic doctors against being forced to perform abortions. Two clashes of civilization are currently taking place in Europe. Freedom-loving people having to fight on two fronts. One involves the radical segment of the immigrant Muslim population that opposes basic Western values such as freedom of speech and that is intent on imposing Islamic taboos (such as the mere fact of depicting their prophet Muhammad) on the non-Islamic population. The other involves radical secularists that want to eradicate all remnants of traditional Christian culture from post-Christian Europe by restricting the right to conscientious objection on the part of religious people.

Source: The Brussel's Journal - The Other Culture War: EU Brings Down Slovak Government (Paul Belien) So, what we have here is an EU that is tripping over itself to please Muslims while at the same time doing its utmost to stamp out Christianity and any sense of Christian values.

The only thing with enough will to fight against the Islamic tide in Europe (and save the radical leftist secularists from dhimmitude) is being stamped out wherever it is found.

When the Cartoon Conflagration first started to flair up I saw other European papers publish the photos and the Jyllands-Posten stand up against the demands for apology. Now, even after it became clear the controversy was manufactured by Islamothugs, the editor responsible for the original publication of the cartoons is placed on extended leave, the paper apologizes, Canada confiscates an entire run of a college paper with the cartoons, our media (here in the USA) refuses to show them etc. Now add on the fact that doctors who believe abortion is an extreme wrong are to be forced to perform them.

Where does it stop? Is Germany (the one nation in Europe that seems to have backbone) going to be required to outlaw the production of bratwurst? How about black pudding in Poland?

Europe stop your blind and willing dhimmification before it is too late. Is Ayan Hirsi Ali the Churchill of our time?

Europe is Starting To Knuckle Under.

Signs are starting to pop up all over that the EU's capital is not Brussels but in Mecca.

Michelle Malkin reports numerous nations that are knuckling under to IslamoThug demands that the Danish Dozen not be printed. Some of the governments one expects for example Malaysia, Yemen, and perhaps South Africa.

However other nations on the list are The Ukraine, Sweden, and the EU is considering a "media code".

Wretchard has a lot to say about this situation. I don't have time to summarize and add to his post for you now but will hit it up later.

Update
2/10/2006 11:54am CST Readers following the trackback at Michelle Malkin's blog expecting to land at the Badger Blog Alliance please forgive me. I forgot to reset the Blog name on my ping form to say "Blogger Beer". You are at the correct blog.

Fear Mongering.

SHrillary Clinton brought up the tired cliche how the Administration is using fear to win elections.

Of course she says this almost before her statements on how the Democrats can be tough against our enemies are out of the auditorium. I see some contradiction there.

In any event the Democrats engage in fear mongering aplenty. They try to paint a picture of terror and abuse coming from the Bush Administration.

Now, if I say watch out or X may get you this may be considered fear mongering. Of course, it could be advising prudence and caution in the face of a genuine threat. I think the Administration has the easier case to make that its warnings and rhetoric are genuine and most in the nation see the Democrats warnings (admittedly these come from the mid to far left of the Party) of a coming 4th Reich as hysteria to be disregarded.

After all WTC-I, Blackhawk Down, Khobar Towers, the East African embassies, the Cole, and finally 9/11 are not figments of hyperactive imaginations they are grim reality.

The Return of The Eight-Ball Award!

Ah, I decided to read the Appleton Post Crescent (online) and one of the letters to the editor shows a glaring lack of economic understanding.

Doesn't Understand Quite a Bit.

Letters: Times have changed, as has government

Mr. Destiche (Letters, Jan. 31), to answer your question:

When your grandmother was young, jobs weren't outsourced to China so that people had to go to college just to get a job. Farmers weren't fighting with megafarms just to try to earn their keep, and seniors weren't paying outrageous amounts for drugs because the makers were only concerned about profit.

Well, when Mr. Destiche's grandmother was young China was in the throes of war and conflict (civil and otherwise). China at that time had nothing to offer the rest of the world. Now China has cheap labor.

Megafarms? Agricultural products are commodities the only chance to make money (i.e. a living) at it is to increase the output in one of two ways. Squeezing more out of the land and animals or increasing the amount of land or animals one works with (i.e. growing into a megafarm).

The drug companies are concerned about profits, why should they not be? They also have limited time to make money off of drugs they patent and I would guess much money goes into dead end drugs, that is drugs that never make it to market.

If you look back to the Great Depression, you will also find that the government created jobs (TVA), helped seniors afford to live (Social Security Act) and gave people money with which to live (unemployment).

There were some big differences between the nation now and then. One of them was the number of people paying into Social Security. BTW, is the implication here that the government now-a-days doesn't pay out social security?

The govt. created jobs here, jobs there but the govt would not be able to employ the entire nation.

We currently have a government that's trying to take all those things away. They're reducing student loans, but yet want kids to go to college to get a good job. They're raising drug prices while trying to cut Social Security. [emphasis added] They're trying to get rid of help for farmers, but they won't give them good prices for their product.

We live in a different time than your grandmother, but we have a different government, too.

Bill Schwalbach, Oshkosh

Here is where Mr. Schwalbach earns the coveted Eight-Ball award. How does the government raise drug prices? Oh, by allowing outrageous settlements on class action suits, that is by allowing the transfer of money from the drug companies to the lawyers.

Cutting social security? You had better explain yourself Mr. Schwalbach I know of no such effort.

The last line is funny to. Yes, welfare for farmers is being cut but who gives them the prices? Surely it isn't the government that buys all the produce from the farmers, it isn't the government that sets the buy price for a farmer's produce.

I am really upset the government didn't help the blacksmiths! We have an entire industry that disappeared, our government should have setup a program for the blacksmiths.


Mr. Schwallbach's Award! Congratulations Mr. Schwalbach!