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Bob Herbert Won't Write About This
But the Army has exceeded its recruitment goal for the month of June by about 500 troops. Since Herbert has attributed prior recruitment shortfalls to fear of dying in Iraq, we can only assume that he will say that it's suddenly become more popular.
Hat Tip: Right Wing News
Posted by pat at 04:21 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
INTERBLOGATORY TRAVELS
 | A Change In Mood: Something happened this evening in Aruba to significantly change the tone of the family of Natalee Holloway. Whatever it was is not generally known, but thought to come from a private meeting with Aruban authorities about which the family isn't commenting, other than to say they are feeling better as regards the progress of the investigation. |
 | Early Computer Reference in Batman?: Batman was always well ahead of the technology curve in the comics due to his lack of superpowers. But a 1945 computer reference is really quite early. |
 | Porn Creep: Maybe it's the emergence of the blogosphere detailing every single move a celebrity makes, or maybe just the current zeitgeist, but does anyone get the idea that porn is becoming the new way to celebrity? Forget Jenna Jameson crossing over to the mainstream - we're talking some major stars flaunting their wares. |
 | Death to Rader: When I said that for Raderto spend the rest of his life in prison was a severe, if wholly justified, punishment, my prosecutor friend quipped, "He might like it." She went on to say that sex offenders and homicidal sex offenders such as Rader have very perverted tastes. Some of those tastes can be fulfilled in prisons. |
 | Pat will get you up to speed: Looks like the full court press is going on with regard to global warming; I suppose the intent is to put pressure on President Bushin the runup to the G8 meeting in Scotland next week. |
| Jackson's Junction has it; watch the Ward Churchill video HERE: "Fragging an officer has a much more impactful effect" When will this anti-American slimeball be fired? |
 | Madeleine Smith and her poisonous tale: At her trial in 1857 the whole of Scotland was scandalised by newspaper accounts of pre-marital sex and arsenic poisoning. Yet the young and attractive Miss Smith walked free after a verdict of "not proven". Even today opinion is split as to whether she was framed, or got away with the murder of Emile L'Angelier. |
 | Absolutely hysterical! Flame Warriors by Mike Reed: Which type of computer user/blogger are you? |
Posted by kitty at 01:12 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Face of Evil
Study this face. It is evil:
Former hostages in the 1979 takeover of the US Embassy in Tehran have identified Iran's president-elect Mahmood Ahmadinejad as a key player in their 444-day ordeal, The Washington Times said on Thursday.
"The new president of Iran is a terrorist," retired Army Colonel Charles Scott, 73, a former hostage told the daily.
"As soon as I saw his picture in the paper, I knew that was the bastard...He was one of the top two or three leaders." said Scott, who lives in Jonesboro, Georgia.
Posted by Aaron at 09:51 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Herbert: Quagmire, Quagmire, Quagmire
Well, the header to this post pretty much tells you what Bob Herbert does in today's column. The "Q-word" appears four times in the piece, and original, insightful commentary nowhere.
More than 1,730 American troops have already died in Iraq. Some were little more than children when they signed up for the armed forces, like Ramona Valdez, who grew up in the Bronx and was just 17 when she joined the Marines. She was one of six service members, including four women, who were killed when a suicide bomber struck their convoy in Falluja last week.
Herbert returns to one of his favorite themes here; that the military is recruiting kids too young to understand what they are letting themselves in for. The only problem with his analysis is that you can't join the Marines when you're 17 unless you have your parents' permission.
Talking about President Bush's "Bring it on!" comment:
It was an immature display of street-corner machismo that appalled people familiar with the agonizing ordeals of combat. Senator Frank Lautenberg, a New Jersey Democrat, was quoted in The Washington Post as saying: "I am shaking my head in disbelief. When I served in the Army in Europe during World War II, I never heard any military commander - let alone the commander in chief - invite enemies to attack U.S. troops."
Perhaps the most famous military response in history came when Xerxes, leader of the Persians offered to spare King Leonidas of Sparta and 300 of his men if they would just lay down their arms. Leonidas replied, "Molon Labe!" Literally, "Come and get them!"
Frank Lautenberg and Bob Herbert would no doubt blast Leonidas as incompetent.
Posted by pat at 09:17 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
What Has She Been Smoking
Hal Lindsay is cookin' in his latest screed against San Fran Nan (Bella Pelosi):
Now it has a representative government, an independent judiciary and is no longer a threat to anybody except terrorists. Which brings us to part two of Rep. Pelosi's second complaint. Now it is a "magnet for terrorism because the president invaded Iraq ..."
Evidently, Rep. Pelosi thinks that is a bad thing for America. Where would she prefer to locate the "terrorist magnet"? New York? Washington? Los Angeles? I thought that was the strategy – fight them in the Middle East instead of fighting them in the Midwest? Maybe I am missing something about the nuances of politics.
The insurgency "took root" in the unstable conditions of post-war Iraq? How could that have been avoided? Well, we could have nuked Baghdad. Then there wouldn't be any "insurgents" – which is a catch-all phrase that includes remnants of the Bathist regime and thousands of foreign al-Qaida fighters (who, if they were not attacking American military forces in Iraq, would have resumed attacking American civilians in the homeland).
American forces are protected with Kevlar vests and helmets, armed with great, big guns, are supported by radar, unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, heavy weapons, helicopters and fighters, and are trained for exactly this eventuality.
American civilians at home have been disarmed by the government, fly in unprotected commercial aircraft and are protected by business suits and briefcases, and aren't even supported by the liberals in Congress. This is a rebuttal?
Maybe I am missing something. If al-Qaida has concentrated its forces in Iraq, doesn't that limit its ability to concentrate its forces elsewhere? Like Philadelphia? And if al-Qaida is bound and determined to bring war to Americans, isn't it a good idea for them to run into the U.S. Marines instead of a civilian office building?
What has she been smoking?
Posted by Aaron at 09:06 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Mexico Puts Barack Obama on Stamp
Mexican officials claim these are not racist caricatures. Um, if you show this picture to enough of my "kin folk" you won't need a Minuteman Project; black America will handle the situation south of the border.
UPDATE! I am posting this wonderful display prepared by Danegerus on this Memin Pinguin character. Anyone still sitting on the fence? Sure, American's have Sambo, but we aren't going to put him on a stamp.
Posted by Aaron at 08:46 AM | Comments (13) | TrackBack
Quote of the Day
"I don't understand the fascination about the runaway bride. Have you seen the guy? You would run away, too."
- Stated in a television commercial for a Tulsa automobile dealership
Posted by Dodo David at 09:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
My Husband Lives Across the Street
Leave it to Californians to be on the cutting edge of married life: living apart.
No, not couples who separate for a while in order to evaluate their marriage, nor couples who maintain two residences because one may "commute" to a job far away and come home on weekends. Literally, men and women who are married, but who live either next door to one another, across the street, or across town.
It's almost a trend. A 2003 census report found that 3 million married couples lived in separate residences (although that statistic must include many who are separated in the "this-isn't-working" sense). Some live in different units in the same apartment building. Some live in separate cities. Some just divide up the house they have into two addresses with one electric bill.
Why would people who want to commit legally not want to live together?
Donna Guadagni, 46, is one of those happy beings. A high school art teacher, she has a well-ordered place of her own in the sleepy former mill town of White Pines in Calaveras County. In June she will marry Dave Wallace, 55, but there will be no "we're-moving-in-together" garage sale to get rid of the duplicate appliances. Wallace lives an hour down the mountain in his own house, and both will keep their houses. The distance is not ideal: Guadagni said she'd prefer what Minnie and Mickey Mouse have -- living next door to each other with a path going from front door to front door. But she likes her own space, and her intended has fits of creative energy, not to mention seven hot rods in the yard. Wallace dreams of a 10-car garage with a modest house at each end.
These are obviously people who belong to the "ME" generation, and whose own needs are more important than the needs of others. Living with someone else takes patience, commitment, and the ability to compromise...qualities that are obviously unimportant to couples who take the marriage plunge but maintain separate addresses.
The article doesn't feature any couples who have children, but what about those couples, if they indeed exist? Do Joey and Sally take turns living in each house, or does one spouse visit the house with the kids in it? That sort of arrangement is difficult at best when a divorce is involved. How do you explain it to them? "Mommy and Daddy are married, but Mommy just likes to live alone." The kids will grow up not knowing how to live in a traditional relationship, not knowing how to compromise, argue and make up, and give of oneself.
And how about those expenses? It can't be cheap to maintain separate abodes. The couples featured in the article are all older, with established careers. Young people just starting out don't usually have the kind of cash flow that would allow them to maintain two residences, especially in an area as pricey as the San Francisco area. But expenses don't seem to affect the decision as much as way of life.
Not surprisingly, different styles can have a lot to do with the decision to live apart. When she thinks of living with her husband, [Juliana] Grenzeback said, "I get anxiety attacks." [Joshua] Brody describes his own style as archival. It's a dark apartment with a music studio in the middle, and other rooms hold shelf upon shelf of 45s. Brody's kitsch postcards -- "Seattle at night," "Florida at night," etc. -- decorate the wall next to the front door.
Then why marry? Why not just be "boyfriend and girlfriend?" Having your cake while not having to live with it (to paraphrase a marriage therapist from the article) is just another way of saying you're too self-absorbed to think about someone else's needs. It's a sad commentary on the devolution of society when couples are no longer "us," but "me and me."
*This post also appears on BlogMeister USA.*
Posted by at 08:47 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
Political Question of the Day
Here is an excerpt from a story published in the 06/29/05 issue of the Tulsa World newspaper.
The Oklahoma Democratic Party owes money to the Internal Revenue Service and the state Tax Commission as part of nearly $500,000 in unpaid bills, records show. The party also failed to pay its employees while accumulating debts for a multitude of campaign services under the chairmanship of Jay Parmley, filings with the Federal Election Commission indicate.
Political Question of the Day:
Will Howard Dean stop ranting against Republicans long enough to help his party pay off its debts?
Posted by Dodo David at 08:39 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Why Irish Eyes Are Smiling
Tom Friedman takes a look at the Irish miracle, which I have often blogged on at Brainster's.
Here's something you probably didn't know: Ireland today is the richest country in the European Union after Luxembourg.
Well, actually I did know it, Tom, but I suspect that many readers of the New York Times may be surprised. How did they do it?
And change Ireland did. In a quite unusual development, the government, the main trade unions, farmers and industrialists came together and agreed on a program of fiscal austerity, slashing corporate taxes to 12.5 percent, far below the rest of Europe, moderating wages and prices, and aggressively courting foreign investment. In 1996, Ireland made college education basically free, creating an even more educated work force.
Friedman, selling this to the liberal readers of the Times, stresses the impact of social benefits (like free education and healthcare), but most observers credit the low tax rates. Indeed, that is the major difference between Ireland and the struggling economies of France and Germany. In fact, those two countries have been prodding the EU to force tax "harmonization", which of course will work only in one direction.
Posted by pat at 02:16 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Guest Blogging at Ankle Biting Pundits
Check out my first post at ABP on Bush's speech last night.
Here's a taste:
The Democrats and liberals want to forget 9/11 as quickly as possible and get back to reminding Americans not to forget about FDR. What crap...
Posted by Aaron at 09:38 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Larry David: Funny Nut
I get upset when, what I believe to be well written posts are not picked up by conservative bloggers. But if leftists can get away with this CRAP on the HuffPuff, then I will not be too concerned. I am glad we have higher standards. Will someone translate the following?
I wonder how long I've been up. It feels like at least forty minutes. Maybe I should look at the time. No, don't look at the time. How's that gonna help? I'm just curious. Don't look. DO NOT LOOK…three- thirty. Are you happy? Idiot. I told you not to look but you know everything…I can't stand this quilt. The comforter inside always slips down. I’m grabbing at nothing here! I haven't had a good quilt in a long time. Where'd this quilt come from anyway? Tomorrow I'll mention the quilt. She's not gonna like that. She'll say there's nothing wrong with the quilt and that'll be that. It's sad I can't have a quilt I rove…Rove, damn it, that’s the second time today I’ve done that. God, I hate that man. See, this is what he wants. He wants to get in your head. He wants to keep you up. You’re giving him what he wants! If he keeps us all up, we’ll be too tired to fight them. That’s their strategy, and you’re playing right into their hands. We have to start keeping them up. But how? The only things that bothers them enough to keep them up are fetuses. They love that fetus. The fetus and Jesus. Sounds like a comedy team. “Ladies and gentlemen, give a warm welcome to Fetus and Jesus…” Stop thinking about them. I can’t. Try!
Okay, I’m going to think of something else. How about that juicy nectarine I had today. Yum-my. That was dee-licious. The problem is fruit is so inconsistent. When you get a good one, it’s all luck. Fruit is like blackjack. The casino wins most of the time. But at least the casino’s not fixed. I trust the slot machines in Vegas more than the voting machines in Ohio. Even sleazy casino owners in Vegas have more credibility than this bunch…I have to stop killing insects in front of the kids. Am I setting a bad example? What’s my option? Am I supposed to start ignoring flies and ants and let them wander around like they own the place? I guess liberals aren’t supposed to kill insects. See, Rove? I kill them and I rather enjoy it. Maybe you want to sign me up. I like how if you criticize the war you don’t support the troops. You’re the ones sending them over to die, so how is it I don’t support them? If the army was made up of child molesters, then I’d support them. If we went to an all child molester army, I would be their biggest supporter. “Please don’t bring the troops home. Stay the course. Keep them there a long time.” But they’re not child molesters. And they’re not the Twins, that’s for sure. Where are the Twins? Send in the Twins. I’d like to hear that scene. “Jenna, Barbara…Daddy and I have talked it over and we want you to go fight in Iraq.” …Ah, what’s the use? Now I’m all revved up. This is what Rove wants. You’re playing right into his hands. Should I take a sleeping pill? Is that a slippery slope? It seems there are a lot more slippery slopes now than there used to be. Now everything’s a slippery slope…It’s so hot in here. I have to turn the pillow over. Why’s it so much cooler on this side? I don’t get that. I would think it would be a little cooler, but not this much cooler. No matter how hot it is, the bottom of the pillow still stays cool. One day I’d like to ask a scientist about that. Of course, I never really get to meet any scientists. You’d think I’d run into a scientist at some point. I like how they keep saying the science isn’t in on global warming. They just don’t know. No proof. But, of course, it’s in on God. Lots of proof on that. Tons of empirical evidence. They got God’s DNA. And Moses parted the Red Sea. He said, “Open sea,” and it opened. And Jesus walked on water. Those are some tricks. People must have been after Moses to do it again until he finally got sick of them and lost his temper. "No, I'm not parting it again, now leave me alone." "C'mon Moses, please?" "I said no, now get the hell outta here!" You'd think anyone who believes this stuff would be so embarassed they'd keep it to themselves. But those maniacs shout it from the rooftops and they're running our country. God talks to Bush all the time. I don’t care if you’re President, if you say God talks to you, you’re a schizophrenic and a menace to society. You should be on drugs in a mental institution, like the Son of Sam. What’s the difference between God or a dog talking to you? It’s still a voice in your head. That means you’re certifiably fucking crazy! …Look what they’re doing to me. Take a deep breath. That’s good. Listen to your breathing. That’s a meditation technique. Clears your mind. There’s a breath, that’s good. There’s another breath. I guess the science isn’t in on evolution either…No, come on, breathe. There’s a breath. Of course the planet’s only 5000 years old. Breathe, prick, breathe. What about the fucking dinosaurs?! We have the bones. They know how old the bones are! The sad thing is these nuts who founded this country fled Europe because of religious persecution. Good trade for Europe. Breathe. You have to breathe. This is what they want. I’m so thirsty. I've got to start drinking more water. It's so hard to drink, though, if you're not thirsty. You don't eat when you're not hungry. Hey, that's a good point. You actually made a good point. See, you're not stupid. "You don't eat when you're not hungry." I like that. I've gotta try to work that into a conversation. That'll raise a few eyebrows… I'm so cramped here. Look how far over she is. She's on my side. She's way past the middle. Hey, move! MOVE! I need my space, man…If they hate Hollywood so much, maybe they should just start making their own movies and TV shows. In fact, we should just split into two different countries. Then, after our stem cell research gives us the cure for all these diseases, they’ll all be trying to get across the border for our medicine, but our minutemen won’t let them. And we’ll have a lot of minutemen. I think I’ll be a minuteman. “Sorry, but our scientists worked very hard to come up with a cure for Parkinson’s and there’s only enough medicine for our people. So beat it.” …Time to turn the pillow again. No, it’s too soon. It’s not cold enough. Let’s just see. No. Turn it. No. I’m turning it. Okay, go ahead...There. It’s not cold enough. Are you happy? ...Well there’s only one way I can get to sleep now. It always works. Sure, wake her up. That’s just what every Jewish woman wants. Sex in the middle of the night. Go ahead. This I want to see.
“Honey.”
“What. What do you want?”
“I can’t fall back asleep.”
“So why are you waking me up?”
“There’s only one thing that’ll do it.”
“Are you crazy? Why can’t you sleep?”
“You know…”
“Because of them?”
“Yeah.”
“Come here, honey.”
Thanks again, Karl. Keep up the good work.
Posted by Aaron at 07:30 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
Princeton University sells book On Bullshit
On Bullshit is the name of a book that has been published by Princeton University Press. The book's author is Harry G. Frankfurt, a Princeton philosophy professor.
The book has an obvious flaw. Its title could mislead a person into thinking that the book was a "how-to" manual for Washington, DC. politicians.
To learn how to buy the book, click here.
Posted by Dodo David at 07:23 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Behind the scenes of the MSM
The Poynter Institute's website has a column called Romenesko that gives a peak at what MSM insiders are telling each other.
Recently, the column featured a commentary by a MSM member who suggests that CNN hire Dan Rather. In the Romenesko feedback column for 06/28/05, David Keller makes the following comment:
Journalists continue to wonder why mainstream America doesn't like, trust and understand the media. Look no further Verne Gay's June 27 "Off Camera" column in Newsday in which Gay urges CNN to hire Dan Rather. Rather's action at CBS News made it clear that he possesses the type of demeanor and values that most Americans find questionable in a journalist. Why would Gay subject a ratings-hungry CNN to Rather? Why would Gay subject America to Rather? It's obvious that Gay is as out of touch as the rest of the elite media.
If you want to keep tabs on what is happening inside the mainstream media, then a good way to start would be to place the Poynter website in the "Favorites" section of your web browser.
Posted by Dodo David at 06:49 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
NEW BLOG ON THE BLOCK!
Lucianne and I helped Keigh (key) to courageously go into the blogosphere with KeighNotes. So, (drum roll please), give a big welcome to the little lady! (Pat, we may have to ask your help sometime, should the techie problem arise:)
 | I am an armchair ruler of the world, a sports fan, a book lover, and an ardent supporter of all that is family. I won't play poker against George W. Bush- and will crawl on broken glass to make sure that Mrs. Clinton does not enter the White House again- except as a guest. |
Posted by kitty at 12:54 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
INTERBLOGATORY TRAVELS
 | What Really Happened in the Iranian Election: Excellent post, but definitely NOT for the squeamish! |
 | I Wonder How He Signed Her Book?: Lorie has posted a priceless picture of Slick and a pony-tailed cutie. Have fun with captions! |
| Van der Sloot Family Situation: [P]ossible preferential treatment is not lost on all of the the Aruban people, many are now blaming the Van der Sloots for bringing recent troubling developments to the tiny island...acts of vandalism, including at least oneincident wherein a rock was throw through a window of their home, as well as damage to the front gate. |
 | DANEgerus has posted a series of cartoons with the heading: The Canadian who gets it. EXCELLENT! |
 | Read the comments; you'll understand ;) SEX IN THE MOVIES: [T]he reality of performing in love scenes can range from slightly embarrassing to just plain uncomfortable -- with spray-on sweat, a co-star you may have just met five minutes before, or a crowd of crew members yawning through each precisely choreographed take. |
 | BORED BY 9/11: "So in 2001, some fanatics killed some Americans, and now some Americans are killing some Iraqis. And in my childhood, some Nazis killed Jews. And now, some Jewish people and some Palestinians are killing each other...History is the same thing over and over again." |
 | Senate Democrats in quagmire on Bolton nomination: The Democrats have painted themselves into a corner on this one... The chastened minority will have little desire to suffer the same humiliation on a larger scale when a Supreme Court vacancy occurs. |
| Churchill's Help: Thanks, Ward, for being the first to use fragging to undermine the war. You have set the bar at the perfect political low. |
Posted by kitty at 12:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Woody's Bored by 9/11
Woody Allen, everyone's favorite film maker and cradle snatcher, says 9/11 is insignificant in the big scheme of things.
This from Page Six of the NY Post:
WOODY ALLEN thinks 9/11 is like, so yesterday! The neurotic New Yorker tells Teutonic title Der Spiegel: "As a filmmaker, I'm not interested in 9/11 . . . it's too small, history overwhelms it. The history of the world is like: He kills me, I kill him, only with different cosmetics and different castings. So in 2001, some fanatics killed some Americans, and now some Americans are killing some Iraqis. And in my childhood, some Nazis killed Jews. And now, some Jewish people and some Palestinians are killing each other. Political questions, if you go back thousands of years, are ephemeral, not important. History is the same thing over and over again." Unlike Allen's movies?
While that may be true, it's kind of premature to put 9/11 into history's dustbin in 2005, doncha think, Woody?
Keep on trying to stay relevant, Woody...it's not like your movies are doing it for you.
Posted by at 11:03 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Jonah Goldberg Is a Hero. Are You?
Last week, the New York Times introduced us to the future of public service with an essay by Fatina Abdrabboh. Here is a bit of her brilliant essay:
Suddenly a man, out of breath, but still smiling and friendly, tapped me on my shoulder and said, "Ma'am, here are your keys." It was Al Gore, former vice president of the United States. Mr. Gore had gotten off his machine behind me, picked up my keys, handed them to me and then resumed his workout.
It was nothing more than a kind gesture, but at that moment Mr. Gore's act represented all that I yearned for - acceptance and acknowledgment.
Pat also pointed us to Ankle Biting Pundits where they found she was a professional victim of hajib hatred.
Not to be outdone, Jonah Goldberg wants us to know that he is a hero, just like Al Gore:
...I helped a Muslim woman with her groceries in a supermarket parking lot. She was dealing with her kids and her shopping cart started to roll away from her car with the groceries still inside. As it rolled, I saw a decent society of tolerance and kindness rolling away. The cart’s one wobbly wheel — going chapocketa, chapocketa, chapocketa — was onomatopoetically tapping out a small drumbeat for the forced march to oblivion of all we hold dear.
Thank goodness I was there.
Thank goodness this country produces heroes like me.
I sprang into action. Walking more than a dozen yards without concern about the parking-lot traffic, heedless of the SUVs barreling along at 5 perhaps even 10 MPH — not even caring about what my fellow Americans might make of me giving aid and comfort to a Muslim woman. I knew that this woman’s faith in the American way of life was on the line! And I was going to do what was necessary! I grabbed that shopping cart and I pushed it through all the fear and bigotry this country has smothered that poor woman with. I pushed that shopping cart back to that woman’s minivan not so much so she could more easily unload her Cocoa Puffs, but because I have a dream. I have a dream that one day little Muslim boys and little Jewish boys, little Arab girls and little Scotch-Irish girls will be able to join hands as sisters and brothers and push that great shopping cart we call “America” together — with their one free hand.
I don't use the word "hero" lightly, but I am the greatest hero in American history. Except, maybe, for Al Gore.
We need to build a monument to these heros--Americans helping muslims with their errands and keys. Are you a hero? Let us know! We will document all the heros for Fatina and send her a letter with all your reponses.
I am being completely serious, but you don't have to be. Let us know if you are or know heros like Jonah and Al.
Posted by Aaron at 10:04 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
Kerry On the Speech
Sheesh, thanks everybody once again for making sure that Nuancy Boy wasn't the one addressing the nation tonight. Here are John Kerry's "thoughts" on what the President should say.
So what should the president say tonight? The first thing he should do is tell the truth to the American people. Happy talk about the insurgency being in "the last throes" leads to frustrated expectations at home. It also encourages reluctant, sidelined nations that know better to turn their backs on their common interest in keeping Iraq from becoming a failed state.
Of course telling the reluctant, sidelined nations that we are losing the war (which of course we aren't) is guaranteed to get them to commit to help out, right? This is the same crappola Kerry was telling folks last year, that the French would volunteer to let their soldiers die if only we asked them politely enough.
The administration must immediately draw up a detailed plan with clear milestones and deadlines for the transfer of military and police responsibilities to Iraqis after the December elections. The plan should be shared with Congress. The guideposts should take into account political and security needs and objectives and be linked to specific tasks and accomplishments. If Iraqis adopt a constitution and hold elections as planned, support for the insurgency should fall and Iraqi security forces should be able to take on more responsibility. It will also set the stage for American forces to begin to come home.
John, why don't you draw up a plan with clear milestones and deadlines for the transfer of your complete naval record (including all that stuff you got deleted after the election)?
Iraq, of course, badly needs a unified national army, but until it has one - something that our generals now say could take two more years - it should make use of its tribal, religious and ethnic militias like the Kurdish pesh merga and the Shiite Badr Brigade to provide protection and help with reconstruction.
Mark it down; a Democrat just called for the use of tribal, ethnic and religious militias. I would not have thought that possible, but you have to remember that the liberals are completely insane; anything that Bush opposes, they think is a wonderful idea.
The next months are critical to Iraq's future and our security. If Mr. Bush fails to take these steps, we will stumble along, our troops at greater risk, casualties rising, costs rising, the patience of the American people wearing thin, and the specter of quagmire staring us in the face. Our troops deserve better: they deserve leadership equal to their sacrifice.
They also deserve a loyal opposition; something that John Kerry does not represent.
Posted by pat at 12:47 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
ARUBA
Breaking Aruba:
Just had a communication from Aruba - search dogs have gotten a "hit" in quarry near the Van der Sloot house, dive team being rounded up. h/t Blue
.
Posted by kitty at 04:16 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
INTERBLOGATORY TRAVELS
 | We Came, We Saw, We Shredded: The peace protestors appeared ...and they started handing out their leaflets...We offered to take any unwanted political flyers from any citizen who wanted to give them to us and then shredded them before the eyes of the smiling citizen and in full view of the peacenik who handed it out. The peaceniks were stunned. |
 | Nine Days, Three Arrests: Why was this man out on the streets? Well, you'd have to ask the judge about that ... Assuming that you could get a word in edgewise over the sound of his mother. |
 | Lieberman Responds!: [F]or all of Lieberman's support of George W. Bush'sstance on national security, he is not his own man enough to stand up to the second most powerful Democrat in the Senate. ...He'd rather bury his convictions than risk alienation...and possibly much-needed support when it comes to re-election. |
 | GRAMMAR COP: The Banterist has posted photos of a shocking, unabated Coney Island Crime Spree. Officer and partners were surrounded by grammatical mischief, drunks, and questionable midriffs. |
 | OVERPRICED BILL: BILL Clinton isn't as popular in South America as he used to be. The former president, who makes an average of almost $150,000 a speech, accepted an invitation to speak in Sao Paolo, Brazil, to promote his book, "My Life." Unfortunately, our sources say, only half of the auditorium was full. |
  | Clintons Join Billy Graham for Final Revival: Skip the barf-alert article and read the Ldotters' fab comments. If I were the Rev. Graham, I wouldn't keep TOO close to the Clintons...those thunderbolts, you know. |
 | After the war: Two years and a democratic election later, the international community, deeply skeptical if not hostile at first, is now increasingly coming on board to help Iraq make the transition to a normal country. While stories of violence dominate the news, these international and domestic efforts to rebuild Iraq after decades of physical and political devastation continue to pick up pace. |
Posted by kitty at 12:02 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Thou Shalt Not Display
We knew this would happen: SCOTUS in a 5-4 decision bans the display of the 10 commandments in the courthouse...
Hell, why not ban the display of the law in the courtroom. Last time I checked, 8 of the 10 commandments were law in the United States.
Posted by Aaron at 10:22 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Krugman on China
This morning the Times sends out their economist to analyze China. The results are a little better than Kristof's muddled mess yesterday, but still pretty awful.
Fifteen years ago, when Japanese companies were busily buying up chunks of corporate America, I was one of those urging Americans not to panic. You might therefore expect me to offer similar soothing words now that the Chinese are doing the same thing. But the Chinese challenge - highlighted by the bids for Maytag and Unocal - looks a lot more serious than the Japanese challenge ever did.
Why more serious? Krugman never does explain, other than to note that the Japanese bought trophy properties. Of course, Krugman's goal is always to hint darkly at bad times ahead without ever explicitly saying that's what he expects, so he can maintain plausible deniability.
Check out the slanted words he uses: "...living on borrowed funds...our IOUs, etc." And his closing is hilarious:
If it were up to me, I'd block the Chinese bid for Unocal. But it would be a lot easier to take that position if the United States weren't so dependent on China right now, not just to buy our I.O.U.'s, but to help us deal with North Korea now that our military is bogged down in Iraq.
If our military weren't "bogged down" in Iraq, how exactly would we deal with the North Koreans? No differently, because the utility of the military in this instance is limited with Seoul, South Korea, only 17 miles from the North Korean border.
Posted by pat at 09:20 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Kristof on the Debt
There are few things more embarrassing to watch than non-economists lecture about the economy. Nick Kristof tries his luck this morning, and it's like an accident on the highway; no matter how much you try to avert your gaze, you can't help peeking at the carnage.
Another issue is that three-fourths of our new debt is now being purchased by foreigners, with China the biggest buyer of all. That gives China leverage over us, and it undermines our national security.
Sigh. Anybody remember when the Japanese were buying up America? Michael Crichton wrote a book about it, Rising Sun (which makes his current debunking of another Chicken Little "disaster", global warming, rather ironic).
The fact is that at the end of the day, the books have to be balanced. China has pegged its currency to the dollar, but by any measure, the yuan is now substantially undervalued. When one country exports more to another country than it imports, inevitably what happens is that the currency of the former rises to even things out. That's what happened in the late 1980s with the yen, which went from 220 to the dollar to 80 to the dollar in a few years.
Now think about that. Suppose you were a Japanese investor who plunked down $100 million to purchase an office building in the US back in 1988. In Japanese yen, that was Y22 billion. Assuming that the building remained stable in value, at the end of 1992, that investment was worth Y8 billion, a decline of about 60%.
The money lost in those investments represented the balancing of the books, and that's inevitably what the Chinese face with their investments here. And the irony is that they can't avoid it. When one country exports more to another than it imports, it inevitably affects the currency of both countries.
When China sells to the US, it gets dollars. But it doesn't want dollars, it wants yuan. So it sells the dollars to a money broker, who then turns around and buys yuan from American exporters for dollars. But when there is an imbalance between the two, pretty quickly the money broker realizes that he's got more demand for yuan than he does for dollars. So he adjusts the prices, charging more for yuan to balance things out.
By pegging their currency to the dollar, the Chinese have avoided this fate (for now). However, their only other option is to invest the dollars earned in the US, because the money brokers certainly won't exchange it at that artificially low rate. In effect the Chinese government has become the money broker, and they are quietly losing money on every transaction. Long term, they can't keep it up, especially as their economy continues to grow.
So don't worry about the Chinese buying up all our debt; we'll be paying them back with cheaper dollars.
He appears to be learning from Krugman. Check out this little sleight of hand:
More than two centuries of American government produced a cumulative national debt of $5.7 trillion when Mr. Bush was elected in 2000. And now that is expected to almost double by 2010, to $10.8 trillion.
On a percentage of GDP basis, the current deficits are far lower than the Reagan era deficits. And if you look at the US economy's performance, it pretty quickly becomes obvious that deficits presage good economic times, not bad ones. As the government gets closer to surplus, the economy starts to sour; see late 2000 for the most recent example.
Kristof closes with a cliched analysis of the debt:
President Bush has excoriated the "death tax," as he calls the estate tax. But his profligacy will leave every American child facing a "birth tax" of about $150,000.
Why is this so dumb? Because it completely ignores who actually pays taxes in America. Kristof's analysis would make sense if everybody in America were faced with an IOU for $150,000 and expected to make payments with interest at say, 5% per annum. But that's not what happens. Instead, the debt service gets paid, along with the other services the government provides, by the taxpayers. Which these days are mostly the wealthy; something like 50% of all adults don't pay federal income taxes at all. Effectively the sons and daughters of the wealthy are presented with the IOU, and the sons and daughters of the poor get a free ride.
Posted by pat at 10:12 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Upcoming 2006 Senate Race in NY Heats Up
I know it feels like the 2004 election just ended, but many states are already looking toward the 2006 election that will fill Senate seats. One of the more controversial races will be in New York, where New Yorker-by-political-convenience Hillary Clinton will be up for her second term.
Some people may be sick of hearing about New York's senate race...I might be among them, but for a couple of reasons: while I live in Connecticut, I work in New York City, and it's hard not to get caught up in regional politics there. Also, this is Hillary we're talking about...former First Lady, and contender for the 2008 presidential elections (although she has yet to admit the obvious)..
The latest comments come from a Republican hopeful for this Senate seat. Ed Cox, a New York lawyer and son-in-law to the late Richard Nixon, blasted Clinton for her failure to secure more Homeland Security funding for New York. (He could blame Chuck Schumer too, but Chuck just got re-elected.)
"New York is the number one target for terrorists," Cox told WABC Radio host Monica Crowley. "It is terrible that Wyoming should get $18 per capita of homeland security funds while New York gets only $2.50 (per capita)."
He continued:
"She promised in upstate New York in her 2000 campaign that she would deliver 200,000 jobs," Cox told Crowley. "And she had a complicated, big government, unworkable plan to do that. And in fact, she hasn't delivered."
Hillary has another potential rival, Westchester County DA Jeanine Pirro. Kitty posted about this possible matchup last Friday.
So what are Hillary's chances? Much of it may depend on fundraising efforts. As we all know, Hillary is a fundraising machine. She has oodles of dollars at her disposal, and will be able to raise much more. Her opponent, whomever it may be, will have to be able to raise lots of cash.
It may also depend on New Yorkers who are disposed to vote for her but want her to promise to finish her term. According to a recent poll, 65% of those NY Demorcrats polled said she should promise (and keep the promise) to finish out her term, not look to run for President.
Of course, Hillary has made no such promise, only saying that she's "committed" to winning the upcoming election
Things will only get more heated in this race...brace yourselves for plenty of talk about Hillary.
Site of interest: Blogs Against Hillary
Posted by at 09:52 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
The Senate's House Nigger: Obama as Sambo
I only read Republican talking points about once or twice a month. Going through all the information they provide on their site, this struck me in a way no other has:
Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) Raised Over $800,000 For Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) Through A MoveOn.Org Fundraising E-Mail. "19,401 contributors had donated $822,914 to Sen. Robert C. Byrd's 2006 re-election campaign. ... All the money was raised in two days since Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., sent out a fund-raising letter early Tuesday afternoon over the Internet through MoveOn.Org." (Paul J. Nyden, "Donations For Byrd Come To $823,000," Charleston Gazette, 4/1/05)
I was first disgusted with Obama when, after becoming a US Senator, his wife introduced him as her "babies' daddy!" Okay, that's just in poor taste, but to actually raise money for a former Grand Kleagle (he was also called the Cyclops or something) of the Ku Klux Klan shows what a TRUE house nigger is. He is the truest traitor to his race!
A black man cannot even be a Republican without being labeled an Uncle Tom or a traitor to his race--even though the Republicans fought for blacks' freedom from slavery.
Here we are today, and a nigger is kissing up to the slave masters (Democrats) so he can be in their house...i.e. the Senate.
I will forever be questioned about my racial loyalties because I am a conservative first, then a Republican. Where is the outrage that Obama is fundraising for the person in charge of the filibuster of Civil Rights???
How dare he do such a thing? How dare he speak on the floor of the Senate imploring an apology for lynching when he fundraises for BIGOTS AND RACIST TERRORISTS!
What world is this? I have now idea.
He should just get on the Senate floor and dance a jig..that jigga!
And don't be pussies and not comment for fear of being a racist. The only racist described in this post is the milquetoast, socialist traitor. Many call him Barack; I call him Sambo. [see below]
Posted by Aaron at 09:03 PM | Comments (114) | TrackBack
Belize Bound
I'm heading out to sea where I'll be married to the best woman on the whole damned planet. I know, 'cause I looked. Everywhere. Even in Madagascar.
Wish us good weather, because we have everything else covered.
See you in a week.
-- ProfShade
Posted by at 01:03 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Freakin' Friday Softcore Surfin'
Posted by at 12:39 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
PICTURE THIS RACE
As SlantPoint notes, Pirro Gets Statewide Republican Leader Support. I know Pirro has had spousal baggage problems in the past and wondered how they would be handled. Leave it to Cindy Adams to have the inside scoop. Almost always, if Cindy says it, it's so. And while I'm on the subject, I hate to be catty, but if Pirro's resume wasn't enough to blow off that carpetbagger, just look at the pictures.
THE stories about Westchester DA Jeanine Pirro. Will she run, won't she run, should she run, if she runs what's she running for.
Elmira-born, wife, mother of two, earlier on track to be N.Y.'s Lt. Gov., she's a former judge, formerly one of People Magazine's 50 most beautiful, perennial talking head on TV shows, and a hot GOP name. This week's Republican hierarchy wants her to run in the coming Senate race. With Hillary Clinton so strong, it's theoretically a run-to-lose situation. The prize being their IOU for Jeanine's next run-to-win campaign.
Heads that claim to be smarter than ours say only with star-quality Jeanine can the runaway Hillary senate race be interesting. Or exciting. Or meaningful. Put up the average male yutzy candidate, wearing his plastic shoes with the gummy soles, who'll care? The theory is, two star-time ladies make it a glamorous catfight. Both have weathered husbandly baggage.
They say, Jeanine will cop lots of nationwide big-time publicity to ready her for the next run. They say, with whatever dirty stuff Hillary's camp -- never Hillary, just her "camp" -- throws out because of the domestic problems Jeanine's had, it will then be "old news" when next she runs to win.
Only telling you what I know.
Posted by kitty at 10:59 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
Who is Fatina Abdrabboh?
To understand this one, first you've got to read this post of mine about one of the silliest op-ed columns in the history of the New York Times.
But Ankle-Biting Pundits wasn't satisfied with just a chortle. They decided to poke a little deeper into Ms Abdrabboh's past. Turns out she's a professional victim of American bigotry against women wearing the hijab (scarf).
This is a textbook example of how to blog. By digging a little deeper, the Ankle-Biters discovered the real story behind what otherwise seemed like a trivial and absurd op-ed piece that bizarrely popped up on one of the most widely read pages in the world.
Posted by pat at 10:39 AM | Comments (3)
The Party of the Impotent Cries Foul
Hello boys and girls, and welcome to my neighborhood. Can you say "hypocrisy" boys and girls? That's what's emanating from the Democrats, the Party of the Impotent, daily. I don't know why it continues to surprise me, but it does.
The latest example comes after White House adviser Karl Rove made some interesting comparisons in a speech.
Rove, Bush's chief political adviser, said in a speech Wednesday that "liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers." Conservatives, he said in the speech to the New York state Conservative Party just a few miles north of Ground Zero, "saw the savagery of 9/11 and the attacks and prepared for war."
Rove said the Democratic Party made the mistake of calling for "moderation and restraint" after the terrorist attacks.
Now the Impotents are crying out for a retraction AND an apology from Rove.
[New York Senator Charles] Schumer said Democrats were drafting a letter asking Rove to retract his remarks. Jim Manley, spokesman for Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., also called on President Bush to "immediately repudiate Karl Rove's offensive and outrageous comments."
Offensive? Outrageous?
Where was the Democrats outrage when Dickie Durbin compared our soldiers to Nazis, Stalinists and the Khmer Rouge? Have they been offended by Howard Dean's running at the mouth, calling Republicans lazy, evil, exclusionary white Christians? Golly, Gomer Pyle, I guess there's nothing offensive in those comments...if you're a Democrat, that is. Inflammatory speech is okay when it's directed toward the Republicans, but say anything remotely controversial about Democrats, and the Queen of Hearts runs around screaming, "Off with their heads!"
Queen of Hearts and New Yorker-by-political-convenience Hillary Clinton got into the fray, expecting New York governor George Pataki to denounce Rove's comments.
"I would call on anyone who was at that dinner who is a New Yorker who cares about the unity of not only New York City but of our country to say we may have disagreements about what the best way is to win the war against terror, but we have no disagreements about our unity and our resolve and the goals we seek," Clinton said.
Pataki refused to cave in to Clinton.
"I think it's a little hypocritical of Senator Clinton to call on me to repudiate a political figure's comments when she never asked Senator Durbin to repudiate his comments," Pataki said.
"Senator Clinton might think about her propensity to allow outrageous statements from the other side that are far beyond political dialogue -- insulting every Republican, comparing our soldiers to Nazis or Soviet gulag guards -- and never protesting when she serves with them," Pataki said.
Bravo, Mr. Pataki.
I feel like I'm back in elementary school. The Democrats can dish it out, but they can't take it, so they run crying to the teacher and tattle. "Free speech for me but not for thee" is their motto.
Grow up!
Posted by at 09:37 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
They Don't Let Just Anybody On the NY Times Op-Ed Page
Or do they? Check out this chortle-worthy column from this morning.
I CONSIDER my appearance quite unremarkable. I'm 5 feet 8 inches, 150 pounds, fresh-faced and comfortably trendy - hardly, in my view, a look that should draw stares. Still, the Muslim headscarf, or hijab, that I wear makes me feel as if I am under a microscope.
I try to go to the gym just about every morning. Because I work out with my scarf on, people stare - just as they do on the streets of Cambridge.
It's called paranoia, dear. I don't see women with scarves on very often, but if I did, it would be "Oh, there's a woman with a scarf, kinda ordinary-looking but trendy."
She suffers a crisis of confidence in America. Why? Because people treat her mean? Because her father's being tortured at Gitmo? Because a dog snarled at her?
Nope. Because she dropped her car keys. But then, miraculously, her faith is restored:
Suddenly a man, out of breath, but still smiling and friendly, tapped me on my shoulder and said, "Ma'am, here are your keys." It was Al Gore, former vice president of the United States. Mr. Gore had gotten off his machine behind me, picked up my keys, handed them to me and then resumed his workout.
It was nothing more than a kind gesture, but at that moment Mr. Gore's act represented all that I yearned for - acceptance and acknowledgment.
Hat Tip: Michelle Malkin
Posted by pat at 08:05 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
Post #1,000--Lifelike Pundits by the Numbers
Visitors: 54,942 in a little less than 6 months.
Comments: 2,821
Spam Comments: probably 5,000
Trackbacks: Looks like about 80
Spam Trackbacks: About 300
Best single post: I'd argue for Aaron's interview with Jeff Gannon; that was a real coup for the blog. Eleven trackbacks on that post alone. Remember, the New York Freaking Times didn't get their interview with Jeff until 19 days later!
Best continuing series: I've always liked Kitty's Interblogatory Travel/Whataboutery posts and I'm really enjoying the Professor's Freaky Friday Softcore Surfing.
Pam Meister has my taste in stories and generally my take as well. and Dodo David's humor has been appreciated when it seems as though every blog on our side is consumed with the outrage du jour.
Best Co-Bloggers: All the folks who contribute to this blog: Kitty, Aaron, Dodo David, Professor Shade and Pam Meister. Our guest blogger Alpha Patriot posted a wonderful piece. Oh, and me too!
Best Readers: Take a look in the mirror. Obviously we like our right wingers, but I gotta admit that even our lefties stack up well against folks like Liberal Chris at Polipundit or Truck at Captain's Quarters. Paul, Iaintbacchus (sp?), Rodger, GD, take a bow!
Posted by pat at 08:46 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
The Columnist Who Couldn't Shoot Straight
There were no columns in the NY Times today that seemed worthy of refutation. Tom Friedman decided to tackle politics and economics with predictably laughable results. Dowdy Doody's spot is taken by Patricia Nelson Limerick, who writes about what folks in the Western US really want (log cabins and running water, and no, I am not kidding).
So instead, I'll point you to an excellent Fisking of Paul Krugman's column last week on the investment scandal brewing in Ohio, written by our blog-buddy, Donald Luskin.
Krugman’s column concerns apparent improprieties in the management of investment funds by the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. Ohio’s state government is dominated by Republicans, so for Krugman the BWC scandals are “an object lesson in what happens when you have one-party rule untrammeled by any quaint notions of independent oversight.”
One problem. Luskin looks into it and discovers many of the players in the scandal are Democrats!
According to the Toledo Blade, which Krugman cites as his source for this “bigger story,” the person who told the BWC’s CFO to “give MDL a break” was George Forbes, a member of the BWC’s oversight commission. Forbes is also president of the Cleveland chapter of the NAACP, former president of the Cleveland City Council, former candidate for mayor of Cleveland, and a Democrat.
And who’s that daughter who’s employed by MDL? You guessed it, didn’t you? It’s Mildred “Mimi” Forbes, daughter of the very same and very Democratic George Forbes.
Terrific article.
Posted by pat at 04:32 PM | Comments (0) |