HASSAN NASRALLAH in HISTORY OF THE WORLD: PT. I

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MY FIRST "FICTION CREDIT" :~)

The published story is here, and the story of how it happened is here.

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THEY SAY IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY!

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SHADES OF CHAPPAQUIDDICK

Another Kennedy car crash complete with suspicions of drunk driving. He claims he'll co-operate, but once it was learned that it was a Kennedy, no sobriety test was administered. This time it's Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.). On July 19, 1969, it was his father, ol' Teddy. Patrick didn't kill anyone in this accident; ol' Teddy did.

No one should feel cynical or "unfair" for suspecting a cover-up in motion.
After all, it's routine for the Kennedys.

Will a priest be called in for photo-ops?
Will Patrick sport a neckbrace like his father did?

"Do we operate under a system of equal justice under law?Or is there one system for the average citizen and another for the high and mighty?"- Senator Ted Kennedy, 1973

Ask Mary Jo Kopechne's parents.

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SURI WITH THE FRINGE ON TOP

I just couldn't resist that heading when I read that TomKat had named her Suri. Here's a roundup of the news:

J For just-the-facts-ma'am from the NY Post, TOMKAT'S NEW KITTEN A GIRL: It's a girl - and presumably, she's out of this world.

J Delicious snark from Dlisted: Is the mothership coming next?! ... UPDATE II: The bubonic plague has hit Los Angeles. Hmm.... It's starting!

J Popsugar points out that Brooke Shields had her baby -- also a girl -- on the very same day: Did you really think Tomm would allow Brooke's baby to trump his.

J Defamer sums up the TomKat craziness best: Somewhere deep within Tom Cruise's compound, one of the hundreds of bio-vessels gathered in the estate's silent birthing stadium has finally pushed forth into the world an offspring bearing enough of a physical resemblance to the actor (think the classic monkeys-and-typewriters scenario, but with stainless-steel turkey basters and female Scientologists in their prime reproduction years) not to arouse too much suspicion about the infant's true parentage.

This whole TomKat story -- from the Run Katie Run! campaign to those crazy Cruise antics on Oprah -- reminds me of Margaret Atwood's dystopic future world view in The Handmaid's Tale. Or is it just me?

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MARCH MADNESS!

WORLD'S FIRST BASKETBALL CHAMPS WERE GIRLS! And not just any girls, either; they were Indian girls! The year was 1904. At the time they were a huge hit all across America, especially after they appeared at The World's Fair. Since then, their remarkable story has been little more than a bit of local Montana lore until Montana writer Happy Jack Feder wrote "Shoot, Minnie, Shoot!" If the PC cops had had their way, you'd never have the chance to learn about the Fort Shaw team. Read about this fascinating piece of history here.

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SO YOU THINK THE IRAQIS DON'T WANT US THERE?

THE GANGS OF BAGHDAD March 17, 2006 -- AS Operation Swarmer corners terrorists and insurgents north of Baghdad, the bloodshed elsewhere remains far below the civil-war level. Rogue Iraqis are turning on each other. You're seeing gangland violence on amphetamines. Think of it as the Mafia shooting it out with the Ku Klux Klan and the IRA. With automatic weapons and car bombs. ... You'll hear reflexive complaints that the need for a new offensive suggests some sort of failure, but the contrary is true. This current strike has been enabled by a dramatic increase in tip-offs from Iraqis sick of the killers in their midst, by improved U.S. intelligence operations - and by the maturing capabilities of the Iraqi military. The Iraqis want the gangs gone - and they're doing something about it.

SPINNING OPERATION SWARMER
March 20, 2006 -- [A] misinterpretation of military terminology resulted in many perhaps most Americans having an image in their minds of waves of bombers and fighters unleashing a 2006 version of 2003s "shock and awe." And those responsible for disseminating the news did not initially help much in that regard.
...
By Friday evening, the new charge was that Operation "Swarmer" was nothing more than a "media stunt." Some blogs and news outlets referred to it as "underwhelming."
...
Yes, Swarmer is proving-out to be both a bloodless military operation netting weapons, bad guys, and fresh intelligence and a successful show of force aimed at energizing Iraqi soldiers and demoralizing insurgents: a tactic often employed by smart, successful armies. A triumph in any military commander's book: Hardly "under-whelming" or a "media stunt."

IRAQI SOLDIERS ROLL IN ARMOR, THANKS TO MARINES
CAMP HABBINYAH, Iraq (March 18, 2006) Iraqi soldiers from the 2nd Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division took delivery of 10 new armored humvees, complete with their unique paint scheme and Iraqi flags painted on the sides. It was a significant step forward in increasing the capabilities and confidence of Iraqi soldiers to carry out their own independent operations. Until now, Iraqis patrolled the streets of Fallujah in Nissan pick-up trucks, decked with armored doors and blast shields along the bed.
...
The new humvees are more than just better protection for the Iraqis. Its also a visual reminder of their growing capabilities in the eyes of their own citizens.
...
Iraqi soldiers said the new humvees also speak to the trust between Marines and their forces. They know that Marines wont be around forever and saw the addition of armored vehicles to theirranks as a step forward to complete military independence.

IRAQI PRESIDENT SAYS NEW AGREEMENTS DISPROVE CIVIL WAR FEARS

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ABOUT THAT SOUTH PARK EPISODE ...

If you tuned into South Park Wednesday night hoping to watch the now infamous Scientology episode and wondered why it wasn't aired, HollywoodInterrupted.com explains why. PLUS! They've posted the entire episode so you can watch it!

Scientologist Tom Cruise Blackmails Viacom...
Sources from inside Paramount and South Park Studios report that parent company Viacom pulled last night's scheduled repeat of the high-rated "Trapped in the Closet" episode after the humorless Scientologist movie star Tom Cruise threatened to cancel all publicity for Mission Impossible:3 if Comedy Central aired the episode that satirizes Scientology and mocks his sexuality again.
Not only is this the first time that the South Park creators have been officially censored in their ten hit seasons with Comedy Central, Viacom officials also reportedly ordered Matt Stone and Trey Parker not to discuss the reason why their episode was cancelled.
The South Park boys are said to be angry, but will probably get revenge with the manner in which they deal with Scientologist Isaac Hayes' departure from the show.
Developing....

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YOU KILLED CHEF? YOU...

UPDATE: It's obvious that we here at LLP are South Park devotees. I see Aaron beat me to this story, but I think I'll leave it up for now. Aaron, if you want to remove my post, go ahead.

I can't quite bring myself to complete that famous South Park line. I was so shocked and saddened when I read this. What will the South Park gang do now? To whom will they turn for advice? Oh, God, first Uncle Junior shoots Tony in the gut and now this.
ISAAC QUITS 'PARK' OVER JOKE
SOUL man-turned-Scientologist Isaac Hayes, the voice of Chef on Comedy Central hit "South Park" since 1997, has quit the show because of an episode that poked fun at his controversial faith.
The "Shaft" singer is apparently still steamed about an episode titled "Trapped in the Closet" that premiered last November. The show skewered

Scientology and its most famous convert, Tom Cruise, who somehow ends up getting stuck in a closet and is urged to "just come out."
In a statement yesterday, Hayes said: "There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry towards religious beliefs of others begins. Religious beliefs are sacred to people, and at all times should be respected and honored. As a civil rights activist of the past 40 years, I cannot support a show that disrespects those beliefs and practices."

"South Park" co-creator Matt Stone fired back: "This has nothing to do with intolerance and bigotry and everything to do with the fact that Isaac Hayes is a Scientologist and that we recently featured Scientology in an episode of 'South Park.'
"In ten years and over 150 episodes of 'South Park,' Isaac never had a problem making fun of Christians, Muslims, Mormons and Jews. He got a sudden case of religious sensitivity when it was his religion featured on the show. To bring the civil rights struggle into this is just a non sequiter. Of course we will release Isaac from his contract and we wish him well."
Stone and his partner, Trey Parker, have said they avoided mocking Scientology for years because they didn't want to upset Hayes, whose rumbling baritone provides the voice for horny cook Chef on Comedy Central's highest-rated show.
Parker explained last year: "To be honest, what kept us from doing it before was Isaac Hayes. We knew he was a Scientologist and he's an awesome guy. We're like, 'Let's just avoid that for now.'
But Stone and Parker apparently changed their minds when they learned their illusionist pal Penn Jillette had been banned from making fun of Scientology on his Showtime series, "Bulls - - t."
"Finally, we just had to tell Isaac, 'Dude, we totally love working with you, and this is nothing personal, it's just we're 'South Park,' and if we don't do this, we're belitting everything else we've ripped on,' " Parker said.

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BUSH BOOMLET IN MEMPHIS?

**APB EXCLUSIVE: Tired with the mainstream media's negativity, a growing number of Republicans at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference this week are thinking of writing in the name of George W. Bush in a major staw poll in Memphis**

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"THIS PORT DEAL WAS A DRIVE-BY SHOOTING"

Port Story Was Great Opportunity for Learning
The fact is, this port deal was a drive-by shooting. It was a media drive-by shooting. They came in there, and they hailed and lobbed a bunch of mortars, grenades, started firing bullets and everybody went running for cover -- and they've made a huge mess out of things, and nobody knows what happened but it's governed everybody's lives or that's been involved in this for the period of time we've been in it.

...
CALLER: Well, it's just going to cause more American hatred, and also how does Bush salvage relationships with them, with Dubai -- I mean, with the UAE?
RUSH: Bush won't have any problem salvaging relationships. Bush is the one guy that tried this. Bush and Clinton. Clinton's got the big problem. Clinton's the guy that greased this and wasn't able to make it happen. Clinton is the guy.

Mark Steyn drawing lines in the sand
Jed Babbin: What happens to our friend Chuck Schumer? Does he entirely fall apart if Halliburton ends up running these ports?

Mark Steyn: (laughing) Well, I would say there aren't really many happy endings in this story for the Democrats. They saw an opportunity to bash Bush on this, because he looked vulnerable on it. Not just the Democrats, a lot of conservative commentators, Michelle Malkin and others were upset about this deal, too. But the Democrats really ran with this, and panicked enough Republicans into joining them. And the question now is who do these things go to? Do they go to Halliburton? I mean, Halliburton might as well get it, because the reality is that PNO, the British company who were running things at these ports were running them because there's no American company that does it.

Steyn then makes a great point on how political correctness interferes with national security.
JB: Well, have we not gone from tragedy to farce already? I mean, we have, for Heaven's sake, at one of the top schools in the United States, we have a former part of the Taliban government, unreconstructed, enrolled at the school. I mean, how much farther can we descend into political correctness?

MS: Well, exactly. And these are the same Ivy League colleges that refused to let ROTC on campus, because they have the don't ask, don't tell policy on gays in the military. The Taliban doesn't have a don't ask, don't tell. Even if you don't ask, they build a wall and crush you if you're homosexual. I mean, this is the complete decadence of the kind of non-judgmental, multi-cultural, everything's equal thing. And that is the way...people are very foolish, They don't realize that incrementally, you can lose your world, unless you're prepared to actually make a choice about which values, which society you want to live in.

Speaking of national security ...
THE REAL PORT-SECURITY TEST
Frankly, with astonishing vulnerabilities like these, foreign ownership really doesn't make much difference. And keeping the ports under U.S. control wouldn't afford as much protection as some in Congress seem to believe.
Those who worked so feverishly to block the Dubai ports deal have won.
Now let's see whether those same pols who were fulminating over foreign ownership - Chuck Schumer? Hillary Clinton? - show the same concern over the reality of what passes for port security.

Were the phony Democrats too clever by half?

How To Expose the Democrats
I have been waiting for some Republican to ask Chuck Schumer, "Okay, you finally found an enemy out there. You say it's the UAE, gotta protect the ports out there. If consequences are so dire, Senator Schumer, will you authorize the NSA spy program to identify potential infiltrators and terrorist attacks? Will you authorize provisions of the Patriot Act to be employed and used here in securing port security?" I guarantee you it would expose them, and it needs to happen, because the Democrats are getting away here in some places with this notion, all of a sudden they're huge defenders and supporters of national security, and on the right side of it, and actually capable of leading on it, which we know is not true.

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DEBUNKING KATRINA MYTHS

Thanks to NewsBusters for highlighting this story in, of all places, Popular Mechanics!

Now What?
The Lessons of Katrina
NO ONE SHOULD HAVE BEEN SURPRISED. Not the federal agencies tasked with preparing for catastrophes. Not the local officials responsible for aging levees and vulnerable populations. Least of all the residents themselves, who had been warned for decades that they lived on vulnerable terrain. But when Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29, 2005, it seemed as though the whole country was caught unawares. Accusations began to fly even before floodwaters receded. But facts take longer to surface. In the months since the storm, many of the first impressions conveyed by the media have turned out to be mistaken. And many of the most important lessons of Katrina have yet to be absorbed. But one thing is certain: More hurricanes will come. To cope with them we need to understand what really happened during modern America's worst natural disaster. POPULAR MECHANICS editors and reporters spent more than four months interviewing officials, scientists, first responders and victims. Here is our report.--THE EDITORS

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INTERBLOGATORY TRAVELS

SADDAM STOPS LAUGHING: Finding himself face-to-face with page after page of documents in his own handwriting ordering mass executions, Saddam boasted, "Where is the crime?" The crime in question was the brutal murder of 148 Shiites from the town of Dujail, ordered killed after a failed 1982 assassination attempt on the Iraqi dictator. Among the victims: 10 boys aged 11 to 17. ... The future of democracy in Iraq faces a severe test these days, with threats of sectarian violence plaguing the country. Yet any fears Iraqis may feel today pale into insignificance when compared to the terror that gripped the country when Saddam held the power of life and death over all - and used it, ruthlessly.

DUDE, WHERE'S MY CIVIL WAR?: All day - and it was a long day - we drove through Shia and Sunni neighborhoods. Everywhere, the reception was warm. No violence. None. And no hostility toward our troops. Iraqis went out of their way to tell us we were welcome. Instead of a civil war, something very different happened because of the bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra. The fanatic attempt to stir up Sunni-vs.-Shia strife, and the subsequent spate of violent attacks, caused popular support for the U.S. presence to spike upward. ... So why were we told that Iraq was irreversibly in the throes of civil war when it wasn't remotely true?

MSM Drinks Bush Kool-Aid by Portraying Him as Strong Man of Conviction: And here we thought the MSM was biased against President Bush. Wrong! On this evening's Fox News Watch, reliable lefty Neal Gabler informed us that just the opposite is true. Turns out. . . the MSM has uncritically propagated an overly positive image of the president. Who knew?

A Not-So-Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Oscars: Outside of the Academy Awards, however, the industry remains largely apolitical, more committed to turning a profit than advancing any cause. If the Academy's choices don't reflect the traffic patterns at the local multiplex on a given weekend, that's largely because the Academy is made up of adults far removed from the young male demographic that Hollywood caters to during most of the year. Complete list of nominees

And now for something completely different ... KEEPING FAYTH: A cockroach stares up as me as I count what is left of the cash. I'm in the toilet stall of a bus station. The place smells of long neglect, fresh vomit, sweaty paper money.

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IT'S A VERY "PC" BIRTHDAY TODAY!

Happy Birthday, PAT!

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INTERBLOGATORY PRESIDENT'S DAY

TIME's New Cheney Poll Shows Huge Divide Between Public and Media Opinion: Some other interesting results that went contrary to the weeklong media frenzy concerning this incident was that 69 percent of respondents felt that the accident had no effect on their opinion of the vice president, versus only 24 percent that claimed this made them feel more negatively toward him. And, the result that has to be making media representatives scratch their heads is that only 10 percent of respondents felt that Cheney should resign as a result of this accident, while a resounding 85 percent said he shouldn't.

Is Jimmy Carter On The Hamas Payroll?: It is not surprising that Jimmy Carter has penned a Washington Post Op-Ed demanding that the US and Israel give Hamas a chance. Yet no matter how many times Jimmy Carter steps forward to defend terrorists and enemies of this country it still manages to cause a visceral reaction of disgust, anger and shame at this disgraceful excuse for an American, let alone an ex-President.

Debunking the American Prospect and Paul Krugman: I don't mislead my readers like the American Prospect has its readers. The Republicans did get dramatically increased funding as well from the tribes represented by Abramoff, especially in the 2002 election, when funding went from $387,000 to $1.22 million (a much higher rate of increase than the Democrats received). So if the argument is over whether Abramoff's tribes gave more to the Republicans than Democrats, hey no question. But if the argument's over whether the "Democrats Don't Know Jack",all I can say is the American Prospect doesn't know how to count the Jack.

George Washington's Birthday (Observed): Contrary to popular belief, today has never been designated "President's Day" by the Federal Government. Today is, rightly, the observation of the February 22nd birthday of George Washington.

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PICTURE THIS!

Those Democrats, they're such a hoot! Every time they think they've "gotten" Dubya, Dubya gets the better of them, and he usually doesn't have to lift a finger in the process. After all, he's an expert poker player:
By reputation, the President was a very avid and skillful poker player when he was an MBA student. One of the secrets of a successful poker player is to encourage your opponent to bet a lot of chips on a losing hand. This is a pattern of behavior one sees repeatedly in George W. Bush's political career. He is not one to loudly proclaim his strengths at the beginning of a campaign. Instead, he bides his time, does not respond forcefully, a least at first, to critiques from his enemies, no matter how loud and annoying they get. If anything, this apparent passivity only goads them into making their case more emphatically.

This business of pictures of Bush and Abramoff, supposedly proof positive that Bush was good friends with him, is only the latest:
First Photo of Bush and Abramoff
The White House, however, has continued to assert that the President had no recollection of ever meeting Abramoff. When TIME reported in January that it had viewed unpublished photographs of Abramoff with Bush,aides responded that the pictures meant nothing since the President is photographed with thousands of supporters and White House visitors every year.
Now, finally, the first such photo has come to light. It shows a bearded Abramoff in the background as Bush greets an Abramoff client, Raul Garza, who was then the chairman of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas; Bush senior advisor Karl Rove looks on.
...
This meeting, however, was a relatively small gathering attended by some two dozen people, including Garza and another Indian tribal leader who was Abramoff's client.

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DEMS ARE TRAINED LIKE PAVLOV'S DOGS

Rush talked about this today, and all I could think of was Pavlov's dogs :~) HOW LIBERALS PLAY INTO KARL ROVE'S HANDS A packed house of 100 or so viewers huddled around a few plasma screen TVs to watch the address. Early on, when Bush invoked September 11, the audience let out a loud groan and snickered. Seconds later, the president mentioned the word "freedom" for the first time. A bell rang, and the audience laughed; then Bush said the words "terror" and "weapons of mass destruction" and bells rang again, followed by more laughter. This ritual was repeated throughout the speech whenever Bush uttered any of these words or phrases.

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INTERBLOGATORY TRAVELS

For unbelievable sight AND sound, SECOND TOWER VIDEO: I thought I'd seen all the videos of the WTC attack, but this one's new to me. It's from the street level and fairly close to the building.

LuckyDawgNews has survived a makeover and now sports PERMALINKS!! Here are Thank God I Am A Republican and A union guy that gets it to get things goin'. Way to go, Chris!

The Oprah Effect: Version 3.0: [O]ver the past two years, most Oprah selections havent made it to No. 1 at all. Other than Night and Pieces, Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy, was the only other choice to debut at No. 1, after Oprah announced that pick in May 2004; it fell to No. 3 the following week.

Experts Blame Cop Show For Educating Criminals: Prosecutors have complained for years about "the CSI effect" on juries -- an expectation in every trial for the type of high-tech forensic evidence the show's investigators uncover. It also appears the popular show and its two spinoffs could be affecting how some crimes are committed.

Hillary's bling shows couple is rock-solid: [T]he former President quietly gave the iceberg-sized bling - thought to exceed 3 carats ... [T]he sparkling stunner is so big that the former First Lady has been nervous about wearing it and hasn't broken it out of her jewelry box on a regular basis until recently. Chump change. Kobe Bryant gave Vanessa a 5 ct. rock, and she's gorgeous.

NITWIT BRIT ENDANGERS HER BABY: "I noticed she had the baby in her lap," he said. "Next thing I know, she was driving south on the PCH . . . I'm not sure if she was wearing a seat belt . . . I was surprised. She looked very relaxed like it was a normal thing to do." Dlisted has the pics!

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DOPPELGANGERS

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INTERBLOGATORY TRAVELS

Alito is inevitable...this is why we needed to win the 2004 election: This is the price we're paying for losing the 2004 presidential election. Did we not make it clear enough that the future direction of the court was at stake? Did John Kerry not understand that? (I'll avoid the general topic of what Kerry understood and did not understand...)

Geezer appeal: "[Commander In] Chief" has never been as strong in ratings among younger viewers as it is among older, less advertiser-desired audiences. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the median age of "Chief" viewers is 54.7, giving it the second-oldest audience on the network, behind "Dancing With the Stars."

NBC Closes Book on "Daniel": And on the 18th day, NBC smited the The Book of Daniel. Stung by low ratings and high-profile protests, the Peacock announced on Tuesday that it had deep-sixed the dramedy--which starred Aidan Quinn as pill-popping Episcopalian priest Daniel Webster who imagines himself conversing with Jesus while coping with his gay son and pot-dealing daughter--after just four episodes.

Michael Jackson Spotted in Robe and Veil: Pop star Michael Jackson was spotted shopping in a Bahrain mall on Wednesday, hiding his face behind a veil and donning a black robe traditionally worn by women in the Gulf. He was with three children, apparently his own, who also had their faces covered by dark scarves.

Viva la Repartee: Clever Comebacks and Witty Retorts: Noah Webster --- the dictionary maker --- was having his way with the chambermaid when his wife entered. 'I'm surprised,' she exclaimed. Webster replied: 'No, my dear. I am surprised. You are astonished.' ... Bill Clinton was once introduced as the most intelligent of the Presidential candidates. He quipped, 'Isn't that like calling Moe the most intelligent of the Three Stooges?'

2 BY 2: A little something to pass the hours while you're waiting for quittin' time.

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YUP!

Click cartoon to enlarge.

h/t Louis!

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"THIS MAN CANNOT BE BELIEVED"

Cindy Adams may be a gossip columnist, but people talk to her -- all kinds of people. Scoff all you want, but her track record is damned good. So when Cindy prints an interview with someone in the know, I take notice.

SISTER-IN-LAW OF OSAMA'S WARNING
[link timed out by tomorrow]
"Nobody outside knows how they think. Saudi wives may not speak in the presence of men. So at family gatherings I, too, never spoke. But I listened. I learned. I am the only one on the outside who knows how they think.
"Why am I sure he is alive? Because, if he was dead, the family would say so right away to take the presssure off themselves.
...
As to her brother-in-law's truce offer: "My opinion? Be very vigilant. America cannot afford to put her guard down. This man cannot be believed. In this tape he threatens again to harm the United States. He is planning something else barbaric. For him [those] who love the West are infidels. I said this once before, but until 9/11 nobody wanted to listen to me."

Should the time come, THIRDWAVE wants to know, Who y'gonna call?

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MIZZ HILLARY GETS UPPITY

[Click HERE to view video]

Hillary Clinton's plantation

Politicians who reach for the plantation simile seem not to understand just how absurd it is for them to compare the status of being in the minority party on Capitol Hill to the existence of blacks on plantations in the Americas.
It risks further trivializing one of the greatest atrocities ever visited by humans on other humans ...
...
Being in the congressional minority in Congress today means not being invited into the closed-door meetings where final details on legislation are hammered out. It means often not being able to offer amendments to legislation during floor votes. OK, we get that it's frustrating and demeaning.
That's a far cry from being a slave staked to the ground by an angry master, unable to protect yourself as rats chew off your ears.

LAURA BLASTS HILL

First Lady Laura Bush yesterday slapped down Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's racially charged claim that Republicans run the House of Representatives "like a plantation." "I think it's ridiculous. It's a ridiculous comment that's what I think," Bush told reporters aboard her plane, sparking laughter as they flew home from an Africa trip. ... [Hillary] avoided repeating the explosive word "plantation" and yesterday she ducked out of a Democratic press conference at the Library of Congress without answering questions from waiting reporters.

A (FIRST) LADY-LIKE WAY TO GO ON ATTACK

SEN. Hillary Rodham Clinton could take a few les sons from Laura Bush if she really wants to run for president in 2008.
The current first lady used the scalpel of ridicule to deftly cut the former first lady down to size by dismissing her "plantation" crack about Republicans as "a ridiculous comment."
Mrs. Bush's real message: Someone who makes "a ridiculous comment" on a serious issue is someone who lacks the gravitas to sit in the Oval Office as president.
It may be unfair, but a woman always runs a greater risk of getting rated too shrilly by voters and that's something Mrs. Bush seems to implicitly get.

Posted by kitty at 08:14 AM | Comments (6)

BEHIND EVERY SCANDAL IS A JILTED DAME

Abramoff-GOP "culture of corruption" case broke open when Scanlon jilted his fiancée Why do I find this hysterically funny? Maybe because Scanlon seems like a total jerk, and his two-timing behavior, done in total arrogance, brought his own comeuppance. I can't say I have the most respect for Miller, though -- not because she got just revenge as a woman scorned, but because she was willing to let such sleazy corruption slide all slide otherwise. h/t Lucianne!

Posted by kitty at 12:05 PM | Comments (1)

A TRUE HOLLYWOOD HOTTIE

Will anyone be in Los Angeles on Saturday, Jan. 14th? If you are, then hop on over to Mann's Chinese Theater.

LONELY IN L.A.
HE might be the loneliest man in Hollywood, but Gary Sinise has lots of pals in red states. The "CSI: NY" star may need some of them to come to L.A. on Jan. 14 to fill Mann's Chinese Theatre, where the "Forrest Gump" Oscar nominee will discuss his visits to Iraq, his support for U.S. troops there, and Operation Iraqi Children, the charity he founded to bring school supplies to the war zone. "A Conversation with Gary Sinise" is part of a three-day film fest organized by American Film Renaissance, a Texas-based group that "celebrates the values that made America great: freedom, rugged individuality and triumph of the human sprirt." That's way too corny for the effete elites in Hollywood.

Posted by kitty at 09:49 AM | Comments (1)

INTERBLOGATORY TRIPPIN'

A Failed Offensive: Will [sic] the attacks were coordinated, they weren't very effective. Twenty were wounded, and the majority were civilians. Two of the attacks appeared to be manned by suicide bombers, who killed themselves with very little to show. The rest of the attacks appeared to be bombs planted within vehicles parked alongside the roads.

EEEEUUUUWWWW! Is the EU a Group Sex Fantasy?: European citizens do not like the European Union. In an effort to make the EU more sexy the Austrian authorities decided to subsidize a publicity campaign with a series of 150 posters. 75 artists from various places in Europe were asked to each make two posters, but some of them apparently took the request to present the EU in a sexy fashion too literally.

Speaking of sex ... CHEATING WENT BOTH WAYS: "I wonder how you'd feel if I told you that I had plenty of sex when I was in New York. When I was in Spain and Paris," [Terry] McMillan wrote. "That I have been cheating on you for three years because you were a drag, because you were boring, because you got on my nerves because you were embarrassing . . . you acted like a homosexual and you couldn't carry on an intelligent conversation."

The French are still revolting. 425 cars torched in New Year's unrest in France: Last year, 333 cars were burned. ... The burnings have become a barometer of unrest in France. ... At the peak [of the rioting last fall], youths incinerated 1,408 vehicles in a single night. h/t Mr. Snitch!

An Interview with Kinky Friedman: He's not joking. Kinky Friedman has a great, completely unique sense of humor, but he's serious about his independent campaign for governor of Texas.

Posted by kitty at 09:56 AM | Comments (1)

THE TRUTH ABOUT IRAQ

Ralph Peters has written an excellent recap of the success in Iraq in his
THE TRUTH ABOUT IRAQ
Here and abroad, the enemies of freedom insisted that failure was inevitable. Terrorists, insurgents, journalists with agendas, global America-haters and the Democratic Party's national leadership all tried to force our troops out of Iraq, no matter the consequences for the 26 million human beings who'd be left behind.
But the Iraqis refused to fail. Our troops refused to fail. And the Bush administration refused to fail.
Thank God.

Click cartoon to enlarge.

Posted by kitty at 09:25 AM | Comments (0)

INTERBLOGATORY RECAPS & REMINDERS

FLASHBACK -- DEM LEADER HARRY REID ALL SMILES AT PATRIOT ACT SIGNING: THE DRUDGE REPORT has uncovered a photograph of President Bush signing the Patriot Act in the East Room of the White House on October 26, 2001. That was Harry Reid then; "We killed the Patriot Act" is Harry Reid now.

The Who Said It Game - Iraq Style: A repository of quotes from prominent Democrats regarding pre-war intelligence on weapons of mass destruction in Saddam Hussein's Iraq.

BUSH-BASHERS: THE liberal organization People for the American Way, founded by Norman Lear, is nowhere near as patriotic as its name would suggest. At its annual Christmas fund-raiser, a signed CD by the Pittsburgh punk band Anti-Flag was auctioned off along with such items as a guided tour of Wisteria Lane by "Desperate Housewives" creator Marc Cherry. The band's song "Turncoat! Killer! Liar! Thief!" is a little melody about President Bush.

Stars turn backs on America's troops in Iraq: It is a far cry from the days following the September 11 2001 attacks, when some of the biggest names in show business, from Jennifer Lopez to Brad Pitt, rallied to the cause. "After 9/11 we couldn't have had enough airplanes for the people who were volunteering to go," Wayne Newton, the Las Vegas crooner who succeeded Bob Hope as head of USO's talent recruiting effort, told USA Today. "Now with 9/11 being as far removed as it is, the war being up one day and down the next, it becomes increasingly difficult to get people to go." The troops love these shows. Just ask SGT. GRIT: Remember the USO shows? We've got great pictures here of Bob Hope, the Pink Girls, singers, dancers and more. Semper Fi

Some Interesting Polls The Media Won't Report: As amazing as it may seem, the president's job approval (according to Rasmussen) has risen three points since the New York Times' NSA eavesdropping article was published on December 16.

Posted by kitty at 10:20 AM | Comments (3)

HOLIDAY SENTIMENTS

Design your own snowman

Posted by kitty at 02:20 PM | Comments (0)

BELIEVE HALF OF WHAT YOU READ

Only half? EVERY WRITER'S INNER FAKE BEST-selling writer Malcolm Gladwell identifies with New York Times fraudulist Jayson Blair. The other night, the "Blink" author was on stage at the Players Club as part of the trendy storytelling session known as the Moth. Gladwell admitted he once got a buzz after he wrote up an earnings report incorrectly as a cub reporter and the affected stock plummeted 10 percent. He also inserted the Australian capital, Sydney, into a story about where an annual AIDS conference might be held because he wanted to go there and thought no one "would mind." His hilarious performance at the Moth, with Harvey Keitel and Moby in attendance, climaxed with a manic description of his competition with another scribe to get the phrase "perverse but often baffling" into print -- a feat he eventually achieved when writing about the economics of health care.

* Which reminded me of this historic flub, not to mention this one.

Posted by kitty at 12:03 PM | Comments (0)

INTERBLOGATORY "WE'RE WINNING!" MONDAY

Earlier this morning Drudge had posted that picture of President Bush with the line "WE'RE WINNING" [the war in Iraq] underneath. Further down the page to one side was that picture of Mother Sheehan, who continues to protest the war. I guess she can't stand to see those Iraqis happy. Those two pictures should have been posted side-by-side. Since Matt wouldn't do it, I did.

F Why is a TV critic reviewing Bush's speech? Washington Post TV Critic Compares Bush Speech To "Very Bad" Wizard of Oz: Washington Post TV critic Tom Shales surfaces this morning to offer his critical take on the president's speech and beaches himself on another failed attempt to provide TV criticism instead of political criticism. For example, he tries to put his Bush-bashing jokes in theof others. On the Sundayat 9 PM air time, Shales quipped: "Watch for one wag or another to say that 'Desperate Housewives' followed 'Desperate President.'"

F Great photos of the historic Iraqi election. Michael Yon writes: I am working on a dispatch about the incredible Iraqi elections on 15th December. Meanwhile, the following video was sent to me by a caring citizen who closely follows the events in Iraq.

F And for more uplifting news, HILLARY IS FLAG BURNED: The former first lady's support of the flag-burning ban ... has blown up in her face. ... From the right, the American Legion torched the measure as "a long road to a dead-end" because it lacks any constitutional teeth. But more important for Clinton has been the onslaught from the left -- the core she needs for any hopes of a White House win.

F Blogmeister points out that Most Still Don't Like Hillary.

Posted by kitty at 09:37 AM | Comments (0)

INTERBLOGATORY T*G*I*F

F John Podhoretz sums it up quite nicely: TALKERS HERE, DOERS THERE [H]ere's what really happened in 2005: The Iraqis voted and voted and voted again. And no matter what was said to him or about him or of him, George W. Bush didn't blink and didn't falter. He stuck to his policy with a steely determination. Oh, he could have done a better job earlier in the year explaining it all to the American people. And above all, the heroic American military has learned things about fighting insurgencies that will give our soldiers a new understanding of how to win wars an understanding so deep that, when this war is won, insurgents elsewhere will be terrified to engage with us.

F LuckyDawgNews has the video proof that Clinton took military action against Iraq for WMDs, without an international coalition, and because Saddam violated U.N resolutions... There is one huge difference between Clinton's war on Iraq and Bush's. Bush had the guts to finish it.

F Needing to be seen with a victorious President Bush, Her Royal Cattle-Futures will meet with him today along with 14 other senators.
BUSH TO FILL HILL IN TODAY: Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton will meet face-to-face with President Bush and military commanders today at the White House for a top-level briefing on the future of Iraq.
"I'm old-fashioned enough to believe that when the president invites you to the White House to discuss an issue of grave importance, you go. I hope to get some answers to the questions I have about what the way ahead might be," she told The Post.
With the Iraqi parliamentary elections successfully under way, the former first lady said, "We can begin to have the sort of serious discussions that can lead to changes to our presence in Iraq."
Clinton will be joined by about 14 of her Senate colleagues.

F Just for fun :~) h/t Mrs. Media Matters

Posted by kitty at 09:04 AM | Comments (0)

INTERBLOGATORY MONDAY (siiiiiigh)

A couple of juicy tidbits concerning the she's-so-perky-I-wanna-puke Katie Couric:

* Someone at NBC doesn't like Katie Couric ;~) (tee hee hee:), which reminded me that sometimes Couric behaves like a donnaccia in public =:O

Elsewhere ...
* OH GOOD LORD, puh-LEEEEZE say it isn't so!

* Google a topic, and the results are based on popularity, right? Wrong. Inside the shadowy world of 'SEOs.'

* Not enough snow to build a snowman? Well, then, here y'go!

I'm outta here.
*

Posted by kitty at 09:53 AM | Comments (0)

MISS SNARK'S QUESTION

Miss Snark, Manhattan literary agent, has posted a piece of interest to anyone, not just writers, and then asks a great question. The comments alone are worth the trip over there. The Fog of War: [Robert McNamara] was Secretary of Defense when 50,000 Americans died in VietNam and during the bombing campaign that killed hundreds of thousands of civilians. It's clear he regrets this, but only the death of JFK that, even 40 years later, moves him to tears. For people of a certain age, it's the death of FDR. For others, the explosion of the Challenger. What's the no-need-to-explain iconic moment for you?

What's that moment for You?
*

Posted by kitty at 09:38 AM | Comments (3)

INTERBLOGATORY TOBOGGANING

Was Matt Lauer Wearing a 'Palestinian Support Scarf' this Morning?: Check out this web-site which advertises "Palestinian support scarves," explaining: "The traditional Palestinian headdress has become a symbol of support for the Palestinian people against the Israeli occupation. From political rallies to talk shows, supporters of the Palestinian cause have begun donning this traditional scarf as a show of solidarity."

Cindy Adams reports: At the event, one bunch was burbling and I don't believe it but I'm repeating it if Jeannine Pirro jumps for attorney general, GOP Senate types could draft former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld to run for senator. He wants this job because he ran for it and lost against presidential loser John Kerry. Actually, he wants any job N.Y. governor, U.S. senator, anything. The guy's itchy to be important someplace. But, although he can raise $50 mil for the hustle against Hillary, doesn't he owe fealty to Bill, who tried to make him ambassador to Mexico, a job he also blew?

LuckyDawgNews has a new video. Scroll down to Video of the Week - "War Cry" ..."What our enemies have begun, we will finish." President George W. Bush September 11, 2002

Don't kill the messenger, but here's an idea for a stocking stuffer: Scientifically Guaranteed Male [BLEEP] and Ultimate [BLEEP]: Restart Natural [BLEEP BLEEP], Eliminate Forever [BLEEP BLEEP], [BLEEP BLEEP], [BLEEP] and Enjoy Daily [BLEEP] (Paperback)

The Christmas classic that almost wasn't: When CBS bigwigs saw a rough cut of A Charlie Brown Christmas in November 1965, they hated it. "They said it was slow," executive producer Lee Mendelson remembers with a laugh. There were concerns that the show was almost defiantly different: There was no laugh track, real children provided the voices, and there was a swinging score by jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi. ... "We told Schulz, 'Look, you can't read from the Bible on network television...' "

Posted by kitty at 10:40 AM | Comments (0)

INTERBLOGATORY QUICK HITS

Larry Kudlow on One Very Healthy Economy: The latest employment numbers are hugely important as I mentioned this morning on CNBC's "Squawk Box." November's numbers from the Labor Department are a sure sign of strength here at home. Our optimistic economy is producing jobs, the stock market is rising and gasoline prices continue their downward trend. This is all very good news.

WACHOVIA'S RAT: The message-board shenanigans have angered Wachovia officials, who have contacted Yahoo! to track down the leakers who some believe are disgruntled employees. Several people who've posted to the board said they were notified by their Internet service providers that Yahoo! turned over the names of their ISPs to Wachovia. A spokesman for Yahoo! didn't return calls. "We take any breach of confidential information very seriously and will take appropriate steps to stop them," a spokesman for Wachovia said.

Pat discovered The International Man of Hunting is at it again!: [S]ources tell us that Kerry is an avid bird and deer hunter, and a good shot to boot. The proof: Early last week, he traveled to Nebraska for a waterfowl hunt. Remember this blast from the past?

More marital woe for Britney & K-Fed: At this point I'm assuming their child is dead. Most likely crushed beneath a mountain of corn dogs. Not that Britney or Kevin would notice. Arguing and drinking seems to take up most of their time. As does Britney's attempts to turn herself into a giant blob of jello.

Posted by kitty at 10:50 AM | Comments (0)

INTERBLOGATORY FRIDAY

AIDS Prevention among Schoolchildren: In Belgium the World Aids prevention day is a day of celebration for many. ... [T]he homosexual activists are now civil servants, paid with taxpayers' money for the privilege of being allowed to incorporate their agenda, undiluted, into every aspect of the education of Flemish children from preschool through grade twelve.

PUT ON A HAPPIER FACE: The technique, which is done in Switzerland, is to take your entire face off, rework it, and then put it back on," Mary [McFadden] said. "The people I know who have had it done are the best-looking people in town. One is a man of about 80 who looks about 40." Somebody should tell McFadden that her hair is slipping off the back of her head.

PIRRO EYES EXIT AMID 'EMERGENCY SUMMIT': Pirro, whose troubled camp