Getting Nothing But Static From MSM

Illinois Had No Indians

2007-02-23T22:57:00.000-08:00

Reference to the Univeristy of Illinois decisiong to ban the Indian/Native American mascot:

So I guess there were never Indians in this state of Illinois which gets it's name from Indians (of course, "Native American's" today under the PC banner). Huh, that is one wide sweeping politically correct eraser that is being wielded and is scary just like a "book burning session".................What history will be erased next?

Perhaps next in line, renaming all the states that have Indian names ( because of course we referred to Native American's as Indians back then so States were given "Indian Names" - therefore all would have to be renamed to be PC to erase the inappropriate "Indian" history - scrub it scrub it scrub it):

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, Wyoming.....................

State Names

Watch out Indiana things don't look good for you, given obvious reasons (Suggested new State name: Nativeamerica?)..................You could always go with a name that is "really offensive & politically incorrect" to Anglo Americans (penitence for former sins) like "Hoosiers"..................Sorry "Fighting Irish" is already taken by the golden dome university in your state Nativeamerica's. The folks down in Bloomington probably would not be good with the whole "Fighting Irish" thing anyway......................

They are talking it over on the STLToday blog

STL Blog

McCaskill's Anti-War Dilemma

2007-02-17T17:19:00.000-08:00

The NYTimes ran a story today on Hillary Clinton and how the rabid anti-war core that controls her and McCaskill's party want Clinton's head on a stick unless she publicly proclaims that she was wrong to vote for war with Iraq. John Kerry's former senior adviser provides McCaskill a glimpse into what the demand from today's Democratic party will be related to Iraq with this statement addressing Clinton's vote for war with Iraq:

said Robert M. Shrum, a senior adviser to Mr. Kerry in 2004. “I think there’s this tremendous desire in her campaign not to get into a position where you’re identified with traditional Democratic views. But this is now a party that is strongly antiwar.......................

NYT Link

A hard-core anti-war agenda defines today's Democratic party and it grows daily, confirmed from the 2004 Dem candidates own senior advisor. Not a good tent for a blue dog Democrat from a moderate Midwestern state like McCaskill to be in one would think, regardless of public polls on Iraq. If the anti-war agenda reaches the point of the Dem controlled Congress promoting voting to cut-off funding for the troops (and such a strategy is in the works), that will be a very bad place for McCaskill to find herself in politically. To stay a "true" blue dog she could not vote for such a measure. If she remains a blue dog and votes against such a measure then the rabid anti-war radicals who control her party will come after her just like they are coming after Clinton right now for her vote....................

Her vote on this non-binding resolution today related to increasing troops in Iraq was easy for McCaskill. The future votes McCaskill will be asked to vote for to maintain her parties anti-war position, will become much more difficult for her politically back home................................

Parents Charged for Loaded Gun Brought to School by Second Grader

2007-02-09T19:43:00.000-08:00

I'm a strong "second amendment - right to bear arms" advocate, however, this story is disturbing. Per the STL PD:

A Moscow Mills couple who kept more than 80 firearms in their home were charged Thursday with child endangerment after the woman's 8-year-old son carried a loaded handgun in his backpack all day at school.

The gun was discovered after the child showed the gun to a fellow student and a third student overheard the conversation and told school authorities. The hand gun was loaded and the safety was off. The child's parents have been charged with "easy access to weapons":

Charged in the case are Tina C. Powell, 41, and David Himmel, 43, both of the 600 block of Rolling Meadows Drive. Himmel and Powell were arrested and released after posting $25,000 bond each.............."We're holding the parents responsible for this because of the easy access to weapons," said Lincoln County Prosecutor John Richards................

All 80 guns were legally owned and none were confiscated. According the report the child is remorseful and understands that he made a really big mistake:

"He understands that what he did was wrong, but I don't know if he understands the magnitude of what could have happened," he said (Sheriff Dan Torres) .

Well it's reassuring that the child understands what he did was wrong and I hope that the story educates many on the potential for the huge disaster that we could have seen. No word yet on whether the parents understand the magnitude of error here. The right to own and possess guns is a guaranteed constitutional right via the second amendment, for those who meet the legal requirements. Its a very important right that also carries an equally important responsibility that it would appear was not adhered to by the parents of this child.............

Better custody and care are required of both the guns and the child I'd say.............

Good Technology in Bad Hands

2007-01-12T20:53:00.000-08:00

News that terrorists in Iraq use Google Earth to get the blue prints for their attack points. Via The Telegraph UK:

Terrorists attacking British bases in Basra are using aerial footage displayed by the Google Earth internet tool to pinpoint their attacks, say Army intelligence sources. Documents seized during raids on the homes of insurgents last week uncovered print-outs from photographs taken from Google. The satellite photographs show in detail the buildings inside the bases and vulnerable areas such as tented accommodation, lavatory blocks and where lightly armoured Land Rovers are parked...................

Miracle Ending to Kidnappings: Two Boys Rescued - Abducted Four Years Apart

2007-01-12T18:00:00.000-08:00

Two Missouri teenagers who were kidnapped four years apart, were both rescued today from the same location per the STL PD:

Ben Ownby, the 13-year-old Franklin County boy missing since Monday, has been found alive in Kirkwood -- as well as Shawn Hornbeck, a boy from Washington County who has been missing since 2002.

Franklin County Sheriff Gary Toelke said officers located both boys today in an apartment in Kirkwood. He said the case broke when two Kirkwood police officers went to serve a warrant last night and noticed the white pickup truck that had been the object of an intense search in the Ownby case. Officers went to the apartment today and found both boys inside. Hornbeck identified himself as the boy who has been missing since October 2002. Both boys appeared to be in good health, Toelke said.

The abductor in custody has confessed per the Post:

One person has been charged in the case, identified as Michael Devlin, 41,Toelke said. He was being held in lieu of $1 million bond and being questioned as the news of the boys' recovery was announced. Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Robert Parks told reporters that Devlin had confessed in the case.

How amazing that they not only found recently abducted Ben Ownby but also Hornbeck who has been missing four plus years, together and they both are alive.............truly an amazing and wonderful development.....................

Local STL Fox 2 has video and pictures, NBC 7 also,

A local radio station is reporting that a Michael Devlin apparently posted a comment on the Shawn Hornbeck webpage which if true makes a sick-o an even bigger sick-o monster.............The webpage isn't coming up because of current traffic I'm sure.........................The evil facts on who Devlin is and exactly what he has done will unfold over the next several days and that will be a terrible story to read, but the important thing right now is both children have been found and both are alive. A picture of the monster responsible for this is below.............

Not to minimize or take away from the absolute joy the Ownby's are obviously experiencing, but my goodness how overwhelmed Harnbeck's parents must be after four years to have this joyful ending. Word on the local radio was that Harnbecks parents were being interviewed by Fox about the Ownby abduction when they got the call that their son had been found, alive...............Wow, what an amazing and great ending to this story............................................

Dems Bail on 100 Hour Plan Due to Iraq Spending

2007-01-10T21:05:00.000-08:00

Prediction, the Dem leadership that now controls the Senate & House will attempt to use the Presidents decision to increase the troop size in Iraq to bail them out of their 100 hour agenda promise after taking power. Via NYT:

The office of Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House, followed with an announcement that the House would also take up a resolution in opposition to a troop increase. House Democrats were scheduled to meet Wednesday morning to consider whether to interrupt their carefully choreographed 100-hour, two-week-long rollout of their domestic agenda this month to address the Iraq war.

Here is what it will probably sound like: we can't pay as we go because the President is irresponsibly spending money in Iraq, we can't enact the 911 commission recommendations because Bush is spending irresponsibly in Iraq, we can't address the ethics problem in Washington because Bush is spending all the damn kick-back/ pork money in Iraq and oh yea that whole refrigerator cash thing down in New Orleans.....................

President Bush's Iraq Speech

2007-01-10T20:20:00.000-08:00

This quote from the President's speech I think sums it all up (full text):

The challenge playing out across the broader Middle East is more than a military conflict. It is the decisive ideological struggle of our time. On one side are those who believe in freedom and moderation. On the other side are extremists who kill the innocent, and have declared their intention to destroy our way of life. In the long run, the most realistic way to protect the American people is to provide a hopeful alternative to the hateful ideology of the enemy – by advancing liberty across a troubled region. It is in the interests of the United States to stand with the brave men and women who are risking their lives to claim their freedom – and help them as they work to raise up just and hopeful societies across the Middle East.............

Lets hope the pessimists don't win, because I don't think this is a battle we can afford to quit and walk away from because it's messy, hard and has not been wrapped up within a couple years......................

Cindy Sheehan "We Put You In Power - We Own You"

2007-01-03T20:40:00.000-08:00

I'd hate to be a dem as they take power of congress. Per the Bussiness Journal:

House Democrats tried to unveil their lobbying reform package today, but their press conference was drowned out by chants from anti-war activists who want Congress to stop funding the Iraq war before taking on other issues.

Led by Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a slain soldier, the protesters chanted "De-escalate, investigate, troops home now" as Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., began outlining the Democrats' plans to ban lobbyist-funded travel and institute other ethics reforms. The press conference was held in the Cannon House Office Building in an area open to the public. Sheehan says she has nothing against lobbying reform, but she and her fellow anti-war activists want Democrats to know they will keep pressuring Congress to end the war in Iraq.

"We wanted the Democrats to know they're back in power because of the grass roots," Sheehan says.

Not a good gang to sleep with I say...................................

Judge of Judges Has Ethics Problems

2006-12-30T21:50:00.000-08:00

The new chairman of the Judiciary Committee admits he has possible ethics violations, per the Hill:

Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) has "accepted responsibility" for possibly violating House rules by requiring his official staff to perform campaign-related work, according to a statement quietly released by the House ethics committee late Friday evening...................The Hill reported last March that two former Conyers’ aides alleged that he repeatedly violated House ethics rules by requiring aides to work on local and state campaigns, and babysit and chauffeur his children. Deanna Maher, a former deputy chief of staff in the Detroit office, and Sydney Rooks, a former legal counsel in his district office, shared numerous letters, memos, e-mails, handwritten notes and expense reports with The Hill............

House Speaker Pelosi is standing by Conyers:

A spokesman for Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Conyers will remain chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

Conyers is the "Impeach Bush Whip" and this should become interesting over the next few days:

Conyers had alarmed Democrats, poised to recapture the House after 12 years in the minority, by indicating that he would begin impeachment proceedings against President Bush. In May, a spokesman for Pelosi, said that she told her Democratic colleagues in a closed meeting, "that impeachment is off the table; she is not interested in pursuing it."

Should someone who holds such an important position in government and who steers the qualification of federal judges have such issues of integrity, regardless of their party affiliation or yours? Conyers has no stone throwing latitude in my opinion...........

Video of Saddam Hanging

2006-12-30T20:32:00.000-08:00

The cell phone video of Saddam Hussein hanging from the gallows, via Google:

VIDEO Here

------------------> Update <----------------------(10:52PMCST)

The left & right bloggers are hammering away on the merits of the "hanging". Gateway Pundit (right of center blogger) highlighted several (left of center blogger's) reactions:

Gateway Pundit post

Crooks and Liars, Unqualified Offerings, American Street, and The Huffington Post, and the comments are flying after the post on whether Saddam's hanging is good, bad, or of no impact.......................................Strange to me how the hanging of Saddam by Iraqis and their legitimate government could be divisive, strange perspective indeed..............

Forget the NSA, Clinton Was Spying on Diana

2006-12-09T20:08:00.000-08:00

Revelations that the US was spying on Princess Diana and had her wired for sound the night she died, per The Guardian:

The American secret service was bugging Princess Diana's telephone conversations without the approval of the British security services on the night she died, according to the most comprehensive report on her death, to be published this week...............

I wonder if we win see half the outrage from the MSM over this matter that we saw over the NSA? Considering the MSM's reaction and public opinion campaign when it was discovered that we were wire-tapping calls from terrorists into the states, one would think that when it's reveled that a world icon such as Diana was being "monitored" by the Clinton regime, the obvious reaction should be "that is nuts".............................Don't hold your breath for that logical and appropriate reaction however............

Next Iraq Play: Bolster Maliki to Challenge Sadr, Sistani Willing.......

2006-12-01T21:02:00.000-08:00

An interesting and informative article via the NYT's on Iraq and who is the power broker in Iraq. It's the Ayatollah (Ayatollah Sistani):

A wild card in any power struggle among the Shiites would be Ayatollah Sistani. The elderly cleric has generally remained silent in recent months, apparently reluctant to involve himself too deeply in the political quagmire of Iraq. But if it looked like a severe Shiite split might take place, the ayatollah could step in and force the parties to make peace.

This week, though, Ayatollah Sistani said nothing when Mr. Sadr withdrew officials loyal to him — 30 parliamentarians and six ministers — from Mr. Maliki’s government. Baha al-Aaraji, a leader of the parliamentarians, said the Sadr officials would not return until Mr. Maliki had wrested more control of Iraqi forces from the Americans and improved basic services. In a news conference after his meeting with Mr. Bush, Mr. Maliki urged the Sadr followers to rejoin the government.

In the article you get the play by play on the current power struggle. The American play appears now to be to reach out to Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, the powerful Shiite PM with strong ties to Iran (his Iraqi party members actually fought for Iran in the Iran-Iraq war). He also is a religious conservative (seems that most Iraqis are) and an arch rival of fellow religious clerk Montana al-Sadr, the number one threat in Iraq per American advisors given his militia. Looks like a prop-up of Sadr's rival Hakim to erode Sadr's influence.

This part of the story makes the most sense to me:

A senior Pentagon official said Friday that the Bush administration was also weighing whether to back away from efforts to reach out to Sunni extremists because the approach had not worked, and was alienating moderate Shiite groups...............

Reaching out to Sunni's has not worked it seems to me, and I'm all for reaching out to "moderates" even if moderate is a relative term. That sounds logical.......

Time for Iraqis to Demonstrate Self Determination

2006-11-30T19:43:00.000-08:00

American forces will begin leaving Iraq soon. Reuters reports that it will happen sooner than later:

President Bush will take weeks rather than months to start making changes in Iraq policy after he receives high-level recommendations on the conduct of the war, his national security adviser said on Thursday. Speaking after Bush held crisis talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Jordan, Stephen Hadley, Bush's national security adviser, said: "There is a real sense of urgency but there is not a sense of panic."......................Bush spoke after reports an independent, bipartisan group will recommend the U.S. military shift from a combat to a support role in Iraq but will not propose a timetable for withdrawal.....................

I have been very supportive of the efforts in Iraq and of President Bush. I think that removing Saddam was a good thing. I would have made the same decision if I was in the President's position at the time in question given the intelligence that was in play. I also think that a democracy in Iraq would be a very positive thing in the region and has been worth investing American resources and lives to attempt to achieve. That said I think it's time for us to turn things over to the Iraqis.

This change comes from a conversations I had with a member of my family who's opinion I deeply respect on all military matters. He is an uncle (actually a 65 year old second cousin who I call uncle) who served in Vietnam as a helicopter gunner and received the purple heart during his service. He is a no nonsense man who is very wise on all military matters in my opinion given his life experiences and he was very bullish on going to Iraq and Afghanistan after 911. However, he said from day one we should go to both countries and take care of the business that needs to be taken care of, win a war, and leave. He said we should send our diplomats over to deliver this message after we killed as many bad guys as we could: "If things don't change and you don't get rid of the remaining bad guys on your own, we will be back and kill a bunch more of them, and those who support them". He suggested we repeat the same model if needed, as many times as needed, only on a more devastating scale each time we had to come back.

His logic of course is that soldiers are warriors who fight wars and they are not policeman, peace keepers or nation builders. I argued back at that time that we owed it the Iraqis to help prop-up their new democracy. We said it would not work unless they truly wanted it and fought for it. I countered that they did............I see his wisdom now............

Do Iraqis want democracy? Sure a great deal do per the polls on the subject, however it's one thing to want something it's a totally different thing to invest completely into ones goal to ensure it is achieved. I have waited patiently like many Americans for the resolve to surface from the Iraqis to win their own democracy but aside from an encouraging story here or there, I have not seen it. I can't think of one country that is a current thriving democracy who was handed the sacred gift of democracy from another country. Democracy is self earned and by being earned by the collective people it holds them together no matter how bad things might get at times. It unites them and makes them a collective people regardless of differences and strife. Iraqis have a decision to make and then a very short window of time to act if they do decide that democracy is their primary goal.

It's time to bring the brave men and woman of the American military home. They have done much and achieved great things. They should be proud of what they have achieved. That said we have done pretty much all we can do at this point. It's time to turn this over to Iraqis and the question of "self determination" must be answered as it only can be by them.....................

The concerns about what happens in the region if we leave are legitimate concerns and serious ones. The same logic would apply to everyone in the region in my opinion that applies to Iraq. We should tell the Iraqis this as we leave: "If you don't get rid of the bad guys we will be back to take care of things again. We won't be building schools or power plants, we will be killing bad guys and then leaving. We will be in and out in about two months and if needed, will come back and do it again and each time we have to repeat that step the worse it will be".........................It's time for Iraq and the Iraqi people to decide their future by actions as well as the region itself.......................

--------------------Update--------------------------

Another military veteran who's opinion I respect greatly feels differently about the coming "Baker Iraqi Study Group" report and needed actions, Greyhawk @ Mudvillegazette and is blogging on the topic................

Doe Has Antlers: 28 Point Missouri Doe

2006-11-28T21:56:00.000-08:00

A post at Wizbang on Deer Check Stations made me think of the Doe with a Rack per NBC4

SARCOXIE, Mo. -- A Missouri hunter has shot a 28-point deer that just happened to be a doe................

It's a hunting plus to know that in Missouri you have a chance of shooting a doe with a 28-point rack let alone a buck. NBC4 has a slide show of the doe and video. Pretty cool story...........................

Pending Philadelphia Inquirer & Daily News Strike

2006-11-27T19:23:00.000-08:00

News from E&P that the newspaper Guild members of the Philadelphia Inquirer & Philadelphia Daily News, are preparing to go on strike Thursday night:

NEW YORK More than 600 Newspaper Guild members at the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News signed up for strike benefits over the weekend, according to guild spokesman Stu Bykofsky, who said the union is also scheduling picket assignments for a strike that could occur as soon as midnight Thursday.

"We are preparing to go on strike as if we were going to go on strike because we cannot wait until Thursday," he told E&P. "We have to be ready to go."

Just one very relevant and important thing for both the Guild & Ownership of all MSM to consider: 2004-2005 National Hockey League Lock-Out.............................

I think there are very few in the MSM who have the product quality or customer loyalty to recover from a shut-down..........................

Russian Spy Dead: It Aint Flonaise Putin's Dealing

2006-11-24T21:14:00.000-08:00

The story about the poising of former Russian spy Litvinenko with a "spray Polonium 210" is the rage this evening. Per Sky they found 210 in his urine.

That aint Flonaise that Putin and his boys were handing out...................Ready to allow the Iranian handlers to control the next move in the Iraq matter?

Hugo Chavez, Iran, Open Borders & Suicide Terrorists

2006-11-24T18:59:00.000-08:00

Hugo Chavez doesn't take kindly to hard questions asked of his new best buddy & ally Iran. Hugo has recalled the Venezuelan ambassador to Argentina per the BBC:

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has recalled his ambassador to Buenos Aires following a complaint by Argentina's leader, Argentine media report. President Nestor Kirchner is said to have contacted Mr Chavez over the conduct of ambassador Roger Capella. Mr Capella is accused of supporting former Housing Secretary Luis D'Elia. Mr D'Elia was fired for criticising an international arrest warrant for eight Iranian former cabinet ministers issued by Argentine prosecutors. The warrants were issued over the ex-ministers' alleged involvement in a bomb attack on a Jewish cultural centre in Buenos Aires in 1994, in which 85 people were killed..........................

Hugo Chavez's growing alliance with Iran is certainly concerning when you read reports about the massive suicide squads Iran is putting together per an Iranian expert Ali Alfoneh:

By Abbasi's definition, Iran may not sponsor terrorism, but it does not hesitate to promote suicide attacks. He announced that approximately 40,000 Iranian estesh-hadiyun (martyrdom-seekers) were ready to carry out suicide operations against "twenty-nine identified Western targets" should the U.S. military strike Iranian nuclear installations...................

With Venezuela's South American location and the open Mexican - American borders it's particularly alarming. Alfoneh thinks the bombers would be used in the Middle East Theater, and that might be, but the "Iranian - Hugo - Open Border" combination still is chilling:

Samadi said he had registered 2,000 volunteers for suicide operations at a seminar the previous day.[9] Copies of the registration forms (see Figure 1) show that the "martyrdom-seekers" could volunteer for suicide operations against three targets: operations against U.S. forces in the Shi‘ite holy cities in Iraq; against Israelis in Jerusalem; and against Rushdie............

Alfoneh also suggests that Iran's decision to develop suicide units maybe a telling hint of a weak Iranian military:

Since 9-11, the increased focus on international terror has amplified fear of terrorism. By forming suicide terrorists units, Tehran can, at a minimum, exploit such fear. Already, Western policymakers warn that any strike against Iran could spark a resurgence of Iranian-backed terror. That the Islamic Republic has already formed suicide bomber brigades underscores that point. But the fact that the Iranian leadership must embrace such nonconventional deterrents may suggest that Tehran recognizes that the Iranian military is weaker than Iranian figures admit................

You would think that a country with a powerful military would not need to exploit insane people who want to blow themselves up so Alfoneh's observation makes sense to me............

Mad Cartoonist Storms Newspaper Office

2006-11-24T18:11:00.000-08:00

The mad cartoonist who stormed his former paper with a toy gun, has some tremendous cartoon potential I'd say:

"I'm here to unmask the true conflicts in the newspaper," Varela told The Miami Herald. "They laugh at exiles here. There are problems with payment."............"All that he wants people to know is that he wants the truth to come out," Garcia said. "I think he needs some time to work some things out.".................

I'd say he needs some time to work some things out, and will no doubt get that time...................

Unless there is some unwritten rule against drawing cartoons about fellow cartoonists who go mad, one would think that there could be some seriously funny material here. Come to think about it, there probably is some unwritten rule in the MSM over such things. Too bad, if I could draw I'd pump out a few that come to mind.................

-------------Update---------------------------

A South Florida online paper Broward-Palm Beach New Times (Daily Pulp) is posting on the "mad cartoonist" and is covering the angle that it's part of a total Miami Herald "melt-down". Given the things going on at the Herald over the past year, I see that angle. You have to love this line:

“Warning: The Attorney General Has Determined that working at the Miami Herald Is Dangerous to Your Health".............................

On a serious note, The Daily Pulp thinks things in Miami are about to boil over and this is the latest example:

The entire community needs to do something before there’s another day like today, only instead of a half-baked cartoonist, it’s someone truly intent on doing some serious damage. I can’t believe I’m even saying this, but I’m starting to think there needs to be some kind of town hall meeting with Fiedler, other newspaper editors and reporters, Cuban exile leaders, and anybody else interested in these issues. Stick Michael Putney in there to moderate. Start it at 7:30 and let it last until the wee hours if it has to. This damn town needs some therapy. And quick.............................

Why Does Russia Support Iran?

2006-11-24T10:05:00.000-08:00

With the latest weapons transaction between Russia & Iran being reported, the question of why Russia protects Iran's nuclear aspirations seems worth revisiting. Here is a good refresher via the Carnegie Endowment:

The fact is that in contrast to the United States, Russia has huge political and economic interests with Iran. Iran is one of the main recipients of Russian peaceful nuclear technology and arms sales. Also, Iran is seen as a geopolitical counterbalance to the expanding influence of Turkey, the United States, and Islamic Wahhabism in the South and North Caucasus and Central Asia. Finally, Iranian oil and gas resources (4th and 2nd largest in the world respectively) are a lucrative target for future Russian investment................................By demanding the immediate cessation of Iranian enrichment activities, Russia is following its own economic and security interests and is demonstrating cooperation with the United States (and the West in general) on nonproliferation. By opposing UN sanctions and US military force, Moscow is accommodating its interests in cooperation with Iran and in avoidance of the inevitable economic, political and security damage of war. In this way Russia is also indirectly forging a united front with China, India and many other countries in opposing US unilateralism and arbitrary policy of force, permeated with double standards and a disregard for other nations' differing interests and views...............

It's all about "money" and "influence" in the region and the Russian perception of how to best protect their security buffers...............I would not look for any major changes in the Russian policy on Iran anytime soon.....................

Australia: No Plans for Timeline on Iraq

2006-11-23T20:13:00.000-08:00

Here is a reassuring headline via the Australians

Australia has no plans for setting a timeline for the withdrawal of its troops from Iraq, Defense Minister Brendan Nelson said Thursday...................

I wonder what the Baker Commission is cooking up? This actually gives me some hope when one of our strongest allies in Iraq is showing up with "stiff knees" that Baker is not cooking up a Syrian sell-out........

NYC Live Poultry Market: Don't Look Them in the Eye.........

2006-11-23T18:12:00.000-08:00

Now that you have had your Thanksgiving turkey dinner, here is a sub-story on "live poultry markets" via the AP

Thousands of turkey, chickens and other fowl are killed every day at hundreds of live poultry markets around the country, with roughly 90 such places in the New York City area alone. Most of the nation's live poultry markets are concentrated in large urban areas with big immigrant populations, such as Miami, Los Angeles and New York.

Once the turkeys are chosen by customers, the birds are snatched up by a butcher who binds their feet and hangs them upside down from a scale. Then comes the unmentionable (hint: it has to do with a blade). The bird then goes into a rotating machine that strips its feathers. And customers walk out with their Thanksgiving turkey in a plastic bag, fresh as fresh can be.

Said one customer: "People say that once you eat a live turkey, you can never go back again,"................

I'm sure PETA is not happy but if you don't look them in the eye, you can get a super fresh and tasty bird:

McIntyre went back and chose the smallest turkey, a white 20-pounder. "I didn't look the animal in the eye. And I didn't look when they killed it."

The strange thing that makes this a story is that the market is in NYC and other large urban cities. Obviously this has been an annual event in rural locations all over the country every year for many years...............Turkey famers have to be chuckling when they read that one......................

Thanksgiving Prayer: deliver us from this food.....

2006-11-23T17:15:00.000-08:00

At Thanksgiving Dinner, my nine year old gave the blessing, and one of his closing lines was "God, deliver us from this food"..............................

He has been learning the Lords Prayer for his God & Country badge in Boy Scouts and seems to have been focused in on the "deliver us from evil" part of the prayer and inserted that line into his Thanksgiving prayer. My wife and I cooked the dinner and we are both good cooks so we actually thought it was hysterical. We have family members and friends who if they had been cooking his prayer might have been appropriate and on the money, like I'm sure many others have in their families and circle.............

Happy Thanksgiving everyone................................

Cards Win - Go Crazy Folks....

2006-10-27T22:53:00.000-07:00

respublica: Screaming red

Cards win to become "World Champs", not much else to say is there...................

Molly Ivins: Americans are Nazis

2006-09-29T21:35:00.000-07:00

Molly Ivins in her own words:

I'd like those supporting this evil bill to spare me one affliction: Do not, please, pretend to be shocked by the consequences of this legislation. And do not pretend to be shocked when the world begins comparing us to the Nazis................

David Broder: Apology Due from MSM to Rove

2006-09-07T18:56:00.000-07:00

The most respected Political Op-Ed journalist in the business (per his peers and Newspaper Editors), states that the MSM owes Rove an apology per WaPo:

Blumenthal's example is far from unique. Newsweek, in a July 25, 2005, cover story on Rove, after dutifully noting that Rove's lawyer said the prosecutor had told him that Rove was not a target of the investigation, added: "But this isn't just about the Facts, it's about what Rove's foes regard as a higher Truth: That he is a one-man epicenter of a narrative of Evil."

And in the American Prospect's cover story for August 2005, Joe Conason wrote that Rove "is a powerful bully. Fear of retribution has stifled those who might have revealed his secrets. He has enjoyed the impunity of a malefactor who could always claim, however implausibly, deniability -- until now."

These and other publications owe Karl Rove an apology. And all of journalism needs to relearn the lesson: Can the conspiracy theories and stick to the facts.

Well said.........but for a great deal of today's media, it's not about the truth, it's about pushing a political agenda like they did in the fictional Plame story..............The politically active liberal left in the media are most to blame for this debacle and once again the entire media establishment finds their credibility bottoming-out at a new low......................

Hat-tip Powerline