Friday, September 30, 2005
I Am OK
Thank you so much for the emails & comments. I apologize for not being able to blog & respond to emails these days. I was in a car accident & things have been a bit tough. But, things are getting easier & I hope to be back next week :)
God must have heard you guys. Thanks again.
|
God must have heard you guys. Thanks again.
Monday, September 19, 2005
Never Say Never
What a way to learn that lesson.
I'm cheering for Hillary in this one.
Tomorrow's headline prediction: Hell Freezes Over
Ten gallon hat tip: Mwalimu Daudi
|
I'm cheering for Hillary in this one.
Tomorrow's headline prediction: Hell Freezes Over
Ten gallon hat tip: Mwalimu Daudi
Got Crime? Legalize It- No More Crime
That seems to be the way that Sri Lankan officials were thinking when they did this:
The Sri Lankan Cabinet has decided to reduce the age of consent for sexual encounters from 16 to 13 years.
Cabinet spokesperson Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said the action has been taken due to rising numbers of men arrested for sexual relations with girls below the age of 16.
The Minister said this proposal was made to the Cabinet by Justice Minister W.D.J. Seneviratne and was approved this week after much debate and a long review.
With the new amendment to the law, in a rape case, the matter of consent would arise only when the individual is below the age of 13. The Amendment Bill will be presented in Parliament shortly.
Thirteen: a year more than what SCOTUS Justice Ginsburg considers to an acceptable age of consent.
Hat tip: Love America First
|
The Sri Lankan Cabinet has decided to reduce the age of consent for sexual encounters from 16 to 13 years.
Cabinet spokesperson Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said the action has been taken due to rising numbers of men arrested for sexual relations with girls below the age of 16.
The Minister said this proposal was made to the Cabinet by Justice Minister W.D.J. Seneviratne and was approved this week after much debate and a long review.
With the new amendment to the law, in a rape case, the matter of consent would arise only when the individual is below the age of 13. The Amendment Bill will be presented in Parliament shortly.
Thirteen: a year more than what SCOTUS Justice Ginsburg considers to an acceptable age of consent.
Hat tip: Love America First
The Minute Men & Their Opponents
According to popular images, the Minute Men are a bunch of knuckle dragging, foaming at the mouth racists who just love shooting at brown people, & illegals & their supporters are loving, peaceful, tolerant teddy bears who wouldn't harm a soul. Matt Labash of the Weekly Standard did an insightful piece on the Minute Man organization. He focuses particularly it's head Chris Simcox, & does a great job at dispelling these myths.
...Like many Minutemen and Minutewomen, they are hard to place politically and seem pretty moderate across the board. Unlike many militia types, they don't count black helicopters in their sleep. In fact, they're not actually antigovernment at all, in the sense of wanting there to be less of it. Rather, as Simcox says, "We must force our government to do their job by threatening to do it for them." As some of their T-shirts attest, they're not vigilantes, they're undocumented Border Patrol agents...
...Brenda, who is Cherokee Indian, makes a distinction I hear repeatedly from the Minutepeople: that unlike many other groups of their stripe, they are not anti-immigration, they are anti-illegal-immigration. They even support increased legal immigration from Mexico and a beefed-up guest worker program, fully funded by the employers who elect to exploit cheap labor at the expense of Americans. In reassuring tones, Brenda frames it thus: "Everybody is thirsty. They're standing in line down the sidewalk to drink at the water fountain." The people she objects to, she says, are those cutting across the grass. "I don't care who I stand in line with, but everybody ought to stand in line."...
...After the meeting, it occurs to me that I've spent many hours talking to completely level-headed Minutemen. So for balance, I head for the most eccentric looking freak I can find, who turns out to be Freddy Puckett. He wears two hearing-aids, an "Undocumented Border Patrol" T-shirt, and a camo boonie-hat with a "Kiss me I'm ugly" badge stuck to it. He's a walking Radio-Shack rack, with all his blipping phones and walkie-talkies and other electronic contraptions strapped to his torso.
But it seems I've misjudged Freddy. A disabled Vietnam vet who carries landmine shrapnel in his chest, Freddy's the one who saved the illegal in the desert over the Fourth of July weekend when he cried out for "agua, agua." Perhaps unaware that agua is "Sesame Street"-level Spanish, an ebullient Freddy says he understood because "my wife is Hispanic. I just love to save people's lives and protect America. That's what I do."...
Why is this? Because they police themselves so intensely to the point of nearly being PC.
...The Minutemen do tote guns (though they encourage their ranks to secure concealed-weapon permits, the better, organizers say, to put the government to work weeding out potential wackos through criminal background checks). Yet the entire month of April, the heaviest thing that went down was the censuring of a new volunteer who gave a weary illegal water and Wheaties (along with 20 bucks), then photographed him wearing a T-shirt that said "Bryan Barton Caught Me Crossing the Border And All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt." Barton was summarily dismissed...
...They aren't exactly the nest of racist snipers and vipers I've been reading about on the plane. As I brush past Simcox's husky-lab mix lounging on the floor (he found the dog on the border while patrolling), I meet Lucy Garza, his able assistant who doubles as a screener. If Lucy hears any aspiring Minutemen disparaging Hispanics (a naturalized citizen, she's 100 percent Mexican), they are shown the door, although Lucy herself, when it comes to illegal immigration, is a bit of a fire-breather. "They come over. They reap all the benefits. They rape our country, our system, and they send all the money back home," she says, tearing up as she describes how the deserts are ravaged by waste. "It makes me ashamed of my heritage."...
They have non-white members AND they don't tolerate racism AND they give water to thirsty people rather than shoot them?
Contrast this to their opponents:
It is with a heavy heart today that I write and ask for your support. Yesterday, September 17, 2005, a few of our unarmed volunteer citizens of Friends of the Border Patrol were attacked by the so-called peaceful humanitarians of Gente Unida [Enrique Morones' goons] in San Diego, California, as they were meeting at a gathering point for an orientation and training session....
...Here's what happened. The Captain instructed our volunteers where to meet up and was almost immediately confronted by an angry mob. An American flag was immediately desecrated by being torn away from our volunteers, off its pole, and onto the ground where it was stomped on and kicked. This vile act was committed by an individual who had concealed his face from cameras. We do have video footage, which was released by the volunteer to the media and shown in San Diego on their television newscasts.
Individuals on tape were also assaulting and battering a number of senior citizens. Here's something to consider. These young people assaulted our volunteers, many of whom have served our nation in the military with distinction, which includes senior citizens. To show the footage, which we'll post asap on our website, will absolutely leave you speechless, and angry. The protesters stalked our volunteers around the site, screamed in their ears, were cursed at, physically assaulted and battered, trespassed on private property, and participated in crimes of hate and acts of terrorism....
They beat up a unarmed seniors, yuck. Which group is violent & which not?
Now, whose violent & whose not? The myths of the Minute Men & the myths about illegals & their supporter are just that, myths: myths that need to be shattered with real information.
Hat tip: Katie's Dad, Our Way of Life, Kit Jarrell
|
...Like many Minutemen and Minutewomen, they are hard to place politically and seem pretty moderate across the board. Unlike many militia types, they don't count black helicopters in their sleep. In fact, they're not actually antigovernment at all, in the sense of wanting there to be less of it. Rather, as Simcox says, "We must force our government to do their job by threatening to do it for them." As some of their T-shirts attest, they're not vigilantes, they're undocumented Border Patrol agents...
...Brenda, who is Cherokee Indian, makes a distinction I hear repeatedly from the Minutepeople: that unlike many other groups of their stripe, they are not anti-immigration, they are anti-illegal-immigration. They even support increased legal immigration from Mexico and a beefed-up guest worker program, fully funded by the employers who elect to exploit cheap labor at the expense of Americans. In reassuring tones, Brenda frames it thus: "Everybody is thirsty. They're standing in line down the sidewalk to drink at the water fountain." The people she objects to, she says, are those cutting across the grass. "I don't care who I stand in line with, but everybody ought to stand in line."...
...After the meeting, it occurs to me that I've spent many hours talking to completely level-headed Minutemen. So for balance, I head for the most eccentric looking freak I can find, who turns out to be Freddy Puckett. He wears two hearing-aids, an "Undocumented Border Patrol" T-shirt, and a camo boonie-hat with a "Kiss me I'm ugly" badge stuck to it. He's a walking Radio-Shack rack, with all his blipping phones and walkie-talkies and other electronic contraptions strapped to his torso.
But it seems I've misjudged Freddy. A disabled Vietnam vet who carries landmine shrapnel in his chest, Freddy's the one who saved the illegal in the desert over the Fourth of July weekend when he cried out for "agua, agua." Perhaps unaware that agua is "Sesame Street"-level Spanish, an ebullient Freddy says he understood because "my wife is Hispanic. I just love to save people's lives and protect America. That's what I do."...
Why is this? Because they police themselves so intensely to the point of nearly being PC.
...The Minutemen do tote guns (though they encourage their ranks to secure concealed-weapon permits, the better, organizers say, to put the government to work weeding out potential wackos through criminal background checks). Yet the entire month of April, the heaviest thing that went down was the censuring of a new volunteer who gave a weary illegal water and Wheaties (along with 20 bucks), then photographed him wearing a T-shirt that said "Bryan Barton Caught Me Crossing the Border And All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt." Barton was summarily dismissed...
...They aren't exactly the nest of racist snipers and vipers I've been reading about on the plane. As I brush past Simcox's husky-lab mix lounging on the floor (he found the dog on the border while patrolling), I meet Lucy Garza, his able assistant who doubles as a screener. If Lucy hears any aspiring Minutemen disparaging Hispanics (a naturalized citizen, she's 100 percent Mexican), they are shown the door, although Lucy herself, when it comes to illegal immigration, is a bit of a fire-breather. "They come over. They reap all the benefits. They rape our country, our system, and they send all the money back home," she says, tearing up as she describes how the deserts are ravaged by waste. "It makes me ashamed of my heritage."...
They have non-white members AND they don't tolerate racism AND they give water to thirsty people rather than shoot them?
Contrast this to their opponents:
It is with a heavy heart today that I write and ask for your support. Yesterday, September 17, 2005, a few of our unarmed volunteer citizens of Friends of the Border Patrol were attacked by the so-called peaceful humanitarians of Gente Unida [Enrique Morones' goons] in San Diego, California, as they were meeting at a gathering point for an orientation and training session....
...Here's what happened. The Captain instructed our volunteers where to meet up and was almost immediately confronted by an angry mob. An American flag was immediately desecrated by being torn away from our volunteers, off its pole, and onto the ground where it was stomped on and kicked. This vile act was committed by an individual who had concealed his face from cameras. We do have video footage, which was released by the volunteer to the media and shown in San Diego on their television newscasts.
Individuals on tape were also assaulting and battering a number of senior citizens. Here's something to consider. These young people assaulted our volunteers, many of whom have served our nation in the military with distinction, which includes senior citizens. To show the footage, which we'll post asap on our website, will absolutely leave you speechless, and angry. The protesters stalked our volunteers around the site, screamed in their ears, were cursed at, physically assaulted and battered, trespassed on private property, and participated in crimes of hate and acts of terrorism....
They beat up a unarmed seniors, yuck. Which group is violent & which not?
Now, whose violent & whose not? The myths of the Minute Men & the myths about illegals & their supporter are just that, myths: myths that need to be shattered with real information.
Hat tip: Katie's Dad, Our Way of Life, Kit Jarrell
Sunday, September 18, 2005
German Election & Its Implications For America
The exit polls:
Germany's ARD television puts the Christian Democrats in the lead with 35.5% of the vote, ahead of the Social Democrats on 34%.
There is a chance that the Schroeder era will soon be over. What this means for us in the US: a better ally in the war against terror & (knock on wood) the dawn of an economically healthier Europe. While the margin is less than ideal & will lead to quite a bit of gridlock, as it has in America, a victory can mean the begining of a new way of doing things.
The German economy is doing very badly & the astronomical unemployment rate, 11.6% is not very helpful either. Thus, the German public is having second thoughts about their love affair with socialism.
The head of the conservative coalition Angela Merkel, grew up in the former East Germany & harbors no delusions of Communist utopias. She is also in favor of giving precedence to relationships with the emerging Eastern & Central European states & America over that with France. The wide spread rejection of the EU, on which France was heavily invested, is clearly having an impact.
Schroeder's party, the Socialist Democrats, tried to play the anti-Americanism card in a last ditched effort to save themselves. A poster featuring the coffins of American soldier which would have made Code Pink proud was a part of their campaign.
Interestingly, there have been two other major elections, which have yielded this same type of result:
In Japan, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi & his party won by a landslide during the special election which he called for when challenged in his efforts to privatize the state owned postal system (the Japanese post office functions as a bank & insurance agency too, it's assets are in the billions). This victory too was fortuitous for the current administration & America in general, as LDP, particularly Koizumi's faction, is hawkish & good allies in the war against terror as well as handling China & North Korea.
In May of 2002, in Dutch conservatives won control of the government despite the murder of the party leader Pim Fortuyn. The major impetus for their victory was the stagnant Dutch economy, which had been hobbled by socialistic policies, as well strong immigration reform policies.
In the US, we have yet to have any party or major candidate adopt such a strong stance on the issue. Hopefully this will change.
A major reason for all three of these conservative victories have been the desire to cut down government expenditure: a lesson American conservatives would do well to keep in mind.
|
Germany's ARD television puts the Christian Democrats in the lead with 35.5% of the vote, ahead of the Social Democrats on 34%.
There is a chance that the Schroeder era will soon be over. What this means for us in the US: a better ally in the war against terror & (knock on wood) the dawn of an economically healthier Europe. While the margin is less than ideal & will lead to quite a bit of gridlock, as it has in America, a victory can mean the begining of a new way of doing things.
The German economy is doing very badly & the astronomical unemployment rate, 11.6% is not very helpful either. Thus, the German public is having second thoughts about their love affair with socialism.
The head of the conservative coalition Angela Merkel, grew up in the former East Germany & harbors no delusions of Communist utopias. She is also in favor of giving precedence to relationships with the emerging Eastern & Central European states & America over that with France. The wide spread rejection of the EU, on which France was heavily invested, is clearly having an impact.
Schroeder's party, the Socialist Democrats, tried to play the anti-Americanism card in a last ditched effort to save themselves. A poster featuring the coffins of American soldier which would have made Code Pink proud was a part of their campaign.
Interestingly, there have been two other major elections, which have yielded this same type of result:
In Japan, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi & his party won by a landslide during the special election which he called for when challenged in his efforts to privatize the state owned postal system (the Japanese post office functions as a bank & insurance agency too, it's assets are in the billions). This victory too was fortuitous for the current administration & America in general, as LDP, particularly Koizumi's faction, is hawkish & good allies in the war against terror as well as handling China & North Korea.
In May of 2002, in Dutch conservatives won control of the government despite the murder of the party leader Pim Fortuyn. The major impetus for their victory was the stagnant Dutch economy, which had been hobbled by socialistic policies, as well strong immigration reform policies.
In the US, we have yet to have any party or major candidate adopt such a strong stance on the issue. Hopefully this will change.
A major reason for all three of these conservative victories have been the desire to cut down government expenditure: a lesson American conservatives would do well to keep in mind.
Progress
North Korea introduces first 'credit card'.
Next thing ya' know, the dear leader will invent the North Korean internet.
|
Next thing ya' know, the dear leader will invent the North Korean internet.
Somebody Please Call A Doctor
Because Cindy has really, really gone off the deep end this time.
...George Bush needs to stop talking, admit the mistakes of his all around failed administration, pull our troops out of occupied New Orleans and Iraq, and excuse his self from power...
She clearly needs a bed at a psychiatric facility. Oh wait, we might need a another bed too.
Hat tip: Alarming News
|
...George Bush needs to stop talking, admit the mistakes of his all around failed administration, pull our troops out of occupied New Orleans and Iraq, and excuse his self from power...
She clearly needs a bed at a psychiatric facility. Oh wait, we might need a another bed too.
Hat tip: Alarming News
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
New Yorkers Do It Again!
From USA Today:
Attacks on and around the 7-mile highway linking Baghdad to its international airport have dropped 41% since May, the result of increased U.S. and Iraqi troop presence and new tactics to battle insurgents along one of the world's most dangerous roads.
There hasn't been a suicide car bombing on the road since April, according to U.S. military statistics through August...
As this is the airport road & the design of the highway as well as the surrounding area makes it very difficult to secure, this was once one of the most dangerous places in Baghdad. The fact that it was frequently used by diplomats & other high profile individuals made it especially tempting for terrorists.
Guess to whom much of the responsibility for this road & neighborhood falls to? The New York National Guard's 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment!
Of course, they gave the New Yorkers the toughest job: we're the best (bombastic regionalism over)
However, I do think that this adds further proof to the already accepted fact that New York is a very special place, wouldn't you agree :-)
|
Attacks on and around the 7-mile highway linking Baghdad to its international airport have dropped 41% since May, the result of increased U.S. and Iraqi troop presence and new tactics to battle insurgents along one of the world's most dangerous roads.
There hasn't been a suicide car bombing on the road since April, according to U.S. military statistics through August...
As this is the airport road & the design of the highway as well as the surrounding area makes it very difficult to secure, this was once one of the most dangerous places in Baghdad. The fact that it was frequently used by diplomats & other high profile individuals made it especially tempting for terrorists.
Guess to whom much of the responsibility for this road & neighborhood falls to? The New York National Guard's 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment!
Of course, they gave the New Yorkers the toughest job: we're the best (bombastic regionalism over)
However, I do think that this adds further proof to the already accepted fact that New York is a very special place, wouldn't you agree :-)
From The Horse's Mouth
Six Meat Buffet has posted a good portion of a 2003 NYT editorial in which Eason Jordan admits that CNN did not tell all they knew about Saddam.
|
The ACLU Tries to Endanger Honest People: Again
While a majority of evacuees are good people, obviously, there will be among them those of criminal background. Some may even be wanted. Therefore, most sane people would agree that it makes sense to do background checks on them, before allowing them to move into their new shelters.
Even one of the evacuees interviewed agrees:
“I would, I would want to know who may be my neighbor,” Seymour said. “You're imposing but also you need to know.”
These checks do involve some inconvenience, but is it as bad as having a child subject to sex abuse? For about 99% of us, including evacuee Cherlynn Seymour, the answer is no.
However, for the ACLU, the answer is very different. They are complaining that:
...the move is unconstitutional and unjust. The spokesperson added that it is the equivalent to state border guards and that Pennsylvania state officials are preying on people who are already down and out on their luck...
I am sure NAMBLA would heartily concur.
They have yet to take legal action. Let's hope they decide to exercise a some judgment at least now. The Constitution is not a suicide pact. Its purpose is to make our lives better: not worse.
In fact, as Urban League Public Housing site coordinator Gerri Reynolds points out:
“Public housing authorities requires it of all residents and we're not just singling them out or picking on them,” Reynolds said. “It's required of all residents applying for public housing.”
As seven convicted sex offenders arrived with more than 200 other evacuees at Cape Cod, these concerns are clearly well placed.
However, despite the sex offenders being housed on a separate floor of a dormitory with only single men, their floor does not have any extra security because:the state doesn’t want to isolate them.
Hat tip: NIF, Stop the ACLU
|
Even one of the evacuees interviewed agrees:
“I would, I would want to know who may be my neighbor,” Seymour said. “You're imposing but also you need to know.”
These checks do involve some inconvenience, but is it as bad as having a child subject to sex abuse? For about 99% of us, including evacuee Cherlynn Seymour, the answer is no.
However, for the ACLU, the answer is very different. They are complaining that:
...the move is unconstitutional and unjust. The spokesperson added that it is the equivalent to state border guards and that Pennsylvania state officials are preying on people who are already down and out on their luck...
I am sure NAMBLA would heartily concur.
They have yet to take legal action. Let's hope they decide to exercise a some judgment at least now. The Constitution is not a suicide pact. Its purpose is to make our lives better: not worse.
In fact, as Urban League Public Housing site coordinator Gerri Reynolds points out:
“Public housing authorities requires it of all residents and we're not just singling them out or picking on them,” Reynolds said. “It's required of all residents applying for public housing.”
As seven convicted sex offenders arrived with more than 200 other evacuees at Cape Cod, these concerns are clearly well placed.
However, despite the sex offenders being housed on a separate floor of a dormitory with only single men, their floor does not have any extra security because:the state doesn’t want to isolate them.
Hat tip: NIF, Stop the ACLU
Kitty Power
I can see why the Terriorists are fully behind this one :) As for me, while I'm all for alternative energy sources, this might be going just a bit too far.
Update: I have corrected the link. My apologies.
Update II: The pee powered battery. Perhaps there is hope for the kitty cats if they drink enough water :)
|
Update: I have corrected the link. My apologies.
Update II: The pee powered battery. Perhaps there is hope for the kitty cats if they drink enough water :)
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Life Imitates Scrappleface
What a day.
ScrappleFace's Sen. Kennedy's Questions for Judge Roberts:
...1. Judge Roberts, when the Federal Emergency Management Agency unleashed a new form of terror on the Gulf Coast forcing President Bush to reluctantly cut short his month-long vacation, the question in the minds of most mainstream Americans was 'Why do Republicans hate black people so much?' So my question for you is, when you become Chief Justice of the United States, will Clarence Thomas still have access to the same men's restroom as the rest of his male colleagues?...
WashTimes:
It took less than an hour before Senators considering federal Judge John G. Roberts Jr.'s nomination to the Supreme Court fell into disagreement over Hurricane Katrina....
...Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, the Massachusetts Democrat, said lessons should be learned from the hurricane. "The powerful winds and flood waters of Katrina tore away the mask that has hidden from public view the many Americans who are left out and left behind," he said. "As one nation under God, we cannot continue to ignore the injustice, the inequality and the gross disparities that exist in our society."...
update: More musings on Teddo
|
ScrappleFace's Sen. Kennedy's Questions for Judge Roberts:
...1. Judge Roberts, when the Federal Emergency Management Agency unleashed a new form of terror on the Gulf Coast forcing President Bush to reluctantly cut short his month-long vacation, the question in the minds of most mainstream Americans was 'Why do Republicans hate black people so much?' So my question for you is, when you become Chief Justice of the United States, will Clarence Thomas still have access to the same men's restroom as the rest of his male colleagues?...
WashTimes:
It took less than an hour before Senators considering federal Judge John G. Roberts Jr.'s nomination to the Supreme Court fell into disagreement over Hurricane Katrina....
...Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, the Massachusetts Democrat, said lessons should be learned from the hurricane. "The powerful winds and flood waters of Katrina tore away the mask that has hidden from public view the many Americans who are left out and left behind," he said. "As one nation under God, we cannot continue to ignore the injustice, the inequality and the gross disparities that exist in our society."...
update: More musings on Teddo
Wuzzadem Waz Right?
Life imitates Wuzzadem
Via Drudge:
After weeks of intense Katrina coverage from the main press, LA TIMES guru Michael Kinsley divulges that CNN was coaching guests to artificially enhance emotions!
Kinsley writes:
"The TV news networks, which only a few months ago were piously suppressing emotional fireworks by their pundits, are now piously encouraging their news anchors to break out of the emotional straitjackets and express outrage. A Los Angeles Times colleague of mine, appearing on CNN last week to talk about Katrina, was told by a producer to 'get angry'."
This may come as a surprise, but I am no fan of the MSM, but even I wasn't expecting them to sink this low.
|
Via Drudge:
After weeks of intense Katrina coverage from the main press, LA TIMES guru Michael Kinsley divulges that CNN was coaching guests to artificially enhance emotions!
Kinsley writes:
"The TV news networks, which only a few months ago were piously suppressing emotional fireworks by their pundits, are now piously encouraging their news anchors to break out of the emotional straitjackets and express outrage. A Los Angeles Times colleague of mine, appearing on CNN last week to talk about Katrina, was told by a producer to 'get angry'."
This may come as a surprise, but I am no fan of the MSM, but even I wasn't expecting them to sink this low.
Monday, September 12, 2005
Katrina: An Environmentalist Disaster?
They prevented us from having the option of buying our oil from Australia. Could they have prevented the building of a hurricane barrier to protect NO ?
Hat Tip: Michelle Malkin
|
Hat Tip: Michelle Malkin
No Good Deed Ever Goes Unpunished
1. Following the overcrowding at the Superdome, the city of Huston, TX generously offered to take in a large number of evacuees. These people were cared for with the money & resources of the good people of the state of Texas.
And how does the NYT repay their generosity? By writing an article entitled Houston Finds Business Boon After Katrina. The opening paragraph:
Perhaps no city in the United States is in a better spot than Houston to turn Katrina's tragedy into opportunity. And businesses here are already scrambling to profit in the hurricane's aftermath.
The article however does not mention the amounts spent on the evacuees by the taxpayers of Texas. Nor does it mention that the local public schools might have trouble accommodating the sudden influx of new students. Nor does it mention the possible affects of a surplus of labor on the local economy. The writer merely goes on & on about how business have benefited from the re-settlement. So much for reporting both sides of the story.
2. On September 6th, American hostage Roy Hallums was rescued by the American & Iraqi military thanks to a tip they got from a detainee.
How did the NYT report this? They included it in the middle of a story on a terrorist bombing. The title of the story was, Basra Bombs Kill 16 Iraqis and 4 U.S. Contractors. Nine paragraphs into the article they mention, '& oh by the way':
There was also a piece of good news: American military officials said they had rescued an American contractor who was kidnapped last Nov. 1. American soldiers found the hostage, Roy Hallums, at an isolated farmhouse 15 miles south of Baghdad after receiving a tip from an Iraqi detainee, military officials said in a statement. He was in good condition and was receiving medical care, the officials said. An Iraqi captive with him whose name was not released was also freed.
They then proceeded to devote a mere three paragraphs, including the one I cited, to this news.
The AP's reporting was not much better. They, to their credit did the story with the title, American Hostage Freed After 10 Months. However, while the opening paragraph was:
The U.S. military, acting on a tip, raided an isolated farmhouse outside the capital Wednesday and rescued an American businessman held hostage for 10 months. The kidnappers, who had kept their captive bound and gagged, escaped without a gunbattle.
The very next paragraph discusses the bombing in Basra & more than half the story is devoted to other news such as the bombing & Saddam's trial.
Why did such good news get buried? The military did a great job: where was the recognition?
3. On September 5th, Iraqi soldiers donated to the victims of Katrina.
TAJI, Iraq, Sept. 9, 2005 — Iraqi soldiers serving at Taji military base collected 1,000,000 Iraqi dinars for victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Iraqi Col. Abbas Fadhil, Iraqi base commander, presented the money to U.S. Col. Paul D. Linkenhoker, Taji Coalition base commander, at a Sept. 5 staff meeting.
“We are all brothers,” said Abbas. “When one suffers tragedy, we all suffer their pain.”
The amount of money is small in American dollars - roughly $680 - but it represents a huge act of compassion from Iraqi soldiers to their American counterparts, said U.S. Army Maj. Michael Goyne.
“I was overwhelmed by the amount of their generosity,” Goyne said. “I was proud and happy to know Col. Abbas, his officers, NCOs and fellow soldiers. That amount represents a month’s salary for most of those soldiers.”
Abbas read a letter he wrote after giving the envelope to Linkenhoker.
"I am Colonel Abbas Fadhil; Tadji Military Base Commander,” Abbas wrote. “On behalf of myself and all the People of Tadji Military Base; I would like to console the American People and Government for getting this horrible disaster. So we would like to donate 1.000.000 Iraqi Dinars to help the government and the People also I would like to console all the ASTs who helped us rebuilding our country and our Army. We appreciate the American's help and support. Thank you."
Did you see the NYT story on this?
Hat tip: lfg, Mudville
|
And how does the NYT repay their generosity? By writing an article entitled Houston Finds Business Boon After Katrina. The opening paragraph:
Perhaps no city in the United States is in a better spot than Houston to turn Katrina's tragedy into opportunity. And businesses here are already scrambling to profit in the hurricane's aftermath.
The article however does not mention the amounts spent on the evacuees by the taxpayers of Texas. Nor does it mention that the local public schools might have trouble accommodating the sudden influx of new students. Nor does it mention the possible affects of a surplus of labor on the local economy. The writer merely goes on & on about how business have benefited from the re-settlement. So much for reporting both sides of the story.
2. On September 6th, American hostage Roy Hallums was rescued by the American & Iraqi military thanks to a tip they got from a detainee.
How did the NYT report this? They included it in the middle of a story on a terrorist bombing. The title of the story was, Basra Bombs Kill 16 Iraqis and 4 U.S. Contractors. Nine paragraphs into the article they mention, '& oh by the way':
There was also a piece of good news: American military officials said they had rescued an American contractor who was kidnapped last Nov. 1. American soldiers found the hostage, Roy Hallums, at an isolated farmhouse 15 miles south of Baghdad after receiving a tip from an Iraqi detainee, military officials said in a statement. He was in good condition and was receiving medical care, the officials said. An Iraqi captive with him whose name was not released was also freed.
They then proceeded to devote a mere three paragraphs, including the one I cited, to this news.
The AP's reporting was not much better. They, to their credit did the story with the title, American Hostage Freed After 10 Months. However, while the opening paragraph was:
The U.S. military, acting on a tip, raided an isolated farmhouse outside the capital Wednesday and rescued an American businessman held hostage for 10 months. The kidnappers, who had kept their captive bound and gagged, escaped without a gunbattle.
The very next paragraph discusses the bombing in Basra & more than half the story is devoted to other news such as the bombing & Saddam's trial.
Why did such good news get buried? The military did a great job: where was the recognition?
3. On September 5th, Iraqi soldiers donated to the victims of Katrina.
TAJI, Iraq, Sept. 9, 2005 — Iraqi soldiers serving at Taji military base collected 1,000,000 Iraqi dinars for victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Iraqi Col. Abbas Fadhil, Iraqi base commander, presented the money to U.S. Col. Paul D. Linkenhoker, Taji Coalition base commander, at a Sept. 5 staff meeting.
“We are all brothers,” said Abbas. “When one suffers tragedy, we all suffer their pain.”
The amount of money is small in American dollars - roughly $680 - but it represents a huge act of compassion from Iraqi soldiers to their American counterparts, said U.S. Army Maj. Michael Goyne.
“I was overwhelmed by the amount of their generosity,” Goyne said. “I was proud and happy to know Col. Abbas, his officers, NCOs and fellow soldiers. That amount represents a month’s salary for most of those soldiers.”
Abbas read a letter he wrote after giving the envelope to Linkenhoker.
"I am Colonel Abbas Fadhil; Tadji Military Base Commander,” Abbas wrote. “On behalf of myself and all the People of Tadji Military Base; I would like to console the American People and Government for getting this horrible disaster. So we would like to donate 1.000.000 Iraqi Dinars to help the government and the People also I would like to console all the ASTs who helped us rebuilding our country and our Army. We appreciate the American's help and support. Thank you."
Did you see the NYT story on this?
Hat tip: lfg, Mudville
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Never Forget 9.11.01
Please note: as I would like this to remain the top post of the day, today's other posts will be posted below this.
Pentagon photo via Henry
9.11.2005
It seems like yesterday that the Manhattan skyline was forever altered. Just as those who of an earlier generation remember exactly where they were when they heard of the assassination of JFK, my generation will remember where we were when we heard about 9/11. In terms of its implications, Pearl Harbor is perhaps a better analogy. For some of us, it was a day that forced us to re-examine our views, pay closer attention to the happenings of the world around us, & the things we were taught. Other appear to need a little more time.
Four years ago people jumped out of the shattered windows of a skyscraper to take a chance at life rather than submit to the certainty of death among flames. They were ordinary people, civilians, who saw the dawn on September 11th 2001 as nothing more than another day. They were good hard working people who went to work early to get a head start on the day. Little did they know what a hateful Islamist named Osama bin Laden & his compatriots wished to do. But for the grace of Gad, it could have been any of us here today. We must not forget.
While much has been done to address the threat of Islamic terrorism, much still remains to be done.
This is especially so regarding the precarious situation of our border with Mexico, which remains an undefended gateway into our country. Terrorists have taken note of this & used in several occasions. The ease of entry is so well known that Al Jazeera even tried to make a documentary on it. A recent study by the Center for Immigration Studies showed how terrorists routinely flouted immigration laws:
Overall, 59 of 94 foreign-born nationals who were either convicted or indicted on terror charges broke federal immigration laws to enter or remain in the country between 1993 and 2004, the report found. It also noted:
_Twenty-two of the 94 either had student visas or other applications approving them to study in the United States; another 17 used visitor visas to enter the country.
_In at least 13 instances, suspected and convicted terrorists overstayed their temporary visas.
_Seven of the 94 were indicted for using false driver's licenses, birth certificates, Social Security cards and immigration records.
_Twenty-one became naturalized citizens.
The report identified many of the immigrants as affiliated with at least one terror organization, including 40 with al-Qaida, 16 with Hamas, 16 with the Palestinian or Egyptian Islamic Jihad, and six with Hezbollah.
And these are merely the ones who were apprehended, I dread to think of the numbers of those who remain among us.
Sadly, there are some, even in this country, who wish to undermine the war against terrorism & any efforts to preserve the memory of 9/11. Attempts are already being made by the multiculti, PC left to desecrate the memory of 9/11. The WTC memorial & International Freedom Center still remain prey to those whose visions of the future are congruent to that of the Islamicists.
The memorial for the passengers of Flight 93 is also in danger. The design of the Flight 93 National Memorial is in the shape of a crescent & features a "tower of voices": both clearly symbols of Islam. The excuse, which is what it is, that Paul Murdoch did not see a connection to Islam in the design, is rather difficult for many of us to buy:
Architects—good ones like Paul Murdoch and his design crew—are fully aware of the symbolism that they put into their work. The first order of business is to make money, of course, which is why their design incorporates various half-religious notions of sacredness and healing, which appeal to people’s sentimentalism. But no one can tell me that it never crossed their minds that the Crescent is the symbol of Islam, just as the Cross is the symbol of Christianity. (Neither started out that way: the Crescent was originally a pagan symbol, and the Cross was a favorite torture device of the Romans.)
As one observer noted, plastering a Crescent across the landscape in tribute to the heroes of Flight 93—to be seen clearly from the air—is like building a memorial to the Holocaust victims in the form of a Swastika. Or imagine the furor had we built the Pearl Harbor Memorial in a pattern that reminded us of the Japanese war flag, with planes and ships extending, beam-like, from a central orb.
The presence of “minaret” in the Memorial design is barely apparent, but only because, living in a non-Islamic nation, we have no need to take note of its function: it is used by the muezzin (crier) to call the faithful to turn toward Mecca and pray. The minaret, five times a day, literally becomes a “tower of voices.” Is connecting the Flight 93 Memorial tower to an Islamic minaret a stretch? Not with the Crescent symbol in proximity.
Is there any better way to insult the heroism of the brave passengers of flight 93 who refused to submit to the will of Islamists?
The MSM has contributed more than their fair share towards the attacking the war on terror. They cannot show Abu Graib enough, but refuse to show the victims of Saddam's torture or the victims of Islamist punishment with the same frequency. The juxtaposition of CNN's insistence that they be allowed to film the recovery of the dead at NO, while refusing to show the most disturbing images of 9/11 does make their contention of unbiased reporting highly questionable. But, of course these are the same people who jump at the chance to reel off casualty lists with no mention of their mission & what they accomplished not any mention of the good done by American troops, not to mention Sheehaning.
Al Jazeera, refused to show the tape of the heroism of Fabrizio Quattrocchi, who fought the terrorists who made him dig his own grave, but had little hesitation reporting the beheadings of Danny Pearl & other hostages who were unable to resist their captors. While, Al Jazeera's behavior is to be expected, at least after 9/11 one would think that the American MSM would change their ways. It is sad that they show very little inclination to do so.
Despite the strides made in Afghanistan, Iraq & Lebannon, as its supporters are unceasing in their efforts to destroy democracy & freedom, the threat of terrorism remains. Freedom isn't free: it must be fought for. It is important that we not remain silent & resist the efforts of those who ally themselves with the groups responsible for 9/11/2001 in order to prevent future 9/11's.
Hat Tip: La Shawn, My Pet Jawa, OTB
Update: A graphic of the red crescent.
Paul Murdock's philosophy.
|
Four years ago people jumped out of the shattered windows of a skyscraper to take a chance at life rather than submit to the certainty of death among flames. They were ordinary people, civilians, who saw the dawn on September 11th 2001 as nothing more than another day. They were good hard working people who went to work early to get a head start on the day. Little did they know what a hateful Islamist named Osama bin Laden & his compatriots wished to do. But for the grace of Gad, it could have been any of us here today. We must not forget.
While much has been done to address the threat of Islamic terrorism, much still remains to be done.
This is especially so regarding the precarious situation of our border with Mexico, which remains an undefended gateway into our country. Terrorists have taken note of this & used in several occasions. The ease of entry is so well known that Al Jazeera even tried to make a documentary on it. A recent study by the Center for Immigration Studies showed how terrorists routinely flouted immigration laws:
Overall, 59 of 94 foreign-born nationals who were either convicted or indicted on terror charges broke federal immigration laws to enter or remain in the country between 1993 and 2004, the report found. It also noted:
_Twenty-two of the 94 either had student visas or other applications approving them to study in the United States; another 17 used visitor visas to enter the country.
_In at least 13 instances, suspected and convicted terrorists overstayed their temporary visas.
_Seven of the 94 were indicted for using false driver's licenses, birth certificates, Social Security cards and immigration records.
_Twenty-one became naturalized citizens.
The report identified many of the immigrants as affiliated with at least one terror organization, including 40 with al-Qaida, 16 with Hamas, 16 with the Palestinian or Egyptian Islamic Jihad, and six with Hezbollah.
And these are merely the ones who were apprehended, I dread to think of the numbers of those who remain among us.
Sadly, there are some, even in this country, who wish to undermine the war against terrorism & any efforts to preserve the memory of 9/11. Attempts are already being made by the multiculti, PC left to desecrate the memory of 9/11. The WTC memorial & International Freedom Center still remain prey to those whose visions of the future are congruent to that of the Islamicists.
The memorial for the passengers of Flight 93 is also in danger. The design of the Flight 93 National Memorial is in the shape of a crescent & features a "tower of voices": both clearly symbols of Islam. The excuse, which is what it is, that Paul Murdoch did not see a connection to Islam in the design, is rather difficult for many of us to buy:
Architects—good ones like Paul Murdoch and his design crew—are fully aware of the symbolism that they put into their work. The first order of business is to make money, of course, which is why their design incorporates various half-religious notions of sacredness and healing, which appeal to people’s sentimentalism. But no one can tell me that it never crossed their minds that the Crescent is the symbol of Islam, just as the Cross is the symbol of Christianity. (Neither started out that way: the Crescent was originally a pagan symbol, and the Cross was a favorite torture device of the Romans.)
As one observer noted, plastering a Crescent across the landscape in tribute to the heroes of Flight 93—to be seen clearly from the air—is like building a memorial to the Holocaust victims in the form of a Swastika. Or imagine the furor had we built the Pearl Harbor Memorial in a pattern that reminded us of the Japanese war flag, with planes and ships extending, beam-like, from a central orb.
The presence of “minaret” in the Memorial design is barely apparent, but only because, living in a non-Islamic nation, we have no need to take note of its function: it is used by the muezzin (crier) to call the faithful to turn toward Mecca and pray. The minaret, five times a day, literally becomes a “tower of voices.” Is connecting the Flight 93 Memorial tower to an Islamic minaret a stretch? Not with the Crescent symbol in proximity.
Is there any better way to insult the heroism of the brave passengers of flight 93 who refused to submit to the will of Islamists?
The MSM has contributed more than their fair share towards the attacking the war on terror. They cannot show Abu Graib enough, but refuse to show the victims of Saddam's torture or the victims of Islamist punishment with the same frequency. The juxtaposition of CNN's insistence that they be allowed to film the recovery of the dead at NO, while refusing to show the most disturbing images of 9/11 does make their contention of unbiased reporting highly questionable. But, of course these are the same people who jump at the chance to reel off casualty lists with no mention of their mission & what they accomplished not any mention of the good done by American troops, not to mention Sheehaning.
Al Jazeera, refused to show the tape of the heroism of Fabrizio Quattrocchi, who fought the terrorists who made him dig his own grave, but had little hesitation reporting the beheadings of Danny Pearl & other hostages who were unable to resist their captors. While, Al Jazeera's behavior is to be expected, at least after 9/11 one would think that the American MSM would change their ways. It is sad that they show very little inclination to do so.
Despite the strides made in Afghanistan, Iraq & Lebannon, as its supporters are unceasing in their efforts to destroy democracy & freedom, the threat of terrorism remains. Freedom isn't free: it must be fought for. It is important that we not remain silent & resist the efforts of those who ally themselves with the groups responsible for 9/11/2001 in order to prevent future 9/11's.
Hat Tip: La Shawn, My Pet Jawa, OTB
Update: A graphic of the red crescent.
Paul Murdock's philosophy.
